In preparation for volume 8, we're taking a look at how Ironwood got to where he is now. This project definitely became larger than I expected. Enjoy Ironwood: the movie!
I'm Strange . This video is amazing definitely got my like & sub. I hate to be this guy but if it's not too much trouble and if you have time. I would love to see something like this for... "Arthur Watts!!" It would certainly be a "Welcome." Also from now on whenever somebody wants to say the changed Ironwood character to make RWBY look good. I'm showing them this.
@@nicolasneal204 you mean besides trusting Oz that his “scouts” could handle whatever was in the south east and not cause some kind of Grimm invasion or something? Or besides trusting the ace ops, winter, and penny with the Salem secrets? Or trusting rwbyqnrjp with the lamp?
@@notallthatevil okay to be fair the scouts were supposed to find the White Fang and then call for reinforcements but Ruby accidentally got captured and the plan changed and has for the Ace Ops, Winter, and Penny he "trusted" them to know truth but made it clear they were to listen and obey his orders regarding the entire situation because only he could be trusted to make the right decisions and while he let them keep the relic it was to never leave Atlas because Oscar was holding onto it and was to remain in Atlas at all times either training or resting if they tried to go anywhere else with it he would've confiscated it immediately
@@nicolasneal204 he didn’t give it to Oscar. He gave it to ruby and said he trusted her to keep it safe. Ruby, gave it to Oscar who hid under his bunkbed
@@alphamon701 A pointless distinction when the result is the same. Only a real sociopath wouldn't care about that much. Not to mention no one gets the right to spend people's lives like disposable coins.
When you look into it, Ironwood has got an unimaginable amount of weight on his shoulders. A councilman, a headmaster, and a general at the same time? No wonder he went downhill. Especially with the fate of the world being on the line. That’s gotta be some excruciating stuff to deal with.
@@justynhill4814 and they still lied to him and went behind his back,he found all of this out after Salem basically said "I'm Here". In my opinion it doesn't matter what they tried to do, it's what they didn't so which was lying to him and defying his orders. Especially when Robbin did absolutely nothing to gain their trust, actually to be completely honest she was basically a criminal so she literally had nothing to prove that she was trust worthy.
@@sirlightning3013- Robyn was the biggest problem that Ironwood was ignoring and the fire that Watts team kept feeding with lie to make her hate Ironwood more. How would you handle her without having mantle getting more Mantle angry with Ironwood and Mantle.
@@justynhill4814 it honestly doesn't matter why she didn't like Ironwood Yang and Blake went behind his back and told a criminal that could have been working for Salem for all they knew what he was doing. We all have our own opinions on these types of things and I take Ironwood's side. Now I'm gonna go have spend some time with my family. Have a good holiday
Or even just "the dangers of thinking like an authoritarian". Or "why trying to fight a war against the concept of terrorism just creates more terrorism." Or "the importance of psychological therapy."
@Carterb92 James was always an anal retentive control freak with a budding messiah complex, the stress in later seasons just made him more violent and aggressive to the point he just stopped caring about keeping up appearances. Honestly it became an autocracy when James willingly seized power from others on the council and instilled himself as ruler. All to prove he was right when he wasn't.
@@igorpachmelniekzakuskov776 THERE IS NO CHARACTER ASSASSINATION, YOU DERANGED IRONWOOD BOOTLICKER! IF HAVE HALF BRAIN YOU WOULD AFTER SEING WHAT HE DID ALREDY PARTLY TO MANTLE, YOU CAN PREDICT HE WILL GO MAD WITH PAST ACTION BEFORE VOL 7!
@@klemenhudobreznik3421 when you're writing in caps like that it's really hard to tell if you're being sarcastic or not. It's like you're asking not to be taken seriously with that juvenile-lookimg behaviour.
@@igorpachmelniekzakuskov776 BECAUSE YOU ARE CLAIMING BS! MAYBE ACKNOWLEDGE IT WAS PREDICTABLE BUT NOT NOTICABLE BECAUSE WRITER BRILIANT HIDDEN IT AS IN JACQUE SCENE (VOL 4)) WE SEE IN FRONT OUR EYES HIM BEING DERANGED DICTATOR IN MAKING BUT THEY USE ALREADY EXISTENT CONFLICT OF WEISS AND JACQUE TO HIDE IT WELL!
@@klemenhudobreznik3421 so you're completeley serious with what you're saying right now? I still can't tell. (Like I said, many people are trolling by pretending to be the stereotypical RWBY stan that likes to take scenesout if context and shows extremeley juvenile behaviour... if you're being serious I guess it really wasn't just a stereotype after all, huh?
@@justsomeguyanimations *You don't need video making skills. So long as you script a compelling story with even just timestamps and still images, you could still make a great video. With proper scripting and verbal delivery, you can make compelling vids. Many history documentaries have shit editing and they can still be gripping. Don't let your dreams just be dreams.*
"No one will fault you if you leave." That's the line that made me go from being neutral to Ironwood and mostly seeing him as a standard/generic stern military leader to him being literally one of my top 3 favorite RWBY characters. He deserved so much better.
@@MrTigracho Turning someone into a villain means removing the traits that made them nice, heroic, and kind in the first place. You don't know anything about character shifts.
He was never normal per say. From the start, he was tense, gung ho, and overly expressive towards military force. He just got worse over time. A lot of fans didn't even pay attention.
*TIMESTOPS for both serious, badass and funny moments:* First character appearence - 0:45 End of Volume 2 - 11:29 Dumbledore Army reunion - 11:31 to 12:20 Squad judging the Iron Man - 13:22 Ironwood's worst nightmare - 14:50 to 16:21 Ozpin is using the tone - 17:15 Neo is the Imposter! - 17:48 Ironwood VS Beowolf - 18:52 to 19:18 Mortal Kombat tone: FINISH HIM - 19:21 to 19:27 A bitter "Some VAGABOND has sieze one of my ships." look - 19:45 HEADSHOT - 19:54 Palpatine's voice: Proceed with Order 66 - 21:07 to 21:36 Ironwood rocking those GUNS - 21:53 to 22:02 That detail of Ironwood refusing to use his gun on Qrow and rather use the handle to knock him dow. ;^( - 22:16 Ironwood's ship has sunken - 23:10
No one ever seems to notice the parental motifs between Ironwood and Weiss. He seemed protective of her, likely in part due to Winter. "You'll always have a place at Atlas academy, Ms Schnee." -volume 4 "She's the only one making sense around here." -volume 4 "You'll do WHAT, Jacques?" -volume 7
Yeah, he seems to have a very paternal attitude towards both sisters, but it always had a dark side to it because Ironwood was ultimately as controlling ad Jacques, just in a nicer way. Winter simply ran from one abusive power structure to another, but fortunately, Weiss was able to break free before all hell broke loose.
@@evanhunt1863 Yes because he had clear PTSD already from his trauma from the Fall of Beacon. He got all his toys turned against him and remained so salty he tried to prevent from happening again and still failed
@@seemeno1 this comments from like before vol 8's release but yes, i agree with you entirely. I hated how they wrote him at the end of vol 7 and the entirety of vol 8. Hes a wasted character and frankly didnt make much sense after.
So far as I've seen from ironwood he was a man raised and trained for war and his actions show his stress as things get more complicated and i still love him as a character even with what this most recent season is pushing him towards the edge. At the end of the day he is a soldier that's been through a lot.
1:04:45 Ironwood: I will sacrifice whatever it takes to stop her! Watts: (Chuckles) Oh I hope you do James. (Spits) I hope you do... You can’t say that Ironwood doesn’t understand sacrifice. Giving up his good arm to stop Watts, damn, the amount of willpower this man has is incredible. Guess Salem’s minions really are undermining Ironwood. Watts and Salem understand Ironwood’s single minded determination and know well enough that it’s going to turn back at him
They used his defining characteristics against him. Clever. They dragged him down to their level with a well thought-out plan. I have to give it to Salem, she knows what she's doing.
