Pyrrha offers to help Jaune with his combat lessons, but it doesn't go well.

Team JNPR is disquieted by the amount of time Jaune is spending with Cardin.

Jaune decides to stand up to Cardin's bullying.

Team RWBY's cohesion collapses when an argument about the White Fang becomes personal for both Weiss and Blake.

While the rest of Team RWBY search for the missing Blake, Blake and Sun investigate the local White Fang activities.

While Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch discuss General Ironwood's fleet of ships, Team RWBY play board games in the library. Meanwhile, Haven Academy's students have started to arrive...

Team RWBY start their investigation of the White Fang and Ruby learns a little bit more about their strange friend, Penny.

Team RWBY takes on Roman Torchwick in an epic urban battle, but he has an ace up his sleeve... called Neo.

Combat training sees Team CRDL take on Pyrrha Nikos while the villains take an interest in her abilities. Meanwhile, Jaune struggles to convince Weiss to take his feelings seriously. And on top of that, Blake is becoming increasingly tired.

While Team RWBY prepare for the school ball, Ruby worries about Blake's state of health. Yang, however, has a plan for dealing with Blake that she is certain will succeed.

While everyone enjoys the school dance, Ruby and Jaune struggle to fit in. Ruby's problem is solved when she spots a villain that is up to no good while Jaune solves his by honouring a rather unorthodox promise he made.

While the teachers assess the threat they're facing, Team RWBY receive a surprise package from Ruby and Yang's father. Meanwhile, Team CFVY finally return home from their mission and Team RWBY is horrified to learn which teacher will be escorting them for their first field trip.

Dr. Oobleck takes Team RWBY on reconnaissance to an abandoned city that is teaming with Grimm. While the girls fight, Oobleck interrogates their reasons for wanting to become Huntresses.

Weiss, Blake and Yang discuss their motivations for becoming huntresses. While everyone sleeps, Ruby discovers a White Fang patrol but gets captured while trying to follow them.

Ruby has been taken hostage by Torchwick and the White Fang, but just as team WBY rescues her, Torchwick sets his plan in motion. On the train, team RWBY splits up and does battle with various enemies, while trying to stop the train and prevent it from unloading more bombs.

Grimm are attacking Vale, and it's up to team RWBY and friends to defeat them.

It's Team JNPR vs. Team BRNZ and Team SSSN vs. Team NDGO.

Starting the last episode ends, Ruby follows Weiss as she races across Vale to greet a woman who turns out to be Weiss's older sister, Winter. As the sisters begin their journey back to the school, they're interrupted when a drunkard picks a fight with Winter. He turns out to be Ruby's uncle, Qrow. Awesome fight and property damage ensue, until it's broken up when Ironwood shows up followed by Ozpin and Glynda. Later, Qrow, Ironwood, Glynda, and Ozpin have a meeting where a lot of harsh words ensue.

The first doubles match of the tournament puts Mercury and Emerald against Yatsuhashi and Coco. Later Qrow and Winter spend some quality time with their families.

Penny reveals to Ruby that she wants to remain at Beacon and mentions that she has a plan to make that happen. Yang and Weiss fight Team FNKI representatives, Flynt Coal and Neon Katt. Qrow and Ozpin discuss Ironwood's recent actions and Qrow asks Ozpin if he's chosen the "guardian" yet.

We open to Pyrrha getting her world rocked as Ozpin and co. tell her the secret history of Remnant. Later we start the opening of the singles matches with Yang vs. Mercury.

The episode gives a glimpse into the past about Cinder's motivations, how she recruits Emerald and Mercury, how she connected with the White Fang, and how she managed to steal the Fall Maiden's power. We also cut back to the present to see the immediate aftermath of what happened after Yang's victory against Mercury in the tournament.

Team RWBY rally around Yang when Ironwood tells her she's been disqualified then Qrow and Yang discuss Yang's mother. Jaune and Pyrrha have a heart-to-heart which distresses Pyrrha due to her confusion about Ozpin's offer. The next fight is confirmed to be Penny versus Pyrrha while Ruby finds herself confronting Mercury, who is supposed to be on his way back to Haven.

Mercury fights Ruby to prevent her interfering with Penny and Pyrrha's fight. The tournament match ends in disaster and Cinder hijacks the airwaves with a grim message for the world's audience. Roman and Neo sabotage the Atlesian military ships while the Grimm and the White Fang begin their attack on Vale.

War breaks out with battles occurring on the tournament field, the city and the school. Formerly adversarial tournament teams unite to fight the Grimm together while Ruby goes after a rogue airship that has turned on the rest of the fleet. Cinder's virus makes things worse by turning the robotic Atlesian army against both the city and its defenders. And then the Grimm Dragon appears...