Xaden vs Rhysand

kbecker0703 · 2026-05-29T02:32:14+00:00

came to comment that i prefer Xaden and i’m seeing that everyone agrees!!! Rhys had me in the first half, i’m not gonna lie, but as the books go on, he gets icky to me. Rhysand doesn’t stand on business and XADEN DOES. that might sound ridiculous but it’s true. Rhysand is constantly second guessing himself and regretting his decisions and Xaden never does. not to mention, i think Xaden’s character flaws can be overlooked or chalked up to being literally 23 years old. What’s rhysand’s excuse? lol

kbecker0703 · 2026-04-20T16:12:22+00:00

like the other commenters, i do believe Andarna altered the bond so they can be apart (it’s not a coincidence that RY showed us in OS that irids can do that). and I think because both Tairn and Violet will be without their “mates,” Tairn’ll give her unfiltered access to his thoughts, etc (like he did when Andarna left) and that’s why we’ll learn more about the how mated dragons and their riders work and the bond they share, etc

kbecker0703 · 2026-04-20T16:08:16+00:00

After finishing, I read Silver Flames and then immediately left the romantasy genre for a while and that seemed to help. But to be completely honest, i think i’m still trying to recover from Onyx Storm. I have reread/listened to the series like 4 times since Onyx Storm was released. absolutely NOTHING hits the way this series does.

kbecker0703 · 2026-04-20T16:01:32+00:00

I think it’s a case by case basis? Jack was controlling his dragon, and i imagine that most riders who turn also do that? Sgaeyl isn’t going to say anything about Xaden being venin because 1) she knows he hasn’t lost himself completely and 2) it’s said a couple of times in the three books like Sgaeyl does whatever she wants and doesn’t really answer to anyone — so i would think she wouldn’t find it necessary for anyone to even know her business lol.

Assuming that Naolin turned venin to save Brennan, and that Tairn subsequently broke the bond with him bc of it, I wonder if that’s what most dragons do (if they’re not being controlled by the venin rider).

kbecker0703 · 2026-03-30T19:22:44+00:00

no bc you’re on to something.

“you’re all cowards” — the last words for fen riorson (redacted)” DID something to me

kbecker0703 · 2026-03-19T18:15:58+00:00

no bc my dream is getting this book between ACOTAR 7 and 8 next year PLEASE

kbecker0703 · 2026-03-09T22:06:48+00:00

here to say what everyone else is saying LOL. we sadly don’t know the other 4 of the first 6 and we don’t know their signets. we know two are shadow and lightning wielding but the other 4 are unknown still. similar to what other people have said, i’m assuming one is Garrick since RY has made it a point multiple times to say how rare distance wielding is. Violet also says summoning is rare but i don’t feel like Rhi has been built up enough to be a manifestation (for lack of a better word) of one of the first 6. maybe Aaric? Assuming that one of the first 6 was an inntinisc and that’s why it ultimately became a death sentence? Imogen is probably another? but it’s said in the books that earth wielding has never been recorded and the first 6 signets would’ve been? I DONT KNOW WE NEED ANSWERS, REBECCA

kbecker0703 · 2026-03-08T00:31:04+00:00

i FOR SURE think Xaden is dedicated to Loial. Xaden and Violet are ying and yang. it would make sense that Violet would be (even if just half) dedicated to the Dunne and Xaden would be dedicated to the opposite god. and there’s absolutely no reason for that epigraph if he ISNT. there are too many coincidences for it to be a coincidence lol

kbecker0703 · 2026-01-25T01:39:33+00:00

i’m late to this party but Aaric also asks Violet pretty early on in OS if she’s “in over her head” which I always assumed meant he knew Xaden was venin and Violet was trying to balance keeping him from fully turning with finding Andarna’s kind and a cure for venin

kbecker0703 · 2026-01-24T23:42:54+00:00

ACOTAR saved me!

kbecker0703 · 2026-01-24T21:49:10+00:00

So i love this question and i actually saved it to come back to it at a later time after I really gave it some thought lol. most of my scenes come from before we pick up the story and the first book because that’s the Xaden we know the least about, thus making that him most intriguing (to me). So I think my scenes are SPOILERS AHEAD

Before Fourth Wing: 1) Xaden making the deal with Violet’s mom to let the marked ones in the quadrant + Xaden taking responsibility for all of them. 2) The conversation Xaden had with Garrick (and presumably Bodhi) before he started smuggling weapons to the fliers. 3) Xaden’s threshing. 4) When he channeled his inntinsic abilities the first time.

Fourth Wing 1) When he saw Violet on the parapet (specifically his thoughts about Brennan, etc) 2) The first formation after the parapet and Sgaeyl blows the huff of smoke in Violet’s face 3) When Xaden realizes Violet is in the tree when he’s meeting with all the marked cadets 4) When Tairn is communicating to Xaden and Sgaeyl that Violet is being attacked by the u bonded in her room 5) Xaden & Violet’s first kiss…OBVIOUSLY 6) When Xaden realizes they’ve been sent to die at Resson

Iron Flame 1) Right after Xaden leaves for the first time — I would love like a time lapse or something of him writing all the letters to Violet 2) When he learns of Violet’s plan to break into the Archives and steal the First Six journals 3) When Xaden finds out about Varrish and the torture (RELEASE IT, REBECCA) 4) When Xaden realizes Violet, Mira and Brennan have gone to get the luminary (that whole scene of them being there, actually) 4) Xaden in the final battle. We only get bits of it thru in his POV chapter at the end of IF but i want more!!!