I think this video has finally crystallized what I think Ironwood's character really exemplifies. In regards to trust, he's essentially the opposite of Ozpin. Ozpin doesn't trust people with knowledge. He thinks that sharing his secrets will end up doing more harm than good, so he limits the flow of information, keeps things from even his most steadfast allies and never spills anything more than he is forced to spill. Half to shield his allies from the stark, bleak reality of the truth, half to shield himself from being confronted by his own flaws and mistakes. He hides things even from people he trusts with his life, with the future of the world, with incredibly weighty responsibilities like running Kingdoms. I think there's a degree of... trauma, I suppose? Back in his second life, he spilled everything to Salem, about the Relics and the Gods and his task, and it went horribly, so now he overcompensates by trusting NOBODY with anything even close to the full truth. He thinks that he knows best, and that people don't need to know things that will only hurt them, even if they DESERVE to know those things, even if they're incredibly important and keeping it from them is actively betraying their trust. However, though Ozpin never gives anyone the whole story, he does trust people to make their own decisions with the knowledge that he shares. He gives them an incomplete story, but he leaves what they do with that story to their discretion, because he trusts that people will generally do the right thing if given certain information. He lets people like Qrow and (in the early volumes) people like team RWBY do what they want, trusting that they will do the right thing and that they will convey information to him if they think it's important. He lets Ironwood, Lionheart and Theodore run their academies completely outside of his control because he trusts them to do the right thing and run their academies fairly and justly. Sometimes that trust is rewarded, in the case of Theodore. Sometimes it's betrayed, in the case of Lionheart. And sometimes, they will do things that he would personally not do with Beacon, but he will understand that other people have different methodologies and that his own way of running things isn't the end-all-be-all, in the case of Ironwood and his more militarized approach. Ironwood, meanwhile, trusts people with knowledge but doesn't trust people's decisions. He gives his allies everything he knows (Penny, Winter, the Ace Ops, not being afraid to share everything with RWBY, JNR, Qrow and Oscar), but he's convinced that his decisions are the objectively correct ones, and he refuses to let people act on their own. When Oscar told Ironwood about what happened with Ozpin and Jinn, he never acted betrayed by their decision to hide that info from him until they were sure they could trust him. He felt betrayed by Ozpin, to an extent, but he got over that really quickly too. When he learned that Blake and Yang had told Robyn about Amity without his go ahead, however, he was furious; in his eyes, it didn't matter if it was the right decision or not, Blake and Yang didn't do what he ordered them to do and therefor they had betrayed him. This shows in his approach to his position as General and Headmaster too; it's full military, all of his subordinates are expected to follow his orders without question, and if they are unwilling then they are traitors. In his mind, he cannot accept an approach that he does not personally subscribe to. Ozpin's tactful, cautious and secretive approach to handling the Cinder situation in Volume 2 and 3 was a genuinely valid way of doing things, a way that definitely would work, but Ironwood didn't agree, and he also didn't trust that Ozpin knew what he was doing. For Ironwood, it's his way or the highway. He's the one with the answers, his approach to a problem is THE OBJECTIVELY CORRECT approach to a problem, and his allies should follow his lead regardless of their feelings or what they think is right. They're both incredibly flawed ways of doing things, and they're both a mix of trusting and distrusting, but in completely opposite ways.
Very well done!!! Honestly I watch these kinds of videos more for the in-depth mental and philosophical analysis by people like you then for the actual content.
I think in all of the time focused around Ironwood one line for me stands out more than the rest "I am not going to end up like Lionheart." It says so much because you can see from this that James is fearful that he would and was determined to avoid that. Ozpin withheld the truth from everyone to varying degrees, Lionheart we don't fully know when he started becoming afraid but it drove him the betray Ozpin's circle trace those things back to Ironwood. He had seen lionheart fail through fear and ozpin through being passive, he did not want to go down either of those paths and tried to forge out his own way of doing it but the fault came to whether he could properly trust people in their actions a trust that pre volume 7 had already been damaged by the reveal of lionheart and possible also the betrayal of Raven if he knew about that. Ironwood was a good man who tried to do the right thing but the breaking of trust and Salems final shattering of his hope concluded his path.
Ironwood arguably has a fairer approach of doing things. He needs people to trust him and the decisions that he makes, but he doesn't mind if they ultimately disagree with him. As long as they don't cause problems, he's relatively lenient. Ozpin lets people make their own decisions, but, because he is the one who decides what information they do and don't have, he is able to manipulate them into doing effectively whatever he wants them to do.
@@alexhoughton3305 He’s being written by Rooster Teeth writers. There is no gray area with characters. Either you’re good or your evil. There is no middle ground
*Sigh*. I just, ahh I loved his character. 🤧 I REALLY hope at some point we learn his backstory. Like, dude is half metal and we don’t even know why??? On top of his Semblance that can be interpreted as a mental disorder, his PTSD from Beacon, and his trust issues, Ironwood’s gotta have some serious past trauma from getting his body torn apart that we don’t even know about. Like, poor guy. I know he made terrible choices in the end, but I did really pity him. Rip my man. Sorry Volume 8, but Ironwood’s still my favorite character haha, and you can’t change my mind! 😉
While it would be cool, I think not knowing what happened shows much more character. Kind of like John Silver from Treasure Planet if you’ve seen that movie. We never know how he became a cyborg but just from his one line “You give up a few things, chasing a dream” you understand so much about him; the sacrifices he’s made, the sins he‘s had to live with that haunt him and motivate him. Ironwood’s design works just the same. He’s a veteran huntsman, and military leader. So he’s bound to have faced plenty of combat in his life. Both people and Grimm, but just from his fight with Watts where you see him practically tear his arm off you and later replace it with a prosthetic you understand more about him. His body is a symbol of sacrifice and he is willing to live with it.
Ironwood is a great character, but it's because his villain arc was so well-written and because he's such a great object lesson for the dangers of militarism, the cult of personality, and authoritarianism.
@@garmadonthesensei59 I hate to say it, but anyone who didn't see his spiral coming was a fool. The only difference between early Ironwood and late Ironwood is whether he was backed into a corner or not. His villain arc pretty much started the moment he appeared.
@gonzalomeadearanda5751 Lmao, the understrengthed huntsmen couldn't even stop the breach in Vale and was stopped only by Atlas' forces in Vale. Ironwood and his forces during the breach proved that he was right to put Atlesian troops in Vale. Heck, the ones who caused panic within Vale were Cinder and the White Fang. No example of any Vale citizen was shown espousing negative feelings towards the Atlesian troops.
Spectacular! Seeing his story told in one continuous flow really helps to show exactly why he made the decisions he did and emphasizes that many of his personality flaws were always present. I've always sympathized with his choices made in Gravity (and Team RWBY's, neither is right or wrong, but people seem to take one extreme or the other.) I also have to applaud the editing for the last part before Oscar's final talk with Ironwood, that smooth cut of Clover and Qrow rushing each other to Yang and Elm clashing, to Cinder's attack on Winter. It was perfectly timed.
Ironwood was always a dictatorial strongman from the start, and Atlas as a Kingdom seems like it was built to incubate such people. When times were relatively calm and he was in control, Ironwood seemed friendly, reasonable, and reliable enough, but whenever shit hit the fan, his default response was overwhelming force, and he undercut and overrode his allies when their methods conflicted, showing his previous reasonable and accommodating persona was a facade. Not to mention, he basically took advantage of Atlas's weak institutions and checks and balances to concentrate power on himself and ignore the suffering of those not in Atlas for his "greater good".
@@MrGksarathy No that's not the case at all, he is someone who does genuinely care about other people and doesn't just ignore their suffering for the greater good. From the very beginning his heart has always been in the right place, It's why he had mechanical soldiers, to keep human soldiers away from the dangers of the battlefield because he wants to prevent as much death as possible. When beacon falls he doesn't demand that the kids stay and fight, he gives them a choice and tells them with empathy and understanding that no one will fault them if they leave. Because he knows that no kids should have to deal with something as terrible and dangerous as the fall of beacon. He's someone that genuinely does care about the lives and safety of the people. However he also knows that protecting the relics and the maiden is the most important thing that he has to do because if Salem gets her hands on them, she wins and remnant is doomed. So he keeps them all in atlas and keeps all of his forces there in order to protect them because of his paranoia. However then mantle is attacked by grimm so he sends his most trusted allies in order to protect the people while he lures out Watts and the second he does this, the second he lets his guard down and leaves atlas vulnerable to protect mantle, Cinder gets into his office proving his paranoia right. Showing him that Salem is already completely ahead of him, showing him that if he doesn't act now then she will get her hands on the relics and the maiden and if she does that then all of remnant is finished. It's only natural that his response to this is to double down and get the relics and maiden out of her reach as quickly as possible at the cost of mantle because like it or not keeping them out of her hands is an act in service to *the* greater good not *his* greater good as you put it.
Of course, I love RWBY very much so I wanted to make a channel that gave the series nothing but love. There's enough *cough* "critics" *cough* out there.
@@ImStrange_ Yeah😑 I mean the show OBVIOUSLY isn’t perfect and constructive criticism is totally welcome, but bruh. Some of these people *hate* the show and still pretend to care about it, and they bring so much toxicity to the fandom it’s sad. Also thanks for making this video bro, I needed it for my analysis of Ironwood I made for my school assignment, I mean she did ask what other shows/stories have the theme of fear💀lmao 10:11
Well, a lot of the criticism is valid, they drop the ball often. It’s a show I love, but am always a bit disappointed. I feel like there’s a lot of wasted potential and I just want to see it improve.
I like how they show scenes that mention ironwood it shows what others think of him This video is very good and now i really think that the development of iron wood volume 2-8 was pretty well done.
