RWBY Volume 7 Episode 11 Reaction

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[@PheonixFire]

*Ruby uses Heroic Speech* Salem: Yo mamma. R: T_T

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😆

[@musspuss]

That speech didn't last long did it, salem shut her down real quick LMFAO

[@DigiCount]

I like that you pointed out that Ironwood saying "I've sent your sister to claim the power of the Winter Maiden" = "I've sent your sister to kill an old lady"

[@bigewc92]

I don't know if you heard but Viz Media has acquired the rights to RWBY, they're the same people who Dub Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, Boruto Naruto Next Generation, Bleach, Bleach Thousand Year Blood War, Hunter X Hunter (2011), Sailor Moon (2014-2019), Sailor Moon Crystal and the Two Part Sailor Moon Eternal Movies?

[@jeffreysmith236]

They also produced the World of RWBY and the RWBY manga

[@bigewc92]

​@@jeffreysmith236 Okay, I was mainly talking about the Show, Movie and Game side of things but still appreciate the fun fact and tidbit though.

[@RussTheMaster]

I saw this yesterday. I’m so glad that RWBY is doing to live on. I love this show so much

[@jeffreysmith236]

@@RussTheMaster it is my favorite, number one show ever, replacing Game of Thrones.

[@GamerGrovyle]

That's pretty hopeful? I feel like they'd hire the right people for the show going into Season 10.

[@kieranstander921]

Tyrian's VA has said he's the most fun villain to voice.

[@jimfox1477]

Ruby got broken so quick, that was brutal

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Yeah…😢

[@nexis1293]

She broke ironwood too, salem had thousands of years of practice.

[@seedfan8548]

@@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2 Don't worry. The Tautological Templar will be back on her high horse next episode.

[@grawlix-man463]

​@@seedfan8548C'mon mate, it's been four years, is the RWBY fandom still so uppity about the show that they can't let people react normally? There's a good chance the show won't even come back any time soon, there's really no need to complain at this point, especially to people just here for the entertainment.

[@phntmthf5505]

@@grawlix-man463there was an announcement that Viz Media is going to be hosting future RWBY content

[@theshugokisheir]

The Watts vs Ironwood fight is unique as it is mainly mocapped which gives a really different feel to this fight.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Oh cool fun fact. That was a really great fight 🤩

[@GamerGrovyle]

@@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2 It's in my top 3 RWBY Fights. Not sure which 1 or 2 would be but it is that good... Actually, number One or Two might be in the next episode-

[@TearsOfLa]

@@GamerGrovyle this is there for em too, but my top 2 are Emerald Forest, because its the only time we see all 8 protagonists actively fighting together at the same time, using everyone's skills in unique and complimentary ways, and Phyrra vs Cinder for obvious reasons. Honorable mention to the tea party in 9

[@thewalrus45]

It's also pretty much the only fight that's mainly just Gun V Gun.

[@queensalem2652]

Another great preformance by jen Taylor as salem, calm but terrifying at the same time, this is what jen is best at.

[@RussTheMaster]

Funny thing about the Ironwood and Watts fight, the Gravity Dust Arena was meant to be in Volume 3, but it got deleted so they ended up using it for this fight instead. Its so good

[@LordAerono]

I know some people dislike Ironwood's turn, and feel that it was way too sudden after a season of him slowly starting to open up, but honestly? With everything that's happened to and around him in the last couple episodes, it doesn't feel that sudden to me. When someone is pushed beyond their comfort level, they either shatter, rise to the occasion, or withdraw to a more comfortable state. Ironwood is most comfortable being cold, in charge, having complete control over everything so he can ensure that his desired outcome is the only possibility. So he's going back to that. And those around him can either fall in line, or reveal themselves as impediments. There are no other options.

[@j.w.sraptorsquad982]

indeed, and it's not really the first time he's done this either, considering he went over Ozpin's head to establish himself as head of security for the Vytal Festival and destabilise his position as Headmaster of Beacon, all because he believed Ozpin was being too unresponsive; and even after the Fall, he still didn't seem to accept responsibility for how his own choices contributed to the tragedy, considering his frustrated statement in Jacques's office in Volume 4, "If Oz had just listened to me from the start..."; it appears that, even then, he never really thought that his choices/actions could ever be part of the problem

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

Sudden? They hinted at his fear and overreactions since the vital festival xD

[@wavemoon]

I think this isn't really too far of a turn. The stuff in the first Episode of Volume 8 is where he started to not really feel like Ironwood anymore and more like an over the top evil villain. It is a bit easier to understand with his semblance but that obviously isn't in the show.

[@aceofspades5911]

Not to mention that for his entire life he was the Strong, Defensive Leader with the plans and the men, only for none of it to work against a real enemy.

[@SJPaladinHawk]

@@wavemoon I don't think the Semblance bit even falls into it. He was already overbearing and willing to ignore law and international borders with an army. Throw in PTSD, fresh injuries, a strong sense of betrayal, and the losses he suffered? It was the natural next step. It's ugly, but this is who he always was under pressure.

[@travisherndon94]

Ruby: Salem we're going to beat you ! Salem: .... Little girl sit down. Ruby: Yes ma'am.

[@josefk3]

Salem's voice actress just consistently nails it. A voice that's cloyingly sweet yet full of menace.

[@bloodwolfgaming9269]

That's Jen Taylor for you. Same VA for both Dr. Halsey and Cortana from the Halo game series (Before Infinite anyway).

[@colewalker299]

​@bloodwolfgaming9269 Jen taylor plays the weapon, cortana and dr halsey in infinite as well

[@bellarichards7753]

​​​@@colewalker299Jen Taylor is the one who got me into Rwby, I was a big halo/cortana fan before watching rwby, then I saw jen was on this show. Jen is a legend

[@WingManFang1]

That’s Jen Taylor for you. She’s literally Cortana from Halo. They had her for a full hour when they did her audition and she nailed the original intro lines in one shot apparently.