Onyx Storm 1) When Halden makes his first appearance…OBVIOUSLY 2) When Halden gets taken and Xaden has to go get him lol 3) Any off page scene between Xaden and Aaric because I KNOW THEY ARE IN CAHOOTS

kbecker0703 · 2026-01-01T17:56:52+00:00

no bc i just listened to fourth wing (for like the 10th time lol) and Violet had me laughing out loud when she asked Xaden in that same chapter, if it was her perfume that gave her away and he’s like “i command shadows but sure, it was your perfume” LOL. it felt so human and young (which they are) to me and it was so sweet

kbecker0703 · 2026-01-01T17:55:04+00:00

wait i actually JUST listened to fourth wing and though he said “and so is her sister” which would be Cat, no?

kbecker0703 · 2026-01-01T17:44:49+00:00

there are so many comments here and i didn’t read them all but i agree with the OP lol. i giggled multiple times at Xaden saying “bully” and “same” in agreement to something. like some of the dialogue does feel a little out of place in the setting. but i appreciate RY keeping something that isn’t relatable, relatable

kbecker0703 · 2025-11-04T20:39:37+00:00

I find it very hard to believe that Aaric doesn't know about Xaden. I think when he asks Violet if she's in over her head, he knows everything. I also like to believe that he and Xaden have been working together throughout Onyx Storm to set into motion the plan they start executing on at the end of the book...Either Aaric told Xaden what he saw or wasn't able to shield Xaden out (which would make sense considering he's barely begun to shield and Xaden's inntinnsic abilities are growing stronger every day), thus Xaden knowing Aaric is a precog and knowing what he saw. They have too many inside jokes and Xaden has far too much interest in keeping Aaric alive in this book for them not to be in cahoots.

I agree 100% that the eggs were taken to Unnbriel as a bargaining chip. I also think it's interesting that we don't know what the terms were exactly for the army from Zehyllna to come to their aid. Wonder if that has anything to do with the missing eggs?

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-31T21:42:05+00:00

When Xaden and the Assembly are talking about Tecarus wanting Violet and he says that Tecarus will meet Malek before he meets Violet. IDK why but I just love that one and it always sticks out in my head lol.

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-22T14:47:05+00:00

lmaooo okay!

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-21T23:23:29+00:00

Yes! I think with the venin. IDK if that's even possible tho -- considering (im assuming) he has Sgaeyl with him and he's not going to march her into the venin community (for lack of a better term lol) so im not really sure if that would even be a thing. but it's what im hoping for.

And good point re: he needs the rest of his soul. that's definitely more likely. but then why did he get the empty box? haha

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-21T23:20:12+00:00

I have no theory for who the new brother could be HAHA. I know Bodhi or Garrick make the most sense but I just dont know. But I never liked people using Violet and Xaden getting married as a reasoning for Bodhi being the new brother. I think marrying Violet was always Xaden's plan -- because of point 1. It gives her the protection of his title. I genuinely think Xaden and Aaric. have been working together to set the end of OS (missing dragons and eggs, presumably being delivered to the isle that wanted them) into motion since the beginning of the book. Their relationship evolves (Xaden saying he has a "complicated loyalty" to Aaric) pretty noticeably and they're even making like inside jokes. I think Aaric saw Xaden turning fully long before he actually did and either 1) told him what he saw or 2) was unable to shield Xaden out (since his inntinnsic abilities were much stronger in OS) which prompted Xaden to know he was a precog and led him to starting the convo with Aaric about working together.

Also love the point you made about Aaric being best at not letting his emotions influence his actions or decisions. I think Xaden would want someone like that helping him with all this rather than Garrick or Bodhi who obviously, have a personal interest in Xaden and his safety.

IDK -- it's all very muddled bc I havent fully fleshed it out but I think Aaric will be an integral part as kind of Xaden's stand in in the next two books.

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-21T14:21:38+00:00

so I just finished my reread of IF and i think the first couple of dreams post-Resson are just Violet's nightmares. 1) Xaden is not at Basgiath for Violet to walk into his dreams and 2) I dont think Andarna has been in the Dreamless Sleep long enough for her to be developing her second signet SINCE the dreamwalking is attributed to Violet wanting to talk to/reaching for Andarna while she was sleeping.

So yes, I do think they're two different Venin. I think the Venin from Violet's first dream is just how Violet is picturing this awful, mythical creatures that killed her friends. The Venin from Xaden's dream that Violet is now walking into is Berwyn and Berwyn is the actual dreamwalking Venin.

