Darkstalker, Fathom, and Clearsight (golden age)

If we focus specifically on the “golden age” of the three friends—the period in Wings of Fire: Darkstalker when Fathom, Clearsight, and Darkstalker are genuinely close, before Darkstalker’s descent into villainy—their relationship is especially tragic because there really was a period when the three of them were happy together. Fathom Fathom is a young SeaWing prince and one of the last surviving members of the SeaWing animus line. He has sea-green scales that glow emerald in sunlight, gray-green eyes, and a rather gentle, unassuming appearance. Interestingly, he looks remarkably similar to the modern SeaWing animus Turtle. W Wings of Fire Wiki Personality Fathom is probably the gentlest and most emotionally vulnerable member of the trio. He's:

Kind and compassionate Quiet and thoughtful Patient Clever, but not particularly confident Easily flustered Sometimes indecisive Nervous about making the wrong choice Deeply loyal to the people he loves His biggest defining trait is his fear of his own power. Fathom is an animus, meaning he can enchant objects and theoretically do almost anything with magic. But his grandfather Albatross—the previous SeaWing animus—used his magic to commit the Royal SeaWing Massacre. Fathom consequently becomes terrified that having animus magic means that he too could become a monster. He swears never to use it again. W Wings of Fire Wiki +1

That makes Darkstalker fascinating to him. Darkstalker possesses essentially the same terrifying potential, but unlike Fathom, Darkstalker isn't afraid of his power.

Fathom admires that confidence while simultaneously being frightened by it.

Powers Fathom possesses: Animus magic — the ability to enchant objects with magical properties. Exceptional underwater abilities typical of SeaWings. SeaWing abilities such as communicating underwater through their glowing bioluminescent patterns. His animus magic is enormously powerful, but Fathom deliberately suppresses it for much of his life. Eventually, though, his love for his friends forces him to break his oath.

And that's important: Fathom's greatest act of magic is ultimately an act of love and desperation.

Clearsight Clearsight is a NightWing and arguably the greatest seer who ever lived. She has the classic NightWing appearance—black scales, silver scales underneath her wings, and silver/white markings associated with the NightWing appearance—but what truly distinguishes her is her mind.

Personality Clearsight is the voice of reason among the three. She's:

Brilliant Kind Empathetic Serious Responsible Selfless Open-minded Extremely conscientious Sometimes painfully anxious Much more willing to compromise than fight She genuinely wants everyone to be happy. The problem is that Clearsight can see possible futures.

And she doesn't merely see one future. Her mind constantly branches through possibilities. She can become so obsessed with finding the perfect future that she struggles to live in the present. W Wings of Fire Wiki

That's why she complements Fathom and Darkstalker so well.

Fathom worries about what he might become.

Darkstalker focuses on what he wants to become.

Clearsight worries about everything that could happen.

Powers Clearsight possesses extraordinarily powerful foresight. She can perceive possible future events and follow different potential timelines. Her ability is so exceptional that Queen Vigilance eventually recognizes her as an extraordinary seer and makes her the NightWing kingdom's chief seer. W Wings of Fire Wiki

She also possesses the standard NightWing ability to read minds.

This creates an interesting contrast with Darkstalker:

Darkstalker can read minds. Clearsight can see futures. Fathom can manipulate reality through animus magic. Together, they're almost absurdly powerful. Darkstalker Darkstalker is the most complicated of the three. He's a NightWing-IceWing hybrid, with black NightWing scales and IceWing traits. He's strikingly handsome and charismatic, with the physical characteristics of both tribes.

But his abilities are what make him extraordinary.

Powers Darkstalker was born with three enormous gifts: Animus magic Mind reading Prophecy/foresight He was hatched beneath the brightest night, which amplified his prophetic and mind-reading abilities. He is eventually regarded as perhaps the most powerful dragon in Pyrrhian history. W Wings of Fire Wiki And unlike Fathom, Darkstalker doesn't initially see his magic as something inherently frightening.

Personality during the golden age This is the part that's easy to overlook when thinking about Darkstalker. He wasn't simply evil from the beginning.

Young Darkstalker is:

Charming Funny Mischievous Confident Intelligent Brave Sarcastic Protective Ambitious Affectionate Extremely determined Sometimes arrogant and cocky He genuinely loves his friends. He genuinely loves Clearsight.

And he genuinely cares about Fathom.

In fact, his desire to make Fathom happy is one of the things that makes their eventual conflict so heartbreaking. Darkstalker even secretly enchanted a bell to alert him whenever Fathom was feeling lonely or sad so that he could go comfort him. W Wings of Fire Wiki +1

The problem isn't that Darkstalker suddenly stops caring.

It's that his definition of caring gradually becomes controlling.

The three of them together This is where the golden age becomes so wonderful. When Fathom first arrives in the Night Kingdom, he is lonely, traumatized, and frightened of himself.

Then he meets Clearsight and Darkstalker.

And suddenly he has two people who actually understand him.

Clearsight immediately feels as though she already knows Fathom because she'd seen him in her visions. Fathom, meanwhile, finds himself incredibly comfortable around her. Their friendship gives him a chance to forget his trauma for a while. W Wings of Fire Wiki

Darkstalker does something different.

He makes Fathom feel safe about being an animus.

Where Fathom sees his magic as a curse, Darkstalker essentially says:

You're not a monster. You're powerful. That is enormously attractive to Fathom. And Fathom, in turn, gives Darkstalker something he desperately needs: someone who trusts him without being impressed or terrified by him.

Clearsight occupies the middle.

She understands Darkstalker's brilliance but isn't blinded by it.

