If you’ve read at least one Red Rising novel, then you’ll know that no character has a sure chance of making it on to the next book. While this is painful for many readers, Pierce Brown makes it (somewhat) worth it with his constant addition of new and fascinating characters. Not all of them are heroes and not all of them even play a leading role. Nonetheless, the complexity and depth to which many of them are written is one of the reasons Red Rising is such an amazing series.
Regardless of the many, amazing characters, there is always a ranking. Most lists only mention the heroes and the main players, but in the world of Red Rising, any reader will know it’s a fair game for anyone. Instead of choosing only the good guys, this ranking will try to evaluate depth, uniqueness, and growth.
However, if you haven’t read up to and including Morning Star, steer away from the post as it will contain spoilers for the characters ahead.
10
Tactus
Tactus was probably not many readers’ favorites but he still remained one of the most important characters of the series. No doubt, he had many moral issues and in Red Rising, he came off much more a villain than a friend. However, one of his defining features was his growth as a person as a result of his relationship with Darrow. And his challenges to Darrow only proved to become important learning points for Darrow to grow as a leader.
Tactus, as Darrow noted, was also a symbol of the gold mentality. He was strong, but immoral, spoiled, and entitled. Nonetheless, he did show change after his relationships with Darrow, Roque, and Victra. While he did betray Darrow in Golden Son, Darrow was able to bring him back in what was clearly a turning point for Tactus. Unfortunately, his journey was cut short by Lorn who did not believe Tactus could change.
9
Victra
While Victra was under appreciated through much of Golden Son, her character and fierce spirit are not to be underestimated. Despite her family’s ties to wealth and the actions of her sister, Antonia, Victra manages to rise above it all. She maintains her loyalty to her friends and to Darrow over all else.
Beyond her sharp exterior, Victra clearly has vulnerabilities and is extremely protective of those close to her. Not to discount, she also represents what she values most in people: strength and kindness. Her choice to marry Sevro after his rescue of Ragnar demonstrates her appreciation of those values in others.
8
Fitchner
Fitchner is a major character in the series but he doesn’t necessarily have a large page count. He is hard to fully understand and the depth of his abilities remains mostly unknown. Nonetheless, he is clearly a fierce fighter and one of the only golds shown who actually cares for other colors.
His intelligence is also represented numerous times, implicitly through his management of the Sons of Ares, but also outright in other scenarios. For example, when Darrow maneuvered the Sovereign into hiring him, Fitchner saw through his methods, even when the Sovereign and Aja didn’t.
7
Adrius/Jackal
This is definitely a controversial take but if you base the characters on their depth, Adrius is 100% a fascinating character. He has so many different layers: his competitive nature, his fiery intellect, his desire for approval, and his cold, logical reasoning. He was never physically gifted like his peers or siblings and in his desires for attention, he did whatever it took.
For Adrius, it all seems to be a chess match with people and things just being pieces on a board. In the end, all that mattered was reaching his goal and beating his opponents. But almost nobody figured that out until he actually betrayed them. His acting and lies are so well crafted that even from an initial position of being hated, he was able to maneuver himself back into Darrow’s trust.
Morning Star definitely forms him into a much more evil character, but perhaps he was just hiding it all along.
6
Roque
Roque might not have ended up being the good guy but nobody can deny that he wasn’t a fascinating character. While he was somewhat the nerd-ish bookworm, he was also bent on protecting the society and the system he believed to be correct. Despite his betrayal of Darrow, Roque still proved his loyalty to his beliefs and the cause in which he fights for.
Nonetheless, many people have hated upon Roque for his choices to side against Darrow. While he seems to be a moral character, his perspective and love for the society are quite flawed and are based on his belief in gold superiority. Even when shown that Darrow was himself a red, he refused to believe that the society should be any different.
Regardless, Roque was at most times, a kind, caring, and moral character, who added depth to each book he was in.
5
Cassius
Even based solely on series one, Cassius still manages to make top 5. Similar to Tactus, he grows immensely as an individual and definitely matures. I will say that the twist at the end of Morning Star was completely unexpected but it had made me lose faith in Cassius. Thankfully, it was all a scheme.
Even with Cassius’s ego in the first book and his betrayal of Darrow, he manages to be a likable character. His humor, good nature, and honor all manage to stand out and highlight his many admirable traits. He definitely goes through the wringer in the next couple of books but he still emerges strong at the finish of the series.
4
Ragnar
Ragnar was probably one of the toughest characters in the entire series. Unfortunately, he didn’t get nearly the page count that he deserved but like Pax, his death proved to be a pivotal moment in the series. Most importantly, Ragnar was the first personal connection that the book made to an obsidian and represented their emotional depth, which laid far beyond just being a battle hammer.
Ragnar was also the first person that Darrow told he was a red, with the exception of Sevro who already knew. His trust in Ragnar fueled an immense change in him and Ragnar finally began to rise up against the society that had given him nothing but chains.
3
Sevro
While Sevro is definitely a brute, he is also one of the most-loved characters in Red Rising. When he apparently “died” at the end of Morning Star, I closed the book. Fortunately, it ended up being one of the best twists in the series. Despite his seemingly cruel nature, Sevro has demonstrated time and again his immense loyalty and his love for his friends. He portrays a tough outside, but throughout the series, more and more of his emotions come through, showing the true depth to his character.
It also doesn’t hurt that he is extremely competent. Even though he is often remarked as small, and weak-looking, Sevro is able to accomplish more than most of his peers. Without him, many of Darrow’s accomplishments, including in the Institute, would have been much, much harder to achieve, if not impossible.
2
Mustang
While Mustang often falls in Darrow’s shadow, she is one of the most interesting and overall integral characters in the whole series. Without her, the Republic could not have formed and her relationship with Darrow shaped him into becoming who he was.
On another level, her intelligence is extraordinary. While it is slightly understated in the first series, her ingenuity is still apparent. Reading her perspective in the next series proves to be one of the best viewpoints simply because of the depth of her analysis and reasoning. Beyond her intelligence, Mustang is one of the most compassionate and moral characters, as shown by her behavior in the Institute and in general.
1
Darrow
In the end, I had to give the number one spot to Darrow. Even if it is the stereotypical choice, it is well-deserved. From page one, Darrow captured the readers’ attention and showed his immense capacity for love, rage, and action.
Many people might criticize that he’s too perfect and seemingly able to do everything he attempts. Nonetheless, his growth and dedication are what truly propel himself. Through his hardships, he builds back stronger and genuinely tries to learn from his mistakes.
Nonetheless, no character in Red Rising is perfect. Darrow has a large ego that seems to only grow larger throughout the books. When you couple this with his rage, Darrow can often take up too much of a challenge than he can handle. Luckily, his friends manage to balance him out and keep him on track.
Overall, Darrow is a legendary character and a true Iron Gold.
