| “ | Her name is Jinn. Say her name to summon her. | „ |
| ~ Oscar Pine to Team RWBY. |
| “ | [stretches with a moan] Wonderful. Tell me, what knowledge do you seek? | „ |
| ~ Jinn. |
Jinn is a major character from the animated web series RWBY. She is a magical being created by the God of Light who dwells within the Relic of Knowledge. She can be summoned by the Relic-holder calling out her name, at which point Jinn can answer three questions every one hundred years.
She is voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard, who also voiced Monkey D. Luffy in the English dub of One Piece, Erza Scarlet in the English dub of Fairy Tail, Riza Hawkeye in the English dub of Fullmetal Alchemist, Momo Yaoyorozu in the English dub of My Hero Acadamia, and more.
Appearance[]
Jinn's appearance is that of a voluptuous blue woman much larger than a normal Human. She has elongated pointed ears and long, flowing dark blue hair. Her eyes are dark blue in the sclerae and pupils and a lighter blue in the irises. She appears nude-like aside from various gold accessories, most of which have a slavery theme: a chain headdress, big hooped earrings, the right ear also having an extra earring, a choker, bracelets with chains dangling from them along with a single bracelet on her left forearm, anklets and a belt of chains around her waist that ends in a big ring with three prongs. Trailing below her waist is a veil of a wisp-like smoke resembling the skirt of a dress.
Her accessories aesthetically derive from the Relic of Knowledge. Both the choker and the anklets are shaped like the band wrapped around the Relic's orb and the rings in Jinn's ears and belt look similar to the Relic's handle.
Personality[]
Jinn is a wise, humble yet blunt and straightforward being, answering questions and not holding back on any of the knowledge she presents. She can also be rather stern, as when she warns Ruby to not exploit the time stopping effects of her summoning. She also appears to be playful or nostalgic, calling Professor Ozpin 'old man' when she sees him and finding some humor in Ruby's idea to use her for borrowed time. However, it is clear that she is in no way bound to Ozpin, ignoring his pleads to be silent, and only fulfilling her duties of answering the questions she is given. Despite her goal to aid humanity, she does not seem to pick sides to any of their conflicts, this was shown when assisting Cinder Fall despite knowing full well what the latter intended to do with the knowledge she obtains from her. Though prior to showing Cinder what she asked, Jimmy clearly gave a shocked expression; implying she didn't like having to help her.
Powers and Abilities[]
Jinn is a powerful being created by the God of Light and though the full extent of her powers are unknown, it is clear she is an omniscient keeper of knowledge and secrets. She knows the answer to any question and knows any secret or knowledge that other people possess or have witnessed, such as Oscar being the current incarnation of Ozma.
She also appears to be able to transport others into another dimension which she can freely control and shape at will in order to show her users visions or memories from the past. However, she cannot answer questions about the future - only present or past knowledge. Jinn is also able to sense if a person has a question for her when she is summoned. Upon answering a question, time stops, with the exception of the person asking a question and Jinn herself. She implies she has some degree of control over being summoned, as she alludes to not allowing herself to be "used" unless the user intends to ask a question.
Background[]
Early life[]
Before recorded history, the God of Light created Jinn to aid Humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. She lives within the Relic of Knowledge, and she may answer three questions every 100 years when awakened. It is unknown how many questions she has answered, but she is familiar with Ozpin, greeting him as "old man". Previous incarnations of Ozpin have asked Jinn at least three questions.
History[]
Two weeks after the Battle of Haven, Ruby Rose awakens Jinn from her lamp as the heroes watch time stop around them. She introduces herself as a being the God of Light created to help Humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. She reveals she can answer two questions in this time period. Ozpin attempts to stop her from saying it, for he had told everyone there were no available questions. She pleasantly greets Ozpin, calling him "old man".
Ozpin begs Ruby not to ask anything, but Ruby asks what Ozpin is hiding from them. Ozpin rushes at Ruby, but before he can touch her, Jinn takes them to individual alternate planes with which she can answer the question. She begins her answer by showing a Human Salem, saying she was a lonely girl in a lonely tower a long time ago.
Jinn describes the forgotten history of Remnant much like a fairy tale. She recounts how Ozma rescued Salem from her imprisonment, the two falling in love. She narrates over Ozma's death from illness and shows how it resulted in Salem tricking the God of Darkness into resurrecting Ozma, only to have Ozma killed again and herself be cursed with immortality by the Gods for her deception.
Jinn shows how Salem took advantage of the gods and the peoples of the world, turning Humanity against the gods, only for them to wipe out all of Humanity except Salem and depart Remnant. Salem, now completely alone, Jinn said, still refused to blame herself for her fate. She returned to the Land of Darkness and leaped into the Grimm pool, hoping it would end her life. Instead, the pool corrupted her, giving her the chalk-white skin and hair, black sclera and red irises of her modern self, albeit her skin lacking its red markings.