*TIMESTOPS part 2:* Ironwood has grown an Obi-Wan's beard - 29:28 Worried Qrow "James. What you have been doing." - 30:03 Pierrot's updating of Atlas's situation - 30:27 to 31:10 THERE HE IS - 31:24 Irondad is looking proud of his protege -i mean his daughter- - 31:38 Ironwood squad - 32:25 "Unless we destroy her" - 33:12 Awwww. He looks so happy and even kneels down. Soft Ironwood - 36:06 SOFT AND MANLY HUG - 38:24 to 38:29 "And Clover, don't take Marrow." - 38:48 Ironwood getting hit with PTSD - 48:58 to 49:13 OOF. THE REVEAL - 55:17 That hero landing - 58:56 *Ironwood VS Watts* Listen this fight was AMAZING AND AWESOME - 1:00:17 to 1:02:44 "You call yourself a giant." - 1:02:52 You could said that you need a HAND, general. Ba dam tuss. - 1:04:32 "Dramatix turning of his chair" style - 1:05:30 ANGRY IRONDAD - 1:07:18 Mama Salem talking to her rebellious son - 1:08:57 "James. It's what my friends call me. To you. It's general." - 1:17:02
I pressed liked just from the nostalgia at the start lol. Not even 3 mins in. Also I wished Ozpin had his can during that conversation. Would definitely keep his hands or at least one of them busy.
@@ofsnope1540 When I said "BEST", I was referring to character development, not his alignment to good or evil lol. But yeah. I don't think this aged well.
Ironwood is such a tragic character. He has so much responsibility and so many lives resting on him, and he has seen more than anyone should ever have to. This entire time he has just been trying to do his best to fight against Salem, whilst people who are supposed to be his allies withhold crucial information and doubt or impede him at every turn. He's broken, his sense of trust is destroyed, he probably doesn't even trust his own body to not try strangle him to death.
Which begs the question of why he didn't have a general staff. The Doylist explanation is that the creators didn't feel like/couldn't put them in. The Watsonian explanation is that HE DOESN'T HAVE ONE. Which leads to an abject lesson in giving one man too much to handle. If we go with the Watsonian view, then Ironwood is a victim of an institutional flaw in the Atlesian military.
@@evanhunt1863More staff members would mean more individuals that would know of Oz's secrets. Afetr Beacon fell Ironwood probably got less and less trustworthy of others besides those he knew held complete loyalty to him, like WInter, Penny and the Ace Ops. Any staffmembers would be loyal to Atlas, not to *him*. not that someone can 100% blame him after the Lionheart incident.
I understand that several people don’t like James for shooting Oscar, which is fine, but I don’t blame James for that, at which point he saw Ozpin not Oscar. Cap 2 The alleged group of protagonists tells them that Ozpin is no longer there and they hide information from the man, he believes them because he trusts them. Cap. 9 After that they finally tell him the truth at the worst time, obviously for James it is difficult to process seeing that he tended to be burdened with various problems of the kingdom, and that is where Oscar talks to him to encourage him with a phrase which James answers: You say that like you were there? Cap. 11 They discover that Yang and Blake acted behind Ironwood’s back, and where he no longer trusts them for lying to them about Oz, not telling them about Salem, and especially giving information to a woman they didn’t even know well. Cap. Final Oscar tries to talk to him, saying it’s not Oz. You think after everything that’s happened, James is going to trust the word of the brat who says he’s not Ozpin, he’s obviously not going to believe anything. It’s someone from the same group of idiots who have told him lies, withheld information and acted behind his back, when he was at all times open to them. Worst of all, Oscar comes down to talk to him with the same fucking pose Ozpin wears so often.
I think you're taking a lot of unfounded leaps right there. He shows no signs of thinking he's Ozpin, never does. Him saying "you say that like you were there" was connected to him telling Oscar that he won't even recognize who's who anymore. So maybe he thinks they're merging, but still, when he shoots Oscar, he see's him as Oscar. Not Ozpin. He talks to him as Oscar. People can try to justify his actions all they want, and you can make a pretty convincing argument. But at the end of the day, he shot a kid. He is in the wrong.
@@ImStrange_ ¿unfounded leaps? James from the beginning felt that Ozpin was hiding something and made him suspicious. In your video you even put that part next to Glynda. After Beacon’s attack, he felt he should have trusted Ozpin, hence the effort he makes to trust others in volume 7. He was obviously trying to somehow bring Ozpin back, but when they tell him the truth, at the worst of times, he wonders why he had hidden so much from the people who had trusted him. You forgot how Crow reacted when Jin told them the truth, obviously with James it was worse. Even Jaune in volume 6 has the same thought and questions whether Oz was just cheating on them by pretending to be Oscar, after all he has done this several times. Just so we’re clear, I’m not saying what Ironwood did was a good thing, but I understand the reasons why he did it.
@@martinhernandezdominguez8561 The only thing I was referring to with unfounded leaps was that Ironwood shot Oscar thinking he was Ozpin, which I really don't think was the case. He wouldn't have asked who he was speaking to, then upon hearing it was still Oscar, talked to him as if he was Oscar, if he thought he was Ozpin. And yes, I can understand why he does the things he did. I just like making it clear that I do NOT agree with them.
@@ImStrange_ The kid goes down to talk with the same pose that Ozpin uses so much, he’s obviously going to ask if he was talking to Oscar or if in all this time he was with Oz. And seeing as how he tried to stop it, it was better for him not to risk it. Although I admit it must have been built a little more.
@@ImStrange_ There are some hints that he did see Oscar as well... Ozcar. It's been a popular theory for a while. Beyond what's already been mentioned, when he does snap at Oscar, after Oscar tries to give him a speech on fear's effects (which will be somewhat similar to what Oz will tell him in a couple of minutes) He says "That's easy for *you* to say!" The emphasis is on "you", what would make Oscar so special in this case? Because to Ironwood he's a quasi-immortal who doesn't really have to live with consequences. Since he is "above" humanity, it's easy for him to deliver platitudes of this sort. Finally, when pushed to his limit, he says "Even you." Oscar should have been the same relevance as Team RWBY/JNR to Ironwood, but he doesn't bother to mention Ruby in his diatribe against those "getting in the way of doing what's right." This implies that he thinks that the teams may still be taking orders secretly from Oz. If they lied about everything else, who is to say that Oz didn't force them to lie about his presence? Finally, he denies his friendship with Oz (after Oscar calls him "James", which he had never done before.) by shooting him, with the intent to kill. "To you, it's general." An odd thing to say to a boy that should be dead shortly, but makes sense when choosing to leave the path of your former friend and leader. Now this is just one theory and there are others on what Ironwood was thinking when he made those final moves and what his words to Oscar really implied.
@@vsGoliath96 And how was Adam's writing "bad?" He was what he was supposed to be: a fanatical creep with pretentions of being something more. Yes, he was pathetic, but that was the point of his character.
This man exhausted 29:35 - 30:02 30:27 - 31:09 The reason he trust team RWBY 7:50 - 8:55 This is enough reason why he felt betrayed , disappointed and can't trust team RWBY 1:06:48 - 1:07:35 1:10:22 - 1:10:34 The best Villain is the one who think that they're the hero
I think when he fights that Beowulf you can see his semblance at play. For those who don't know, Ironwood's semblance, Mettle, is a passive effect like Qrow's, which strengthens his resolve and overrides any thoughts or feelings that would get in the way.
The music never ceases to surprise me. You can hear elements of "Hero" starting at 2:17. I don't know how you created the time necessary to put this together, but thank you for the efforts.
so, after observing ironwood's prosthetics, i have now come to the conclusion that remnant can keep you alive even if part of your heart is destroyed. he's almost 50% ENTIRELY MECHANICAL....
@@pigeonfog so true i literally have dealt before with them and they make me lose faith in humanity the more they speak. I in fact have superior understanding compare to those people as i can see he is fanatic who gained power slowly too much while having it too much already(I became one for 3 years after bullying in school).
First appearance Ironwood: mentions Human touch Volume 8 Ironwood: Loss of Humanity and is now Acting like a Machine rather then a Human Human touch my ass Also if his ship was destroyed how the hell did he get back to Atlas!? Did he use a Bullhead or was his ship repaired off screen That was never established
I genuinely love his character. Progressing from a hero to a villain is one of my favorite character arcs and the fact that it was mostly in the background only served to make it better for me. Seeing Ironwood again after everytjing that has happened came as a shock because gone was the man we used to know and here he is now, a shell of his former self. People may argue that it was badly written and i'd be inclined to agree... but given the show's very clear-cut line between Heroes and Villains, i can appreciate how Ironwood gradually fell from grace.
at about 13:30, Oz suggests they find a guardian, something to inspire a sense of safety rather than a sense of worry. And later, what does Ironwood make Penny? The Protector of Mantle, something to inspire a sense of safety. How well that actually worked could be debated, but it's interesting to see that Ironwood still listened to OZ and saw some merit in his words.
