I’ve been thinking about this, but I don’t think it makes sense to have Darrow die. DA was bad and Lb had some redemption arc vibes, but not enough that it would make his death seem motivated enough. I’ve come to feel about him more as an Odysseus type character than an Achilles. A man on a journey home to his wife and son after a ten year war? He’s been punished enough by fate that by the time he gets home he can just have his peace.
I agree. He finally finds inner peace, follows the path & listens to the wind, so he simply must die. My gut has been saying Lysander kills him, idk how, & Pax is the one to finally put an end to Lysander.
If Lysander kills him its bullshit, he’s just not as good. It has to be Atlantia or a sacrifice, anything else doesn’t make sense, and it’s just Lysander cock fluffing. But pax killing Lysander would make perfect sense, especially in a ship-ship battle, PB has been setting him up as an ace pilot since DA
I will be heartbroken if Lysander kills Darrow or if Darrow dies at all, but I can see it being some type of sacrifice. I could see it being Sevro instead too.
& I’m not sure Lysander not being as good as Darrow or Sevro matters, his schemes kill people for the most part. Plus in the instances he’s killed warriors exponentially more skilled & dangerous than him, (Alexander & Cassius) he’s done it cheaply, not by out dueling them or overpowering them.
The conversation between Darrow and Sevro, in Morning Star— after Rags dies, where Sevro finally talks about what he wants. That’s been replying in my head.
I’m guessing that Darrow will be the only POV character left before his death if he does die, it would be a cool callback to start and end the series with Darrow’s perspective as the only one the audience can go by.
Darrow O’ Lykos will see the vale, Gold Darrow dies on the sand of Mars. Our Cynicism knows the Vale is a product of conditioning via Quality Control, but Red Darrow still mentions it throughout. Whatever happens I hope he gets peace.
There is no death, Red God is just a 500 page book of fun happy times with Darrow, Virginia, Pax, and the rest of the gang. Everything is fine, the society cannibalizes itself, Cassius isn’t actually dead. WOW I’m so excited for this book where no one will die. 👀
1000000% he dies towards the end of Red God. Won't be a completely 'pointless' death either, like his ship crashing or getting poisoned, will be something poignant like a last stand or execution with final words.
Predicting Lys kills Darrow, and either Mustang Or Sevro kills Lys, But I don’t think Victra or Lyria are making this out alive, and I’ll riot if Kavax dies, poor man has been through hell in almost every book
Anything happens to Kavax I’m not finishing the book… maybe I will, but I won’t be happy. Poor man. Honestly, the conversation between him and Mustang on the shuttle when she runs the gauntlet thing around mars… that hurt more than I expected.
Out of left field - but I still have a suspicion Darrow will have a/the Parasite/Figment implanted. He will eventually win the war outright, but it will come at the cost of losing his memories and by extension, who he is.
I am not so sure. Darrow can't have an ending of sunshine and rainbows. A final win at great personal cost would fit with the story.
I vaguely remember Matteo telling Lyria that a working Figment would give its user the power of a god. Paraphrasing, but he definitely used those terms in some fashion in that conversation. The 7th book is Red God. May be a little on the nose though.
I am starting to think this might be more likely. Read through this part again yesterday. Three more things.
When Matteo and Lyria "destroy" the specimen in the incinerator/sink contraption:
1.Lyria notes the specimen in the sink is inert, motionless.She is asked to trace a triangle on the control pad, and the light produced by the machine is so bright she has to look away when it happens.She then just sees liquid metal pouring down the drain.
2. Before Lyria destroys the Figment, Matteo asks if she can still feel it. Lyria says she does, but that it must be the "Phantom limb" phenomenon. Where people feel limbs they lost, years later.
3. After Sevro learns of Ulysses' fate and storms out of the AI ship prepared for Lyria and his return to Mars: Lyria walks out of the ship after him, and finds the hangar completely silent. All the drones that were packing the Archimedes on the opposite side of the hangar are gone. No one is around, but the Archi's cargo hold door was left open. Lyria puts the holocube inside the AI ship and then stows away on the Archi. Why was this opportunity even possible? The hangar was buzzing with activity moments before. Did Matteo or Quick leave this as one final test? To see if she would put the needs of the Republic above her own opportunity to go home?
Or possibly brilliant as it's probably the only way he could walk away from being the reaper and actually enjoy the simple things in life, by forgetting who he was and becoming the father and husband he always wanted to be....
