What Happens to The Cat? - RWBY Volume 9 Discussion

[@ivanhunter6492]

The cat is effectively stuck in Ever After. He needs a body to be drained of all willpower and no purpose but in order to ascend OUTSIDE you need to find purpose

[@infernodelta70]

He’s stuck in a paradox then. Hub, that’s actually a really clever way of punishing something like the cat.

[@twinodoom]

If Ruby leaves the Ever After as herself, it might give Neo a connection strong enough to return to Remnant while still fused the Cat.

[@MegaDuke4life]

If he succeded in getting Ruby out I think he could because she still have an inate desire to be the huntress of remnant she dreamed about even in her current defeated state

[@bullmoosevelt4495]

It's possible though that this paradox is just another one of RT's poor writing errors, which they will promptly ignore come the volume's finale.

[@ivangarduno1363]

@@bullmoosevelt4495 that doesnt seems the case

[@graceznamenacek4118]

what if curiosity really does kill the cat?

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

Satisfaction brings him back

[@vash3055]

I think the Cat is a EA exclusive relic like being. Not of the crown or sword. I would love for him to continue with the series but would need some leash of him, even if it is an agreement.

[@Neekazan]

Just a thought, if your theory that the cat is the crown, or at least the persona within the crown (like Jinn for the lamp), then you probably can't kill it... which gives it another similarity to Salem.

[@kuntress6005]

The relics are supposed to aid humanity, not try to f them over. I daresay the god of light wouldn’t have created a persona in any of the relics that has a curse on it. But the RWBY writers are pretty inconsistent with writing the rules of the world of Remnant, so who knows, they may retcon that.

[@auditor778]

@@kuntress6005 Bruh God of Light brought back Ozma when he went "Ma balance" hocus pocus and did it for no reason, and if you think about it, uts so Salem doesn't learn her "lesson" like all these was a simple right from the beginning...........just up her death date to ahead of schedule but like if the Relics were meant to 'help' humanity then why do they attract Grimm when the things don't have emotions and given the Brothers, I wouldn't put it past them to have trapped someone in the Relics like a Genie, the Brothers killed everyone but Humanity exists..........yeah they ain't powerful but Weak as fuck.

[@kuntress6005]

@@auditor778 well that’s all just speculation at this point. But to anwser the question why are the Grimm attracted to the relics, is the same reason the Silver Eyes can damage the Grimm. Grimm are the God of Darkness’ creation, the relics are the God of Lights creation. Seems plausible to me that if the Grimm were created to be in opposition to the very idea of creation and the God of Light, it’s not too crazy to suggest they want to destroy the relics. But your forgetting about Salem, she controls them and wants the relics, so the most likely answer is that she’s just using the unique properties of the relics and telling the Grimm to hunt them.

[@auditor778]

@@kuntress6005 Oh great another "The Brothers did nothing wrong" ..............your relic shit makes no sense besides Salem using them to retrieve like the Brothers didn't look "I hate you" when we saw them besides arguing over Ozma.

[@harlster3373]

Counter point why would WBY or Jaune help it since it’s opposing them and even throwing that aside the cat only told Ruby that it was made by “creators” aka the gods, the others don’t know that so they don’t know it’s been screwed over just like Salem, the only person that would theoretically spare it and bring it to remnant is Ruby and even then it doesn’t seem likely to happen considering it just stabbed her in the back and tried possessing her and I don’t see the cat telling them this information now or ruby stoping the fight and telling considering there’s 1 episode left so I think death is the most likely scenario through ascension probably

[@hyperdreamer9483]

I personally think Ruby will emerge as she was before with the Cat defeated but not dead, and Ruby looks back at it and thinks over everything that happened to it and everything it did in wanting to achieve a goal that it (as far as she would know) never asked for. She’ll see Cat as an abandoned and betrayed soul who just wants what was promised to it. I think by the end Ruby will fulfill Alyx’s broken promise and take Cat with her through the portal to Remnant like he always wanted promising to get an audience between him and the gods when they’re summoned by the relics.