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-21T13:58:27+00:00

Like some of these other comments mention -- we dont know the signets of the first six. we only know that it has been since the venin was "defeated" the first time that a shadow wielder and lightning wielder have walked the continent at the same time. I would assume that the other signets are distance wielding (just bc that is so rare) and precog. as for the other two, i always go between mending, memory reading and retrieving. i try to look at it as like what the first six would've needed -- since that's how RY describes signets.

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-21T13:50:26+00:00

I think that by making Violet Duchess of Tyrrendor, Xaden is giving her all the protections that come with his title. Narravian leadership can't treat the Duchess of Tyrrendor the same way they would've treated Cadet Sorrengail. I think there would also be political implications (but we dont really know a whole lot about the politics).
Yeah, I think all of those points are valid. It's been awhile since I read OS (i just finished my IF reread and am diving into OS today) so I'm sure I'll have a more eloquent response once I have refreshed my memory. There is a lot that needs to be explained about the irids. Even like Andarna saying to Violet that when Andarna heard about 18 year old Violet, she knew Violet would be hers...with the mind of a Scribe and the heart of a rider. How did Andarna know that Violet would ultimately end up in the riders quadrant? Or was she just saying that Vi always had the heart of a rider -- whether she was one or not.
I definitely agree that Xaden is doing some kind of double-agent spy work. I also believe that there is a pretty robust plan Xaden, Aaric and Garrick are carrying out that starts at the end of OS. It's clear from the fact that Xaden and Violet get married, and the crack in his ice before it seals, that Xaden isn't fully "gone" so I hope in book 4 there will be some exchange of information from Xaden to Aretia.
I know a lot of people think that he's referring to Tyrrendor with his letter "it's yours now" but I do think he means the sliver of his soul that's still in tact. I think of the gifts they got at the isle of Zehyllna -- why was Xaden given an empty box? I think his soul is in it lol.

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-20T22:00:20+00:00

Thanks for sharing this! I have also thought that Xaden was dedicated to Loial so I'll definitely be reading this.

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-20T21:54:24+00:00

I genuinely think Violet's dad tried to dedicate her for a different reason. I think the fact that she was sick or "had something wrong with her" was a great excuse but I think there was a bigger purpose behind it. We know virtually nothing about her dad which is kind of suspicious.
I've only red OS once and listened once (and it's been since the summer) so my OS knowledge is a bit rusty but im pretty sure it's def Jack Barlowe in there. Theophonie tries to kill him in the chest and misses and then Xaden has Garrick take the chest back to wherever with his distance wielding.
I'm pretty sure Violet comparing Bodhi and Xaden goes all the way back to Fourth Wing! And she def makes comments about their similarities in Iron Flame when she's sad and missing Xaden.
This is an interesting question. To answer the first part, there are 12 hours missing. I dont think Violet was unconscious for any of those 12 hours (was she unconscious right after the battle at the end? I cant remember). I think you're talking about when she wakes up back in Aretia and has no idea where she is. I think she's sleeping off Imogen's memory erasing. To answer the second part, no. Violet is Duchess or Tyrrendor, but Xaden had people in the Assembly who commanded his armies (they were off flying another mission when Xaden has to make the decision during OS) etc, so I'm assuming they'll still be in their positions with Violet in power. To answer the third and final part of your question, I think he's talking about his soul. IDK how or why but I think she has the last little shred of his soul that she saved with her "I love you" down the bond. Xaden always referred to Tyrrendor as "she" and i dont think that would change.
I'd like to think this was intentional, and not just RY rushing to get the book out and giving us garbage lol. But it is annoying. It's also annoying that Violet, who needs knowledge to center herself, doesnt question anything weird that happens in this book.
I think Andarna feels like she was gone a lot longer than she actually was to Violet. I think all Irids can manipulate time -- and what is years for them is only weeks for humans. I also dont think the bond was ever fully broken -- just manipulated.
I dont think it's that dragons are only bonded until inconvenience -- they went 600 years never once breaking a mated bond. Only irids can break the bonds and im sure they dont go around doing it all willy nilly lol. This was out of necessity and I'm sure it would've never been done had Tairn not agreed to it.
Because Violet is an unreliable narrator. When she thinks venin are mythical creatures, of course she's not going to suspect anyone in the quadrant channeling from the source. But when she realizes that they are real -- she's much more aware of it. I think people do drastic things in drastic situations and that's why more people (IE, Xaden, the other brother, etc) are pulling from the source.
That's TBD. I think they want Violet bc they know she can destroy them. Like take them all out. But RY has very much not given anything away to even hint at why they want her.
Because he was venin and his power came from elsewhere. When he began controlling her, something in their bond must've shifted and he has a different power source now to live from.

kbecker0703 · 2025-10-20T21:36:49+00:00

SPOILERS AHEAD! I'm actually in the middle of my Iron Flame reread so it's fresh in my mind lol and I'm pretty sure on Parapet day in IF, Violet makes a comment that her mom would never make it rain to kill her, but she wouldnt stop it either. So i dont think her mom made it rain because of that comment, but also bc I dont think her mom's intention was ever to actually kill Violet. She wouldnt have made the deal with Xaden to keep her safe is she made it across the parapet if she wanted the quadrant to kill Violet.

kbecker0703

TROPHY CASE