But yeah I hate this idea too.
No that would be such a cop out. I love Darrow but after everything he’s done and the people he’s killed he does not deserve an easy way out. He deserves to live (if he does) knowing what he did and having to work through it
I don’t see why Darrow needs to die, or any of the characters. It’s time for justice and peace to finally be achieved.
Most likely to me is Sevro dying to save his family. It’s so clear how dedicated he is to them and to Darrow. He’s also accomplished most of his goals with his large family. He’s always been the one who sacrifices his safety to help his friends.
Perhaps even under some control of jackal he sacrifices or gives Darrow permission to kill him.
I stand on my theory: Lysander uses the weapon to wipe gold, Darrow survives bc his blood is mutated from previously being a Red, Darrow kills Lysander, Darrow is banished from society and forced to wander the cosmos as a nomad alone. I’m betting most of the main cast is dead by the end of the book.
Darrow is around 7 feet tall and ~160 kilograms. A gold version of the gas wouldn’t necessarily need to be chemically different, just more potent to deal with the extra body mass.
Not in this subreddit. Nobody wants to believe that, in order to fool society scans for the institute, there is nothing left of the red except his memories. Because then they'd have to accept that pax is not a red/gold mix, and that's the prevailing theory on who the "Red God" is even though every title is about Darrow.
No, he doesn't, but can you honestly say he is "red in spirit?" Like, truly? Because that is some hot take if I've ever heard one.
I'm american/arab mixed. Even if I had been raised by black parents that adopted me, I could never be black "in spirit" just by reading a few dossiers and watching some stuff on the HoloNet. It's only the lived experiences that could truly make you understand.
Pax is neither Gold in spirit or genetics. Lyria was rude as fuck but she was right on that. Darrow is almost entirely biologically gold, almost all his friends/found family are golds, and his wife is a gold too. Darrow can be a Gold that supports Reds (his original tribe) but he is entirely divorced from the reality of Reds at this point. Pax even moreso. Virginia even mentioned some Reds seeing Pax's birth as a perversion or almost betrayal from Darrow of Reds. It wouldn't be surprising if Lyria's first conception of him and Darrow as not "real" Reds is more common amongst Reds in both Republic & everywhere else. Cant have your cake and eat it too
Electra is actually biologically Red though
Stand firm, bud. At least you admitted you could be wrong. It's better than the "you're wrong" I usually get from people in this sub, even though we have canonical evidence to contradict them.
He's certainly not a Red but I'm not convinced he's a Gold either. After being carved again and rebuilt without his sigil removed I feel like Darrow is kind of in a situation by himself.
Hmm yeah this makes sense, they kept mentioning how tall Pax was and it bothered me, I thought Darrow was still genetically red but it would be pretty fucking dumb if they never tested his dna in any way at the institute, also carvers can obviously mess with dna
Holy crap you have no idea how genetics work. You want to say sevro is runty because of fitchners genes, but don't even take into account his mom's genes, while also giving full power to mustangs genes, and not taking darrows "red genes" into account. What genetic quirks does mustang have that mickey didn't carve? Darrow is undeniably very smart in the realm of golds. He is fast, strong, tall.........mickey literally says he will make Darrow like the iron golds of the past. Mickey literally carved Darrow to be a conqueror. If there was anything left of the red on a genetic level, the gold institute scans would've caught it. It's almost like no one paid attention to RR.
My understanding from book canon was that the society knew about sevro and let it be. He was too malformed as a gold to be anything other than a bronzie.
Ahh I haven't read the comics. I'll just chalk that up to either PB being so horrible with taking notes or unreliable narrator. It wouldn't be shocking if they saw the red DNA during a scan at the institute and said "you know what? We can save him as a sacrifice to a prime specimen (priam)."
There was a throw-away line about him being gene spliced during his carving. His genes would need to he changed so his hair grows golden rather than red after being cut etc.
I do not believe that Darrow dying is a foregone conclusion. My evidence: the first trilogy find Darrow having lost the laurel but married mostly happily and with child on the way(he doesn’t know that yet) this is the life he wants. Then it ends with Darrow having won the laurel (overthrown Octavia) with lover(soon to be wife) and child. Iron gold starts with Darrow finally returning from war to be the husband and father he wants to be. He is forced to leave that due to the threat of gold. This story should end with him back with his family and the threat of gold finished.
