Red Rising Saga · Character
Karnus
Also known as Karnus au Bellona
- Minor
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 43
Karnus is spoken of with the blunt weight of a threat: a Bellona brute whose name carries a reputation for violence. Even absent from view, he feels like a shadow cast across the people who know him.
- Gender
- male
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 43
- Books
- 2
Karnus au Bellona first appears in Red Rising as the brutal eldest son of the Bellona family, infamous for murdering Mustang’s brother and cementing his reputation as a menacing force within Gold society. By Iron Gold, Karnus has already died, yet his presence lingers through the relics he left behind—most notably the razor Cassius passes to Lysander—and through the memories of those who knew him, such as Apollonius, who recalls their long drinking companionship. Across the saga, Karnus transitions from an active, violent figure to a haunting legacy that shapes the actions and identities of surviving Bellona and their allies.
Description
Karnus is identified as a male Bellona and described as a brute, but no concrete details of his appearance are given. His height, build, skin tone, hair, eyes, facial features, clothing, and accessories remain unspecified. A visual depiction should preserve that uncertainty rather than treating House affiliation as an indication of coloring or costume. The text provides no details about Karnus's build, coloring, hair, eyes, face, or clothing, so his appearance cannot be specified without invention.
Connections
Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals
Cassius au Bellonabrother
Karnus is Cassius’s elder brother; their familial bond is reflected in Cassius’s preservation of Karnus’s razor as a relic and in the shared Bellona legacy that Cassius carries into Iron Gold.
Apollonius au Valii-RathFriend
Karnus and Apollonius share a long drinking companionship; Apollonius’s recollections in Iron Gold keep Karnus’s memory alive long after his death.
Story so far
BOOK 1Red Rising
- Kills Mustang’s older brother, establishing his reputation as a ruthless killer
- Serves as the menacing elder brother to Cassius au Bellona
- His actions contribute to the Bellona family’s bitter feud with the Augustus line
BOOK 4Iron Gold
- His razor is passed from Cassius to Lysander as a family relic before the Rim Dominion attack
- Remembered by Apollonius for their long-standing drinking companionship
- His blunt, materialist worldview continues to influence the judgments of those who knew him
Appearances
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