~ Nora, responding to Ren about them never getting the easy path.
“
No. I won't let you kill yourself like this. After everything we've been through, I won't let it end.
„
~ Nora, to Ren.
“
You keep talking about how we just need a little more time, but you’re not the one having to struggle. They’re bearing all of it! The longer this waiting game goes on the harder each day gets for people down there, and now you want to send in more soldiers? You can’t force people to fall in line. If you do that, you’ll just be trading all these problems for the Grimm.
„
~ Nora to James Ironwood.
Nora Valkyrie is one of the main deuteragonists at Beacon Academy and a member of Team JNPR. Her weapon of choice is a hammer that can transform into a grenade launcher.
Nora has short orange hair and turquoise eyes. Her clothing is a mix and match of some sort, with different colors and themes. She wears a collared black vest that ends at her waist. Her signature emblem, a hammer with a lightning bolt, can be found on the back. Under the vest are two layers of clothing, colored red and light-blue respectively. In Volume 1, Nora has a turquoise bow at the back of her skirt, but it was removed in Volume 2.
She also wears a white sleeveless top that forms a tiny heart shape between her cleavage and collarbone, with a white detached sleeve on each arm. She wears matching fingerless gloves on each hand. She sports a pink skirt that starts at the waist and ends mid-thigh. Her shoes are a mix of pink and white with pink laces, displaying her emblem on their soles.
She also wears armor that begins in the middle of the shoulder and neck and ends by the waist.
Beacon Uniform
For her school uniform, she wears the standard uniform with black crew socks instead of the usual tights.
Pajama
Her pajamas consist of a dark gray T-shirt with the word "Boop" written on it (which also includes her hammer emblem) and pink shorts patterned with white thunderbolts.
Dance Outfit
She wears a pink shoulderless dress with a white skirt to the Beacon Dance. Notably, the seam joining the two sections tapers to a point, which gives the top part of her dress a resemblance to a pink heart-shape.
Gym Outfit
She wears a white and pink V-neck T-shirt, which has a pink heart with a white thunderbolt on the chest, pink gym shorts with white stripes running down the sides, matching pink wristbands and sweatband, white knee high socks with pink stripes near the top, and a pair of pink converse-style shoes with white laces.
Post-Timeskip (Volume 4 - 6)
After the timeskip following the Fall of Beacon, her design is updated. She retains her gloves and wears a white top that is similar to her old one, though the heart cut-out on the top has a diagonal cut through it. She also wears a shorter, detached white sleeve on her left arm. Over the shirt, she wears a zippered navy blue bomber jacket with a damaged print of her emblem visible on the back and pink stripes along the sleeves. The pink bands of the jacket tighten on her upper arms. Her skirt is slightly longer with pleats that create some flair and two wide belt loops at the waist for her matching belt. She wears knee-high pink socks just visible above her calf-length boots, which are white with pink laces. Noticeably, her hair is now shoulder-length.
Child
As a child, she wore a white shirt with a pink heart design on the chest. Over the shirt, she wore a black hooded jacket, faded pink pants and matching shoes with black tape bound around them. Nora's hair was straight as a child and eventually became wavy.
Atlas (Volume 7)
TBA
Personality
A happy-go-lucky, bubbly and playful young girl, Nora is mainly characterized by her boundless enthusiasm. When Nora talks, many of her words may sometimes come out randomly without her actually giving much thought to anything she comes up with. This is caused by her tendency to jump into a different topic most of the time and her rather peculiar imagination. Because of this and her free-spirited attitude, Nora's personality changes according to her mood and she is prone to becoming a nuisance to the people around her, losing the point of a conversation, or even experiencing anxiety attacks. However, Nora is more insightful than one would think and is capable of being serious when mostly necessary. This rare sense of seriousness of hers is most prominently displayed during the battle against the Nuckelavee, where she literally slaps sense into Ren who was consumed in his need for revenge against the Grimm who wiped out his village and family.
Nora is very open with her companions and quickly grows fond of them. Because of her motor mouth, she is very open to conversation and plays with her friends almost all the time she is interacting with them, making her a very social and likable person. She can also be protective and supportive when she sees teammates need it. She is also considerate of their personal space and respects their decisions even if she doesn't agree with them. Nora does not doubt the talents of her friends and places her entire faith in Pyrrha Nikos' and Ren's fighting skills, while following Jaune Arc's orders as her leader without question. She also appears to be good at reading people, as seen during interactions with Jaune and Pyrrha in "Burning the Candle" and "Destiny".
Although Nora retains her joyful personality even in combat, she is seen to be more focused and in control of herself during an encounter. She can be patient, obedient and smart. If she does not see the need of her assistance, she will stand back and choose to observe. Whenever she receives an order from one of her teammates, she always follows it with no doubts. And lastly, when she follows Jaune's plans and finds herself in a position that gives her the advantage, she's able to figure out a way to defeat her enemies on her own, indicating an ability to strategize quickly and efficiently.
