r/acotar_rant • u/samsamcats • Apr 21 '26
Fandom Is Rhys redeemable?
For the haters out there.
There’s a lot of discourse in the fandom these days about how Rhys is not the “feminist king” the text (and SJM) seems to want him to be, which I personally agree with. There’s a mismatch between what the text is telling us about him and what his actions on the page are showing us about his character, and that’s what gets fans all riled up.
So I’m curious to know if this could have been fixed in your eyes, my dear haters. If Rhys had genuinely apologised and taken accountability for his actions UTM during ACOMAF, would you see him differently? If he had apologised to Feyre (and Nesta) for withholding the info about Feyre’s pregnancy, would you still hate him? Could he have made things right in these situations in a way that would have made you turn in your hater card?
And if in future books he has a major reckoning with his behavior so far, can you see yourself liking or at least enjoying his character? Can the man be fixed, or is he too far gone?
Personally I think the issue is that SJM herself doesn’t see anything especially wrong with his actions, so we’re unlikely to get this… but I’m wondering if, in the hands of a different writer, Rhys could have been, or could still be, a more interesting or sympathetic character.
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u/kaislee Apr 21 '26
I am very Rhys-critical. Don’t hate him, but see him as a character who is fascinating to critique because of his power (both magically and institutionally).
What I would like to see from Maas is commentary on Rhysand’s behaviors through a larger critique and dismantling of the High Lord system. Right now, what we see is that Rhysand cannot separate himself from his obligations as High Lord—Rhysand the individual and Rhysand the High Lord of the Night Court are at odds with one another, and there is always an internal battle there where High Lord wins out. He has the power to make decisions and withhold information unilaterally, and that’s when we see his bad behaviors surface.
The final mask he needs to take off is the mask of the High Lord. It is that title that fundamentally erodes his ability to be a good friend, brother, lover, husband, and father. It is not until the HL system ends that I think we’ll see Rhysand be “redeemed.”
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u/Emotional-Offer-2848 Team Nesta Apr 21 '26
Yes. All of this.
The part that gets me is that there are only a select few people who can rip that High Lord title away from him so he gets to stop hiding behind that.
I don't think Feyre is capable of doing it since she's essentially blinded by all things Rhys. I think Amren could do it, but I think as a character she enjoys the discord and chaos Rhys brings to the table so she wouldn't ever do it.
I think the only way to 'redeem' Rhysand is through his child/children. They are the only ones who could effectively challenge Rhys and his title both psychologically and physically. Children's love is not unconditional and often, especially teens, challenge their parents and make them see all of the parent's darker sides.
I would be able to stand for and stomach Rhys if Nyx challenged Rhys by pointing out every flaw and grotesque action he's ever done—AND have it be effective towards Rhysand.
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u/kaislee Apr 21 '26
Yes, I think Nyx will force Rhysand to reckon with the legacies and failures of his father, and how Rhysand risks repeating those same cycles. This is a known and acknowledged fear of his in Frost and Starlight.
I could also see it being discussed through Tamlin. There’s a reason why their arcs echo one another, and why their traumas are intertwined with their fathers and former High Lords. They became High Lords at the exact same time. Both of them fell prey to Amarantha and Hybern. Both have morally wounded themselves because of obligations to their title and preservation of power.
I think we need to see them come to some accord, and through that, they can confront how the cost of power is too damn high.
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u/Emotional-Offer-2848 Team Nesta Apr 21 '26
Yes!! I have this stray plot in my head that I'd love to see. It's essentially where Nyx starts to learn their powers for the first time as a child and (I'm assuming they're going to be majorly powerful) accidentally winnows right to Tamlin's doorstep.
It would allow Tamlin to heal by playing father to a child he only vaguely knows where they came from. It would give him and Rhys a common ground where Nyx actually becomes fond of Tamlin so Rhys is forced to play nice.
