| “ | Fascinating. You look all frail and breakable, but you're really a violent little thing, aren't you? | ” |
–Xaden to Violet, Fourth Wing | ||
Xaden Riorson is a third-year rider and wingleader of the Fourth Wing. He is bonded to the dragon Sgaeyl.
Biography
Early Life
Born in March, 611 AU, to the heir of Tyrrendor Fen Riorson, and an unnamed mother, Xaden grew up in Riorson House located above Aretia, the capital of Tyrrendor. According to Xaden his mother left them when he was ten, having fulfilled the requirements of her marriage contract with his father. His family carries the royal lineage of ruling the province of Tyrrendor, thus technically making Xaden the heir to the Tyrrish throne if the province had succeeded from Navarre during the Tyrrish Rebellion. To further strengthen this royal claim prior to the beginning of the rebellion, Fen Riorson secured an alliance with Viscount Tecarus, by using Xaden's royalty in betrothal contract to Catriona Cordella, third in line for the Poromish throne.
On July 1, 627 AU, 16 year old Xaden was forced to witness the "Calldyr Executions" of the rebellion's leadership alongside the other 107 separatist children by General Melgren's dragon Codagh. When Codagh's dragonfire burned the 107 children's parents, his fire activated the rune-stones each child held in their hand. These complex rune-tempered stones, created by Colonel Mairi, were meant to protect the children in the event that the Rebellion failed and their parents were killed. With their activation during the executions, the runes created rebellion relics along whichever arm the child was using to hold the stone in addition to protecting the children from General Melgren's signet.
Xaden, as the oldest of the separatist children, later struck a deal with General Lilith Sorrengail in which he took personal responsibility for the 107 children by receiving 107 scars across his back, an archaic Tyrrish custom. In return, he and the children would be allowed to fight for their lives in the Riders Quadrant instead of being executed.
In the aftermath of the Rebellion, Xaden was sent to Trivainne, along with Liam Mairi, to be fostered by Duke Lindell. While being fostered, Xaden taught Liam how to fight in order to prepare them for Basgiath.
In July 631 AU, after his twentieth birthday Xaden, was conscripted and entered the Riders Quadrant alongside his best friend Garrick Tavis. The two began to meet in secret along with other unnamed "marked ones" to ensure their survival within the quadrant. During their Threshing Xaden defended his best friend from King Tauri's second son Alic, inevitably killing Alic. During this Threshing, Xaden bonded with Sgaeyl. It was after Threshing that Xaden and Garrick decided to begin smuggling weaponry out of Basgiath in an effort to protect fliers they had partnered with against venin. They also began working to rebuild Aretia and Riorson House.
Fourth Wing
Xaden was present as Wingleader of Fourth Wing when Violet Sorrengail arrived to cross the Paprapet. When assignments were being given out, Xaden uses his position to move her squad, Second Squad, Flame Section, to his Wing. This placed her under his chain of command.
A few weeks into the year, Xaden brought a group of first-year "marked ones" out to the woods near the river, to check in with them. He assigned Imogen Cardulo and Garrick to train the first-years before waving them off, and then spoke to Violet who had been hiding in a tree above their meeting. They agree that he'd owe her if she kept their secret.
A few weeks later in the sparring gym, Xaden forces Violet to spar against him using the opportunity to test her fighting abilities while ensuring that she still kept their secret meeting. He gradually disarmed her while also repeatedly offering her insights into how best to use her small stature as an advantage. He also tells her that she can't continue to rely on poisoning her opponents and she needs to get stronger instead.
Xaden uses his favor by giving Violet advice about how to pass the chimney obstacle on the Gauntlet. Then he helps her again during Threshing, when Violet rushes to defend a gold feathertail, her future dragon, Andarna. As per the Codex, Xaden was barred from interfering, but found a loophole by having his dragon Sgaeyl call her mate Tairn to come help Violet defend Andarna. When Tairn bonds with Violet, it ties Violet's life to Xaden's through their dragons bond.
