Jack Barlowe is a first-year rider at Basgiath War College in Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series. He is the violent cadet who makes it his mission to kill Violet Sorrengail, and he is bonded to the orange dragon Baide. His story extends well past Fourth Wing: he reappears in Iron Flame, where he is revealed to be venin, and he is a prisoner and source of information about the venin in Onyx Storm.
Spoiler warning: The first sections of this page avoid major twists. Everything after the “Jack Barlowe Without Spoilers” section discusses events through Onyx Storm, including Jack’s apparent death, survival, venin status, Baide’s death, imprisonment and the Onyx Storm storyline.
Jack Barlowe at a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jack Barlowe |
| Age | Reference sites list 20 in Fourth Wing and 21 in Iron Flame. These are reference-site figures, not a confirmed quotation from the text. |
| Species | Human in Fourth Wing. Revealed as venin in Iron Flame. |
| Status | Alive as of Onyx Storm. Held as a prisoner at Basgiath for the events of that book. |
| Quadrant | Riders Quadrant |
| Wing | First Wing |
| Rank | First-year rider in Fourth Wing. Rider in Iron Flame. |
| Dragon | Baide |
| Dragon type | Orange Scorpiontail |
| Signet | Not formally confirmed in the published text. See “What Power Does Jack Barlowe Have?” |
| Major power | Inflicts severe pain through touch in Fourth Wing. Later shown to wield as a venin. |
| Weakness | Orange allergy |
| Key relationships | Violet Sorrengail, Baide, Nolon, Varrish, Xaden Riorson |
| Appears in | Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm |
Jack Barlowe Without Spoilers
Jack Barlowe is one of the first dangerous people Violet meets at Basgiath. He is a first-year rider in First Wing, large and physically dominant, and known for treating the War College’s lethal environment as an opportunity rather than a hardship. Violet, small and fragile by comparison, becomes his target almost immediately.
He is bonded to Baide, an orange dragon. He is also allergic to oranges, a detail Violet turns against him during their sparring match. Jack is not a rival who fights for rank alone. His hostility toward Violet is personal, and it shapes much of the first book’s danger. Anything beyond that belongs in the spoiler sections below.
Who Is Jack Barlowe?
Jack Barlowe is a rider in the Empyrean series who begins as Violet Sorrengail’s most violent early enemy and ends up as one of the story’s most important sources of information about the venin. He is a first-year in First Wing, bonded to Baide, and he is aggressive and physically imposing. His importance to the larger plot comes from what the later books reveal about him, not from his role in the first.
How Old Is Jack Barlowe?
Reference sites give Jack’s age as 20 in Fourth Wing and 21 in Iron Flame. Ravens Diary treats those as reference-site figures rather than direct quotations from the novels, because age is not a central detail in either book. No age has been established for Onyx Storm. Readers who need an exact figure should check the text itself.
What Does Jack Barlowe Look Like?
Jack is described as tall and heavily built, with blond hair and pale blue eyes. His size is part of how other cadets read him: he looks like a person who wins physical fights. In Iron Flame, readers learn that his eyes have been red or bloodshot for some time, which Violet later recognizes as a visible sign of venin. That detail is explained in the spoiler sections below.
Jack Barlowe’s Personality
Jack is aggressive, arrogant and competitive. He values physical strength and shows open contempt for people he sees as weak. He kills or intimidates other cadets and treats Violet’s survival as an insult. His behavior is consistent across all three books: he is cruel when he has an advantage and calculating when he does not.
The text shows what he does more than it explains why. Ravens Diary describes his behavior rather than diagnosing him.
Who Is Jack Barlowe’s Dragon?
Jack Barlowe’s dragon is Baide, an orange Scorpiontail. Reference sources list her as a Scorpiontail, and she is bonded to Jack after Threshing. Baide matters to Jack’s story in two ways. She is the visible sign of his place among the riders, and her fate later shows what his loyalties really are. The full account of her role is in the spoiler section “Jack Barlowe and Baide.”
Why Is Jack Barlowe Allergic to Oranges?
Jack has a known allergy to oranges, and Violet uses it against him. During their sparring match, when Jack is overpowering her, she throws oranges at him and the allergy disrupts his attack. The detail is small but memorable, and it connects Jack to Violet’s tendency to win through preparation and cleverness rather than strength. It returns later in a darker way, covered in the Onyx Storm section.
