Rhiannon Matthias is a rider at Basgiath War College in Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series and Violet Sorrengail’s closest friend in the Riders Quadrant. She bonds Feirge, a green Daggertail dragon, and wields the Object Summoning signet, which lets her pull items straight to her hand. She matters because she is more than Violet’s support: she is a skilled fighter, a loyal friend who will challenge Violet when needed, and a squad leader with responsibilities of her own.
Spoiler note: Sections are labeled by book. The “Without Spoilers” section covers only the early setup. Later sections discuss Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm.
Rhiannon Matthias at a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rhiannon Matthias (often called Rhi) |
| Age | Not confirmed in the published books |
| Species | Human |
| Status | Alive as of the latest published main-series book, Onyx Storm |
| Quadrant | Riders Quadrant, Basgiath War College |
| Squad | Second Squad, Flame Section |
| Rank | Rider; Squad Leader from Iron Flame |
| Dragon | Feirge, a green Daggertail |
| Signet | Object Summoning |
| Family | Twin sister Raegan Matthias; nephew Lukas |
| Best friend | Violet Sorrengail |
| Relationships | Tara (romantic partner); Ridoc Gamlyn and Sawyer Henrick (close squad friends) |
| Home | Morraine Province, near the Cygnisen border |
| Appears in | Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm |
Rhiannon Matthias Without Spoilers
Rhiannon comes from a village in Morraine Province, close enough to the Cygnisen border that she learned to defend herself young. That background shows in how she fights: practical, strong, and unbothered by the brutality of Basgiath’s training.
She is one of the first people to treat Violet as a person rather than a target. She teaches Violet to spar, and Violet helps her with history, which Rhiannon openly dislikes. They end up in the same squad, Second Squad of Flame Section, alongside Ridoc and Sawyer.
Her personality is direct, loyal, funny, and hard to rattle. She bonds the dragon Feirge, and her signet, Object Summoning, lets her call objects to herself instead of fetching them.
Who Is Rhiannon Matthias?
Rhiannon Matthias is a dragon rider, a skilled hand-to-hand fighter, and Violet Sorrengail‘s best friend in the Riders Quadrant. She is a member of Second Squad in Flame Section, the rider of Feirge, and the wielder of the Object Summoning signet. By Iron Flame she is a Squad Leader, and her role in the wider conflict grows through Onyx Storm.
Her story is tied to Violet’s, but it does not depend on it. She has her own family, her own relationship with Tara, her own dragon, and a leadership path that develops separately from Violet’s choices.
How Old Is Rhiannon Matthias?
The published books do not state Rhiannon’s exact age. Fan wikis and reference sites sometimes offer numbers, but those are inferences from timelines or secondhand summaries, so this page does not treat any specific age as canon. What can be said safely is that she is a young adult cadet and rider whose rank advances across the series.
When Is Rhiannon Matthias’s Birthday?
The published books do not provide a confirmed birthday for Rhiannon Matthias. Dates that circulate online come from fan sites and zodiac fan content, not from Rebecca Yarros or the publisher.
How Tall Is Rhiannon Matthias?
The books do not give Rhiannon a confirmed numerical height. What the text does establish is that she is physically strong and capable in a fight, which is part of why she can teach Violet to spar.
What Does Rhiannon Matthias Look Like?
Rhiannon has brown eyes and dark brown hair worn in rows of short braids. Her build reads as strong and athletic, consistent with a rider who trains daily in hand-to-hand combat. She wears standard Riders Quadrant fighting and flight gear. The books do not offer a measured, catalog-style description, so details beyond these are interpretation, not canon.
Rhiannon Matthias’s Background
Rhiannon comes from Morraine Province, near the Cygnisen border, where the threat of conflict taught her to defend herself early. She has a twin sister, Raegan, who is married and expecting a baby during Fourth Wing. That child, Rhiannon’s nephew Lukas, is one of the people she is fighting to protect. Her connection to dragons and the Riders Quadrant leads her to Basgiath, where she builds the combat skills she already had into rider-level fighting.
Rhiannon Matthias’s Personality
Rhiannon is fierce, loyal, practical, and confident. She is honest even when it is uncomfortable and disciplined about training. She is also warm and supportive, with a sense of humor that lightens tense scenes.
Her loyalty is not blind obedience. When Violet keeps secrets, Rhiannon says so, because she wants Violet to trust her and does not pretend otherwise. That is what makes her valuable: she can challenge someone she loves without abandoning her.
Who Is Rhiannon Matthias’s Dragon?
Rhiannon’s dragon is Feirge, a green Daggertail. Feirge is the other half of her bond as a rider, and the pair operate as a combat unit throughout the series. Feirge’s presence supports Rhiannon’s growth from first-time cadet to a rider trusted with command.
