| Name | Rhiannon Matthias |
|---|---|
| Age | 20 (Fourth Wing) |
| Species | Human |
| Status | Alive |
| Quadrant | Riders Quadrant, Basgiath War College |
| Rank/Title | Cadet → Squad Leader, Second Squad (Flame Section) |
| Signet | Object Summoning |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Dark brown |
| Dragon Bond | Feirge (Green Daggertail) |
| Family | Raegan Matthias (sister), Lukas (nephew), unnamed father, unnamed mother |
| Love Interests | Tara; Sawyer Henrick (one-night encounter) |
| Appears in | Fourth Wing (2023), Iron Flame (2023), Onyx Storm (2025) |
Contents
Biography
Rhiannon Matthias is a rider in the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College and one of Violet Sorrengail’s closest friends. She enters Basgiath in the same year as Violet and quickly becomes part of Violet’s inner circle, standing beside her through training, squad challenges, battles, and the growing political conflict surrounding Navarre.
Rhiannon is bonded to Feirge, a green Daggertail dragon, and develops the signet of Object Summoning. Her ability allows her to summon objects directly to her hand, a power that becomes increasingly useful as she grows more confident and skilled as a rider.
Across Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm, Rhiannon grows from a first-year cadet into a capable squad leader. She is loyal, practical, brave, and deeply protective of the people she loves, but she is also willing to question authority when orders or secrets put her friends at risk.
Early Life
Rhiannon grew up in Morraine Province, close to the Cygnisen border. Because of where her village was located, she learned to defend herself at a young age, which later gives her an advantage in hand-to-hand combat at Basgiath. She is fast, physically strong, and already used to fighting before entering the Riders Quadrant.
Her family knew she wanted to become a rider, and Rhiannon enters Basgiath with a clear sense of purpose. She has a twin sister, Raegan Matthias, and later becomes an aunt to Raegan’s son, Lukas. Her connection to her family remains an important part of who she is, especially because her protective instincts extend far beyond the battlefield.
Fourth Wing
Rhiannon meets Violet Sorrengail before crossing the Parapet. Their friendship begins almost immediately when Violet notices that Rhiannon’s shoes have poor traction and offers to switch one of her own shoes with her. That small act helps Rhiannon survive the crossing and becomes the beginning of one of Violet’s most important friendships at Basgiath.
During their first year, Rhiannon, Violet, Ridoc, and Sawyer become a close unit within Second Squad, Flame Section. Rhiannon and Violet also support each other academically and physically: Rhiannon helps Violet with sparring, while Violet helps her with history, a subject Rhiannon openly struggles with.
Rhiannon proves herself early as a strong fighter. She is quick, powerful, and confident in hand-to-hand combat, making her one of the more physically capable first-year riders in Violet’s circle. After Threshing, she bonds with Feirge, a green Daggertail, securing her place as a rider.
Iron Flame
In Iron Flame, Rhiannon is promoted to Squad Leader of Second Squad, Flame Section. Her promotion reflects both her competence and her growing role as a leader among the riders. She becomes more responsible for the people around her and often acts as a stabilizing force within Violet’s group.
Rhiannon’s loyalty is tested as Violet begins keeping more secrets from her friends. Although Rhiannon remains protective of Violet, she also notices when Violet is hiding the truth and does not ignore the emotional toll those secrets take. Their friendship becomes more complicated, but not weaker. Rhiannon’s frustration comes from care, not betrayal.
One of Rhiannon’s most important moments comes when she uses her signet to retrieve an alloy-hilted dagger through a wall. This shows major growth in her power and proves that her Object Summoning is not limited to simple retrieval. By this point, Rhiannon has become both a more skilled rider and a more capable tactical ally.
After learning more of the truth about venin, wards, and the secrets hidden by Navarre, Rhiannon helps Violet and the others search for answers. She, Ridoc, Sawyer, Dain, Violet, and Jesinia later work through books connected to the search for ward knowledge, showing that Rhiannon’s role is not only physical but strategic.
