Adrius au Augustus
MajorA slim young Gold of middling height possesses a very slim, wiry build with no excess flesh and clipped blond hair. His fair skin often drains to a deathly pale under stress or shock, while his eyes carry an unsettling, inhuman intensity that clashes with his pleasant, sane smile and chattering teeth in moments of extreme pain or laughter. A cauterized stump replaces his right hand, the result of self-amputation, serving as a permanent emblem of his feral resolve and complete insanity; he moves with a strange blend of slumped meekness and iron endurance across snow and captivity alike.
Adrius au Augustus, known as the Jackal, begins as a feral, self-mutilated rival in the Institute and transforms into a cunning political operator and finally a tyrannical ruler. Across the trilogy his physical frailty and missing hand become symbols of his ruthless will, while his intellect and willingness to betray family and allies alike propel him from disgraced son to ArchGovernor of Mars. His arc culminates in open war with Darrow, ending with his death after he murders his father and imprisons his sister.
Physical Description
A slim young Gold of middling height possesses a very slim, wiry build with no excess flesh and clipped blond hair. His fair skin often drains to a deathly pale under stress or shock, while his eyes carry an unsettling, inhuman intensity that clashes with his pleasant, sane smile and chattering teeth in moments of extreme pain or laughter. A cauterized stump replaces his right hand, the result of self-amputation, serving as a permanent emblem of his feral resolve and complete insanity; he moves with a strange blend of slumped meekness and iron endurance across snow and captivity alike. A short, slight young man with a plain face that wrinkles easily in distaste or splits into a toothy grin moves with frail, boyish energy. His desert sand hair is slicked back from his forehead, and his dirty gold eyes like smooth worn coins hold an ancient cast that contrasts his childish curiosity and youthful features. Thin and small in stature with a frail build, he bears the stump of his missing right hand as a deliberate badge of honor, his lone hand moving with quick, confident precision whether twirling a stylus or treating wounds, his fair skin and unadorned presence making him seem an oddity among the godlike Golds of his world. A pale, slender young man with a deceptively childish face and sandy hair that is combed and parted on the side. His expression is often one of calm amusement or boredom as he twirls a silver stylus in his single hand, the opposite arm ending in a stump he uses without hesitation. He wears imposing gold armor roaring with lion emblems and detailed human ribs implanted along the torso, paired with black boots and a holstered pistol, creating an elegant yet macabre and menacing portrait of a cunning ruler.
Gallery
Book 1: Red Rising
Book 2: Golden Son
Book 3: Morning Star: Book III of the Red Rising Trilogy
Evolution
Red Rising
A slim young Gold of middling height possesses a very slim, wiry build with no excess flesh and clipped blond hair. His fair skin often drains to a deathly pale under stress or shock, while his eyes carry an unsettling, inhuman intensity that clashes with his pleasant, sane smile and chattering teeth in moments of extreme pain or laughter. A cauterized stump replaces his right hand, the result of self-amputation, serving as a permanent emblem of his feral resolve and complete insanity; he moves with a strange blend of slumped meekness and iron endurance across snow and captivity alike.
- Self-amputates his right hand to escape a trap during the Institute's Passage
- Becomes Primus of House Mars after eliminating rivals
- Captures and tortures Darrow, revealing his sadistic nature
- Is ultimately defeated and left for dead by Darrow's forces
Golden Son
A short, slight young man with a plain face that wrinkles easily in distaste or splits into a toothy grin moves with frail, boyish energy. His desert sand hair is slicked back from his forehead, and his dirty gold eyes like smooth worn coins hold an ancient cast that contrasts his childish curiosity and youthful features. Thin and small in stature with a frail build, he bears the stump of his missing right hand as a deliberate badge of honor, his lone hand moving with quick, confident precision whether twirling a stylus or treating wounds, his fair skin and unadorned presence making him seem an oddity among the godlike Golds of his world.
- Forms a secret alliance with Darrow to overthrow his father Nero and the Sovereign
- Manipulates political marriages and assassinations from the shadows
- Kills several high-profile Golds to consolidate power
- Survives an assassination attempt orchestrated by the Sovereign
Morning Star: Book III of the Red Rising Trilogy
A pale, slender young man with a deceptively childish face and sandy hair that is combed and parted on the side. His expression is often one of calm amusement or boredom as he twirls a silver stylus in his single hand, the opposite arm ending in a stump he uses without hesitation. He wears imposing gold armor roaring with lion emblems and detailed human ribs implanted along the torso, paired with black boots and a holstered pistol, creating an elegant yet macabre and menacing portrait of a cunning ruler.
- Murders his father Nero au Augustus to seize control of House Augustus
- Imprisons and tortures Darrow for months aboard his ship
- Deploys the horrifying 'Telemanus Liar' bioweapon against rebels
- Is ultimately killed by Darrow after a final confrontation on Luna
Relationships
Begins as a bitter Institute rival; briefly becomes a secret co-conspirator in Golden Son; reverts to arch-nemesis in Morning Star when the Jackal imprisons and tortures Darrow, ending with his own death at Darrow's hands
Twin siblings whose relationship deteriorates from wary cooperation in Golden Son to outright betrayal when Adrius attempts to kill Mustang and seizes power; their conflict symbolizes the moral split within House Augustus
Father-son bond marked by rejection and resentment; Nero consistently favors Darrow over his biological son, culminating in Adrius murdering Nero to claim the ArchGovernorship
Strategic partnership in Golden Son where Victra brokers deals and provides muscle for Adrius's ambitions; the alliance dissolves by Morning Star as Victra sides with Darrow
Loyal Bonerider commander who serves as Adrius's elite enforcer and personal guard throughout Morning Star, remaining faithful until his death
Key Events
Book Appearances
Red Rising
First appears Ch 7
Golden Son
First appears Ch 7
Morning Star: Book III of the Red Rising Trilogy
First appears Ch 1