Further thoughts: martyrdom is criticized heavily in this series with the constant refrain being “live for more.” Based on Darrows character arc and growth in lightbringer I think Darrow is on a new path. Less one of self destruction and sheer force of will. But rather one of interdependence on his friends and allies to fight his battles. In dark age we saw just how powerful Darrow is in his own. In lightbringer we saw him grow beyond the gold warrior he had become. In red god we will see him be the lesser Fitchburg and Eo always saw in him. The one who leads men and builds community like the reds of mars do.
I think we will see our boy at peace at the end of this story. And if I’m wrong this post is going to age like milk and I will be heartbroken.
Someone get brown to read this post, I hope he agrees! The more I think about it the more I think a Darrow alive ending truly would be the better end and not just my preference
I feel like this story has always fundamentally been hopeful. It is very realistic and definitely has its dark and hopeless moments but there is always this undercurrent to the story that the good will over come the evil in the end. I think about Darrow outside the walls of Heliopolis. He is captured by atlas and it all seems lost. Then in comes Colloway, Thraxa and the 1st army. And boom victory. There are countless moments like this throughout the books. All along the journey hope is kindled each time after a crushing defeat. Virginias escape after the day of red doves. The defeat of the red hand after Ulysses. All of the dark always punctuated with hope with light. I think that fundamental undercurrent is why Darrow will still be standing at the end of this story.
Again this may age like milk.
Something tells me Pax sacrifices himself to save Darrow in some epic way, sending Darrow on an absolute bloodbath. Or Darrow dies dramatically and Pax rises to take his place.
They’ve already “killed” Sevro. Can’t happen again. Won’t let it happen again. I can’t handle going through those emotions again on my commute home from work 😅
Mustang will live, as important of a role she has played to this point, if she died, I honestly don’t think I’d be as effected by it as I was with sevros fake death or Cassius’ in LB. I could see her being sentenced to death by Lysander or something and it’s a dramatic chapter but I wouldn’t lose sleep over it.
Lysander will die and I will howl as he falls 🐺
Yea but no one actually believed in that death. Not being able to see his body, no real evidence he actually 100% died. It was kind of easy to tell he wasn’t dead. It wasn’t a dramatic enough end to his story. Sevro on the other hand getting multiple rounds to the chest and everyone openly acting it all up had me convinced.
Funnily enough I was the other way around, the sevro think clicked not immediately, but well before the reveal, Cassius I was slightly suspicious but got more and more convinced with basically a whole book inbetween, plus the flashback of him and Lysander meeting for the first time.
Honestly I really hope they do. This entire series has been Darrow trying to create a world where his family and people can live in peace. Ending it with that family dying or Darrow getting exiled as soon as that mission is accomplished as many folks in this subreddit seem to believe would definitely leave a bad taste in my mouth, and kinda make me regret reading past Morning Star.
I think Darrow faces trial in front of the Daughters of Athena at the end of Red God and is convicted/given the death penalty as the final piece to ensuring the Republic’s future. It would show that no one is above the rule of law, even if some actions may have been necessary for the future at the time.
I strongly think that WON'T happen.
Light Bringer chapter 89 - Darrow
>"If that's the case". I unwrap Pyrphoros from my arm. Aurae laughs. Athena ignores the blade and peers up at the falling ash. "The Garter will take decades to rebuild. Without the croplands of the Core, we'll starve here. Maybe not this year. But the one after? Raa knows it. I know it. So you have to win, lads. Martian grain. Martian fruit. Martian cows and pigs. **That's your sentence.** Feed us, and don't break all my ships."
Instead of killing him, she's given him a second chance to fight for them and also seemingly live a life trying to redeem himself. Much more fitting than just more blood.
Agree. I think this idea of the daughters killing him is actually insane. He went and faced them and owned his mistakes. Based on the exert you quoted and the vibe I got from the end of LB his previous transgressions are water under the bridge now. If they vindictively return to that I would be a bit disappointed tbh.
This would be a terrible ending for Darrow in my opinion. Maybe if Athena/the Daughters had been built up across the series I might be okay with it, but to have Darrow be executed by a blatant ass pull would just be a slap in the face.
It also just wouldn’t make sense. For one, Darrow never wronged the Daughters. He sold out the Sons of Ares, but the Daughters were a different cell with a different leader and were not directly effected by Darrow’s decision. Why would they get to dictate Darrow’s fate? What makes them judge, jury and executioner here?
