Blake Belladonna is a Faunus, sporting black cat ears typically concealed beneath a large black bow to evade discrimination—prejudice she faces across Remnant due to her heritage. Hailing from Menagerie, her parents are Ghira and Kali Belladonna. In her youth, Blake joined the White Fang, initially drawn to its peaceful activism for Faunus equality. She grew disillusioned as the group embraced violence under new leadership, culminating in her mentor and partner, Adam Taurus, planning to kill human crew during a train heist. Horrified, Blake severed ties with the White Fang and Adam, fleeing to Vale. Seeking redemption, she enrolled at Beacon Academy to become a Huntress. Her reserved, aloof demeanor masked internal struggles with her past and identity. This secrecy fractured during an argument with teammate Weiss Schnee, where Blake accidentally revealed her White Fang affiliation and Faunus heritage, prompting her temporary flight. She confided in Sun Wukong, another Faunus student, about her desire for atonement. Together, they investigated White Fang activities, uncovering their collaboration with the human criminal Roman Torchwick. Blake’s development focused on confronting prejudice and building trust. Weiss, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company—infamous for exploiting Faunus laborers—initially distrusted Blake due to her background. Tensions peaked when a Nightmare Grimm possessed Weiss, trapping her in a dream world. Within Weiss’s subconscious, a manifestation dubbed "Negative Weiss" ruled a militaristic empire reflecting her biases. Blake, alongside Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, entered this dream to rescue Weiss. Negative Weiss specifically targeted Blake, perceiving her as an infiltrator in the empire’s "sacred spaces," and repeatedly expelled her from key areas—symbolizing Weiss’s internal struggle with ingrained prejudice. During the dream mission, Blake noted Weiss’s subconscious fixated on her presence, especially in guarded locations. Sun Wukong later interpreted this fixation as evidence Blake had impacted Weiss’s mindset, suggesting potential for change. Leveraging this insight, Blake proposed altering the dream narrative by fighting alongside the dream’s White Fang resistance. This action demonstrated cooperation, prompting shifts in Weiss’s dream—such as lowering city walls to allow a train Blake defended to enter. Though Negative Weiss resisted, Blake’s persistence created an opening for Weiss to confront the Nightmare Grimm. Blake wields Gambol Shroud, a versatile weapon combining a sword, sheath, pistol, and ribbon. Her Semblance, "Shadow," creates tangible afterimage clones for evasion or tactics. In Weiss’s dream, her appearance adapted to Weiss’s perceptions: she wore a single ribbon over one ear, leaving the other exposed, and sported a black tail. Her dream weapons exhibited enhanced capabilities. Blake evolved from a solitary figure burdened by secrecy to someone accepting support from teammates like Ruby and Yang, and allies like Sun. Her dream actions underscored her commitment to challenging prejudice through empathy and direct confrontation. Her White Fang background and experiences with Adam Taurus shaped her rejection of violence, emphasizing resilience and the pursuit of understanding.