Red Rising

Eo’s tragic death is the novel’s inciting incident. She and her husband Darrow are sixteen at the novel’s start and have been married six months. Eo, as the rest of Lykos’s denizens, is a Red with rust-colored eyes and hair. Darrow adores her “mischievous lips” (286) and exceptional beauty. She loves to dance and leads with a sense of humor, passion, and a bold spirit.

Eo is enraged by the Reds’ enslavement and wants Darrow to lead a revolution on their behalf. She tells him, “Emptiness is living chained by fear, fear of loss, of death. I say we break those chains. Break the chains of fear and you break the chains that bind us to the Golds, to the Society” (34). By singing the forbidden song before powerful members of the Society, she gives her life for the sake of this cause. The people of Mars call her Persephone after seeing footage of her heroic death.

Mustang, the Primus of House Minerva, is Darrow’s love interest at the Institute. Beautiful and small-statured, Virginia au Augustus feels pressure from her father, the ArchGovernor, and has lost a brother to murder. Darrow calls her the smartest member of his makeshift army and relies on her wisdom during important moments. Darrow draws frequent similarities between Mustang and Eo; Mustang at once keeps Eo’s memory alive and competes for Darrow’s heart. He remarks, “She’s all laughing eyes and a smirking mouth in a face shaped like a heart” (197). 

Though she stands to benefit most from it, Mustang disagrees with the Society’s prevailing social model and believes in human freedom. She also boasts that people trust her easily, but tension between her and Darrow remains as he senses her secrecy. She proves loyal to Darrow over her own twin brother, the Jackal, and shows him that not all Golds are as amoral as they seem. Darrow concludes, “She is what Golds can be, should be” (376).

The handsome, strong, strategic Cassius au Bellona is Darrow’s foil in Red Rising. He shares characteristics with Darrow such as physical attractiveness, confidence, and competitiveness. Contrary to Darrow, however, Cassius belongs to a prominent Golden family and is quick to defend his honor when threatened. Well-trained in combat and a natural leader, Darrow’s closest friend in House Mars is also his fiercest competition for Primus. The proud Cassius refuses to forgive Darrow for betraying him and killing his brother and declares a bitter blood feud between them. 

ArchGovernor Nero au Augustus of Mars belongs to an important Gold family and is father to the twins Mustang and the Jackal. Darrow catches a first glimpse of the ArchGovernor in Lykos: “His face is older, severe, and pure with power” (38). This Peerless Scarred becomes Darrow’s chief antagonist and remains a static character throughout Red Rising. Augustus manipulates systems to ensure his and his family’s success and embodies Golden ideals such as competitiveness, dominance, deception, and disregard for those weaker than himself. 

Dancer is a leader within the Sons of Ares (Darrow even suspects that Dancer is Ares). Dancer is an attractive, broadly built highRed with a disabled arm and leg. His partner is named Harmony. Dancer impresses Darrow with his natural gravitas, boldness, and wisdom. Dancer, who was also a Helldiver, is a father figure and effective guide for Darrow as he embarks on his quest.

The Proctor of House Mars, Fitchner presents a more rugged and profane affect than his immaculate-looking colleagues. Bearded, paunchy, and bedraggled, he claims not to care about his looks and is proud of his station. Fitchner declares, “Despite my low birth, I am of note. I am important. [...] I do not change to suit others” (225). Throughout Darrow’s time at the Institute, Fitchner gives Darrow important insights and secrets about the inner machinations of the war game. The two share a combative but ultimately congenial relationship, which deepens once Darrow realizes his friend Sevro is Fitchner’s son. 

Julian au Bellona is Darrow’s victim during the Passage. As Cassius’s brother, Julian claims his family’s supreme honor during this showdown with Darrow. Cassius later notes that despite Julian’s lack of strength and intelligence, he possessed true empathy. Darrow decides to carry his guilt over murdering Julian throughout his life as a Gold, thereby subverting their heartless culture. Julian’s death also leads to Titus’s death and the rift between Darrow and Cassius. 

Titus also proves a foil for Darrow at the Institute. The brawny young Gold comes across as violent, aggressive, and unfeeling, eager to murder fellow students and win Primus of House Mars. After Titus uses the term bloodydamn, Darrow realizes he is also a Red disguised as a Gold who seeks revenge on this cruel, elite caste. Deeming this vengeance a liability to the rebellion, Darrow decides to sentence Titus to death with Cassius as his executioner. 

Darrow prepares to face life as a Gold under the care of Mickey the Carver, whom Dancer hires to transform Darrow’s body. Darrow describes Mickey as “a scalpel of a man with a crooked smile” (77) who possesses twelve fingers. This Violet, who treats humans as his art form, adds horns and wings onto Pinks under his charge, amplifying the novel’s themes of oppression and freedom. Mickey models Darrow’s form on that of an iron Gold warrior, which vastly improves Darrow’s competence at the Institute.

The Jackal’s reputation precedes him at the Institute, where students speak of him with trepidation. The slight young man, another antagonist, reveals himself to Darrow late in the novel. Like his father, ArchGovernor Augustus, the Jackal exerts power through manipulation and subtle deceit rather than brute force. Darrow notes his and the Jackal’s similarities as the game’s most effective players: “It’s almost like his hand isn’t impaled. His voice doesn’t waver. He is not angry, just pissinyourboots scary. He reminds me of me before I go into a rage. Quiet. Unhurried” (346). The Jackal, or Adrius au Augustus, also physically resembles his twin sister Mustang.

This Machiavellian Gold accepts a bribe from ArchGovernor Augustus and, becoming another antagonist for the hero, obstructs Darrow’s attempts to overtake the Jackal. Darrow also notes how Apollo’s “voice is melodious. Frivolous” (321). Darrow kills Apollo with his knifeRing late in the novel.

Small and ill-mannered, Sevro is not what he appears. The young Gold kills wolves with his bare hands and slips silently through the terrain to gain advantage over his enemies. Clothed in wolfskin, the young man—whom Mustang calls Darrow’s shadow—helps the protagonist during pivotal battles and gradually comes to trust him. Although a lower-status Gold known as a Bronze, Sevro proves himself a valuable leader at the Institute and commands the wild group of students called Howlers.

A Gold of House Diana and the member of an important family, Tactus strikes Darrow with his cruel smile and “look of permanent derision” (236) at their first meeting. The power-hungry young man kills his Primus and attempts to rape another student to get ahead at the Institute. After Darrow lets Tactus flog him, Tactus becomes fiercely loyal to him and his army.