All The Gods In Fourth Wing & How Religion Works In The Empyrean Series

The following contains spoilers for Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm, book 3 in the Empyrean series.The world of Fourth Wing is rich with mythology, featuring a pantheon of six gods who wield significant influence over the lives of its inhabitants. From the war goddess Dunne to the death god Malek, these deities play a crucial role in shaping Navarran culture and individual destinies, part of the rich lore that will soon be dramatized in the Fourth Wing TV show.

While their presence has been mentioned in previous books, Onyx Storm brings the gods firmly into the forefront,which is one of the things that make Onyx Storm the best book of the series so far. It explores their power, their demands, and their impact on the fate of the riders and the Known World in the Empyrean series.

Fourth Wing's Religion Is Polytheistic

Fourth Wing and Iron Flame book covers against a fiery background

Part of the world-building established in Fourth Wing is the polytheistic religion practiced in the Known World. The use of offerings and temples evoke images of old Pagan gods and enrich the fantasy setting. There are six gods confirmed in the Empyrean series so far:

Dunne, Goddess of War

Dunne is, aside from Malek, the most-mentioned god in the Empyrean series, with her importance ramping up even further in Onyx Storm. It makes sense for Dunne to be a commonly worshiped goddess in Navarre, since Navarre is home to Basgiath War College. Dunne becomes prominent in Onyx Stormbecause, contrary to the Fourth Wing theory about Violet’s hair, the significance of silver relates to dedication to Dunne. As a child, Violet was in the process of being dedicated to Dunne, one of only two gods in the Empyrean pantheon that require a lifetime of dedication.

Theophanie, the main villain of Onyx Storm, was once a priestess of Dunne.

Violet’s dedication could not be completed because she has two potential paths, with the other path being another god who “curries her favor”. Theophanie, the main villain of Onyx Storm, was once a priestess of Dunne. Theophanie's name means a physical manifestation of a god. She even states, “Why serve a god when you can become one?”, reminiscent of Milton’s iconic line in Paradise Lost. This implies becoming a god in pursuit of pure power could be what created Onyx Storm'svenin originally.

Malek, God of Death

Malek is the other most-mentioned god in the Empyrean series. Malek is the god of death and features heavily in Navarran life. Like Dunne, this makes sense, especially at Basgiath where names are called out on the death roll, emphasizing the brutality of life as a rider. There are also Navarran rituals specifically for Malek - the burning of the belongings of the deceased.

Violet repeatedly mentions that she has a few choice words for Malek about the people he has taken from her. Malek also connects Violet to Liam, who speculates that Malek sent him as a blessing to speak to her while she was being tortured in Iron Flame.

Zihnal, God of Luck

Zihnal is the god of luck and has previously not been a big focus in the Empyrean series, although arguably is more significant in retrospect. Much like the beloved character Ridoc, Zihnal stepped up and played a larger role in Onyx Storm. The isle named Zehyllna worships Zihnal. The price for their alliance is a luck-based card game that gives “gifts” to each of the quest squad.

Some theorize that Ridoc has a connection to Zihnal. This is because he has many lucky moments in the series, following a very close shave in Onyx Storm that made readers gasp. He also tells Violet that things only go wrong when they are separated, implying he is blessed by Zihnal and brings the influence of luck to the squad.

Amari, Queen of the Gods

Unlike the other deities in the Empyrean series, Amari does not appear to be the god of a concept, but a queen and leader of the pantheon. Violet mentions Amari many times in Onyx Storm,compared to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame.

The old name for the Continent was Amaralys, named after Amari. Another significant detail about Amari is that in Fourth Wing, Violet describes Rhiannon as resembling Amari and her name means “great queen”. This seems to be significant in relation to Rhiannon’s leadership role and a foreshadowing of her connection to the goddess.

Hedeon, God of Wisdom

Hedeon is the god of wisdom, and his corresponding isle is Hedotis. He plays a significant role in Onyx Storm as the quest squad travels to Hedotis seeking allies. This is one of the most exciting sections of the book and provokes the reader to question what true wisdom is.

Surprisingly, the Scribes do not pray to Hedeon for wisdom. This said, Major Rorilee’s Guide to Appeasing Gods confirms that many preach loyalty to Hedeon above all other gods.

Loial, Goddess of Love

Finally, Loial brings the known gods in the pantheon to a total of six, a number which is significantly repeated throughout the Empyrean series, especially Onyx Storm. Loial is the goddess of love, and her isle has not yet been explored by the quest squad.

In Onyx Storm, Violet confirms she does not often curry Loial’s favor: “Doubt Loial would meet me in... Can't remember the last time I stepped foot in her temple.” She stopped worshiping her years ago, along with Hedeon. She remarks that love and wisdom has not shown up when she needed them. Loial is the only other god other than Dunne who requires a lifetime of dedication. This is perhaps because the concepts of love and war clash.

The Effect Of Rituals In Fourth Wing Is Questionable

This custom image shows a dragon icon in front of the Fourth Wing book cover — This collage shows a dragon icon in front of the Fourth Wing book cover

Prior to Onyx Storm, the role of the gods in the Empyrean series has been a source of contention. For example, the only ritual referred to is the burning of belongings as a tribute to Malek. This is enforced by law in Navarre, which seems suspicious. Hidden histories play a major role in Violet’s discovery of the Known World throughout the series, so it is reasonable to question whether this act is truly a tribute to Malek.

However, Onyx Storm does bring the gods to the forefront of Yarros’ series. Going to temples to give offerings to the gods is more of a focus in the book, along with the importance of the gods on each of the isles and their importance to the history of the provinces.

The Gods Do Seem Real In Fourth Wing

fourth wing map of navarre as seen in book-1 — Fourth Wing map of Navarre as seen in book-1

The six gods seem to have a real impact on the Empyrean series by the time readers get to Onyx Storm. They are also likely to have connections to the Six Riders who originally raised the wards, along with the six dens of dragons.

Both the silver-haired venin in Onyx Stormand Violet have connections to Dunne. All dedicates to Dunne have silver hair. This is why the dedicates on Unnbriel, the Isle of Dunne, have silver hair, while priestesses in Navarre who are not dedicated to Dunne dye their hair to imitate the phenomenon. The extent of the gods' power is one of the 10 biggest questions Onyx Storm raised. Dunne certainly seems to be the god who will have the biggest impact on futureFourth Wing books, especially as a major plot point was defending her temple.