At the end of the year, for the final War Games, Xaden chooses Violet to join his riot which was made up exclusively of marked ones. Dain Aetos's father, Colonel Aetos, assigns Xadens riot to Athebyne which is outside of the wards.
Upon arriving at Athebyne, they discover the outpost has been abandoned. There are new orders saying that the group can either stay and help protect Resson from venin and wyvern, or they can relocate to another outpost. The group decides to fight and Liam and Soleil die in the battle. Violet gets poisoned and Xaden brings her to Aretia in a panic. it's there, that it's revealed that her brother Brennan is still alive as he mends her and Violet recovers in a coma for three days.
Iron Flame
After missing for six days while they stayed in Aretia with the Revolution, Xaden, Violet, and the surviving members of the war games riot return to Basgiath. Just in time for Xaden to be announced as the first cadet on the death roll by Captain Fitzgibbons. Colonel Aetos is convinced that Xaden is lying about the gryphon attack, but Violets mother General Lilith Sorrengail dismisses Aetos after questioning her daughter about their absence.
It's during this formation that Xaden graduates from Basgiath and is assigned to the eastern wing at Samara's outpost- known for being the front line of the war against Poromiel. He and Violet begin to exchange letters as they spend weeks apart since Violet is forced to remain behind for her second year at Basgiath.
When Major Varrish kidnaps and imprisons Violet for 4 days after the Archive Heist, Xaden sacrifices the secret revolution by dropping Wyvern carcases along the Navarrian border before flying to Basgiath to rescue her. It's during this rescue that he, Violet and Dain convince half the riders quadrant, along with a few scribes, to side with the revolution by exposing the truth about the war and the existence of Venin. Xaden, as the heir of Aretia and therefore Tyrrendor, is part of the council (nicknamed The Assembly) that rules the Revolution. After a meeting with Viscount Tecarus, the assembly agrees to accept the surviving gryphon fliers from Cliffsbane Academy when Zolya is taken over by Venin.
After getting word that General Melgren wanted to meet, he goes and speaks to him to find out that they need assistance or they will all be slaughtered. Xaden refuses until the last second, alongside agreement from the Assembly to only guard the wardstone chamber inside Basgiath. He leads the battle against the wyvern and venin, eventually ending up alone with the Sage and experiences burnout until he turns venin in an attempt to stay alive and save Violet who is also experiencing burn out during the battle.
Physical Description
Appearance
Xaden Riorson by Leah Croft
Xaden is muscular and tall, with a massive chest, wide shoulders and heavily muscled arms.[1] With windblown black hair and dark brows. He has warm-toned, tawny-brown skin with dark stubble along his jawline and his eyes resemble the shade of gold-flecked onyx. When Violet first meets him she describes him as, "more than four inches over six foot tall."[2] His features are harsh and utterly perfect, as if an artist spent their lifetime carving and sculpting them, yet alone a year on his mouth.
Relics and Scars
A diagonal scar bisects his left eyebrow and ends at the top corner of his cheek, he received this scar from Sgaeyl during his Threshing.
A dark shimmering rebellion relic curved in swirls and dips, starting at his left wrist up his neck and stopping at his collar. His back is covered in a dragon relic of Sgaeyl, that sweeps from his waist to over both of his shoulders, as well as 107 silver scars on top of that dragon relic, which came from claiming responsibility of the 107 separatist children. He gains another scar over his heart when he took claiming responsibility for Violet, between the events of Fourth Wing and the start of Iron Flame.
