| Name | King of Hybern |
|---|---|
| Age | Unknown |
| Species | High Fae |
| Status | Deceased |
| Kingdom | Hybern |
| Rank/Title | King |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Family | Dagdan (Nephew) †, Brannagh (Niece) † |
| Appears in | A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin |
Contents
Biography / History
The War
Little is known about how the King of Hybern first rose to power, but he ruled during the human rebellion and fought on the side of the Loyalists. He refused to free Hybern’s human slaves and unleashed Amarantha to slaughter rebels and suppress uprisings. Seeking further advantage in the War, he allied with the former High Lord of the Spring Court, who also opposed freeing humans. During these visits, Amarantha met Tamlin and became fixated on him.
After the Loyalists lost, the King of Hybern was forced to sign the Treaty, freeing humans and accepting the creation of the Wall that divided their lands from Prythian. Although he ceded no territory, he spent the next five centuries nurturing Hybern’s resentment and preparing for a second war.
More than fifty years before A Court of Thorns and Roses, he sent Amarantha to Prythian as an ambassador to secure allies. Instead, she deceived and enslaved the High Lords, declaring herself High Queen. Though displeased, the King allowed her to continue, viewing her rule as an experiment to test how easily other Fae courts could be conquered when he launched his own invasion.
A Court of Mist and Fury — Timeline Events
Resurrects Jurian & Prepares for War
After Amarantha’s death, the Attor brings Jurian’s finger bone and eye to the King. Using the Cauldron, he resurrects Jurian to serve as an ambassador to the Mortal Queens and help destroy the Wall so Hybern may reclaim the Mortal Lands. He orders raids on Prythian’s temples to steal the Cauldron’s feet and eliminates all priestess witnesses.
Targets Feyre & Tracks Rhysand’s Power
The King sends the Attor to capture Feyre near her family’s estate, but Rhysand and Azriel intervene. Sensing Rhysand’s magic afterward, the King begins tracking him and twice sends soldiers to attack: once outside the Hewn City and once in the Illyrian Mountains.
Discovers Velaris & Attacks the City
After the Mortal Queens betray their sister and ally with Hybern for immortality, they reveal the existence of Velaris. The King sends a legion to destroy the city under the Attor’s command; Feyre kills the Attor during the attack.
Confrontation at Hybern
When Feyre, Mor, Cassian, and Azriel infiltrate Hybern’s castle to nullify the Cauldron, the King traps them with enchantments that block their powers. Rhysand arrives but is also trapped. Jurian wounds Azriel with an ash arrow to force their compliance. The King reveals that Tamlin and Lucien have allied with him in exchange for severing Feyre’s bond with Rhysand and allowing Hybern’s armies to enter Prythian through the Spring Court.
Confrontation at Hybern
The Mortal Queens arrive with Nesta and Elain, whom Ianthe delivered to Hybern. Both sisters are Made into High Fae to prove the Cauldron’s power. Feyre breaks the King’s wards, sends her friends away via the mating bond, and deceives the King and Tamlin into believing she has been bewitched by Rhysand. The King breaks her bargain bond with Rhysand—but not the mating or High Lady bond.
A Court of Wings and Ruin — Timeline Events
Manipulates the Spring Court & Expands His Influence
The King sends his niece and nephew, Dagdan and Brannagh, to the Spring Court to locate wall weaknesses while slowly poisoning Tamlin’s household with faebane. After Feyre kills the twins, the King invades the Spring Court in retaliation.
Targets Nesta & Destroys the Wall
Seeking the power Nesta took from the Cauldron, he sends magical Ravens to abduct her from Velaris; Rhysand and Bryaxis kill them. The King then uses the Cauldron to destroy the Wall entirely and launches a full attack on Adriata, appearing only as a projection when confronted by Rhysand.
Final Battle & Death
In the final war, the King unleashes the Cauldron’s might, annihilating legions of Illyrians and Prythian soldiers and killing the Bone Carver. He leaves his camp only when Nesta’s trap draws him away from the Cauldron. On his way, he confronts Stryga, the Weaver, deceiving her with flattery before breaking her neck and feeding her to his naga-hounds. He then finds Nesta and Cassian. To prevent Nesta from striking, he captures her father and snaps his neck. After maiming Cassian, he prepares to kill them both—until Elain stabs him in the neck with Azriel’s blade. Nesta finishes him by beheading him. His corpse is left for the ravens to consume.
Appearance
The King of Hybern is described as a powerful, imposing High Fae male with:
- Ruddy skin and inky black hair framing a plain, hard-set face
- Black eyes filled with cold, depthless hatred
- A muscular, broad build, appearing like a human male in his forties
- A preference for practical, sturdy clothing rather than royal finery
Though considered handsome by mortal standards, he lacked the ethereal beauty typical of High Fae, giving him a harsh and intimidating presence.
Personality
The King of Hybern is portrayed as a cunning, ruthless ruler driven by ambition and cruelty. He is willing to sacrifice soldiers, innocents, and even his own kin to achieve his goals. Though capable of appearing diplomatic—such as when negotiating with the mortal queens or manipulating Tamlin—his alliances are always self-serving, and he is quick to betray them. Highly intelligent and calculating, he is able to outwit powerful beings like the Weaver and strategically uses others, including Feyre’s father, to protect himself and further his plans.
Powers & Abilities
Extensive Magical Knowledge
The King of Hybern was a highly skilled practitioner of magic, carrying a personal spellbook filled with powerful incantations. He mastered rare and ancient spellcraft, including the knowledge of how to locate, reassemble, and weaponize the Cauldron.
Advanced Cursecraft
During the Night Court’s infiltration of his castle, he cast a magic-nullifying curse that shut down all of the Inner Circle’s abilities. The spell acted similarly to faebane—yet required no mineral—and was potent enough to block even Feyre and Rhysand’s mating bond, rendering them unable to communicate. Feyre only managed to break the curse because she was uniquely Made.
Raw Magical Power
Beyond spellcraft, the King wielded formidable innate magic. When Tamlin attempted to attack him, the King unleashed white-hot power that instantly subdued the High Lord, pinning him to the ground and binding him with a collar and shackles of light. Tamlin, despite his considerable strength, could not break free.
