This Great ACOTAR Theory Would FINALLY Redeem 1 Completely Wasted Character's Story

Summary Lucien Vanserra's wasted potential in the ACOTAR series is a glaring issue that fans hope will be resolved.

A popular fan theory suggests that Lucien could become the High King of Prythian, based on his background.

For this theory to work, the next ACOTAR book must bring Lucien back into the story in a significant way.

Though Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses series is beloved, it often struggles to balance character arcs – however, one great fan theory would completely redeem one character who has been badly wasted so far. The ACOTAR books have laid out a sprawling world of Fae courts and foreign kingdoms, human lands, and an ever-complicated web of shifting loyalties and alliances. That kind of story necessarily comes with a huge roster of characters.

With such a huge roster, however, there's bound to be some unevenness in how those characters are handled. Some characters are in every single chapter, while other A Court of Thorns and Roses characters completely disappear. It's led to some underdeveloped characters sparking the imaginations of readers, who have turned to some really clever and well-thought-out fan theories to fill in the gaps. One A Court of Thorns and Roses theory in particular is brilliant, and would completely redeem one specific Court of Thorns and Roses character: Lucien Vanserra.

Related 8 Reasons The Court Of Thorns & Roses Show Should Be A Priority For Hulu Hulu needs to prioritize its A Court of Thorns & Roses TV show, as the Sarah J. Maas adaptation could boast a number of benefits for the streamer.

Lucien Vanserra Has Been Completely Wasted In The ACOTAR Books So Far

It's A Problem Throughout The ACOTAR Series

Image credit: Dominique Wesson

The ACOTAR series is certainly entertaining, but there's no denying that the structure and writing have some significant flaws. Maas has a penchant for introducing certain Court of Thorns and Roses characters and setting them up to be incredibly important, only to then sideline them for entire chapters, if not entire books. The most notable of these is Feyre's father, who is introduced and then more or less disappears from the story after Feyre is taken to the fae realm, only to return, miraculously rich and vigorous again, only to be unceremoniously killed by the king of Hybern just as he's reunited with his daughters.

Two other characters who suffer from this are Tamlin and Lucien Vanserra, but it's the latter's wasted storyline that is most frustrating. Lucien has one of the most interesting backstories of any character in the entirety of the Court of Thorns and Roses series, but it's a backstory that has barely been explored. Just enough has been given to establish the animosity he has toward his family and that he's endured tragic loss in the past, and no more. The plot thread that Elain is his mate, but does not return his feelings, has gone completely untouched in any meaningful way. His destroyed friendship with Tamlin has only been touched upon, and his new friendship with Jurian and Vassa barely exists at all in the story.

The witty, clever, friendly Lucien of the first book is gone, and even Tamlin's trapped and overly loyal best friend of the first half of the second book is no more.

Even Lucien's personality has been lost in the pages since A Court of Mist and Fury. The witty, clever, friendly Lucien of the first book is gone, and even Tamlin's trapped and overly loyal best friend of the first half of the second book is no more. Instead, he's been replaced by a character who rarely appears in the pages or speaks when he does. It's a real shame, as Lucien is easily one of the most interesting characters in the books, and certainly the most perceptive, except, perhaps, for Azriel. His character has completely stagnated, but one fan theory, if proven true, would turn it all around – if the next book lays the groundwork.

A Popular Fan Theory Posits Lucien Will Become High King Of Prythian

His Current Predicament Sets Him Up Perfectly

Despite him being underutilized thus far in the books, A Court of Thorns and Roses readers have hope that Maas will redeem Lucien and give him a great arc. Plenty of fans of the books have theorized how various characters' stories could end, and one popular fan theory for Lucien is quite intriguing. The theory is that Lucien will become the High King of Prythian by the end of the series. It makes a lot of sense considering Lucien's background and current position.

The concept of the High King has been broached in the ACOTAR books already, with Rhysand's inner circle urging him to take up the mantle, which hasn't existed for ages. Fionn was the first and only High King of Prythian, and Fionn lived and died millennia ago. Considering how long-lived the Fae are, it's ancient history. While Rhysand would be a just and fair king of Prythian, he's dismissed the idea; his priorities are Fayre, their child, and his people and he has no interest in being anything other than the Lord of the Night Court.

There is another High Fae and highborn noble who would be perfect for the role, however: Lucien Vanserra. The High King role would be an impossibly difficult one, a role that requires knowledge and understanding of all the Fae courts as well as the human world, training in diplomacy and politics, and an ability to fend for oneself in combat. Lucien checks all of those boxes. He's also shown compassion and wisdom, but an ability to be ruthless when it counts. Thanks to his enchanted eye, he can see through glamours and enchantments, and thanks to his lineage, Lucien possesses multiple magical abilities: fire magic, healing, and spell-cleaving.

If there is a High King, Lucien is arguably the only High Fae who could sit on the throne without the other courts feeling as though it favors any specific one.

Ultimately, Lucien's weakness could be his greatest strength. Lucien was raised in the Autumn Court, is the former emissary of the Spring Court, and is currently the emissary of the Night Court but lives in the human lands, with Vassa, the missing human queen and Jurian, the spokesperson for his people. He's also the secret son of Helion, High Lord of the Day Court. There's no Fae in all of Prythian who has a more intimate knowledge of the workings of various courts or more connections to the human world. If there is a High King, Lucien is the only High Fae who could sit on the throne without the other courts feeling as though it favors any specific one. In belonging to no court, Lucien has the potential to belong to all of them.

The Next ACOTAR Book Has To Start Setting Up The Theory

The Series Has To Start Laying The Groundwork Soon

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Lucien may have the background and experience to make him the perfect High King of Prythian, but even so, the sixth book in the ACOTAR series has to bring him back into the story in a more significant way. To make the theory work, Lucien can no longer just be a character who exists on the fringes, only occasionally appearing for parties to look uncomfortable around Elain or to get brief orders and reports from Cassian. He has to be an integral part of the next book and of whatever plans Rhysand makes with his inner circle.

To make the theory work, Lucien can no longer just be a character who exists on the fringes, only occasionally appearing for parties to look uncomfortable around Elain or to get brief orders and reports from Cassian.

Lucien's trials and the challenges he's faced have uniquely positioned him to be the best possible king, but none of that matters if he remains a two-dimensional sketch. It's more than time to make Lucien the fully-formed character he deserves to be – and that readers deserve to see. Even if he doesn't become Prythian's High King, it would be foolish of the books to completely waste a character who was once so fascinating in A Court of Thorns and Roses before being sidelined.

Book Title Release Year A Court of Thorns & Roses 2015 A Court of Mist & Fury 2016 A Court of Wings & Ruin 2017 A Court of Frost & Starlight 2018 A Court of Silver Flames 2021