[@bloodwolfgaming9269]

@@colewalker299 I thought a different VA took over for Weapon? Maybe I am thinking about how her visual model changed to be designed after a different woman.

[@SublimelyGreen]

So glad that Viz Media acquired RWBY, since Rooster Teeth is going under. What we know so far is that Viz will be the new home to everything RWBY, and while there hasn't been confirmation for Viz greenlighting production of a new season(s), they are currently in negations to do so (I don't think RT would even begin to let another company distribute RWBY without some loose agreement for production). Maybe after you guys finish Volune 9, you can FINALLY start RWBY Chibi, and by then, Vol 10 will be almost complete. Edit: This episode gives Avengers(MCU vibes); Tyrion catching the arrow that explodes in his face - Loki does the same in Avengers. Ironwood saying "...whatever it takes..." - Part of Cap.'s speech in End Game. And as you guys mentioned, a Civil War vibe at the end.

[@bigewc92]

I didn't realize that someone else other than me mentioned Viz Media acquiring the rights to RWBY, I thought I was the only one who said anything, should I delete my comment about it?

[@Zapper-Zac]

I'm gonna be honest Ironwood vs Watts is my favourite fight in the entire rwby series Plus, the music is perfection

[@fight4pavlova563]

25:23 adding to this: Ruby’s never gotten over her mum’s death. It’s always been suppressed. Now she’s gonna have to face the reality of it

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

It's bigger than just that. Ruby has issues with dealing with trauma. She never deals with it in any way, healthy or otherwise, pushing foreward and pretending that she can't let any of it affect her. Losing her mom, Yangs arm, Penny, Pyrrha Nikos, the fall of Beacon, nearly losing Crow, ALL of V8... she never deals with it or talks to anyone about it and once you realize this, V9 makes a lot more sense

[@glitchedknights323]

That, and how very sloppy her "character" is. I'd recommend watching Manga Kamen and HBomberGuy's videos about it if you want an in-depth look about what has completely FAILED with this story

[@SaintMarianne]

@@glitchedknights323 Is anyone still interested in hearing the same tired years-old criticisms for the thousandth time? If you're into RWBY then you're into it warts and all, and IMO there's plenty to like about Ruby regardless of the show's shortfalls.

[@glitchedknights323]

@SaintMarianne I liked the show once upon a time. That ended past Volume 3

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

@@SaintMarianne True but if RWBY ever tought me something its that you can love a series and still hate the fanbase it cultivated

[@LordoftheSwamp1269]

The Tin Man finally lost his heart. Also, Salem's smile is the most terrifying thing so far from her, because you can't predict what she will do.

[@santoselizalde4403]

yeah rigth?, that smile is like when you told a lie to your mom because you did something bad but she alredy know and she only are letting you speak to see how far you going to go.

[@aceofspades5911]

Ironwood's semblance is a little underwhelming at first glance, but if you think about it, it's kinda cool. He can use it to block out excruciating pain enough to pull his arm through the hardlight dust shield. He likely used it to survive the ship crash and/or the incident that lost his first arm. But on the show they don't explain it use it well. I also love how traumatized he was about how things played out in Vale that he started spiraling.

[@KitsyX]

It's not just cool, it's potentially very scary too lol.

[@nathanielreik6617]

Watts had a limited number of shots and I love the added detail that he's quietly counting how many shots he has left the entire fight. And Ironwood also knew it and was also counting, so at the end there when Watts had the gun to Ironwood's head they both knew it was empty.

[@MegumiMary]

"I'm willing to sacrifice whatever it takes" ands then he does

[@ravenhull]

“I do hope that you do…”

[@Andrew1990M]

So you were asking last week about the motif work in the soundtrack. Had to bite my tongue about how this episode opens with Ironwood’s and then it’s weaved through Hero during the fight. And then we have another instance of foreboding lyrics. Bad Luck Charm foreshadowed Qrow’s semblance. Sacrifice foreshadowed Ozpin’s unwinnable war. And as you see by the end of this episode, Hero tells you that Ironwood would protect Atlas at any cost, and not in a good way.

[@bethaofhouseblackwood234]

I love salem❤, she so savage😂

[@JayLaliberte-xs3ky]

I feel this is why Yang is my Girl, all that hand-to-hand combat experience she knows when a fight is coming. To her credit she has trained Ruby a bit as well, and Blake has really warmed up to Ruby as well, maybe that's a little of Yang rubbing off on her with the relationship they are going to be sharing. Love all of Team Ruby all the girls are acting like sisters with one another, Love Nora and Ren as well, and Penny will always be Best Real Girl!

[@WaywardVet]

What Ironword lacks in heart, he makes up for in brains. He doesn't kill the ones he can use. That being said, he's only keeping you alive if he can use you. That's the point where i start to feel sympathy for Watts. You created him, Ironwood. You made the monster.

[@DylanHenders]

Even though ironwood hasn't killed anyone throughout the entire series and has been generous to Ruby and co. for so long like giving yang a free prosthetic arm, giving them all their huntsman licenses and new gear, and letting them in on his entire plan because he actually trusts them while they lied behind his back for no reason and to people they didn't know at all like robyn, sure that gamble paid off but what if she was working for salem and they didn't know, now it's a different story. Honestly, I'm on Ironwood's side on this one.

[@kieranstander921]

Ironwood's semblance is mettle. It gives him the raw willpower and gritt to do anything.

[@seedfan8548]

Kerry said in an RTX Panel that pulling the arm out of that lock was mettle, but the writer of that episode immediately rejected that.

[@DevilSlayr]

Yeah "Mettle" is just BS created by the writer's to handwave the criticism they got over them making Ironwood a cartoonish villian.

