Red Rising Darrows Family / Characters

Due to the prevalence of Late Arrival Spoilers and First Episode Twists in both the Red Rising and Iron Gold series, spoilers from Red Rising, Golden Son, and Morning Star may be unmarked. Read at your own risk.

open/close all folders

Immediate Family

Darrow of Lykos/Darrow au Andromedus/Darrow O'Lykos

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darrow_4.png

Official art of Darrow in Iron Gold

The main protagonist of the saga. A Helldiver from Lambda clan in the mining colony of Lykos on Mars. After his wife is executed for protesting Gold's rule, Darrow begins his quest to avenge her death. After overthrowing the Society at the conclusion of the original trilogy, he serves as ArchImperator of the new Solar Republic and leads the war effort against the the loyalists of the old regime.

Action Dad: Becomes one at the end of Morning Star.
Anti-Hero: Darrow is initially a Nominal Hero focused solely on achieving his wife's dream so he can join the afterlife and be with her there. He becomes an Unscrupulous Hero throughout the course of Red Rising, not unwilling to resort to Gold tactics, recruit and ally with evil people such as Tactus and The Jackal. Darrow often questions his own morality and has traits of a Dark Messiah, being willing to force others to serve him, deceive them, and do some pretty nasty things, but he is genuinely a Guile Hero. The books make it very clear that while Darrow is Becoming the Mask and has elements of Gold, even joining their society in many ways, he is also trying to make a better world and loves his people. Once the war's over, he settles back down into being a Pragmatic Hero.
Battle Couple: Eventually with Mustang in the first book.
Beard of Sorrow: Grows on while imprisioned during Morning Star
Becoming the Mask: Downplayed example; after talking to a HighRed in Morning Star, Darrow realizes he knows the Gold world better than the low Colors.
Bond Villain Stupidity: He has captured the Jackal and pinned his hand to the table but decides to smugly gloat by giving him a Life-or-Limb Decision. This gross underestimation of the Jackal's determination lets him escape and costs Pax his life.
Born into Slavery: Reds are little more than slaves in the Society.
The Chains of Commanding: In the first trilogy, he and Mustang operated phenomenally as a team, but in Iron Gold, he has to keep her out of the loop whenever he's going to do something borderline illegal behind her back because she'll be impeached if the Senate suspects she knew.
Combat Pragmatist: From hiding in dead horse carcasses, bombing his mentor's garden and even selling out his own men to secure a military alliance in an "enemy of my enemy" situation, there are few things Darrow won't do to achieve victory.
Cornered Rattlesnake: Darrow is at his most dangerous when fighting from a bad position.
Crusading Widower: A typical example, although his wife chose to commit an act that would escalate her punishment from flogging to public execution, in hopes of martyrdom. He took up her dream of rebellion because of her tragic death.
Dark Messiah: He may be saving his people from slavery, but the process is brutal.
Even the Guys Want Him: Considering all the homoerotic subtext he has with his male friends (many of whom Word of God has confirmed as bisexual), it's safe to say he qualifies.
Exotic Weapon Supremacy: His slingBlade becomes his signature weapon, and he deliberately avoids using it in front of potential enemies so they won't know how to counter a curved blade.
Faking The Death: Although it wasn't his choice everyone thinking he died helped him to become a Gold.
Famed In-Story: Modestly so in Golden Son and by Morning Star, The Reaper is infamous throughout the entire Solar System. By the beginning of the sequel series, it's gotten to the point where many people in the Solar Republic revere him like a god.
Four-Star Badass: In Iron Gold as the ArchImperator of the Republic fleet.
Frontline General: A consistent trait, even after becoming the supreme commander of the Republic military in Iron Gold. He's constantly issuing commands to his forces while fighting alongside them.
Genius Bruiser: Darrow is both an incredible tactician and a mighty warrior, combining both to tear through his enemies as a commander and in single combat.
Good Is Not Dumb: A possibly illiterate Red, who didn't know what shampoo was before coming to the surface, he still manages to outsmart the Gold elite. He is even mildly teased for topping the chart of the Institute's placement exam. His intuition, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired.
Guile Hero: On a massive scale, considering his tendency towards lateral strategy and the Batman Gambit.
Happily Married: He starts the series happily married to Eo until her death.
- During the timeskip between the end of Morning Star and the beginning of Iron Gold he and Mustang officially tie the knot, and their relationship is just as strong after ten years of marriage.
Heartbroken Badass: Darrow becomes a One-Man Army and a brilliant strategist, but he is also broken by the death of his wife. He does eventually come to terms with her loss, however.
He Who Fights Monsters: One of Darrow's greatest fears is that he's abandoned the way of his people, the Reds, and is genuinely turning into something of a Gold. He practices Gold slavery at the Institute to win their war games, uses their tactics, allies with the worst among them, and is left hoping that he doesn't become one of them. Thankfully, he doesn't. He ends up being as heroic as he intended to.