[@goddesssalem4842]

All witches have cats, i want the cat to become Salems pet .

[@GlowBerryPumpkin]

Even minecraft witches have cats

[@xxminecraftpvpproxx2408]

@@GlowBerryPumpkin exactly

[@ecthox-1mork909]

Honestly, I'm kinda hoping that the Cat will stick around or at least still have a role beyond V9. They're such a juicy antagonist, and I have a feeling they still might still find a way to follow Team RWBY back through the door to Remnant yet even with Neo being unable to go through.

[@energy_ninja]

As someone who likes the presence of Cat and thinks there's something to be learnt from their existence it would be a waste to just abandon them to dying or their current existence without a thought. Cat has already set themselves up for another way to get a change at the very least when they dropped their facade and explained the extreme nature of their unfulfilled purpose to Ruby. Practically unasked because Ruby's question was "what are you doing?" She never asked why they were doing the equivalent of stabbing her soul. Cat is the one who responded to a question of what with a why. Lesson to take from whatever Cat's fate may be ask someone what they want or need to know if you can do anything? Connecting that back to Salem. Have we heard present day Salem herself express what she wants and why. She seems to have told everyone what they want to hear not necessarily the truth. Cat has never been in the position to satiate the want that driven them to such extremes, learning about Remnant and why the Gods left. Granted Cat has been left with curiosity and rage. Is it even feasible for Cat to have a fulfilling existence with the nature the God's cursed them to have? What happens to them once they know why the Gods left to create humans? My personal want is that Cat is granted the opportunity to go to Remnant finds out why the Gods left, learns how flippant they are, and contentedly observes Remnant. That's asking for a lot of things to go perfectly for one character specifically which need to be granted by others. At this point I'd be fine with any ending for Cat that has a profound impact on RWBYJ to add to their perspective. Random question: What was Cat's relationship to Louis (Lewis?)? Why didn't Cat go to Remnant with him? Cat isn't entitled to go to Remnant I'm just wondering why they didn't or couldn't go?

[@Gamerlord17]

How to kill Salem 1. Get a warrior with silver eyes 2. Give them magic. 3. Have them permanently petrify Salem 4. Lock Salem in one of the vaults created by the staff of creation. Game over. Heroes win.

[@YouAllWrite]

Counterpoints. First off that doesn't "kill Salem" - also there's no evidence that permanent petrification is even possible as every time it's been done to powerful enemies they've either broken free or just broken which salem would heal from. Also locking her in a vault is likely not to work - the gods specified in their curse "so long as this world turns you shall walk it's face" which could easily be interpreted to mean that if there were anything physically removing her or stopping her from being on remnant that the curse would kick in and put her back in the world anyway.

[@Gamerlord17]

@@YouAllWrite very well allow me to rephrase that from how to kill to how to seal. HOWEVER you can't deny the fact that a maiden with silver eyes is the MOST LIKELY solution or at the very least part of the solution. Because I find it VERY strange we haven't seen a single maiden that has them. And I for one sir don't believe in coincidence when it comes to this story.

[@YouAllWrite]

@@Gamerlord17 I don't see it as the most likely at all. Sure in storytelling those elements being there suggest they're involved however looking at what the narrative tells us at least the maiden powers are pretty useless. It's just human levels of magic, and even a master of it like Oz was no match for salem. I'm not saying it won't be involved but as far an answer, there's no logical conclusion on how something like maiden powers could help at all outside of combat and combat has proven entirely useless. Perhaps it'd help the person stay alive long enough to do something else but that's about it.

[@Gamerlord17]

@@YouAllWrite okay fair enough point though again I simply have to stress that a maiden with silver eyes wouldn't be able to KILL Salem. More like depower and then allow for a dialogue. It's hard to explain

[@jimfox1477]

​​@@Gamerlord17 What makes you believe the vaults can hold salem ??, Rubys eyes wont kill salem, her immortality comes from the gods, that trump anything on remnant. Either salem dies at the hands of the gods or she learns the meaning of life and death, which is the condition for her immortality

[@kitty8179]

My theory is that they might be able to answer one of the cat's questions and the cat will be satisfied and turn back into the crown. Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction did bring it back!