[@red7s156]

​@@DevilSlayrY'all have to realize that complaining over a writing choice you don't agree with from like 6 years ago looks kind of pathetic 💀

[@DevilSlayr]

@@red7s156 you know insulting people because they're passionate about something is pretty pathetic you know that right? 💀

[@theuone8828]

@@DevilSlayr I'm not sure, but I think the OP might have been referring to the arm-situation specifically, maybe not Mettle in its entirety.

[@DevilSlayr]

@@theuone8828 I'm aware, but my point was that "Mettle" was a made up semblance for ironwood that some writer's tried to retcon in since there was alot of pushback over ironwoods sudden shift to villainy. The panel being one example of this happening.

[@kenschortgenjr7540]

Ironwood's mettle semblance is a double entendre .... mettle/metal for him being based upon the Tin Man and of course the double edged sword of his mettle resolve. It makes him willing to stand to the bitter end for a purpose, BUT it also locks him into a singular paradigm in which he can't adapt or have flexibility in his decisions. In essence he is a good tactician on a battlefield, but not a very good strategist in making plans, and especially adapting to changes.

[@shakvids2491]

This is my favorite episode of the show. S7 is the goat. The score works so beautifully with the emotional thrust of this run of episodes

[@PheonixFire]

I'm sure the comments will be as respectful and polite as the Ironwood vs. RWBY debate usually is online. Smh

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😇

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

The first thing you learn when watching RWBY: Love the series, hate the Fandom ^^

[@theuone8828]

Sounds about right, people can't even agree on whether or not Ironwood's semblance is active, let alone the morality of the events that led up to declaring martial law.

[@stancinatti8198]

I still see both sides making them seem like what ironwood is doing is crazy is wild when they don’t have a better option

[@stancinatti8198]

@@WalterWhite-jz7ctthat’s a stretch some can be weird but a lot of people are not like that

[@xdarkknightx8oo931]

It's interesting looking back at this episode when you know what happens later on.

[@JJR93]

So many highs and lows....this is where everything starts to go to hell. HERO is such a banger song and I'm so happy I got to meet Caleb Hyles in person not long after this came out at Kumoricon....just happened to see him on the light rail in Portland, Oregon and went up to him and told him how much I loved the song. He smiled back warmly and said "thanks, man!"

[@adambump5297]

I absolutely love how Ironwood's battle theme song "Hero" referenced his "Do you honestly believe your children can win a war" line from way back in Volume 2 but phrased a little differently as “You can't believe in honesty that your children can win a war." it a fun little inclusion.

[@RyderDunei]

A lot of people say Ironwood's priorities make more sense than Team Rwby's, and in a way they do, but only in the short term. Ironwood is not just abandoning Mantle, he would be abandoning the world, the most powerful military and the worlds greatest fighters and minds withdrawing from the fight, what good is an Ark if the flood never ends?, even if it has a sustainable food source the Dust would run out eventually, and Ironwood is not considering that moving Atlas is a huge risk while Cinder is still on it. Keeping the relics away from her is important, sure, but removing a sizable portion of humanity's strength basically ensures she will get the other two, one of which is the Relic of Destruction, who knows what she could do with that kind of power. Atlas was originally going to be the last to fall, and there is a reason for that, Watts said it himself "If Ironwood comes to his senses and asks the other kingdoms for support then all will be lost", it's why the Amity communication tower worked so well as bait for Watts. This abandonment of his original plan is exactly what Salem wants. He was so paranoid that she accounted for his plan, but now his new one is playing into her hands.

[@jessc.994]

The song that played during Ironwood’s fight was Hero by Caleb Hyles. He’s done covers of other RWBY songs before, and from what I understood he was asked to do this song after the team heard his awesome versions of other songs. I can’t wait for you to listen to it in the soundtrack reaction. It’s such a good song! Also I really love your comment about Ruby still being a kid. It’s something most people forget about.

[@gazelle_7238]

I listen to caleb hyles cover of red like roses on repeat all the time, but i still somehow forget he got one in the show this episode lol its good too

[@ISAFMobius18]

Fun Facts Fact 1: Ironwood losing his arm represents him losing another part of his Humanity. Fact 2: The first cut of this episode was 23 minutes and was deemed too long. As such, the crew had to scale it back, but they still felt they kept in everything that was needed to make the episode great. Fact 3: Initially, the Tyrian vs Qrow, Robyn, and Clover fight was going to be a chase that turns into a fight that turns into another chase. In this, Qrow would have been the only one that could keep up with Tyrian since he can transform into a bird. Qrow would land in front of Tyrian and say "that's enough," and Tyrian would ask, "are you able to talk when you're a bird or do you have to wait until you're a person to throw your one-liners?" Tyrian's lack of self-preservation would be shown even more. He would have run down an alley packed with Grimm and would just trust that he could have made it through. This fight is also a callback to the first Tyrian vs Qrow fight, where Ruby tried to be good back up for Qrow but was ineffective. Instead, this time has Robyn and Clover be effective and more experienced teammates. Fact 4: There was going to be more discussion of where Oscar was at the end of the episode. There was also a whole bit with the Ace-Ops and kids landing and receiving a handwritten note saying that they've been compromised instead of getting it by scroll, but it turned out to be too much. Fact 5: The scene with Ironwood talking to Team RWBY and him turning against them was the most important scene in the episode, and something that everything in Volume 7 has to build up to. Fact 6: Miles Luna stated it was about time Team RWBY and Salem met face to face. Fact 7: The episode description foreshadows Ironwood and the rest of the Atlas Military turning against the heroes.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

Interesting they thought 23 minutes was too long 🤔 sometimes the episodes seem way too short.