Since reading Before the Dawn it’s amazing to see the contrast between Theodore, Ozpin and Ironwood. I’m amazed how they all got along😅 MINOR SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK BELOW: Especially Theodore and Oz since they seemed particularly close (given how Theodore kept his picture with Ozpin in his office and threw the rest he had with the other headmasters in the bin.)
Ironwood has the blessing and the curse of being the most stubborn person on the planet. Stubbornness can help you push through the impossible yet makes you fully blind towards everything else, so much so that he didn't need what makes him like that to render his human arm useless and stopping Watts... that was sheer will. I really wonder if he'll be able to at least compromise before things really turn for the worst (especially if the theory of his Semblance affecting him is correct).
Ironwood hasn't had it easy. Along with the Atlas,Mantle, and the rest of Remnant he has also had the added burden of carrying the show. His character arc has been a thrill to watch which has me wondering what is going to have me sticking around when he is gone. Roosterteeth feels like its hanging in there by a thread. Can we just have this be the last season and go out on a high note?
Well, we know that RWBY is confirmed for 12 volumes total. 9 in this strange dimension, 10 likely in Vacuo, 11 maybe either back to Beacon or the trip to Beacon, and 12 to serve as the final stand against Salem. Even the villains for each one is laid out: 9 for Neo, 10 for Tyrian, 11 for Cinder, 12 for Salem. It's laid out too perfectly. Ending it here would just not work.
Even with all the opposition, he was still relatively able to keep himself sane through all of it and listen to the viewpoints of others, but 2 points tore him down. The moment Cinder left him that gift he started to buckle under the pressure, but was doing his best to reign it in. The moment he shot Oz was the instant he let himself go to his paranoia entirely.
ironwood is just a fking great guy! and he handled so much pressure.. its so fking sad he broke the way he did and salem legit just ruined his intire life and lifes work.. I hope ironwood will return one day as either a PTSD villan who is against salem but has his own motives. OR the most likely and better version like a hermit of the woods who plays the right role when needed. this cant be the end of iron i really hope not
I'mStrange: Well done! Thank you for what was clearly a daunting task. I'm impressed. I am definitely one of your new subscribers and look forward to viewing more of your work. Thumbs High! my friend, Thumbs High.👍
Ironwood semblance should have been like a hyper focus ultra instinct type of mode where he processes information much faster than normal and basically becomes like that movie action hero that you see in action movies and that would fit his character and fight scene against watts
respectfully disagree. as someone with his own experiences with depression, stress and trauma i can COMPLETELY see how locking your resolve would be an excellent coping tool and valuable tool in general. Also as the tin man, hardening his heart makes perfect sense.
His semblance is honestly the worst one, I would have loved it if his semblance was called burden and depended on how much he Carrie’s the stronger he is or the weaker an enemy is
That’s what happens when you devote your whole life to a system. Becoming dependent on something that has a 50% chance of failing will leave you with nothing in the end.
In preparation for volume 8, we're taking a look at how Ironwood got to where he is now. This project definitely became larger than I expected. Enjoy Ironwood: the movie!
Great concept love it
It is Irondaddy not Ironwood
@@taserx2768 My apologies
@@ImStrange_ Remember: If Irondaddy dies, we riot
I'm Strange . This video is amazing definitely got my like & sub. I hate to be this guy but if it's not too much trouble and if you have time. I would love to see something like this for... "Arthur Watts!!" It would certainly be a "Welcome." Also from now on whenever somebody wants to say the changed Ironwood character to make RWBY look good. I'm showing them this.
Ironwood: exists
Volume 7: imma bout to start this man’s career
Volume 8: imma bout to end this man’s career
It's true.
Ironwood: is better than the main characters on so many levels
Writers: Imma bout to ruin this whole man's career
We hardly got to know him...
Guys got PTSD, probably a lack of sleep, and now a shattered concept of trust. Rip this man.
Did ever actually trust anyone because to me he always came off as someone who only trusted himself and trusted people to obey and or listen to him
@@nicolasneal204 Well certainly didn't help that when he finally did trust someone else, he learns they were lying to his face.
@@nicolasneal204 you mean besides trusting Oz that his “scouts” could handle whatever was in the south east and not cause some kind of Grimm invasion or something? Or besides trusting the ace ops, winter, and penny with the Salem secrets? Or trusting rwbyqnrjp with the lamp?
@@notallthatevil okay to be fair the scouts were supposed to find the White Fang and then call for reinforcements but Ruby accidentally got captured and the plan changed and has for the Ace Ops, Winter, and Penny he "trusted" them to know truth but made it clear they were to listen and obey his orders regarding the entire situation because only he could be trusted to make the right decisions and while he let them keep the relic it was to never leave Atlas because Oscar was holding onto it and was to remain in Atlas at all times either training or resting if they tried to go anywhere else with it he would've confiscated it immediately
@@nicolasneal204 he didn’t give it to Oscar. He gave it to ruby and said he trusted her to keep it safe. Ruby, gave it to Oscar who hid under his bunkbed
I’m so used to this guys beard in V7 that seeing him without it feels wrong somehow
Right? It's so weird.
Half his screen time is in V7
I feel like he looks better with the beard
I know right
He looks like my neighbor
"All excellent philosophical points. That won’t matter when-" I’m gonna use that one.
FULLY AGREE
All excellent philosophical points. That won't matter when I use this quote against you 😏
There's nothing philosophical about sacrificing lives.
No, but there's a difference between wasting those sacrifices, and spending them wisely.
A choice no one here is ready to make.
@@alphamon701 A pointless distinction when the result is the same. Only a real sociopath wouldn't care about that much. Not to mention no one gets the right to spend people's lives like disposable coins.
When you look into it, Ironwood has got an unimaginable amount of weight on his shoulders. A councilman, a headmaster, and a general at the same time? No wonder he went downhill. Especially with the fate of the world being on the line. That’s gotta be some excruciating stuff to deal with.
Also don't forget about Team RWBY and gang's lying and going behind his back
@@sirlightning3013- yet they still wanted to help him.
@@justynhill4814 and they still lied to him and went behind his back,he found all of this out after Salem basically said "I'm Here". In my opinion it doesn't matter what they tried to do, it's what they didn't so which was lying to him and defying his orders. Especially when Robbin did absolutely nothing to gain their trust, actually to be completely honest she was basically a criminal so she literally had nothing to prove that she was trust worthy.
@@sirlightning3013- Robyn was the biggest problem that Ironwood was ignoring and the fire that Watts team kept feeding with lie to make her hate Ironwood more. How would you handle her without having mantle getting more Mantle angry with Ironwood and Mantle.
@@justynhill4814 it honestly doesn't matter why she didn't like Ironwood Yang and Blake went behind his back and told a criminal that could have been working for Salem for all they knew what he was doing. We all have our own opinions on these types of things and I take Ironwood's side. Now I'm gonna go have spend some time with my family. Have a good holiday
This makes it a lot easier to see Ironwood as a good man descending into a self imposed guilt, resulting in a prideful resolve. Very well done.
Or even just "the dangers of thinking like an authoritarian".
Or "why trying to fight a war against the concept of terrorism just creates more terrorism."
Or "the importance of psychological therapy."
@@shingshongshamalama or the importance of monitoring people with passive semblances
big boss: first time?
@@shingshongshamalama I don't think a terapist could have handlef what he had on his mind.
@Carterb92 James was always an anal retentive control freak with a budding messiah complex, the stress in later seasons just made him more violent and aggressive to the point he just stopped caring about keeping up appearances. Honestly it became an autocracy when James willingly seized power from others on the council and instilled himself as ruler. All to prove he was right when he wasn't.
James still remains one of the best written characters in the show. He’s definitely my favorite
Yeah same here... despite volume 8s character assassination.
@@igorpachmelniekzakuskov776 THERE IS NO CHARACTER ASSASSINATION, YOU DERANGED IRONWOOD BOOTLICKER!
IF HAVE HALF BRAIN YOU WOULD AFTER SEING WHAT HE DID ALREDY PARTLY TO MANTLE, YOU CAN PREDICT HE WILL GO MAD WITH PAST ACTION BEFORE VOL 7!
@@klemenhudobreznik3421 when you're writing in caps like that it's really hard to tell if you're being sarcastic or not. It's like you're asking not to be taken seriously with that juvenile-lookimg behaviour.
@@igorpachmelniekzakuskov776 BECAUSE YOU ARE CLAIMING BS!
