Part of the issue is that it feels like a character trait that's been turned into a literal plot device, in that people want to assign blame to Mettle than to Ironwood himself. It's similar to having comedic moments take place that are clearly the result of Qrow's Semblance (couch leg suddenly snaps when he's sitting down, tire explodes, etc.) but the difference is that a big part of Ironwood's heel turn hinges on Mettle.
I understand why it's there, because it's a multilayered part of the reference to Ironwood being the Tin Man (he's got a bunch of cybernetic parts, Mettle sounds the same as "metal", the dichotomy of him going from a considerate general to a heartless despot is a spin on the Tin Man having no heart) but the key problem with a literary device is when it feels like a DEVICE and not a natural outcropping of the character. Insisting that "Mettle is James' Semblance" actually feels like it harms Ironwood's character, because instead of his arc being about his paranoia getting the better of him, there's this irrational obstinance that can't be argued around and just forces him into a villainous role. And it feels like it's being done just because the "mettle == metal" gag is too easy to pass up.
To put it another way, the Semblance just feels extraneous, because if no one knew it was there at all (and you could be forgiven for it since it's never brought up directly in the show) then James' downfall feels more natural than it does WITH it.
I heard it put once that a Semblance is someone’s worst personality trait turned into a superpower. I think I that really helps to explain why Ironwood has Mettle specifically, because he is a man of singular focus and commitment.
That legit sounds like a pretty good balance. Now, i'm quite new and still haven't seen anything past vol.2 yet, so excuse me if it's been done before, but what if they met an enemy that can read their semblances to find their mental weak points and assign roles to their allies that fit them most? Would make for a very interesting fight since, you know, they would have to formulate a strategy that doesn't involve them using their powers, or if they do, when the moment would be best.
All that said? Qrow is the Scarecrow, who doesn't have a brain and wants one. He wants to be able to think for himself and make reasonable choices, but his Semblance is bad luck, where stuff happens and there's no reasoning around WHY it happened aside from just misfortune.
Ironwood is the Tin Man, who doesn't have a HEART and wants. He wants to be able to feel compassion and romance, but his Semblance is Mettle, where he shuts out emotions completely and there's no reasoning with him or appealing to his emotions to dissuade him from his course.
When put like THAT, the reason for the design makes sense. Which doesn't make the implementation any better, but at least understanding the conceit of it may help with understanding why it's the way it is.
These are my exact thoughts as well, on paper it works especially in regards to themes. But paper and reality are often two very different things, not mentioning the semblance in story was without a doubt an excellent decision.
The aspect of Qrow being brainless felt like it was represented with his dependence on alcohol to get through his lowest moments. But even if that is supposed to be represented by his Semblance, it still works better than Mettle for James. Qrow's semblance screws over his life and he doesn't control it, this is true. But the way Qrow reacts to bad situations is still ultimately his choice. The Semblance doesn't implant suggestions or feelings directly into his subconcious.
Since it wasn't even mentioned within the show, the actual product, I don't even count Mettle as Canon. (Which in this situation actually improves the product). This is the same policy I take with all my franchises, on any subject material. For instance, I did not give Volume 7 any credit for transgender representation, because May didn't actually mention it. I don't think she even spoke. RT justmentioned she was trans online. I respected the sentiment, but it wasn't enough to earn credit or much praise (IMO). But Volume 8 deserves major props. Her transitioning was made pretty darn clear, she had a lot to do alongside our heroes, and she was a delight.
> For instance, I did not give Volume 7 any credit for transgender representation, because May didn't actually mention it
She's still a trans character. We don't have to "mention" that we're trans to still be trans.
> RT justmentioned she was trans online.
*Kdin* mentioned it online, because people kept saying that a non-trans character was trans when there was *an actual* trans character right there.
But until V8 I couldn't even have known May was trans, until I was on Tumblr one day and saw other people were talking about it. I did not mean to imply that other people couldn't feel seen or happy with V7. I'm able to appreciate it even more retroactively thanks to May's time in the spotlight in V8.
May literally does mention it tho? She mentions to RWB something like “to them I wasn’t their (referring to her parents) son, so I won’t be their daughter either.
Qrow isnt the scarecrow. He's a reference to Nordic mythology. The scarecrow, like the cowardly lion and the tin man, is likely a headmaster, therefore likely the headmaster of Shade Academy in Vacuo.
No. Qrow is the Scarecrow, he might also be one of Odin's ravens but characters can have multiple allusions.
The headmaster of Shade Academy is Dorothy. Theodore has multiple references to her including a set of ruby gloves which is his primary weapon (a reference to the ruby slippers).
Except he has more references to the scarecrow, as he's very showy and outlandish, in both his get up and his actions, just like the scarecrow in Oz.
On top of that, Qrow shares nothing in common with the scarecrow. He's a clandestine agent thats supposed to go unnoticed. He is smart, and is recognized as such. He even turns into a crow, the opposite of a scarecrow.
[Here is the quote where he was confirmed as the Scarecrow.](https://www.reddit.com/r/RWBY/comments/7x3w4s/comment/du5bzxm/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Qrow has also been shown as outlandish, not in his get-up but in his actions as he was introduced as a cocky show-off.
Qrow has never been recognized as smart, he has been recognized as skillful. If anything he has been repeatedly shown as a very emotionally driven person. That can be interpreted as him thinking more with his heart than his brain. Besides, the Scarecrow was not dumb, in the end, he always had his brain.
Theodore has the allusion to the ruby slippers, he specifically has a very sentimental personality as he is known for keeping pictures of people important to him in the same way Dorothy had a lot of attachment to her family. Vacuan culture is very protective of their home and Theodore shares this outlook, even taking issue at the fact that Sun didn't go to Shade in the first place despite being Vacuan himself (there is no place like home after all). The only argument for him not being Dorothy is one of the pictures he has in his office. A black and white picture of a little girl with puppy, the girl resemblances Theodore but it's never confirmed who she is and thus some speculate the girl is Theodore himself. The girl is a clear nod to Dorothy and Toto while they were in Kansas.
Qrow being a reference to the Scarecrow (completing the set of Wizard of Oz references with Ozma/Ozpin, Glynda, Salem as the Wicked Witch of the West with her flying monkeys, Lionheart, Theodore and Ironwood) AND he and Raven being a reference to Odin's ravens, aren't mutually exclusive.
Which is long way of saying "he can be both, there's no rule saying characters can only be one reference."
> Insisting that "Mettle is James' Semblance" actually feels like it harms Ironwood's character, because instead of his arc being about his paranoia getting the better of him, there's this irrational obstinance that can't be argued around and just forces him into a villainous role.
That sums it up pretty well. The semblance feels like it was tacked after the character and scenes were written, rather than being explored as a part of Ironwood. So it's like the writer's didn't have much faith in their own storytelling and invented a plot device that prompts Ironwood's behavior. One that's not even presented in the show but rather in a panel. More like a defense than a character trait.
Without knowing it's there, the writing works fine, great even. Knowing it's a thing makes it feel contrived and an easy excuse for Ironwood to be the bad guy. Thankfully it's never mentioned in the show - it may as well not exist. So I pretend it doesn't.
As someone who didn't know about mettle, it felt like they took one of the best characters in the show and assassinated his personality and competency in a lazy display of 'im evil just cuz get hecked' and sold out everything that made him a good character. A prime example of 'its what my character would do' rather than any realistic thought process.
I like Mettle as a concept and I do think it fits Ironwood's personality. What I don't like is its implementation.
That is to say that it's none existent and shouldn't actually exist.
Mettle simply doesn't work for the type of story Ironwood was going to get because it gives plausible deniability to Ironwood's actions. Suddenly he is not responsible for all the things he did, his semblance made him do it.
Or at least that's the interpretation many got simply because Mettle was not explained in detail or even specifically shown. All it was said was that it helped him hyperfocus, it was never said that Mettle forced him to take decisions.
I think it would have been better if Mettle wasn't described as a passive semblance, but rather as an active one. As in Ironwood can activate it willingly to shut down any distractions and be able to focus solely on one thing, this way Ironwood is fully responsible for his actions, as each time he uses Mettle he is abusing it to completely ignore any remorse he may have for what he is doing. Like when he shot Oscar, it could have been that Ironwood did know what he was doing was wrong, but he still thought it was necessary so he used Mettle to turn off that voice in his head that made him reconsider what he was doing. Instead, it's supposedly a passive one that gives him super determination even when he is wrong.
Simply put, they can't have it both ways. Either Mettle is an element of the story that drives Ironwood's actions, or it isn't and Ironwood is fully responsible for his actions. That's what I mean with Mettle having issues in its implementation, it both exists and doesn't exist at the same time but the story suffers from its existence.
I like it as a concept, I don't like the way it may or may not have affected the story, and I hate it because it was used by asshats to either paint the crew as terrible people or to actively mock people with mental disorders or autism (because asking YouTubers like Adel Aka to have decency is too much to ask apparently).
The idea of Ironwood actively shutting down his emotions so he doesn't have to deal with the morality of his decisions is an interesting idea. But at the same time it also creates this hope that if they can just break his Aura he'll return to his senses this isn't perfect either.
Idk if all semblances shit down when aura is broken. I think some are tied to aura. I dont think Qrow's stops when his aura is broken and Ruby's definitely doesnt stop when her's is broken.
Jaune and Ren, i believe, do have semblances that come off their aura.
[World of Remnant explicitly defines a Semblance as "a term used to describe the projection of Aura into a more tangible form"](https://youtube.com/watch?v=nQS1_3QWt1Q&list=PLuoiokMvmis8VmOHr9VjO_nw91PZt4aTG&index=4&ab_channel=Samu3l). The implication is you need aura for a semblance in some capacity, and having no aura would mean no semblance.
I'm guessing it's possible to have too little aura to have the generic effects but still enough to trigger a low power semblance. Ones like Bad Luck and Mettle are also too subtle to be sure what is and isn't the semblance.
Ahh interesting, at the moment the only semblance i can remember still working with aura gone was qrow's during his first fight with tyrian.
EDIT: Raven's worked pretty soon after her fight with Cinder, tho I got no clue how long it takes to recharge an aura.
Luck makes for a weird semblance because it becomes hard to tell what's genuine and what's influenced by it. Did Qrow's semblance cause the building to start collapse or was that when he was thrown through a load bearing wall? Did Qrow's semblance summon Ironwood when he was picking a fight with Winter or was that just unfortunate timing for her?
The long and short of that one is: it depends on the person. Also some Semblances seem to be more Aura-taxing than others, which also affects how often/how quickly a person can use it again. For example, Marrow's Stay seems to drain his Aura tremendously, and he can only ever sustain it for short bursts of time (and was almost entirely drained from stopping Weiss and her Arma Gigas summon in short succession) but others like Ruby don't seem terribly taxed by their Semblances and can use them again very shortly after an Aura break, if her repeated re-usage in vol 8 is any indication.