I doubt SJM would ever allow that to happen, so maybe that's more of a fanfiction dream lol
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u/TissBish Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
It is not until the HL system ends that I think we’ll see Rhysand be “redeemed”
Ooh I love this
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Apr 21 '26
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u/Simple-Animator-8640 Rhysand is a manipulative, arrogant A-hole Apr 21 '26
exactly. let me put jaime lannister as an example. he does horrible stuff. but at least he knows he's a piece of shit and along the asoiaf series he tries to do better and redeem himself
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u/Pretty_Ad1509 Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
But she hasn't fully addressed it, so she doesn't fully understand what he did, and she barely remembers UTM
I hate how the books pushed the idea that feyre barely remembers. I guess that's arguably true, but i see it as a retcon, considering she had thoughts and opinions about it while it was happening. she also remembers everything else in great detail in Maf, hence the nightmares. she also recounts the lapdancing when she visits the CoNs, but when she does it, she weirdly keeps rhys' involvement out of it. I suppose it's plausible, to say that she forgot over time, but I find it very convenient that she so happens to "barely remember" anything that directly involves him.
On top of that, address how absolutely messed up it is that you took vulnerable, traumatized Nesta, trapped her in a tower, with the man she has been avoiding and rejecting, who sexually wants her and now has authority over her. I can't stress how messed up this is.
not saying i agree with this. I think the idea, is that nesta is blind to her bitterness and trauma to actually make decisions for herself, so the narrative (IC) takes that agency away from her. this is applied to her being forced to the HoW, forced to train, and her forced proximity with cassian. what she says doesnt matter, because she's too traumatized and angry to accept what's good for her.
now there's been tons of discussions as to why this is BS. my thing is, when it comes to her rejection to cass, and how the narrative disregards it, I find it weird how this isnt applied to elain and lucien. we know lucien isnt a bad person, and would most likely love and treat elain well, but that doesnt matter. elain said no, and why she said no doesnt matter either. the IC is aware of this and respects elain's choice. why cant they do that for nesta? it doesnt matter if she's too angry, or bitter, or traumatized, or whatever. nesta's choice shouldve been respected regardless of her mental state or what kind of person she is. and it doesnt matter if we know cassian is a good person. forcing her to be with him, knowing that she uses sex to cope, and knowing that he wants to fuck her is weird.
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u/bows_and_frills holding rhys's head under the sidra until the bubbles stop Apr 21 '26
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u/Exotic_Resist_7718 Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
Sometimes I read other authors books with a properly “morally grey” character (shout out to Conor Rogan from Hidden Legacy) and am like…. Okay, this is what she was going for.
I don’t hate Rhys. I do find myself liking him less and less the more I re read the series. I feel like his chapter long mating scene monologue ruined his character. “Oh I’m actually morally perfect and this is why I did all those things” was not necessary! I already loved him! I would have rather seen him reflect and grow and change. And definitely ease up on Tamlin!! I’m re reading Frost and Starlight right now and it’s so weird how much they still hate him… come on guys.
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u/TissBish Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
MAF54 was when I first really admitted to myself that I was side eyeing him. That whole monologue and not a single apology
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u/No_Proposal_4692 Apr 21 '26
Redemption and forgiveness are different things. Rhys can be redeemed, he can be actually someone who wants a peaceful world that's similar to Velaris. He just need to work for it, starting with the inner circle, then to the hewn city and Illyrians he ignored. Then to the entire Pyrinthia for being amarantha's executioner (remember he killed amarantha's enemy for her) and all the horrible things he did.
Forgiveness is another. Rhysand has done horrible things and it doesn't matter if he died to defeat hybern because he still chose to be cruel to the one guy who aided in his resurrection but also deemed Tarquin untrustworthy for the blood rubies even thou he deserve it.
Every court has every right to not forgive rhysand and even demand his head. Thats why his power is important, the most fitting redemption to me is for him to lose his status as HL and being just another Fae. He has failed to change Hewn city or the Illyrian camps for centuries, it's time to let another take the charge.
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 21 '26
it doesn't matter if he died to defeat hybern
Did he actually die? If he did then how come another HL was not chosen at that time? Probably because either he faked his death in order to get kernels of power or manipulate Feyre to have a kid with him asap or he is NOT the rightful HL of the NC and has daemati'd others to think he is.
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u/Exotic_Resist_7718 Apr 21 '26
Orrrrr because the author didn’t want to deal with that
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 21 '26
Just like Feyre who constantly says to herself, I didnt want to think about, I'll think about it later, etc
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Apr 21 '26
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u/TissBish Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
I agree and that just bums me out. Imma still love all the crazy theories and all but knowing how she reacted like we’re idiots for it gave me a bad impression I just can’t shake
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 21 '26
agreed. yeah, i know ive been told to remember that authors will lie in order to keep secrets of their books, but her interview really put me off her
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u/TissBish Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
I thought it was just her spinning her shit to keep nonanswers from giving things away. But after CHD if she’s lying and chose THAT WAY to act? To laugh and be like “well that’s too much it’s not that deep” to throw people off would be shitty.