MAYBE ACKNOWLEDGE IT WAS PREDICTABLE BUT NOT NOTICABLE BECAUSE WRITER BRILIANT HIDDEN IT AS IN JACQUE SCENE (VOL 4)) WE SEE IN FRONT OUR EYES HIM BEING DERANGED DICTATOR IN MAKING BUT THEY USE ALREADY EXISTENT CONFLICT OF WEISS AND JACQUE TO HIDE IT WELL!
@@klemenhudobreznik3421 so you're completeley serious with what you're saying right now? I still can't tell. (Like I said, many people are trolling by pretending to be the stereotypical RWBY stan that likes to take scenesout if context and shows extremeley juvenile behaviour... if you're being serious I guess it really wasn't just a stereotype after all, huh?
watts calling ironwood a giant wasn't a joke. The man is literally 6'6
Plus the metal body parts means he's probably weighing about 500 pounds
@@nicolasneal204 JFC MANS IS A KILLING MACHINE
Lmao glynda must be fucking massive too, she wasn’t that much shorter than he is
@@seansolo3583 six foot two I think. But she wears heels I think, so probably more like five eleven.
I never fully read the title so I thought this would be an analysis. Even even it just turned into ironwood scenes I didn't even care
I'm too lazy for that, the analyzing is up to you.
@@ImStrange_ well I have my thoughts. But I have no video making skill
I got into the comments before you for once Ha! Weird flex ik.
Man! I see you every were!
@@justsomeguyanimations *You don't need video making skills. So long as you script a compelling story with even just timestamps and still images, you could still make a great video. With proper scripting and verbal delivery, you can make compelling vids. Many history documentaries have shit editing and they can still be gripping. Don't let your dreams just be dreams.*
It’s worth noting that Ironwood helps Velvet get the hard-light dust she needs for her camera. Her father, Will, is an engineer in Atlas.
tldr: Iron Daddy
Just like Iron Maiden....
WATCH YOUR STEP
Evolution of Ironwood....
He got sexier
That's the presentation.
its weird how he looks younger after he grew the beard
@@megabladechronicles962 Looks like I wasn't the only one. It is indeed odd.
I guess you guys really like beards ey?
He's also lost his heart (metaphorically)
@@galacticquasaur2956
Perhaps even literally.
He sounds so lively at the beginning....
32:17 I love how Ironwood hears that the team stole one of his ships, and all he does is chuckle
Considering all the shit he's been through and would go though, a few kids stealing a small military craft sounds like a honest joke. 😅
18:49
Grim: What are you looking at?!
Ironwood: A future corpse.
"No one will fault you if you leave."
That's the line that made me go from being neutral to Ironwood and mostly seeing him as a standard/generic stern military leader to him being literally one of my top 3 favorite RWBY characters.
He deserved so much better.
Wow I forgot how normal he was in the beginning
Yay it's way too easy to forget that he was a good person before the whole "obey or die" problems started.
I blame the writters. They could have handled that transition into a villain better without destroying the character that has been build until now.
@@MrTigracho I agree
@@MrTigracho Turning someone into a villain means removing the traits that made them nice, heroic, and kind in the first place. You don't know anything about character shifts.
He was never normal per say. From the start, he was tense, gung ho, and overly expressive towards military force. He just got worse over time. A lot of fans didn't even pay attention.
*TIMESTOPS for both serious, badass and funny moments:*
First character appearence - 0:45
End of Volume 2 - 11:29
Dumbledore Army reunion - 11:31 to 12:20
Squad judging the Iron Man - 13:22
Ironwood's worst nightmare - 14:50 to 16:21
Ozpin is using the tone - 17:15
Neo is the Imposter! - 17:48
Ironwood VS Beowolf - 18:52 to 19:18
Mortal Kombat tone: FINISH HIM - 19:21 to 19:27
A bitter "Some VAGABOND has sieze one of my ships." look - 19:45
HEADSHOT - 19:54
Palpatine's voice: Proceed with Order 66 - 21:07 to 21:36
Ironwood rocking those GUNS - 21:53 to 22:02
That detail of Ironwood refusing to use his gun on Qrow and rather use the handle to knock him dow. ;^( - 22:16
Ironwood's ship has sunken - 23:10
'Slow clapping 👏'
‘Ozpin using the tone’ 😂 tru tho- we’ve never seen him that angry besides from volume 6.
Thanks
Not enough people talk about that little detail of him using the handle against qrow, so kudos for that 👌.
Wait does anyone notice carden in there with Crow and Glenda
No one ever seems to notice the parental motifs between Ironwood and Weiss. He seemed protective of her, likely in part due to Winter.
"You'll always have a place at Atlas academy, Ms Schnee." -volume 4
"She's the only one making sense around here." -volume 4
"You'll do WHAT, Jacques?" -volume 7
Which makes Winter betraying him all the harder to watch.
Yeah, he seems to have a very paternal attitude towards both sisters, but it always had a dark side to it because Ironwood was ultimately as controlling ad Jacques, just in a nicer way. Winter simply ran from one abusive power structure to another, but fortunately, Weiss was able to break free before all hell broke loose.
It just hit me that James's speech to Yang was disturbingly fitting.
Which one?
@@sirlightning3013 How combat instincts and stress can make a person see things that aren't there.
@@jiado6893 ah alright
@@jiado6893 He would know all about that.
@@evanhunt1863 Yes because he had clear PTSD already from his trauma from the Fall of Beacon. He got all his toys turned against him and remained so salty he tried to prevent from happening again and still failed
Ironwood is my fav character in the show bc of how he developed. It was certainly interesting to watch.
He was a bad ass, but I kind of wish they took him down the anti hero path after the Fall of Beacon instead of becoming a misguided anti villain.
@@seemeno1 this comments from like before vol 8's release but yes, i agree with you entirely. I hated how they wrote him at the end of vol 7 and the entirety of vol 8. Hes a wasted character and frankly didnt make much sense after.
james talking about being "kept in the dark" really hurts to think about, especially considering how current events have unfolded
So far as I've seen from ironwood he was a man raised and trained for war and his actions show his stress as things get more complicated and i still love him as a character even with what this most recent season is pushing him towards the edge.
At the end of the day he is a soldier that's been through a lot.
he went from
hot
HOT
DADDY
Lol xD
Go back to the fucking tower
@@championboy4782 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Salem x Ironwood I can see it now... got nothing on Bumblebee
1:04:45
Ironwood: I will sacrifice whatever it takes to stop her!
Watts: (Chuckles) Oh I hope you do James. (Spits) I hope you do...
You can’t say that Ironwood doesn’t understand sacrifice. Giving up his good arm to stop Watts, damn, the amount of willpower this man has is incredible.
Guess Salem’s minions really are undermining Ironwood. Watts and Salem understand Ironwood’s single minded determination and know well enough that it’s going to turn back at him
They used his defining characteristics against him. Clever. They dragged him down to their level with a well thought-out plan. I have to give it to Salem, she knows what she's doing.
I think this video has finally crystallized what I think Ironwood's character really exemplifies. In regards to trust, he's essentially the opposite of Ozpin.
Ozpin doesn't trust people with knowledge. He thinks that sharing his secrets will end up doing more harm than good, so he limits the flow of information, keeps things from even his most steadfast allies and never spills anything more than he is forced to spill. Half to shield his allies from the stark, bleak reality of the truth, half to shield himself from being confronted by his own flaws and mistakes. He hides things even from people he trusts with his life, with the future of the world, with incredibly weighty responsibilities like running Kingdoms. I think there's a degree of... trauma, I suppose? Back in his second life, he spilled everything to Salem, about the Relics and the Gods and his task, and it went horribly, so now he overcompensates by trusting NOBODY with anything even close to the full truth. He thinks that he knows best, and that people don't need to know things that will only hurt them, even if they DESERVE to know those things, even if they're incredibly important and keeping it from them is actively betraying their trust. However, though Ozpin never gives anyone the whole story, he does trust people to make their own decisions with the knowledge that he shares. He gives them an incomplete story, but he leaves what they do with that story to their discretion, because he trusts that people will generally do the right thing if given certain information. He lets people like Qrow and (in the early volumes) people like team RWBY do what they want, trusting that they will do the right thing and that they will convey information to him if they think it's important. He lets Ironwood, Lionheart and Theodore run their academies completely outside of his control because he trusts them to do the right thing and run their academies fairly and justly. Sometimes that trust is rewarded, in the case of Theodore. Sometimes it's betrayed, in the case of Lionheart. And sometimes, they will do things that he would personally not do with Beacon, but he will understand that other people have different methodologies and that his own way of running things isn't the end-all-be-all, in the case of Ironwood and his more militarized approach.