Jinn shows the heroes that in a "realm between worlds," the God of Light told Ozma that his brother destroyed Humanity and that while it would one day return, it would return to a world without their presence. Instead, he left behind the four Relics, saying that when they are brought together, Humanity would be judged, and either the brothers would return to guide Humanity again, or, if they find them still fighting among themselves, the world would be destroyed. Until this happens, he would reincarnate in a way that ensures he would never be alone. Ozma refused at first, saying he would prefer to join Salem in the afterlife, but he accepted upon being told she still lived despite the God of Light's warning that she was no longer the woman he loved.
Jinn recalls tales of a few of Ozma's many lives upon his return to Remnant. In his travels of the world, his first reincarnation heard of a woman called "the witch." Ozma and Salem reunited and used their magic to form a kingdom, which they ruled over while raising four daughters.
Jinn tells that as Ozma became increasingly concerned about the harsh means by which he and Salem ruled. One night, one of their daughters interrupted their discussion to show that she learned to do magic. Ozma finally confessed to Salem of the mission the God of Light gave him, only for Salem to respond that there was no longer any point to redeeming Humanity, but rather they should replace them with their own line. This prompted Ozma to attempt to sneak their daughters out of the castle, but Salem stopped them. Salem and Ozma fought, causing significant damage to the castle. Lamenting that "we finally had freedom", Salem killed Ozma's first incarnation.
Jinn finishes her story by saying as Ozma reincarnated again and again, he decided that Humanity could not be redeemed without destroying Salem. Knowing that this cannot be achieved by mortal means, he hunted down the Relic of Knowledge and asked how to destroy Salem, to which Jinn responded simply "you can't."
Jinn later makes another appearance when Ruby summons her after failing to channel her Silver-Eyed powers. The former, acknowledges the young girl's clever strategy to summon her to buy more time, and allows her a free summon just this once. However, she warns her she will not allow her to summon her again without a question.
When the Relic of Knowledge is captured by Salem's forces, Oscar and Ozpin manage to convince Hazel Rainart to use it and discover her true intentions for himself. Hazel drags Oscar to the room holding the Lamp and has the boy activate it, as he doesn't know what will happen. Emerald Sustrai walks in, but instead of intervening, she’s also curious about what will happen. Oscar calls upon Jinn, who appears from the Lamp. As she looks at Oscar, she is pleased to see him again, calling him "old man", and asks if he has any questions. After a pause, an amazed Hazel tells Jinn his questions are already answered. He then states that he will get both Oscar and Emerald away from Salem. Amused, Jinn clarifies that none of them actually have questions for her, which Oscar affirms, saying they will be taking her with them. However, Hazel states that the moment the Lamp is moved, the place will go on high alert. Instead, he will come back for it after they escape. As the three walk away, Jinn looks to the side, before disappearing. Afterwards, a figure peels off the wall, revealing it to be Neopolitan.
After the Lamp was stolen by Neo, who escaped in the aftermath of Monstra's destruction, she stored it in her hat and used it as a bargaining tool to get Cinder to help her get revenge on Ruby. After meeting up with Cinder, Neo hands the Lamp over to her and she summons Jinn. Upon being summoned, Cinder asks her what Ruby and her teammates planned. Jinn, despite being saddened at this, answers the question and shows the group's plan to use the Relic of Creation to transport everyone to Vacuo. After this, the final question is used up and it is unknown if Jinn will return in the future.
RWBY: Amity Arena[]
Jinn appears as a Legendary unit in RWBY: Amity Arena. The Relic of Knowledge can be placed as a building unit, and Jinn can be activated from it to temporarily stop time around an ally unit. All units around the target, ally or enemy, will be frozen in time and unable to move, as well as will be unseen by unaffected units for a few seconds.
