Fourth Wing Characters: Complete Guide, Dragons & Signets

The main Fourth Wing characters are Violet Sorrengail, Xaden Riorson, Dain Aetos, Rhiannon Matthias, Liam Mairi, Ridoc Gamlyn, Sawyer Henrick and Mira Sorrengail, all cadets and officers tied to Basgiath War College in Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series. This guide covers who they are, which dragons they’re bonded to, what their signets do, and how they relate to each other, starting spoiler-free and moving into clearly marked spoiler territory as it goes.

Fourth Wing is Book 1 of the Empyrean series. Most of this guide focuses on that book, with later details from Iron Flame and Onyx Storm clearly labeled so you can stop reading whenever you want to stay unspoiled.

Quick Fourth Wing Character Table

This table covers the cast readers ask about most. A longer list of supporting characters, marked riders and faculty follows below.

Fourth Wing Characters Without Spoilers

If you haven’t finished Fourth Wing yet, here’s the core cast with no deaths, betrayals or later-book reveals.

Violet Sorrengail is the protagonist. She’s smaller and physically frailer than most cadets, but she enters the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College at her mother’s insistence rather than joining the Scribe Quadrant she’d trained for. She bonds with Tairn, a rare black dragon, and later with a second dragon, Andarna.

Xaden Riorson is the wingleader of Fourth Wing, the squadron Violet is assigned to. He’s a third-year rider, bonded to Sgaeyl, and one of the “marked riders,” cadets whose parents took part in a past rebellion against the Navarrian crown.

Dain Aetos is Violet’s childhood friend and, at the start of the book, her squad leader. He’s bonded to Cath.

Rhiannon Matthias becomes Violet’s closest friend among the first-years. She’s bonded to Feirge.

Liam Mairi, Ridoc Gamlyn and Sawyer Henrick round out Violet’s squad. Liam is Xaden’s foster brother and looks out for Violet; Ridoc is the squad’s resident jokester; Sawyer is repeating his first year after not bonding a dragon at his first Threshing.

Mira Sorrengail is Violet’s older sister, an experienced Rider who fought in an earlier campaign. General Lilith Sorrengail, their mother, commands the Riders Quadrant and is bonded to Aimsir.

That’s the spoiler-free version. Everything below this point covers plot developments, so stop here if you want to go in fresh.

SPOILERS AHEAD. The sections below include character fates, deaths, signets revealed later in the story, and information from Iron Flame and Onyx Storm.

What Do the Fourth Wing Characters Look Like?

Here’s what the core cast looks like, based on descriptions from the books.

Violet Sorrengail is pale, short and physically frail, a result of a chronic connective-tissue condition similar to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She has long brown hair that fades to silver at the tips, usually worn braided, and hazel eyes that shift between blue and amber tones.

Xaden Riorson is tall and built, with black hair, dark brows and a strong jaw. His eyes are onyx, flecked with gold, and a diagonal scar cuts across his left eyebrow onto his cheek. His rebellion relic marking, tied to his bond with Sgaeyl, covers most of his back.

Dain Aetos has soft brown eyes and brown hair, with a beard that partly covers an old scar.

Rhiannon Matthias has dark skin, curly hair and an oval face. She’s a twin, and her sister Raegan doesn’t attend Basgiath.

Liam Mairi is tall with spiky blond hair, sky-blue eyes, a prominent nose and a dimple when he smiles.

Ridoc Gamlyn has floppy brown hair and brown skin, and is noticeably shorter and leaner than most of the other cadets.

Sawyer Henrick is tall, lean and wiry, with a fair, freckled complexion.

Jack Barlowe has a “monstrous” build, icy blue eyes and thick blond eyebrows.

Imogen Cardulo has a half-shaved, half-pink hairstyle, pale green eyes and hooped piercings along both ears, along with a rebellion relic on her forearm.

How Old Are the Fourth Wing Characters?