[@ibrahermisleem2756]

I do think that in the end the way they defeat salme would be by talking to her like ruby talks to her calms her down and make her understand that importance of life and death bc if u remember the brothers said that the curse would be lifted when she understand so Also I think they will take neo with and like convince her that she still got things and people that care about her it would nice if ruby is the one that tells her and like they're shocked and telling her that " are u going to forgive her after what she's done " idk could be cool

[@bambiboo4611]

Honesty I kinda want to see the Cat in the next volume.

[@Striker2097]

Ever heard the saying "curiosity killed the cat"....there you go

[@Ever_Curious]

And the rest of the saying is "And satisfaction brought it back"

[@Striker2097]

@@Ever_Curious FUCK

[@justinrodriguez5957]

I get the sentiment but the same time this setting feels like one big computer program with the Tree as an administrator. The Cat, like everything else, is just a program meant to carry out a specific function. Only said program has now gone awol. They're clearly going for the "Curiousity killed the cat" saying but bear on mind it doesn't have to be permadeath they just need to "reset" it per say. Am expecting, like you said, a 2nd stage to this boss fight though.

[@Ericgatesshop]

What if neo or ruby take control of the cat and keep it on a leash 😅

[@hyperdreamer9483]

I don’t think they’ll have control of him, but they’ll definitely want to keep a close eye on him

[@Rman94]

After hearing Alyx say that she was going to stay and fix the damage she caused the Cat could've shown some patience and waited, maybe even offer to help her so they could get it over with and leave once that was done. That would've taken like what, a couple of days or weeks at most? But no that's not what happened, he lost it and attacked her right then and there. Whatever happens they can't let the Cat get to Remnant, Salem's outburst from so long ago landed them in enough hot water as is. They don't need two temperamental cursed beings incurring another act of divine wrath against the Remnant and it's people.

[@tavellcoops]

curious neo had those acrylic nail claws. 💅💅

[@doubl2480]

Time for the Final Catdown.

[@AbS-812]

I kinda hope the cat will be important even after they escape. Like, it could be the key to defeating Salem once and for all.

[@summertime_lovin]

Curiosity kills the cat, satisfaction brings it back.

[@qwefg3]

Coin toss. On one hand he could he used against Salem if he could possess her... An alternative win condition in a sense. Yes that leaves a very curious cat in a very deadly vessel... But Salem is trying to end the world so technically that is a step up. On the other... The Cat wants answers and if pressing the big red button lets him shout at his makers for why they ditched him... He may very well do it.

[@CatKun1234]

Something tells me of the cat actually got to RamNet The cat would most likely question why Salem is doing all of this

[@Prinny_god]

we also have ruby's next form aswell, ruby could decide to be a hero and ask the black smith to give her a space for the cat to be in and then ruby takes him along, and if the crown theory is true ruby becones a sort of psewdo maiden in the absense of a real summer maidej with the bls to do anithing.

[@BloodymanGaming]

Imagine Little becomes something instead of someone, for example something capable of protecting rwby maybe a new weapon? ;D

[@ecthox-1mork909]

I'm hoping we'll see Little one more time in the tree. Having THAT moment in V9E8 be the last we ever see of Little is just too cruel... 😢

[@DReivenn55]

I get the feeling we accidently ascend Neo and the cat into one being and THEN it can leave because Neo may not have purpose in Remnant but the cat does.

[@Mefous2]

Someone is going to get eaten by a jabberwalker the cat or Neo

[@ivanhunter6492]

or both in a similar fashion to what happened with Torchwick

[@Mefous2]

@@ivanhunter6492 it would be extremely satisfying seeing Neo go out like that.

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

What if the jabberwalker is Alyx?