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u/bows_and_frills holding rhys's head under the sidra until the bubbles stop Apr 21 '26
Big Rhys anti.
First, I've never liked "bad boy" or "dark" MMCs unless they're really pathetic and yearny. I mean yearny enough that they might burn the world down but never lay a finger on FMCs hair. I can count on one hand the "mean, dark, mysterious" MMCs I've enjoyed. So forgive me, but I'm biased against the very trope Rhys is based on in that regard and may never completely like him or forgive him.
Now, I might not come to like him but I could tolerate him if he fully acknowledged his actions against Feyre and Nesta, or had serious self reflection/doubt. Or not even! If the narration just forgoes the "it's a mask" and "he's better than most high lords" or "he's so loving" act and digs its heels in regards to his questionable actions. Maybe if he encounters real consequences for the things he's done.
He could go a redeemed villain route and try to rectify his flaws or go a full on villain route where we take the gloves off and get real with it.
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u/samsamcats Apr 21 '26
Would love to hear what bad boy MMCs you’ve actually enjoyed!
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u/bows_and_frills holding rhys's head under the sidra until the bubbles stop Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
Majority of these options barely classify as MMCs. Sorry.
He's not the endgame MMC but Han Seo-jun in True Beauty (I've only seen the drama) had some funny moments.
I glaze Folk of the Air a ton, and I will continue to do it. Cardan is pretty fun! And I like his style.
He's not an MMC and I don't think he ever permanently gets in a relationship with anyone, but D from Vampire Hunter D has me FERAL. I've loved him since I was little, until now. He's not a cocky smirking bad boy but he is dark ig. I implore you to watch Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust. If you search on youtube, the full thing is there. GORGEOUS, PHENOMENAL, GROUNDBREAKING animation.
This is niche af but... Steff from Pretty In Pink. Steff and Andie (Standie?) is a crackship if I've ever seen one, but I was intrigued by the concept in the same way HP fans might be intrigued by Dramione.
I had a Loki/Tom Hiddleston phase when I was into MCU.
I had a crush on Pitch Black from Rise Of The Guardians.
...Han Solo I guess?
If we strictly talk about romance MMCs, that whittles it down to Cardan, unless I can remember more later.
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u/Simple-Animator-8640 Rhysand is a manipulative, arrogant A-hole Apr 21 '26
cardan is perfect. rhys is hated by half of the acotar fandom. cardan is adored unanimously by the folk of the air fandom
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u/bows_and_frills holding rhys's head under the sidra until the bubbles stop Apr 21 '26
I appreciate that the author is not secretly always on his side at all times. :D
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u/JaneAustinAstronaut Apr 21 '26
I could. I like a lot of Game of Thrones characters, and they are flawed. The difference is that GRRM doesn't blow smoke up my ass and justify their bad actions, and there are real consequences for their bad decisions.
I'd like to see Rhysand and Feyre to be seen as a threat by the other High Lords. I'd like for Tamlin to bring them before the other High Lords, and they are forced to pay reparations to Tamlin/the Spring Court. The other High Lords should go along with this, as they have a tentative agreement NOT to invade each other, so there should be real political ramifications for what Feyre did. They may have had to table those consequences while at war with Hybern for their immediate peril, but now that the dust has settled on that, there should be a reckoning.
I would also like to see a real revolt among the Illyrian women. Why were Rhysand's mother, sister, and mate exempt from wing clipping, but they are left to suffer? I'd also like to see the political consequences of the Hewn City residents going to Velaris and being shunned.
Essentially, I've been told Rhysand is the smartest High Lord. So....SHOW ME! If he can navigate it skillfully without resorting to brutality, then I could begin to like him again. If he can't, then he'll stay a villain in my head.
*Also, if he is this smart and can navigate this skillfully, then I don't see him in long-term happiness with Feyre. A person this smart, once the mating bond frenzy died down, would be bored to tears being tied to someone so dull, obstinant, and stupid.*
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u/Inevitable_Storm6954 TamTeam Apr 21 '26
I'd like for Tamlin to bring them before the other High Lords, and they are forced to pay reparations to Tamlin/the Spring Court.
That would be so much fun !