[@FaisLittleWhiteRaven]

The pain thing reminds me of a conversation I had with a doctor/nurse type regarding Ironwood here and they pointed out that regardless of his semblance Ironwood really should NOT be actively in command right now given that level of pain (or worse the sheer dosage of pain killers he should be on) is firmly in the '100% worse than black out drunk' range for decision making and he should be on enforced bed rest. Cue us then wondering who the heck his second in command for such a situation is, wondering why the heck he didn't bring in support soldiers for his fight with Watts and then us realising 'Wow. Ironwood actually REALLY sucks at his job huh?' Like Ironwood's got a lot of admirable traits but when you look over the series as a whole, a pattern of 'Ironwood REALLY should've stuck with being a foot soldier because he's TERRIBLE at logistics and pubic relations' and 'wow Ironwood's blind spot for Mantle is bigger than the sun' pops up over and over: 1) In V2, brought an army to a peace festival (namely his army which 80 years ago was the enemy of the country it just travelled to). 2) V2, got Ozpin (aka his boss in the secret illuminati) kicked off of security and threatened his Vale Council seat via intentionally given 'lacking illuminati context' reports to the non illuminati Vale's Council members, so that he/Ironwood could be in charge of security instead. 3) V4 closed the Altas boarders and imposed a trade embargo despite Atlas being like, THE biggest supplier of Dust (aka the main defence and energy supply everyone relies on) to the rest of the world. 4) Updated the Atlas security network but didn't update Mantle's (*screams as someone with basic IT knowledge*). 5) Ignored that big gapping hole in Mantle's defences for how long exactly? (Think of how many man hours were spent sending troops down there to guard it that could've instead been used on supply runs. And how much less hassle they would've had from Robin's lot or getting material from suppliers if they'd just put up a temporary wall? Like how much time was lost to Grimm issues in Mantle? I'm willing to bet it messed up the supply chain a ton). 6) Immediately calls for arresting Robin right after she was attacked at her voting rally after Jacque Schnee's 'surprise victory' (for the crime of trying to steal supplies for Mantle's wall despite the fact the military are forcefully taking the supplies for a 'mystery job' from the Mantle suppliers who made it clear they want the wall repaired). 7) Had to be talked into actually sharing info with his fellow Council members and sending troops down to Mantle by a literal 14 year old who's been acting as his therapist since the start of V7 (Oscar is my fav character in the show but like. Ironwood plz. Also can you imagine what that looks like to the rest of the Councle not in the know who are in that room and watching all that play out?). 8) The plan in this episode: Not only would all of Mantle die but Atlas would lose access to all the resources they need on the ground (Dust for those shields keeping everyone alive for example), would very likely trigger riots/panic/etc from enacting Martial Law to do this (which makes the tentative 'keeping everything critical from not blowing up' incredibly hard), doesn't resolve the 'there are bad guys still actively within your walls' issue, and of course leaves the rest of the world without Atlas's help to deal with Salem... Who can easily wait Atlas out however long it takes to murder off the rest of the planet (who minus any potential communications towers are now all sitting ducks) before finally turning back their way and adapting her Grimm to be able to fight them in the upper atmosphere (where no doubt they are likely running out of the Dust they'd need to defend themselves and would be incredibly rusty fight wise due to there being no Grimm to train on). And thing is, they don't even know 100% that Salem is actually coming. Like she said she was and the proximity alarms are all down so it's pretty likely, but can you imagine the damage/permanent loss of trust the world would have towards Atlas if they did this plan and then it turned out Salem was just bluffing/Watts just turned them off to cause panic like Marrow suggested? Like damn. Salem win conditions for setting off The Great War round 2 right there. So um YEAH. Love this volume and I have WAY too much fun breaking down the 'Hard Choices = SMART' stuff because like. Really Ironwood should be on best rest, and have WAY more paper pushers/PR experts around to tell him when he's being mindbogglingly stupid again (but well, knowing how stubborn he is and how much he doesn't like orders being questioned, I suspect if he ever had any he probably fired them for 'wasting resources and time'. Might've listened if there were any with Huntsman training but got strong vibes of warrior elitism given how we only ever see him willingly talk with Huntsman or his soldiers...) Hope my babble was interesting/thought provoking and thanks for the very fun reactions as always!

[@WSDoesStuff]

"Heroes And Monsters", from Volume Three, originally was the best episode of the series. For so long, nothing ever surpassed it in terms of being so epic, filled with great storytelling and writing. But this episode blew it out of the fucking WATER in terms of how damn good the writing was. Watts Vs. Ironwood, the fight against Tyrian, the breaking point of Ironwood, Salem breaking Ruby in such simple fashion with so little words. Everything about this episode is, in my personal opinion, THE SINGLE POINT that reminded me of why I loved RWBY in the first place. Literally the peak of the entire show right here, in my honest opinion. Now that doesn't mean the rest isn't good, but I feel that this is definitively and without a single doubt in my mind, the best episode of the entire series. So glad you two recognized how good it is.

[@Streamfyre]

Caleb Hyles appearing for Hero made so excited, and it was such a great song.

[@AeroWraith901]

I love the look on Tyrian's face once he heard Ruby calling out Ironwood declaring martial law like "are you guys seriously doing this right now? good for me lol"

[@Skystarry75]

From here until the end of volume 8 is 3 days at most. Just something to keep in mind going forward.

[@DeadRipper13]

Heya guys, just wanted to let you know RWBY will now be on VIZ Media. You may need to wait a week or so for the next set of reactions until all of the volumes have been uploaded there.

[@AMVShooterUnlimited]

This part has the same impact as V3 Chapter 9, things are about to go down. Though I hoped Ironwood would see reason its heartbreaking to see him turn against Ruby & Co. This part reminds me the most of Salams song Divide. Divide them, Tear them apart, Severe their trust it will strangle their hearts, Inside them...plant seeds of doubt, Who will be smothered, They'll turn on each other. Hatred will sprout suspicion and doubt, Friendships a lie whilst alliances die, The taste will be sweet when you get what you've earned and I watch you burn.

[@theeliax7374]

Love your comments post-reaction! I didn´t think ones about the weight of the crown for Ironwood.