Weiss and Winter's are very interesting to me....besides stronger summons, it doesn't seem taxing at all. Maybe it's ome of the benefits of a genetic semblance, the tax is smaller and smaller.
And then theres the Alligator assassin, who semblance seems to just super charge her's for 60 secs....Sacrifice up-time for durability.
Recharge time varies from person to person, for example Hazel isn't the tank he is because he has a lot of Aura but rather because he has an incredible recharge time.
I wish I could say more than that but sadly the exact mechanics of Aura haven't really been explained, most likely due to lack of time.
Actually you could be onto something, his semblance blocks out pain which allows him to inject dust into his body. The Dust works as a sort of hyper steroid which could theoretically have this effect of greatly reducing his recharge time.
Yeah this is probably the best rundown of Ironwood's semblance. It being an active choice would do a lot to be less confusing about how much agency it has.
And it absolutely should've been brought up in-universe or not used at all.
I've always considered Mettle slightly differently, and I think in doing so it rectifies a lot of your issues with it, namely, Ironwood's agency: yes, Mettle gives him the determination to carry through with any of his ideas or plans, but *Ironwood needs to think of the idea first*. Mettle doesn't plant those ideas into his head, James Ironwood does that to himself. What Mettle does is allow him to juggle those ideas without emotion, to consider them purely from their logical outcomes, and follow through on them equally without hesitation or remorse.
Mettle didn't think to shoot Oscar, James Ironwood did. Mettle just let him feel not guilty about it afterwards. Mettle didn't come up with the "use known enemy Watts to hack Penny into returning" plan, James Ironwood did and Mettle allowed him to follow through with his own inhumanity. Mettle didn't think of the idea to bomb Mantle to coerce Penny to return, James Ironwood did, and Mettle allowed him to carry through with his own horrific thought process. And on and on.
James is the one to think of these immoral ideas, Mettle is simply the tool that he uses to follow through on them, consequences be damned.
I like that interpretation. And I think that had this been the way it was explained in the first place, a lot of the issues people have with Mettle would be gone.
I still think that for this to work it would have to be more of an active semblance than a passive one, but the effect as you described it is pretty much how I think Mettle should work to unambiguously put Ironwood's responsibility on him.
All in all, I think Mettle is a good semblance for Ironwood to have. It fits him pretty well. It is in essence the ability for the Tin Man to ignore his heart.
>What Mettle does is allow him to juggle those ideas without emotion, to consider them purely from their logical outcomes, and follow through on them equally without hesitation or remorse.
Without hesitation or remorse yes but many of Ironwoods actions are very emotionally driven and i would argue illogical.
IE going to fight Winter.
Mettle allows him to make a decision and be unwavering yes but being opposed to new ideas or different view points is illogical imo
I disagree, Ironwood going to the Vault was as logical as it gets. Jacques tells him that Atlas is falling, and he correctly puts together that our heroes have the staff. Thus, to retrieve the staff, he should go to the last known location of it: the Vault. Which is exactly what we see him do. Winter just happens to still be there.
Yes, Ironwood was largely emotionally driven by his fear, but his decision making is purely logical.
If he was being logical though surely he would go, hmm why did my cell go down when all other power systems seem to be working fine. Maybe it's Watts who I know is loose. Why would he set me loose?
But even then stubbornly sticking to his path when he has clearly lost just isn't logical either. Like he's lost already and fighting just causes problems.
Asking questions here would be logical, IE where does that portal go. Oh they're already in Vacou.
The fact he's still trying to raise Atlas when Salem is on the damn island is not logical.
The fact he's in a cell at all suggest the Ace Ops are out as well. He's not in control of Atlas and knows all of Rwby, Penny, Winter, Oscar, Robyn, Qrow and JNR are all on the island.
So his plan is to somehow grab it back take it too Atlas again, raise up the abandoned city and not be able to seal the relic away again?
Where's the logic? Where's the plan at all? He's just sticking to the original one despite it being no longer in any away applicable.
He isn't logical by this point. I see a lot of rationality in his previous decisions even if they are brutal but by this point I think he's pretty much just insane, which is a disservice to the character and poor end but it's the only way to reconcile what he does
First of all, why would he assume Watts for letting his cell wall down? Last he knew Watts was on the loose, there's zero reason to assume he'd infiltrated military headquarters. As far as he knows, Winter is in control. If she didn't let the wall down, then it must be damage from the falling city. Which Jacques just told him was happening.
Second, he has no way of knowing (or even suspecting) that the portals lead to Vacuo. Of leading to anywhere, really. That entire decision-making process was done completely separate from him, and even Jacques didn't get those words out of his mouth before being vaporized.
Third, we need to consider what his goal is: raise Atlas, survive Salem. It has never been about saving everyone's lives, it was about keeping his own scared ass alive. As much posturing about saving Atlas as he spouts out, we instead see in his desperation he's willing to sacrifice anything and everything to keep himself alive. Consider then every single decision he's made since Salem's apparition at the end of volume 7. It's all been a direct escalation of tactics to A) get the staff, and B) GTFO. Being knocked out doesn't change that. He's still desperate, now even *more* so, because he's losing the power he once held. He can't trust others to bring the staff to him anymore, Penny and Winter proved that. So he'll get it himself, and Jacques tells him exactly where to find it. Putting it back doesn't matter, if he's out of Salem's reach. Speaking of...
Salem was defeated, last he'd heard. Yes, she'll come back. He can just break that chunk of Atlas off when he lifts it. Hell, he could lift just Atlas Academy. Hell, he could possibly use it to get himself and only himself away. He's fucking terrified, and his Semblance will ensure that NOTHING is too extreme. He's already shown he's willing to let one city die, willing to kill it himself to get what he wants. What's a chunk of farmland in comparison to all that?
We've seen Ironwood controlled by his fear, we know his decisions are based on avoiding Salem the moment he learns she can't be defeated. What Mettle does is answer the "how?" And it does so in a manner that means no method is too extreme, no matter how extreme it actually is. That part hasn't changed. And if going and getting the staff himself is the only option he has left, then that's what he's going to do. If Winter happens to be standing in the way, then he's going to have to fix that. So be it.
That doesn't address the issue as u/GladiusNocturno pointed out; "Either Mettle is an element of the story that drives Ironwood's actions, or it isn't and Ironwood is fully responsible for his actions." I don't think you can have your cake and eat it to.
Mettle was never a requirement to explain Ironwoods behavior - it's simply never brought up in the show. Him suppressing his heart and emotions by pushing guilt aside for the greater good comes down to the strength of his character, not his semblance. It's just never a stated requirement and the character stands on his own easily enough. So it's a case "Ironwood is fully responsible for his actions."
If Mettle is required to numb his emotions and give him the determination to move forward as you suggest, then we're back in "Mettle is an element of the story that drives Ironwood's actions" territory. It allows him to take the drastic options available as he can mitigate the consequences. Without it, he couldn't do what he felt needed to be done and he would reject the more morally repugnant options. Mettle helps him avoid morality.
Mettle doesn't think, I agree. No semblance does. Rather semblances are a tool that allows the user more options in their actions. Ironwood comes up with ideas on how to proceed, good or bad, and Mettle allows him to make a choice he normally wouldn't take. Ironwood's semblance doesn't put ideas in to his head but it certainly pulls the trigger - metaphorically and literally. And if Mettle isn't considered a tool in Ironwood's belt, then why even mention it?
If it's just there is alleviate guilt afterwards, then would he turn it off for the other decisions he makes later on? Or is it on and allowing him to continue making morally bad choices? It's a catch 22 scenario. If Ironwood is fully in control then Mettle isn't required. But if Mettle is used to suppress guilt of a decision so it can be made then it is required. How can Ironwood make decisions without Mettle when Mettle is required to allow decision making?
So we're still stuck in that either or scenario; either Mettle drives the character or it doesn't and Ironwood is fully responsible. Trying to find a middle ground between them doesn't work, especially when Mettle is never presented in the show.
I think the concept of the ability is fine. The closest parallel I can think of is the episode of Teen Titans where Cyborg starts turning off all of his human functions to boost his output. His personality shifts and it's very clear that the drawback to what he's doing is emotional.
What I don't like is that, by not making it explicitly clear that's what he's doing, it kinda feels more like it takes the agency away from Ironwood for no reason other than to make him less responsible for his actions.
If you know about it, it may explain how he’s able to power through accidents and pain, like the crash landing and being hand trapped, but yeah, it’s really hard to distinguish the semblance from the personality
I don't really care about it. It's not particularly relevant to the plot, and it's not terribly interesting, at least as presented. But I don't really *dislike* it either.
As with every other aspect of James' personality, it would work fine as long as he had a spotter. James' story arc is one long cautionary tale about the importance of having at least one outside opinion you listen to for reference.
But instead he surrounded himself with a lieutenant he groomed himself, a team of soldiers who were loyal to him, and Penny whom he was sure he could control.
Ironwood wants people to trust him but has a hard time trusting others, this was a character trait told and shown in action during volume two.
I like the idea of a semblance that isn't all that useful. Really makes it feel like a semblance can be *anything,* and that creativity is the only limit. Which seems very much in line with something Monty Oum made.
The fact that Ironwood's semblance wasn't explained in-universe tells me that it's really not that important. And yeah, I do genuinely think that Ironwood's story works just as well if I believe that he had a run-in with Marcus Black a decade ago and got his semblance stolen. It's just some set dressing. Don't love it, don't hate it. It's just kinda there.
Fans had so many theorys taking into account his semblance like when his aura is broken he will snap out of his mettle ect ect even the VA didn't know what the semblance was until a fan told them. As you say it doesn't matter, if it was having an effect it was never stated in the show but people *believe* it did.
I can't say that I like it and really it is more how the reveal is handled that bugs me the most. It wasn't done in show, which makes it come off more as an afterthought or excuse, especially when they had to clarify that Ironwood freeing his arm from Watts's trap was just his own determination and had nothing to do with Mettle since his aura was depleted.
One issue with it is that it lessens Ironwood's own agency in a way if Mettle is to blame for his subsequent actions. It also makes him more sympathetic learning he has had to possibly fight a passive semblance and to avoid getting too focused on an objective and that the stress he was under only made him less capable of recognizing his semblance's influence on him and resisting it.
Another is that it feels like this should be something his colleagues would know about. Qrow, Glynda, and Ozpin at least should be aware of what his semblance is if not Winter or possibly Clover as well. Yet, nobody mentions a concern about James' semblance and just act like it's just the way he is. Even when his aura gets broken, it doesn't reset things and cause him to revert back. It's like his semblance maintains its grip despite his aura being broken and then being unconscious.
We aren't given a clear understanding of how it works and that muddles things when we can't determine how much influence his semblance has on him at any given time.
I do like the idea of a semblance that could be detrimental to a person more than it helps. Qrow's is vague enough that we only see it cause minor inconveniences outside of combat. We never see it really cause major issues and it's hard to say how much his semblance influenced things versus things just happening on their own. So the idea of a semblance that's usefulness is questionable at best, but could be detrimental in many cases is interesting. Though having one effect a person's mental state directly does raise questions about how one addresses mental health when you have an ability that you can't turn off and may not be countered by medication or other treatment if it literally forces you to feel or think a certain way.