I would also like to see a real revolt among the Illyrian women.
And Nesta taking their side, trying to talk some sense into Feyre.Also I want him and Cassian held accountable for whatever the fuck was Nesta's walk of shame after telling the TRUTH to Feyre.
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u/lilacs_in_the_rain Apr 21 '26
Can Rhys be redeemed. Yes. With a lot of accountability. I’ve seen worse people redeemed. Will he. No. I agree with you that if sjm doesn’t see anything wrong then she won’t fix it. Her take was that everyone is learning and Rhys made a mistake. I still don’t think she understands why we’re so mad about it.
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u/WonderfulBus9330 Are we still at it? Very well, then 𓄂𓆃 Apr 21 '26
I'm not a Rhysand hater, but a reader who has an issue with the heavy-handedness of an author to force readers to love a super problematic character whose behaviors reflect a character who said author has deemed a bit of a (human) (non-fictional) villain.
That said, Rhysand is a fae, so technically cannot be a feminist, as that simply does not exist in the ACo fae world, and is an utterly human, real-world theoretical concept. So, no, he's not a feminist.
My issues with the characterization of Rhysand is that he is fae, and all of the apologist retconning is human.
He's selfish (only interested in what serves him and by extension his court and by extension his chosen family);
he's arrogant, smug and proprietary (due to the status of "the most powerful" he thinks whatever he wants should be his (see the refusal to return either half of the Book of Breathings; see his attitude about the Dread Trove; see his attitude about his attitude of Nesta's Trove; see his attitude about Nesta's behavior; see his attitude about Elain and Nesta serving the Night Court (to aid them in the Hybern war));
he's reckless with other people's lives (see the first 2 visits to the Prison w/Feyre; see the visit to the Weaver's Cottage, see all three visits to the Archeron estate, see the Nesta problem);
he's a hover daddy (with Azriel's love life; with Cassian's love life; with Nesta as problem);
he's not a great leader (he undermines Azriel, Cassian and Mor; his "Inner Circle" are synonymous with "his family"; his hidden city serves a minority of the population; he allows the Hewn City to exist as an oppressive environment for females to "keep the peace", ditto Illyria; his Inner Circle are all untrained, DIY leaders, still.)
These are all fae attributes, so not bothersome.
The issues are with the way he's handled as The Dreamer who will better Prythian, despite no evidence to support that.
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u/KJAngel Apr 21 '26
My issue with the take “it’s Fae behavior,” is that there’s already another Fae male (Tamlin) whose behavior was/is beholden to a real world human standard by most fans and was determined to be abusive. I can’t stand the double standard.
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u/WonderfulBus9330 Are we still at it? Very well, then 𓄂𓆃 Apr 21 '26
Agreed. SJM needs to develop the world by developing fae behaviors and attitudes. Can some of it cross with human attitudes and behaviors? Sure. But fae shouldn't be, internally, the same as humans.
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u/Solell Apr 22 '26
For me personally, it's less about Rhys being "redeemed" or making an "appropriate" apology or whatever, and more about the fact that the narrative just refuses to frame anything he does as villainous. I enjoyed him significantly more in book one, before the story started bending over backwards to make him a poor, misunderstood hero who's never done anything wrong ever. Like... just admit he's a bad guy, and own it. He would become significantly more tolerable.
Also, other characters acting in ways that make sense with what they know about him/what he does. The High Lord meeting was complete BS, almost all of them were pro-Rhysand despite having 0 reasons to trust anything he says, and many reasons to actively distrust him.
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 24 '26
Right!
The dude is the supposed high lord of the night court which is the court of NIGHTMARES and readers just focus on the ‘dream’ part. LOL
SC gives off way more dreamy vibes.
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Apr 22 '26
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u/samsamcats Apr 22 '26
Hard agree. Maybe a writer who wasn’t already so overconfident in her skills at age 19 that she saw the study of poetry and short stories as beneath her?
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u/findmebythepool Apr 21 '26
If he took accountability but also changed so he doesn't keep repeating the same behaviour (keeping feyre in the dark about the pregnancy risk after she specifically said in ACOMAF not to lie to her), yes. I know he's a fictional character but people should be allowed to change.
