Ryu Akino/Behind the Scenes

Character Basis
Ryu alludes to the Queen of Hearts from the novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, following the theme of team WNDR referencing characters from the Wonderland novels. This allusion has had the following influences on the character:
 * Ryu's weapon being an axe is a nod to the Queen of Hearts' famous line, "Off with her head!"
 * The silhouette of Ryu's coat resembles a gown. Additionally, many of his outfits include a heart motif.
 * One of Ryu's most defining traits is his short temper, something the Queen of Hearts is also known for.
 * Ryu's royal status (a position that doesn't exist in RWBY canon) was fabricated to make him as close to being an actual queen as possible.