[@phntmthf5505]

The last episodes of this season are when it looks like everything is popping off, but it’s important to know that the entirety of Volume 8 occurs over the course of two days *and is the single longest season of the show.*

[@j.w.sraptorsquad982]

very true, and I find it frustrating that some reactors and commenters gripe about certain choices and/or actions that occur during the volume, when, if you think about it, most of these characters probably haven't had a chance to stop and truly rest, sleep, or even just catch a breather, since before the Schnee party, so they're probably not at their peak performance/reasoning throughout, which is entirely understandable

[@theuone8828]

​@@j.w.sraptorsquad982 ... Yeah, this is one of my biggest gripes about those who complain about the plot ... we as the audience have the "power" of hindsight, we can look at the full course of events and say "hey, this would've been a more sensible approach to This", and we have all the time in the world (figuratively) to examine what could have been done differently. The thing though is as said, in-universe, all of this happens over the course of a few days, and no one, from Ruby to Ironwood, has had the opportunity to breathe and think everything through. I feel like most people forget that characters making mistakes isn't bad writing.

[@rizizum]

@@theuone8828 Another problem is that people forget that we know more than the characters, we literally get shots of what the villains are planning and what they're doing, meanwhile the characters just figured out that Cinder is still alive. They have less information than we do, so of course they won't make the best decisions

[@j.w.sraptorsquad982]

@@theuone8828 well said

[@mrman05211983]

I believe this to be one of the best Chapters of the series. There is so much going on. From the great action scenes to the tension throughout, it's all good. Also, I love the music in this Chapter. The song in the Gravity fight is great and also all the music that happens after the Salem encounter is awesome. Oh, and the Salem scene is so good. The fear in Ironwood is undeniable. Also, not sure if I am right, but I think Salem was forcing those images of Summer into Ruby's head. Just seems like it with the way the scene went.

[@tona4x7]

By the way, the first part of the Justice League / RWBY crossover movies takes place earlier in this volume during one of the short time skips, so you can watch it spoiler free now. Part 2 shouldn't be watched until after Volume 9 though.

[@lorenzoteague8445]

And the last pillar of rational thought crumbed..... The build up thru this volume (along with the bits & piece we saw of Atlas & Ironwood sinece the fall of Beacon) was played out this chapter incredibly well!! Ken & Beth, loved your post-chapter thoughts. And look forward to your response to what's to come. The chaos that has happened is about to bear fruit!! It's gonna be a trip...... I'll see you then. 🫡🌹❄️🖤🔥

[@RedKing12000]

The thing is… Ironwood DID trust the people around him. He took the initiative to expand the Salem secret keeper group to include Winter, Penny, and the Ace-OPs, didn’t hesitate to bring team RWBY and co. into the fold(despite arriving at Atlys in a stolen Atlysian vessel), and even after learning the truth about the lamp(which had been withheld from him) still decided to trust their judgement in reaching across the table to Robin, a party who has been consistently and deliberately undermining his efforts for months who they only trust on blind faith and idealism. Taking in every heroes’ choices across Vol. 7, I’d actually say our MCs are the party more to blame for the fracturing of forces at the end, and I find that really compelling. As for the decision to float Atlys, I bock a little bit at characterizing it in such a black and white way. Ironwood isn’t abandoning Mantle because he’s scared of Salem, he’s retreating with the Staff and Lamp to ensure Salem can’t destroy the rest of the world with them. It’s a classic trolly problem scenario; do you sacrifice the(relative) few to save the many, or risk them all for a much lower chance of saving everyone? It’s not like he wants to doom so many of the people he swore to protect, he was dedicating all of his resources an manpower towards their safe evacuation… until he realized how direly upstream the situation had gotten. To be sure, he seems to have made the decision in a rash moment of panic, but the choice itself was not inherently amoral, just… grey. Volume 7 May just be my favorite volume of RWBY, and Ironwood’s certainly one of my favorite characters. Everything above is a big part of the reason why.

[@adambump5297]

It's definitely an interesting moral dilemma of heart vs logic but ultimately I agree with RWBY leaving the people of Mantle and the rest of the World behind just to keep the relics out of Salem's hands is logical sure but extremely fucked up the rest of Remnant doesn't deserve that besides even if Salem can't get to it now she could eventually find a way.

[@enterthekyuubi]

At the end of the day, he was right. If Salem gets all the relics, everyone dies anyway. You have to deal with the hand that you're dealt with, and Team RWBY realistically didn't understand because they're still kids thinking they can save everyone.

[@lhhOriginalGrey]

Loved your breakdown of Ironwood, he has had Oz above him to follow but with himself at the helm the pressure became to much and he dosen't trust those below him. The backlash Ruby must have felt from her eyes to fall to her knees must have been incredibly painful

[@BGTitanAvatar]