Spoilers Begin Here
Jack Barlowe in Fourth Wing
Jack appears early. Within minutes of Violet arriving at the Parapet, he is part of the violence that defines Basgiath: a candidate is pushed to their death, and Jack vows to kill Violet. At Threshing, he wants to kill a small golden dragon, Andarna, because he considers her weak. Violet intervenes, Jack and his friends attack her, and Tairn saves her.
Jack is bonded to Baide at Threshing. In training, he kills other cadets in sparring and attacks Violet by causing severe pain through touch. She stops him with the oranges. During War Games, Violet uses Andarna to freeze time and save Liam from Jack, and her lightning signet manifests. She uses it to bring down a landslide on the mountain, which appears to kill Jack.
What Happened to Jack Barlowe in Fourth Wing?
Jack is believed to have died when Violet’s lightning causes the mountain collapse during War Games. Everyone, including Violet, accepts that he is dead. The collapse is large enough that his survival would not be expected, and nothing in Fourth Wing suggests otherwise. Iron Flame later reveals that his death was not final. How he survived is covered below.
Jack Barlowe in Iron Flame
Jack returns in Iron Flame as a rider, seemingly healed and apparently changed. The college’s infirmary has been hiding the truth: Nolon, the mender, has been working on him in secret. Violet is shocked to see him alive, and Jack acts almost helpful toward her. When a first-year tries to kill Violet, Jack saves her and tells her they are even.
That apparent change does not last. In the final battle at Basgiath, Jack arrives on Baide’s back, kills her with a sword, and spills her blood on the wardstone, extinguishing its flame and bringing down the protective wards. He then reveals that he is venin and that a venin army is on its way. Dain reads Jack’s memories and learns that Jack planted rune lures across the college and on the path to the Vale, which is how the venin knew where to attack. Jack tries to drain Dain and is knocked out by Xaden. Nolon later gets a serum into him to control him. Jack is imprisoned and tells Xaden there is no cure for becoming venin.
Is Jack Barlowe a Venin?
Yes. Jack Barlowe is a venin, and Iron Flame reveals it at the Basgiath wardstone. Before that reveal, the book presents him as a healed and apparently changed rider. He is not revealed as venin in Fourth Wing. His status as venin is a retroactive revelation: it changes how readers understand his earlier actions, including his sparring match with Violet and his survival under the mountain.
How Did Jack Barlowe Become Venin?
The published story does not say exactly how or when Jack became venin, and it does not name who turned him.
Confirmed:
- Jack is venin by the time of the Iron Flame finale.
- In Iron Flame, Jack refuses to say when he turned. Violet answers for him that it happened before his challenge against her. That is Violet’s deduction, not Jack’s confirmation.
- Violet recalls that his eyes were red and bloodshot for some time, which she recognizes as a venin trait.
- Rebecca Yarros has said in tour Q&As, as reported by the fan site Empyrean Riders, that Jack was not part of a venin horde before he came to Basgiath.
Inferred:
- Because Violet places the change before the sparring match, and because red-rimmed eyes are reported during that fight, Jack was likely venin when he first attacked her. That also fits his survival under the mountain.
Theory:
- Some readers believe a specific venin, possibly the Sage Berwyn, turned Jack. The text does not say so. In Onyx Storm, Theophanie remarks that she will not repeat the mistakes Berwyn made with Jack, which suggests Berwyn had some role in Jack’s handling. It does not establish who turned him.
Why Did Jack Barlowe Become Venin?
The text shows that power drives Jack. Secondary summaries of Iron Flame report that Jack explains his decision as a reaction to watching Violet bond with the most powerful dragon, which fits his resentment of her. Ravens Diary treats that as a reported motive rather than a verified quotation, and recommends confirming it against the chapter before relying on exact wording.
Other motives readers raise, such as jealousy, a rejection of weakness, or a desire to control outcomes, are interpretations. The text gives Jack’s aggression and his hunger for strength. It does not give a complete account of his psychology.
Why Did Jack Barlowe Save Violet?
Jack saves Violet in Iron Flame because, by his own account, it makes them even. When a first-year tries to kill her, he intervenes and tells her this repays his attempts on her life the year before.
What Violet believes is less clear: she is wary of him and does not treat the act as proof of a changed man. What the later chapters reveal is that Jack was venin and was working against Navarre, which means the rescue cannot be read as a moral turn. Whether Jack had other reasons, such as keeping his cover, is not confirmed. The books do not support reading the rescue as a lasting redemption.
Why Did Jack Barlowe Kill Baide?
