Weapons

Weapons (武器, Buki) are object or device that are wielded to improve their offensive or defensive capabilities used to inflict damage by either physical or non-physical (i.e. elemental) means. They ranged from simple objects, like Pipes and Baseball Bats, to firearms and explosives, like Shotguns and Grenades. The weapons of various characters in RWBY are used to fight enemies and monsters throughout Remnant.

Most often, they are based on real-life weapons, but they can be combined with other weapons or given additional features to increase their versatility and effectiveness in combat.

"Just weapons? They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool."
 * —Ruby Rose, About Weapons.

Transformations
Though standard weapons exist, the majority of weapons shown in RWBY are usually designed to be transformable, using a foldable frame - a framework capable of shifting various sections to change the weapon from one form into another in mere seconds. Weapons with a foldable frame possess two or more selected forms, and the wielder is capable of freely swapping between each weapon state depending on their needs.

Typically, such weapons would have both a melee state and a ranged combat state, but are not necessarily limited to those specific types of attacks while in each state. Weapons can also have an inactive state known as a "sheathed" form, locking and securing the weapon while outside of combat, similar to the safety catch of a firearm. For example, Crescent Rose and Ember Celica shrink down to be holstered and carried easily, while Crocea Mors and Gambol Shroud both have separate sheaths to make them easy to carry.

Dust
Some weapons are shown to be fueled by Dust for a more "magical" style of combat. By doing so, effects like object enchantment, and elemental attacks such as weather and nature manipulation are used in combination with brute force.

All of the known weapons incorporate Dust into their designs, either by utilizing Dust into an attack, as seen with Myrtenaster, or using Dust in the form of bullets or ammunition. It is implied that all "firearms" in Remnant use Dust ammunition.

Personalization
These weapons, while all but impossible to create in reality, seem to be moderately easy to construct for the citizens of Remnant. Ruby had to design and build her weapon during her time at Signal Academy, and she expressed surprise at Jaune Arc for not making his own, indicating this is a common practice among future Huntsmen in Remnant.

Team RWBY

 * Crescent Rose (Ruby Rose) - Melee, Ranged, Dust Scythe, Sniper-Rifle
 * Myrtenaster (Weiss Schnee) - Melee, Ranged, Dust Rapier, Revolver
 * Gambol Shroud (Blake Belladonna) - Melee, Ranged Katana, Cleaver, Pistol, Kusarigama
 * Ember Celica (Yang Xiao Long) - Melee, Ranged Gauntlets, Shotgun

Team JNPR

 * Crocea Mors (Jaune Arc) - Melee, Defensive Longsword, Shield, Sheath
 * Magnhild (Nora Valkyrie) - Melee, Ranged War Hammer, Grenade Launcher
 * Miló and Akoúo̱ (Pyrrha Nikos) - Melee, Ranged, Defensive Javelin, Xiphos, Rifle, Shield
 * StormFlower (Lie Ren) - Melee, Ranged Dual SMGs, Wind and Fire Blades

Allies

 * Qrow's Weapon (Qrow Branwen) - Melee, Ranged, Sword, Shotgun, Scythe

Team CRDL

 * Cardin's Mace (Cardin Winchester) - Melee, Dust, Mace
 * Russel's Daggers (Russel Thrush) - Melee, Dust, Daggers
 * Dove's Sword (Dove Bronzewing) - Melee, Ranged, Sword, Revolver
 * Sky's Halberd (Sky Lark) - Melee, Halberd

Atlesian Military

 * Penny's Swords (Penny Polendina) - Melee, Ranged Swords, Guns, Puppet Strings
 * Ironwood's Revolver (James Ironwood) - Ranged Revolver
 * Winter's Weapon (Winter Schnee) - Melee, Sword

Team CFVY

 * Coco's Handbag (Coco Adel) - Melee, Ranged, Handbag, Minigun
 * Fox's Weapons (Fox Alistair) - Melee, Tonfa
 * Velvet's Weapon (Velvet Scarlatina) - Melee, Ranged, Box, Camera, Copy
 * Yatsuhashi's Sword (Yatsuhashi Daichi) - Melee, Sword

Team SSSN

 * Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang (Sun Wukong) - Melee, Ranged, Staff, Nunchaku, Lever Action Shotgun
 * Scarlet's Weapons (Scarlet David) - Melee, Ranged, Flintlock Pistol, Cutlass, Grappling Hook
 * Sage's Weapon (Sage Ayana) - Melee, Sword
 * Neptune's Gun (Neptune Vasilias) - Ranged, Melee, Guandao, Trident, Rifle

Team ABRN

 * Arslan's Weapon (Arslan Altan) - Melee, Rope Dart, Dagger
 * Bolin's Staff (Bolin Hori) - Melee, Staff, Blades
 * Reese's Hoverboard (Reese Chloris) - Melee, Ranged, Hoverboard, Dual Revolvers
 * Nadir's Gun (Nadir Shiko) - Ranged, Melee, Assault Rifle, Sword

Team BRNZ

 * Brawnz's Claws (Brawnz Ni) - Melee, Claws
 * Roy's Saws (Roy Stallion) - Melee, Ranged, Circular Saws
 * Nolan's Weapon (Nolan Porfirio) - Melee, Cattle Prod
 * May's Rifle (May Zedong) - Ranged, Melee, Sniper Rifle, Axe