She understands Fathom's fear without allowing him to completely retreat into it.

So the three form a remarkably balanced friendship:

Darkstalker = ambition and power Clearsight = foresight and reason Fathom = compassion and conscience

They aren't just friends—they almost function as three pieces of one person.

Clearsight and Darkstalker These two are romantically involved and become soulmates. Clearsight genuinely loves him, and Darkstalker genuinely loves her. He wants her to be safe and happy, and he is fascinated by her ability to see possible futures. W Wings of Fire Wiki +1

Their relationship initially feels almost perfect.

The irony is that Clearsight's ability allows her to see all the ways their relationship could end.

Some futures contain happiness.

Some contain children.

Some contain Darkstalker becoming king.

Some contain war.

Some contain Clearsight eventually standing against him.

And the more she sees, the more frightened she becomes.

Darkstalker, meanwhile, hates the idea that their future is something that might be taken away from him.

That's the beginning of the fundamental conflict between them.

Clearsight believes people must be allowed to choose their futures.

Darkstalker increasingly believes he should have the power to make the right future happen.

Fathom and Darkstalker Their friendship is arguably the most heartbreaking. Darkstalker sees Fathom as one of his best friends. Fathom likewise becomes deeply attached to him. Darkstalker makes Fathom laugh, comforts him, and gives him companionship after the horrific trauma of the SeaWing massacre. W Wings of Fire Wiki +1

Fathom, meanwhile, sees Darkstalker as proof that an animus doesn't have to become another Albatross.

He desperately wants to believe:

“Maybe Darkstalker is different.”

And for a while, he is.

But there are warning signs.

Darkstalker begins enchanting things without telling Fathom.

He considers altering Fathom's mind.

He considers manipulating Fathom's relationship with Indigo.

He wants Fathom to trust him so completely that Fathom won't question his decisions.

Darkstalker genuinely believes he is helping his friend.

That's what makes it so disturbing.

He's not thinking:

“I want to hurt Fathom.”

He's thinking:

“I know what's best for Fathom.”

Fathom and Clearsight Their friendship is quieter but extremely deep. Clearsight understands Fathom's emotional state remarkably well, while Fathom becomes someone she can actually confide in.

He isn't dazzled by her prophetic abilities.

He doesn't treat her like some magical oracle.

She's simply Clearsight, his friend.

She also becomes protective of him.

And Fathom trusts her immensely. Their friendship becomes strong enough that when the time comes to confront Darkstalker, Clearsight and Fathom ultimately make the terrible decision together.

Neither wants to betray him.

But both become convinced that Darkstalker is heading toward something catastrophic.

Indigo's place in the friendship Indigo is extremely important to understanding Fathom. She's Fathom's childhood best friend and romantic partner.

They have known one another almost their entire lives. Fathom loves her deeply, and she is fiercely protective of him. W Wings of Fire Wiki

Indigo initially doesn't trust Darkstalker at all.

When they first meet, she is prepared to attack him.

Fathom is the one who stops her.

That creates a fascinating dynamic:

Fathom wants to believe Darkstalker is good. Indigo thinks Darkstalker is dangerous. Clearsight sees too many possible futures to be comfortable. Darkstalker sees Indigo as an obstacle to his relationship with Fathom. Indigo isn't simply jealous of Darkstalker. She has legitimate reasons to distrust him. And Darkstalker eventually begins seeing her as an enemy.

Albatross and the shadow over Fathom Albatross is Fathom's grandfather and one of the most important figures in his life. Albatross was an animus who eventually went insane and massacred members of the SeaWing royal family.

Fathom is therefore terrified of becoming like him.

This is the dark cloud hanging over the entire golden age.

Every time Darkstalker casually uses magic, Fathom sees the possibility of Albatross all over again.

And Darkstalker doesn't understand why Fathom is so afraid.

To Darkstalker, magic is freedom.

To Fathom, magic is a loaded weapon.

Whiteout, Arctic, and Foeslayer Darkstalker's family also matters enormously. Whiteout is Darkstalker's sister. She's eccentric, brilliant, and socially unusual, and Darkstalker is genuinely protective of her.

Foeslayer, his mother, is deeply important to him.

Arctic, his father, is much more complicated. Arctic's abusive behavior and hatred toward NightWings contribute heavily to the dysfunction surrounding Darkstalker.

Darkstalker wants to protect the people he loves from people like Arctic.

And that's part of the tragedy: his desire to protect eventually becomes indistinguishable from his desire to control.

The golden age in one picture If you imagine the three of them before everything falls apart, their dynamic would look something like this: Darkstalker: “Don't worry. I'll fix it.”

Clearsight: “Wait. We need to think about what happens if we do that.”

Fathom: “Maybe we shouldn't use magic at all.”

Darkstalker: “Fathom, you're worrying too much.”

Clearsight: “Fathom has a point.”

Darkstalker: “You two are impossible.”

And then they'd probably laugh.

That's what makes their eventual ending so tragic.

They weren't strangers who happened to become enemies.

They were three extraordinarily powerful young dragons who genuinely loved each other, who spent a period of their lives laughing, exploring, talking, celebrating birthdays, sharing secrets, and believing that they could build a good future together.

Fathom was the heart.

Clearsight was the conscience and vision.

Darkstalker was the will and power.

For a while, those three qualities balanced each other perfectly.

And then Darkstalker began believing that if he had enough power, he could guarantee that the future would be perfect.

Clearsight knew that was impossible.

Fathom knew it was dangerous.

Darkstalker couldn't accept either answer.

And that is ultimately why the golden age ends with the three closest friends standing on opposite sides of the fate of Pyrrhia.