Ironwood, meanwhile, trusts people with knowledge but doesn't trust people's decisions. He gives his allies everything he knows (Penny, Winter, the Ace Ops, not being afraid to share everything with RWBY, JNR, Qrow and Oscar), but he's convinced that his decisions are the objectively correct ones, and he refuses to let people act on their own. When Oscar told Ironwood about what happened with Ozpin and Jinn, he never acted betrayed by their decision to hide that info from him until they were sure they could trust him. He felt betrayed by Ozpin, to an extent, but he got over that really quickly too. When he learned that Blake and Yang had told Robyn about Amity without his go ahead, however, he was furious; in his eyes, it didn't matter if it was the right decision or not, Blake and Yang didn't do what he ordered them to do and therefor they had betrayed him. This shows in his approach to his position as General and Headmaster too; it's full military, all of his subordinates are expected to follow his orders without question, and if they are unwilling then they are traitors. In his mind, he cannot accept an approach that he does not personally subscribe to. Ozpin's tactful, cautious and secretive approach to handling the Cinder situation in Volume 2 and 3 was a genuinely valid way of doing things, a way that definitely would work, but Ironwood didn't agree, and he also didn't trust that Ozpin knew what he was doing. For Ironwood, it's his way or the highway. He's the one with the answers, his approach to a problem is THE OBJECTIVELY CORRECT approach to a problem, and his allies should follow his lead regardless of their feelings or what they think is right.
They're both incredibly flawed ways of doing things, and they're both a mix of trusting and distrusting, but in completely opposite ways.
Very well done!!! Honestly I watch these kinds of videos more for the in-depth mental and philosophical analysis by people like you then for the actual content.
You made Ozpin sound like Batman...huh not far off actually.
@@Riku2099 I never considered that parallel but I can see some similarities.
I think in all of the time focused around Ironwood one line for me stands out more than the rest "I am not going to end up like Lionheart." It says so much because you can see from this that James is fearful that he would and was determined to avoid that. Ozpin withheld the truth from everyone to varying degrees, Lionheart we don't fully know when he started becoming afraid but it drove him the betray Ozpin's circle trace those things back to Ironwood. He had seen lionheart fail through fear and ozpin through being passive, he did not want to go down either of those paths and tried to forge out his own way of doing it but the fault came to whether he could properly trust people in their actions a trust that pre volume 7 had already been damaged by the reveal of lionheart and possible also the betrayal of Raven if he knew about that.
Ironwood was a good man who tried to do the right thing but the breaking of trust and Salems final shattering of his hope concluded his path.
Ironwood arguably has a fairer approach of doing things.
He needs people to trust him and the decisions that he makes, but he doesn't mind if they ultimately disagree with him. As long as they don't cause problems, he's relatively lenient.
Ozpin lets people make their own decisions, but, because he is the one who decides what information they do and don't have, he is able to manipulate them into doing effectively whatever he wants them to do.
Cinder: Your children
Shows Jaune’s face going •o•
Everything about him was my favourite.
Thank you for piecing this all together. With it, you can totally see the progression of his character's downfall.
Ozpin abandoned him
@@beeman5436 rwby abandoned him too
Downfall implies he's a villain
Ironwood is going full antihero
@@alexhoughton3305
He’s being written by Rooster Teeth writers. There is no gray area with characters. Either you’re good or your evil. There is no middle ground
@@BoredOuttaMyMind that's a bit far
They *did* write Red VS Blue, after all
*Sigh*. I just, ahh I loved his character. 🤧 I REALLY hope at some point we learn his backstory. Like, dude is half metal and we don’t even know why??? On top of his Semblance that can be interpreted as a mental disorder, his PTSD from Beacon, and his trust issues, Ironwood’s gotta have some serious past trauma from getting his body torn apart that we don’t even know about. Like, poor guy. I know he made terrible choices in the end, but I did really pity him.
Rip my man. Sorry Volume 8, but Ironwood’s still my favorite character haha, and you can’t change my mind! 😉
I saw this theory about Watts and Ironwood turning Atlas into Atlantis. It would be kinda cool tbh
While it would be cool, I think not knowing what happened shows much more character. Kind of like John Silver from Treasure Planet if you’ve seen that movie. We never know how he became a cyborg but just from his one line “You give up a few things, chasing a dream” you understand so much about him; the sacrifices he’s made, the sins he‘s had to live with that haunt him and motivate him. Ironwood’s design works just the same. He’s a veteran huntsman, and military leader. So he’s bound to have faced plenty of combat in his life. Both people and Grimm, but just from his fight with Watts where you see him practically tear his arm off you and later replace it with a prosthetic you understand more about him. His body is a symbol of sacrifice and he is willing to live with it.
Ironwood is a great character, but it's because his villain arc was so well-written and because he's such a great object lesson for the dangers of militarism, the cult of personality, and authoritarianism.
@@MrGksarathy I disagree with his villain-arc being "well-written" haha but I'm glad someone enjoyed it! XD
@@garmadonthesensei59 I hate to say it, but anyone who didn't see his spiral coming was a fool. The only difference between early Ironwood and late Ironwood is whether he was backed into a corner or not.
His villain arc pretty much started the moment he appeared.
Ironwood: a case of one bad day
Bad last 48 hours, probably. With the rally massacre and then it was just a non-stop rollercoaster for him for the next day and night.
one bad day? More like 3 months worth of bad day in a row.
We live in a society where Ozpin dont let me use my troops to cause panic.
@gonzalomeadearanda5751 Lmao, the understrengthed huntsmen couldn't even stop the breach in Vale and was stopped only by Atlas' forces in Vale.
Ironwood and his forces during the breach proved that he was right to put Atlesian troops in Vale. Heck, the ones who caused panic within Vale were Cinder and the White Fang. No example of any Vale citizen was shown espousing negative feelings towards the Atlesian troops.
Spectacular! Seeing his story told in one continuous flow really helps to show exactly why he made the decisions he did and emphasizes that many of his personality flaws were always present. I've always sympathized with his choices made in Gravity (and Team RWBY's, neither is right or wrong, but people seem to take one extreme or the other.)
I also have to applaud the editing for the last part before Oscar's final talk with Ironwood, that smooth cut of Clover and Qrow rushing each other to Yang and Elm clashing, to Cinder's attack on Winter. It was perfectly timed.
Thanks! For the last part, I wanted to show how his one call caused practically a mini-war. It's crazy how one choice can lead to so much chaos.
Ironwood was always a dictatorial strongman from the start, and Atlas as a Kingdom seems like it was built to incubate such people. When times were relatively calm and he was in control, Ironwood seemed friendly, reasonable, and reliable enough, but whenever shit hit the fan, his default response was overwhelming force, and he undercut and overrode his allies when their methods conflicted, showing his previous reasonable and accommodating persona was a facade. Not to mention, he basically took advantage of Atlas's weak institutions and checks and balances to concentrate power on himself and ignore the suffering of those not in Atlas for his "greater good".
@@MrGksarathy No that's not the case at all, he is someone who does genuinely care about other people and doesn't just ignore their suffering for the greater good. From the very beginning his heart has always been in the right place, It's why he had mechanical soldiers, to keep human soldiers away from the dangers of the battlefield because he wants to prevent as much death as possible. When beacon falls he doesn't demand that the kids stay and fight, he gives them a choice and tells them with empathy and understanding that no one will fault them if they leave. Because he knows that no kids should have to deal with something as terrible and dangerous as the fall of beacon. He's someone that genuinely does care about the lives and safety of the people. However he also knows that protecting the relics and the maiden is the most important thing that he has to do because if Salem gets her hands on them, she wins and remnant is doomed. So he keeps them all in atlas and keeps all of his forces there in order to protect them because of his paranoia.
However then mantle is attacked by grimm so he sends his most trusted allies in order to protect the people while he lures out Watts and the second he does this, the second he lets his guard down and leaves atlas vulnerable to protect mantle, Cinder gets into his office proving his paranoia right. Showing him that Salem is already completely ahead of him, showing him that if he doesn't act now then she will get her hands on the relics and the maiden and if she does that then all of remnant is finished. It's only natural that his response to this is to double down and get the relics and maiden out of her reach as quickly as possible at the cost of mantle because like it or not keeping them out of her hands is an act in service to *the* greater good not *his* greater good as you put it.
He evolves so much till season 8 then the creators realize they accidentally made him more heroic then our hero’s so they completely undid it
Ayyy, nice to find a channel that's not constantly talking about "how shit rwby is now". Def got my sub
Of course, I love RWBY very much so I wanted to make a channel that gave the series nothing but love. There's enough *cough* "critics" *cough* out there.
@@ImStrange_ Ya love to see it
@@Kicksticks heck yee
@@ImStrange_ Yeah😑 I mean the show OBVIOUSLY isn’t perfect and constructive criticism is totally welcome, but bruh. Some of these people *hate* the show and still pretend to care about it, and they bring so much toxicity to the fandom it’s sad. Also thanks for making this video bro, I needed it for my analysis of Ironwood I made for my school assignment, I mean she did ask what other shows/stories have the theme of fear💀lmao 10:11
Well, a lot of the criticism is valid, they drop the ball often. It’s a show I love, but am always a bit disappointed. I feel like there’s a lot of wasted potential and I just want to see it improve.