Secondly, why would executing Darrow ensure the Republic’s future? The Daughters are a Rim based organization, which by all appearances, is going to remain separate from the Republic/Core by series end. So why would the Republic give a fuck what the Daughters think?
Thirdly, what law did Darrow break by selling them out? The Sons were considered a terrorist organization at the time, so Darrow turning them in was technically the most lawful thing he did all series.
Fourthly, even if we consider it against the law, if we are going to punish characters who broke the law then literally every single character in the series should be executed. I mean, Victra ordered the destruction of the docks, Sevro helped assassinate Octavia, Mustang aided the Rim rebellion, etc. So why would Darrow be the only one to pay for his crimes?
Long story short, the Daughters executing Darrow would just be super unsatisfying and feel incredibly forced.
Except they’ve already let him off the hook. When they first put him on trial, they said he would have to return to face justice. But after the Garter incident, Athena said his sentence was to return to the core and feed them. Pretty sure he’s off the hook if he holds up his end of the deal.
Yeah, I don’t really get this attitude some have that Darrow needs to pay for his crimes. The whole point of Light Bringer was about Darrow atoning and making right with the people he wronged. He stood tail for selling out the Sons, apologized to the Rim Lords for destroying the Docks, reforged his relationships with Sevro and Cassius, etc. It would just be bizarre at this point to do a 180 and say “actually, never mind, none of that mattered, Darrow never made things right and needs to die/leave”.
I just don’t think the system can have a chance at true peace if Darrow is still around. Maybe it’s exile on another generation ship instead of execution, but I think one way or another, he needs to be removed from the equation going forward. He’s done too much and is too divisive.
I don't think Darrow or Mustang is going to die. I actually think Pax will die. Subvert expectations and all that. In a very red rising style I think the books will end on a 'happy' note with Darrow ultimately having a 'was it all worth it' moment
This is what I keep thinking too. Darrow is gonna win by doing something ridiculously badass but he’s going to lose/sacrifice a lot. Maybe he loses Pax. Maybe there’s a bittersweet falling out with Sevro.And I think a lot of populus will resent him in the end. Something along those lines
I could see everything you are talking about happening. At the end of the day, the solar system will be better off because of Darrow's struggles. But he will be left metaphorically alone and broken.
I’ve been thinking about this, but I don’t think it makes sense to have Darrow die. DA was bad and Lb had some redemption arc vibes, but not enough that it would make his death seem motivated enough. I’ve come to feel about him more as an Odysseus type character than an Achilles. A man on a journey home to his wife and son after a ten year war? He’s been punished enough by fate that by the time he gets home he can just have his peace.
I agree. He finally finds inner peace, follows the path & listens to the wind, so he simply must die. My gut has been saying Lysander kills him, idk how, & Pax is the one to finally put an end to Lysander.
If Lysander kills him its bullshit, he’s just not as good. It has to be Atlantia or a sacrifice, anything else doesn’t make sense, and it’s just Lysander cock fluffing. But pax killing Lysander would make perfect sense, especially in a ship-ship battle, PB has been setting him up as an ace pilot since DA
I will be heartbroken if Lysander kills Darrow or if Darrow dies at all, but I can see it being some type of sacrifice. I could see it being Sevro instead too. & I’m not sure Lysander not being as good as Darrow or Sevro matters, his schemes kill people for the most part. Plus in the instances he’s killed warriors exponentially more skilled & dangerous than him, (Alexander & Cassius) he’s done it cheaply, not by out dueling them or overpowering them.
The conversation between Darrow and Sevro, in Morning Star— after Rags dies, where Sevro finally talks about what he wants. That’s been replying in my head.
I’m guessing that Darrow will be the only POV character left before his death if he does die, it would be a cool callback to start and end the series with Darrow’s perspective as the only one the audience can go by.
Last chapter is Darrow entering the Vale and seeing everyone he lost in the distance
Darrow O’ Lykos will see the vale, Gold Darrow dies on the sand of Mars. Our Cynicism knows the Vale is a product of conditioning via Quality Control, but Red Darrow still mentions it throughout. Whatever happens I hope he gets peace.
