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Violet (Lightning): This one isn’t too difficult-she was at a disadvantage (other riders don’t have to deal with joints constantly popping out and bones breaking easily), so nature gave her raw, unfiltered power through lightning to level the playing field (and then some).

Violet (Dream Walking): Now, I know the explanation for this in the book is that Violet needed to know what Andarna was dreaming about because she missed her. Of course, I think that’s part of it, but I think it goes deeper than that. Violet wants to know people wholly and completely. Letting her in halfway isn’t enough for her. What better way to really, truly see someone than to wonder into their unconscious minds?

(I’m just going to ignore Xaden for this since his were both fully explained in the book.)

Rhiannon (Retrieval/Materializing): This one is interesting—I had definitely wondered why someone as strong or powerful as Rhi didn’t seem to have a “fighting” signet. But, it makes sense. Rhiannon is the squad leader and strategist. The battlefield is her chessboard, and she needs to be able to move and set her pieces before anyone can even blink. So, she literally moves things around in the blink of an eye.

Ridoc (Ice-Wielding): Ridoc is a bit harder since his signet is so common. I think the main thing about his ice is that it’s crazy versatile. Need to protect from fire? Ice. Need to kill a wyvern or two? Ice. Need to get the swelling down after you’ve been punched? Ice. Ridoc’s versatility allows him what he needs the most: to be useful and show up for the people he loves.

Sawyer (Metallurgy): This is even harder; we almost never see Sawyer use his signet. My connection is based off what we know about Sawyer: he is a Hard. Worker. That mf wants to earn everything he gets. He went through first year all over again. He spent months after losing his leg feeling like he needed to earn back the right to being a rider. He works for what he has and he wouldn’t have things handed to him. I think of metal work as very hands-on and labor intensive. It makes sense that he would have a signet that makes him work, because that’s what he wants to do. (This might be a reach but I feel like it’s at least in the right direction.)

Aaric (Precognition): Oh my God. This reveal was the best. I love this signet for him. It makes a lot of sense when you look at the part where Quest Squad is in Hedotis and Aaric stayed quiet for a while before speaking up because he prefers to feel out a situation and understand what’s happening fully before he makes a decision. He’s the opposite of his brother: not impulsive in the slightest, wise, and pragmatic. Of course he would manifest as a precog—it’s the best way for him to make informed decisions.

Dain (Memory-Seeing): Dain’s signet is all about empathy to me. At first, I thought it was maybe because he’s a skeptic who needs hard proof to believe something. But the more I thought about it, the more I start to think that what Dain really needed was the ability to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. He has a hard time looking outside his own perspective. To be able to go into someone else’s memories, to literally see things from their point of view, is what he needed most.

Bodhi (Signet-Countering): Oh, my love. This one is very younger sibling coded. Of course, we know Bodhi’s signet exists for balance, mostly of Xaden. But this runs so much deeper than just balance. When Bodhi and Garrick find Vi and Xaden after the assassination attempt in FW, Bodhi just says, “I guess we’re on clean up duty.” He automatically knows this because he’s been on Xaden clean up duty his entire life. This is not a dig at Xaden; mans got some serious shit going on and someone has to do the things he does. But from Bodhi’s perspective, he can only ever be mild, because they can’t have both cousins going wild. His signet isn’t the balance—he is. Every time Xaden starts a fire to save Violet or Aretia or any noble cause, Bodhi is the one left with the ashes in the aftermath. He is the one people turn to and say, “So are you going to clean this up?” And he does, every time.

Imogen (Memory Wiping): Imogen is a very guarded person. She is slow to trust and does let like to let people in. It makes sense that her signet is a sort of damage control. If her guard slips, her signet is the backup. She can protect herself and the people she holds close this way.

Imogen (?): Ok, so when I read the book, I thought her second signet was turning things to stone, kind of like a medusa thing. But I’ve seen a lot of people say they think it’s earth-wielding, so I could be wrong. Either way, I think I would have to wait for the next book to see more of her second signet before I could analyze why she has it beyond yet again, guarding herself and her loved ones.

Garrick (Air-Wielding): I think Garrick’s signet serves a similar purpose to Ridoc’s. Garrick is typically the breezy, light friend, but he can just as easily be deadly when needed. Wind could be a gentle breeze, or a violent gale that throws you off a cliff.

Garrick (Distance-Walking): This one isn’t going to be a novel analysis—not that any of them are lmao. He needs to be able to help everyone all the time. The best way to do that? Be across the continent in 3.5.

Sloane (Siphoning): Sloane has a massive problem with feeling powerless. It’s in the way that she’s constantly trying to help the older cadets with important missions, the way she puts on such an angry yet unaffected mask, and the way she grieves Liam. She tries to appear like she is the most self-sufficient, ass-kicking rider, and then we see her immediately struggle with challenges. She appears powerful as hell, but feels completely powerless. I think a lot of this idea of needing to be seen this way is because all people ever tell her is how much her brother helped them, how much they needed him. She wants to live up to that and be needed as well. She needs to be useful, damnit. Hence manifesting as a literally human battery.

Brennan (Mending): I think most of us have seen the soul-crushing theory that Brennan manifested as a mender because he just wanted to help Violet after seeing her in pain for so long. I don’t disagree with that. What I do want to emphasize is less why Brennan manifested mending and more why mending manifested him. The thing about being a mender is that there are always going to be more injuries than you can fix. If just any person were to be given mending, they’d probably burn themselves out and die day one. But Brennan is strategic. He’s able to separate his feelings from logic. We see this best when he tells Violet to pick one objective and one objective only. Violet’s hopeful mind can’t help but try to save everyone. Brennan, on the other hand, knows that saving everyone is impossible. He’s great at triage, and that’s why he is a great mender.

Mira (Shielding): This is again, not novel. Mira needs to protect people. She’s always been the strong, unbreaking one. That’s why she is a human shield. She will not crack if it means others getting hurt.