Onyx Storm
In Onyx Storm, Rhiannon continues to grow into her role as a leader and a key member of the rebellion. By this point, she is no longer simply Violet’s closest friend at Basgiath; she is a rider with authority, responsibility, and a clear place within the larger conflict.
Her leadership becomes especially important as the rebellion intensifies. Rhiannon offers emotional support, tactical insight, and calm judgment when the people around her are under pressure. She remains fiercely loyal to Violet and the rest of their squad, but her loyalty is never passive. She is willing to push, question, and act when survival demands it.
Rhiannon’s arc across the series shows her transition from determined cadet to trusted squad leader. She is one of the clearest examples of how Basgiath’s brutal training can shape a rider into someone capable of surviving not just the school, but the war beyond it.
Physical Description
Rhiannon Matthias is described as having dark skin, brown eyes, high cheekbones, and an oval-shaped face. Violet notes that her beauty reminds her of Amari, the queen of the gods, giving Rhiannon a striking and memorable appearance from early in the series.
Body & Build
- Athletic build, well-suited for rider training and combat.
- Wears size eight shoes.
Hair
- Dark brown, worn in several rows of short braids that touch her neck.
- Often pinned back into a small bun at the nape of her neck during sparring.
Eyes & Skin
- Brown eyes.
- Dark skin.
- High cheekbones and an oval-shaped face, which remind Violet of Amari, the queen of the gods.
Clothing & Gear
- Standard rider leathers.
- Fighting leathers include a leather vest similar to Violet’s corset, but cut above the collarbone and secured at the neck, leaving her shoulders bare for movement.
Personality
Rhiannon Matthias is loyal, protective, and determined. She quickly becomes one of Violet’s most dependable friends, not because she blindly follows her, but because she chooses to stand by her even when the truth becomes complicated. Rhiannon is the kind of person who notices when something is wrong and refuses to let it pass without question.
She is also highly practical. Unlike more impulsive riders, Rhiannon often moves into problem-solving mode when danger appears. This makes her especially valuable within Violet’s squad, where emotional stakes and political secrets frequently collide with survival.
As a leader, Rhiannon is firm without being cold. Her promotion to Squad Leader reflects her ability to make decisions, protect her people, and stay steady under pressure. She cares deeply, but she is not soft. Her compassion is paired with discipline, courage, and a willingness to fight when necessary.
Rhiannon also has a dry, honest sense of humor, especially when it comes to subjects she dislikes, such as history. Her intelligence shows more strongly in practical fields like physics, math, strategy, and combat, making her a grounded contrast to Violet’s more bookish strengths.
Powers
Lesser Magic
Through her bond with Feirge, Rhiannon Matthias can channel lesser magic. Like other bonded riders, this allows her to perform basic magical tasks, including manipulating mage lights, interacting with doors and runes, and moving with enhanced speed.
Lesser magic is not unique to Rhiannon, but it forms the foundation of her abilities as a rider. It also supports her combat training, allowing her to move and react with the heightened physicality expected of dragon riders.
Signet
Object Summoning: Rhiannon’s signet allows her to summon objects directly to herself. At first, this ability appears simple, but it becomes increasingly useful as Rhiannon grows stronger and gains more control over her power.
Her signet is especially valuable in high-pressure situations because it allows her to retrieve weapons, tools, or important objects without physically reaching them. In Iron Flame, she demonstrates major growth when she is able to summon an alloy-hilted dagger through a wall, proving that her power can work across barriers.
This makes Object Summoning both practical and tactically important. While it may not look as destructive as some other signets, Rhiannon’s ability can shift the outcome of a dangerous moment by putting the right object in the right hand at exactly the right time.
Abilities
Languages
Rhiannon is fluent in sign language and the common language of Navarre. Her ability to communicate in sign language is another example of the practical skills that make her a valuable squadmate.
