Review: RWBY Vol.8 “Worthy”

Overview

In a series of convoluted problems that are somewhat solved due to Ruby and the Staff of Creation’s efforts. A plethora of mystical portals begin to open across different parts of Atlas & Mantle, However, a few setbacks were made since the communications were cut, So now they have to travel across different portals to inform the civilians that’s it’s safe to enter the portals they will lead everyone to safety. And between their destination is a large black hub of infinite space with golden mystical bridges where they inform everyone that it’s a one-way trip to Vacuo. Of course, the trip takes an unexpected turn when Cinder begins to Steal the show with a bang. And not only does she make an effort to attack everyone within the Hub with Neo’s help, but we learn in another flashback what Cinder was really up to when she and Watts met up with Neo before enacting their plan.



It’s quite possible Watts’ previous words got to Cinder to the point that she’s beginning to think strategically as opposed to making every impulsive shit-decision ever made regarding her grudge against Ruby and defying Salem’s orders. But in an unexpected twist, we see how everything plays out from the villain’s point of view making them dangerously two-steps ahead of Ruby’s plan with Watts pulling the proverbial strings from behind the scenes through an Atlas computer. And it makes part of me sad for Jinn during all of it as she’s bound by the rules of the Relic she’s tied with regardless of who’s holding it. During the chaos of the situation, we see some unexpected events unfold with some showing how both Harriet and Ironwood escape their fates due to Watts’ machinations behind the scenes, while in the black space-hub their battle against Cinder & Neo isn’t without some unexpected and shocking casualties leaving Blake with a tough decision to make…



Due to the proverbial strings pulled by Watts, three match-ups begin to unfold. As Ironwood being the militant shit-person he is, begins to escape with his guns and after straight-up murdering somebody not worth mourning over, Ironwood then encounters Winter who decides to make one last stand against his militant-ass, while Robyn and Qrow intercept the Ace-Op’s ship who still want to transport the Bomb to Mantle with or without Ironwood ordering them, leading to a funny and badass scene with Qrow crashing through the ship and to fans It looks like we’re finally going to get that long-awaited fight between him and Harriet. Since most of the Atlas & Mantle Refugees made it towards Vacuo and as most of Team RWBY’s fates remain uncertain (At least until the last episode), it ends on a very suspenseful cliffhanger when the People Of Vacuo are under another Grimm attack during a sand-storm. And since the Portals can’t be re-entered once you exit to Vacuo, Oscar/Ozpin, Ren and Emerald are currently their only line of defense…



Our Take

I kinda called it. Just as soon as the episode started off in all light-hearted and optimistic, I knew something was going to go wrong and it turned out to be a plethora of mistakes mostly on Ruby’s end of underestimating Cinder. It’s possible whatever Cinder has learned from Watt’s rant, could’ve changed the way she approaches people as opposed to the “I’m all-powerful alone” mentality she once had. As for what happens within the Hub it was quite a shocking twist, and what Blake witnesses puts her in a troubling situation…

For the Harriet vs Qrow battle, she seems super-dedicated to upholding all of Ironwood’s bullshit despite their plan failing miserably of preserving any sort of order. I keep noticing this recurring theme throughout the episode that nobody has time to mourn the fallen. And given the situations that everyone is being forcibly thrust upon them because the plot says so, It could have troubling implications on a psychological level. As for Watts, he seems to be causing the most trouble behind the scenes and is relishing in his villainy. But now I want to talk about Ironwood and his betrayal. Because each of the Atlas & Ace-Op people who followed Ironwood did so for different reasons, but none of those reasons are Ironwood himself. They follow him because they believe he represents what truly motivates them.

Ironwood’s actions in this volume have betrayed every single one of those motivations. Not all of his followers have realized it yet, but once they do, none of them will have any reason left to obey him and he will see that defection as an ultimate betrayal of him and of what he believes himself to represent. He will stand alone, thinking himself betrayed by everyone, but having himself betrayed everything he claimed to stand for.

With one last episode left for this Volume, I’m curious to see how all 3 battles will play out and who will actually survive because the writers clearly know how to mess with their fanbase. The problem is that this volume wants the stakes of Avengers: Infinity War, but instead of subverting expectations where the good guys lose even though they tried their best, this volume shows an issue or two of said problems being easily solved. Hopefully, that’s not the case here and we get to see actual consequences at the end of it as Team RWBY still remains inside the Black Hub fighting against an enemy (Cinder) who clearly has an intense hatred for them…