[@TheDual-Wielder]

The Cat has a juxtaposition that prevents it from leaving. I seems that it needs to possess someone to leave, but it can only possess someone who has no desires. Having no desires left though, prevents that person from going back to Remnant. Still, the Cat is FAR too dangerous to be left alive. Letting it live because it MIGHT have information is just setting yourself up to be stabbed in the back a second time. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

[@SANRIOSLAUGHTER]

Honestly they have a lot of options with the Cat. It can die, it can morph into the crown, it can just roam free in Remnant, or it can join Salem. Afterall, witches usually have pet cats and she just lost her poor hound :

[@ivanhunter6492]

imagine Salem and Curious Cat meeting

[@BladeOfSteel-Sword_Saint]

Even though I love the cat, leaks say otherwise to it living.

[@SymmbolZS]

how about some random theories? Did Penny's body ascend?, and if it did was it Little?. Her sword has to be relevant somehow, other than for Ruby Will Jaune understand the Cat or bring him to Remnant?

[@YouAllWrite]

Did Penny ascend? Very unlikely, she didn't die in the ever after and at least part of her soul that stays with the maiden powers was transferred to winter. Likely she just died and is now in the afterlife. Also bringing her back in some way for a 2nd time would be pushing it a bit too far and is unnecessary. Penny's sword doesn't have to be more relevant, it fulfilled it's purpose of making Ruby confront loss and failure. There's no reason for it to need to mean more. It acted as representative of something Ruby blames herself for that she couldn't have changed and a path she could've taken that'd be self destructive. It was a catalyst for our protagonist to grow and that's more than enough. Will Jaune understand the cat? Maybe, not outside the realm of possibility though given their relationship and how it's acted in the recent episodes it feels he might be the most resistant to it. He also wasn't present for the Jinn vision - while it's likely he knows the info of what happened there it feels more likely it'd be a member of team RWBY - likely ruby herself since she overheard what the cat said - that'd draw the parallels and possibly find sympathy for it

[@jimfox1477]

I miss Salem , one of my biggest gripes with this volume was not having any Salem in it.

[@wordplayreviews8818]

If you think about it, if Salem is supposed to be another form of the evil step mother for Cinder, then she needs a cat. Her version of Lucifer, aka the cat from Cinderella, which if you think about the story of Ozma and Salem being Adam and Eve inspired then the cat would be actual Lucifer. Cast out of heaven for his curiousness and questioning god. If this happens, well done Rooster Teeth.

[@tyrianprotectionsquad8938]

The cat is so interesting, they can't kill him off yet. I'm expecting it though to be honest with you.

[@dipstick_betavods5429]

Wait a minute . Hold up. What if and hear me out, the Jabberwalker ate Salem. The chance may be slim but if it's power is to erase what it consumes, it may be able to not kill but erase Salem. Salem has been stated to be unable to die but not that she can not be erased. The cat may not desire to be released from his godly torture via erasure but Salem may.

[@hyperdreamer9483]

Honestly I think by the end Ruby will actually feel bad for the Cat and right past wrongs, she’ll see that Cat is hurt and desperate wanting so badly to leave, so I see her fulfilling Alyx’s broken promise to him and taking him with her through the portal, and it actually working because he’s with someone who wants to go back. She’ll explain it to the others that the Cat was suffering in it’s current state and wanted to help it and maybe through the promise of seeing the world completely they’ll gain a new ally and one that’s quite special. No-one will trust Cat at first due to all he’s done but he’ll do his best to make up for it wanting to learn what it’s like is care for others.

[@YouAllWrite]

It's admittedly wishful thinking and I'd be all for seeing that.

[@NobodyImportant5023]

Cat would team up with Salem, because more than anything, they want to talk to gods

[@artsybright1409]

What if the cat is the spirit and the blacksmith is the body of the crown? Eyes are hollow 🤷‍♀️ that’s my guess.