Not every character’s age is stated outright in the books, so this table only includes ages that are consistently confirmed. If a character isn’t listed, their age hasn’t been reliably established.

Violet and Xaden‘s ages come up directly in the text and are the two most consistently cited across reader guides. Dain and Liam’s ages are reported in character reference guides but aren’t stated as explicitly on the page, so treat those two as close estimates rather than confirmed facts.

That’s the spoiler-free version. Everything below this point covers plot developments, so stop here if you want to go in fresh.

SPOILERS AHEAD. The sections below include character fates, deaths, signets revealed later in the story, and information from Iron Flame and Onyx Storm.

Main Fourth Wing Characters

Violet Sorrengail

Role: Protagonist, first-year Rider Age: 20 Dragons: Tairn, later also Andarna Signet: Lightning wielding, channeled through Tairn Group: Second Wing, Violet’s squad

Violet was raised to become a Scribe like her late father, and spent her childhood studying rather than training for combat. Her mother, General Lilith Sorrengail, forces her into the Riders Quadrant instead. Physically, Violet is at a disadvantage against cadets who are bigger and stronger, so she survives on intelligence, preparation and stubbornness. Bonding with Tairn, a black Morningstartail dragon considered one of the rarest and most powerful in the den, is already unusual. Bonding with a second dragon, the golden dragonet Andarna, is unprecedented, and it’s one of the central mysteries of the book. Her signet, lightning wielding, comes through her bond with Tairn.

Bonding with Tairn, a black Morningstartail dragon considered one of the rarest and most powerful in the den, is already unusual for a first-year with no fighting pedigree. Bonding with a second dragon, the golden dragonet Andarna, is unprecedented in the story and becomes one of the book’s central mysteries, since dragonets aren’t supposed to be old enough to bond a rider at all. Her signet, lightning wielding, comes through her bond with Tairn and marks her as a target: signets that powerful are rare, and rare riders draw attention from people who want to use or eliminate them. Violet’s closest relationships, with Rhiannon, Liam, Dain and eventually Xaden, form the emotional core of the book, and her growing willingness to trust people outside her family is as much a part of her arc as the physical training.

Key points:

• Trained her whole life to become a Scribe before her mother forced her into the Riders Quadrant
• Lives with a chronic condition similar to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and compensates with tactics, not strength
• Bonds with two dragons, Tairn and Andarna, which is unprecedented in the story
• Signet: lightning wielding, channeled through Tairn
• Her rank and her power both make her a target from her first day at Basgiath

Xaden Riorson

Role: Wingleader of Fourth Wing, marked rider Age: 23 Dragon: Sgaeyl Signet: Shadow wielding Group: Fourth Wing leadership, rebellion

Xaden is the son of Fen Riorson, who led a failed rebellion against the crown and was executed for it. As one of the “marked ones,” Xaden carries a rebellion relic and lives under close scrutiny from the military. His dragon, Sgaeyl, is mated to Tairn, which pulls Xaden and Violet’s lives together in ways neither of them expects. He and Violet start out hostile toward each other because of the history between their families, and their relationship becomes one of the book’s central threads.

• Xaden Riorson: Fourth Wing Character, Signet, Dragon & Story Explained

His dragon, Sgaeyl, is mated to Tairn, which pulls Xaden and Violet’s lives together whether either of them wants that or not. He and Violet start out hostile, since Xaden holds Violet’s mother responsible for his father’s execution, and Violet has grown up believing the Riorsons are traitors. That hostility gives way slowly, first to a wary alliance and then to the series’ central romantic relationship, as Violet learns Xaden isn’t simply protecting himself. He’s brokered a deal with General Sorrengail to keep the other marked riders alive, and by the end of Fourth Wing it becomes clear he’s been running his own operation in secret, smuggling weapons to Poromiel to fight an enemy Navarre’s leadership refuses to acknowledge.

