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Ashely currently works as a news writer for Polygon. After getting her Translation degree, she was hired as a guide and news writer for GameRant and TheGamer. She enjoyed working as an author for these sites for six years, and in 2026, she started at Polygon, where she is able to continue to do what she loves: writing about video games.
The perfect casting for Violet and Xaden
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The adaptation of Fourth Wing, the best-selling romantasy series by Rebecca Yarros, is still in the early stages of production. Fans have been eager to find out more, especially about the casting. At last, they can stop wondering who will play their favorite characters, as Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya have been cast as Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson.
Fourth Wing is written from Violet's point of view, so readers experience life in the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College through her eyes. She encounters Xaden Riorson, whom she believes wants her dead because of her mother's actions against his father. This sets up a classic enemies-to-lovers plot, and the pair eventually fall in love. Fans were particularly eager to discover who would play these characters, as their relationship is central to the story.
Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya set to play Violet and Xaden
According to Deadline, Esther McGregor (Babygirl, We Were Liars) has been cast as Violet alongside Emilio Sakraya (Warrior Nun) as Xaden. Amazon's casting was spot-on. As soon as these actors get their hair and makeup done and put on their flight leathers, they'll look exactly like petite Violet and her beloved shadow wielder.
There are only two issues with this casting: Violet and Xaden's height gap is over a foot in the book, whereas the actors only have a difference of 4.7 inches. Also, Sakraya is 30 while Xaden is in his early twenties; if the show is renewed and there is a long gap between seasons, this could pose a problem.
It's great that we now know who will portray the two most important characters in the series, but there are still so many cast members who haven't been revealed. In the first book, other prominent characters include Dain Aetos, Rhiannon Matthias, and Liam Mairi. Hopefully, they will be unveiled soon.