Why Hawkeye Wants The Ronin Suit Back So Much

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hawkeye episodes 1 & 2.

Getting his hands on the Ronin costume was Clint Barton’s main mission in Hawkeye’s first two episodes. Though his days of being the black-clad swordsman ended long ago, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye has gone to a lot of trouble to get the suit back. It’s become apparent that the costume holds some degree of importance to Clint.

Hawkeye’s reputation as the Earth’s Mightiest Marksman is of course integral to the series, but it seems that both of his superhero alter egos factor heavily into the show’s story. Hawkeye may have moved on from his Ronin phase shown in Avengers: Endgame, but it looks like some of the enemies that he made during that time haven’t done the same. Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) stealing his Ronin costume from a black-market auction has set off a chain of events, one of which being Hawkeye’s battle with a group called the Tracksuit Mafia and their mysterious boss.

The suit itself – and not just Hawkeye’s activities as Ronin – appear to be key in regards to what is going on in the show. Exactly why Clint needs it hasn’t been thoroughly explained as of yet, but it was said in Hawkeye episode 2 that for him, the Ronin suit is “insurance”. He told Laura (Linda Cardellini) that he has to keep the costume until he “clears things up” with the Tracksuit Mafia. The problem with Hawkeye holding onto the suit is that it obviously links him to the killings he did as Ronin. Having it as insurance doesn’t really make sense unless his plan is to prove that he’s actually Ronin, and avoid implicating someone else. That could very well be the case, now that the MCU's Kate Bishop has worn the costume.

Clint stands in front of Grills in Hawkeye.

Hawkeye originally could have pursued Kate Bishop to figure out why she was wearing his Ronin suit, but could have developed different intentions afterward. All of his questions about people who may have seen Kate wearing the suit point to Clint’s concern about her getting wrapped up in some of his old problems. If Kate’s conflict with the Tracksuit Mafia continues, Hawkeye may need the suit if he’s to prove to them that she’s not the one they’re looking for. That would explain why he regards the costume as insurance.

If that’s really what Clint’s plan is, this would likely figure into what happens in Hawkeye episode 3, which may or may not see Hawkeye and Kate Bishop square off with the Tracksuit Mafia. Of course, revealing his real connection to the Ronin suit to the villains likely means that the public would find out the truth as well. If so, Hawkeye may ultimately be held accountable for the things he did between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. However, whether or not that becomes necessary remains to be seen. Hawkeye may end up finding a different solution to his Tracksuit Mafia problem.

More: Hawkeye: Every Marvel Easter Egg & Reference In Episodes 1 & 2