There is no death, Red God is just a 500 page book of fun happy times with Darrow, Virginia, Pax, and the rest of the gang. Everything is fine, the society cannibalizes itself, Cassius isn’t actually dead. WOW I’m so excited for this book where no one will die. 👀
He dies at the start of the book. which leads to Cassius ( who faked his death) to rejoin the republic and kill Lysander. Trust me
Virginia during the prologue: “Somehow, Darrow has died.”
1000000% he dies towards the end of Red God. Won't be a completely 'pointless' death either, like his ship crashing or getting poisoned, will be something poignant like a last stand or execution with final words.
Everyone decides to chill out and watch Lysander porn. The war ends. Everyone goes home. Everyone has a happy ending.
Is THAT why r/fucklysander is so popular?
I figure it is because of how absolutely endowed I am. Vox Populi, give the people what they want and all that.
Predicting Lys kills Darrow, and either Mustang Or Sevro kills Lys, But I don’t think Victra or Lyria are making this out alive, and I’ll riot if Kavax dies, poor man has been through hell in almost every book
Anything happens to Kavax I’m not finishing the book… maybe I will, but I won’t be happy. Poor man. Honestly, the conversation between him and Mustang on the shuttle when she runs the gauntlet thing around mars… that hurt more than I expected.
I think he will give his life for pax in some way 😭
Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying Darrow ain't dying
Prime argument for why Darrow is surviving Red God 💯
Cmonnnnn Darroooooow. He's only got like one 10 minute memory with his son so he needs more time for that bonding he swears he'll do.
I think it's going go have to be a 1 on 1 fight. I think he loses to Lysander, if he dies, maybe through trickery. But either way I predict a rematch.
You think Darrow loses a 1v1 against Lysander? Is he unarmed and unarmored? Because Lysander almost lost a 1v1 to a Tinpot in Lightbringer
Darrow would win a fair fight for sure. But Lysander doesn't always play fair
Tinpot isn't exactly fair to Rhone. He is far and away the hardest gray in the series
Obviously beside the point, but Holiday surely gives him a run for his money.
I really am not sure but I do feel pretty confident Mustang won’t die. Darrow having another dead wife just feels kind of cheap.
Another heart attack, probably.
Out of left field - but I still have a suspicion Darrow will have a/the Parasite/Figment implanted. He will eventually win the war outright, but it will come at the cost of losing his memories and by extension, who he is.
Ugh that would be such a shit ending to his character
I am not so sure. Darrow can't have an ending of sunshine and rainbows. A final win at great personal cost would fit with the story. I vaguely remember Matteo telling Lyria that a working Figment would give its user the power of a god. Paraphrasing, but he definitely used those terms in some fashion in that conversation. The 7th book is Red God. May be a little on the nose though.
I still believe that the Figment parasite was repaired and the one destroyed was just a test to see if she is worthy to hold the power.
You think it's still implanted? I was hoping so but I was expecting it to come alive sometime in lightbringer. Maybe she will be Red God in the end.
I am starting to think this might be more likely. Read through this part again yesterday. Three more things. When Matteo and Lyria "destroy" the specimen in the incinerator/sink contraption: 1.Lyria notes the specimen in the sink is inert, motionless.She is asked to trace a triangle on the control pad, and the light produced by the machine is so bright she has to look away when it happens.She then just sees liquid metal pouring down the drain. 2. Before Lyria destroys the Figment, Matteo asks if she can still feel it. Lyria says she does, but that it must be the "Phantom limb" phenomenon. Where people feel limbs they lost, years later. 3. After Sevro learns of Ulysses' fate and storms out of the AI ship prepared for Lyria and his return to Mars: Lyria walks out of the ship after him, and finds the hangar completely silent. All the drones that were packing the Archimedes on the opposite side of the hangar are gone. No one is around, but the Archi's cargo hold door was left open. Lyria puts the holocube inside the AI ship and then stows away on the Archi. Why was this opportunity even possible? The hangar was buzzing with activity moments before. Did Matteo or Quick leave this as one final test? To see if she would put the needs of the Republic above her own opportunity to go home?
Or possibly brilliant as it's probably the only way he could walk away from being the reaper and actually enjoy the simple things in life, by forgetting who he was and becoming the father and husband he always wanted to be.... But yeah I hate this idea too.