Man I love the Watts vs Ironwood fight. Such a cool setup with the gravity platforms. I'm glad they finally got the chance to use it since they didn't have the time or budget in V3. So badass. This is the moment we’ve been building toward all season, hell, since V2. Ironwood’s Strength Is Victory mentality and his ever-increasing paranoia finally hit their breaking point. And all it took for it to culminate was one little chess piece. Well played, Cinder. Love that his plan is basically to just take the rich of Atlas and bail though, hopefully wait out the immortal being while she destroys not only Mantle but the rest of Remnant. Well, it’s not surprising considering he’s always seen Mantle as “just a few city blocks” and has shown disregard for the people there the entire time. I mean, he didn’t even bother to change the code down in Mantle (yes, I’m harping on this again because it’s so infuriating! He knows that someone hacked their system, saw the destruction they wrecked, and doesn’t bother to change the damn code in Mantle because he’s never cared about the people down there other than how to keep them under control but that just gave Watts back door access to almost everything and allowed him and Tyrian to wreak havoc undetected and frame Penny! Like for frick’s sake James! I’m not in IT work and even I know that if you change one person’s code for safety reasons you change the entire thing!) In regards to Ironwood "being comfortable taking orders", we actually saw that was not the case in V2 and 3. He was constantly questioning Oz's orders and going rogue. He brought a whole fleet to peaceful competition even though Oz was like "yo what are you doing" and he got the council to question Oz's leadership so that he could be appointed head of security and stuff at the Vytal Festival (And huh, him bringing that fleet led to even more problems when everything started going down, weird). Even Glynda and Qrow were questioning what the heck Ironwood was doing. Hell, Glynda and Qrow were more like Oz's soldiers (generals) than the actual solider. They were the ones going "you don't have to understand orders, just follow them". Also, how many wars has James actually fought in? The man is like 40, maybe 50, years old and the only war that we know of happened about 80 years ago. The Atlas military, in James's lifetime, has never actually seen combat outside of Huntsman and Huntress duties. Another thing I love is the parallels between this and the last time we saw Summer back in the V6 finale. In V6 the camera smoothly moves toward her, the sun is shining, and Summer turns to face Ruby/the camera, smiling. The music is hopeful and inspiring, and it leads to Ruby doing something incredible. This time, however, it is quite the opposite. With each cut to Summer the camera is pulling further away from her, the clouds are dark and grey, and Summer turns away from Ruby/the camera. Each cut is accompanied by these awful, shrieking strings that just make everything uneasy, and it ends with Ruby crying on the floor. It’s so good, man!

[@nathanielreik6617]

7:15 when Tyrion looked their way both Robin and Clover just had gotten involved. Clover hooked Tyrion's weapon as he was stabbing at Qrow and Robin shot an arrow he just managed to catch.

[@VampTwinkie]

This is my absolute favorite episode because i adoreeee Salem!!! And her little spat with Ruby that broke her was freaking awesome!

[@SaintBigfoot]

And the Fall begins! Get ready for the ride that the rest of this volume and next Volume is.

[@KdeeBUBBLES444]

I can't wait for the soundtrack reaction for this volume. While i'm not sure if i can call it the BEST soundtrack album in the series, it has 2 of my favourite songs from the show as a whole and "Hero" is one of them. I hope you guys enjoy it😊

[@AltimaMantoid]

Ah yes, we're finally at the Ironwood heel turn. Time to descend into madness.

[@danielilan6744]

during ironwood vs wats at the end of the fight ironwood tackles wats off the edge and hits the floor losing his aura meaning he is unable to use his semblance in other words pulling his arm out of the energy shield burning him was 100% pure badass so just ironwood if he was a normal person basically with no powers

[@GenZealous]

Watts and Tyrian really held up the great villain mantel left by the late Roman Torchwick.

[@morlock2012]

Liked what I was you said about Ironwood not being able to have trust in his subordinates. Ironwood won't let them take any risks he hasn't personally signed off on. While that is sometimes necessary (to execute complex plans), you can't confuse blind loyalty with being wholly committed to being the best team-mate/colleague. Ironwood should leave some room for creativity and alternate perspectives. It's just really, really hard to know where the boundary for that sits. And also, his line to Watts about sacrificing 'everything' to stop Salem is foreshadowing for this. Ironwood abandoned Remnant to try to stabilise the Kingdom of Atlas. Now he's planning to isolate the City of Atlas from the kingdom. There are good arguments for that but you can't keep retreating like that. The taller he builds his walls the less resources he'll have when Salem eventually figures out how to breach them.

[@mxyzptlk3167]

Best episode in the series in my opinion

[@ravenhull]

In the end, Ironwood’s story is a tragedy. You can understand why he does what he does, and makes it sadder.

[@arcadius2569]

Absolutely love this episode, so many great character moments! I like to think that in that moment, when Watts said, "unless you're looking to add more metal to that body of yours," Ironwood literally thought, oh yeah, I can. I can because this skin matters so little to me when I can get it replaced. In the "grand scheme of things." I think you're absolutely right too, that Ironwood doesn't even like being in the position he's in. The way he clings to Ozpin and Ozpin's ideas, it just shows that being so determined can get you to a place you don't want.

[@theinspiredgamer1949]

And so the tin man finally loses his heart…

[@jerrybeard8995]

Next 2 eps are something.. 7-13 might be my fav.

[@Kaizelot]

Regardless of what happened on the chapter, is a happy day thanks to viz media, saving rwby, nowvwe wait for volume 10

[@nathanielreik6617]

Ruby has always wanted to live up to being a huntress and it's implied she's trying to follow in her mother's footsteps, both were team leaders, both had silver eyes, they look almost identical, and they even both wore hooded capes; and so Ruby giving that inspirational speech and then Salem's just like "Your mother said that too" meaning her mother faced off against Salem and failed to do what Ruby has said they will do (and at least right now assumed to have died, as you pointed out it's currently unclear but at the very least they have assumed Summer is dead and now they are assuming dead by Salem's hands). Also very similar to back in Volume 5 when Ruby tried to bring Raven back to their side and she responded with "You sound just like your mother" followed by opening a portal through which Cinder shot a fireball that directly hit Ruby.

[@thetntraider]

The Spiral begins

[@Magdavian]

aah,.. the beginning of the end,..

[@markusbryant6789]

Was looking forward to your perspective on loyalty to a person vs. loyalty to what’s right. The Ace Ops obviously representing loyalty to a person and team RWBY representing loyalty to what’s right. And this episode is the first in awhile that reminds us that Ruby is not perfect and her spirit isn’t unbreakable. Just like Ozpin said in Volume 5. Her greatest strength isn’t her strength in anyway. It’s her ability to inspire others. The only way you can inspire others, is if you remain inspired. So the question will now become: Is Ruby able to remain unbroken?

[@SJPaladinHawk]

The track "Hero" featuring the KZbin-famous Caleb Hyles is absolutely going to be a treat in the soundtrack reaction.

[@guardianofmen]

huh, that comparison between Anakin and Ironwood is. . . pretty apt, tbh. never thought about it that way, but it's a pretty good comparison all things considered.

