#obviously this doesnt mean despots deserve mercy

[its-a-branwen-thing]

“We Can Kill The Man Who Put Us Here...”

[Hey! it’s my first discussion of RWBY season 2020 and guess what? It’s totally about Qrow and Ironwood and Robyn, who’d have thunk it?] Also I promise it isn’t that long...

I know we’re being lead to believe that Qrow is talking about Ironwood here, and I totally think that may well be the case BUT I also think there might be a bit more at play in the narrative than what we’re seeing. The scene transitions directly to an image of Ironwood after this and it seems the most obvious target of this anger is definitely Ironwood. These two have been set up for a fight since V3, and I think that confrontation is a long time coming but--and this is important--Robyn says something earlier that makes me think the threat of murder might be a red herring of sorts.

“He didn’t kill anybody.”

Because Qrow clearly blames himself for Clover’s death and I think they’re going with “everyone will believe he’s a murderer” as his new scarlet letter. If we have, once again, Qrow believing that he’s this awful person that got someone murdered, having him throw himself down the path of revenge seems more tragic than redeeming, even if his opponent is a despot who we’d very much like to see thrown from his perch. The thing about terrible people is that getting rid of them sometimes involves good people having to resort to terrible things, but it’d still be tough to watch Qrow pull that particular trigger. 

And yet there’s something that got me stewing after I thought of all of this and it has everything to do with a past fake-out in V3:

I don’t think this scene will necessarily repeat itself, although that’d be a cool callback, but I do think it planted some seeds in my brain for what would happen if the writers decide to take that track. Ironwood mistook Qrow here for coming after him but, really, Qrow knew Ironwood didn’t call the attack, and he knew the grimm were a bigger threat. He didn’t say anything because he’s just that kind of ass he probably didn’t think he needed to. Now, obviously, things have changed, but not enough for me to think Qrow is going to straight up murder Ironwood like the general did with the councilman. I predict this going one of three ways:

1. Qrow actually landing the blow this time. No fakeout, full fight. Oof. outcome TBD, cool fight song, lots of yelling

2. Ironwood being the one to defend the team when they think he will attack them as a last showcasing of his humanity before he ultimately perishes ala Ozpin’s V6 nugget about Lionheart being remembered for who he was leading up to his fall rather than his fall itself. But...I think that’s too kind.

3. A repeat fake-out of the same kind--all season we’re built up to think Qrow has it out for Ironwood, perhaps even cheering him on as the pieces fall into place, only for him to focus on a greater threat at the last minute and show little care for getting revenge on Ironwood. In fact, forgoing it totally in order to focus on their single greatest threat: Salem (or he’ll finally 1v1 Tyrian, not to the death though, because reasons I have stated and also I hate/love Tyrian and don’t want him to die yet). This is my favorite little theory.

Because instead of being responsible for passing judgement on Ironwood himself Qrow will instead, at the end of the season, offer him up for his due process punishment to those who now hold the people’s loyalty--Robyn and the Happy Huntresses. And that punishment might not be death. It might be mercy.

Not dissimilar to a reverse Tin Man, just as we saw with Lionheart’s fate to die as a coward, the great general would be frozen in place, ensconced likely metaphorically but maybe also physically, in his own rusting morals, unable to do anything as the world and his people move on without him. A chess piece taken off the board.

Ironwood’s fate could be death, but he could also very well be left alive knowing what he has done, the good and the horrible, so that his reputation never has a chance to become legend. He’ll never be a martyr like he seems to want so desperately to be, likely because he thinks it will help remediate some of his bad choices. By living he doesn’t get the chance to die in glory and his actions gain less nuance; the last few decisions will be a burden he has to bear. For the rest of his life.