Struggling to keep track of all the Onyx Storm characters? Iโm here to help! Below, I share a complete reading guide of all the characters I found in the book, along with helpful descriptions of who they are, so you can easily read this difficult book and theorize whatโs next in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros.
There are SOME spoilers, including some new dragon bonds and signets. However, I didn’t reveal things like significant deaths or other big plot points, and I did my best to mark the most significant spoilers. The goal here is to help you more easily read the book, not recap everything that happened to the characters in it. I do assume you read the Fourth Wing book series in order, including Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, and reveal major spoilers from those books, which are NOT marked based on this assumption.
If necessary, catch up on the Fourth Wing characters and Iron Flame characters first. Otherwise, letโs clarify the characters in this popular fantasy book!

The Main Onyx Storm Characters
Warning: There are dragon and signet spoilers in the right-hand columns.
Name | Description | Bonded With | Signet/Gift |
Aaric (“Cam”) Graycastle | A first-year hiding his true identity as King Tauri’s “missing” son | Molvic | Precognition |
Bodhi Durran | Xaden’s cousin (next in his bloodline) and a Fourth Wing rider turned section leader | Cuir | Countering signets |
Brennan Sorrengail | Violet’s older brother, a former rider who works with the Assembly | Marbh | Mending |
Catriona (“Cat”) Cordella | A flier, Tecarus’s niece (third in line for the Poromish throne), and Xaden’s ex | Kiralair | amplifying emotions |
Dain Aetos | Colonel Aetos’s son and Violet’s longtime friend | Cath | Memory reader |
Garrick Tavis | Xaden’s best friend and a former Fourth Wing rider turned lieutenant. | Chradh | Air wielder and distance wielder |
Imogen Cardulo | A Fouth Wing rider and Violet’s friend, known for her pink hair | Glane | Memory eraser and stone wielder |
Maren Zina | Cat’s best friend; has twin 7-year-old brothers | Daja | |
Mira Sorrengail | Violet’s older sister, a former rider turned captain | Teine | Mending wards |
Rhiannon Mathias | A Fourth Wing rider and Violet’s friend who became a Squad Leader | Feirge | Summoning/retrieving objects |
Ridoc Gamlyn | A Fourth Wing rider known for being funny | Aotrom | Ice wielder |
Sawyer Henrick | A Fourth Wing rider and Executive Officer who recently lost his leg | Sliseag | Metallurgy |
Violet Sorrengail | The protagonist and a Fourth Wing rider who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome | Tairn and Andarna | Lighting wielder and dream walker |
Xaden Riorson | Violet’s enemy turned lover who was a Fourth Wing leader and a lieutenant (then takes on a new role on Tyrrendor) | Sgaeyl | Shadow wielder and inntinsic |
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Minor Characters You Should Know
Warning: There are a few plot spoilers in the remainder of this post, but I tried to keep the characters’ descriptions as minimal as possible so you can reference who they are but not the details of what happens to them. To minimize spoilers further, you can search for specific names or use my Onyx Storm chapter summary instead.