[@SouljaBeastReaper70]

this the fighter of the life To stop somebody that's immortal and save everyone RWBY

[@corym.m.3084]

People might not like season 7 and 8 but I love them. They were so good. Loved the ending of this episode and the set up for the later ones

[@MegumiMary]

14:17 there was a question missing from the lamp Could Summer have asked the same question and then confronted Salem directly?

[@peritia5703]

This is it, fam.

[@pumpkinwarrior7138]

I love Gravity so much holy crap it’s some of the show’s best

[@othergrimm6592]

Ironwood says it himself: "I will sacrifice whatever it takes to stop her." Doesn't matter what it is - he would set the entire world on fire, and kill everyone on the planet, just as long as he can stop Salem from 'winning'.

[@daytonhuth3622]

SUCH a good episode eh? My favorite episode of RWBY ever

[@thedarkwolf67]

Im race/watching this with you and a close friend of mine as i re connect with RWBY, and i absolutely LOVE your reactions. And yeah, this episode hits all the needed highs of the entire series. The serious vengeance, the serious actions, the serious telling and showing… there’s a now extremely cinematic presentation that goes beyond simple visuals. Not just within facial expressions and theme, but in progress and storytelling. What i see of Ken guessing isn’t assuming, it’s understanding thematic composure and progress. The “but you’re under arrest” is obvious… but it’s obviously sensible. The story could only sensibly progress that way from that angle… But, Ken is waiting to be proven wrong. I see it every time! That cute/oh, OBVIOUSLY! Im a dummy but THAT’s artfully well done smile! Sorry, but i love that, genuinely “i enjoy this” shit eating grin that isn’t meant offensively. It’s as humorous as Bethany’s scoffs before a more mindful and emotionally intricate explanation into the psyche goes. Sorry, but i love you two. I can’t imagine the roughness… but wow, you two really are soulmates of this era.

[@mithroch]

"A different way to use a gun." I mean... Yang and Ruby both constantly fire guns to effect their movement... so not really.

[@MegumiMary]

Anyone else afraid of the Headmaster of Shade Academy loosing his mind?

[@brinaal]

Well, let's go. Of course, this is nothing compared to the end of volume 3 (because the suddenness of what happened also works there, now we know what the series is capable of), but there is not one volume here.

[@derykjames620]

Salem killed Ruby's mom, Summer Rose 😢😢

[@madhavmandava]

So now that you saw both fighters revolvers....which 1 did you like....Watt's based 20 pin revolver with twin barrels using lightning, ice and fire dust bullets?...or Ironwoods twin based on colt python with upper modifications 1 using standard other using gravity dust bullets?

[@owendavidgonzalezvazquez3578]

I like the watt one better

[@madhavmandava]

@@owendavidgonzalezvazquez3578 Me too

[@bellarichards7753]

I agree , ruby is still a child, but she was trying to talk big and got burnt. Know your place before you start talking smack to the immortal demon queen.

[@ashleyquiroz1414]

This is random but your dog IS SO CUTE 🥹

[@JJMDude]

Proud of you guys, seen clearly from the beginning. You would be SHOCKED at how many authoritarian, bitter shitbags who followed this series (these are NOT fans) sided with James to the hilt, to the point of absolutely lionizing him and VILLAINIZING Team RWBY altogether. The toxicity was and IS stunning, the gaslight FIERCE. You guys have tracked James from the start, his tendencies, his instinctive desire for total control and his misguided solutions which nearly ALWAYS force the people into stress, fear and suffering that... ultimately... HE caused, especially with the lockdown and the Dust Embargo. Here, all of his chickens came home to roost. The mistrust of the people, the neglect of Mantle's walls and security, allowing Grimm to entrench themselves in tricky urban scenarios that make their warships and heavy gear useless, and giving Watts almost free reign of the lower city. Rolling into Atlas, and RWBY thought it felt like 1984. Of COURSE they didn't trust James! These idiot "critics" think villains approach you with a growl and open threats. It's childish. Especially when James was WRONG to try arresting Robyn, and it was WRONG to tell James the truth about Salem at ALL. Telling him only terrified him, made him lose heart. He lost hope in the fight. He regressed to his lesser instincts and tried to pin his own failures on RWBY before splitting his best allies... For what? Borrowed time? In exchange for utter cruelty? No matter what they tell you, raising Atlas wouldn't matter. It's a death sentence. No supplies, no plan, just waiting to be torn out of the sky like a meteor. If James had even ATTEMPTED to find another way... If he trusted the people he knew before unilaterally commanding a classicide by proxy... they stood MORE than a chance. One immortal magic woman vs an entire army and world class heroes... Salem's invulnerability is less of a threat in practice than it is living rent free in their heads.

[@JayLaliberte-xs3ky]

Furthermore, we don't KNOW if SUMMER is dead, we DO KNOW she went on a Mission she has not come back for, it's been stated a few times by Rooster Teeth, there is no Body under that grave marker Ruby keeps visiting!

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

V8 kind of clears that up though....

[@JayLaliberte-xs3ky]

@@WalterWhite-jz7ct but they have not got that far, have they? Thats a spoiler and that's unwelcome.

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

@@JayLaliberte-xs3ky A spoiler would be a detailed description of events that are yet to happen or details about a character... not a vague hint about future events. You're overreacting and if you want to go in 100% blind, don't read comments

[@goddesssalem4842]

This mickey mouse with a scythe trying to trash talk my queen Salem, honestly who the hell does Ruby think she is.

[@DefinitelyNotDefinitive2]

😂

[@bethaofhouseblackwood234]

Yep. team salem all the way

[@bossmode3769]

You salem loyalists will lose in the end, salem fall will come.

[@lorenzoteague8445]

Ruby is your Queen's greatest fear....... The spark of hope that could stop her desires. 😄 Salem won a battle, the war is only really starting between them. Relax and take the W.....

