Forget Violet And Xaden, Threshing Day Proves This Is The Most Interesting Couple In Fourth Wing

Published Nov 7, 2026, 9:31 AM EST

Mary Kassel is a Senior Writer & Critic who joined the Screen Rant team in 2023. 

After graduating from Emerson College with a degree in Media Arts Production, Kassel started at Screen Rant with a focus on the critical analysis side of movies and television while continuing to work on set in film production. 

At Screen Rant, Kassel primarily writes for the Classic TV section, mining their encyclopedic knowledge of television history for content. However, they also contribute to the Books team and review both film and television as a critic. 

The dragons, fighting, and world-building all make Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing series great, but it's no secret that the romance is what many readers stay for. Primarily chronicling the enemies-to-lovers relationship between Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson, Fourth Wing has some steamy moments involving the couple, and witnessing them realize the depth of their love for each other has kept readers on the edge of their seats. However, Violet and Xaden are far from the only compelling pairing in the Empyrean universe.

The most recent release in the Fourth Wing extended series, Threshing Day, departed from the mainline plot and explored the POVs of 13 different characters on Threshing Day, when dragons choose their riders. Threshing Day gave vital insight into the minds of many characters and every dragon in Fourth Wing, making it clear that riders don't fully understand the world of dragons. However, there were also some personal reveals that might have confirmed romances fans have been guessing about for years.

With Prime Video's Fourth Wing adaptation in development, it's more exciting than ever to contemplate how our favorite love stories will unfold onscreen. Hopefully, Yarros' next installment of the Fourth Wing books will give the TV series more context to work with and will prove that it's not Violet and Xaden who have the most juice as a couple, but the secret romance between Brennan and Naolin that Threshing Day paves the way for.

Brennan And Naolin Are Fourth Wing's Best Relationship After Threshing Day

Brennan and Naolin theories have been flying since the early days of Fourth Wing, when it was revealed that Brennan is alive and that Naolin likely had a hand in covering up the faking of his death. It's still believed that Naolin is dead, as he supposedly died in his attempt to save Brennan, but since Brennan isn't dead, this means that Naolin could be alive as well, or even Venin. The idea that the characters were romantically involved at Basgiath College and that Naolin nearly sacrificed himself for Brennan makes their relationship just as intense as Violet and Xaden's.

One of the best parts of Threshing Day was Brennan's POV chapter, which finally confirmed that Brennan has had relationships with men. It's been hinted at and speculated that Brennan is one of the LGBTQ+ characters in Fourth Wing. Now that Yarros has made it official on the page, this opens the door for an exploration of Brennan's potential past relationship with Naolin. It's always encouraging when a popular work of romantasy like Fourth Wing takes the time to include LGBTQ+ representation that's as complex as the straight romances.

Brennan is still a character shrouded in mystery, but a small chink in his armor was created by his chapter in Threshing Day. His possible relationship with Naolin gives Brennan more nuance. The fact that so little is known about his past, as well as Naolin's, makes their relationship a mystery readers are dying to piece together.

The Next Fourth Wing Book Has To Confirm Brennan And Naolin's Romance

The fallout of Onyx Storm raised the stakes for Yarros' next book, as the author will have to grapple further with the force of the Venin and Xaden's future. However, this doesn't mean that Fourth Wing book 4 should overlook the plot points hinted at in Threshing Day. Expanding the scope of the story by looking at relationships outside of Violet and Xaden's will make the series even more compelling, and Brennan and Naolin are the perfect candidates for this.

If the next installment of the series confirms that Brennan and Naolin were more to each other at Basgiath than previously thought, a lot of additional theories would fall into place. Additionally, if there's a chance that Naolin became Venin, this would be a great parallel between Brennan and Naolin and Violet and Xaden. Experiencing such intense relationships and having to protect them at all costs could bring the siblings closer together in Fourth Wing and give Brennan more depth in the narrative.

Threshing Day is available for purchase here.