- In the sequel series, other characters believe that he has become this,
Horrible Judge of Character: Darrow's biggest flaw is how he trusts people when he shouldn't, mistrusts when he shouldn't, and pushes them away when he shouldn't. At the end of Golden Son, his misplaced trust ends with most of friends either killed or in hiding, and his capture.
I Did What I Had to Do: Reaches its peak in Morning Star, when he destroys the Ganymede Dockyards.
Holiday: You sure you want to do this, sir?
Darrow: Want to? Since when has any of this been about what we want?
In-Series Nickname: Referred to as "The Reaper" quite frequently.
Journey of Reclamation: His character arc in Light Bringer.
The Leader: Mixes traits from all 4 types but is primarily a Levelheaded and Headstrong leader. He's ruthlessly pragmatic but reasonable when it comes to making decisions, meaning that he can be trusted to make tough choices that benefit him and his allies. He also has incredible determination and a fiery temper that drives him and his allies onwards to end the Society
Magnetic Hero: Very good at welding disparate groups into an army.
Master Swordsman: After training under Lorn in his style of the Willow Way Darrow becomes a near unstoppable force with his razor in battle, capable of slaughtering his way through enemy forces. While he starts off as a little rusty at the beginning of Light Bringer after training with Cassius he ends creating his own razor style, Breath of Stone mid-fight against Volsung Fa.
The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life: Keeps pushing Mustang away because, well, he's The Mole.
Morality Chain: The memory of Eo and her dream for a better world serves as this. Mustang does as well, especially at his duel with Cassius.
Older and Wiser: Grows into this over the course of the sequel series compared to the first trilogy, especially over the course of Light Bringer.
Parents as People: In Iron Gold, the responsibilities of leading the Republic's war against the Society, along with the fact that he sees it as his personal responsibility to bring down the Ash Lord, keeps him from being with his wife and son no matter how much he would rather stay at home with them.
Pragmatic Hero: He does his best to be a good guy but is willing to fight dirty to win. He kills a friend and blows up a shipyard belonging to a temporary ally/potential enemy to ensure his mission succeeds. This extends to his tactics too when he sacrifices his own ship so he can board an enemy vessel with mining drills.
Red Baron: Is widely known as The Reaper. He's also known as Tyr Morga by Obsidians, which means "Morning Star" in Nagal.
Refuge in Audacity: Any number of times, Darrow is completely out of options. That's when he'll Take a Third Option that's absurd, ridiculous, unlikely, and win.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Averted, Darrow is intent on making Eo's dream a reality, not vengeance. On the other hand, his attack on Olympus after the Proctors kidnap Mustang plays this straight.
Ruling Couple: With Mustang in Iron Gold where she is in charge of the government of their new republic, while he is in command of the military.
Second Love: His crusade against The Society begins because of his wife's death, but falls in love with Mustang over the course of the first two novels.
Sheep in Wolf's Clothing: His body is altered surgically from a typical sturdy Red to the downright superhuman Gold. The transformation includes new skin, hair and eyes as well as brutal bone-density alteration and an ID chip in his frontal lobe.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: In Iron Gold he exhibits signs that he's suffering from PTSD after more than a decade of endless warfare.
Silly Rabbit, Cynicism Is for Losers!: Him and Ragnar deliver one to Mustang after Darrow returns to Lykos and reveals his true status as a Red spy to Mustang.
The Strategist: Acts as the brains for House Mars during their early victories in the Institute, and while he has flaws and failures, generally succeeds in accomplishing any long term military goals he has. His biggest weakness is politics, and is twice betrayed by friends at the height of his success.
Strong and Skilled: Darrow evolves into a monstrous fighter throughout the books by mixing his Gold athleticism, training from Lorn and tactical thinking with his experience as a Red dancer.
To Be Lawful or Good: Many, not least of which was determining how to mete out justice as a leader in the Institute. Struggles with them even more as the leader of the Rising.
Undying Loyalty: Has this for his friends and inspires the same.
The Unfettered: He never wanted to be a revolutionary, he just wanted to be a husband and father and win the Laurel for his clan. He let all that go when his wife was killed, and he became a tool to bring her dream to reality.
Unstoppable Rage: A common trait among those in House Mars. Their house is where they send the mad dogs of the Institute to bicker and burn out while wiser houses prevailed. Having said that, part of his initial Character Development is him quickly turning this into Tranquil Fury. This is part of what makes him a Magnetic Hero as his righteous anger towards the Society is what keeps his allies by his side.