It is suggested that Nora's happy-go-lucky nature in part disguises any pain and stress she may have retained from the Fall of Kuroyuri.
Nora seems to have a liking for sweet things, as she ate the red sap that Ren and Pyrrha had collected, as well as all of the syrup that Team JNPR was going to have on their pancakes and it can be inferred that Nora is a big fan of pancakes. In "Welcome to Beacon", she is heard mumbling "pancakes" in her sleep and shouting it again when woken up.
Powers and Abilities
Weapon
Nora wields a dual-function weapon named Magnhild. Magnhild can transform into one of two weapons, a grenade launcher and a war hammer, which Nora uses proficiently in combat. She uses the grenade launcher form for ranged strikes on her opponent. In its ranged form, the face of the launcher can unhinge, revealing six grenades that can be fired at once for maximum damage.
While using the hammer form, she is a lot more versatile in close-range attacks and movement. Nora uses the recoil of the grenade explosions fired from the face of the hammer to propel her certain distances or to add force to her strikes. In "Players and Pieces", she uses the recoil of her hammer to launch herself from one end of a broken bridge to the other, and in "Breach", she is seen traveling a considerable distance through the air by the same method. Her attacks are powerful enough to finish off an injured Death Stalker and kill a large King Taijitu in one hit.
After the Fall of Beacon, Nora upgrades Magnhild to be able to build up electricity in the hammer's head, allowing her to power herself up. This upgrade is first put to use in the fight against the Geist in "The Next Step".
Nora's fighting style is built around overwhelming and explosive physical force. This can be seen in her tendency to swing her hammer in wide arcs to build up momentum before striking. This is also noticeable in her use of either her hammer's recoil or nearby tall structures to achieve heights that allow her to come crashing down into her adversaries, crushing them under the combined impact of both natural momentum and her own raw power.
Strength
Her ability to easily carry and use Magnhild in its hammer form suggests that she possesses a high level of strength. This is further demonstrated when she sends Weiss flying across the canteen during their food fight despite not using Magnhild. She also showed her strength when she sent Yang Xiao Long flying away through the roof in one hit, and the latter lands back in the room nearly two minutes later. She later states she can benchpress five times her own weight and she has been seen jumping several feet without aura, high enough to jump the length of a small building. She may also possess some form of enhanced speed, as seen where she appeared from one place to another. Nora has claimed to be able to bench five times her body weight, a feat that would stand consistent with her other displays of strength, certainly being more than just her usage of enthusiastic hyperbole.
Semblance
Nora's Semblance is the ability to produce and channel electrical energy into her muscles, giving her enhanced strength. This ability was first showcased in "New Challengers...", where she caught Nolan Porfirio off-guard by channeling the electricity from his weapon and using the resulting strength to send him into a nearby boulder, destroying it. Although she can absorb electricity from a direct blow, she can also use Magnhild as a lightning rod. This ability has been exploited by Ruby Rose, who has been known to shoot Nora with Lightning Dust rounds to give Nora a power boost when there is no surrounding electricity in either the environment nor the attacks of an enemy, such as when Team RNJR took on Tyrian Callows in Oniyuri. Her strength in this enhanced state is great enough to send even powerful juggernauts such as Hazel Rainart flying with one swing of her hammer.
In "Lighting the Fire", it is revealed that Nora discovered her semblance after she was struck by lightning and subsequently didn't die, considering it to be a crazy Thursday.
However, this doesn't mean that she's outright immune to being electrocuted. When Hazel grabs her after enhancing himself with Lightning dust in Downfall, she screams in pain as he holds her down and zaps her.
~ Nora, demonstrating that she is a morning person.
“
We've been friends for soooooooo long! What are the odds we'd still be together? Well, not 'together-together'... Not that I'm not saying that you're not handsome; you are handsome, but that'd just be weird, right?
„
~ Nora, rambling to Lie Ren.
“
Maybe we can bribe the headmaster. No, that won't work, he has a school.
„
~ Nora, talking to Ren about getting on the same team.
“
I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal! (gasps) A secret signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?
„
~ Nora, talking about her 'plans' with Ren.
“
Aww, it's broken!
„
~ Nora, after the Ursa she was riding dies.
“
♫ I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle ♫
„
~ Nora, after getting her relic.
“
Nora!
„
~ Nora, coming in between Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose.
“
Let's do this!
„
~ Nora, to Jaune Arc, to help battle the Death Stalker.
“
NORA SMASH!
„
~ Nora, when beating the Death Stalker.
“
So, there we were, in the middle of the night...
„
~ Nora, beginning her story about a recurring dream.
“
Ooh! We'll break his legs!
„
~ Nora, offering to help Jaune with his bully problem.
“
Off with their heads!
„
~ Nora, at the beginning of the food fight at the Beacon Academy cafeteria.
“
Pancakes!