Outfits
He is always seen in black leather clothes, especially his flight jacket, as is uniform for a Rider. None of his uniforms have patches aside from his year, wing, or rank. [3] His summer uniform is a short-sleeved top under his usual flight jacket. [4]
He smells of leather, and something that borders between citrus and floral. [5]
Personality
Riders seem to move around him, giving him wide berth as though he's a shark. He walks with lethal grace. [6] Xaden is authoritative and concise, making quick judgement calls with the help of his signets. Due to his upbringing he is emotionally distant with most people, with very few exceptions.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Lesser Magic
Every bonded rider who's dragon is channeling through them, is capable of performing lesser magic. This type of magic includes being able to; lock and unlock doors without touching them, moving with preternatural speed, manipulate mage lights, the use of runes, and power ink pens. [3]
Imbuing
A process of leaving a riders power in stasis within an object,[7] not a skill that many riders have as it only comes naturally to a handful of signets.[8]
Signet
Shadow Summoning
Due to his bond with Sgaeyl, Xaden developed the signet of being able to summon and wield shadows. He often uses his shadows to conceal himself, or solidifies them to use against opponents by choking or hold them in place.
Inntinnsic
| “ | I know everything that goes on here." Darkness swirls around us. "Shadows, remember? They hear everything, see everything, conceal everything. | ” |
–Xaden to Violet Sorrengail, Fourth Wing, Chapter 10 | ||
Because Xaden's grandfather used to be Sgaeyl's rider, Xaden had a greater chance of manifesting two signets. His particular form of inntinnsic ability allows him to see other people's true intentions by reading their mind.
Abilities
Combat Skills
He's noted as being the best fighter in the Riders Quadrant by his fellow marked ones as well as Professor Emmeterio. Xaden's fighting style is described as dirty and fucking ruthless, during the secret meeting beneath the tree.[9] He's fast enough to catch one of Violet's flying daggers without using lesser magic.[1]
| “ | Xaden's one of the best fighters we have. Watch and learn. | ” |
–Professor Emetterio, Fourth Wing, Chapter 9 | ||
Weapons Expert
Xaden is an expert with several kinds of weapons and apt in learning new kinds.
weapon of choice
Pair of double swords strapped to his back.
Languages
- Common Language
- Tyrrish
- Sign Language[10]
Relationships
Sgaeyl
She mentions to Xaden that she chose him as her rider because of his ruthlessness during Threshing, where he killed another cadet for bullying Garrick, but he believes it's because he reminds her of his grandfather. She convinces Xaden to keep his second signet a secret, rightfully afraid that the knowledge would get him executed, and she maintained the secret from her mate Tairn until the events of Iron Flame. Sgaeyl seems very fond of Xaden, and was openly distressed when he chose to channel from the source during the Battle of Basgiath.
Tairn
TBA
Violet Sorrengail
**For more insight on their relationship please check out the Riorgail page.**
| “ | You know why you're still alive? Because you're the scale I currently judge myself against every night. Every day I let you live, I get to convince myself that there's still a part of me that's a decent person. So if you want to quit, then please, spare me the temptation and fucking quit. But if you want to do something, then do it. | ” |
–Xaden to Violet, Fourth Wing, Chapter 10 | ||
Xaden and Violet share a complicated history, starting with their families' involvement in the Tyrrish Rebellion. Xaden's father, Fen Riorson was the head of the rebellion and accused of killing Violet's older brother Brennan Sorrengail, thus leading Violet's mother General Lilith Sorrengail to hunt Fen down, capture, and execute him. Lilith Sorrengail was later also responsible for placing the 107 scars on Xaden's back when he took responsibility for the 107 separatist children by claiming through an archaic tyrrish custom.
Due to this shared history, Violet was convinced upon entering the Riders Quadrant that Xaden was out to kill her in retribution. However, when she fails to report his secret meetings, Xaden begins to take an interest in her, which culminated in a moment during Threshing when Xaden and Sgaeyl intervened on Violet's behalf to protect her from Jack, Oren, and Tynan. (who were out to kill Andarna for being an unrideable dragon.) Because Violet showed courage standing up against the three attackers on Andarna's behalf, Tairn chooses her as his rider, thus tying Violet's life to Xaden's as their dragons are a mated pair. This means that should one of them, or their dragons, suffer a fatal injury it could result in a chain of events that leads the other rider's death. Therefore Xaden could no longer kill Violet without threatening his own life.