Eo O'Lykos

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eo.jpg

Official art of Eo in the illustrated edition of Red Rising

Darrow's first wife. While Darrow is perfectly content to keep his head down and live a quiet life, Eo wants more for them both, actively encouraging him to live for more. When the two of them are caught trespassing on a forbidden section of the mines at her urging, she's brutally whipped as punishment. In an attempt to motivate Darrow into becoming a rebel, she deliberately sings a song of rebellion for which the only punishment is immediate execution. Her death is what finally motivates Darrow to begin the fight against the Golds as he joins the resistance to avenge her.

Face Death with Dignity: Sings a forbidden song in hopes that it will inspire other revolutionaries, before being hung for her crime.
Inspirational Martyr: Her demise is the catalyst that drives Darrow to become a revolutionary, thus setting forth the events in the trilogy. Discussed by Dancer after the Sons of Ares rescue Darrow from being executed.
Dancer: She belongs to her people now, Darrow. And they remember the old tales of a goddess stolen from her family by the god of death. Yet even when she was stolen, death could not forever keep her... Beauty incarnate can touch life even from the grave; that's how they think of your wife."
Memetic Mutation: Becomes an in-universe trope, with her defiant last song becoming famous enough that even Golds are heard humming it, and graffiti images of her show up throughout the series.
My Secret Pregnancy: Golden Son reveals that she was pregnant, and had not yet told Darrow, at the time of her death. Darrow takes the reveal... poorly.
Senseless Sacrifice: Arguably. She deliberately chose to escalate into a situation that could only end in her own death.
- Later revelations like her silence on her pregnancy and her knowledge of the world at large make it possible she was invoking a Thanatos Gambit tied to her Inspirational Martyr on Darrow and Memetic Mutation on Mars as a whole.
Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Posthumously as Persephone, the epithet the entire Solar System knows her as. Darrow initially views her like this as well. He eventually stops, seeing her impetuousness and recklessness but also her kindness and strength as an inspirational figure who served as the catalyst for the Society's end and his own Characteer Development.

Virginia Augustus a.k.a. Mustang

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/virginia_1.jpg

Official art of Virginia in the illustrated edition of Red Rising

Darrow's Love Interest who later becomes his second wife after Eo's death. When they meet in Red Rising, she is the Primus of House Minerva at the Institute, where she earns the nickname Mustang. She's later revealed to be the daughter of ArchGovernor Nero au Augustus and sister to The Jackal.

