Fourth Wing dragons are sentient, powerful beings that choose their human riders, share magic with them through a bond, and sit at the center of Navarre’s military and political balance. In Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series, a dragon is a partner and a political force with its own society, not a mount. This guide covers the dragons of Basgiath and beyond: their names, riders, colors, tail types, how Threshing works, what Violet’s double bond means, and what the books do and do not say about size and power.
What are the dragons in Fourth Wing? Dragons are intelligent creatures who choose human riders at Threshing, bond with them for life, and lend the power behind rider signets. They have their own governing society, called the Empyrean, and they power Navarre’s wards. Bonds are lifelong: the first page of Fourth Wing says a rider without a dragon is dead.
Fourth Wing Dragons at a Glance
The table below lists the dragons I could verify, with the color and tail as the books describe them. “Not stated” means I could not confirm a value.
| Dragon | Color / den | Tail | Rider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tairn (Tairneanach) | Black | Morningstartail | Violet Sorrengail (previously Naolin) |
| Andarna (Andarnaurram) | Irid (shown as gold in youth) | Feathertail, later Scorpiontail | Violet Sorrengail |
| Sgaeyl | Blue | Daggertail | Xaden Riorson |
| Codagh | Black | Swordtail | General Augustine Melgren |
| Cath | Red | Swordtail | Dain Aetos |
| Sliseag | Red | Swordtail | Sawyer Henrick |
| Aotrom | Brown | Swordtail | Ridoc Gamlyn |
| Teine | Green | Clubtail | Mira Sorrengail |
| Deigh | Red | Daggertail | Liam Mairi |
| Feirge | Green | Daggertail | Rhiannon Matthias |
| Baide | Orange | Scorpiontail | Jack Barlowe |
| Chradh | Brown | Scorpiontail | Garrick Tavis |
| Aimsir | Brown | Not stated | Lilith Sorrengail |
| Smachd | Not stated | Not stated | Professor Kaori |
Several other dragons appear in Onyx Storm and are covered in the Onyx Storm section.
Fourth Wing Dragon Names
The named dragons fall into three groups: major dragons with their own pages, supporting dragons bonded to recurring riders, and dragons with incomplete details.
Major dragons: Tairn, Andarna, Sgaeyl and Codagh. See the pages for Tairn, Andarna and Sgaeyl, and a Codagh page when it is published.
Supporting dragons: Cath, Sliseag, Aotrom, Teine, Deigh, Feirge, Baide, Chradh, Aimsir and Smachd, along with others named in later books.
Incomplete details: For some dragons, color or tail is not explicitly established in published canon in the sources I could verify. This list is not exhaustive, since the books name more dragons than any single guide covers.
Fourth Wing Dragons and Their Riders
Each dragon is bonded to one rider, with one exception: Violet Sorrengail is bonded to two. The core pairings:
- Tairn → Violet Sorrengail (a dragon bonded to a rider)
- Andarna → Violet Sorrengail
- Sgaeyl → Xaden Riorson
- Codagh → General Melgren, Navarre’s commanding general
- Cath → Dain Aetos
- Teine → Mira Sorrengail
- Deigh → Liam Mairi
- Feirge → Rhiannon Matthias
Tairn’s previous rider was Naolin, who died in the Tyrrish rebellion trying to save Brennan Sorrengail. Rider signets belong to riders, not to dragons. Melgren’s battle foresight is his signet, and Violet’s lightning is her signet, though both draw on dragon power through the bond.
Violet’s Dragons
Violet Sorrengail bonds with Tairn and Andarna. Tairn is a black Morningstartail, a large and experienced dragon who chooses Violet on his own. Andarna is a small golden Feathertail at Threshing. In later books, Andarna is revealed to belong to a seventh breed, the Irids, and her tail changes as she matures.
Violet is described as the first rider with two dragons, which is why her case matters. The significance is that the bond with two dragons gives her access to two sources of dragon power at once and changes what other riders and dragons believe is possible. Because Tairn is mated to Sgaeyl, Violet can also communicate with Xaden’s dragon through Tairn, which links the two riders. Full details are on the Violet Sorrengail page.
Fourth Wing Dragon Types: What the Books Actually Use
The books describe dragons by den (color) and tail type, not by “classes.” I found no evidence that Empyrean canon uses a “seven classes” system. The accurate breakdown is:
- Dens or colors: Iron Flame says Violet counts six known types of dragon: black, blue, green, orange, red and brown. It then reveals a seventh, Andarna’s kind, the Irids.
- Tail types: a separate trait, covered below.
- Age or stage: hatchling, young and adult stages affect appearance (Andarna’s tail changes as she grows).
- Status: rank, such as Codagh being the eldest of the black den.
