Aelin Ashryver Galathynius—the “heir of fire, beloved of Mala Light-Bringer, and rightful Queen of Terrasen” (5)—is the protagonist and hero of the series. In Heir of Fire, Aelin traveled from the magic-blocked continent of Erilea to the Fae continent of Wendlyn to secretly train in her Fae form with her fire magic. When she returns to Erilea in Queen of Shadows, many still know her only as Adarlan’s infamous assassin, Celaena Sardothien, or more recently, the King’s Champion. Aelin has the signature “turquoise-and-gold eyes” of the Ashryver family (144). Though she is blonde, Aelin dyes her hair auburn and cuts it “short enough to brush just below her collarbones” to disguise herself while in Rifthold (6).

Aelin’s story adheres to the traditional chosen-one hero archetype, which is evidenced within Queen of Shadows. Through the lens of the novel, readers see beyond her adventures and into her troubled past. Like many high fantasy heroes, Aelin is secretly the rightful heir to the throne of her kingdom, who must go into hiding after the deaths of her parents. After a childhood of misery at the hands of her erstwhile guardian, Arobynn Hamel, Aelin spends the series reclaiming the relics that mark her identity, gaining allies that support her regaining her royal seat, and defeating the usurpers who have taken the power that belongs to her.