Rhysand is one of the most popular characters fromA Court of Thorns & Roses, with fans ofSarah J. Maas' fantasy seriesoften falling for him alongside Feyre. Of course, the narrative makes it easy to do so. Although Rhysand is introduced as a morally dubious presence, he’s also the main love interest — and we see him through Feyre’s eyes for much of the story.
The laterCourt of Thorns & Rosesbooksalso make it clear that Rhysand’s actions and behavior have understandable and even admirable motivations behind them. There’s a reason Rhysand is one ofromantasy’s best shadow daddies, and it’s because he walks the line between hero and antihero incredibly well.
However,that doesn’t mean there aren’t glaring issues with Rhysand’s character; in fact, one of theharshest realities aboutACOTARis that its heroes are deeply flawed — and those shortcomings aren’t always acknowledged. Some of the harsh truths about Rhysand’s character are even more obvious upon a re-read, even if he still has redeeming moments and qualities.
6Rhysand Was Responsible For Clare’s Death In Book One
He’s Forgiven Too Quickly For This
One of the worst things Rhysand does isA Court of Thorns & Rosesis give Clare’s name to Amarantha, knowing precisely what the outcome of that situation will be. While you can argue that Rhysand doesn’t have much of a choice in this scenario,he’s still responsible for the girl’s fate. And that seems to be fine with him, as long as he can keep himself and his own people alive.
I can’t help but feel like Rhysand is let off the hook a little too easily for Clare’s death.
A Court of Mist & Furymakes it known that Rhysand harbors guilt over what happened to Clare, and he even tried to help her in a minimal way. However, I can’t help but feel like Rhysand is let off the hook a little too easily for Clare’s death. It’s a gruesome and terrible way to go, and the other characters don’t really dwell on it.
Readers are inclined to move past this incident because Rhysand’s actions save Feyre, but even this isn’t done for honorable reasons. Rhysand doesn’t know Feyre is his mate until the end ofA Court of Thorns & Roses;before that,he only helps her because he wants to bring down Amarantha.
5Rhysand’s Actions While Under The Mountain Are Difficult To Defend
He Treats Feyre Better Than The Other Fae, But That Isn’t Saying Much
Rhysand is also forgiven too easily for the way he treats Feyrewhile they’re Under the Mountain, likely because his games keep her alive throughout Amarantha’s trials. But Rhysand repeatedly drugs Feyre, forces her to wear minimal clothing before Amarantha’s court, and makes her dance provocatively in front of them.
It’s later revealed that Rhysand’s actions all have reasons behind them: he drugs Feyre so that she won’t have to remember everything that happens Under the Mountain, he covers her in paint to ensure no one else touches her against her will, and he forces her to dress in minimal clothing and to enrage Tamlin, hoping he’ll kill Amarantha.
Feyre isn’t even made privy to his true plans or intentions, and it makes it hard to defend Rhysand’s actions.
However, even with these explanations,Rhysand’s behavior Under the Mountain is seriously questionable. He believes it’s all worthwhile to defeat Amarantha and keep Feyre alive. But Feyre doesn’t get much say in the matter. She isn’t even made privy to his true plans or intentions, and it makes it hard to defend Rhysand’s actions inA Court of Thorns & Roses.
4Rhysand Is Too Possessive Over Feyre In The ACOTAR Books
This Stems From A Greater Issue With Sarah J. Maas' Depiction Of The Fae
Tamlin rightfully gets a lot of hate for the way he treats Feyre inA Court of Mist & Fury,butRhysand is also possessive and controlling when it comes to his mate; he simply handles it differently. Rhysand doesn’t lock Feyre up, and he’s more willing to give her independence and freedom to make choices, at least on the surface.
This does make him better than Tamlin, but it doesn’t mean his treatment of Feyre isn’t toxic in its own way.
This does make him better than Tamlin, but it doesn’t mean his treatment of Feyre isn’t toxic in its own way.He’s extremely territorial when it comes to Feyre, frequently making it clear that she “belongs” to him, even when there’s no real threat to their relationship. He also manipulates things to go the way he wants, asA Court of Silver Flamesmakes apparent.
Of course,Rhysand’s possessive nature is an issue with the way Maas writes the High FaeinACOTAR(and her fantasy series in general). BothThrone of GlassandA Court of Thorns & Rosessee the Fae engaging in a great deal of misogynistic behavior, with the men often being overly aggressive and territorial for no real reason.
3Rhysand Is Way Too Secretive, Even With His Loved Ones
He Can Come Off As Tyrannical Because Of It
Feyre isn’t the only one vulnerable to being manipulated for the sake of Rhysand’s greater plans. He’s too secretive throughoutA Court of Thorns & Roses,even when it comes to his Inner Circle — the people he should be closest to. Like Aelin inThrone of Glass,Rhysand keeps his plans close to his chest, sometimes to the point where it’s frustrating.
It even borders on being tyrannical, as Rhysand will move forward with plans without consulting anyone, claiming they’re for the good of the Night Court. The assumption that he knows what’s best and doesn’t need input from anyone else is concerning, andit raises questions about the type of leader Rhysand really is.
2Rhysand Treats Nesta Terribly
As A Trauma Survivor, You’d Think He’d Be More Understanding
Nesta isn’t the easiest character to get along with in theCourt of Thorns & Rosesuniverse, butRhysand treats Feyre’s sister pretty terribly throughout the series. It’s surprising he’s so harsh when it comes to Nesta, as he’s a trauma survivor himself. He knows what Feyre and her sisters have been through, both before they became High Fae and after.
Despite knowing the Archeron sisters' history, Rhysand is still horrible to Nesta. Andthe worst part is that his animosity seems to stem from a demand to be revered as an authority, which is something a truly great leader shouldn’t care about. It’s especially weird that Rhysand is so cruel to Nesta when she’s Feyre’s sister and Cassian’s mate.
1Rhysand Keeping Secrets About Feyre’s Pregnancy Was Wrong
A Court Of Silver Flames Hurt His Character
There’s nuance to most of Rhysand’s mistakes throughoutACourt of Thorns & Roses, as he typically believes he’s doing things for the right reasons — and at the very least, his motivations usually aren’t selfish. However,not telling Feyre about the risks of her pregnancy inA Court of Silver Flamesdamages Rhysand’s charactersignificantly.
This is one error that can’t be explained away or painted in a kinder light, and it really forces readers to reconsider what they know about Feyre’s relationship with Rhysand. Although he claims to be protecting Feyre with his secret-keeping, it’s pretty heinous that he convinces himself of this. His mate’s life is on the line, and he doesn’t even feel she has the right to know about it.
This raises questions about how much he really values Feyre’s autonomy.
This raises questions about how much he really values Feyre’s autonomy, as he doesn’t give her the opportunity to grapple with the complications or make her own choices based on them.Feyre has every right to be angry with him after this stunt inA Court of Silver Flames,and it’s hard to imagine him bouncing back from this.
It remains to be seen if futureCourt of Thorns & Rosesbooks will fix the Rhysand problems created inA Court of Silver Flames.Even if they do manage to make him look better again, the novel is certainly a low point in his character arc. It takes the harshest realities about his character and makes them even worse.