Action Girl: She knows how to fight and scheme.
Action Mom: In Morning Star, she has a son and is as capable of kicking ass as before.
All-Loving Hero: By far the most competent and compassionate Gold in the series, possibly because the Telemanus family raised her to admire King Arthur, Jesus, and other such heroes.
Animal Motif: She is introduced riding on a horse, and her nickname "Mustang" comes from this fact.
Ascended Extra: Gets promoted to being one of the POV characters of the sequel series in Dark Age.
Battle Couple: Becomes one with Darrow.
Cain and Abel: The Abel to her brother's Cain.
The Chains of Commanding: Suffers from this in the sequel series, as her marriage to Darrow and her position as Sovereign mean that any attempt to defend his actions when he's in hot water with the Senate will result in her being accused of showing favoritism.
The Chessmaster: She was placed in House Minerva for a reason. Virginia may not be the same sort of brilliant schemer and cold villain that her brother is, but she's a genius strategist on her own and a skilled manipulator.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: One of the few heroic Golds in the series.
Happily Married: She and Darrow remain happily committed to each other in the sequel series despite the secrets their jobs force them to keep from each other.
Instant Allegiance Artifact: Uses her Standard as a weapon in battle, turning slaves against their former masters.
It's Not You, It's My Enemies: Left her son in the care of the Telemanus family while she was off fighting a war in Morning Star.
Knight in Sour Armor: She's suffered a lot in life, knows how horrible her society is, and knows the prices she has to pay to change it. Despite that, she wholeheartedly believes in a better world including Darrow's vision, and hopes to create such with as little bloodshed as possible.
Manipulative Bastard: A heroic example. She excels at manipulating people, yet does so for noble ends.
Meet Cute: She made a crack at Darrow while he struggled to learn how to ride.
My Secret Pregnancy: Kept her pregnancy secret from everyone in order to keep her brother and the Sovereign from finding out she was pregnant with Darrow's child.
Official Couple: With Darrow.
Ruling Couple: She and Darrow become one after the end of Morning Star. As the Sovereign, she holds the highest position in the Republic government, while Darrow is the commander of their military as ArchImperator.
Sibling Yin-Yang: With Adrius. Darrow loves one and hates the other one with passion.
Second Love: She's this for Darrow.
Slave to PR: After becoming Sovereign of the Solar Republic at the end of the original trilogy, she has to be careful what she says and does in public, or else she runs the risk of being impeached.
The Strategist: Virginia is noted to be the finest and most prominent tactician among Darrow's forces. She often uses elaborate schemes and plans to win various battles.
White Sheep: Not just among her family, but among Golds as a whole. Though her hands are hardly clean, Mustang is easily the most idealistic character in the series.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Convinces Darrow of this after he's left for dead by Cassius

Pax Augustus

The son of Darrow and Mustang, born during the time skip between Golden Son and Morning Star. In order to protect him from her enemies, his mother left him in the care of Kavax au Telemanus' wife before returning to war. After Mustang's coronation as Sovereign, he's brought to Earth and reunited with his mother as he's introduced to his father for the first time. By the beginning of the sequel series, he is now ten years old, and resenting his father's constant absences as the war with the Society Remnant continues to drag Darrow away from his family.

Babies Ever After: How the reveal his existence is framed at the end of Morning Star.
Child of Two Worlds: As the son of a Gold and a Red.
Dead Guy Junior: Named after the late Pax au Telemanus
Walking Spoiler: Simply revealing his existence spoils the ending of the original trilogy.
When You Coming Home, Dad?: In Iron Gold, he resents the fact that his father is away fighting the Ash Lord so often.

Deanna O'Lykos

Darrow's mother.