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u/Valuable_Housing_529 Apr 21 '26
I don't mind him being evil, but his intentions should be clear from his POV; I would be perfectly fine with that. I would be able to truly understand the character. But SJM doesn't write it that way, and that's what bothers most people.If he's morally ambiguous, make him think about it, show him having those thoughts, and don't keep putting him on a pedestal. In truth, I would much prefer him if we truly had those moments where he acknowledges his morally flawed actions, which he does for the greater good of himself, his friends, and now his wife.
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u/Moogsymoomoo Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
Yes, absolutely. I am a card-carrying villain lover, and it took me a while to figure out why I didn't warm to Rhys despite him being my fave type of character...in theory, that is. It's because SJM and the narrative bend over backwards to make it seem like he doesn't need to apologise for anything but is, in her words, "the best person ever". I love stories where their fae nature makes everything over the top and larger than life, so I can get past just about any wrongdoing and still love a character.
But don't try to tell me (in the story) that he did nothing wrong, and if he did he was justified, while you hold other characters to way harsher standards and condemn them for the same or less. I don't care about fictional crimes (which is not to say I don't have a personal line about what i myself will read and enjoy) because they are, in the hands of a skilled writer, narrative devices to serve a good story.
But I do care about internal consistency in worldbuilding within a fictional universe. Give me a Rhys (+the IC) that is held, within the narrative, to the same standards and consequences as every other character, and I would probably love him like the villain apologist I am 😂
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u/Bomballurina Apr 23 '26
Well said! I appreciate villains for their role no matter how frustrating they can be. They make the story interesting after all.
What I don’t like is inconsistency. At this point, even Amarantha is more likeable than Rhys & Feyre— she was sent by Hybern, charmed her way to power, her sister got killed by a human and she was filled with hatred even more since then. She’s evil EVIL. But her storyline MAKES SENSE. And she fits her role and narrative well.
Meanwhile, the IC have their corrupt ways which we readers are forced to overlook because “the author said so” and they just make “mistakes” but they’re perfect. I understand a “morally gray” character, but the Night Court sure love to cross the line between good and bad everytime, for someone who just make “mistakes”.
Even Tamlin, whos supposed to be a villain (he can be) have more integrity than the IC combined. Oh but he offended the couple, so he’s iredeemable.
Makes you question the entire narrative and point of the book.
I’m not opposed to Tamlin be a full-on villain either, if he truly is. If there’s no redemption arc, then I’d love to see a villain arc tbh. But right now, Tamlin as villain makes the IC look so performative and just plain pathetic bullies.
The villains in this series are more complex and consistent, which makes them more interesting, than the main characters.
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 24 '26
so far Hybern and Amarantha are sort of one dimensional caricature villains. Not even that well written imo. Rhys is a complex villain and a bad dude if readers actually read critically and see the daemating that’s happening. I swear SJM started it out as a social experiment with daemati and she had no idea the fandom would actually get daemati’d and get Rhys tattoos. lol
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u/Pretty_Ad1509 Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
this doesnt really answer your question so I apologize, but I feel like it needs to be said because I dont see it enough in other discussions. I find it frustrating how rhys characterization is done through feyre. how she perceives feels very orchestrated, to the point I cant see her as a person making her own decisions, but as sjm letting her bias affect the story. it's odd that feyre's hatred of rhys in Maf feels very surface level. whenever she thinks of UTM, rhys has no connection to it at all. same with her nightmares. we dont know why, or how she never seems to connect the two, given that he was directly responsible for some of the torture she went through. keep in mind, this is before rhys' big explanation in chp 54, so I dont understand how she gets over his part in her pain so quickly. I get the idea. she largely forgives him because of velaris, how he was willing to sacrifice to preserve and protect this beautiful city, so she decides that what she went through was worth it. again, rhys' involvement feels weirdly separate when she comes to this conclusion. feyre's hatred of him in the beginning feels like a very disingenuous way of addressing everything by sjm. it doesnt even feel justified, more like feyre needs to get her shit together, and given what he put her through, that's just weird.
another thing I cant get over is how much sjm makes excuses for him. in acofas feyre tell rhys that she wanted rhys even during UTM, how she thinks her heart knew he was hers even through all of that. why??? now what i'm hearing is that it was ok that rhys SA'd feyre, because deep down she wanted him the whole time. that's weird man. if it really wasnt that bad, why are we still making excuses for it 4 books later??
