Contrasting Ironwood

Ironwood is so hot right now.

The spotlight is shining again on our favourite Tinman after the last episode. There’s some trying to cast shadows, while others are flooding the stage. I prefer a more even contrast when it comes to Ironwood. So I figured I’d pop on an ELT hat and have a crack at it.

I’ve seen a fair amount of comments trying to pass off early Ironwood’s actions as more black than they were. Taking words and actions out of context doesn't do V2-3 Ironwood any justice though. His overwhelming motivation during those volumes is to protect people. As a General, he has a clear stance on what the protection should look like; overwhelming. Not just so they can respond effectively, but also make the bad guys pause in their actions. Obviously bringing an army to a peaceful festival is overkill, but his goal is to keep people safe.

When the threat is apparent, then Ironwood wants to take firm and decisive action. Again, military background, he's a General. Ozpin wants to play it low key, scout out the situation before sending in the army. He wasn't opposed to using Ironwood's forces, only disagreeing on when to commit them. Ozpin is right; they lack the intel to make a decisive strike. And Ironwood isn't unreasonable, he does back down.

Cue White Fang attack. In the aftermath, the Vale Council wanted an increased military presence, one that Ironwood is happy to provide. Ozpin disagrees, he thinks that action is playing into the enemy's hands now that he has a better feel for what's going on. He knows Salem's goal is to sow discord and cause rifts - one is happening right in front of him with Ironwood. But Ironwood doesn't know this, because Ozpin hasn't told him the full truth about Salem and her agenda. Ironwood saw an armed threat in the form of White Fang, one that needed to be countered. It's a matter of military strategy for him; meet force with force.

Then it all backfires. Cinder enacts her plan and the Kingdom is hit with a wave of negativity which draws in the grimm. The increased Atlas military presence and Penny’s true nature is used to fuel this. It's a plan that sits in Ironwood's blind spot, he expected a more tangible attack. But he is prepared, he still has considerable forces at his disposal. Unfortunately, that works against him thanks to a cyber attack. Again, he didn't see that coming. It doesn't stop him from continuing to help, and he also leads by example. His speech to the students is a pretty good one. He still wants to protect.

Ironwood intentions were good, and his actions purposeful. There is an amount of grey morality to his character; he's an end justifying the means kind of person. And that's all tied into his military background. Which is also his weakness. He thinks in terms of armies and tactics. He moves pieces across the board in his mind. It's what Cinder is taking advantage of - she knows he's playing chess. She counts on it. Tricking Ozpin is a tall task, because who knows what game he would choose? So she goes around him and focuses on someone who is a lot more predictable.

Trying to shine a bad light on his early actions doesn't do him any justice. He makes mistakes, sure, but there isn’t deliberate malice. He’s fully committed to defend Vale, zealously so. And, to his regret, it backfires. The goal on the writer’s part was never to show he was evil, or flawless. There’s a shade of grey in his actions, he offers a different perspective. Most importantly, it’s set up for his overreaching arc; it’s how he begins to lose his heart.

And Ironwood isn't heartless. These events impact him greatly, it's a key part of his character development. He can see the faces of pieces in play, and acknowledges that his actions affected lives. That his failure affected lives. From sending Yang an arm, to his defense of Weiss, his joy at seeing Ozpin back, and his hug with Qrow - Ironwood still had a heart. He's capable of kindness and compassion.

From V4-7, Ironwood isn't deliberately evil either. He's hardened, cautious to the point of paranoia, but his intentions are still the same; protect the people. He does get more grey in actions and his military background is very much in play. The blockade serves a purpose, but also comes with hardships. He calls for order and calm, but uses propaganda and restricts freedoms. His plan to inform the world is a good one, but can't be enacted without sacrifices. Promoting RWBY & JNR to full time Huntresses is necessary, but maybe premature. Making sure the Winter maiden's powers reside in someone trusted is vital, but the current Maiden's life could end prematurely. And he's not unaware of those downsides, he does agree there are risks:

Qrow: Huh, so that's why you withdrew your troops, to handle the panic that would break out in Atlas.

Ironwood: Yes, panic is inevitable, and panic brings Grimm. But I believe we are ready. Once Atlas has come to grips with the fight ahead, I'll use Amity Tower to spread the message to all of Remnant.

Weiss: But everything will fall apart. Grimm will be everywhere!

Winter: You're right, but Atlas is willing and prepared to assist.

Ironwood: Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all.

RWBY also acknowledge this and are onboard with the plan. They also enact in the end - Ruby gets that message out. It's strange that some imply that Ironwood's planning is bad, but RWBY continuing with the plan isn't. There are risks to it, the risks are noted by everyone, the risks are considered acceptable. And people may die because of it, there is a shade of grey to the plan.

Ironwood's main issue in V7 is he's still trying to play chess though. He's aware of the hardships in Mantle, but he views it through the eyes of a soldier. Sacrifices are required, casualties are inevitable, and the goal is to win the war. Everyone needs to stay in line and do their part. By holding this view, he can justify his actions for the greater good. The side effect is that it chips away at his heart. The more he calculates what is necessary, the more he closes off his humanity.

Then the door slams shut. A combination of Cinder's taunt and Salem making her presence known is the catalyst for Ironwood to completely lose his heart. From that point there isn't any grey anymore, only cold strategy. Mantle is just a piece on the board that can be sacrificed to protect the relic. That's where it all changes because it's not about protecting the people anymore. His intentions fully shift. He shoots Oscar not because he thought he was Ozpin, but because he wasn't. He was a piece that wasn't useful anymore. Same with the councilman. His hacking of Penny is about control, he doesn't see the person, only a piece to be played. As with Mantle - he needs to remove that piece to play the next. Ironwood doesn't see faces anymore, only the game board. He doesn't hold lives in his hands, only pawns.

It was never a matter of power or satisfying his ego. His world view hasn't always been as black and white as a chessboard either. That doesn't do his character any justice and ignores the purpose of his character arc. Ironwood's goal was to protect people, to outplay forces that would do them harm. The more he tried to plan ahead, the more distant he got from those under his care. Faces blurred and fell away, and he was left standing above a chess board trying to play a game that only he can see.

That's how I shine light on Ironwood anyway. I understand the criticisms of that though. Ironwood did make an excellent shade of grey, more of that is appealing. I still don’t think it’s a bad arc, I’ve mostly enjoyed it and have a handful of nitpicks. Like the last episode was way too on the nose with Ironwood drifting into cartoonishly evil. Effectively a white fluffy cat and fist shake away from it.

But I don’t see any merit in trying to paint Ironwood darker than he was. What we got was more of an eplicise, where that light gives away to shadow. There’s more nuance to the writing that needs more credit. And I feel they miss the point of what is being shown.

The Tinman losing his heart is far more impactful than trying to argue that he never had one in the first place.