Key points:

• Son of executed rebel leader Fen Riorson; one of 107 “marked” rebellion kids conscripted instead of killed
• Strongest rider of his generation until Violet bonds Tairn
• Dragon Sgaeyl is mated to Tairn, which ties his and Violet’s fates together
• Signet: shadow wielding
• Secretly smuggles weapons to Poromiel to fight the venin, against Navarre’s official position
• Starts as Violet’s enemy, becomes her central love interest

Dain Aetos

Role: Second-year squad leader, later Wingleader Dragon: Cath Signet: Retrocognition (reading memories through touch) Group: Second Wing

Dain is Violet’s oldest friend; their fathers served together, and the two grew up close. At the start of Fourth Wing, he’s her squad leader and tries to protect her, sometimes in ways that put him at odds with what Violet actually wants. His signet lets him read another person’s memories on contact, which becomes a significant plot point later in the series.

At the start of Fourth Wing, Dain tries repeatedly to get Violet transferred out of the Riders Quadrant and into the Scribes, convinced the Quadrant will kill her. Violet reads this, correctly, as him not trusting her to survive on her own terms, and it creates real friction between them even as their history keeps them tied together. Dain is disciplined and rule-bound almost to a fault, which puts him at odds with Xaden’s more improvisational leadership style, and the rivalry between the two men is as much about approach as it is about Violet. His signet, retrocognition, lets him read another person’s memories through touch, an ability that makes him useful to command and becomes a significant plot point as the series goes on.

Key points:

• Violet’s childhood friend and, at first, her squad leader
• Father, Colonel Aetos, is General Lilith Sorrengail’s close advisor
• Dragon Cath; signet: retrocognition, reads memories through touch
• Repeatedly tries to get Violet transferred out of the Riders Quadrant “for her own good”
• Rivalry with Xaden is about leadership style as much as it is about Violet

Rhiannon Matthias

Role: First-year Rider, later squad leader Dragon: Feirge Signet: Retrieval (summoning objects to her hand) Group: Violet’s squad

Rhiannon comes from a small town near Navarre’s border and enters Basgiath with a practical, no-nonsense attitude that makes her one of the more grounded members of Violet’s squad. She has a twin sister, Raegan, who isn’t a Rider and lives a separate life outside the Quadrant, a contrast that comes up as Rhiannon reflects on the life she chose instead. She’s a genuinely skilled fighter from the start, strong enough in hand-to-hand combat that she and Sawyer offer to train Violet in exchange for Violet’s help with the college’s brutal history exams, a trade that turns into real friendship rather than a transaction.

Rhiannon becomes Violet’s closest friend in her year, and their relationship is built on the kind of blunt honesty that doesn’t tolerate excuses. She’s protective without being controlling, which sets her apart from Dain’s more anxious brand of protectiveness, and she takes Violet’s secrets in stride even when they put the squad at risk. As the series continues, Rhiannon moves into more of a leadership role herself, and her loyalty to Violet holds even when Violet isn’t able to tell her everything.

Key points:

• First-year Rider from a small border town; becomes Violet’s closest friend
• Has a twin sister, Raegan, who isn’t a Rider
• Trades combat training with Sawyer for Violet’s help on history exams
• Dragon Feirge; signet: retrieval, summons objects to her hand
• Protective without being controlling, a contrast to Dain’s more anxious style

Violet’s Squad and Allies

Violet’s first-year squad is where most of the book’s found-family dynamic comes from.

• Liam Mairi — bonded to Deigh, a red daggertail. The son of a rebellion leader executed years earlier, Liam is conscripted into the Riders Quadrant and becomes fiercely protective of Violet, at Xaden’s request and then out of genuine loyalty.
• Ridoc Gamlyn — bonded to Aotrom, a brown swordtail, with a signet of ice wielding. Ridoc is the squad’s main source of humor but proves consistently reliable when it counts.
• Sawyer Henrick — a repeat first-year who didn’t bond a dragon at his first Threshing. He later bonds with Sliseag, a red swordtail, and manifests a signet of metal wielding.