Ascended Extra: Is absent from most of the first novel, and only receives a single appearance near the end of Golden Son. Starting from Morning Star she begins to appear more frequently and becomes more involved in the story.
Lineage Comes from the Father: Gender-Inverted. Morning Star and Light Bringer note that many of the traits that made Darrow so successful came from his mother.
Parents Know Their Children: Despite Darrow being surgically altered from a Red into a Gold, Deanna immediately recognizes him when he returns to Lykos in Golden Son.
Survivor's Guilt: Iron Gold establishes that she feels guilty for the fact that her son's actions allow her to live with the kind of luxury and quality medical care that the people she grew up with never had.

Dale of Lykos

Darrow's father, whose death when Darrow was young contributed to his outlook at the beginning of the series.

Posthumous Character: Died ten years before the beginning of Red Rising.

Kieran O'Lykos

Darrow's older brother

Happily Married: To Dio in Morning Star
Overprotective Dad: To Rhonna in Iron Gold, as he persuades Darrow to take her on as a personal aide in order to keep her away from the combat after she finishes boot camp.
Second Love: His first wife died in childbirth, and he later married Eo's sister.
You Are in Command Now: Becomes the new ArchGovernor of Mars in Dark Age after Rollo is assassinated during Caraval's coup.

Dio O'Lykos

Eo's sister. She married Darrow's brother, Kieran at some point between the first two books.

Happily Married: To Kieran in Morning Star
Secret-Keeper: The only one throughout the first book who knew that Eo was pregnant when she died.

Rhonna O'Lykos

Kieran's oldest daughter. While she originally enlisted in the Republic's Legions, Darrow makes her one of his lancers at her father's request.

Action Girl: Trained to pilot mechs.
Calling the Old Man Out: Snaps at her father and uncle for giving her non-combat positions despite the fact that she spent three years training to pilot Humongous Mecha.
Dude, Where's My Respect?: Ever since she joined the military, she's been trying to prove that she deserved to be there and wasn't just getting ahead because she's the Reaper's niece. As such, she resents the fact that her dad convinced Darrow to give her positions that keep her away from the action.
Nepotism: She keeps trying to prove that she didn't get her job because of this trope, but Darrow's efforts to appease her father and keep her safe just make it look like it anyway.
Uncertain Doom: Last seen getting punched in the face by Lysander in the final battle of Dark Age, and Colloway tells Darrow in Light Bringer that her ship didn't make it to safety before Lysander's EMP went off. However since her body was never shown, her exact fate is unclear, even if her family assumes that she's dead.

Extended Family

Narol O'Lykos

Darrow's Uncle. At first, he's believed to be nothing more than a useless alcoholic, before he turns out to be an informant for the Sons of Ares.

Boom, Headshot!: Executed by the Jackal in Morning Star with a gunshot to the head.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Seems to be a cowardly drunk in Red Rising. But is an informant for The Sons of Ares, as mentioned in Hidden Depths, and becomes the commander of his own squad, The Pitvipers, in Morning Star.
Faking the Dead: Faked his own death in order to take an active part in the Rising.
Hidden Depths: Appears to be a cowardly man who's constantly getting drunk. Turns out to be an informant for the Sons of Ares.
Killed Mid-Sentence: He gets executed by the Jackal on video while he's telling Darrow he'll see his ftaher in the Vale.
Number Two: Becomes Dancer's second-in-command after Golden Son.

Characters / Red Rising Darrows Family

Due to the prevalence of Late Arrival Spoilers and First Episode Twists in both the Red Rising and Iron Gold series, spoilers from Red Rising, Golden Son, and Morning Star may be unmarked. Read at your own risk.

Immediate Family

Extended Family

Previous

Index

Next

Characters / Red Rising Darrows Family

Edit Locked

Due to the prevalence of Late Arrival Spoilers and First Episode Twists in both the Red Rising and Iron Gold series, spoilers from Red Rising, Golden Son, and Morning Star may be unmarked. Read at your own risk.

Immediate Family

Extended Family

Previous

Index

Next