In Volume 7 of RWBY, Ruby Rose makes a choice that will haunt her for the rest of the show; one that might be influencing RWBY Volume 9 and beyond in tangible ways. So, why did Ruby lie to Ironwood? How did her decision affect not only her and her team but the whole world?
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Ruby's Lie to Ironwood Explained
In RWBY Volume 7, team RWBY and their friends have finally made it to the kingdom of Atlas, where General Ironwood had forced an embargo, making it almost impenetrable. Once there, Ruby withholds key information from Ironwood, much to fans' dismay.
Despite having stolen an airship and broken several rules, Ironwood welcomes the students and Qrow and expresses regret that his policies have made it impossible to contact him earlier.
Ironwood almost immediately shares his future plans with Ruby and her friends, telling them about the tower with which he hopes to permanently restore communications. Moreover, he shares his wish to warn the world about Salem.
Despite the trust Ironwood has shown her, Ruby chooses to lie and hide key information.
Firstly, she tells Ironwood that the Relic of Knowledge, which she has brought to Atlas, doesn't have any questions left, despite knowing that there is still one question that Jinn, the spirit in the Relic, can answer.
Moreover, Ruby pretends not to know the real reason Ozpin has shut himself off Oscar's mind and withholds the information she has learned, namely that Salem is immortal and that Ozpin used to be her lover.
At only around 16-17, Ruby has already been entrusted with the weight of the world and she can't be expected to get everything right on the first try, especially given all the traumatizing situations she's encountered.
This choice, however, is one that fans hold against her more than any other mistake she's ever made. So, what led her to lie?
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Why Did Ruby Lie to Ironwood?
There are several reasons Ruby might have lied to Ironwood. Throughout her journey, she's seen devastation and betrayal which, paired with her young age and inexperience, make it hard for her to determine who to trust.
Let's break this down a bit further:
Previous Betrayal By a Headmaster
In Volume 5, Ruby and her team visit Professor Lionheart, Headmaster of Haven Academy in the Kingdom of Mistral, and a member of Ozpin's inner circle.
Over the course of the season, it becomes obvious that Lionheart has defected and now answers to Salem and her subordinates.
Lionheart's betrayal almost got Ruby and her friends killed. Due to a series of fortunate circumstances, teamwork, and unexpected help, destruction at the scale of the Fall of Beacon was very narrowly averted.
Some viewers think that Lionheart's betrayal justifies Ruby's actions. While this makes sense, it doesn't feel like a satisfactory reason in and of itself.
Ruby didn't know Lionheart at all before arriving in Mistral and only met him after he had already defected.
On the other hand, Ironwood interacted with team RWBY during their time in Beacon.
He showed sympathy when Yang was wrongfully punished. During the Fall of Beacon, he told the students that they were free to escape to safety if they wished, and he went out of his way to provide a prosthetic when Yang lost her arm.
Moreover, he was as welcoming as the situation allowed when the team arrived in Atlas. He immediately showed them trust, making Ruby's choice to lie even more complicated.
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Others' Reactions to Ozpin's Secrets
While this isn't explicitly confirmed, some viewers attribute Ruby's lie to others' first reactions to Ozpin's secrets.
Her team members were angry and devastated to find out what Ozpin had been hiding from them, but managed to keep moving forward.
Ruby's uncle, Qrow, on the other hand, took the news much worse.
Having dedicated most of his life to helping Ozpin, he understandably felt betrayed when he found out that Ozpin didn't even trust him, a member of his inner circle, enough to tell him the truth.
For a time, Qrow lost all hope and his alcoholism deteriorated until Ruby was able to talk him out of his despair.
Even more worrying was the reaction of team JNPR. Upon finding out the truth, Jaune, one of the kindest characters, lost control and attacked Oscar, even though the young boy had lost his connection to Ozpin and was not responsible for the former headmaster's actions.
The reaction of Jaune, a close friend whom she knew well, must have been shocking for Ruby.
While Jaune regained control soon enough, Ruby might have feared the reaction of Ironwood, a military leader whom she didn't know all that well, and who was known to overreact when afraid.
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Ironwood's Actions
While Ironwood was always kind to team RWBY, he's also shown to advocate extreme measures during a crisis.
This was already foreshadowed in the earlier seasons where characters like Ozpin and Glynda kept Ironwood grounded as his paranoia increased.
This might have made Ruby reluctant to confide in him, having seen how other, milder characters reacted upon learning the truth.
There's no telling what Ironwood would do with this knowledge. But given how important the information about Salem was, leaving Ironwood in the dark while he was preparing to make important strategic decisions ended up being a bad move.
How Does Ruby's Lie Still Affect the Events of RWBY?
It'd be unfair to say that the show would have definitely gone differently if Ruby hadn't lied to Ironwood. However, this lie made it impossible for Ironwood to trust her judgment and cooperate with her.
During times of strife, Ironwood was prone to a totalitarian streak, as his embargo shows.
Therefore, it isn't guaranteed that telling him the truth immediately wouldn't lead to fear, despair, and more draconian measures.
That being said, withholding this information made it truly impossible for him to trust team RWBY.
When Ruby and Oscar try to convince him to help Mantle, he insists on his plan to only save Atlas, with destructive consequences.
Although we can't assume that the tragedy of Volume 8, including Penny's death, the loss of two relics, and the fall of team RWBY to Ever After would have been averted if Ironwood knew the truth earlier, it's hard not to imagine what might have been if Ruby had told him the truth about Ozpin and Salem.
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