I like how they show scenes that mention ironwood it shows what others think of him
This video is very good and now i really think that the development of iron wood volume 2-8 was pretty well done.
*TIMESTOPS part 2:*
Ironwood has grown an Obi-Wan's beard - 29:28
Worried Qrow "James. What you have been doing." - 30:03
Pierrot's updating of Atlas's situation - 30:27 to 31:10
THERE HE IS - 31:24
Irondad is looking proud of his protege -i mean his daughter- - 31:38
Ironwood squad - 32:25
"Unless we destroy her" - 33:12
Awwww. He looks so happy and even kneels down. Soft Ironwood - 36:06
SOFT AND MANLY HUG - 38:24 to 38:29
"And Clover, don't take Marrow." - 38:48
Ironwood getting hit with PTSD - 48:58 to 49:13
OOF. THE REVEAL - 55:17
That hero landing - 58:56
*Ironwood VS Watts* Listen this fight was AMAZING AND AWESOME - 1:00:17 to 1:02:44
"You call yourself a giant." - 1:02:52
You could said that you need a HAND, general. Ba dam tuss. - 1:04:32
"Dramatix turning of his chair" style - 1:05:30
ANGRY IRONDAD - 1:07:18
Mama Salem talking to her rebellious son - 1:08:57
"James. It's what my friends call me. To you. It's general." - 1:17:02
Well.... its 3am... but.... ... ... let's do this
Godspeed
I pressed liked just from the nostalgia at the start lol. Not even 3 mins in. Also I wished Ozpin had his can during that conversation. Would definitely keep his hands or at least one of them busy.
Ahh yes. A biography of the BEST character in all of RWBY :)
did not age well
@@ofsnope1540 When I said "BEST", I was referring to character development, not his alignment to good or evil lol. But yeah. I don't think this aged well.
@@0mn0m15 I still like his character, though I don't agree with the actions he's taken. But he's a complex villain, which I appreciate.
Aah, look at you so young and happy...where do the years go?
The years were always there and the pressure of his service during those years destroyed his happiness.
Ironwood is such a tragic character. He has so much responsibility and so many lives resting on him, and he has seen more than anyone should ever have to. This entire time he has just been trying to do his best to fight against Salem, whilst people who are supposed to be his allies withhold crucial information and doubt or impede him at every turn. He's broken, his sense of trust is destroyed, he probably doesn't even trust his own body to not try strangle him to death.
Which begs the question of why he didn't have a general staff. The Doylist explanation is that the creators didn't feel like/couldn't put them in. The Watsonian explanation is that HE DOESN'T HAVE ONE. Which leads to an abject lesson in giving one man too much to handle.
If we go with the Watsonian view, then Ironwood is a victim of an institutional flaw in the Atlesian military.
@@evanhunt1863More staff members would mean more individuals that would know of Oz's secrets. Afetr Beacon fell Ironwood probably got less and less trustworthy of others besides those he knew held complete loyalty to him, like WInter, Penny and the Ace Ops. Any staffmembers would be loyal to Atlas, not to *him*.
not that someone can 100% blame him after the Lionheart incident.
@@PatchyMcSlashy Yeah. That's a pretty good Watsonian explanation.
@@evanhunt1863He is both a victim of the structural flaws of Atlas, but he's also the absolute exemplar of Atlas, for better and for worse.
1:04:22
White King takes Black Bishop
More like White Knight-
And that's checkmate.
I really wish we'd get some more about Winter and Ironwood's relationship since they clearly have some kind of father figure thing going on.
I understand that several people don’t like James for shooting Oscar, which is fine, but I don’t blame James for that, at which point he saw Ozpin not Oscar.
Cap 2
The alleged group of protagonists tells them that Ozpin is no longer there and they hide information from the man, he believes them because he trusts them.
Cap. 9
After that they finally tell him the truth at the worst time, obviously for James it is difficult to process seeing that he tended to be burdened with various problems of the kingdom, and that is where Oscar talks to him to encourage him with a phrase which James answers:
You say that like you were there?
Cap. 11
They discover that Yang and Blake acted behind Ironwood’s back, and where he no longer trusts them for lying to them about Oz, not telling them about Salem, and especially giving information to a woman they didn’t even know well.
Cap. Final
Oscar tries to talk to him, saying it’s not Oz.
You think after everything that’s happened, James is going to trust the word of the brat who says he’s not Ozpin, he’s obviously not going to believe anything.
It’s someone from the same group of idiots who have told him lies, withheld information and acted behind his back, when he was at all times open to them.
Worst of all, Oscar comes down to talk to him with the same fucking pose Ozpin wears so often.
I think you're taking a lot of unfounded leaps right there. He shows no signs of thinking he's Ozpin, never does. Him saying "you say that like you were there" was connected to him telling Oscar that he won't even recognize who's who anymore. So maybe he thinks they're merging, but still, when he shoots Oscar, he see's him as Oscar. Not Ozpin. He talks to him as Oscar.
People can try to justify his actions all they want, and you can make a pretty convincing argument. But at the end of the day, he shot a kid. He is in the wrong.
@@ImStrange_ ¿unfounded leaps?
James from the beginning felt that Ozpin was hiding something and made him suspicious.
In your video you even put that part next to Glynda.
After Beacon’s attack, he felt he should have trusted Ozpin, hence the effort he makes to trust others in volume 7.
He was obviously trying to somehow bring Ozpin back, but when they tell him the truth, at the worst of times, he wonders why he had hidden so much from the people who had trusted him.
You forgot how Crow reacted when Jin told them the truth, obviously with James it was worse.
Even Jaune in volume 6 has the same thought and questions whether Oz was just cheating on them by pretending to be Oscar, after all he has done this several times.
Just so we’re clear, I’m not saying what Ironwood did was a good thing, but I understand the reasons why he did it.
@@martinhernandezdominguez8561 The only thing I was referring to with unfounded leaps was that Ironwood shot Oscar thinking he was Ozpin, which I really don't think was the case. He wouldn't have asked who he was speaking to, then upon hearing it was still Oscar, talked to him as if he was Oscar, if he thought he was Ozpin.
And yes, I can understand why he does the things he did. I just like making it clear that I do NOT agree with them.
@@ImStrange_ The kid goes down to talk with the same pose that Ozpin uses so much, he’s obviously going to ask if he was talking to Oscar or if in all this time he was with Oz. And seeing as how he tried to stop it, it was better for him not to risk it.
Although I admit it must have been built a little more.
@@ImStrange_ There are some hints that he did see Oscar as well... Ozcar. It's been a popular theory for a while. Beyond what's already been mentioned, when he does snap at Oscar, after Oscar tries to give him a speech on fear's effects (which will be somewhat similar to what Oz will tell him in a couple of minutes) He says "That's easy for *you* to say!" The emphasis is on "you", what would make Oscar so special in this case?
Because to Ironwood he's a quasi-immortal who doesn't really have to live with consequences. Since he is "above" humanity, it's easy for him to deliver platitudes of this sort.
Finally, when pushed to his limit, he says "Even you." Oscar should have been the same relevance as Team RWBY/JNR to Ironwood, but he doesn't bother to mention Ruby in his diatribe against those "getting in the way of doing what's right." This implies that he thinks that the teams may still be taking orders secretly from Oz. If they lied about everything else, who is to say that Oz didn't force them to lie about his presence?
Finally, he denies his friendship with Oz (after Oscar calls him "James", which he had never done before.) by shooting him, with the intent to kill. "To you, it's general." An odd thing to say to a boy that should be dead shortly, but makes sense when choosing to leave the path of your former friend and leader.
Now this is just one theory and there are others on what Ironwood was thinking when he made those final moves and what his words to Oscar really implied.
Best written character in RWBY. No contest
Yep. He's gone full villain now, but I don't think that's bad writing. Tragedy is a thing. Well-written villains are a thing.
@@evanhunt1863 Nah bad writing and a semblance
@@evanhunt1863 No no, this is bad writing that almost puts Adam Taurus as the creepy ex to shame.
@@vsGoliath96 And how was Adam's writing "bad?" He was what he was supposed to be: a fanatical creep with pretentions of being something more. Yes, he was pathetic, but that was the point of his character.
@@evanhunt1863 Don't put quotations around bad like he wasn't one of the worst characters in the show.
All it takes is one bad day! ~ Joker
*Cough* Superman *Cough Cough*
This man exhausted
29:35 - 30:02
30:27 - 31:09
The reason he trust team RWBY
7:50 - 8:55
This is enough reason why he felt betrayed , disappointed and can't trust team RWBY
1:06:48 - 1:07:35
1:10:22 - 1:10:34
The best Villain is the one who think that they're the hero
He isn’t a villain though
@@crimson1million he isn't but the RWBY show trying so hard to make him look bad in the latest episode
@@cristalwaffle4937 well I guess it helps prove that philosophy is only a matter of perspective
So team RWBY is the villain then?