„
~ Nora, after waking up.
“
Women!
„
~ Nora, bemoaning the fickle ways of women.
“
We're actually not "together-together..."
„
~ Nora, to Jaune.
“
Practice what you preach, Pyrrha.
„
~ Nora, giving advice to Pyrrha.
“
This. Is. Happening!
„
~ Nora, to Ren.
“
Save the world?! You're going on world-saving missions without us?! I'm hurt! Sad! Maybe a little hungry. That last one's not your fault...
„
~ Nora, to Team RWBY.
“
Oh! Aim at the enemy!
„
~ Nora, about puking.
“
We've got a world-renowned fighter on our team, what's basically a ninja, I can bench five of me... Jaune... We've trained all year, our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore and... Uhh... Jaune!
„
~ Nora, about their chances in the tournament.
“
Don't be so nervous! The worst that could happen is we lose! Then it's just a few more years of walking around school with everyone knowing we're failures, our friends will slowly abandon us to preserve their social status, we won't be able to show our faces in class, no-one will sit with us in the cafeteria, and Ren and I have no parents so we have no home left to go to, we'll be officially renamed Team LOSE-iper! *manic sobbing*
„
~ Nora, on the prospect of losing and revealing that she and Ren are orphans.
“
No, silly, not 'a flower'! 'Flour,' like in baking.
„
~ Nora, about "Flower Power".
“
Oooh, I sense hesitation.
„
~ Nora, after Pyrrha expresses doubt about Jaune's tactics.
“
YEAH! Team ears only!
„
~ Nora, when Brawnz interrupts the JNPR team meeting.
“
No more moping around! We gotta get your butt in shape for the big fight! It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be the most important fight of your entire life!
„
~ Nora, encouraging Pyrrha for her singles fight.
“
If it looks the same coming up as it does going down, then there's something wrong!
„
~ Nora to Ren, about his energy juice.
“
But we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it.
„
~ Nora to Ruby, about their journey to Haven.
“
I still think a grenade launcher would've really brought the look together.
„
~ Nora, about Jaune's new look.
“
You know, that actually explains a lot.
„
~ Nora, on Jaune having seven sisters.
“
Should we bury him?
„
~ After the Dying Huntsman passes.
“
Well, what if she doesn't want to go with you?
„
~ Nora to Tyrian Callows, protecting Ruby.
“
Seriously? Now you're tired of telling us stories?
„
~ Nora, calling Qrow Branwen out on being evasive in answering.
“
We don't have time for safe! If we make it to Mistral, we'll bring back help! If we don't, at least we'll have a better view of the land! Up there, we can see if there's somewhere else we can go!
„
~ Nora, suggesting that Team RNJR split.
“
We always have.
„
~ Nora, in response to Jaune telling Ren and Nora to take care of each other.
“
I'm scared...
„
~ Young Nora to Young Ren as they hide during the destruction of Kuroyuri.
“
So, is this not going at all like anyone thought it would?
„
~ Nora, after meeting Professor Lionheart.
“
This is perfect! We were stuck at a dead end, but now, we can just take little cute boy Ozpin to Lionheart and have him set things straight!
„
~ Nora, suggesting they bring Oscar to Lionheart.
“
They… they really are magic…
„
~ Nora, after witnessing Raven Branwen's transformation.
“
I don't need him to hurt. I just need him to GO DOWN!
„
~ Nora, about to swing at Hazel Rainart.
“
CUTE BOY OZ!
„
~ Nora spotting Oscar and subsequently team RWBY when they arrive in Argus
“
Then screw talking.
„
~ Nora before she kisses Ren
Gallery
Images
Nora's outfit from Volumes 4-6
Chibi Nora
Nora as she appears in RWBY: Amity Arena.
Merchandise
Videos
07-Boop - RWBY Volume 2 Soundtrack (By Jeff Williams & Casey Lee Williams)
Trivia
'Nora' can be an abbreviation of the Greek 'Eleanora', meaning 'light,' as well as the Latin 'Honora,' meaning 'honor.'
Her last name comes from the Valkyrie of Norse mythology, female warrior servants of the gods in Valhalla.
Just as Ruby has a pair of headphones with her symbol stamped, Nora has her hairbrush stamped with her own symbol.
Nora has shown an ability to eat that rivals Ruby's confectionery devouring talents by inhaling a pancake whole.
Nora is the last member of team JNPR to have their weapon be revealed (not being revealed until episode 8, Players and Pieces).
Nora's symbol could likely be a depiction of Mjölnir, the legendary hammer of Thor, the Norse god of thunder. It may also be a reference to Marie Mjolnr's eye-patch from the Soul Eater franchise, with Marie's weapon form being that of a hammer.
Nora, along with Ren, are some of the only characters to break the forth wall; they materialize text when discussing team names and interact with each others' fantasies. In RWBY Chibi, Nora sees past the fourth wall after drinking too much caffeine.