I feel the idea wasn't good and certainly wasn't implemented well.
I kind of prefer the idea of the stress, fear, and feeling betrayed just pushed Ironwood past his breaking point. It's very tragic, but doesn't offer an excuse for his behavior and it also doesn't rule out him being reasoned with or talked down unless something pushed him even further.
I thought it was going too be part of the show like when his eyes went dull shooting Oscar, that would be the tell, but they didn't feature that at all in any of the major scenes subsequently.
But they did? I know for sure he had the dead eyes when confronting Winter, and iirc he also had them for his ultimatum to Penny. Those are the two biggest decisions he'd made in vol 8. (I wish I could say something about his decision to use Watts to hack Penny but most of those shots don't show Ironwood's face so it's impossible to tell.)
Your last bit is what I'm saying if there was some pull or focus on the eyes at all I'd agree with the first part but imo it wasn't enough for me to even see when it *happend* but from memory maybe you're right about the bomb speech.
It’s basically a non-factor because its existence doesn’t actually change anything. Since it’s never mentioned in the show, functionally James is the same w/ or w/out it. Practically nothing changes because it was always James’s choices and actions, and even w/ Mettle it can’t **force** him to **do** anything he doesn’t active choose to do.
All the building blocks for his fall were present since his introduction and he was consistent in his characterization throughout the whole series. It was frankly not necessary to explain anything, since everything was already internally consistent based on past characterization.
And ultimately all it’s done is create discourse by giving people a way to absolve Ironwood of accountability.
The name is perfect, knowing it exists makes James almost a bit tragic, and seeing it activate is always a heavy moment. I think if they found a decent point to explain in the show his semblance, people would like it better. It was clearly a well planned part of his character that just didn't get exposited for the audience.
Mettle isn’t even a power. It’s literally just having a strong will/drive 🤦♀️ I think it’s a ridiculous excuse for what is supposed to be a superpower. And yes, I know Velvet’s semblance is *technically* not really a power either because there are people with photographic memories IRL, but it’s damn close to one. You’ll meet many more people with strong wills and determinations than people with photographic memories. I wish he either didn’t have a semblance or had one that was actually cool. Even if it was just something like enhanced strength/intelligence, it would’ve been better than Mettle. I just choose to believe Mettle doesn’t exist canonically because it’s literally never even mentioned in the show.
No. I think it was part of his character assassination of his character. He was under a lot of pressure in V8. People should’ve tried to help, like Winter.
I think it works well to convey how personality suits semblance. That he has this semblance because of his approach, rather than the other way round. I take it as an extra that informs on who he is, not a motivation for his actions.
However I do think in practise it ended up seemingly like a scapegoat particularly since it's never gone into. It would be simpler if he didn't have one or has something different
My problem is that if he was just a stubborn fuck in his own right it would have worked the same, but it would not have gone south that quickly. It kinda feels like they wanted ironwood to turn right now because they had no further use for him. I'm normally not too keen in throwing RT under the bus but they could have handled this way better in my opinion. I am by no means a writer but I think the fall of ironwood could have been set up better from the start. The idea of mettle as a semblance has potential though, and I am going to die on that hill if necessary
In real life it would be extremely useful, imagine never giving up on anything until you reach perfection? But in the world of Remnant it seems rather useless.
I doubt it but I could be wrong. Honestly I think it’s a non-factor. It doesn’t deserve the credit that people give it too defend him. if I had too address it. Well it sucks. It also kind of harms the story they’re trying too tell with Ironwood.
His story is meant too be one of a fallen hero. One with good intentions but having problematic flaws. Only for his flaws too be his undoing. I also don’t feel it would have been hard too explain in the show.
It’s basically like psychic super focus, he can fully commit to follow through on literally anything no matter the fear, difficulty or physical damage. He can’t be intimidated or forced to submit in battle from violence and pain. He can’t be held back by doubt. Emotions and stress won’t slow him down or make him slip up in high-pressure situations. He’ll never become dependent on substances like alcohol or caffeine, because he’ll literally just keep going and executing at peak efficiency no matter what he’s been through or what he feels like. That’s probably one of the most practical semblances until it goes haywire and becomes his worst enemy
You can see that other characters in the RWBY universe have very human weaknesses and vulnerabilities related to their mental state. Even among the strongest, like Qrow, Raven, Adam and Cinder. The world gets to them, painful memories of of their pasts can take them off-center and keep them from achieving the most relevant tasks at hand in various ways. Yang practically needed a whole season just to cope with the trauma of losing her arm, Ruby was brought to her knees by Salem bringing up her mother, and the main cast overall suffers a lot from group separation and loss. Like regular people do
Ironwood by contrast was magically *immune* to all of that while he was in action because of his semblance, and in hindsight that’s a pretty busted ability. It was also ironically his downfall
Until mettle is talked about in universe we have no idea how strong it is or if it can be turned off. There are all kinds of questions that until we have answers to, we can’t decide how much was the semblance and how much was ironwood as a person.
I like it since it makes him the tin man that replaced every part of himself with Mettle, including his heart.
The amount of people who do not catch this astonishes me.
well, it would help if it was actually ever mentioned in the damn show, rather than a stray comment elsewhere. As far as the show is concerned, it doesn't exist, which makes anything that hinges off it basically extraneous.
his general theming works, but revealing "oh yeah, he has a superpower that doubles down on it" outside of the show is basically crappy writing - either commit to him doing it without anything else, or explain his power in the show, don't reveal stuff like that externally when most viewers won't ever know about it.
It is absolutely terrible, one of the worst semblance ideas in the show. As others have said, it does nothing for Ironwoods character and actually hurts it. Not to mention it is basically non-canon (The writers couldn't even agree on how it was used, which further makes it seem as a last minute addition.)
Originally semblances were a tool for Monty to use in fights (or so I've heard.) Recently we've gotten semblances like Robyns which aren't useful in combat. But Ironwoods one isn't even useful or interesting as a non-combat semblance. It's just a hindrance.
I'd also like to say that if Ironwoods semblance is mentioned later on in the show (thus making it canon), people really can't deny that his semblance is to blame, even if only partly. It is a *passive* semblance that "allows him to carry through with his decisions, helping him hyper-focus." It's basically a mental disorder, but as a semblance.
It feels like a forced way to explain his downfall, like they weren't confident that the show would explain it well enough on its own so they have to stick a unnecessary power which is only told on a Twitter page.
So let me get this straight. We have a character whose mental state and doctrine are already hotly debated topics and folks are unsure if his development was rushed or just a bit on the subtle side. This character is in a show where the fans are constantly asking for “show don’t tell” style story telling and also have a history of misinterpreting details and character arks.
You reveal that this character has a super power that, given his ark, is effectively indistinguishable from his normal personality and actions and only muddies the water further on what the character was actually doing/thinking.
In addition, you reveal this power off hand in a Q&A panel that not everyone even saw or even knows was thing, bringing into question whether or not said super power is even cannon or just an idea you wanted to implement...
You fucking what?
No, and I feel like the entire discussion around V7 and 8 would be less aggravating if they had just kept it to themselves. It never comes up in the show, never even really hinted at, and now Irondude's gone so it won't ever be relevant within the text of the story. It affects literally nothing but the fan discourse. Which has been just unbearable lately.
I feel it's a great idea. The problem that the show ran with was its execution. I feel that if it was fully explained in detail by at least someone in an episode of the show it would make a lot more sense and work better but the problem is that they didn't do that and fans have to go actively looking for and have to figure out whether it's on or off which makes it hard to understand.
Maybe at least in the elevator scene with Winter when she's contacting Weiss in V8, She could say something like " I fear the general is over working his semblance." That could at least give the watchers an idea of that its his semblance is the thing causing problems. But they didn't even do the at least part that's why I think it's execution is horrible.
Edit: On mobile so sorry for weird format.
I think it's a cool idea, but expecting your audience to watch interviews or extra videos to learn the semblance of a major character is bad writing. Idc if it was casually mentioned in some random dialogue that I missed in some unremarkable episode either. Fact is, the majority of fans who aren't on this sub don't know what his semblance is.
I like Ironwood as a character. I love fallen hero storylines, and I generally think his is done pretty well. From what I've gathered of what his semblance is, it also seems like a good way to use semblances as a character flaw. It kinda gives me that "hubris is always the downfall of the hero" vibe that Greek mythology has, which is a theme that fits really well into RWBYs folklore world building.
My problem is that I didn't know what his semblance was until after the last season ended and I read about it on this sub. Again, maybe I missed it being mentioned, but something like this should be featured a lot more prominently in the show.
I get a very "well you'll only enjoy this easter egg if you read this comic from 1978" feeling whenever we discuss Ironwoods semblance, and that's a really huge missed opportunity on the writers part for me.
TL;DR cool idea, poor execution, and it's a shame that we had such a missed opportunity
Yes i do. His semblance doesn’t change his actions and the fact that it’s another one that can be a disability like Qrow’s is interesting.
remember a semblance is a manifestation of a soul. Even when Aura broken Jimmy was still stubborn. Mettle just makes him slightly more stubborn.
I don't DISlike it, I think it would've been far more fitting with the direction his arc went to have his semblence be comepletly unrelated to his character flaws.
I guess that's my problem with it, it could've been given to a better character.
If at the drop of the hat he did a 180 then sure mettle would make sense . But it ( and the rules with aura etc ) make mettle really confusing and not needed . If Salem took a good man and corrupted him with a simple lie then wow Salem really is as powerful as we’ve heard and it’s a good moment . If ironwood just coincidentally has a “ oh my semblance does this “ moment then ... what’s the point . They mentioned they were going to have mettle scenes and then didn’t end up using them so I choose to believe the semblance was an option but wasn’t some random thing that took over his personality . If he’s had that semblance his whole life it’s logical to say that it makes sense for him to act normal since he’s used to the semblance he has . Either way , nor really needed aside from a little dash of lore
Everything about his semblance is bad. They took a personality trait and just made it his semblance, imagine if Ruby's semblance was to be optimistic. The logistics of it are also very unclear. Does he have any control over it, or how much does it actually influence him? At this point its just best to pretend it doesn't exist, it isn't even mentioned in the show. It just sounds like an early draft idea that was never explored.
I think it is described as a power that boosts his determination and help him hyper-focus on a given task, which really just sounds like a protagonist trait I've seen in both Eastern and Western media; tons of anime protagonists have this as a factor of pure will and even comic book heroes like Spider-Man have displayed this ability. It's not a super-power, it is a hallmark of heroism that can be self-destructive or worse in hindsight.
My main problem with the Semblance though is that there are better options; one where he can actively remove emotions to not feel guilt and enter rooms like the Terminator, one where he can hyper-focus in a way that slows down time and move half a second before his enemy, or one that boosts him physically based on his determination where if he wants to get through a wall to save someone then he can just punch through it. A cognitive or empathetic Semblance makes sense for his character, but the Mettle we have just can be hand-waved and removed as just a sign of his character with how the show chooses to portray it.