Tactician
Rhiannon demonstrates strong leadership skills and adaptability in battle. She is promoted to Squad Leader of Second Squad, Flame Section, showing that her superiors recognize her tactical awareness, reliability, and ability to make decisions under pressure.
Her leadership style is direct and protective. She does not simply follow orders without thinking, especially when the people she loves are in danger. Instead, she evaluates the situation, asks the necessary questions, and moves quickly when action is needed.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Rhiannon was trained from a young age due to her village’s location near the Cygnisen border. She is fast and her strikes are powerful, a lethal combination Violet compares to Mira Sorrengail. She also shows her agility and strength by gracefully climbing the Gauntlet.
Her combat ability is one of the reasons she stands out early at Basgiath. Rhiannon does not rely only on her dragon bond or signet; she is already physically capable, disciplined, and confident in a fight before her magical abilities fully develop.
Relationships
Rhiannon’s relationships are central to her role in the Empyrean series. She is not only Violet’s best friend, but also part of the close squad unit that includes Ridoc Gamlyn and Sawyer Henrick. Her personal connections reveal her loyalty, her protective nature, and her ability to build trust in an environment designed to break people apart.
| Raegan Matthias | Raegan is Rhiannon’s twin sister. During Fourth Wing, she is married and expecting a son named Lukas. Rhiannon’s family remains an important part of her identity and helps show that her protective instincts extend beyond Basgiath. |
|---|---|
| Violet Sorrengail | Rhiannon and Violet’s friendship is one of the most important relationships in Violet’s first year at Basgiath. From their first meeting before the Parapet, Rhiannon becomes one of the few people Violet can truly rely on. Their bond is built through practical help, shared training, squad loyalty, and the constant danger of the Riders Quadrant.Rhiannon helps Violet develop as a fighter, while Violet helps Rhiannon with history. This exchange shows how their friendship works from the beginning: they balance each other. Violet brings knowledge and strategy, while Rhiannon brings physical confidence, combat skill, and emotional steadiness.Their friendship becomes more strained as Violet begins keeping secrets about Xaden, the rebellion, venin, and the truth hidden by Navarre. Rhiannon can tell Violet is withholding information, and the distance hurts her. However, the conflict does not erase their bond. Instead, it shows that Rhiannon’s loyalty is honest enough to question Violet when trust is at stake. |
| Ridoc Gamlyn | Ridoc serves in Second Squad, Flame Section, Fourth Wing from the start. He and Rhiannon become close friends as squadmates, forming part of the tightly knit group around Violet. Their friendship is built on shared danger, loyalty, and the brutal experience of surviving Basgiath together. |
| Tara | Rhiannon Matthias is romantically involved with Tara, who is mentioned as her partner during her time at Basgiath. Their relationship appears to be open and somewhat complicated by Rhiannon’s responsibilities as a rider and later squad leader. |
| Sawyer Henrick | Sawyer and Rhiannon are close friends and part of the Iron Squad group alongside Ridoc and Violet. After Threshing, they share a night together to celebrate bonding with their dragons. In their second year, Rhiannon selects Sawyer as her Executive Officer, recognizing his qualifications and reliability while Violet’s frequent travel makes her less available for the role. |
| Iron Squad | Rhiannon, Violet, Ridoc, and Sawyer form one of the strongest friend groups within the Riders Quadrant. Their squad bond becomes more than a tactical alliance; it becomes a found family built through survival, trust, and shared defiance. As Rhiannon grows into leadership, her relationship with the group shifts. She is still their friend, but she also becomes responsible for making difficult decisions as Squad Leader. This gives her arc more weight, especially when the rebellion grows and every choice carries higher consequences. |
Dragon
Rhiannon is bonded to Feirge, a green Daggertail dragon. Through Feirge, Rhiannon gains access to lesser magic and eventually manifests her signet, Object Summoning.
Feirge’s bond marks Rhiannon’s survival and success within the Riders Quadrant. Like all rider-dragon bonds, it changes the course of her life, tying her to the military structure of Navarre while also making her part of the larger conflict that unfolds across the series.
