Aura is an ability that all those with a soul can use, at least with enough practice. A person with a strong Aura may radiate bright colors when using it. Because Aura is the manifestation of the soul, it can appear very differently depending on who is using it. For example, the color of Aura differs from person to person: Pyrrha's looks red, Jaune's looks white, and Ren's appears to be a shade of purple.
It is mentioned that anything with a soul has an Aura, but Humans and Faunus seem to be the only beings able to weaponize it for their own protection. This fact however has been recently subverted with the introduction of the first synthetic person able to generate an Aura in Penny. Skilled users of Aura can create their own barriers or even increase their own abilities in some way. Weapons and armor can also act as a conduit for Aura, allowing for an even wider range of offensive and defensive capabilities.
It has been shown that Aura strength degrades with continual use. This limits the applications of Aura in combat as, with time or heavy use, a person's Aura will decay to the point where they are left weakened or even incapacitated. This has been witnessed several times in the show.
Abilities- Aura is a necessary energy source for all Hunters, being a powerful ally in battle. It is also required in order to trigger the use of Dust. Aura, as demonstrated by various characters, has the ability to do the following:
Defense: Demonstrated by Ren in the Emerald Forest, and explained by Pyrrha. Aura is mainly used for defensive purposes. Ren used his to block the fangs of a King Taijitu that was attacking him. Offense: Demonstrated by Ren in the forest, as he sends a shock wave of force propelling a fang through the snake's head, causing it to explode. Additionally Pyrrha has stated that all tools and equipment are conduits for a person's Aura. Unlock Aura: One's Aura can be used to 'unlock' the Aura of someone else; as shown by Pyrrha, who unlocks Jaune's Aura. Doing this appears to take a toll on the user however. Healing: It also seems that those with a strong enough Aura can heal minor wounds. Jaune used this directly on a small cut after having his Aura unlocked. However it appears that the healing is automatic and not caused at will. It also seems to wear off after engaging in combat, as Jaune's injuries returned post-battle with an Ursa. Other specific abilities, known as Semblances, appear to be unique to certain individuals. According to "Aura," the fourth installment of RWBY: World of Remnant, Semblance is the projection of Aura into a more tangible form. In "Extracurricular," it is learned that when a person uses their Aura, they can discover their Semblance afterwards. It appears that Aura is able to manifest in different ways when in use and takes on the color of one's inner energy. It appears as a slight glow around the body.
It has been stated that the activation of an Aura requires training and willpower, though someone with considerable training can unlock the Aura of another person.
In Tournaments- In the episode Jaunedice, it is revealed that Aura strength, as a proportion of maximum potential, can be electronically monitored and displayed on a scroll. This has enabled the development of a competitive sport amongst Hunters and others.
Because Aura can protect its user against some of the force of physical blows, it is possible to duel using fully combat-ready weapons without risking death or serious injury. Such tournaments are closely monitored by a referee and, should a combatant's Aura strength fall below a certain red-line where they may no longer be sufficient to protect their users, the match is automatically halted and the combatant with the highest Aura percentile remaining is declared the winner.
The duel between Jaune and Cardin proves that Aura does not provide 100% protection against concussive blows as Jaune is visibly hurt and left winded by a blow to the abdomen from his opponent's mace. However, Glynda Goodwitch halts the match before Cardin can strike again, indicating that Jaune's Aura at about 20% power would not stop another full-strength blow.
There is at least one known major international competitive tournament, the Vytal Festival, at which students at Beacon Academy are permitted to compete as representatives of the region of Vale. It is possible that the Mistral regional tournament, won by Pyrrha four years in a row, is another Tournament but this has not yet been explicitly confirmed on-screen.
It is mentioned that anything with a soul has an Aura, but Humans and Faunus seem to be the only beings able to weaponize it for their own protection. This fact however has been recently subverted with the introduction of the first synthetic person able to generate an Aura in Penny. Skilled users of Aura can create their own barriers or even increase their own abilities in some way. Weapons and armor can also act as a conduit for Aura, allowing for an even wider range of offensive and defensive capabilities.
It has been shown that Aura strength degrades with continual use. This limits the applications of Aura in combat as, with time or heavy use, a person's Aura will decay to the point where they are left weakened or even incapacitated. This has been witnessed several times in the show.
Abilities-
Aura is a necessary energy source for all Hunters, being a powerful ally in battle. It is also required in order to trigger the use of Dust. Aura, as demonstrated by various characters, has the ability to do the following:
Defense: Demonstrated by Ren in the Emerald Forest, and explained by Pyrrha. Aura is mainly used for defensive purposes. Ren used his to block the fangs of a King Taijitu that was attacking him.
Offense: Demonstrated by Ren in the forest, as he sends a shock wave of force propelling a fang through the snake's head, causing it to explode. Additionally Pyrrha has stated that all tools and equipment are conduits for a person's Aura.
Unlock Aura: One's Aura can be used to 'unlock' the Aura of someone else; as shown by Pyrrha, who unlocks Jaune's Aura. Doing this appears to take a toll on the user however.
Healing: It also seems that those with a strong enough Aura can heal minor wounds. Jaune used this directly on a small cut after having his Aura unlocked. However it appears that the healing is automatic and not caused at will. It also seems to wear off after engaging in combat, as Jaune's injuries returned post-battle with an Ursa.
Other specific abilities, known as Semblances, appear to be unique to certain individuals. According to "Aura," the fourth installment of RWBY: World of Remnant, Semblance is the projection of Aura into a more tangible form. In "Extracurricular," it is learned that when a person uses their Aura, they can discover their Semblance afterwards.
It appears that Aura is able to manifest in different ways when in use and takes on the color of one's inner energy. It appears as a slight glow around the body.
It has been stated that the activation of an Aura requires training and willpower, though someone with considerable training can unlock the Aura of another person.
In Tournaments-
In the episode Jaunedice, it is revealed that Aura strength, as a proportion of maximum potential, can be electronically monitored and displayed on a scroll. This has enabled the development of a competitive sport amongst Hunters and others.
Because Aura can protect its user against some of the force of physical blows, it is possible to duel using fully combat-ready weapons without risking death or serious injury. Such tournaments are closely monitored by a referee and, should a combatant's Aura strength fall below a certain red-line where they may no longer be sufficient to protect their users, the match is automatically halted and the combatant with the highest Aura percentile remaining is declared the winner.
The duel between Jaune and Cardin proves that Aura does not provide 100% protection against concussive blows as Jaune is visibly hurt and left winded by a blow to the abdomen from his opponent's mace. However, Glynda Goodwitch halts the match before Cardin can strike again, indicating that Jaune's Aura at about 20% power would not stop another full-strength blow.
There is at least one known major international competitive tournament, the Vytal Festival, at which students at Beacon Academy are permitted to compete as representatives of the region of Vale. It is possible that the Mistral regional tournament, won by Pyrrha four years in a row, is another Tournament but this has not yet been explicitly confirmed on-screen.