Spoilers through Iron Flame. The overview is spoiler free; facts that give away later events stay folded under the book that reveals them.
Violet's friend from childhood, a cadet in the Riders Quadrant
Dain Aetos first appears in Fourth Wing, the opening book of the Empyrean series. He has known Violet Sorrengail since they were children, and he is a cadet at Basgiath War College, in its Riders Quadrant. Who his father is, which dragon he rides and what the guides record from Iron Flame are spoilers, so we fold them below, each with the fan guides, at least two, that agree on it.
Dain first appears in Fourth Wing, book one of the series.
No spoilers Listed by theBookFeed and Esta Pinto (both opened Oct 14, 2026)
Dain is a cadet at Basgiath War College, in its Riders Quadrant.
No spoilers Listed by theBookFeed and Empyrean Riders (both opened Oct 14, 2026)
He and Violet Sorrengail have been friends since childhood.
No spoilers Listed by theBookFeed and Empyrean Riders (both opened Oct 14, 2026)
His father is the senior officer Aetos, listed as a general.
Spoilers through Fourth Wing Listed by theBookFeed and Empyrean Riders (both opened Oct 14, 2026)
His dragon is Cath.
Spoilers through Fourth Wing Listed by theBookFeed, Empyrean Riders and Esta Pinto (all opened Oct 14, 2026)
By Iron Flame he is a wingleader.
Spoilers through Iron Flame Listed by theBookFeed and Empyrean Riders (both opened Oct 14, 2026)
These facts come from unofficial fan guides, not the author or the publisher. A fact is shown only when two sites with different owners state the same thing; we write every sentence ourselves and quote nothing.