So if a search asks for “seven classes,” the closest accurate answer is six dens plus the newly revealed Irid breed. That is a count of breeds, not an official class system.
Fourth Wing Dragon Colors and Dens
Color indicates a dragon’s den. The six dens in Fourth Wing and Iron Flame are black, blue, green, orange, red and brown, and Iron Flame adds the Irids.
Some dens carry general reputations. Black dragons are described as the smartest, rarest and hardest to outsmart. Blue Daggertails are described as especially ruthless. Treat these as in-world tendencies, not rules. Individual dragons are distinct personalities, and nothing in canon says every dragon of a color behaves the same way.
Fourth Wing Dragon Tail Types
There are six known tail types: Morningstartail, Daggertail, Swordtail, Clubtail, Scorpiontail and Feathertail. Tail type is separate from color. A black dragon can have a Morningstartail (Tairn) or a Swordtail (Codagh).
| Tail type | Known dragons | What the books say |
|---|---|---|
| Morningstartail | Tairn | Bludgeoning power with spikes, a “killing machine” tail |
| Daggertail | Sgaeyl, Deigh, Feirge, Glane, Marbh | Knifelike spikes at the tip that can disembowel an enemy |
| Swordtail | Codagh, Cath, Sliseag, Aotrom | Bladed, associated with several red and brown dragons |
| Clubtail | Teine, Dagolh, Molvic | Heavy, blunt tail |
| Scorpiontail | Baide, Chradh, Andarna (later) | Developed form seen on several dragons |
| Feathertail | Andarna (young) | Seen on hatchlings and young dragons, such as young Andarna |
Descriptions of Morningstartail and Daggertail come from Fourth Wing’s dragon lessons. For Swordtail, Clubtail and Scorpiontail, I could confirm which dragons have them but not detailed function, so only the dragons are listed. Do not read tail type as a power ranking.
How Do Dragons Choose Their Riders?
Dragons choose their riders at Threshing, not the other way around. At Basgiath War College, Riders Quadrant cadets enter the valley and attempt to bond. Many are killed, and some are not chosen. A dragon who picks a rider forms a lifelong bond, and the dragon decides.
After the bond, the rider can channel dragon magic and manifest a signet. A general rule stated in Fourth Wing is that the more powerful the dragon, the more powerful the signet. A rider whose dragon dies also dies, and a dragon suffers badly when its rider is lost.
Why dragons choose particular riders is often not explained. Tairn choosing Violet is one of the few choices the books spell out in detail.
Can One Rider Have Two Dragons?
Yes, in Violet Sorrengail’s case. In Fourth Wing she becomes the first known rider bonded to two dragons, Tairn and Andarna. The books establish that it happened and that it was unprecedented. They do not give a general rule that other riders can do the same, so nothing should be assumed beyond Violet.
What Is the Empyrean?
The Empyrean is the dragons’ own governing body. It is dragon society and authority, not a human organization. Dragons make collective decisions about riders and the war, and humans do not fully understand how it works. Tairn refers to the dragons being divided over what to do in later books.
Who Are the Dragon Elders?
Elders are senior dragons with standing in their dens. Codagh is the eldest of the black den, for example. The exact hierarchy, how elders are selected, and how elder status compares across all dens are not fully explained in the sources I could verify, so this guide does not assert more than that.
How Do Dragon Dens Work?
A den is a dragon’s color group, and each den has its own hatching grounds. Iron Flame says the Dubhmadinn Line, from which Codagh and Tairn descend, hatched in the valley above Riorson House. An Onyx Storm reference note says many reds hatched along cliffs at the Dunness River. Den and tail type are independent, so do not treat them as the same thing.
How Big Are the Fourth Wing Dragons?
The books describe size in relative terms and I found no verified official measurements. Dragons are enormous, and Tairn is repeatedly described as huge. Fourth Wing’s Violet calls Tairn, when unbonded, the biggest dragon she has seen. Fan estimates of heights circulate online but should not be treated as measurements.
Fourth Wing Dragons Size Comparison
Size comparisons between Tairn, Codagh and Sgaeyl are not clearly settled in the sources I verified. Some readers rank Tairn first, then Sgaeyl, with Codagh outside the comparison. Others say Codagh is larger. One Onyx Storm reference lists a dragon named Leothan as “the tallest male,” but I could not verify that wording in the text. Until you check the books directly, treat “who is biggest” as unconfirmed. Larger is not the same as stronger.
Who Is the Most Powerful Dragon in Fourth Wing?
The books do not name a single most powerful dragon. Several sites say Codagh, and several say Tairn. I could not confirm an explicit statement either way.
Different claims should be kept apart:
- Largest: unconfirmed for any one dragon.