Team NDGO

 * Nebula's Crossbow (Nebula Violette) - Ranged, Melee, Crossbow, Sword
 * Dew's Spear (Dew Gayl) - Melee, Dust, Spear
 * Gwen's Knives (Gwen Darcy) - Ranged, Melee, Knives
 * Octavia's Dagger (Octavia Ember) - Melee, Ranged, Dust, Kris

Team FNKI

 * Flynt's Trumpet (Flynt Coal) - Ranged, Trumpet
 * Neon's Nunchaku (Neon Katt) - Melee, Dust, Nunchaku

Beacon Academy Staff

 * Ozpin's Cane (Ozpin) - Melee, Walking Stick
 * Glynda's Crop (Glynda Goodwitch) - Dust, Riding Crop
 * Port's Blunderbuss (Peter Port) - Melee, Ranged, Axe, Blunderbuss
 * Oobleck's Thermos (Bartholomew Oobleck) - Melee, Ranged, Thermos, Club, Flamethrower

Junior's Club

 * Junior's Bazooka (Junior Xiong) - Melee, Ranged, Rocket Launcher, Club
 * Melanie's Heels (Melanie Malachite) - Melee, High-heeled Boots
 * Miltia's Claws (Miltia Malachite) - Melee, Claws

Branwen Tribe

 * Raven's Sword (Raven Branwen) - Melee, Dust, Ōdachi

Cinder's Faction

 * Cinder's Weapon (Cinder Fall) - Melee, Ranged, Dust, Blades, Bow
 * Melodic Cudgel (Roman Torchwick) - Ranged, Melee, Cane, Flare Gun, Grappling Hook
 * Emerald's Weapons (Emerald Sustrai) - Melee, Ranged, Dual Revolvers, Sickles, Kusarigama
 * Mercury's Boots (Mercury Black) - Melee, Ranged, Boots, Guns
 * Neopolitan's Umbrella (Neopolitan) - Melee, Defensive, Umbrella, Estoc, Shield

Salem's Faction

 * Tyrian's Wrist Blades (Tyrian Callows) - Melee, Ranged, Wrist Blades, Guns

White Fang

 * Wilt and Blush (Adam Taurus) - Melee, Ranged, Rifle, Chokutō
 * Lieutenant's Chainsaw (White Fang Lieutenant) - Melee, Chainsaw
 * Ilia's Weapon (Ilia Amitola) - Melee, Dust, Whip

Maidens

 * Amber's Staff (Amber) - Melee, Ranged, Dust, Staff
 * Vernal's Deer Horn Knife (Vernal) - Melee, Ranged, Deer Horn Knife, Pistol

Other Weapons

 * A large two-handed double-bladed axe wielded by a neutral huntsman in "Huntsman"
 * Aqua Limit
 * Axes and red swords - The various weapons wielded by the Henchmen.
 * Blue Dragon
 * Catalyst Weapons
 * Celsius Calibur
 * Collapsible Staff - Mentioned by Ruby in "The Shining Beacon" as being wielded by an unseen Beacon Academy student.
 * Dark Sphere
 * Death Ray - Used by Neo and Roman Torchwick in "Roman's Revenge", the 20th episode of RWBY Chibi.
 * Dein Nomos
 * Devil's Arms
 * Eternal Sword
 * Father's Swords
 * Fell Arms
 * Final Player
 * Fire Sword - Mentioned by Ruby in "The Shining Beacon" as being wielded by an unseen Beacon Academy student.
 * Flail - Used by a Vytal Festival Tournament contestant from Atlas in "Vytal Festival Tournament".
 * Gungnir
 * Handgun - Handguns used by the Henchmen, Thugs, Vale Police Department detectives, White Fang Goons, Atlesian soldiers and the representation of the Atlas in the World of Remnant episode "Vytal Festival Tournament".
 * Heavenly Crusader
 * Innocent Shine
 * Jewel of Gardios
 * Key of Lorelei
 * Kitten Killer 9000 - Used by Cinder's Faction In RWBY Chibi.
 * Kunai - Used by a mercenary in Mistral (WoR episode)
 * Material Blades
 * Mjollnir
 * Pow Hammer
 * Pow Pow Hammer
 * Red-gray rifle - Briefly used by a Henchman in "Ruby Rose" and also used by White Fang Goons.
 * Rem
 * Rifle - Standard issue for the Atlesian military. Used by the Atlesian Knight-200 series in "Breach". Also seen slung over the backs of Atlesian soldiers.
 * Sealed Weapons
 * Shadow Somas
 * Sickle sword - Used by White Fang member in "Battle of Beacon".
 * Soma
 * Soul Blast
 * Spears - Used by Vytal Festival Tournament contestants and the representation of Vacuo in "Vytal Festival Tournament".
 * Staves - Used by Vytal Festival Tournament contestants in "Vytal Festival Tournament".
 * Swords - Used by White Fang Goons, Atlesian soldiers, the representation of Vale in the "Vytal Festival Tournament", a yellow and four gray figures representing huntsman in "Huntsmen".
 * Swordian
 * Tommy Gun - The standard firearm wielded by the DJ in Junior's Club.
 * Vorpal Sword

Notes & Trivia

 * When asked by a fan at the RTX 2013 RWBY Panel if there were going to be any weapons that would not double as a gun, Kerry Shawcross asked why they would want that, and then the panel continued on to state that they should actually create a "Gun-Gun".
 * There is an entire weapons magazine that seems to be dedicated on articles regarding weapons, of which Ruby is apparently a fan, as she read through Issue 228 at From Dust Till Dawn.