Xaden’s Allies and Marked Riders

Xaden’s circle overlaps with the “marked riders,” cadets connected to the earlier rebellion.

• Garrick Tavis — a third-year leader of Flame Section and one of the strongest fighters in Fourth Wing. His signet is air wielding.
• Imogen Cardulo — bonded to Glane, an orange dragon. Her signet lets her erase a recent memory.
• Bodhi Durran — Xaden’s cousin, bonded to Cuir, a green swordtail. His signet counters or negates other riders’ signets.

Sorrengail Family

• Violet Sorrengail — see above.
• Mira Sorrengail — Violet’s older sister and an experienced Rider.
• Brennan Sorrengail — Violet and Mira’s older brother, believed killed years earlier fighting the Tyrrish rebellion.
• General Lilith Sorrengail — Violet’s mother, Commanding General of the Riders Quadrant, bonded to Aimsir.

Basgiath Faculty and Military Figures

Basgiath War College is run by a mix of instructors and military command. General Melgren is Commanding General of all Navarrian forces, and his dragon Codagh grants him a rare and highly valuable signet: the ability to foresee the outcome of a battle before it happens, which makes him one of the most powerful men in Navarre regardless of rank. General Lilith Sorrengail, Violet’s mother, commands the Riders Quadrant specifically and is bonded to Aimsir. Colonel Aetos, Dain’s father, serves as Lilith’s close advisor, which is part of why Dain feels caught between duty and friendship throughout the book. Among the teaching staff, Professor Kaori is bonded to a dragon whose signet lets him project what he sees onto others’ minds, and Nolon, an 84-year-old rider, holds an extremely rare mending signet that lets him heal injuries most riders would die from. Other named faculty and staff appear across the series in support and combat-training roles; a dedicated dragons-and-signets guide covers them in more depth.

Key points:

• General Melgren commands all of Navarre’s forces and can foresee how a battle will end
• General Lilith Sorrengail, Violet’s mother, commands the Riders Quadrant
• Colonel Aetos, Dain’s father, is Lilith’s close advisor
• Professor Kaori and Nolon are two of the few named instructors with confirmed, unusual signets

Political Figures

King Tauri rules Navarre for most of Fourth Wing. Navarre itself is made up of several provinces, the largest of which, Tyrrendor, attempted to secede more than six centuries after joining the kingdom, an uprising known as the Tyrrish rebellion. That rebellion is the reason Xaden and the other marked riders exist: when it was crushed, the rebellion’s leaders, including Xaden’s father Fen Riorson, were executed, and their 107 children were marked and conscripted into the Riders Quadrant rather than killed alongside them.

Navarre’s neighbor, Poromiel, has its own ruling structure, and the two kingdoms are bound by a long-standing trade agreement rather than an alliance. The wider Empyrean series introduces additional royal and political figures in both Navarre and Poromiel as the war with the venin escalates, but their roles are developed mainly in Iron Flame and Onyx Storm rather than Book 1, so they’re intentionally left out of this Fourth Wing-focused guide.

Key points:

• King Tauri rules Navarre through Fourth Wing
• Tyrrendor’s failed secession, the Tyrrish rebellion, is why the marked riders exist
• Navarre and Poromiel are separate kingdoms bound by a trade agreement, not allies
• Later books expand the political cast significantly; those figures aren’t covered here since they fall outside Book 1

Villains and Antagonists

Jack Barlowe is Violet’s most direct antagonist in Fourth Wing, a hostile rider bonded to Baide, an orange scorpiontail dragon. He’s established early as one of the most dangerous first-years in the Quadrant, willing to kill fellow cadets in the opening days of training, and he singles out Violet specifically because of her size and her mother’s rank. He appears to die near the end of the book, but Iron Flame reveals he survived and has become venin, a dark-magic wielder who draws power directly from the earth rather than through a dragon bond, and is stronger and more dangerous as a result.