Quotes[]
| “ | I am Jinn, a being created by the God of Light to aid Humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. | „ |
| ~ Jinn introduces herself. |
| “ | I've been graced with the ability to answer three questions every 100 years. You're in luck, as I am still able to answer... (...) ...two questions this era. | „ |
| ~ Jinn |
| “ | (giggles) It's a pleasure to see you again, old man. | „ |
| ~ Jinn, addressing Ozpin. |
| “ | Once upon a time, there stood a lonely tower that sheltered a lonely girl... named Salem. | „ |
| ~ Jinn, telling a story about Salem. |
| “ | Locked away by her cruel father, Salem was a girl who desired but one thing: freedom. She lived in a time when kings and their kingdoms were plentiful, when men and women were capable of greatness, and magic was a gift from the gods that all could wield. And yet, there she sat within her tower. Until one day, a legendary hero came to brave the challenges within the tower's walls. The people of the lands knew him as Ozma. Unlike those who had come before, this warrior was not driven by the prize of the young maiden's hand. He fought only for righteousness, and his pure heart and courageous soul prevailed. They escaped the wretched fortress, and yet something bound them together. Ozma had been ready to give his life for justice countless times, but now saw a woman worth saving it for. And Salem, to her surprise, found her freedom not in the outside world she had yearned for, but in the eyes of the man that had saved her. The two fell deeply in love, planned adventures around the world, and lived happily ever after. Or at least that's what should have been. Ozma, the infallible hero of legend, fell ill. And where all the beasts and blades of the world had fallen short, a single sickness prevailed. The gods, brothers of light and darkness, creation and destruction. Salem prayed they would see the injustice that had befallen her love and make things right. The Domain of Light was a sacred place. It was here the elder brother dwelled beside his fountain of life and creation. It was here... where mankind would fall to ruin. The God of Darkness... None dare to enter his home, as men knew what monstrosities emerged from his blackened pools of annihilation. And so you must understand the Dark Lord's surprise when he found a lone woman kneeling before him. Salem understood it well. She told him of her loss and professed that she knew only he could answer her prayers, all while careful to make no mention of his elder. Salem was a prisoner once again. Her fruitless attempts to reunite with Ozma eventually became nothing more than acts of spite and defiance against the gods. But perhaps the gods were not as powerful as they seemed… She had lied to them, turned them against one another, they… were fallible. If she were to turn humanity against light and darkness, she could rid herself of their curse, or at the very least… she could make them suffer. Salem traveled from one kingdom to another, telling tales of how she stole immortality from the gods, welcomed any swordsman to cut her down, and demonstrated her powers. With the kings and queens in awe, she pulled them deeper into her scheme. She painted them pictures of a time when they would no longer have to watch their loved ones wither and die, when they could claim the powers of their creators for themselves, and in turn, perfect their own design. All they needed to do was destroy their old masters. The gods had hoped that Salem would learn from her eternal curse, and she did. She learned that the hearts of men are easily swayed. Once again, Salem was alone... She cursed the gods. She cursed the universe. She cursed everything, everything but herself. She wandered the face of the planet, awaiting a death that would never come... Until fate led her back to the Land of Darkness. This was it. This had to be it, the brother's Grimm, the pools of black that continued to give rise to horrific nightmares. If the fountain of life granted her immortality, then surely, the pools of Grimm will finally take it away. She was wrong. This force of pure destruction could not destroy a being of infinite life. Instead, it created a being of infinite life with a desire for pure destruction. And in time, she would find her adversary... And so Ozma was reborn. Ozma had found himself in a world completely unfamiliar to him. Cities looked different. Creatures known as the Faunus wore fangs and claws and were locked away in cages. And without the blessing of the gods, no one could perform magic like mankind was once capable of, no one but himself and woman known as... the witch. During his years of travel, he heard the same frightened whispers that spoke of a terrifying sorceress who commanded dark powers in the wilds among the beasts and monsters. Ozma was convinced that this witch was Salem, and decided he needed to see what she had become. Call it magic or call it something stronger, but in that moment, the two knew exactly who it was that stood before them. The hearts of men... are easily swayed. The two amassed a following. That following grew into a prosperous kingdom. And at the head of that kingdom blossomed... a family. It was a miracle, their children could perform magic. But what should have been a joyous occasion was short-lived. Ozma told Salem everything, the true reason the God of Light had brought him back, the Relics that they scattered around the world, and the day of judgement he had been told to prepare for. Thus began a long and painful cycle of death and rebirth for Ozma. Some lives were spent in mourning, many were spent attempting to forget it all. But no matter what, his mind would eventually turn back to the task he had been burdened with. And as the centuries went on, Ozma began to learn the importance of living with the souls with which he had been paired. But no matter where or how he lived, her presence was always felt. | „ |
| ~ Jinn narrating the story. |
| “ | If humanity were ever to stand a chance at being united, one thing was clear... Knowing he could never rid the world of her through any mortal means, Ozma sought out the power of the Relics. | „ |
| “ | Armed with my knowledge, he believed he could fulfill his promise to the God of Light. | „ |
| ~ Jinn |
| “ | He asked me his questions. (...) And though I gave him my answers... (...) ...not all of them were to his liking. You can't. | „ |
| ~ Jinn. |
| “ | I know... and while you don't seek knowledge, just this once, I shall give it freely. I will not allow you to use me without a question again... Even if this was clever. | „ |
| ~ Jinn, to Ruby. |
| “ | Why, hello again old man. Did you have a question for me? | „ |
| ~ Jinn to Oscar after she was summoned. |
| “ | So just to be clear, none of you have a question for me? | „ |
| ~ Jinn to Oscar. |
| “ | You have a question for me? | „ |
| ~ Jinn to Cinder after she was summoned. |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Jinn alludes to the Genie of the Lamp from 1001 Arabian Nights.
- She is a noncorpreal being that lives within a magic lamp.
- "Jinn" or "Djinn" were the Islamic names for wish-granting spirits or demons from folklore.
- He ability to answer three questions refrences the Genie's ability to grant three wishes, and her omniscience refrences the Genie's nigh-omnipotence.
- Jinn draws heavy inspiration from the Genie from Disnay's Aladdin franchise, including her blue coloring, gold accessories, and affable nature.