Jack kills Baide in the Basgiath wardstone chamber because he is working with the venin and needs her blood to extinguish the wardstone’s flame and bring down Basgiath’s protective wards. He kills her with a sword and spills her blood on the stone. The flame goes out and the wards fall.
This tells readers where his loyalty lies. He does not value the rider-dragon bond over his objective. Afterward, Jack keeps wielding: he throws a shield that deflects Xaden’s shadows. That fits the idea that venin draw power from the ground rather than from a dragon bond, but the explanation is an inference from the scene and from how venin are described elsewhere in the series.
Jack Barlowe in Onyx Storm
Onyx Storm picks up with Jack as a prisoner at Basgiath, and his role shifts from threat to source of information.
Xaden speaks with Jack in his cell about a possible cure. Jack insists there is none and warns Xaden that he will eventually lose control. Violet asks Imogen to erase Jack’s memory of the conversation to protect Xaden’s secret. Later, Violet and Imogen visit Jack again, and Violet offers him two choices: an alloy medallion, which would keep him alive for another week, or powdered orange peel, which would end his suffering because of his allergy. In exchange, he answers her questions about venin ranks and powers.
Venin attack Basgiath to retrieve Jack and kill his guards. Violet, Rhiannon and Ridoc fight them off, and Violet sees a silver-haired venin who then disappears. That venin is Theophanie. Later, she takes Mira hostage and asks Xaden to bring his “brother.” Sgaeyl clarifies that she means Jack. Theophanie’s interest shows that the venin consider him valuable, or dangerous because of what he knows.
Jack Barlowe and Violet Sorrengail
Their relationship is hostility from the first scene. Jack fixates on Violet’s physical weakness and tries to kill her repeatedly, including during their sparring match. Tairn choosing Violet is a reported source of his resentment, though the motive is an interpretation. Violet’s lightning appears to end him. Jack returns, saves her, and then reveals himself as an enemy. In Onyx Storm, Violet interrogates him, and the two have a transactional relationship built on information and leverage. For more on Violet, see Violet Sorrengail.
Jack Barlowe and Baide
Baide bonds with Jack at Threshing. Reference sources report that she had earlier riders, and that she helped keep Jack’s survival secret after War Games. The latter is a reported detail and not one the books spell out at length.
Her death is the key fact about their bond. Jack kills her to break the wards, and he continues to wield afterward. The books treat the loss of a dragon as devastating for a rider, so Jack’s survival marks him as something outside the ordinary bond. It also shows that Baide’s life mattered to him less than the venin’s goal.
Jack Barlowe and Nolon
Nolon heals Jack after War Games, in secret. The text describes the work as mending him piece by piece. Nolon also says it is hard to mend a soul, which suggests he knew something was wrong beyond Jack’s injuries. After the wardstone attack, Nolon gets a serum into Jack to control him. The text does not establish exactly what “mending a soul” means, so Ravens Diary leaves it at what Nolon says and does.
Jack Barlowe and Varrish
The published material Ravens Diary checked does not tie Varrish directly to Jack’s transformation. Their shared context is the college leadership’s secrecy during the Iron Flame period, including the concealment of Jack’s treatment. A fuller account of Varrish belongs on a separate page.
Jack Barlowe, Theophanie and Berwyn
Theophanie is a high-ranking venin who appears in Onyx Storm. She sends venin to retrieve Jack and asks for him by calling him Xaden’s “brother.” She also says she will not repeat the mistakes Berwyn made with Jack. Berwyn is a venin Sage. Those lines establish that Berwyn had some earlier dealings with Jack, and that Theophanie sees Jack as someone worth reaching.
What the books have not established is the exact relationship between Berwyn and Jack, why Jack matters as much as he does, or why Xaden did not sense him earlier. Rebecca Yarros has said, as reported by fan sites, that there is a reason Xaden did not feel Jack and that the answer is in Onyx Storm. Fan theories about family ties among Berwyn, Jack, Xaden and others are theories, not canon.
What Power Does Jack Barlowe Have?
The books do not give Jack’s ability a formal name that Ravens Diary could confirm. Reference sites call it pain projection.
Fourth Wing: Jack uses touch to inflict severe pain on Violet during their sparring match. Readers and cadets treat it as a signet-like power.
Iron Flame: The book reveals that Jack is venin, and Violet places the change before the sparring match. Later in the series, Violet notes that venin are not supposed to have signets, and Theophanie’s lightning surprises her for that reason.