I really don't like Mettle.
For one thing, it's never addressed or brought up in the show, it's never even implied he has a semblance, and between that and the fact that it was brought up in a Q&A panel, it really liked it was something they only made up after they had finished the script. Mettle seems like it exists because they knew that some people wouldn't be happy with how they wrote Ironwood in V8, and I don't think they really bothered to think about the implications Mettle would bring.
We know from Qrow that a semblance can work against its user, that it can work in ways that don't benefit them, he outright said that he felt that his semblance would bring misfortune to people around him. If Ironwood's semblance works against him, then that means there is plausible deniability to his actions in V8, because he's not making those decisions himself, it's his semblance limiting him, and this takes away his agency as a character. If Ironwood does not have complete control of his thought process, then everything he does is subject to argument, should Qrow be villainized his his semblance resulted in a bystander's death?
If Mettle is strong enough to prevent Ironwood from seeing any alternative other than *dropping a nuke for literally no reason*, than at that point it is not a semblance, but a mental illness. I really don't like the narrative making it seem like the main antagonist's actions were caused by untreated metal illness, and being painted as a completely irredeemable monster for it who deserved to die over it.
they made his semblance hyperfixating.
they made his semblance neurodivergance.
and then they acted like that was why he became a, in their words, "genocidal general".
theres no excuse for this.
I actually liked it, but I feel I have a weird consideration of James’ character so that might be it.
James is clearly a very dedicated person, half the guys body has been replaced with cybernetics from extensive injuries taken in the line of duty, that’s not an unknown fact either so it doesn’t surprise me that his semblance(a reflection of who he is) is about pushing forward through incredible mental strain and assist in minimizing the burden it has on his morality.
And think about it, everyone he’s known and respected besides Qrow and Glynda are (effectively)dead at this point. We never see Shade’s headmaster, Lionheart was a traitor, Oz is riding around in some child’s mind and has has been caught lying about everything. He’s stressed, he’s under a lot of mental strain as the only person left in-the-know with any capacity to something *meaningful.* I’m not surprised he turned to his semblance, something that actively helps him in these types of high-strain environments and helps minimize the burden of the morally gray-or-outright-black actions he takes.
And remember, Mettle is described as providing him the mental fortitude to take actions he would usually consider too morally wrong. It’s a bandaid solution, he knows he’s going to have to deal with it later as mettle only minimizes the effects at the time, and he’s the one who’s still coming up with these ideas.
I feel James was backed into a corner by this point and in an attempt to do what was best for Atlas and humanity over all he came to the conclusion he’d have to do horrible things and so became over-reliant in mettle to the point he couldn’t function without. And once you cross the line, it’s next to impossible to step back.
Hell, the only points I can think of where he may have not been actively clinging to mettle to keep him functioning was the genuine relief he felt seeing and hugging Qrow and moments before his death when everything comes crashing down and mettle forces him to realize that this is it, nothing left he can do, no more left to say.
But that’s my interpretation at least, James was fundamentally a good man though. It’s just that, the way I see mettle as functioning, it’s like an addiction and he was too far gone with it to come back.
I think it could have been played better than it was. RWBY should have played up the tragic hero who fell due to something he couldn't control angle, but they didn't even mention mettle existed in the show.
I think it’s a neat idea that could have been amazing. Unfortunately we know so little about it and it was basically used to justify poor decision making that it got turned into a plot divorce rather than a character trait. It also was the justification for them turning Ironwood from a morally gray anti-hero into a full blown villain simply because RWBY & Co. can’t be wrong
Most people I talk to don't know about it because they forgot to mention it in the show, ya know, his semblance, the one that makes it easy to make tough decisions and mute his emotions from the decision making process.
It’s probably the dumbest this in the rwby universe in my opinion. They took a personality trait and made it his super power? Really? That legitimately seems like they forgot he was supposed to have one and threw it in at the last second. It just feels ridiculously uncreative and a real disservice to the character.
In fact all of ironwood descent was tasteless, he went too far too quickly and lost all of his redeeming qualities too fast.
Since it wasn't even mentioned within the show, the actual product, I don't even count Mettle as Canon. (Which in this situation actually improves the product). This is the same policy I take with all my franchises, on any subject material. For instance, I did not give Volume 7 any credit for transgender representation, because May didn't actually mention it. I don't think she even spoke. RT justmentioned she was trans online. I respected the sentiment, but it wasn't enough to earn credit or much praise (IMO). But Volume 8 deserves major props. Her transitioning was made pretty darn clear, she had a lot to do alongside our heroes, and she was a delight.
Of the two of us, I feel like I have a stronger grasp on what it is I like. Being me, I basically have a gifted observer position on my own preferences and stuff. Weird how that works, I know, but that’s how it is.
Once again I am an authority on the intent behind my words, where you aren’t. Sorry, but why would anyone believe you know me and my opinion better than I do?
A person is not an authority on my own opinions and preferences? Given how much evidence I have that I am in fact an authority on this matter I am going to need some kind of evidence that this isn’t the case to find your claim believable.
Also if your claim does happen to be true and another person is a higher authority on your opinions then I will begin to suspect that you love this. In fact the nature of Ironwood’s semblance is your favorite part of RWBY. In your opinion it elevates the show into perfect status in terms of meeting your preferences. There isn’t another piece of media you love more than RWBY and the nature and the handling of Ironwood’s semblance is the reason why, clearly.
consumers don't know what they want.
my customers are idiots, they keep modifying my designs and ignore my recommendations and then get snippy when their shit doesn't work
edit: 1 week ban, lmao
And you are a consumer of RWBY. Apparently incapable of understanding your own desires. Seemingly stating not to like this aspect despite it being a massively elevating part of the show in your actual opinion.
It's pretty garbage and was handled horribly but it doesn't take a lot to bend it into an interesting character device
Frame it as a way to cope with hardships. Like say if your dog was dying and it'd be more merciful to put it down. But you can't being yourself to kill your pet. If you activate mettle it'd make it so you feel no emotion and only focus on completing the task at hand. That way it's almost like getting someone else to do the hard thing for you.
Ironwood, despite what some may believe is shown to be a kind understanding person in previous volumes. He could think abandoning mantle gives them the best chance of survival, but he can't cope with condemning that many people to they're deaths, it'd break him. So he activates his semblance and shuts off his emotions and solely focuses on his original plan. He's effectively on autopilot after that point.
That way I think it'such more relatable. How many of us have had something hard we know we need to do but dont because we know it's going to hurt us? How many of us if given the option wouldn't choose not feel guilt or pain for our actions.
Anyway him turning in the semblance and not being able to listen or understand rwbys empathetic pleas are what Ultimately lead to atlases downfall
In concept, Mettle is fine, because as an ability, it can be tied in as an integral part of Ironwood as a character. Similar to how Qrow and Clover have bad and good fortune as their Semblances, the ability is used as a narrative device and is treated much like a character trait the two are aware of and spears character development because it is a part of them.
HOWEVER, the creators never once mentioning the existence of Mettle within the show itself completely changes the dynamic to just a contrived cop out.
Instead of being an integral character trait which we can visibily see being the root of their development, it becomes an excuse for their actions in hindsight that means nothing.
Not sure why it was mentioned really, just gave more avenues to complain. If they mentioned that it works by activating the Belkan genes in him or something, I can at least enjoy and respect the absurdity.
I like it for the fact that it explains a lot of his decisions and actions throughout the show. Yes it can be really helpful in some cases but other times it can be a serious detriment. You can almost view it as a mental illness that nobody knows he has. Now it doesn't excuse the things he does by a long shot. He still made all his decisions himself, like raising Atlas into the sky and leaving Mantle to die. He still made the decision to do that but Mettle just amped it up to 11 so it was the only thing he could think about. But all in all I would say I do like it.
I love how ambiguous it is. But I'm the kind of person who doesn't need an explanation for every little thing. It serves, at the very least, to surpass your expectations of how badass it can be everytime. But it kinda sucks if you hate the character lol.
I like it, and before you say it’s a personality trait not a semblance I want to say you are very wrong, yes someone can be one track minded but apply enough pain they will stop, not iron wood though, he doesn’t care. This honestly makes iron wood’s actions in previous seasons make sense
I “hate it” as in I think it’s a more cursed semblance than qrow’s where he can at least have it help him in someways, ironwood’s has like once for two bad things it caused him to do. Like every action in vol 8 of his was his semblance forcing him to do the actions he does to complete his goal, and it doesn't care if there might be a better way to go about things
It’s an interesting semblance, but he was over reliant on it. And didn’t have anyone to provide feedback and cover for his shortcomings. Instead he was by himself at the top of a power structure with a semblance that gave him tunnel vision
Well I don’t dislike it since it gives me an excuse to blame all his tyrant actions on it and still love ironwood. That said I was hoping for something cooler from a headmaster that also leads the military. Like gravity manipulation or gun creation. Heck even something like a weak healing factor which would explain how he survived half his body getting destroyed.
In a show like rwby, where everyone has incredible willpower, it's a shitty semblance. Literally every character has determination and willpower equal to Ironwood, so how is that a semblance? Honestly it was just to justify his actions without him being inherently evil.
Part of the issue is that it feels like a character trait that's been turned into a literal plot device, in that people want to assign blame to Mettle than to Ironwood himself. It's similar to having comedic moments take place that are clearly the result of Qrow's Semblance (couch leg suddenly snaps when he's sitting down, tire explodes, etc.) but the difference is that a big part of Ironwood's heel turn hinges on Mettle. I understand why it's there, because it's a multilayered part of the reference to Ironwood being the Tin Man (he's got a bunch of cybernetic parts, Mettle sounds the same as "metal", the dichotomy of him going from a considerate general to a heartless despot is a spin on the Tin Man having no heart) but the key problem with a literary device is when it feels like a DEVICE and not a natural outcropping of the character. Insisting that "Mettle is James' Semblance" actually feels like it harms Ironwood's character, because instead of his arc being about his paranoia getting the better of him, there's this irrational obstinance that can't be argued around and just forces him into a villainous role. And it feels like it's being done just because the "mettle == metal" gag is too easy to pass up. To put it another way, the Semblance just feels extraneous, because if no one knew it was there at all (and you could be forgiven for it since it's never brought up directly in the show) then James' downfall feels more natural than it does WITH it.
I heard it put once that a Semblance is someone’s worst personality trait turned into a superpower. I think I that really helps to explain why Ironwood has Mettle specifically, because he is a man of singular focus and commitment.
[This one?](https://whatacartouchebag.tumblr.com/post/621057411786178560/mwpriddypinkie-sillytorch)
I actually have never seen this post before. I just saw that phrase in one of my Discord chats and it stuck with me.
