Onyx Storm Set Up THAT Garrick Reveal More Than A Year Earlier

Warning! Spoilers for Onyx Storm are below!The big Garrick reveal in Onyx Storm, while shocking, was also set up more than a year earlier within The Empyrean Series. Onyx Storm's release has excited and worried many audiences as the third installment answers several questions from previous books but also creates new issues only book 4 of The Empyrean Seriescan solve. Even so, those discoveries added much more to the world-building and to characters who have formerly not gotten a lot of attention, including Garrick.

Not much was known about Garrick's personality prior to Onyx Storm beyond him being one of Xaden's best friends, though his capabilities as a fighter and leader were showcased in key moments. His signet was not even properly mentioned until this book, a fact that has largely gone ignored by audiences focusing on Onyx Storm's ending. That being said, the reveal surrounding Garrick is still an impactful one for the series' future as he not only has a second signet, but a particularly fascinating one that was mentioned in the series before.

Onyx Storm Reveals That Garrick's Second Signet Is Distance Wielding

Garrick Uses His Second Signet To Help Violet

Garrick is revealed in Onyx Storm to be a distance-wielder and that it is his second signet, adding to the reveal of his primary one and their fight with the silver-haired venin. After being forced to leave Basgiath, Violet is accosted on patrol and injured, with Garrick arriving to help her despite being nowhere near her location at the time. Their encounter with Theophanie, the silver-haired venin in Onyx Storm, adds to Violet's confusion as she refers to Garrick as a "walker" while she interrogates Violet. Once Theophanie leaves, though, Violet does put the pieces together despite Garrick's evasion.

Violet knows Garrick is a wind-wielder, but she also knows he could not conjure enough wind to get to her in time, leaving his distance-wielding abilities to be the only explanation. Xaden confirms this for her later alongside her theory that all marked ones have a second signet, which was a popular theory among audiences before Onyx Storm's release. Despite seeming somewhat random, this reveal of a distance wielder was set up back in Iron Flame, though the implication seemed to point to someone else having that ability.

Iron Flame Hinted At A Distance Wielding Signet Over A Year Before Onyx Storm

Many Assumed This Would Be Violet's Second Signet

A year before Onyx Storm, Iron Flame introduced the idea of the distance-wielding signet, resulting in it becoming a popular second signet theory for Violet. One of the many things to remember from Iron Flameis the scene where Violet is trying to guess Xaden's second signet. Violet brings up distance wielding as a possibility for Xaden due to his desire for control and to protect those he loves. Xaden denies having that power though, stating how a distance wielder has not been present in centuries followed by a small evasion, with the scene simply moving onward.

Xaden and Violet discuss distance wielding in Chapter 56 of Iron Flame.

Xaden's evasiveness and the rarity of distance wielders, however, intrigued audiences, with some wondering if Violet's various seemingly impossible leaps in Iron Flame hinted at her being a distance wielder.Onyx Storm ultimately disproved that theory, but it was still set up that one would be present, so Garrick having the ability makes sense story-wise. In a similar vein, the reveal that all marked ones have a second signet due to their rebellion relics was also established, with the Battle of Resson setting up Garrick's big secret all the way back in Fourth Wing.

Garrick's Onyx Storm Twist Goes All The Way Back To Fourth Wing's Final Battle

Liam Used His Second Ice-Wielding Signet During The Battle Of Resson

The covers of Fourth Wing and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros against a fiery background

The Onyx Storm twist regarding Garrick and the marked ones at large goes all the way back to the final battle of the first book in the series, with Yarros creating the same level of setup as Violet's second signet power. Violet notes during the Battle of Resson that Liam was wielding ice against the venin despite his signet power being farsight but did not think hard on it. There was an unnamed ice wielder fighting with them, but they were nowhere near Liam at that moment, setting up the reveal that this was actually his second signet.

This reveal not only adds so many possible explanations from the first two books, such as Imogen's speed during her first spar with Violet in Fourth Wing, but also creates so many possibilities for later installments of the series.

Hints at Garrick's second signet were also present during the battle, as he was able to get to the rune box quickly despite the venin's intervention and the wyvern's speed. This reveal not only adds so many possible explanations from the first two books, such as Imogen's speed during her first spar with Violet in Fourth Wing, but also creates so many possibilities for later installments of the series. It also builds on the thrilling potential for Garrick's arc, as Onyx Storm sets up even more action and drama to come for the characters.