The venin as a group are the series’ larger antagonistic force, framed for most of Fourth Wing as a myth or old superstition before Violet learns they’re real and that Navarre’s government has been hiding the truth about them. Wyverns, the twisted, dragon-like creatures venin can create or control, appear as a direct physical threat during the book’s climax and are responsible for the deaths late in the story.

Key points:

• Jack Barlowe is Violet’s main in-book antagonist, bonded to Baide
• He appears to die in Fourth Wing but is revealed to have survived as venin in Iron Flame
• Venin are the series’ true antagonistic force, treated as myth for most of Fourth Wing
• Wyverns are the venin’s dragon-like creatures and are the direct threat in the book’s climax

Fourth Wing Characters and Their Dragons

Dragons in Fourth Wing aren’t mounts, they’re bonded partners who choose their riders during a ceremony called the Threshing, and a rider who loses their dragon dies with them. Dragons come in six recognized colors, black, brown, green, blue, red and orange, with black dragons considered the rarest and most powerful.

Andarna is a gold Feathertail, a dragon type distinct from the other six colors, and her bond with Violet is unusual because dragonets typically aren’t old enough to bond a rider. Sgaeyl and Tairn are dragon mates, which is part of why Xaden and Violet’s lives stay entangled throughout the series.

Fourth Wing Characters and Their Signets

A signet is a magical ability a rider manifests through their bond with a dragon. Not every signet is public knowledge, and some riders’ abilities aren’t revealed until later books, which is marked below.

Some readers’ fan theories about additional or “second” signets circulate online. This table only lists signets confirmed in the books, not speculation.

Fourth Wing Character Relationships

Relationships drive most of the tension in Fourth Wing, on top of the physical danger of the Riders Quadrant itself. Here’s how the most important ones break down.

• Violet and Xaden. They start as enemies: Xaden holds Violet’s mother responsible for his father’s execution, and Violet grew up believing the Riorsons were traitors. That hostility is deepened by the fact that their dragons, Tairn and Sgaeyl, are mated, which keeps forcing the two of them together whether they want it or not. The relationship shifts from open animosity to a wary alliance and then into the series’ central romance, built on Xaden’s decision to protect Violet even when it isn’t strategically necessary for him to do so.
• Violet and Dain. This is the longest relationship in the book, going back to childhood, and it’s more complicated than a simple rivalry with Xaden. Dain’s protectiveness comes from genuine history and real affection, but it repeatedly clashes with Violet’s need to be trusted rather than shielded. Their dynamic is defined by that tension: Dain wants Violet safe, Violet wants Dain to believe she can handle herself, and the book doesn’t fully resolve which of them is right.
• Violet and Rhiannon. This is the book’s core friendship rather than a romantic thread, and it’s built on bluntness rather than protection. Rhiannon doesn’t try to talk Violet out of the Riders Quadrant the way Dain does; she treats Violet as a capable equal from early on, which is part of why Violet trusts her more completely than almost anyone else in her squad.
• Violet and Liam. Liam is assigned to look out for Violet at Xaden’s request, so the relationship starts as an obligation rather than a friendship. It develops into genuine loyalty over the course of the book, which is part of what makes his death near the end land as hard as it does.
• Violet, Mira and Brennan. The Sorrengail siblings all carry the weight of their family’s military legacy and their mother’s rank, but they carry it differently. Mira is the experienced Rider who’s already been through what Violet is facing. Brennan is absent, believed killed years earlier fighting the Tyrrish rebellion, and his death is a major part of why Violet feels she has to prove herself at Basgiath in the first place.
• Xaden and Dain. Their conflict isn’t personal so much as it’s about approach: Xaden leads by improvising and bending rules to protect his people, while Dain leads by the book, trusting the system Xaden has every reason to distrust. Both men care about Violet’s safety, which puts their different philosophies in direct competition rather than letting them stay separate.

Which Fourth Wing Characters Die?

This section covers major plot points from the end of Fourth Wing. Skip it if you haven’t finished Book 1.