- Oldest or eldest: Codagh is the eldest of the black den.
- Most experienced: Tairn and Codagh are both called two of the greatest dragons of their time in Iron Flame.
- Most authority: the Empyrean’s structure is not fully explained.
- Most dangerous in combat: no direct contest between Tairn and Codagh is shown.
- Most narratively significant: Tairn and Andarna, because of Violet.
Ten Best-Known Fourth Wing Dragons (Editorial Selection)
This list is editorial, not an official ranking. It is based on narrative importance and how often readers search for them: Tairn, Andarna, Sgaeyl, Codagh, Cath, Deigh, Feirge, Teine, Baide and Sliseag.
Fourth Wing Dragons and Gryphons
Dragons and gryphons are different creatures with different riders. Dragon riders are called riders, and gryphon riders are called fliers. Gryphon fliers appear in the books, for example Cat Cordella with Kiralair and Drake Cordella with Sovadunn. I could not verify detailed comparisons of strength or magic between the two, so this guide does not make any.
Fourth Wing Dragons in Fourth Wing
Fourth Wing establishes the core rules. Dragons choose riders at Threshing, Violet bonds both Tairn and Andarna, Tairn is mated to Sgaeyl, and the dragon lessons introduce colors and tails. Codagh appears as Melgren’s dragon, and the books explain that a rider dies when their dragon does.
Fourth Wing Dragons in Iron Flame
Iron Flame expands the lore. It reveals a seventh breed, Andarna’s kind, and the wards depend on fire from each breed. Violet asks Codagh to lend fire to the wardstone, and he agrees. Tairn and Codagh are named as descendants of the Dubhmadinn Line.
Fourth Wing Dragons in Onyx Storm
Onyx Storm broadens the cast and the lore. Reference lists add dragons such as Cuir, Dagolh, Glane, Marbh, Molvic, Nuirlach, Thoirt and others, plus more Irids (Dasyn and Leothan). One reference says the mated dragons Greim and Maise can communicate over a longer range than Tairn and Sgaeyl, and that Thareux was the first black dragon to bond a human. I could not verify these details in the text, so treat them as reference-guide claims.
What Does Threshing Day Add to Dragon Lore?
Threshing Day is a 13-story collection about bonding day, released on September 29, 2026. It covers Threshing from the perspectives of riders, including Xaden, and is not Book 4. Yarros has called its first-person accounts faithful. Reports say the first chapter shows that even Basgiath’s staff struggle to tell dragons apart, and that Imogen’s bond with her dragon has an unusual backstory.
I could not read the book itself, so nothing beyond these reported points is included, and none of it is used to change the dragon rules above.
Why Are Dragons So Important in the Empyrean Series?
Dragons matter for ten connected reasons: they are the source of magic, the other half of every rider bond, the origin of signets, the power behind the wards, Navarre’s military strength, a society with its own authority, a political force, holders of history, keepers of secrets, and central to the wider conflict. Tairn and Sgaeyl’s mating links Violet and Xaden. Codagh’s fire changed the rebellion’s fate. Andarna’s breed is essential to the wards.
Fourth Wing Dragons FAQ
What are the dragons in Fourth Wing?
Sentient creatures that choose riders, share magic and power Navarre’s wards.
What are the names of the Fourth Wing dragons?
Main ones: Tairn, Andarna, Sgaeyl, Codagh. Others include Cath, Sliseag, Aotrom, Teine, Deigh, Feirge, Baide, Chradh, Aimsir and Smachd.
Who are the dragons and their riders?
Tairn and Andarna with Violet, Sgaeyl with Xaden, Codagh with Melgren, Cath with Dain, Teine with Mira, Deigh with Liam, Feirge with Rhiannon.
What are the dragon types?
Six known dens (black, blue, green, orange, red, brown) plus the Irids, and six tail types. No “classes.”
What are the dragon colors?
Black, blue, green, orange, red and brown, plus the Irids.
What are the tail types?
Morningstartail, Daggertail, Swordtail, Clubtail, Scorpiontail and Feathertail.
Which dragons does Violet bond with?
Tairn and Andarna.
Why does Violet have two dragons?
The books establish that it happens and that it is unprecedented. They do not give a general rule.
Who is the strongest dragon?
The books do not name one.
What is the Empyrean?
The dragons’ governing body.
How do dragons choose riders?
At Threshing, the dragon chooses.
Can a rider bond with two dragons?
Violet does. No general rule is stated.
What is the biggest dragon?
Not clearly established.
How are dragons different from gryphons?
They are separate creatures, and dragon riders and gryphon fliers are different roles.
What does Threshing Day reveal about dragons?
More about bonding-day perspectives, but I could not verify specific rule changes.
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.