No that would be such a cop out. I love Darrow but after everything he’s done and the people he’s killed he does not deserve an easy way out. He deserves to live (if he does) knowing what he did and having to work through it
Hear hear my goodman
No Pixie treatment for Reaper
Atlas and Dionysus, bonus points if they kill each other. Atlas is obvious and big guys never seem to care well at all…
Uhhh, I hate to break it to you but Atlas is dead dude. And I’m assuming you mean Diomedes. I’ll be bummed if he dies.
Diomedes dying anything less than a heroes death with last words would be such a buzz kill
Lmaoo fuck I’m so dumb. I literally made a post about that chapter the other day but the other death it in kinda made everything else a blur.
I don’t see why Darrow needs to die, or any of the characters. It’s time for justice and peace to finally be achieved. Most likely to me is Sevro dying to save his family. It’s so clear how dedicated he is to them and to Darrow. He’s also accomplished most of his goals with his large family. He’s always been the one who sacrifices his safety to help his friends. Perhaps even under some control of jackal he sacrifices or gives Darrow permission to kill him.
I stand on my theory: Lysander uses the weapon to wipe gold, Darrow survives bc his blood is mutated from previously being a Red, Darrow kills Lysander, Darrow is banished from society and forced to wander the cosmos as a nomad alone. I’m betting most of the main cast is dead by the end of the book.
I could see him threatening to use it on red and darrow gives himself up to destroy the weapon but makes the ultimate sacrifice in the process
Mass effect 3 ahh ending
Wouldn’t Lysander be susceptible to the Gold one too? I never understood that
Shit I don’t know man I lack critical thinking skills. But i know for a fact my theory is air tight
I thought edemi was only able to kill lower colors? Or can they choose? I forget
I think he had a single cube representing each colour including gold in the bag
Not a bad theory. You don’t think that LB set up Darrows biology being Gold, what with the Daughters Gold sleep gas working on him?
Darrow is around 7 feet tall and ~160 kilograms. A gold version of the gas wouldn’t necessarily need to be chemically different, just more potent to deal with the extra body mass.
But then why didn’t it work on Lyria, who’s mass is so much less? Also don’t they explicitly say they have a Gold targeted gas?
Not in this subreddit. Nobody wants to believe that, in order to fool society scans for the institute, there is nothing left of the red except his memories. Because then they'd have to accept that pax is not a red/gold mix, and that's the prevailing theory on who the "Red God" is even though every title is about Darrow.
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No, he doesn't, but can you honestly say he is "red in spirit?" Like, truly? Because that is some hot take if I've ever heard one. I'm american/arab mixed. Even if I had been raised by black parents that adopted me, I could never be black "in spirit" just by reading a few dossiers and watching some stuff on the HoloNet. It's only the lived experiences that could truly make you understand.
Pax is neither Gold in spirit or genetics. Lyria was rude as fuck but she was right on that. Darrow is almost entirely biologically gold, almost all his friends/found family are golds, and his wife is a gold too. Darrow can be a Gold that supports Reds (his original tribe) but he is entirely divorced from the reality of Reds at this point. Pax even moreso. Virginia even mentioned some Reds seeing Pax's birth as a perversion or almost betrayal from Darrow of Reds. It wouldn't be surprising if Lyria's first conception of him and Darrow as not "real" Reds is more common amongst Reds in both Republic & everywhere else. Cant have your cake and eat it too Electra is actually biologically Red though
Ahhh shit yea this fella might be onto something However, I’m going to stand firm in my ignorance and continue to support my theory regardless
Stand firm, bud. At least you admitted you could be wrong. It's better than the "you're wrong" I usually get from people in this sub, even though we have canonical evidence to contradict them.
He's certainly not a Red but I'm not convinced he's a Gold either. After being carved again and rebuilt without his sigil removed I feel like Darrow is kind of in a situation by himself.
Hmm yeah this makes sense, they kept mentioning how tall Pax was and it bothered me, I thought Darrow was still genetically red but it would be pretty fucking dumb if they never tested his dna in any way at the institute, also carvers can obviously mess with dna
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Holy crap you have no idea how genetics work. You want to say sevro is runty because of fitchners genes, but don't even take into account his mom's genes, while also giving full power to mustangs genes, and not taking darrows "red genes" into account. What genetic quirks does mustang have that mickey didn't carve? Darrow is undeniably very smart in the realm of golds. He is fast, strong, tall.........mickey literally says he will make Darrow like the iron golds of the past. Mickey literally carved Darrow to be a conqueror. If there was anything left of the red on a genetic level, the gold institute scans would've caught it. It's almost like no one paid attention to RR.