Asher Daxton Sorrengail: Violet’s father, whose full name is revealed
Baylor Norris: a first-year cadet
Cadet Aura Beinhaven: Second Wing leader
Captain Anna Winshire: an infantry captain, infantry liaison, and Halden’s guard implied to be his love interest
Captain Jarrett: the best swordsman among the riders
Drake Cordella: Cat’s cousin from the Nightwing drift who gets a kitten named Broccoli
Felix Gerault: member of the Assembly who mentors Violet regarding her signet
General Lilith Sorrengail: Violet’s mother, the former commanding general of Basgiath War College who died at the end of Iron Flame
Jesenia Neilwart: a member of the Scribe Quadrant and Violet’s longtime friend
Niara: Violet’s, Brennan’s, and Mira’s grandmother
Narelle Anselm: the 93-year-old merchant in Deverelli
Quinn Hollis: a third-year Fourth Wing cadet and Imogen’s best friend
Sloane Mairi: a Fourth Wing rider and Liam’s younger sister, most known for her role in siphoning at the time of Lilith’s death in Iron Flame
Talia: Xaden’s mom
Trager Karis: a healing-trained flier
Important Political Leaders
- Callyxta: mistress of festivities in Zehyllna
- Faris: second of the triumvirates in Hedotis and married to Talia
- General Augustine Melgren: commanding general of Navarre
- King Courtlyn the Fourth of Deverelli: his panthers are Shira, Shena, and Shora
- King Tauri of Navarre: father of Halden, Alic, and Aaric
- Marlis: Queen of Unnbriel
- Nairi: one of the triumvirates in Hedotis
- Prince Halden Tauri: the King’s first son, Aaric’s and Alic’s brother, and Violet’s ex
- Queen Maraya: ruler of Poromiel at the beginning of the book
- Rosyn: one of the triumvirates in Hedotis
- Viscount Tecarus: first in line to the Poromish throne at the beginning of the book, as well as Cat’s and Syrena’s uncle
Gods
- Amari: queen of the gods
- Dunne: goddess of war who requires a lifetime of service and is the most wrathful
- Hedeon: god of wisdom
- Loial: god of love who requires lifetime service
- Malek: god of death
- Zihnal: god of luck
Venin
- Berwyn: a high-ranking venin bonded to Xaden
- Jack Barlowe: a former rider turned venin who’s referred to as Xaden’s venin brother
- Maven: a type of high-ranking venin
- Sage: the venin’s general
- Theophanie: a Maven venin with silver hair like Violet and a storm-wielding signet like Lilith Sorrengail
Basgiath War College Teachers and Officials
- Carr: wielding professor
- Colonel Aetos: Dain’s father who becomes the Commanding General of Basgiath
- Devera: Battle Brief co-professor
- Emetterio: a professor who trains for squad combat
- Grady: RSC professor who leads the task force
- Kaori: dragon professor
- Kiandra: professor of fliers who teaches venin course
- Lyron Panchek: commandant
- Major Burton Varrish: the deceased vice commandant
- Markham: curator of the Scribe Quadrant who co-teaches Battle Brief and was previously Violet’s mentor
The Senarium: A Governing Body for the Six Navarre Provinces
- Duchess of Elsum
- Duchess of Morraine
- Duke of Calldyr
- Duke or Duchess of Deaconshire
- Duke of Luceras
- Lewellen and Xaden: Xaden and this female (who was sanctioned for her role in hiding in Aretia represent Tyrrendor) represent Tyrrendor at different times in the book
Characters Briefly Mentioned
Alic: Aaric’s and Halden’s brother, who was known as a bully and was killed by Xaden
Avalynn: a first-year cadet in Fourth Wing
Bragen: a third-year flier
Braxtyn
Caroline Ashton: a second year in Fourth Wing
Captain Dominic Prishel: wrote a study about the enemy
Captain Fitzgibbons: wrote On Tyrrish History, A Complete Accounting, Third Edition
Captain Henson: an air wielder chosen by Grady for the quest squad based on trust
Colonel Agatha Mayfair: Royal Archivist
Colonel Chandlyr: commander of retired riders
Colonel Elijah Joben: wrote The Tactical Guide to Defeating Dragons
Colonel Hashbeigh: commander of the Athebyne outpost in 433 AU during the Midnight Massacre
Colonel Tispany Calthea: a professor who wrote about dragons
Commanding General Nirali Ilan: at Cliffsbane Fortress
Costa: a twin male warrior in Unnbriel
Duke Lindell: fostered Xaden and Liam and was sanctioned for his role in hiding Aretia
Dyre: a healer
