When it comes to genre entertainment, romantasy is having its moment in a big way. Book series such as Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses have proven to be wildly popular among readers and show no signs of stopping as other series and stories within the genre gain popularity as well. However, while there are plenty of romantasy books and series that are popular, it’s Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean Saga that has become a full-on pop culture event. The beloved book series that kicked off with Fourth Wing and has continued, to date, through Iron Flame and Onyx Storm, is headed to the small screen thanks to a television adaptation.
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In the world of Fourth Wing, we follow Violet Sorrengail, a young woman who is forced to attend a military academy where she will train to become a dragon rider. However, this is no ordinary academy as the training is brutal with strict rules and people die and it’s more a fight for survival than simply a school. And while the dragon riders in training are fascinating in their own right, the series’ dragons are an integral part of everything. Each one has its own unique personality, skills, and strengths making them as complex and significant as any other characters in the world of Navarre. Here are the five strongest of the dragons in the Empyrean Saga and while it would be easy to rank them in terms of our favorites, this ranking is based on just how powerful they are.
5) Solas
Appearing in Iron Flame, the second book in the series, Solas is an orange Daggertail bonded with Major Burton Varrish. The dragon notably was missing one of his eyes, which had been taken out by Tairneanach. An aggressive and calculating dragon, Solas is perhaps more vicious and cruel than others. He is unpredictable, which makes him very dangerous. Solas notably takes out half of Fourth Wing’s Third Squad during Conscription Day after setting fire to a first-year cadet. Solas has an antagonistic relationship with Tairneanach but, despite being smaller and weaker than Tairneanach, he’s one of the few dragons who will challenge him directly. He is ultimately killed by Tairneanach.
4) Andarna
A multicolor scorpiontail dragon revealed to be an Irid Dragon, Andarna is Violet’s dragon and her power level has grown over the course of the series to date. She’s been shown to be able to stop time for short periods, though not without having needed significant rest after. She also has sharp talons and her dragonfire is particularly powerful, capable of messing with venin’s immunity, something that allowed her to kill a fire-weakened venin by biting its head right off. Many readers suspect that Andarna will ultimately end up being the strongest dragon as more of her secret abilities become known and develop with age.
3) Sgaeyl
Mated with Tairneanach and bonded with Xaden Riorsan, Sgaeyl is a navy blue daggertail dragon. She also has long blue horns and her daggertail has spikes at the tip. Add in her formidable size and you have a dragon to be reckoned with. She also has a personality to match and is so vicious that other dragons just don’t mess with her. Her size and physiology make her strong and dangerous even among other dragons, but she also can sense runes and the mind-to-mind of other dragons. She’s also faster than most dragons, which gives her an edge.
2) Tairneanach
Most commonly called Tairn, he’s a black Morningstar dragon that is Sgaeyl’s mate and is also bonded to Violet Sorrengail. Tairn is a big dragon, so his size definitely gives him an edge in battle, but he also has impressive military experience and intelligence. Despite being an aggressive and powerful dragon, he has a dry sense of humor and likes to tease Violet, who he is overprotective of. Tairn also has significant powers—not only is he a big, fast, powerful dragon, but he has a deep well of magic making him a very big deal. But he’s still not the most powerful.
1) Codagh
The most powerful dragon in the Empyrean Saga is one we see the least, but just because he’s not as present doesn’t mean he’s not a big deal. Codagh is a Black Swordtail dragon and one of the oldest, making him an elder dragon with immense experience. He’s also a massive dragon in size and extremely intimidating who is the strongest dragon on the continent. Everything about Codagh outranks the other dragons in the Empyrean Saga and he has a brutal personality that’s described as nightmarish. Ridden by General Augustine Melgren, Codagh’s power comes through Melgren’s signet as battle foresight, which allows Melgren to see the outcome of every battle in advance. That’s a scary useful power—and there’s no dragon we’ve met to date stronger than Codagh.
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