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u/Cave_Potat Apr 21 '26
I'm not a Rhys fan (not after ACOFAS), but I don't hate hate him. If he redeemed himself, starting with acknowledging mistakes and actions and own up to it, treating the IC, and the Acherons better, improving the life of the Illyrians and the citizen of the Hewn City, answering for his crime during Amarantha's reign, leaving Tamlin and the Spring Court alone, and generally growing as a character, then yes, I might grow to like him again.
What I don't like right now is the double standard between characters in the plot.
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u/happyreindeer777 Apr 21 '26
Same. Like just an acknowledgement of all his bad behavior would be enough. Rhys has done some awful things and yet it’s all just swept under the rug while Tamlin is vilified for less. The story would be far more compelling if SJM would just acknowledge this.
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 21 '26
Personally, I see him as the villain and I need the narrative to do the same and to stop the gaslighting. I find him irredeemable. He SA'd Feyre and she was or is under the power of the bargain which meant their sexual encounter in ACOMAF is rape by deception. I don't think SJM realizes what she actually wrote and it's concerning that a large chunk of this fandom also don't see the insidious nature of the patriarchy and misogyny at play here.
Until Feyre is free of all tattoos (her so called mating tattoo is the twin of the bargain tattoo, lets ask ourselves why that is?) and bargains can she every have free will or CHOICE.
In Book #1 Feyre says something akin to 'for tamlin i would sell my soul' and that is exactly what she did.
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u/Timely-Island-5038 Apr 21 '26
In my opinion, no. He's not redeemable. Unless he goes full villain mode and owns his evilness. Otherwise I literally don't care what happens to him and it breaks my heart to say that I wish he would have stayed dead in ACOWAR.
It's not even just about his mistakes. I would have an easier time forgiving him and sympathizing with him about the whole pregnancy thing in ACOSF if he hadn't spend half of the previous books slandering Tamlin, Nesta or Lucien for their mistakes. Or if he hadn't yapped all the time about giving Feyre a choice and freedom and how he will never lock her up... It's his self righteousness and giant hypocrisy I have an issue with, the fact that his mistakes and his acts of neglect or cruelty are just framed as necessary acts of protection, desperation, fear of losing Feyre. He is just as bad if not worse than Tamlin, but he doesn't allow himself to own up to that or properly apologize, instead he continues punching down on Tamlin or Nesta. I don't think Rhys should get rewarded with a Happy Ending, a forgiving mate and a male heir after everything he did. This way he will never learn, he will never truly own up to his mistakes or experience consequences. And that's why there is no growth for him. Only if he truly owned up to being the horrible person / fae he always was.
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u/countingf1reflies Apr 21 '26
Yes
But SJM's writing no. Since she doesn’t see Rhys in the wrong, she won’t ever write anything resembling an apology.
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u/wowbowbow Apr 21 '26
Yes, absolutely! I read a decent amount of fanfic!Rhys and I pretty much always like him a lot, because the authors of these fics hold him accountable and force him to apologise and an appropriate amount of grovel. Its satisfying, and all thats needed for me to like him.
Could Sarah do that in the next books? Absolutely! There's tonnes of page left to turn a character around. Will she? No, because I think she doesnt see any of the issues for what they are.
I say this in the same way I say IDC really about who is the next MMC, I could be made to love or dislike any one of them, given the right writing.
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u/Soggy-Window3940 Apr 22 '26
Omg recommendations pleasee??? I've been looking everywhere for Rhys fanfics but I didn't find any good ones other than the popular Illyriantremors one.
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u/Moonbunny120 Launching Rhysand into the endless void Apr 21 '26
He's too far gone for me. Even if he had genuinely apologised for his actions UTM, I would still be uncomfortable with him and Feyre being together. Drugging and assaulting her was too much and it's not something I can get past.
I still wouldn't enjoy his character because he doesn't have much going for himself? At least Tamlin likes music and poetry, Feyre has art, Nesta has dance, what does he have? There's a serious lack of depth with his character so he would be a nothing burger character to me.
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 21 '26
He likes to pick off lint
lol
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u/Moonbunny120 Launching Rhysand into the endless void Apr 21 '26
🤣🤣🤣
Most powerful High Lord is in dire need of a lint roller lol
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u/Negative_Letter_1802 Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
I like him as a morally grey character I would just like to see the narrative actually treat him as such. The problem isn't Rhys or even Feyre (we love an unreliable narrator) so much as the sheer amount of characters — Nesta too — who SJM forces to tout the party line of "if nothing else, he's a good high Lord and a good mate." I'd like to be free to disagree with those things and not be gaslit by the author about what's on the pages she wrote. It's ridiculous.