[@dreadrath]

Honestly, I think the cat is more deserving of redemption than Neo is. The cat has done some damage for sure, but compared to Neo its little more than a petty offender. I actually kind of hope it does escape the Ever After. Plus it'd be pretty fun having it around, it's actually more amusing than most of the characters and could actually contribute quite a bit if it agrees to play nice.

[@EYYYYYJustin]

The cat isnt a cute anime girl, or torchwick, or hazel. So cat has to die. Sorry dude.

[@YouAllWrite]

Incorrect - the cat currently is indeed a cute anime girl.

[@EYYYYYJustin]

​@@YouAllWrite If we keep the cat inside Neo then we cant reform Neo.

[@wizardrezerved9715]

​@Justin. Y worshiper, but why should we reform Neo? Her character reached it's conclusion, there's nothing tying her to Remnant. She is staying here. As a new creature, or as smt else

[@thelastchaoslord869]

So my thought is that ruby will show mercy and bring the cat through, but in doing so the cat will transform back into the crown. Plays on the idea of ruby amd team choosing mercy and hope for change over the same old of either killing thier foe or worse, just abandon the cat like the gods abandomd salam and thr cat.

[@supattreewatanawong5025]

when the cat said it cruse witch curiosity is more that there own curiosity is like a cruse to them not the god cruse them witch curiosity. what the cat and Salem do not gods fault is there own Choice to do all that bad thing to satify there own want insted to let thing go and Salem not admit her own fault

[@basileusbasil4041]

I don't think the cat CAN do that to humans, I haven't seen it manipulate a human heart yet, only possession.

[@skyrogue1977]

Remember to spay and neuter your pets everyone.

[@turboace5595]

I do think Ruby will be the key As Yang and the rest are justifiably fighting against it As depending how Ruby turns out can lead to maybe a truce or an understanding or alliance or even the final nail in the cat's coffin being the last one they need to defeat it As when the Cat said Alyx promised to take it then Alyx changed her mind it didn't seem like it needed to possess her it genuinely thought that Alyx would just pick him up as they go through the door and I can see Ruby doing that But if that's not how it works I can see Ruby maybe getting more lore from the cat before they start it's the ascension process (kill it and maybe Neo) As the theory that his makers sent it to the Ever After so that it can ascend and be better for whatever they wanted it to do/be I can see being plausible

[@jacobweatherford4696]

I believe the cat though it has done bad things can be redeemed hes no where as bad as cinder and salem have been

[@AngryAnimeFan2]

not learbing the lesson? Wlel maybe if the writers stopped doing such Despair and unhopeful sotrylines maybe they could learn. there is no lesson to learn here. Because no one can see that. the only lesson here, is to overcome what others did not.

[@billa3785]

What if Little ascends into Neo (I know, its a stretch) and gives her a purpose. And a voice.

[@mamahiyojiespizzeria3093]

Honestly, I didn't like the reveal that the cat is actually a bad guy. I preferred the dynamics of when they left the ponder storm, where the cat sure has his own motivations but it seemed like he didn't actually mean any harm. He was hurt by Alyx in the past and so he was weary of trusting anyone. It was a nice contrast between Jaune and the Cat, making you really wonder whether which one was right. And I guess in the end, both were right in a way. The Cat with ascension not being bad and Jaune in not trusting the cat. But it would have been better in my opinion if the Cat was scarred by the events of Alyx and how that changes humans potentially. That he wouldn't allow them to ascend, not knowing what interacting with the ever after would do? Would it be another repeat of Alyx? Its all personal wants from the story really and I'll still watch, but I felt as he didn't need to be evil

[@nohandle117]

