Toward the end of Red Queen, Julian Jacos gave Mare Barrow a list of Reds with blood-type anomalies that signify they have Silver-type powers. This list and the newbloods themselves play a critical role in Glass Sword. The list of names motivates Mare’s search because she wants to give the newbloods a chance to live and build an army capable of stopping Maven. Mare’s searches for the newbloods end in one of three ways: She rescues the newblood; she finds the newblood dead; she learns the newblood has gone missing. The first helps her achieve her goals. The second means Maven has bested her, and the third symbolizes how Maven intends to use newbloods and foreshadows the prison break at the end of the book.

The newbloods themselves have a vast array of powers. While each newblood is as individual as their ability, few play big enough of a role in the story to warrant their own separate analysis. Rather, the newbloods, both as individuals and as a group, symbolize what people can become when their full potential is revealed. Mare, Cal, and the other more experienced ones train the recruits, who hone their abilities into weapons.