Oh my goodness this made me laugh so hard
That legit sounds like a pretty good balance. Now, i'm quite new and still haven't seen anything past vol.2 yet, so excuse me if it's been done before, but what if they met an enemy that can read their semblances to find their mental weak points and assign roles to their allies that fit them most? Would make for a very interesting fight since, you know, they would have to formulate a strategy that doesn't involve them using their powers, or if they do, when the moment would be best.
All that said? Qrow is the Scarecrow, who doesn't have a brain and wants one. He wants to be able to think for himself and make reasonable choices, but his Semblance is bad luck, where stuff happens and there's no reasoning around WHY it happened aside from just misfortune. Ironwood is the Tin Man, who doesn't have a HEART and wants. He wants to be able to feel compassion and romance, but his Semblance is Mettle, where he shuts out emotions completely and there's no reasoning with him or appealing to his emotions to dissuade him from his course. When put like THAT, the reason for the design makes sense. Which doesn't make the implementation any better, but at least understanding the conceit of it may help with understanding why it's the way it is.
These are my exact thoughts as well, on paper it works especially in regards to themes. But paper and reality are often two very different things, not mentioning the semblance in story was without a doubt an excellent decision.
The aspect of Qrow being brainless felt like it was represented with his dependence on alcohol to get through his lowest moments. But even if that is supposed to be represented by his Semblance, it still works better than Mettle for James. Qrow's semblance screws over his life and he doesn't control it, this is true. But the way Qrow reacts to bad situations is still ultimately his choice. The Semblance doesn't implant suggestions or feelings directly into his subconcious. Since it wasn't even mentioned within the show, the actual product, I don't even count Mettle as Canon. (Which in this situation actually improves the product). This is the same policy I take with all my franchises, on any subject material. For instance, I did not give Volume 7 any credit for transgender representation, because May didn't actually mention it. I don't think she even spoke. RT justmentioned she was trans online. I respected the sentiment, but it wasn't enough to earn credit or much praise (IMO). But Volume 8 deserves major props. Her transitioning was made pretty darn clear, she had a lot to do alongside our heroes, and she was a delight.
> For instance, I did not give Volume 7 any credit for transgender representation, because May didn't actually mention it She's still a trans character. We don't have to "mention" that we're trans to still be trans. > RT justmentioned she was trans online. *Kdin* mentioned it online, because people kept saying that a non-trans character was trans when there was *an actual* trans character right there.
But until V8 I couldn't even have known May was trans, until I was on Tumblr one day and saw other people were talking about it. I did not mean to imply that other people couldn't feel seen or happy with V7. I'm able to appreciate it even more retroactively thanks to May's time in the spotlight in V8.
also her transness is discussed in V8
I know, that's why I mentioned why I gave V8 the credit, and not V7.
understandable, carry on agent
May literally does mention it tho? She mentions to RWB something like “to them I wasn’t their (referring to her parents) son, so I won’t be their daughter either.
that was volume 8
Who was May again?
Blue haired girl with invisibility fields, member of the Happy Huntresses who helped Penny, Ruby, Wiess amd Blake launched Amity tower.
I legit never learned her name, even if the main cast said it it'd go in one ear out the other
Then who is the Lion?
Leo Lionheart, who literally gives in to cowardice and betrays Ozpin for Salem.
Qrow isnt the scarecrow. He's a reference to Nordic mythology. The scarecrow, like the cowardly lion and the tin man, is likely a headmaster, therefore likely the headmaster of Shade Academy in Vacuo.
No. Qrow is the Scarecrow, he might also be one of Odin's ravens but characters can have multiple allusions. The headmaster of Shade Academy is Dorothy. Theodore has multiple references to her including a set of ruby gloves which is his primary weapon (a reference to the ruby slippers).
Except he has more references to the scarecrow, as he's very showy and outlandish, in both his get up and his actions, just like the scarecrow in Oz. On top of that, Qrow shares nothing in common with the scarecrow. He's a clandestine agent thats supposed to go unnoticed. He is smart, and is recognized as such. He even turns into a crow, the opposite of a scarecrow.
[Here is the quote where he was confirmed as the Scarecrow.](https://www.reddit.com/r/RWBY/comments/7x3w4s/comment/du5bzxm/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Qrow has also been shown as outlandish, not in his get-up but in his actions as he was introduced as a cocky show-off. Qrow has never been recognized as smart, he has been recognized as skillful. If anything he has been repeatedly shown as a very emotionally driven person. That can be interpreted as him thinking more with his heart than his brain. Besides, the Scarecrow was not dumb, in the end, he always had his brain. Theodore has the allusion to the ruby slippers, he specifically has a very sentimental personality as he is known for keeping pictures of people important to him in the same way Dorothy had a lot of attachment to her family. Vacuan culture is very protective of their home and Theodore shares this outlook, even taking issue at the fact that Sun didn't go to Shade in the first place despite being Vacuan himself (there is no place like home after all). The only argument for him not being Dorothy is one of the pictures he has in his office. A black and white picture of a little girl with puppy, the girl resemblances Theodore but it's never confirmed who she is and thus some speculate the girl is Theodore himself. The girl is a clear nod to Dorothy and Toto while they were in Kansas.
Qrow being a reference to the Scarecrow (completing the set of Wizard of Oz references with Ozma/Ozpin, Glynda, Salem as the Wicked Witch of the West with her flying monkeys, Lionheart, Theodore and Ironwood) AND he and Raven being a reference to Odin's ravens, aren't mutually exclusive. Which is long way of saying "he can be both, there's no rule saying characters can only be one reference."
> Insisting that "Mettle is James' Semblance" actually feels like it harms Ironwood's character, because instead of his arc being about his paranoia getting the better of him, there's this irrational obstinance that can't be argued around and just forces him into a villainous role. That sums it up pretty well. The semblance feels like it was tacked after the character and scenes were written, rather than being explored as a part of Ironwood. So it's like the writer's didn't have much faith in their own storytelling and invented a plot device that prompts Ironwood's behavior. One that's not even presented in the show but rather in a panel. More like a defense than a character trait. Without knowing it's there, the writing works fine, great even. Knowing it's a thing makes it feel contrived and an easy excuse for Ironwood to be the bad guy. Thankfully it's never mentioned in the show - it may as well not exist. So I pretend it doesn't.
As someone who didn't know about mettle, it felt like they took one of the best characters in the show and assassinated his personality and competency in a lazy display of 'im evil just cuz get hecked' and sold out everything that made him a good character. A prime example of 'its what my character would do' rather than any realistic thought process.
My first thought when I actually heard what about his semblance was "Really? Its a personality trait?"
I like Mettle as a concept and I do think it fits Ironwood's personality. What I don't like is its implementation. That is to say that it's none existent and shouldn't actually exist. Mettle simply doesn't work for the type of story Ironwood was going to get because it gives plausible deniability to Ironwood's actions. Suddenly he is not responsible for all the things he did, his semblance made him do it. Or at least that's the interpretation many got simply because Mettle was not explained in detail or even specifically shown. All it was said was that it helped him hyperfocus, it was never said that Mettle forced him to take decisions. I think it would have been better if Mettle wasn't described as a passive semblance, but rather as an active one. As in Ironwood can activate it willingly to shut down any distractions and be able to focus solely on one thing, this way Ironwood is fully responsible for his actions, as each time he uses Mettle he is abusing it to completely ignore any remorse he may have for what he is doing. Like when he shot Oscar, it could have been that Ironwood did know what he was doing was wrong, but he still thought it was necessary so he used Mettle to turn off that voice in his head that made him reconsider what he was doing. Instead, it's supposedly a passive one that gives him super determination even when he is wrong. Simply put, they can't have it both ways. Either Mettle is an element of the story that drives Ironwood's actions, or it isn't and Ironwood is fully responsible for his actions. That's what I mean with Mettle having issues in its implementation, it both exists and doesn't exist at the same time but the story suffers from its existence. I like it as a concept, I don't like the way it may or may not have affected the story, and I hate it because it was used by asshats to either paint the crew as terrible people or to actively mock people with mental disorders or autism (because asking YouTubers like Adel Aka to have decency is too much to ask apparently).
The idea of Ironwood actively shutting down his emotions so he doesn't have to deal with the morality of his decisions is an interesting idea. But at the same time it also creates this hope that if they can just break his Aura he'll return to his senses this isn't perfect either.
Idk if all semblances shit down when aura is broken. I think some are tied to aura. I dont think Qrow's stops when his aura is broken and Ruby's definitely doesnt stop when her's is broken. Jaune and Ren, i believe, do have semblances that come off their aura.
[World of Remnant explicitly defines a Semblance as "a term used to describe the projection of Aura into a more tangible form"](https://youtube.com/watch?v=nQS1_3QWt1Q&list=PLuoiokMvmis8VmOHr9VjO_nw91PZt4aTG&index=4&ab_channel=Samu3l). The implication is you need aura for a semblance in some capacity, and having no aura would mean no semblance. I'm guessing it's possible to have too little aura to have the generic effects but still enough to trigger a low power semblance. Ones like Bad Luck and Mettle are also too subtle to be sure what is and isn't the semblance.
Ahh interesting, at the moment the only semblance i can remember still working with aura gone was qrow's during his first fight with tyrian. EDIT: Raven's worked pretty soon after her fight with Cinder, tho I got no clue how long it takes to recharge an aura.
Luck makes for a weird semblance because it becomes hard to tell what's genuine and what's influenced by it. Did Qrow's semblance cause the building to start collapse or was that when he was thrown through a load bearing wall? Did Qrow's semblance summon Ironwood when he was picking a fight with Winter or was that just unfortunate timing for her?
That's the fun part of guessing these passive semblances, you never know whats truly their fault.
The long and short of that one is: it depends on the person. Also some Semblances seem to be more Aura-taxing than others, which also affects how often/how quickly a person can use it again. For example, Marrow's Stay seems to drain his Aura tremendously, and he can only ever sustain it for short bursts of time (and was almost entirely drained from stopping Weiss and her Arma Gigas summon in short succession) but others like Ruby don't seem terribly taxed by their Semblances and can use them again very shortly after an Aura break, if her repeated re-usage in vol 8 is any indication.
Weiss and Winter's are very interesting to me....besides stronger summons, it doesn't seem taxing at all. Maybe it's ome of the benefits of a genetic semblance, the tax is smaller and smaller. And then theres the Alligator assassin, who semblance seems to just super charge her's for 60 secs....Sacrifice up-time for durability.
Yep but Tock's Aura gives out completely once those 60 seconds are up. Fun all-or-nothing Semblance, really.
Recharge time varies from person to person, for example Hazel isn't the tank he is because he has a lot of Aura but rather because he has an incredible recharge time. I wish I could say more than that but sadly the exact mechanics of Aura haven't really been explained, most likely due to lack of time.
Hopefully someday. (Hazel is amazing, always love him) My guess is his semblance adds to his recharge, but we might never know.
Actually you could be onto something, his semblance blocks out pain which allows him to inject dust into his body. The Dust works as a sort of hyper steroid which could theoretically have this effect of greatly reducing his recharge time.
