| Name | Azriel |
|---|---|
| Age | 538 (ACOMAF & ACOWAR), 538-539 (ACOFAS), 539-540 (ACOSF) |
| Species | Illyrian |
| Status | Alive |
| Court | Night Court |
| Rank/Title | Spymaster of the Night Court |
| Eye Color | Hazel |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Family | Unnamed Father, Unnamed Mother, Unnamed Stepmother, 2 Unnamed Half-brothers |
| Love Interests | Morrigan (unrequited love interest), Elain (love interest) |
| Appears in | A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, Kingdom of Ash (mentioned), A Court of Silver Flames, House of Sky and Breath, House of Flame and Shadow |
Contents
Biography / History
Early Life
Azriel is the bastard son of an Illyrian lord, raised in a household where his stepmother and half-brothers treated him with cruelty and neglect. For eleven years, he lived locked in a windowless cell, allowed out only one hour a day and permitted to see his mother once a week. Denied training, flight, and basic freedom, he grew up isolated and afraid. At age eight, his half-brothers poured oil over his hands and set them on fire “to see what would happen,” leaving him permanently scarred despite Illyrian healing.
Arrival at Windhaven & Meeting Rhysand and Cassian
At eleven, Azriel was finally sent to the Illyrian training camp at Windhaven, where the camp lords recognized the value of his rare shadowsinger abilities. There he met Rhysand and Cassian; Rhysand’s mother—already sheltering Cassian—took Azriel in as well. The three boys forged a bond despite being separated later by Rhysand’s father, who feared their combined strength. Once Rhysand rose to High Lord of the Night Court, Azriel became his spymaster and an essential member of the Inner Circle.
A Court of Mist and Fury — Timeline Events
Meeting Feyre
Azriel is introduced to Feyre along with the rest of the Inner Circle. He observes quietly, offering subtle support and gathering information about her past and trauma.
Investigates the Mortal Queens
Azriel tracks the Queens’ movements, intercepts messages, and uncovers evidence of their alliance with Hybern — key intel that shapes the Night Court’s war strategy.
Captured-at-Hybern
When the Inner Circle is trapped by the King of Hybern, Azriel is among those magically restrained. Even injured and pinned down, he tries to reach Feyre and protect his family.
A Court of Wings and Ruin — Timeline Events
Battle in the Winter Court
In the brutal Winter Court battle, Azriel fights alongside the Night Court until Cassian falls. Azriel carries him back to camp for urgent healing.
A Court of Silver Flames — Timeline Events
Supports Cassian’s Mission With Nesta
Azriel stands beside Cassian as Nesta is forced to move into the House of Wind. He handles logistics, observes quietly, and helps enforce Rhysand’s restrictions when necessary.
Investigates Briallyn and Koschei
As Spymaster, Azriel gathers intelligence on Queen Briallyn, Koschei, and the Dread Trove. His reports determine the timing of missions and the scope of the danger.
Rescues Nesta and Cassian on Ramiel
After the Blood Rite, Azriel and Mor locate Cassian and Nesta on the slopes of Ramiel. They retrieve the exhausted pair and immediately winnow them to the River House, where Feyre is dying in childbirth and needs Nesta’s power to survive.
Appearance
Azriel is tall, powerful, and classically beautiful, with features that often appear unreadable:
- Dark hair
- Hazel eyes with an intense, steady gaze
- Golden-brown skin
- Massive Illyrian wings edged in talons
- Brutal scars on both hands, caused by being burned with oil and fire as a child
- An aura of shadows, constantly drifting around him as if the light avoids him
Years of Illyrian training have shaped his body into a muscular, lethal warrior’s build.
Tattoos & Marks
Like all fully initiated Illyrian warriors, Azriel bears traditional warrior tattoos, inked across his body as a mark of completing his blood-rite training and as symbols meant to grant luck, honor, and glory in battle.
He also carries:
- Seven cobalt Siphons
Used to control and direct his immense raw power — far more than the one or two Siphons typical Illyrians require. - Truth-Teller
His obsidian-black dagger, always sheathed at his thigh and considered an extension of himself.
Personality
Azriel is quiet, observant, and reserved, often speaking only when necessary. He maintains strict emotional control and keeps most of his thoughts to himself, making him the most private member of the Inner Circle.
Key traits
- Reserved and controlled:
Azriel keeps his emotions tightly leashed. He rarely reveals what he feels, relying instead on silence, stillness, and a blank expression that gives away nothing. - Loyal and dependable:
Once someone earns his trust, Azriel is unwaveringly loyal. He protects his Inner Circle family without hesitation and routinely risks himself on their behalf. - Strategic and perceptive:
As spymaster, he excels at gathering information, reading danger, and making calculated decisions. His shadows help him notice what others miss and move unseen. - Quietly humorous:
Though he rarely jokes, Azriel has a dry, understated sense of humor that appears in quick remarks or subtle reactions—usually surprising those around him. - Compassionate beneath the armor:
Despite his cold exterior, Azriel shows gentleness toward those who are vulnerable or hurting, especially those who have suffered as he once did. - Conflicted about Illyrian culture:
While proud of his training and discipline, Azriel harbors deep resentment toward the brutality, misogyny, and abuse embedded in traditional Illyrian society, shaped by his own traumatic upbringing.