Elda: maid of Faris and Talia
Emery: cadet guarding Jack’s cell
Eran Norris: built Basgiath with stone stairs instead of wooden ones
Ewan Faber: a Fourth Wing wingleader
Gaius: Faris’s and Talia’s son
General Cadao: Violet reads his journal
General Tinery
Goverson: cadet guarding Jack’s cell
Heaton: cadet guarding Jack’s cell
Hedley: a First Wing rider in Quinn’s class
Iris Drue: First Wing leader
Jax: Quinn’s girlfriend
Kai: a flier
Karessa Tomney: named on the death roll
Katrina: Imogen’s sister
Kaveh: a third year from Second Wing
Kylynn: a member of the Assembly who Violet calls “battle ax”
Levian Croslight: wrote The Last Admiral
Liam Mairi: a strong member of Fourth Wing who died and is fondly remembered
Lieutenant Colonel Degrensi: stationed at Samara
Lieutenant Foley: a member of the quest squad who’s an agrarian
Lieutenant Pugh: an executive officer on the task force who has far sight
Loran Yashil: a cocky third-year who is one of the best fighters in First Wing
Lynx: a first-year Fourth Wing cadet
Lyra of Morraine: one of the First Six riders raised the wards in Navarre
Lyra Mykel: Deputy Commanding General of Basgiath War Camp
Major Afrenda: wrote the guide to the riders’ quadrant
Major Constance Cara: wrote a guide to aerial combat
Major Deandra Naveen: wrote The Sacrifice of Dragonkind
Major Edorta: stationed at Athebyne
Major Dalton Sisneros: wrote a study of signets
Major Garion Savoy: wrote about gryphons
Major Pipa Donans: wrote about leadership for second-years
Major Rorilee: wrote a guide to appeasing the gods
Major Safah
Melyna Chalston: named on the death roll
Nadia Aksel: named on the death roll
Naolin: Tairn’s previous rider who died saving Brennan
Neve: a third-year flier
Nina Shrensour: Garrick’s hookup
Nolon Colbersy: a mender and husband of Winifred
Oren Seifert: a deceased Fourth Wing cadet who was jealous of Violet
Palta: a twin male warrior in Unnbriel
Percival Fitzgibbons: a transcriber
Phyllis: one of Faris’s servants
Pierson Haliwell: wrote The Resurgence of Evil, a timeline
Queen Alondra the Bold
Quinn Hollis: Imogen’s best friend
Racel Lightstone: a transcriber
Raegan Matthias: Rhiannon’s twin who has a baby
Ruford Sharna: a Third Wing rider who fell from his seat during maneuvers and is named on the death roll
Simeon: Faris’s and Talia’s son
Syrena: Cat’s sister, in line to be Queen of Poromiel
Suri: a general of Xaden’s army
Tara: a First Wing rider who is Rhiannon’s girlfriend
Thadeus Netien: named on the death roll
Timin Kagiso: the newly promoted wingleader for Second Wing
Tracila Cardulo: Imogen’s mom
Trissa: a member of the Assembly
Tynan: a deceased rider who gave Violet a scar at threshing
Ulices Ferris: a general of Xaden’s army
Urson: Narelle’s grandchild
Winifred Colbersy: the best healer at Basgiath; wife of Nolon
Frequently Asked Questions
Violet Sorrengail is theย protagonist in Onyx Storm. She is a Fourth Wing rider who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and a complicated love life with her enemy-turned-lover Xaden Riorson.
At the end of Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, Commandant Panchek turned venin. Someone else close to Xaden also turned venin. In prior books, Xaden and Jack turned venin.
No; however, readers speculate this may be a possible plot twist in the next book in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros.
At the beginning of Onyx Storm, Lewellen (female) is the political representative for Tyrrendor in the Senarium. She was sanctioned for her role in hiding in Aretia.
Related Onyx Storm Posts
If you loved this guide to the Onyx Storm characters, check out these posts about the romantasy book series next:
- Onyx Storm Spice Details
- Onyx Storm Book Club Questions
- Onyx Storm Book Review
- Onyx Storm Dragons
- Onyx Storm Signets
- Onyx Storm Map With Islands
- Onyx Storm Ending Explained
- Onyx Storm Theories
- Onyx Storm Book Quotes
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
What about Captain Henson? Page 175 of onyx storm.
She is an air wielder chosen by Grady for the quest squad based on trust.
Wait. Is Dain Xadenโs cousin?!
No! I’m so sorry and have fixed this. Dain is not Xaden’s cousin. Face palm!!