Dain Aetos
| “ | No one asked you to think "squad leader". | ” |
–Xaden to Dain Aetos, Fourth Wing, Chapter 9 | ||
Throughout Fourth Wing Xaden instigates moments with Dain, highlighting Dain's favoritism and coddling behavior towards Violet while also berating him by using his rule-following behavior to a fault. However, in Iron Flame, Xaden accepts Dain into the rebellion when he searched Dain's mind and found nothing that would endanger Violet or the rebellion.
Liam Mairi
Both children of rebellion officers, the two grew up together in foster care with Duke Lindell in Trivainne. Xaden and Liam grew a close friendship, with Xaden trusting him to be the one who watches out for Violet.
Bodhi Durran
The two are cousins on Xaden's father's side, with Xaden a year older than Bodhi. They closely resemble one another, though Xaden has sharper features. Xaden says that after Liam, Bodhi is the closest thing he has to a brother.
Catriona Cordella
Catriona and Xaden both come from aristocratic families. Prior to the rebellion, his father formed a political alliance through their arranged betrothal that wound enact when she turned twenty. Xaden spent time with her in Cordyn and the two were romantically involved before he realized, after nine months of engagement, that they weren't compatible. Cat later admits to Violet during their sparring match that she cared less for Xaden but was upset at losing the crown that came with their political marriage.
Brennan Sorrengail
While they are both part of the Assembly which is currently heading the Second Rebellion, 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.
Fen Riorson
It's clear that Xaden loved his father, during the rebellion he would always wait on the rooftop of Riorson House for his father to return home. His father also taught him certain mannerism like holding a door open for a women. He would also tell Xaden that venin would come for him if he didn't eat his vegtables. Xaden would eventually go on to continue doing what his father did with the Revolution. Believing in his cause and what he stood for.
Quotes
- "Fascinating. You look all frail and breakable, but you're really a violent little thing, aren't you?"
- "Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs—on the probabilities."[5]
- “Five-foot-nothing pain in my ass."[11]
- "Violence, remember it's only the body that's fragile. You are unbreakable."
- "I love you. I’m in love with you. I have been since the night the snow fell in your hair and you kissed me for the first time. I’m grateful my life is tied to yours because it means I won’t have to face a day without you in it. My heart only beats as long as yours does, and when you die, I’ll meet Malek at your side."
- "There's nowhere in existence you could go that I wouldn't find you, Violence."
Gallery
See more here.
Trivia
- Rebecca confirmed on her TikTok Account that Xaden is POC.[12]
- Xaden's skin tone is "tawny" with multiple interpretations. An example has been signed and approved by Rebecca Yarros.[13]
- His position as wingleader makes him a member of senior leadership at Basgiath War College.
- When deciding on her characters' names, Rebecca Yarros made a list of "what [she] thought hot guys' names would be" before finally settling on "Xaden" because she loved the "X" and thought that "he's a bad boy in this bad boy name."[14]
- Xadens favorite food is chocolate cake.
- He also has a blanket his mother made for him.
- He smells like mint, leather, and something that borders between citrus and floral.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fourth Wing, Chapter 9 (Violets POV)
- ↑ Fourth Wing, Chapter 1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fourth Wing, Chapter 4
- ↑ Iron Flame, Chapter 18
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Fourth Wing, Chapter 10
- ↑ Fourth Wing, Chapter 3
- ↑ Iron Flame, Chapter 12
- ↑ Iron Flame, Chapter 53
- ↑ Fourth Wing, Chapter 7
- ↑ Iron Flame, Chapter 18
- ↑ Xaden POV, chapter 9 and 16
- ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@rebeccayarros
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cue5toArCiO/
- ↑ @emmafinnerty_. "never realised the reasons behind her characters names but i love her #rebeccayarrosfourthwing #fourthwing #rebeccayarros." TikTok, 4 July 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT889Hcby/