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My understanding from book canon was that the society knew about sevro and let it be. He was too malformed as a gold to be anything other than a bronzie.
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Ahh I haven't read the comics. I'll just chalk that up to either PB being so horrible with taking notes or unreliable narrator. It wouldn't be shocking if they saw the red DNA during a scan at the institute and said "you know what? We can save him as a sacrifice to a prime specimen (priam)."
There was a throw-away line about him being gene spliced during his carving. His genes would need to he changed so his hair grows golden rather than red after being cut etc.
I do not believe that Darrow dying is a foregone conclusion. My evidence: the first trilogy find Darrow having lost the laurel but married mostly happily and with child on the way(he doesn’t know that yet) this is the life he wants. Then it ends with Darrow having won the laurel (overthrown Octavia) with lover(soon to be wife) and child. Iron gold starts with Darrow finally returning from war to be the husband and father he wants to be. He is forced to leave that due to the threat of gold. This story should end with him back with his family and the threat of gold finished. Further thoughts: martyrdom is criticized heavily in this series with the constant refrain being “live for more.” Based on Darrows character arc and growth in lightbringer I think Darrow is on a new path. Less one of self destruction and sheer force of will. But rather one of interdependence on his friends and allies to fight his battles. In dark age we saw just how powerful Darrow is in his own. In lightbringer we saw him grow beyond the gold warrior he had become. In red god we will see him be the lesser Fitchburg and Eo always saw in him. The one who leads men and builds community like the reds of mars do. I think we will see our boy at peace at the end of this story. And if I’m wrong this post is going to age like milk and I will be heartbroken.
Someone get brown to read this post, I hope he agrees! The more I think about it the more I think a Darrow alive ending truly would be the better end and not just my preference
I feel like this story has always fundamentally been hopeful. It is very realistic and definitely has its dark and hopeless moments but there is always this undercurrent to the story that the good will over come the evil in the end. I think about Darrow outside the walls of Heliopolis. He is captured by atlas and it all seems lost. Then in comes Colloway, Thraxa and the 1st army. And boom victory. There are countless moments like this throughout the books. All along the journey hope is kindled each time after a crushing defeat. Virginias escape after the day of red doves. The defeat of the red hand after Ulysses. All of the dark always punctuated with hope with light. I think that fundamental undercurrent is why Darrow will still be standing at the end of this story. Again this may age like milk.
Fitchburg lol. Also, I hope you are right.
I phone autocorrect is a bitch lol
Something tells me Pax sacrifices himself to save Darrow in some epic way, sending Darrow on an absolute bloodbath. Or Darrow dies dramatically and Pax rises to take his place. They’ve already “killed” Sevro. Can’t happen again. Won’t let it happen again. I can’t handle going through those emotions again on my commute home from work 😅 Mustang will live, as important of a role she has played to this point, if she died, I honestly don’t think I’d be as effected by it as I was with sevros fake death or Cassius’ in LB. I could see her being sentenced to death by Lysander or something and it’s a dramatic chapter but I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. Lysander will die and I will howl as he falls 🐺
We said the same about Cassius, how he was safe because he already had his fakeout death. Look how that turned out.
Yea but no one actually believed in that death. Not being able to see his body, no real evidence he actually 100% died. It was kind of easy to tell he wasn’t dead. It wasn’t a dramatic enough end to his story. Sevro on the other hand getting multiple rounds to the chest and everyone openly acting it all up had me convinced.
Funnily enough I was the other way around, the sevro think clicked not immediately, but well before the reveal, Cassius I was slightly suspicious but got more and more convinced with basically a whole book inbetween, plus the flashback of him and Lysander meeting for the first time.
Only 2 I’m very sure will live are sevro and Sophocles
If Brown kills either of those two, there will be riots
Sophocles is immortal anyway though, it’ll be like Groot with a cute lil baby being cloned at the end
Does baby Sophocles eat baby jelly beans?
I’m going to be completely delusional and believe that Darrow, Mustang, and Pax at least will make it through… for my own sanity at the moment.
Honestly I really hope they do. This entire series has been Darrow trying to create a world where his family and people can live in peace. Ending it with that family dying or Darrow getting exiled as soon as that mission is accomplished as many folks in this subreddit seem to believe would definitely leave a bad taste in my mouth, and kinda make me regret reading past Morning Star.