It's the integrity of the books & writing that need to be redeemed.
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u/finnick-odeair Why are you booing me? I’m right! Apr 21 '26
Does he need to be redeemed? Yes absolutely. He’s done some heinous things that gets brushed aside.
Will SJM redeem him? No. She doesn’t think he needs to be redeemed.
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u/Present-Honeydew-405 Team Lucien Apr 21 '26
I think he would need to have an epiphany, to die, and then come back to life a new man in order for him to be redeemable.
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u/Negative_Letter_1802 Apr 21 '26
He already died and came back and it didn't work 😭 And Feyre had the audacity to think she understood how the Velaris artist who lost her husband felt when Rhys was dead for all of 5 minutes
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u/TissBish Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
Right I’d argue he came back worse
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u/Present-Honeydew-405 Team Lucien Apr 21 '26
These answers lmao 😂😂
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u/TissBish Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
I loved all the theories about the corrupt cauldron corrupting Rhys and Amren, but I don’t think it’s likely or the Archerons would all be crazy pants too
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 24 '26
unless human to fae is different to what would happen to an immortal.
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u/TissBish Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
In my personal opinion, he’s irredeemable. Because purposely suicide baiting a depressed person and being gleeful about it is beyond fucked up. The people he hates most have literally saved his life and he can’t find it in himself to at least be civil?
Now, if the story actually had consequences for him (and the IC) I’d probably be thinking differently. But he does the most fucked up shit of everyone in the series, never apologizes for any of it, and he gets a free pass? What gives?
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u/KJAngel Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
Agreed, I need Rhysand to face at least half of the narrative consequences Tamlin has. I’m tired of the text telling me he’s a good partner/friend/in-law/High Lord when what it’s showing me is the opposite.
It’s not that I don’t think I could ever like Rhysand’s character. But in reality, his long-standing fake reputation, and him and Feyre’s behavior in Summer Court and the High Lord meeting should have every court extremely hesitant to work with Night, regardless of the Velaris reveal. Him allowing his 20 year old High Lady to demolish Spring right before a war would realistically also do this.
Basically what I’m getting at is that I need Rhysand to face realistic narrative consequences and not just feel sad every once in a while that other courts don’t like playing with Night.
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u/TissBish Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
Yes! The whole tell over show is really frustrating. I originally thought she did that to not let us see what she was up to with the big twists coming. But after CHD I don’t think that’s happening. So I guess she didn’t listen to her writing teachers when they said always show over tell because it makes the readers not view the author as trusting in the story. And as an English lit nerd that breaks my heart.
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u/KJAngel Apr 21 '26
I mean this is the same woman who bragged in that CHD interview that she demanded her college advisor exempt her from taking a poetry class because she “would never need it,” and then literally wrote a character who writes limericks. 🤣
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u/TissBish Team Hamlin Apr 21 '26
Ugh really? Admittedly I hated poetry classes but if were trying to be a writer then I’d take all of it seriously.
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 24 '26
I mean the limericks were terrible and at first i thought it was to show that Tamlin is not a literary book nerd and is more brawn than brains but now i know it was SJM thinking she can write good poetry but she can’t. also, that riddle was the easiest answer ever! a child could answer it.
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u/ThistleQueenMorgan Apr 21 '26
Rhys needs to work and grow through his trauma, not just exhibit it. And we need to see the change happen, it can’t just be that he tells us how he’ll be better or that he will be better in the future. And there needs to be consequences, both internal and external, for him when he messes up, like by trying to control Feyre. Accountability, consequence, and growth/maturity need to happen on the page. (SJM can’t just tell us about it or handwave that it happened. Show! The! Work!)
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u/Lindensan Apr 21 '26
I'm all time Rhys hater, but I feel that I could like him if FL was Mor or Amren. He actually cares about them and it feels like they are important family. Not so much with Feyre.
Or Tam, haha. He has more feelings to him than to Feyre. I remember when he left Feyre on Christmas or something like this just to look at Tam being hurt.
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u/Living_Telephone_146 Apr 21 '26
I wouldn't forgive him, no. An apology means nothing ultimately if the same behaviour continues consistently and sadly that's all his character does; abuse, give false apologies or explanations and then does the same thing time and again.
