RWBY has introduced so many characters over the years that it has received plenty of criticism about delivering quantity over quality. However, over the course of its nine volumes, RWBY has still been able to cement its main characters, what drives them forward, and what their main weaknesses are.
Many of RWBY's characters have endured hard times and come out the other side either unscathed or better. Blake, Yang, and Weiss have all reached acceptance of who they are in Volume 9, but it isn't always that simple in other instances. There are those who either didn't survive their hardships or were seriously worn down by them.
Spoilers ahead for RWBY Volume 9.
10 Salem
Salem is the most despicable villain in RWBY, but that doesn't make her origin story any less tragic. Salem lost the love of her life, Ozma, and when she begged the Gods to revive him, she was swept up in a familial dispute. Unfortunately, Salem's desperation and deception somehow managed to unite the brothers against her.
The Gods added to Salem's misery by cursing her with immortality as punishment for toying with the fragility of life itself. Salem's goal is to gather the Relics in order to summon the Gods back for final judgment, which could see them destroy everything—including her. No matter how selfish and despicable her plans may be, the evidence of her once being happy establishes Salem as a truly tragic character.
9 Ozma/Ozpin
Salem's descent into hate and darkness came from Ozma's death, but he too suffered because of it. The Gods tasked him with defending the Relics from Salem. They had cursed Salem with immortality, but Ozma would instead die and reincarnate, each time merging with another soul.
Ozma's burden was different from Salem's loneliness but had a greater weight to it, as he was protecting rather than destroying. Even then, Ozma struggled to trust people with the truth, which pushed them away, making his task quite miserable. Ozma learned from Jinn that Salem cannot be defeated, so his prolonged existence seems rather pointless.
8 Oscar
Ozma was first introduced in RWBY as Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy. While he always did appear powerful, few could have predicted that he was rooted in fairy tales and was the ancient Ozma who could reincarnate. Volume 4 introduced a new reincarnation of Ozma, in Oscar.
It took Oscar a while to come to terms with his new situation, and he eventually realized that he was becoming one with Ozpin. The inevitable merge of their souls is tragic in that Oscar did not ask for this burden, yet it ultimately took away his freedom and sense of self.
7 Hazel
Hazel Rainart was one of Salem's lackeys from Volume 4 to 8, fighting for her because of their mutual hatred of Ozpin. Hazel's sister died during her training mission at Beacon Academy, which led Hazel to hold Ozpin responsible. Gretchen was Hazel's only family, a loss that led him to cling to hatred as a coping mechanism.
Hazel was calm around anyone else, but Ozpin really activated his rage. In fact, it was through talking to Oscar rather than Ozpin, that he was able to see sense. Hazel gave his own life to temporarily stop Salem, giving the others time to escape. Hazel atoned for his mistakes, but his sacrifice and backstory are still tragic.
6 Pyrrha
Pyrrha quickly established herself as a powerful Huntress-in-training. As the early volumes progressed, she was a perfect teammate to Jaune, Ren, and Nora. However, Volume 3 piled the pressure onto Pyrrha, as Ozpin selected her to become the new Fall Maiden, a role which was never properly explained to her.
Pyrrha tussled with the idea of destiny and whether she should become the new Fall Maiden. Pyrrha ultimately refused, but when Cinder stole the power for herself and killed Ozpin, Pyrrha had to sacrifice herself to stop the new Fall Maiden. Pyrrha Nikos will always be seen as one of the most tragic and painful losses of RWBY.
5 Qrow
Qrow is Ruby and Yang's uncle, who was a constant presence from Volume 3 through 8. Qrow has never been the best role model, but still inspired Ruby to become a scythe-wielding Huntress. Qrow's Semblance is Misfortune, which pushed him into self-loathing and believing that things will go wrong around him. This unfortunately fueled a drinking problem that he sunk into as an escape.
However, Qrow's Volume 7 friendship with Clover helped him to see that things aren't so bad. Qrow might be able to manipulate luck and there's room for him to explore his Semblance further in the future. Sadly, it doesn't change the fact that he's been miserable for most of his life, compounded by Clover's death and his nieces' disappearances.
4 Ironwood
General Ironwood will be remembered as one of RWBY's most dangerous villains, but he wasn't always that way. Ironwood was always paranoid and careful in preparing for potential catastrophes but was still kindhearted when first introduced in Volume 2.
Yet it was the Fall of Beacon that sent Ironwood scurrying back to Atlas. He later turned on Team RWBY when he discovered they were keeping secrets from him. Ironwood's Mettle gave him immense resolve that meant he would always see his plans through. Ironwood was eventually stopped by Winter, but not before trying to blow up Mantle with a bomb. James was his own worst enemy and sealed his own demise.
3 Jaune
Jaune Arc is one of the most popular characters outside of Team RWBY but unfortunately seems destined to endure pain and suffering. Jaune lost his first love Pyrrha in Volume 3, which served as a catalyst for him to improve at fighting. Jaune then vowed to give his life and best efforts to protect "those who matter."
At the end of Volume 8, Jaune was the only one left who could kill Penny, so that her Maiden powers would transfer over to someone of her own choosing. It was a horrifying responsibility that will likely hang over Jaune forever. Jaune was even stranded alone for years in the Ever After waiting for Team RWBY to arrive.
2 Ruby
Ruby has always been seen as the beacon of hope and optimism, but consistent failings have worn her down. Volume 8 showed the cracks, but Volume 9 shattered her former self into a million pieces. Ruby could no longer take the weight of leadership and having to carry all of her mistakes, which led to her wanting to be somebody different.
The tragic thing about Ruby is that everything has built up inside her. From trying to find out what really happened to her mother to carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, Volume 9 saw Ruby finally snap. The Ever After changed Ruby, and while it may be what she needed, the torture from Neo and the Curious Cat was difficult to watch.
1 Penny
Penny died twice in RWBY. She was essentially a heroic android with an Aura, but because she was disguised as a regular student, her fight against Pyrrha Nikos ended in her being torn apart. Penny was put back together in time to be reunited with Ruby and everyone in Volume 7, but she was quickly thrust back into the firing line.
Penny was cast out and framed for a crime she didn't commit, resented for becoming the Winter Maiden, and when she finally became a real girl, she died almost immediately. Penny got to go out on her own terms and pass the power to Winter, but it didn't make her death any less tragic.