Current reading: The ability should be described neutrally as a pain-inflicting power that Jack used before his venin status was known. Whether it is best classed as a signet or a venin ability has not been settled by anything Ravens Diary could confirm from Rebecca Yarros or the novels. Some reference sites call it his signet and others treat it as a venin ability. Ravens Diary avoids picking a side.
As a venin, Jack drains others, as seen when he tries to drain Dain, and he wields, as seen when he throws a shield at the wardstone.
Is Jack Barlowe Good or Bad?
Jack is consistently portrayed as dangerous. He kills cadets, tries repeatedly to kill Violet, destroys the wardstone by killing his own dragon, and aligns with the venin. His rescue of Violet is brief and is explained by Jack himself as settling a debt. It does not establish a lasting change. Rebecca Yarros has reportedly said she does not hate Jack and that he still plays a role in the story, but that is a comment on his narrative function, not his morality.
Jack Barlowe’s Character Arc
Jack’s story moves in stages, and each one changes how readers see the one before it.
- Violent cadet. He is aggressive and competitive in First Wing.
- Violet’s enemy. He makes her his target from the Parapet onward.
- Baide’s rider. He bonds with an orange Scorpiontail at Threshing.
- Apparent death. The mountain collapse seems to end him.
- Secret survival. Nolon heals him in secret.
- Apparent change. He returns and saves Violet.
- Venin reveal. The finale shows he was working with the venin.
- Dragon betrayal. He kills Baide to break the wards.
- Imprisoned venin. He is held at Basgiath.
- Source of enemy information. In Onyx Storm, Violet and Xaden question him, and Theophanie wants him back.
Is Jack Barlowe Alive?
Yes, as of Onyx Storm. Jack is alive, and the published text Ravens Diary reviewed does not report his death. He is a prisoner at Basgiath through the events of that book and is brought to the exchange with Theophanie. This page does not speculate about later books.
Jack Barlowe Fancast and Fanart
There is no official casting for Jack. Prime Video ordered a Fourth Wing series in May 2026, and the most recent reports Ravens Diary found said no cast had been announced. Fancasts and fan art are community creations and are not official. This page does not use fan or AI-generated art as official artwork.
Jack Barlowe FAQ
Who is Jack Barlowe?
Jack Barlowe is a rider at Basgiath War College in the Empyrean series, bonded to Baide, who becomes Violet’s early enemy and is later revealed to be venin.
What is Jack Barlowe’s dragon?
Jack’s dragon is Baide, an orange Scorpiontail.
What is Jack Barlowe’s dragon name?
Baide.
What is Jack Barlowe’s signet?
The novels do not give a confirmed signet name. Reference sites call his ability pain projection, but whether that is a signet or a venin ability is not settled in the text Ravens Diary could confirm.
What power does Jack Barlowe have?
He inflicts severe pain through touch in Fourth Wing, and as a venin he drains others and wields.
Is Jack Barlowe a venin?
Yes. Iron Flame reveals it during the Basgiath wardstone battle.
How did Jack Barlowe become venin?
The books do not say exactly how or when, and they do not name who turned him. Violet places the change before his challenge against her.
Why did Jack Barlowe become venin?
Power appears to be the driver. Secondary summaries report that he turned after watching Violet bond with the most powerful dragon, but that should be checked against the text.
What happens with Jack Barlowe?
He is believed dead in Fourth Wing, survives and returns in Iron Flame, reveals himself as venin, kills Baide and is imprisoned, then serves as a source of information in Onyx Storm.
What happened to Jack Barlowe in Iron Flame?
He is healed in secret, saves Violet, then kills Baide to bring down Basgiath’s wards and is captured.
Why did Jack Barlowe save Violet?
By his own account, it made them even after his attempts to kill her. It was not a lasting change.
Why did Jack Barlowe kill Baide?
He used her blood to put out the wardstone’s flame and drop the wards for the venin.
Why does Jack Barlowe kill Baide?
Same answer: he is working with the venin, and her blood extinguishes the wardstone.
How did Jack Barlowe survive?
Nolon healed him after the mountain collapse. Reference sources suggest he was already venin, but the text does not detail how he survived.
Is Jack Barlowe alive?
Yes, as of Onyx Storm.
Is Jack Barlowe good or bad?
He is portrayed as dangerous and cruel, and his one rescue of Violet does not change that.
For more on the Empyrean cast, see the Fourth Wing characters page. Related profiles include Xaden Riorson, Dain Aetos, Mira Sorrengail and Brennan 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.