I have my own theory involving the Cat, Jaberwalker, and Salem. If the Cat is expelled from Neo somehow, and assuming the only form of the Jaberwalker is what Neo is able to create, then perhaps Neo might be a potential avenue to defeat Salem. The Jaberwalker is apparently able to prevent any form of Ascension, but the rules of Ascension are still entirely unclear -- especially in regards to the process for non-Afterans. In fact, a lot of the processes in the Ever After remain entirely unclear, both due to the viewer's ignorance and misinformation from the Cat. Follow my stupidly-long post: The Jaberwalker seems to be a creation of the God of Darkness. It matches the color scheme, desire and ability for destruction, and strange physical motions. I believe that it can fight against the God of Light's magic, which we know is the cause of Salem's immortality, Ozma's resurrections, and potentially involves the Maiden powers. The God of Darkness did say the magic humans wielded was his gift, but perhaps the powers going from Maiden to Maiden is a result of Ozma's own resurrection powers. With that in mind, the God of Light almost certainly created these numerous fantastical, cute acres in an attempt to create a suitable world, but he lacked a way to make them as interesting and multifaceted as he desired. In his jealousy and prove his superiority, the God of Darkness tried to create the best acre, where we see the Jaberwalker and Neo in, but he lacked a talent for living creations. To spite his brother, the God of Darkness created the Jaberwalker to destroy his brother's living creations, but in the process it created a far more interesting dynamic in the Ever After. Afterans were afraid, terrified, and had to react beyond what their designed purposes were. Finally, the Brothers did fight and decide to finally work together, producing Remnant that became the closest to both of their desires because it was self-propagating, dynamic, and diverse -- for good and for bad. If this were the case, I'm not sure which of the Brothers created the Cat. That is something that, regardless of the validity of anything else here, can be assumed to have happened. Perhaps all the acres were joint creations before they settled on Remnant, but it seems like the Cat would've been the creation of just one brother -- a sort of failed guardian by the God of Light or a nefarious informant by the God of Darkness? I think this might have implications regardless, but for the sake of my theory, I think the Cat might be a creation of the God of Light who is meant to help ensure the Afterans keep to their purposes and solve any deviations that might come from his brother's meddling. So, with the majority of the Ever After and Ascension being creations of the God of Light and the Jaberwalker being creations of the God of Darkness, the implications would be that Ascension might be very similar for the immortality that Salem possesses from the God of Light's curse. If the God of Light did create the Cat, it means his consumption by the Jaberwalker might also spur an awareness that the Jaberwalker can prevent any form of 'resurrection,' Salem's ability to slowly recollect herself from literal dust included. Alternatively, or even alongside that, if Neo is able to get her revenge on Cinder and the Jaberwalker is what delivers the finishing blow, it might disturb Ozma's powers in such a way that he realizes the Jaberwalker actually just destroyed that maiden power outright, not merely let it pass on to another. They might realize the Jaberwalker's powers persist on Remnant as well, which would also mean they now have an avenue to deliver death to Salem: the Jaberwalker would destroy as Salem and her curse simultaneously, preventing any return.

[@GTSFANDM]

The Cat spent spent nearly all his screen time helping the heroes and being a plot point carrying this season of RWBY on his back from intro to conclusion ever since his introduction; only for the Cat to get turned evil in the last few minutes of the third-to-last episode of volume 9, just so Team JWBY (Jaune, Weiss, Blake, Yang) could have an antagonist for one of those big "end volume fights" CRWBY and Rooster Teeth like so much, and because Neo had no futher character motive.... Yet, meanwhile, they want us to like and pity an unrepentant psychopath like Cinder whose done things that are as bad, if not WORSE than the Cat EVER SINCE HER INTRODUCTION?! You've gotta be KIDDING ME!

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

Looks like you didn't pay attention to the volume at all.

[@GTSFANDM]

@@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent I was. However, while I DO acknowledge that the Cat didn't have altruistic motivations, I'm also saying that it seemed making the Cat bad was for that reason.

[@GlowBerryPumpkin]

Cinder is the epitome of selfishness, I don't feel too bad for her. Her backstory is more of an explanation for why she went bad. I feel some sympathy for salem, she seems mostly grimm at this point. Did cinder show up in this volume?

[@GTSFANDM]

@@GlowBerryPumpkin Cinder didn't. But let's face it, all the hate for the Cat being mad and manipulative, when Cinder does the same kind of things and is actively aiding the one out to cause the Apocalypse? Who deserves more hate?