Rhiannon’s Object Summoning is a rider signet, so it exists because of her bond with Feirge, but it works independently of the dragon in practice. The two together give Second Squad both aerial and close-quarters options.
What Is Rhiannon Matthias’s Signet?
Rhiannon’s signet is Object Summoning. It lets her pull physical objects to herself from a distance instead of having to go and get them.
How it works: She focuses on an item and brings it to her hand. Early on, this is useful for small things in training and fights. By Iron Flame, the power has grown considerably: fan references describe her retrieving objects as large as a person and summoning items through walls. Its limits are real, since she can only summon what she can target and the range and weight she can handle grow with practice.
Tactical value: Object Summoning gives Rhiannon real flexibility in a fight. She can recover a weapon, hide an item, or pull something to herself at the moment it matters. In Iron Flame, she uses it to conceal a dagger during a tense secret-keeping moment with Violet.
Rhiannon Matthias’s Powers and Abilities
| Category | What Rhiannon can do |
|---|---|
| Signet | Object Summoning, which grows stronger across the series |
| Lesser magic | Standard rider use of the Source of power available at Basgiath |
| Hand-to-hand combat | Strong, trained fighter; a main reason she can coach Violet |
| Sparring | Trains and corrects Violet’s technique |
| Tactical ability | Competent squad-level planning, especially as Squad Leader |
| Leadership | Leads Second Squad’s responsibilities from Iron Flame onward |
| Sign language | Part of the squad’s communication skills |
| Other skills | Practical combat instincts from her border upbringing |
Only the first row is her signet. The rest are learned or ordinary abilities, not magic.
Rhiannon Matthias and Violet Sorrengail
Rhiannon is Violet’s best friend, and the friendship is reciprocal. Violet helps Rhiannon with the history she dislikes, and Rhiannon helps Violet become a better fighter. They meet in the early days at Basgiath, and a small gesture before the Parapet, the boot exchange, helps set the tone of trust between them. If you want to know about Violet’s best friend Rhiannon, the short answer is that she is the person Violet most reliably trusts in the Riders Quadrant.
The relationship is tested when Violet hides information. After the Gauntlet-era moments in Fourth Wing, Rhiannon is visibly moved to see Violet survive, and later she is hurt that Violet did not confide in her. In Iron Flame, Violet again struggles to keep secrets from Rhiannon and Mira Sorrengail. The friendship matures because Rhiannon says plainly what she needs: honesty. For more on Violet herself, see our Violet Sorrengail character guide.
Rhiannon Matthias and Tara
Rhiannon and Tara are romantic partners. Tara is a rider in First Wing and, like Rhiannon, comes from Morraine Province. Their relationship is established in Fourth Wing and carried through Iron Flame and Onyx Storm.
Their main obstacle is time. In Iron Flame, Rhiannon says neither of them has enough time for the other because they are both squad leaders, and she hopes it eases the following year. In Onyx Storm, she describes the relationship as steady but constrained by leadership schedules, and says they are not seeing other people. Some fan sources call the relationship open or on-and-off. The published text does not firmly establish that, so this page treats the established relationship as a partnership strained by workload, with other readings as interpretation.
Rhiannon Matthias and Sawyer Henrick
Sawyer Henrick is one of Rhiannon’s close squad friends. Together with Ridoc and Violet, they form the tight group that grows into the Iron Squad. The relationship is friendship, not a romance, and the books do not frame it otherwise.
Rhiannon Matthias and Ridoc Gamlyn
Ridoc is a member of Second Squad from early on, and his bond with Rhiannon is playful and built on trust. They trade jokes, rely on each other in training, and hold together as the squad faces the escalating war in Iron Flame and Onyx Storm. Their dynamic shows the lighter side of Rhiannon’s personality.
Rhiannon Matthias’s Family
Rhiannon’s closest family are her twin sister Raegan Matthias and her nephew Lukas. During Fourth Wing, Raegan is married and expecting, and Rhiannon wants to see her sister and the baby, which is why she asks Violet for help sneaking away from the outpost to visit. The books give little detail about Rhiannon’s parents, so this page does not say more than that. The important point is that her family anchors her. It reminds the reader what she is fighting for.
Rhiannon Matthias in Fourth Wing
Fourth Wing introduces Rhiannon as a strong, confident cadet and Violet’s first real friend at Basgiath. She teaches Violet to spar, takes part in the boot exchange before the Parapet, and becomes part of Second Squad in Flame Section. Her fighting skill makes her one of the few people who can help Violet survive.