@@Fran_5 th-cam.com/video/EnXvzOuz6rs/w-d-xo.html
I think when he fights that Beowulf you can see his semblance at play.
For those who don't know, Ironwood's semblance, Mettle, is a passive effect like Qrow's, which strengthens his resolve and overrides any thoughts or feelings that would get in the way.
I love ironwood and always wishing he can have one thing done and his army can win...
Imagine if he and Ruby’s group didn’t turn on each other and they managed to work together and reunite humanity against Salem.
Cinder took advantage of Ironwood's paranoia. The chess piece was just to fuck with with him
The music never ceases to surprise me. You can hear elements of "Hero" starting at 2:17.
I don't know how you created the time necessary to put this together, but thank you for the efforts.
My pleasure!
Indeed. The hints of the Fall of Ironwood were there from the start, but the detractors stay blind to that point.
Rip Ironwood, he was a true gamer till the end.
Gamers rise up.
Based World Eater
I think it would be really cool to see a comp of the relationship between Ruby + Ozpin/Oscar
Sigh, rest in peace general, you can rest now.
so, after observing ironwood's prosthetics, i have now come to the conclusion that remnant can keep you alive even if part of your heart is destroyed.
he's almost 50% ENTIRELY MECHANICAL....
Ironwood’s more drastic choices in the recent volumes make me appreciate these moments more. 😔
ngl that interaction he had w/ glynda made me sof 🥺💖
Anybody else wonders how the hell this man walks through a metal detector😂
He takes off his shirt and then the guards just say: thank you for your service sir.
Nobody:
My brain:
Jacque “pencil arms” Schnee
when ruby said the ship was stolen, you can see ironwood chuckle and move his shoulder.
this is quality content Yess iron dAdDy
32:17 oh how I miss that smile
He is a great character just sad how things turned out
And a reminiscence to my neighbor
he was chuckling too lol
We gonna ignore the fact that ironwood is 6’6
Big boy
So was ozpin
I'm gonna enjoy this like you have no idea
I forgot how much the earlier volumes showed that Ironwood earned the title of General. Man was an absolute badass
Didnt expect it to be over 1 hour 😂
"do you honestly believe your children can win a war?"
"i hope they never have to"
W E L P how have the turned tables turned
Tragic character arc
Yes it is sadly but in my opinion it fits perfectly with his General role and sembalance
It is a tragedy; sadly people see a modern tragedy as "BaD wRiTiNg"
@@pigeonfog so true i literally have dealt before with them and they make me lose faith in humanity the more they speak. I in fact have superior understanding compare to those people as i can see he is fanatic who gained power slowly too much while having it too much already(I became one for 3 years after bullying in school).
First appearance Ironwood: mentions Human touch
Volume 8 Ironwood: Loss of Humanity and is now Acting like a Machine rather then a Human
Human touch my ass
Also if his ship was destroyed how the hell did he get back to Atlas!? Did he use a Bullhead or was his ship repaired off screen
That was never established
I'm assuming he traveled back on the transports with all the students.
1:05:05-1:09:07-1:13:41
1:14:52-end
Ironwood makes a great antagonist
This video reminded how good Volume 1-3 was, especially Ozpin’s shadow council scenes.
I genuinely love his character. Progressing from a hero to a villain is one of my favorite character arcs and the fact that it was mostly in the background only served to make it better for me. Seeing Ironwood again after everytjing that has happened came as a shock because gone was the man we used to know and here he is now, a shell of his former self. People may argue that it was badly written and i'd be inclined to agree... but given the show's very clear-cut line between Heroes and Villains, i can appreciate how Ironwood gradually fell from grace.
it not bad writing if writters can suprise us while making clues right in front of us showing us be more careful when judging things as lesson.
Man, the animation style sure got a lot better over the years
but they had to sacrifice their writing talent
It's the only thing that got better
at about 13:30, Oz suggests they find a guardian, something to inspire a sense of safety rather than a sense of worry. And later, what does Ironwood make Penny? The Protector of Mantle, something to inspire a sense of safety. How well that actually worked could be debated, but it's interesting to see that Ironwood still listened to OZ and saw some merit in his words.
I love the atlas military theme from volume 2 so much.
It can be triumphant, ominous and absolutely awesome.
6:09 "You better not say a goddamn thing" xD
Since reading Before the Dawn it’s amazing to see the contrast between Theodore, Ozpin and Ironwood. I’m amazed how they all got along😅 MINOR SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK BELOW:
Especially Theodore and Oz since they seemed particularly close (given how Theodore kept his picture with Ozpin in his office and threw the rest he had with the other headmasters in the bin.)
Too bad you missed the scene where he's informed Penny made a break with the Maiden power, and looses his s#!&.
I've watched this like about 3 or 4 times now, it pains me to see how Ironwood really went down as a character.
You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
Ironwood has the blessing and the curse of being the most stubborn person on the planet.
Stubbornness can help you push through the impossible yet makes you fully blind towards everything else, so much so that he didn't need what makes him like that to render his human arm useless and stopping Watts... that was sheer will.
I really wonder if he'll be able to at least compromise before things really turn for the worst (especially if the theory of his Semblance affecting him is correct).
He didn't compromise and things got worse until he died.
@@EmptyMan000 RIP tin man
Ironwood hasn't had it easy. Along with the Atlas,Mantle, and the rest of Remnant he has also had the added burden of carrying the show. His character arc has been a thrill to watch which has me wondering what is going to have me sticking around when he is gone. Roosterteeth feels like its hanging in there by a thread. Can we just have this be the last season and go out on a high note?
Well, we know that RWBY is confirmed for 12 volumes total. 9 in this strange dimension, 10 likely in Vacuo, 11 maybe either back to Beacon or the trip to Beacon, and 12 to serve as the final stand against Salem. Even the villains for each one is laid out: 9 for Neo, 10 for Tyrian, 11 for Cinder, 12 for Salem. It's laid out too perfectly. Ending it here would just not work.
I never realised it, but you can hear the clink of his metal hand when he first takes the mug from professor Ozpin... Neat. 1:14
Guy became the Tin Man the more paranoia got to him
A reverse Tin Man, more like.
Yes every Ironwood scene together! Thank you!
18:48 birth of iron daddy and you all know it
Even with all the opposition, he was still relatively able to keep himself sane through all of it and listen to the viewpoints of others, but 2 points tore him down.
The moment Cinder left him that gift he started to buckle under the pressure, but was doing his best to reign it in.
The moment he shot Oz was the instant he let himself go to his paranoia entirely.
ironwood is just a fking great guy! and he handled so much pressure.. its so fking sad he broke the way he did and salem legit just ruined his intire life and lifes work..
I hope ironwood will return one day as either a PTSD villan who is against salem but has his own motives.
OR the most likely and better version like a hermit of the woods who plays the right role when needed.
this cant be the end of iron i really hope not
I never realized before about how each time he gets injured and gets a robotic part he becomes less human..I like that symmetry
I'mStrange: Well done! Thank you for what was clearly a daunting task. I'm impressed. I am definitely one of your new subscribers and look forward to viewing more of your work. Thumbs High! my friend, Thumbs High.👍
Even though if he's "evil" I still admire this man.
James Ironwood is so badass
Ironwood....the silver maple.....
Ohh so slow to grow up.....but damn strong and unwilling to bend....a perfect name
Unfortunately, since he can't be bent by the wind, he will be uprooted by it.
The tin man losing his heart and sanity
Tbh team rwbys plan will work flawlessly (the one kingdom that will survive season 10: were united now that all the other kingdoms are dead)
Ironwood semblance should have been like a hyper focus ultra instinct type of mode where he processes information much faster than normal and basically becomes like that movie action hero that you see in action movies and that would fit his character and fight scene against watts
respectfully disagree. as someone with his own experiences with depression, stress and trauma i can COMPLETELY see how locking your resolve would be an excellent coping tool and valuable tool in general. Also as the tin man, hardening his heart makes perfect sense.
I see Ironwoods semblance as a double edged sword, it's good for things that need a strong will but we've seen the downsides to it
@@theflaminglitten-fo6jd I like to think of it as the mental equivalent of hazel's pain block
His semblance is honestly the worst one, I would have loved it if his semblance was called burden and depended on how much he Carrie’s the stronger he is or the weaker an enemy is
I agree his semblance was stupid and ridiculous.
If you think about it, Ironwood's story is pretty sad
That’s what happens when you devote your whole life to a system. Becoming dependent on something that has a 50% chance of failing will leave you with nothing in the end.