| “ | Welcome to the revolution, Violet. | ” |
–- Brennan to Violet in Fourth Wing | ||
Brennan Sorrengail is the older brother of Violet and Mira Sorrengail, and the son of Lilith Sorrengail and Father Sorrengail. He is the rider of his Orange Daggertail Marbh.
Biography[]
Early life[]
While not much is known about Brennan's life prior to his conscription, Brennan was there when his mother was stationed in Calldyr.[1] Brennan helped Violet wrap her joints,[1] while Mira noted that she's always been the better sword fighter between the two of them growing up.[2] One night when Brennan, his sisters, and his parents were stationed near the eastern border, his mother, was so exhausted that she had bloodshot eyes. This had Violet shrieking and hiding behind her brother thinking their mother was venin. Brennan couldn't stop laughing at the occurrence.
Brennan joined Basgiath War College to become a dragon rider. Professor Kaori described him as a spectacular rider and a good man.[3] He wrote the Book of Brennan during his time at Basgiath. He gave this book to Mira to help her, and later Mira passed it down to Violet, saying that Brennan would want her to have it. Five years prior to the start of Fourth Wing, during the Tyrrish Rebellion at the Battle of Aretia, battle reports mentioned that Brennan had been shot with a crossbolt by Fen Riorson and that Brennan's close friend Naolin had tried and failed to save him. Both Naolin and Brennan were reported dead. According to Violet, all of his belongings had been burned and no one has dared mention him or his dragon in the five years since they died. She also noted that their mother loved him most out of the three siblings, and alluded to the fact that their father's chest pains began because of the loss of their son.
Fourth Wing[]
Five years after his death, the Book of Brennan, helps Violet to survive the first year at Basgiath. This includes the information on how to discover which cadets she would be sparring against ahead of time, as well as other survival skills.
When Violet arrives unconscious at Aretia after being poisoned by a venin, Brennan is quick to mend her. After she wakes up, he welcomes her to be now as a part of the Revolution. She is shocked to learn he is still alive.
Iron Flame[]
Brennan explains that he woke up on a cliffside in the aftermath of the Battle of Aretia and that Marbh was wounded. According to him, there were dragons in Aretia that hid the two of them in a network of caves within the valley. Brennan later hid with the civilians who survived the destruction of Aretia. He changed his last name to "Aisereigh," which means "resurrection," as a precaution against those who held a grudge or vendetta against Lilith.
He eventually became a ranking member of the Assembly, a group that reside in Riorson House and are secretly working to help Poromish and Navarrian citizens against the threat of venin, and earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; though he credits the title to the repeated early demise of his superiors. He had been keeping track of Violet and expressed relief at her surviving Threshing but admitted he hadn't heard anything after that until Xaden showed up with an injured Violet after the Battle of Resson. During their first honest discussion after she wakes up, Brennan asks about Mira and expresses regret that he had to hide the truth from their other sibling as well.
He remained in Aretia as Violet returns to Basgiath and the two didn't see each other again until after Violet escapes Varrish's torture and leads half the quadrant into joining the Revolution. Shortly after, Mira also abandons her post in Samara when their mother gives every Navarrian rider the ultimatum to stay or leave. In doing so, Mira discovers the fact that Brennan's alive and promptly punches him in the face.
Finally reunited after six years the three siblings share a complicated relationship with one another, equally supportive and antagonizing. Brennan accompanies his sisters to Cordyn and helps fight the venin that had been trapped in the Rybestad Chest before negotiating a deal with Viscount Tecarus for his luminary.
He later declines Navarre's plea for help during a meeting with General Melgren on behalf of the Assembly. Despite this Violet and Xaden lead a riot back to Basgiath to protect the wardstone and Brennan ultimately changes his mind and follows suit with the rest of the Aretian cadets who had previously defected from Navarre. During the Battle of Basgiath, Brennan used his signet to mend the broken wardstone, and then nearly burns out while trying to mend Violet in the midst of her imbuing the wardstone. The two siblings, exhausted from their abilities, were held back while their mother sacrificed her life to imbue the wardstone and re-raise the wards against the Venin army. Mira, having not been present, initially accused Brennan of being at fault for Lilith's death and the three siblings ended up separated with the last mention of Brennan being him sitting on the steps of the administration building while giving out orders.
