Onyx Storm introduced an awesome new way for Ridoc to use his Signet—something that absolutely deserves to be explored in the next Empyrean book. The story finally gave one of my favorite Iron Squad members more of the spotlight, showing real growth in Ridoc’s character beyond just being the comic relief. Thankfully, he kept his signature humor—his one-liners in Onyx Storm were some of the best moments in the book. But even more impressive was seeing his development and deeper role in the plot, which brought added richness to the entire Empyrean series.
Ridoc’s arc in this installment truly highlighted his strengths—stepping up as Violet’s protector during the Quest Squad mission and being the first among the Iron Squad to uncover Xaden’s secret. His uncanny luck sparked a wave of Onyx Storm theories, rightfully earning him more attention from readers. But one key element in Onyx Storm offers the perfect opportunity to carry this momentum forward: the evolution of his Signet. It’s a development that absolutely needs to be explored in the next book.
Ridoc’s ice-wielding Signet grows tremendously throughout Onyx Storm.
Throughout Onyx Storm, Ridoc shows notable growth as an ice wielder, developing his Signet in unique ways—even though it’s the most common among the Iron Squad. Early in The Empyrean Series, his abilities appear fairly standard, limited to producing small amounts of ice for healing or attacks. But in Onyx Storm, he demonstrates a more advanced skill: freezing the liquid inside an object without altering its exterior, which he proves to his friends using an orange.
Ridoc mentions that drawing moisture from the air to freeze is a rare skill among ice wielders, making his newly revealed abilities all the more impressive—especially for someone known as the less studious member of the Iron Squad. His moment freezing a wyvern during the final battle showcases just how far he’s come. That alone was already a standout moment, but there’s another subtle detail about Ridoc that sets the stage for the next Empyrean book to take his powers—and the reader’s awe—even further.
The next Fourth Wing installment could build on a detail from Iron Flame to make Ridoc’s powers even more impressive.
The upcoming book in The Empyrean Series has the potential to expand on a detail from Iron Flame to make Ridoc’s evolving powers from Onyx Storm even more impressive and to further diversify how Signets are used in combat. In Iron Flame, Violet notes during the RSC test that Ridoc’s preferred weapon is a bow and arrows, though he rarely carries them like the others in the Iron Squad. We haven’t yet seen him fully wield this weapon in action, but with his increasing abilities and innate curiosity, he may finally do so—though it might come at a deadly cost for Ridoc in the next installment.
This approach would help Ridoc avoid burnout by reducing the need to freeze every enemy directly, while also introducing a fresh angle to signet combat—offering a tactical advantage against the venin, who depend entirely on their magic.
Ridoc might be able to extend the reach of his Signet by channeling it through his bow, enabling him to freeze enemies from afar—just like he did with the orange and the wyvern. This would ease the strain on him by eliminating the need to freeze each opponent directly, while also introducing a fresh strategy to Signet combat that could provide an advantage over the magic-dependent venin. It would also deepen Ridoc’s character development from Onyx Storm, as his growing drive to protect his friends makes him stand out in new and possibly risky ways.