Two members of the marked riders die during the book’s climactic battle: Soleil, a supporting third-year rider, and Liam Mairi. Liam’s dragon, Deigh, is killed by a wyvern while protecting Violet and Tairn, and because a rider can’t survive their dragon’s death, Liam dies as well. Jack Barlowe appears to die in the same battle, but Iron Flame reveals he survived and became venin, so his death in Fourth Wing is not final. At least a dozen additional cadets are lost during earlier training exercises in the book, reflecting how dangerous the Riders Quadrant is by design.

Fourth Wing Characters Across the Empyrean Series

Fourth Wing is Book 1 of the Empyrean series, followed by Iron Flame (Book 2) and Onyx Storm (Book 3). The core cast, Violet, Xaden, Dain, Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sawyer, Imogen and others, carries through all three books, with new characters, signets and political figures introduced as the war against the venin expands. In September 2026, Rebecca Yarros released Threshing Day, a collection of thirteen short stories, including one about Xaden, revisiting different characters’ Threshing ceremonies. It’s an Empyrean companion release, not Book 4 of the main series.

FAQ About Fourth Wing Characters

Who are the main characters in Fourth Wing?

Violet Sorrengail, Xaden Riorson, Dain Aetos, Rhiannon Matthias, Liam Mairi, Ridoc Gamlyn, Sawyer Henrick and Mira Sorrengail.

Who is the main character in Fourth Wing?

Violet Sorrengail is the protagonist and narrator.

Who are the characters in Fourth Wing?

Beyond the main cast, Fourth Wing follows a wider group of cadets, dragons, faculty and political figures at Basgiath War College, including squad members like Ridoc, Sawyer and Liam, marked riders like Garrick, Imogen and Bodhi, and command figures like General Melgren and General Lilith Sorrengail. The full breakdown is above, grouped by squad, family, faculty and political affiliation.

What do the Fourth Wing characters look like?

Violet is pale, short and physically frail with brown hair that fades to silver at the tips. Xaden is tall and built, with black hair, onyx eyes flecked with gold, and a scar through his left eyebrow. Full appearance details for the main cast are in the section above.

Who is Violet Sorrengail?

Violet is a first-year Rider at Basgiath War College, bonded to two dragons, Tairn and Andarna, with a lightning-wielding signet.

Who is Xaden Riorson?

Xaden is the wingleader of Fourth Wing, a marked rider bonded to Sgaeyl, and Violet’s primary love interest.

Who is Dain Aetos?

Dain is Violet’s childhood friend and squad leader, bonded to Cath, with a signet of retrocognition.

What are the Fourth Wing characters and their dragons?

See the dragon table above. Every named Rider in Fourth Wing is bonded to one dragon, except Violet, who bonds two.

What are the Fourth Wing characters’ signets?

See the signet table above. Confirmed signets include lightning wielding, shadow wielding, retrocognition, retrieval, ice wielding, metal wielding, memory erasure and signet negation.

Who are Violet’s friends?

Rhiannon Matthias, Liam Mairi, Ridoc Gamlyn and Sawyer Henrick make up Violet’s closest circle in her squad.

Which Fourth Wing characters die?

Liam Mairi and Soleil die at the end of Fourth Wing. Jack Barlowe appears to die but is revealed alive, as venin, in Iron Flame.

Who are the main dragons in Fourth Wing?

Tairn and Andarna (Violet), Sgaeyl (Xaden), Cath (Dain) and Feirge (Rhiannon) are the dragons most central to the story.

What is the difference between a rider and a flier?

Riders bond with dragons at Basgiath War College in Navarre. Gryphon fliers bond with gryphons instead and come from Poromiel, Navarre’s neighboring nation.

Nisbah

Hi, I’m Nisbah – a blogger with over 2 years of experience creating content and a fantasy enthusiast who loves exploring magical worlds, fantasy books, captivating stories, and unforgettable characters. I share book recommendations, reviews, fantasy insights, and story discussions and creating guides to help readers discover their next great adventure.