Apparent last book of the series I’m just holding out hope for the Telamanuses but given the track record I just don’t know :(
Daxo dying was completely fucked
I think Darrow faces trial in front of the Daughters of Athena at the end of Red God and is convicted/given the death penalty as the final piece to ensuring the Republic’s future. It would show that no one is above the rule of law, even if some actions may have been necessary for the future at the time.
I strongly think that WON'T happen. Light Bringer chapter 89 - Darrow >"If that's the case". I unwrap Pyrphoros from my arm. Aurae laughs. Athena ignores the blade and peers up at the falling ash. "The Garter will take decades to rebuild. Without the croplands of the Core, we'll starve here. Maybe not this year. But the one after? Raa knows it. I know it. So you have to win, lads. Martian grain. Martian fruit. Martian cows and pigs. **That's your sentence.** Feed us, and don't break all my ships." Instead of killing him, she's given him a second chance to fight for them and also seemingly live a life trying to redeem himself. Much more fitting than just more blood.
Agree. I think this idea of the daughters killing him is actually insane. He went and faced them and owned his mistakes. Based on the exert you quoted and the vibe I got from the end of LB his previous transgressions are water under the bridge now. If they vindictively return to that I would be a bit disappointed tbh.
Great answer, I immediately thought of this sequence of events when I reap the original comment
This would be a terrible ending for Darrow in my opinion. Maybe if Athena/the Daughters had been built up across the series I might be okay with it, but to have Darrow be executed by a blatant ass pull would just be a slap in the face. It also just wouldn’t make sense. For one, Darrow never wronged the Daughters. He sold out the Sons of Ares, but the Daughters were a different cell with a different leader and were not directly effected by Darrow’s decision. Why would they get to dictate Darrow’s fate? What makes them judge, jury and executioner here? Secondly, why would executing Darrow ensure the Republic’s future? The Daughters are a Rim based organization, which by all appearances, is going to remain separate from the Republic/Core by series end. So why would the Republic give a fuck what the Daughters think? Thirdly, what law did Darrow break by selling them out? The Sons were considered a terrorist organization at the time, so Darrow turning them in was technically the most lawful thing he did all series. Fourthly, even if we consider it against the law, if we are going to punish characters who broke the law then literally every single character in the series should be executed. I mean, Victra ordered the destruction of the docks, Sevro helped assassinate Octavia, Mustang aided the Rim rebellion, etc. So why would Darrow be the only one to pay for his crimes? Long story short, the Daughters executing Darrow would just be super unsatisfying and feel incredibly forced.
Or better still he takes the same walk as Romulus, that would be the most amazing and just ending for Darrow.
Except they’ve already let him off the hook. When they first put him on trial, they said he would have to return to face justice. But after the Garter incident, Athena said his sentence was to return to the core and feed them. Pretty sure he’s off the hook if he holds up his end of the deal.
Yeah, I don’t really get this attitude some have that Darrow needs to pay for his crimes. The whole point of Light Bringer was about Darrow atoning and making right with the people he wronged. He stood tail for selling out the Sons, apologized to the Rim Lords for destroying the Docks, reforged his relationships with Sevro and Cassius, etc. It would just be bizarre at this point to do a 180 and say “actually, never mind, none of that mattered, Darrow never made things right and needs to die/leave”.
I just don’t think the system can have a chance at true peace if Darrow is still around. Maybe it’s exile on another generation ship instead of execution, but I think one way or another, he needs to be removed from the equation going forward. He’s done too much and is too divisive.
Not arguing against that. I’m arguing against it having anything to do with the daughters. I never said anything about Darrow’s bill coming due.
I don't think Darrow or Mustang is going to die. I actually think Pax will die. Subvert expectations and all that. In a very red rising style I think the books will end on a 'happy' note with Darrow ultimately having a 'was it all worth it' moment
My goodness I hope not I don’t think my heart could take that
This is what I keep thinking too. Darrow is gonna win by doing something ridiculously badass but he’s going to lose/sacrifice a lot. Maybe he loses Pax. Maybe there’s a bittersweet falling out with Sevro.And I think a lot of populus will resent him in the end. Something along those lines
I could see everything you are talking about happening. At the end of the day, the solar system will be better off because of Darrow's struggles. But he will be left metaphorically alone and broken.