[@goddesssalem4842]

@@lorenzoteague8445 Salem is the real spark of hope when she defeats the gods, Ruby's just a red herring 🤣🤣🤣. By the way, salem is your queen too, so bend that knee

[@millieboon]

Plz if u haven’t reacted to the full song of forever fall when u do the v7 sound track

[@glitchedknights323]

Especially when there IS NO PLAN!!! Ruby has no plan at all!

[@shade4108]

"Best episode"? You haven't seen the next episode yet, you thought it was bad now, peace is over and it's time for war

[@pixy-onewing]

❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

[@gatesong]

I won't say what, specifically, but y'all say some things in your commentary that make it VERY hard to wait for your reactions to V9.

[@AztechHydra]

I've been waiting to hear your reaction to the ironwood flip because a lot of people in the RWBY community dislike how it was done, I'm also hyped for you to see the next few episodes and volume 8 because it's so damn good!

[@TearsOfLa]

The Good: Awesome fight, Salems speech was chilling, Robyn using Tyrions showboating to beat him, The Tin Man finally loses heart and chooses reason over compassion The Bad: "You deceived our enemy by lying about the tower? How could you?", Ironwood halting evacuations well before they move Atlas, #Metoo The Ugly: "Yo Mamma"

[@madhavmandava]

Ironwoods semblance is mettle....allowing him to hyper focus to the point of tunnel vision......sadly some idiot critic on KZbin made a parody video making james look Autistic....in a mocking way which inaprorate too all famous or any people with Autism

[@RubyRider-et3fp]

I know i'm gonna get hate for saying this but i don't feel bad for ironwood at all,you don't get to be a general from day 1,at one point he was a new recruit just like marrow and he climbed the ranks,he's also the headmaster which in this world is a high authority,on top of that he wants to declare martial law and control everything,you don't get this power hungry overnight and you can't reach such a high position without stepping on some toes,at one point he was a young man who just wanted to protect his nation but he decided that wasn't good enough,he needed to be the head honcho,that's some massive ego,having a my way or the highway attitude is literally the worst quality a leader/authority figure can have,that's why people irl(myself included)hate cops and that's not to mention how stupid his plan is,sure facing salem is crazy but the chance of success isn't 0,meanwhile(even assuming salem doesn't have a grimm that can reach them)he mentions food scarcity won't be a problem due to the technology but how fast does he think he can replace that technology when it breaks/wears down over time and who's to say his own citzens wouldn't pull a coup on him cause i'm sure most of them would feel a lot of survivor's guilt over the loss of mantle,ironwood chose to climb a high ladder,now he can't complain if any of the hands he stepped on try to knock him off the ladder,Edit:Also,i know people will mention being a general is stressful but every general knows that,like i said you have climb to reach the top and that's more than enough time to realize being a general is tough,if he's one at all it means he knew he'd be a ball of nerves but had the ego to think he could take it

[@jonathanrobinson198]

In Ironwood’s defense, nobody offered an alternative plan. They just said they’ll stop his. Wanting to save everyone is a goal but not a plan. Also at bare minimum, RWBY should’ve told him Salem was immortal, considering his entire plan for months was based off the assumption she can die.

[@jamesalexander5559]

Oscar told him about Salem's immortality at the dinner party and even explained why they waited and didn't tell him immediately. You could tell Ironwood was at his wits end after hearing it though when he tells Oscar he doesn't think he'll be able to handle anymore surprises. The issue here is RWBY told Robyn about the tower without telling Ironwood, lied by saying that the lamp was out of questions when they got it (Ruby announced to Salem that they used the lamp in front of Ironwood), and don't actually have a plan to stop Salem. Couple that with Cinder screwing with him and Salem gloating that she's coming and stopping Watts meant nothing.

[@RyderDunei]

@@jamesalexander5559 He already knew they lied about the lamp, Oscar said "Jinn told us" or something to that effect when he revealed Salem's immortality, Ironwood is just throwing it in their faces to show how untrustworthy they are.

[@armzngunz]

How were they supposed to come up with an alternate plan in the heat of battle with the Ace Ops? If Ironwood even wanted different ideas for a new plan, he wouldn't have ordered their arrest, but rather taken the time to compromise and discuss things.

[@RedKing12000]

@@armzngunz TBF, Ruby’s the one who closes the door on potential negotiations when she tells Juane Ironwood had “betrayed” them.

[@jonathanrobinson198]

@@armzngunz In an argument or a discussion, if someone comes up with a plan and your response is “we will not let you do that” then you’ve actively broken down discussions into confrontation. Nobody countered with their own idea for a plan; they just said they would stop his. That’s not a good approach when they’ve also been the ones actively lying to him no matter how you look at it. Of course Ironwood would then proceed to escalate further. Morally, RWBY has a higher stance but they have a real “My way or the highway” attitude that does not help them and a lack of communication; especially when they’ve given no plan while Ironwood has been transparent for months. Blake and Yang didn’t even bother to tell their teammates before following through with their idea. Even if they didn’t have an idea right in that moment, choosing to pick a fight first is a bad look.

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

15:00 James is gone... there is only Ironwood, the scared little Boy who needed to Win... no matter the Cost or consequence. Next Ep: The single best fight in the entire RBWY series (Imo, of course)

[@glitchedknights323]

Prepare everyone! This where EVERYTHING goes even more down the drain

[@seedfan8548]

No. Rewatch episode 1&2. Ironwood trusts the Ace Ops, Qrow and Team RWBY implicitly. Then Team RWBY & Co betray his trust.

[@WalterWhite-jz7ct]

He fails to see the bigger picture tho. With Salem on her way, locking 4 Fighters up because they (Blake and Yang only, mind) choose to trust Robin...acting as if they conspired to kill him, will only hurt his chances of victory... also, he must've known that he would also lose Qrow by doing that so all arround a dumb move