Powers & Abilities
Illyrian Physiology & Warrior Training
As a fully trained Illyrian warrior, Azriel possesses enhanced strength, speed, agility, and battle endurance. Centuries of training in the Illyrian war-camps have shaped him into a lethal fighter, capable of holding his own against the strongest warriors in Prythian.
Immense Raw Power (Siphons)
Azriel possesses vast, volatile Illyrian magic—so great that he requires seven cobalt Siphons to regulate and shape it. Most Illyrians need only one or two. Siphons channel raw, explosive Illyrian power into refined forms such as:
- Magical shields
- Blasts and weapons
- Precision attacks
- Defensive barriers
Rhysand once compared Illyrian magic to “throwing a bucket of paint at a wall,” while Siphons allow it to be used like a paintbrush—controlled, sharp, and safe to wield in close combat.
Shadowsinger Abilities
Azriel is one of the extremely rare shadowsingers, a gift that makes him unlike any other Illyrian:
- He hears and senses things others cannot, picking up on truths, threats, and emotional undercurrents.
- He can merge with shadows, using them to move unseen, conceal himself, or gather information.
- His shadows act almost like sentient extensions of himself—quiet observers that whisper secrets and warn of danger.
These abilities make him the Night Court’s spymaster, unmatched in stealth, infiltration, and information-gathering.
Truth-Teller
Azriel is the bearer of Truth-Teller, a legendary black-bladed dagger.
- Its origin is ancient and tied to the Cauldron.
- It has the power to Unmake.
- The blade has a supernatural loyalty to Azriel—he is the only one who can wield it with its full potential.
Relationships
| Morrigan | Azriel has harbored quiet, long-standing feelings for Morrigan, though he has never pursued her or acted on them. Mor tells Feyre that Azriel’s restraint likely stems from his belief that he is unworthy of her. Mor does not return his romantic interest. She later confides to Feyre that she is bisexual and prefers females, a truth she has never shared with Azriel. Unaware of this, Azriel continues to care for her from a distance while maintaining their close friendship within the Inner Circle. |
|---|---|
| Nuala and Cerridwen | The half-High Fae, half–shadow-wraith twins work as Rhysand’s personal servants and spies. In A Court of Mist and Fury, Amren reveals that they also answer to Azriel, who trained them himself — and they report directly to him on all spymaster matters. |
| Elain | Elain and Azriel first meet in A Court of Mist and Fury, where she is still human and nervous around the Fae—but noticeably less frightened of Azriel. They exchange polite conversation despite the tense setting. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, Azriel becomes one of the few people who can calm Elain after she is Made. He keeps her company during her recovery and later risks his life to rescue her from Hybern’s camp. Badly injured, he refuses to let her out of his arms until Rhys intervenes. Elain thanks him with a kiss on the cheek. Azriel also lends her Truth-Teller, something he has never done for anyone else; she uses it to stab the King of Hybern during the final battle. In A Court of Frost and Starlight, Elain gives Azriel a Solstice gift meant to ease his headaches, and the two share a quiet evening talking about her garden plans. In A Court of Silver Flames, their dynamic becomes more complicated. Elain gives him earplugs as a humorous gift, and Azriel gives her a glass rose necklace—leading to an almost-kiss interrupted by Rhysand. Azriel later steps back after Rhys forbids him from pursuing her due to the political implications of her existing mating bond with Lucien. |
| Gwyneth Berdara | Gwyn and Azriel first meet during the attack on Sangravah two years before A Court of Silver Flames. When Hybern soldiers assault the temple, Gwyn is nearly violated by a Hybern general. Azriel intervenes, kills the attackers, and wraps her in his cloak before Mor brings Gwyn to safety in the library beneath the House of Wind. They cross paths again when Gwyn joins Nesta’s training sessions, learning under Cassian and Azriel. Azriel treats her with quiet patience and respect, offering occasional guidance during weapons practice. Their most meaningful interaction occurs in the ACOSF bonus chapter. After Azriel retreats to the training ring on Solstice night, he finds Gwyn already practicing there — something even his shadows hadn’t noticed. They exchange a brief, warm conversation, including Gwyn wishing him a “Happy Solstice,” and Azriel giving her a few pointers on dagger handling. The next day, Azriel anonymously sends Gwyn the glass rose necklace he originally bought for Elain. Through Clotho, he asks that Gwyn receive it simply as “a gift from a friend,” choosing not to reveal himself. As he leaves, he imagines how Gwyn’s teal eyes might light at the sight of it — a thought he quietly hides from everyone. |
| Feyre Archeron | Feyre first meets Azriel at the House of Wind when Rhysand introduces her to the Inner Circle after bringing her from the Spring Court. Though reserved, Azriel treats her with quiet respect, and they develop a steady, trusting friendship. Azriel later helps her train her wings, offering guidance because he also learned to fly later in life and understands the mental blocks that come with it. Their training sessions create a practical bond, and Feyre appreciates his patience and skill. They fight alongside each other during key conflicts. When Eris and his brothers attack, Azriel and Cassian are the ones who rescue Feyre. During the High Lords meeting in A Court of Wings and Ruin, when Azriel’s shadows react violently to Eris, Feyre is the one who grounds him and asks him to sit beside her — a sign of mutual trust and respect. |