She bonds Feirge during the Threshing and discovers her Object Summoning signet. Across the first year, including the War Games and the book’s major trials, she grows from a capable cadet into someone Violet depends on. The book also plants the central tension of their friendship: Violet’s secrets versus Rhiannon’s need for trust.
Rhiannon Matthias in Iron Flame
Spoilers for Iron Flame follow.
In Iron Flame, Rhiannon is promoted to Squad Leader of Second Squad, Flame Section. The role adds responsibility and cuts into her time with Tara. Her signet also develops, with larger objects and more reliable use.
Her friendship with Violet changes as the truth about the venin, the wards, and Navarre’s secrets emerges. Violet has to tell Ridoc and Sawyer about the venin, and Rhiannon is pulled into the investigation and the growing Revolution. She ends the book alive, still a squad leader, and more committed than ever.
Does Rhiannon Matthias Die in Iron Flame?
Spoiler warning.
No, Rhiannon Matthias does not die in Iron Flame. She survives the book and remains alive, a Squad Leader, and a trusted ally in the conflict. Her story continues into Onyx Storm.
Is Rhiannon Matthias Alive?
Yes. Based on the latest published main-series book, Onyx Storm, Rhiannon Matthias is alive. This page does not speculate about future books.
Rhiannon Matthias in Onyx Storm
Spoilers for Onyx Storm follow.
In Onyx Storm, Rhiannon continues as a leader inside a much larger conflict. She keeps her squad responsibilities and her bond with Violet, and her friendship with Ridoc and Sawyer stays central. Her relationship with Tara persists under the same schedule pressure, and she remains alive at the end of the book.
What Happens to Rhiannon Matthias?
Across the three published books, Rhiannon goes from a first-year cadet at Basgiath to a Squad Leader and trusted fighter in the Revolution. She bonds Feirge, develops Object Summoning, keeps her relationship with Tara, and stays alive through Onyx Storm. Her arc is steady growth, not tragedy.
Rhiannon Matthias’s Character Development
Her progression runs from first-year cadet to loyal friend, capable fighter, dragon rider, Object Summoning wielder, squad leader, trusted ally, and increasingly independent leader.
What changes most is how she uses her loyalty. At first it is personal: she backs Violet. As the truth about Navarre and the wider war becomes clearer, her loyalty widens to include her squad and the cause they are fighting for. She still questions Violet when it matters, but she does so as a leader, not a sidekick. Her agency is visible in her command decisions, her relationship choices, and her willingness to act on her own judgment.
Who Is Rhiannon Matthias’s Love Interest?
Rhiannon’s love interest is Tara, a rider from Morraine Province. Their relationship is the established romantic one in the published books. Sawyer Henrick is a close friend and squad member, not a romantic partner. Keeping these separate matters: Tara is the partner, Sawyer and Ridoc are squad friends, and Violet is her best friend.
How Do You Pronounce Rhiannon Matthias?
The books do not give an official pronunciation. Rhiannon is a Welsh name, usually pronounced “ree-AN-un.” Matthias is typically “muh-THY-us.” These are standard readings of the names, not a statement from the author.
Rhiannon Matthias Quotes
Rhiannon’s most character-defining dialogue is about honesty and loyalty: she tells Violet to trust her and says she wants to help no matter what. Reproducing passages is unnecessary here, and those lines are best read in the books themselves.
Rhiannon Matthias Fan Art and Visuals
This page does not host fan art. Useful original visuals would be a character-facts graphic, a Rhiannon and Feirge relationship graphic, an Object Summoning explainer, and a Rhiannon and Violet friendship graphic.
Who Would Play Rhiannon Matthias?
Prime Video has ordered a Fourth Wing adaptation, but this page does not name an actress as Rhiannon unless an official casting announcement confirms it. Any casting lists you see online are fan casting or rumor.
FAQs About Rhiannon Matthias
Who is Rhiannon Matthias?
A Riders Quadrant rider, Violet’s best friend, Feirge’s rider, and an Object Summoning wielder who becomes a Squad Leader.
What dragon does Rhiannon have?
Feirge, a green Daggertail.
What is Rhiannon’s signet?
Object Summoning, which lets her pull objects to herself.
Who is Rhiannon’s love interest?
Tara.
Does Rhiannon die in Iron Flame?
No.
Is Rhiannon alive?
Yes, as of Onyx Storm.
How old is Rhiannon?
The books do not state her age.
Who is Rhiannon’s sister?
Her twin, Raegan Matthias.
For other characters, see the Fourth Wing characters hub, plus Xaden Riorson, Dain Aetos, Liam Mairi, and Mira Sorrengail.
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.