Physical Description[]
Brennan Sorrengail by LeahCroft
Brennan has brownish-red curls cropped close to his skull instead of waving over his forehead, and the angles of his face have no softness to them, but only tiny lines at the edges of his amber-colored eyes. There's a dimple that flashes in his cheek when he smiles, it's the only thing Violet considers boyish about him.[1] There's a rune-shaped scar on his palm.[4] He has his father's nose. He has a deep voice.[1]
Personality[]
He's a problem solver, and likes to tilt his head when he's thinking. He is also known as a brilliant strategist, knowing what to do even under stress. Kaori describes Brennan as a spectacular rider and a good man, Brennan didn't want anyone to die for him, that's not in his nature. He was also more about getting work done than celebrating it. He has a tendency to rub his thumb along his chin when he is nervous, just as he rubs his tumb over the bridge of his nose when he is frustrated. He is a kind man, always caring for others and wanting to help, like he always used to take time to help Violet wrap her joints. He easily shows a grin when around his sisters, and has teased Violet about her relationship with Xaden. Brennan values loyalty to the cause over moral duty.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
Lesser Magic[]
As a rider whose dragon is channeling through them, Brennan is capable of performing lesser magic. With this channeling, Brennan is able to do things like locking and unlocking doors without touching them, moving with preternatural speed, manipulate mage lights, and power ink pens. Lesser magic also allows him to place runes.
Signet[]
Mending[]
The power to fix, restore, or return anything to its original state, from ripped cloth to pulverized bridges, including broken human bones. The limit to his signet is mending magic, which he can't do, and mending items that have been torn off (i.e. one of your fingers gets cut off), because it is impossible. He would have become the greatest known mender had he been able to continue to serve Navarre as a rider.
Abilities[]
Relationships[]
Violet Sorrengail[]
When Violet was still a child, Brennan always took the time to help wrap her joints. She hid behind her older brother when she thought their mother was venin, causing Brennan to laugh. He also witnessed eight-year-old Violet refusing to eat dinner. While at Basgiath, Violet discovers his journal, the Book of Brennan, which was dedicated to her older sister Mira and helps Violet survive. After the Battle at Resson, she reunites with Brennan who mended her wounded and poisoned body. She feels lucky to see her brother being alive, but at the same time strange since six years have passed. Brennan did admit to Violet that the choice he made, faking his own death, was a decision he questioned himself every single day since making . He also teased Violet about her love life with Xaden. They are close siblings and love one another.
Naolin[]
During the Tyrrish Rebellion, Naolin presumably tried to revive Brennan through his signet but drained himself in the process. When Violet mentions Naolin to her brother in Iron Flame, Brennan drifts off in thought leaving Violet under the impression that Naolin might have meant something more to Brennan than just a friend or fellow rider.
Mira Sorrengail[]
Mira is Brennan's younger sister. They were inseparable as kids.[6] Mira has never stopped grieving for her brother when he was presumed dead. Despite her love for Brennan, when she learns he is alive, she is so furious that she punches him in the face, breaking his nose. She accuses him of choosing complete strangers over his family, when they needed him the most. Mira and Brennan are constantly bickering, just like when they were younger.
Lilith Sorrengail[]
Brennan was her favorite child, and she loved him the most. She could not let go of the grief that she felt losing her first born child. No one was allowed to mention him or his dragon. When she reunites with him six years later at Athebyne, she was in shock seeing her son stand in front of her alive and well, tears falling from her eyes. Later when Brennan goes to Basgiath, she sees him again. She looks at Brennan as if he's an hallucination. Brennan comes to hate his mother when he learns about the lies she told and learns about the things she did in his name following his presumed death. She later sacrifices herself for her children. Her last words being "you're everything we dreamed you would be. All three of you." Brennan holds her lifeless body in his arms.
Xaden Riorson[]
While they are both part of the Assembly which is currently heading the revolution, Brennan and Xaden appear to share a complicated relationship wherein Xaden maintained the secret of Brennan's existence after his alleged death until Violet discovered the truth after the Battle of Resson. Brennan holds a reluctant respect towards Xaden, going as far as to side with him and his decisions in front of the Assembly although he seems to believe that Xaden's presence endangers Violet's life as she repeatedly needs mending after the two of them are together. When Xaden confronts Brennan about accompanying Violet to Cordyn. Brennan retorts with the fact that he outranks him within the rebellion.
Quotes[]
"I mean this with every fiber of my body. We deny your offer of peace and happily accept war, since it sounds like you won't survive another two weeks to fight it."—To General Sorrengail when negotiating whether to help Nevarre[7]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In Scottish Gailic, Aisereigh means "resurrection." This translation also carries over canonically in the Tyrrish language according to Violet.[8]
- He looks a lot like his father, with some of his facial expression making him look exactly like Father Sorrengail.