It’s been two years sinceFourth Wing’s release, but I’m only now realizing how important one early character’s death was in setting the tone for the entire series. SinceFourth Wing’s debut, Rebecca Yarros has become widely known for her ruthless and unapologetic behavior when it comes to killing off fan-favorite characters — and many readers, including myself, have come to expect a heart-breaking death ineachEmpyrean Seriesnovel. While this was initially believed to have been kicked off by Liam’s death at theend ofFourth Wing, Yarros sets the tone way earlier.
There have been several deaths throughout the series — with both major and minor characters — but the brutal, unapologetic, and heartbreaking tone Yarros set throughout the series actually began in the very first chapter ofFourth Wing. Dylan’s death at the beginning of the novel at first seems inconsequential, and holds very little weight given readers aren’t really attached to his character in any way. But it’s clear now, looking back, thatYarros' introduction of his character was more important than originally thought.
Dylan’s Death At The Beginning Of Fourth Wing Was More Important Than It Seemed
His Character’s Death Should Have Clued Readers In On Where Yarros Planned To Take The Story
Rebecca Yarros’Fourth Wingkicks off with a bang, and its very first chapter introduces a character death — albeit a minor one. As Violet is preparing to cross the parapet, she’s introduced to both Dylan and Rhiannon, and from the book’s start, I almost expected that these two characters would become Violet’s close friends in the chapters to come. However, that only remains true for Rhiannon. Instead, Yarros kills off Dylan’s character almost immediately anduses his character’s demise to familiarize readers with the dangers of Basgiath, but more specifically,Fourth Wing’s Rider’s Quadrant.
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Given Violet only knew Dylan for a few minutes, I, and I’m sure many others, brushed off his death as a forewarning of the dangers to come. But as it turns out, his death may have been more important than it initially seemed. While Dylan played an extremely minor role in the story, his death should have prepared me for the many more deaths to come throughout the series' run. Yarros has remained consistent and unafraid of killing off her characters throughout the series, andDylan’s death pretty much sets the tone for the entire narrative that follows.
How Fourth Wing’s First Death Set The Tone For The Entire Empyrean Series
Readers Are Now Prepared (To An Extent) For Character Deaths In Each Novel
Dylan enters and exits the narrative extremely quickly, but even in that short amount of time, Yarros is able to give his character a strong personality, establish his relationships and backstory, and give him hope for the future. While Yarros barely scratches the surface of who his character would have become, it’s clear Dylan had a lot to live for. It’s through Yarros' introduction of his character that she truly sets the tone for the series, asYarros puts a lot of effort into humanizing Dylan, only to immediately have his character die.
Yarros makes it abundantly clear in her series opener that no character is deemed safe.
By killing off Dylan so hastily inFourth Wing, I should have been prepared for how the remaining story, and subsequentEmpyrean Seriesnovels, would operate. Yarros makes it abundantly clear in her series opener that no character is deemed safe. While Yarros thus far has prepared readers to expect character deaths to an extent, it has made me hesitant to become attached to any specific character. Instead, Yarros has written a sense of uneasiness into the narrative, as any character could be the next to die in a futureFourth Wingsequel.