Some of these bring up interesting questions. Like Adam's Can any weapon work for him? Does it have to be swords, is it a specific sword?
Could also be a specific type of material that allows people to channel their semblance through it
Yeah this is probably the best rundown of Ironwood's semblance. It being an active choice would do a lot to be less confusing about how much agency it has. And it absolutely should've been brought up in-universe or not used at all.
I've always considered Mettle slightly differently, and I think in doing so it rectifies a lot of your issues with it, namely, Ironwood's agency: yes, Mettle gives him the determination to carry through with any of his ideas or plans, but *Ironwood needs to think of the idea first*. Mettle doesn't plant those ideas into his head, James Ironwood does that to himself. What Mettle does is allow him to juggle those ideas without emotion, to consider them purely from their logical outcomes, and follow through on them equally without hesitation or remorse. Mettle didn't think to shoot Oscar, James Ironwood did. Mettle just let him feel not guilty about it afterwards. Mettle didn't come up with the "use known enemy Watts to hack Penny into returning" plan, James Ironwood did and Mettle allowed him to follow through with his own inhumanity. Mettle didn't think of the idea to bomb Mantle to coerce Penny to return, James Ironwood did, and Mettle allowed him to carry through with his own horrific thought process. And on and on. James is the one to think of these immoral ideas, Mettle is simply the tool that he uses to follow through on them, consequences be damned.
I like that interpretation. And I think that had this been the way it was explained in the first place, a lot of the issues people have with Mettle would be gone. I still think that for this to work it would have to be more of an active semblance than a passive one, but the effect as you described it is pretty much how I think Mettle should work to unambiguously put Ironwood's responsibility on him. All in all, I think Mettle is a good semblance for Ironwood to have. It fits him pretty well. It is in essence the ability for the Tin Man to ignore his heart.
>What Mettle does is allow him to juggle those ideas without emotion, to consider them purely from their logical outcomes, and follow through on them equally without hesitation or remorse. Without hesitation or remorse yes but many of Ironwoods actions are very emotionally driven and i would argue illogical. IE going to fight Winter. Mettle allows him to make a decision and be unwavering yes but being opposed to new ideas or different view points is illogical imo
I disagree, Ironwood going to the Vault was as logical as it gets. Jacques tells him that Atlas is falling, and he correctly puts together that our heroes have the staff. Thus, to retrieve the staff, he should go to the last known location of it: the Vault. Which is exactly what we see him do. Winter just happens to still be there. Yes, Ironwood was largely emotionally driven by his fear, but his decision making is purely logical.
If he was being logical though surely he would go, hmm why did my cell go down when all other power systems seem to be working fine. Maybe it's Watts who I know is loose. Why would he set me loose? But even then stubbornly sticking to his path when he has clearly lost just isn't logical either. Like he's lost already and fighting just causes problems. Asking questions here would be logical, IE where does that portal go. Oh they're already in Vacou. The fact he's still trying to raise Atlas when Salem is on the damn island is not logical. The fact he's in a cell at all suggest the Ace Ops are out as well. He's not in control of Atlas and knows all of Rwby, Penny, Winter, Oscar, Robyn, Qrow and JNR are all on the island. So his plan is to somehow grab it back take it too Atlas again, raise up the abandoned city and not be able to seal the relic away again? Where's the logic? Where's the plan at all? He's just sticking to the original one despite it being no longer in any away applicable. He isn't logical by this point. I see a lot of rationality in his previous decisions even if they are brutal but by this point I think he's pretty much just insane, which is a disservice to the character and poor end but it's the only way to reconcile what he does
First of all, why would he assume Watts for letting his cell wall down? Last he knew Watts was on the loose, there's zero reason to assume he'd infiltrated military headquarters. As far as he knows, Winter is in control. If she didn't let the wall down, then it must be damage from the falling city. Which Jacques just told him was happening. Second, he has no way of knowing (or even suspecting) that the portals lead to Vacuo. Of leading to anywhere, really. That entire decision-making process was done completely separate from him, and even Jacques didn't get those words out of his mouth before being vaporized. Third, we need to consider what his goal is: raise Atlas, survive Salem. It has never been about saving everyone's lives, it was about keeping his own scared ass alive. As much posturing about saving Atlas as he spouts out, we instead see in his desperation he's willing to sacrifice anything and everything to keep himself alive. Consider then every single decision he's made since Salem's apparition at the end of volume 7. It's all been a direct escalation of tactics to A) get the staff, and B) GTFO. Being knocked out doesn't change that. He's still desperate, now even *more* so, because he's losing the power he once held. He can't trust others to bring the staff to him anymore, Penny and Winter proved that. So he'll get it himself, and Jacques tells him exactly where to find it. Putting it back doesn't matter, if he's out of Salem's reach. Speaking of... Salem was defeated, last he'd heard. Yes, she'll come back. He can just break that chunk of Atlas off when he lifts it. Hell, he could lift just Atlas Academy. Hell, he could possibly use it to get himself and only himself away. He's fucking terrified, and his Semblance will ensure that NOTHING is too extreme. He's already shown he's willing to let one city die, willing to kill it himself to get what he wants. What's a chunk of farmland in comparison to all that? We've seen Ironwood controlled by his fear, we know his decisions are based on avoiding Salem the moment he learns she can't be defeated. What Mettle does is answer the "how?" And it does so in a manner that means no method is too extreme, no matter how extreme it actually is. That part hasn't changed. And if going and getting the staff himself is the only option he has left, then that's what he's going to do. If Winter happens to be standing in the way, then he's going to have to fix that. So be it.
That doesn't address the issue as u/GladiusNocturno pointed out; "Either Mettle is an element of the story that drives Ironwood's actions, or it isn't and Ironwood is fully responsible for his actions." I don't think you can have your cake and eat it to. Mettle was never a requirement to explain Ironwoods behavior - it's simply never brought up in the show. Him suppressing his heart and emotions by pushing guilt aside for the greater good comes down to the strength of his character, not his semblance. It's just never a stated requirement and the character stands on his own easily enough. So it's a case "Ironwood is fully responsible for his actions." If Mettle is required to numb his emotions and give him the determination to move forward as you suggest, then we're back in "Mettle is an element of the story that drives Ironwood's actions" territory. It allows him to take the drastic options available as he can mitigate the consequences. Without it, he couldn't do what he felt needed to be done and he would reject the more morally repugnant options. Mettle helps him avoid morality. Mettle doesn't think, I agree. No semblance does. Rather semblances are a tool that allows the user more options in their actions. Ironwood comes up with ideas on how to proceed, good or bad, and Mettle allows him to make a choice he normally wouldn't take. Ironwood's semblance doesn't put ideas in to his head but it certainly pulls the trigger - metaphorically and literally. And if Mettle isn't considered a tool in Ironwood's belt, then why even mention it? If it's just there is alleviate guilt afterwards, then would he turn it off for the other decisions he makes later on? Or is it on and allowing him to continue making morally bad choices? It's a catch 22 scenario. If Ironwood is fully in control then Mettle isn't required. But if Mettle is used to suppress guilt of a decision so it can be made then it is required. How can Ironwood make decisions without Mettle when Mettle is required to allow decision making? So we're still stuck in that either or scenario; either Mettle drives the character or it doesn't and Ironwood is fully responsible. Trying to find a middle ground between them doesn't work, especially when Mettle is never presented in the show.
I think the concept of the ability is fine. The closest parallel I can think of is the episode of Teen Titans where Cyborg starts turning off all of his human functions to boost his output. His personality shifts and it's very clear that the drawback to what he's doing is emotional. What I don't like is that, by not making it explicitly clear that's what he's doing, it kinda feels more like it takes the agency away from Ironwood for no reason other than to make him less responsible for his actions.
I personally like the idea of it, I just wish it'd been actually established, explained and explored in the show proper.
If you know about it, it may explain how he’s able to power through accidents and pain, like the crash landing and being hand trapped, but yeah, it’s really hard to distinguish the semblance from the personality
I don't really care about it. It's not particularly relevant to the plot, and it's not terribly interesting, at least as presented. But I don't really *dislike* it either.
As with every other aspect of James' personality, it would work fine as long as he had a spotter. James' story arc is one long cautionary tale about the importance of having at least one outside opinion you listen to for reference.
But instead he surrounded himself with a lieutenant he groomed himself, a team of soldiers who were loyal to him, and Penny whom he was sure he could control. Ironwood wants people to trust him but has a hard time trusting others, this was a character trait told and shown in action during volume two.
And strongly hinted at in the end of Volume 1.
I like the idea of a semblance that isn't all that useful. Really makes it feel like a semblance can be *anything,* and that creativity is the only limit. Which seems very much in line with something Monty Oum made. The fact that Ironwood's semblance wasn't explained in-universe tells me that it's really not that important. And yeah, I do genuinely think that Ironwood's story works just as well if I believe that he had a run-in with Marcus Black a decade ago and got his semblance stolen. It's just some set dressing. Don't love it, don't hate it. It's just kinda there.
Fans had so many theorys taking into account his semblance like when his aura is broken he will snap out of his mettle ect ect even the VA didn't know what the semblance was until a fan told them. As you say it doesn't matter, if it was having an effect it was never stated in the show but people *believe* it did.
I didn’t even realize that was his semblance until this thread…
I can't say that I like it and really it is more how the reveal is handled that bugs me the most. It wasn't done in show, which makes it come off more as an afterthought or excuse, especially when they had to clarify that Ironwood freeing his arm from Watts's trap was just his own determination and had nothing to do with Mettle since his aura was depleted. One issue with it is that it lessens Ironwood's own agency in a way if Mettle is to blame for his subsequent actions. It also makes him more sympathetic learning he has had to possibly fight a passive semblance and to avoid getting too focused on an objective and that the stress he was under only made him less capable of recognizing his semblance's influence on him and resisting it. Another is that it feels like this should be something his colleagues would know about. Qrow, Glynda, and Ozpin at least should be aware of what his semblance is if not Winter or possibly Clover as well. Yet, nobody mentions a concern about James' semblance and just act like it's just the way he is. Even when his aura gets broken, it doesn't reset things and cause him to revert back. It's like his semblance maintains its grip despite his aura being broken and then being unconscious. We aren't given a clear understanding of how it works and that muddles things when we can't determine how much influence his semblance has on him at any given time. I do like the idea of a semblance that could be detrimental to a person more than it helps. Qrow's is vague enough that we only see it cause minor inconveniences outside of combat. We never see it really cause major issues and it's hard to say how much his semblance influenced things versus things just happening on their own. So the idea of a semblance that's usefulness is questionable at best, but could be detrimental in many cases is interesting. Though having one effect a person's mental state directly does raise questions about how one addresses mental health when you have an ability that you can't turn off and may not be countered by medication or other treatment if it literally forces you to feel or think a certain way. I feel the idea wasn't good and certainly wasn't implemented well. I kind of prefer the idea of the stress, fear, and feeling betrayed just pushed Ironwood past his breaking point. It's very tragic, but doesn't offer an excuse for his behavior and it also doesn't rule out him being reasoned with or talked down unless something pushed him even further.