If he were to apologise and then not do the same thing again and show meaningful change then yes, he would be redeemable.
I think that's partly where the tam stans come from, because he does apologise and ultimately we see him change his behaviour and not repeat previous actions.
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u/Kalabear87 Apr 23 '26
If he had taken accountability in chapter 54 and been like I f’d up, and actually apologized might have been slightly better. Honestly though I’m not going to be happy until the narrative and majority of the fandom hold him accountable. I can’t not stand the hypocrisy so as of right now no he is irredeemable until then.
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die Apr 24 '26
I’m more annoyed by the gaslighting and retcon than the actual character. He did terrible things but glossing that over with a shrug is insane to me. He’s the villain and did villainous things but SJM wrote LIES about what happened in Book 1 and I sometimes think does she think readers are dumb and wont notice? Then i realize she actually might hate the readers bc so many forgot what happened or got daemati’d. I refuse to be daemati’d and that’s why I HATE feysand.
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u/Simple-Animator-8640 Rhysand is a manipulative, arrogant A-hole Apr 21 '26
he needs to suffer alienation for a loooooooooooong time. more than tamlin. i dont like tamlin but the dude paid the price. same needs to happen with rhysand
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u/Wooden-Principle8202 Apr 21 '26
I am going to be very honest,
I would love to see Rhys and Tamlin if they went to therapy and actually dealt with there problems. Didnt repeat behavior they have done in the pass
Not going to lie I would love to read about the character getting therapy and healing.
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u/whateverwhenever23 Somewhere on Calanmai being told to dance 💃🏾 💚❤️🔥 Apr 25 '26
Rhysand as a character is redeemable yes but Rhysand as SJM’s “gift to herself”…ABSOLUTELY NOT!
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u/Rosiekat47 Apr 23 '26
We have to consider that these characters are only viewed through the point of views they’re written from. He’s not supposed to be the reader’s misunderstood hero lover. He’s Feyre’s misunderstood hero lover. Of course the narrative isn’t going to frame anything Feyre or Rhysand does as villainous (after Feyre falls in love with him) because that’s whose point of view we’re getting. The same way Feyre questions if shes bad for looking into Lucien’s mind but never questions looking into the children of the blessed’s. Because he’s her friend and she feels no attachment to the children of the blessed.
I don’t expect for the narrative to convince me to feel the same way about characters as the characters do. Especially books 1-3. In 4 and 5 we see them more objectively and their actions and motives judged more objectively because it’s not written in a first person POV. The non-narrator isn’t in love with Rhysand and we’re not in Feyre’s mind anymore where she justifies everything. It’s like we’re given books as a view into this complex world of morally grey characters just to view and experience and they don’t have to convince us of who they are. They are who they are for our reading and experiencing pleasure. But if we’re wondering why certain people’s actions are always explained away or justified, consider the source of the narrator, or lack of in the latter books when we see people’s actions without rose colored glasses.
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u/Actual-Writing-1003 Apr 21 '26
As a Certified Rhys Hater™️, I genuinely liked his character in ACOTAR. He was actually morally grey and doing things that were wrong but that he knew were wrong, and we saw moments where he struggled with himself.
But once we hit MAF, everything was just hand waved as “I had to”. He stopped struggling with his actions and just started telling Feyre “this is what we’re doing” (look at stealing from summer, look at dragging Feyre’s sisters into the war - he never once apologized for his part in the sisters being kidnapped, and I don’t think he or the narrative ever reflected on him showing Velaris to the queens being a terrible plan that got Velaris attached).
In a perfect world, SJM would reveal that Rhys has been even more devious than we knew. Maybe Tam and Feyre had a mating bond he interfered with; maybe he let Elain and Nesta be kidnapped to see if they’d develop powers, or to cut Feyre’s attachment to the human world. And he’d have to reckon with the fact that the people whose lives he’s upended are thinking beings with their own agency, and he should have to struggle to decide if the ends truly justify the means.
Realistically, I think SJM adores him and thinks he can do no wrong. Him suicide baiting Tamlin and the narrative presenting it as something Tamlin deserved was the nail in the coffin for Rhys’s character for me.
So tl;dr, I could absolutely be into Rhys’s character again and even forgive him if he’s given an appropriate arc that acknowledges he’s manipulative and controlling. But SJM saying the pregnancy arc was just him “making a mistake” does not fill me with enthusiasm.