The Empyrean fandom, assemble. Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya are stepping into the roles of Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson in Prime Video’s highly anticipated adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’s fantasy phenomenon.
It’s happening, riders. Fourth Wing has officially found its Violet and Xaden, and we are thoroughly, unapologetically excited.
After what feels like an eternity of fan casts, fanciful edits and countless debates about who could possibly bring our favourite morally grey shadow daddy and dragon-riding heroine to life, the casting news we’ve been waiting for is finally here. Esther McGregor will reportedly take on the role of Violet Sorrengail, while Emilio Sakraya is set to play Xaden Riorson in Prime Video’s upcoming adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’s bestselling Fourth Wing.
And honestly? We think they cooked.
Meet your new Violet and Xaden
First up, we have Esther McGregor as Violet Sorrengail. You might recognise Esther from Prime Video’s We Were Liars or the film Babygirl. She’s now stepping into some seriously big dragon-sized shoes as the heroine at the centre of one of the biggest romantasy obsessions of recent years.
Then there’s Emilio Sakraya as Xaden Riorson. If you’ve been keeping an eye on his work, you may recognise him from Warrior Nun and Those About to Die, with his role as Koza in One Piece also on the way.
Xaden is, of course, the brooding, formidable wing leader whose complicated history, dangerous abilities and undeniable chemistry with Violet have made him a fan favourite. No pressure, Emilio. Just an entire fandom watching.
So, what exactly is Fourth Wing?
In case you somehow missed the BookTok takeover (respectfully, where have you been?), Fourth Wing is the first instalment in Rebecca Yarros’s The Empyrean series, blending high-stakes fantasy, dragons, political intrigue and the kind of romance that has readers throwing their books across the room.
The story follows Violet Sorrengail, a young woman who expects to train as a Scribe, studying history rather than risking her life on a battlefield. But her mother, a powerful general, has other plans and orders Violet to enter Basgiath War College to train as a dragon rider.
There’s just one tiny problem: Basgiath is not exactly a nurturing educational environment. Cadets face brutal training, deadly rivalries and the very real possibility of not making it out alive. Dragons are selective about their riders, and being chosen is only the beginning of the danger.
Enter Xaden Riorson: a powerful wing leader with a complicated past and every reason to distrust Violet. Their relationship begins with tension, suspicion and plenty of reasons to stay away from each other. Naturally, that makes the inevitable romantic tension all the more delicious.
Because what’s a fantasy epic without dragons, life-or-death stakes and a man who looks like he could ruin your life but might also burn the world down for you?
Exactly.
The casting discourse has entered the chat
Let’s be real: adapting a beloved book is a daunting task at the best of times. Adapting Fourth Wing, a series with an enormously passionate fandom and characters readers have spent hours imagining in their own heads, is an entirely different beast.
The internet has already started doing what the internet does best: analysing, debating and comparing the casting choices with the versions of Violet and Xaden fans have pictured while reading. And we get it. When a character lives rent-free in your head for hundreds of pages, handing them over to a real-life actor can feel a little personal.
But here’s where we stand: we’re choosing excitement.
Casting directors have the unenviable job of translating a character from the page to the screen, and looking at a casting announcement is only one small part of the picture. There’s the performance, the chemistry, the styling, the costumes and, of course, the world-building that will bring Basgiath and its dragons to life.
We haven’t seen Esther and Emilio in character yet, and we’re more than happy to give them the chance to show us what they can do before making any final judgements.
Besides, half the fun of an adaptation is watching actors take characters we thought we knew and make them their own.
We’re ready to take flight
There’s still plenty we’re waiting to find out, including the rest of the cast and how Prime Video plans to bring the scale of Yarros’s world to the small screen. With dragons, dangerous training grounds, complex loyalties and a central romance that needs to deliver on every single one of its deliciously tense moments, there’s a lot riding on this adaptation.
But for now, we’re choosing to be excited. We’re ready to see Esther step into Violet’s resilience and determination, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing Emilio bring Xaden’s intensity and mystery to life.
The fandom will always have its opinions, and the fancast debates are certainly not going anywhere. But the first pieces of the puzzle are finally falling into place, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.
Our verdict? The dragons are calling, the tension is brewing, and we are SO ready.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be patiently (read: impatiently) waiting for the rest of the casting announcements. Riders, we have a feeling this is only the beginning.