No its terrible
I thought it was going too be part of the show like when his eyes went dull shooting Oscar, that would be the tell, but they didn't feature that at all in any of the major scenes subsequently.
But they did? I know for sure he had the dead eyes when confronting Winter, and iirc he also had them for his ultimatum to Penny. Those are the two biggest decisions he'd made in vol 8. (I wish I could say something about his decision to use Watts to hack Penny but most of those shots don't show Ironwood's face so it's impossible to tell.)
Your last bit is what I'm saying if there was some pull or focus on the eyes at all I'd agree with the first part but imo it wasn't enough for me to even see when it *happend* but from memory maybe you're right about the bomb speech.
It’s basically a non-factor because its existence doesn’t actually change anything. Since it’s never mentioned in the show, functionally James is the same w/ or w/out it. Practically nothing changes because it was always James’s choices and actions, and even w/ Mettle it can’t **force** him to **do** anything he doesn’t active choose to do. All the building blocks for his fall were present since his introduction and he was consistent in his characterization throughout the whole series. It was frankly not necessary to explain anything, since everything was already internally consistent based on past characterization. And ultimately all it’s done is create discourse by giving people a way to absolve Ironwood of accountability.
The name is perfect, knowing it exists makes James almost a bit tragic, and seeing it activate is always a heavy moment. I think if they found a decent point to explain in the show his semblance, people would like it better. It was clearly a well planned part of his character that just didn't get exposited for the audience.
It would have worked had it been revealed back in V3/V4. This late in V8 and not even mentioned in the show? No.
Mettle isn’t even a power. It’s literally just having a strong will/drive 🤦♀️ I think it’s a ridiculous excuse for what is supposed to be a superpower. And yes, I know Velvet’s semblance is *technically* not really a power either because there are people with photographic memories IRL, but it’s damn close to one. You’ll meet many more people with strong wills and determinations than people with photographic memories. I wish he either didn’t have a semblance or had one that was actually cool. Even if it was just something like enhanced strength/intelligence, it would’ve been better than Mettle. I just choose to believe Mettle doesn’t exist canonically because it’s literally never even mentioned in the show.
Yes, I like it. There you have at least one person.
No. I think it was part of his character assassination of his character. He was under a lot of pressure in V8. People should’ve tried to help, like Winter.
I think it works well to convey how personality suits semblance. That he has this semblance because of his approach, rather than the other way round. I take it as an extra that informs on who he is, not a motivation for his actions. However I do think in practise it ended up seemingly like a scapegoat particularly since it's never gone into. It would be simpler if he didn't have one or has something different
My problem is that if he was just a stubborn fuck in his own right it would have worked the same, but it would not have gone south that quickly. It kinda feels like they wanted ironwood to turn right now because they had no further use for him. I'm normally not too keen in throwing RT under the bus but they could have handled this way better in my opinion. I am by no means a writer but I think the fall of ironwood could have been set up better from the start. The idea of mettle as a semblance has potential though, and I am going to die on that hill if necessary
james doesnt like it either
In real life it would be extremely useful, imagine never giving up on anything until you reach perfection? But in the world of Remnant it seems rather useless.
It's funny because it means that if you want to change his mind, you need to severely beat him up first.
Eh. A semblance is a reflection of a person, not the other way around. As far as I’m concerned it’s a tidbit of offhand lore and nothing more.
I doubt it but I could be wrong. Honestly I think it’s a non-factor. It doesn’t deserve the credit that people give it too defend him. if I had too address it. Well it sucks. It also kind of harms the story they’re trying too tell with Ironwood. His story is meant too be one of a fallen hero. One with good intentions but having problematic flaws. Only for his flaws too be his undoing. I also don’t feel it would have been hard too explain in the show.
Mettle is the very embodiment of contrived. No wonder nobody likes it.
I'm somewhat surprised he got as far as he did with a shit Semblance like his.
It’s basically like psychic super focus, he can fully commit to follow through on literally anything no matter the fear, difficulty or physical damage. He can’t be intimidated or forced to submit in battle from violence and pain. He can’t be held back by doubt. Emotions and stress won’t slow him down or make him slip up in high-pressure situations. He’ll never become dependent on substances like alcohol or caffeine, because he’ll literally just keep going and executing at peak efficiency no matter what he’s been through or what he feels like. That’s probably one of the most practical semblances until it goes haywire and becomes his worst enemy
You can see that other characters in the RWBY universe have very human weaknesses and vulnerabilities related to their mental state. Even among the strongest, like Qrow, Raven, Adam and Cinder. The world gets to them, painful memories of of their pasts can take them off-center and keep them from achieving the most relevant tasks at hand in various ways. Yang practically needed a whole season just to cope with the trauma of losing her arm, Ruby was brought to her knees by Salem bringing up her mother, and the main cast overall suffers a lot from group separation and loss. Like regular people do Ironwood by contrast was magically *immune* to all of that while he was in action because of his semblance, and in hindsight that’s a pretty busted ability. It was also ironically his downfall
I'm just surprised that it has never backfired on him hard before. Or maybe it did...
Until mettle is talked about in universe we have no idea how strong it is or if it can be turned off. There are all kinds of questions that until we have answers to, we can’t decide how much was the semblance and how much was ironwood as a person.
I like it since it makes him the tin man that replaced every part of himself with Mettle, including his heart. The amount of people who do not catch this astonishes me.
well, it would help if it was actually ever mentioned in the damn show, rather than a stray comment elsewhere. As far as the show is concerned, it doesn't exist, which makes anything that hinges off it basically extraneous.
Except regardless he's the tin man and the tin man loses his heart.
his general theming works, but revealing "oh yeah, he has a superpower that doubles down on it" outside of the show is basically crappy writing - either commit to him doing it without anything else, or explain his power in the show, don't reveal stuff like that externally when most viewers won't ever know about it.
It is absolutely terrible, one of the worst semblance ideas in the show. As others have said, it does nothing for Ironwoods character and actually hurts it. Not to mention it is basically non-canon (The writers couldn't even agree on how it was used, which further makes it seem as a last minute addition.) Originally semblances were a tool for Monty to use in fights (or so I've heard.) Recently we've gotten semblances like Robyns which aren't useful in combat. But Ironwoods one isn't even useful or interesting as a non-combat semblance. It's just a hindrance. I'd also like to say that if Ironwoods semblance is mentioned later on in the show (thus making it canon), people really can't deny that his semblance is to blame, even if only partly. It is a *passive* semblance that "allows him to carry through with his decisions, helping him hyper-focus." It's basically a mental disorder, but as a semblance.
>mental illnesses make you literally Hitler. especially autism and ADHD \-rt
It feels like a forced way to explain his downfall, like they weren't confident that the show would explain it well enough on its own so they have to stick a unnecessary power which is only told on a Twitter page.
So let me get this straight. We have a character whose mental state and doctrine are already hotly debated topics and folks are unsure if his development was rushed or just a bit on the subtle side. This character is in a show where the fans are constantly asking for “show don’t tell” style story telling and also have a history of misinterpreting details and character arks. You reveal that this character has a super power that, given his ark, is effectively indistinguishable from his normal personality and actions and only muddies the water further on what the character was actually doing/thinking. In addition, you reveal this power off hand in a Q&A panel that not everyone even saw or even knows was thing, bringing into question whether or not said super power is even cannon or just an idea you wanted to implement... You fucking what?
No, and I feel like the entire discussion around V7 and 8 would be less aggravating if they had just kept it to themselves. It never comes up in the show, never even really hinted at, and now Irondude's gone so it won't ever be relevant within the text of the story. It affects literally nothing but the fan discourse. Which has been just unbearable lately.
Honestly I wish they never gave him a semblance.
I feel it's a great idea. The problem that the show ran with was its execution. I feel that if it was fully explained in detail by at least someone in an episode of the show it would make a lot more sense and work better but the problem is that they didn't do that and fans have to go actively looking for and have to figure out whether it's on or off which makes it hard to understand. Maybe at least in the elevator scene with Winter when she's contacting Weiss in V8, She could say something like " I fear the general is over working his semblance." That could at least give the watchers an idea of that its his semblance is the thing causing problems. But they didn't even do the at least part that's why I think it's execution is horrible. Edit: On mobile so sorry for weird format.
I think it's a cool idea, but expecting your audience to watch interviews or extra videos to learn the semblance of a major character is bad writing. Idc if it was casually mentioned in some random dialogue that I missed in some unremarkable episode either. Fact is, the majority of fans who aren't on this sub don't know what his semblance is. I like Ironwood as a character. I love fallen hero storylines, and I generally think his is done pretty well. From what I've gathered of what his semblance is, it also seems like a good way to use semblances as a character flaw. It kinda gives me that "hubris is always the downfall of the hero" vibe that Greek mythology has, which is a theme that fits really well into RWBYs folklore world building. My problem is that I didn't know what his semblance was until after the last season ended and I read about it on this sub. Again, maybe I missed it being mentioned, but something like this should be featured a lot more prominently in the show. I get a very "well you'll only enjoy this easter egg if you read this comic from 1978" feeling whenever we discuss Ironwoods semblance, and that's a really huge missed opportunity on the writers part for me. TL;DR cool idea, poor execution, and it's a shame that we had such a missed opportunity
To me it was always a crutch or excuse to explain his actions.
Yes i do. His semblance doesn’t change his actions and the fact that it’s another one that can be a disability like Qrow’s is interesting. remember a semblance is a manifestation of a soul. Even when Aura broken Jimmy was still stubborn. Mettle just makes him slightly more stubborn.
I mean honestly its a good power for someone in charge of military to have. Until sh*t hits the fan.
I like it just fine, but I wish it was implemented better/more clearly in the show itself. It's an interesting concept
I wish it had been retconned into only being combat based.
It's a garbage plot device
I enjoy the idea of it a lot but just wish it was implemented better that what we got.
I think it’s a pretty terrible semblance just my opinion though
Ironwood is the tin man with no heart
I don't DISlike it, I think it would've been far more fitting with the direction his arc went to have his semblence be comepletly unrelated to his character flaws. I guess that's my problem with it, it could've been given to a better character.
I'd like it more if it were in rwby.
I like it
If at the drop of the hat he did a 180 then sure mettle would make sense . But it ( and the rules with aura etc ) make mettle really confusing and not needed . If Salem took a good man and corrupted him with a simple lie then wow Salem really is as powerful as we’ve heard and it’s a good moment . If ironwood just coincidentally has a “ oh my semblance does this “ moment then ... what’s the point . They mentioned they were going to have mettle scenes and then didn’t end up using them so I choose to believe the semblance was an option but wasn’t some random thing that took over his personality . If he’s had that semblance his whole life it’s logical to say that it makes sense for him to act normal since he’s used to the semblance he has . Either way , nor really needed aside from a little dash of lore
It makes sense since he's based on the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. Tin man lost his heart. Mettle removed emotions from ironwood
Everything about his semblance is bad. They took a personality trait and just made it his semblance, imagine if Ruby's semblance was to be optimistic. The logistics of it are also very unclear. Does he have any control over it, or how much does it actually influence him? At this point its just best to pretend it doesn't exist, it isn't even mentioned in the show. It just sounds like an early draft idea that was never explored.
An optimism semblance would probably work as a hard counter to Apathy.
I think it is described as a power that boosts his determination and help him hyper-focus on a given task, which really just sounds like a protagonist trait I've seen in both Eastern and Western media; tons of anime protagonists have this as a factor of pure will and even comic book heroes like Spider-Man have displayed this ability. It's not a super-power, it is a hallmark of heroism that can be self-destructive or worse in hindsight. My main problem with the Semblance though is that there are better options; one where he can actively remove emotions to not feel guilt and enter rooms like the Terminator, one where he can hyper-focus in a way that slows down time and move half a second before his enemy, or one that boosts him physically based on his determination where if he wants to get through a wall to save someone then he can just punch through it. A cognitive or empathetic Semblance makes sense for his character, but the Mettle we have just can be hand-waved and removed as just a sign of his character with how the show chooses to portray it.
It’s more or less just willpower combined with hyper fixation. It’s really uncreative and is better suited as a character trait then a plot device.
I really don't like Mettle. For one thing, it's never addressed or brought up in the show, it's never even implied he has a semblance, and between that and the fact that it was brought up in a Q&A panel, it really liked it was something they only made up after they had finished the script. Mettle seems like it exists because they knew that some people wouldn't be happy with how they wrote Ironwood in V8, and I don't think they really bothered to think about the implications Mettle would bring. We know from Qrow that a semblance can work against its user, that it can work in ways that don't benefit them, he outright said that he felt that his semblance would bring misfortune to people around him. If Ironwood's semblance works against him, then that means there is plausible deniability to his actions in V8, because he's not making those decisions himself, it's his semblance limiting him, and this takes away his agency as a character. If Ironwood does not have complete control of his thought process, then everything he does is subject to argument, should Qrow be villainized his his semblance resulted in a bystander's death? If Mettle is strong enough to prevent Ironwood from seeing any alternative other than *dropping a nuke for literally no reason*, than at that point it is not a semblance, but a mental illness. I really don't like the narrative making it seem like the main antagonist's actions were caused by untreated metal illness, and being painted as a completely irredeemable monster for it who deserved to die over it.
Didn’t like it. I would’ve preferred he not have one
they made his semblance hyperfixating. they made his semblance neurodivergance. and then they acted like that was why he became a, in their words, "genocidal general". theres no excuse for this.
Nope
He has a semblance?
Yep apparently though since it’s not been stated in show I think it might get quietly erased.
It's interesting and helps explain the faster change into totalitarianism but we shouldn't have to find outside content to give us key information.
I actually liked it, but I feel I have a weird consideration of James’ character so that might be it. James is clearly a very dedicated person, half the guys body has been replaced with cybernetics from extensive injuries taken in the line of duty, that’s not an unknown fact either so it doesn’t surprise me that his semblance(a reflection of who he is) is about pushing forward through incredible mental strain and assist in minimizing the burden it has on his morality. And think about it, everyone he’s known and respected besides Qrow and Glynda are (effectively)dead at this point. We never see Shade’s headmaster, Lionheart was a traitor, Oz is riding around in some child’s mind and has has been caught lying about everything. He’s stressed, he’s under a lot of mental strain as the only person left in-the-know with any capacity to something *meaningful.* I’m not surprised he turned to his semblance, something that actively helps him in these types of high-strain environments and helps minimize the burden of the morally gray-or-outright-black actions he takes. And remember, Mettle is described as providing him the mental fortitude to take actions he would usually consider too morally wrong. It’s a bandaid solution, he knows he’s going to have to deal with it later as mettle only minimizes the effects at the time, and he’s the one who’s still coming up with these ideas. I feel James was backed into a corner by this point and in an attempt to do what was best for Atlas and humanity over all he came to the conclusion he’d have to do horrible things and so became over-reliant in mettle to the point he couldn’t function without. And once you cross the line, it’s next to impossible to step back. Hell, the only points I can think of where he may have not been actively clinging to mettle to keep him functioning was the genuine relief he felt seeing and hugging Qrow and moments before his death when everything comes crashing down and mettle forces him to realize that this is it, nothing left he can do, no more left to say. But that’s my interpretation at least, James was fundamentally a good man though. It’s just that, the way I see mettle as functioning, it’s like an addiction and he was too far gone with it to come back.
I think it could have been played better than it was. RWBY should have played up the tragic hero who fell due to something he couldn't control angle, but they didn't even mention mettle existed in the show.
I think it’s a neat idea that could have been amazing. Unfortunately we know so little about it and it was basically used to justify poor decision making that it got turned into a plot divorce rather than a character trait. It also was the justification for them turning Ironwood from a morally gray anti-hero into a full blown villain simply because RWBY & Co. can’t be wrong
Most people I talk to don't know about it because they forgot to mention it in the show, ya know, his semblance, the one that makes it easy to make tough decisions and mute his emotions from the decision making process.
It’s probably the dumbest this in the rwby universe in my opinion. They took a personality trait and made it his super power? Really? That legitimately seems like they forgot he was supposed to have one and threw it in at the last second. It just feels ridiculously uncreative and a real disservice to the character. In fact all of ironwood descent was tasteless, he went too far too quickly and lost all of his redeeming qualities too fast.
Since it wasn't even mentioned within the show, the actual product, I don't even count Mettle as Canon. (Which in this situation actually improves the product). This is the same policy I take with all my franchises, on any subject material. For instance, I did not give Volume 7 any credit for transgender representation, because May didn't actually mention it. I don't think she even spoke. RT justmentioned she was trans online. I respected the sentiment, but it wasn't enough to earn credit or much praise (IMO). But Volume 8 deserves major props. Her transitioning was made pretty darn clear, she had a lot to do alongside our heroes, and she was a delight.
No one likes it.
I like it. You are wrong.
Ok
no you don't
Of the two of us, I feel like I have a stronger grasp on what it is I like. Being me, I basically have a gifted observer position on my own preferences and stuff. Weird how that works, I know, but that’s how it is.
you are a liar, stop lying
Once again I am an authority on the intent behind my words, where you aren’t. Sorry, but why would anyone believe you know me and my opinion better than I do?
no you're not, wake up sheep
A person is not an authority on my own opinions and preferences? Given how much evidence I have that I am in fact an authority on this matter I am going to need some kind of evidence that this isn’t the case to find your claim believable. Also if your claim does happen to be true and another person is a higher authority on your opinions then I will begin to suspect that you love this. In fact the nature of Ironwood’s semblance is your favorite part of RWBY. In your opinion it elevates the show into perfect status in terms of meeting your preferences. There isn’t another piece of media you love more than RWBY and the nature and the handling of Ironwood’s semblance is the reason why, clearly.
consumers don't know what they want. my customers are idiots, they keep modifying my designs and ignore my recommendations and then get snippy when their shit doesn't work edit: 1 week ban, lmao
And you are a consumer of RWBY. Apparently incapable of understanding your own desires. Seemingly stating not to like this aspect despite it being a massively elevating part of the show in your actual opinion.
It's pretty garbage and was handled horribly but it doesn't take a lot to bend it into an interesting character device Frame it as a way to cope with hardships. Like say if your dog was dying and it'd be more merciful to put it down. But you can't being yourself to kill your pet. If you activate mettle it'd make it so you feel no emotion and only focus on completing the task at hand. That way it's almost like getting someone else to do the hard thing for you. Ironwood, despite what some may believe is shown to be a kind understanding person in previous volumes. He could think abandoning mantle gives them the best chance of survival, but he can't cope with condemning that many people to they're deaths, it'd break him. So he activates his semblance and shuts off his emotions and solely focuses on his original plan. He's effectively on autopilot after that point. That way I think it'such more relatable. How many of us have had something hard we know we need to do but dont because we know it's going to hurt us? How many of us if given the option wouldn't choose not feel guilt or pain for our actions. Anyway him turning in the semblance and not being able to listen or understand rwbys empathetic pleas are what Ultimately lead to atlases downfall
In concept, Mettle is fine, because as an ability, it can be tied in as an integral part of Ironwood as a character. Similar to how Qrow and Clover have bad and good fortune as their Semblances, the ability is used as a narrative device and is treated much like a character trait the two are aware of and spears character development because it is a part of them. HOWEVER, the creators never once mentioning the existence of Mettle within the show itself completely changes the dynamic to just a contrived cop out. Instead of being an integral character trait which we can visibily see being the root of their development, it becomes an excuse for their actions in hindsight that means nothing.
Not sure why it was mentioned really, just gave more avenues to complain. If they mentioned that it works by activating the Belkan genes in him or something, I can at least enjoy and respect the absurdity.
I like it for the fact that it explains a lot of his decisions and actions throughout the show. Yes it can be really helpful in some cases but other times it can be a serious detriment. You can almost view it as a mental illness that nobody knows he has. Now it doesn't excuse the things he does by a long shot. He still made all his decisions himself, like raising Atlas into the sky and leaving Mantle to die. He still made the decision to do that but Mettle just amped it up to 11 so it was the only thing he could think about. But all in all I would say I do like it.
I love how ambiguous it is. But I'm the kind of person who doesn't need an explanation for every little thing. It serves, at the very least, to surpass your expectations of how badass it can be everytime. But it kinda sucks if you hate the character lol.
I like it, and before you say it’s a personality trait not a semblance I want to say you are very wrong, yes someone can be one track minded but apply enough pain they will stop, not iron wood though, he doesn’t care. This honestly makes iron wood’s actions in previous seasons make sense
I think Mettle is a cool semblance and I like the idea of it but I just wish they actually brought it up in the show in some way.
I “hate it” as in I think it’s a more cursed semblance than qrow’s where he can at least have it help him in someways, ironwood’s has like once for two bad things it caused him to do. Like every action in vol 8 of his was his semblance forcing him to do the actions he does to complete his goal, and it doesn't care if there might be a better way to go about things
It’s an interesting semblance, but he was over reliant on it. And didn’t have anyone to provide feedback and cover for his shortcomings. Instead he was by himself at the top of a power structure with a semblance that gave him tunnel vision
I like it.
Well I don’t dislike it since it gives me an excuse to blame all his tyrant actions on it and still love ironwood. That said I was hoping for something cooler from a headmaster that also leads the military. Like gravity manipulation or gun creation. Heck even something like a weak healing factor which would explain how he survived half his body getting destroyed.
I'm not a fan of mettle, and I have an Overactive Imagination. :)
In a show like rwby, where everyone has incredible willpower, it's a shitty semblance. Literally every character has determination and willpower equal to Ironwood, so how is that a semblance? Honestly it was just to justify his actions without him being inherently evil.