12 Captivating Characters Like Rhysand From A Court of Thorns and Roses

Welcome to my characters like Rhysand post!

Many of the love interests of the male leads on this list can also be found in my post on the Most Beautiful Female Leads. Kaz also has a post all about himself. Please check that out and show your support for their partners!

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Casteel Da’Neer – From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

• dark prince
• his feisty, sarcastic and flirty attitude reminds me a lot of Rhys
• has a “scary” reputation
• was supposed to be evil
• when he originally planned to use you as a bargaining chip
• and he originally planned to ✨ betray you✨
• gives off “touch her and you die” vibes
• makes it very clear that the heroine is his center
• not afraid to give up everything for her
• very flirty
• has a knife kink (this man gets turned on when he gets stabbed in the heart and has knives thrown by his head)
• *cough* horny *cough*
• black hair angsty bad boy (who becomes very good as the series progressed)
• has iconic references e.g h o n e y d e w

“You’re such a bad influence,” I murmured as I placed my hand in his. Hawke curled his fingers around mine.

The weight and warmth of his hand was a pleasant shock. “Only the bad can be influenced, Princess.”

Make me feel incompetent and kill more than me, Princess.”

“I want a ring,” I announced. “I want an obscenely big one like I’ve seen some of the wives of wealthy merchants have. Their diamonds are so large they look like they should weigh down their hands.” He angled his body toward me. “I will find you a diamond so big it will enter the room before you do.”

Kaz Brekker – Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

• So popular I’ve made a separate post for him too
• When he calls you an ✨investment✨
• when he removes a man’s eyes with his gloved hands because he touched you. So romantic. And they say romance is dead.
• the cold, heartless guy that only shows his vulnerabilities to you ��
• has a scary reputation
• black hair angsty bad boy
• also gives up “touch her and you die” vibes
• hate everyone but you trope
• was supposed to be evil (um for him he might actually be evil…actually it kind of depends? Inej on the other hand has faith he is redeemable, so I’m following her lead here. I’ll be pretending he never made a death threat a child.)

“I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.”

“Inej had once offered to teach him how to fall. “The trick is not getting knocked down,” he’d told her with a laugh. “No, Kaz,” she’d said, “the trick is in getting back up.”

“I’m going to get my money, Kaz vowed. And I’m going to get my girl.”

“You came back for me.”

“I protect my investments.” Investments.

“I’m glad I’m bleeding all over your shirt.”

“Our hopes rest with you, Mister Brekker. If you fail, all the world will suffer for it.”

“Oh, it’s worse than that, Van Eck. If I fail, I don’t get paid.”

Daemon Black – Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

• his feisty, sarcastic and flirty attitude also reminds me a lot of Rhys
• dark hair angsty (more flirtatious) bad boy
• one-of-the-most-powerful-of-his-kind trope
• absolutely adores the heroine (just like Rhys), she is his world
• would do anything for her
• “touch her and you die” vibes
• if twilight is good and if vampires are aliens
• one of the best enemies to lovers I’ve read so foar

“Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.”

“I don’t think he meant to kiss me,” I said finally. “What? Did he slip and fall on your mouth? Those things are known to happen.”

“Why are you such an ass?” The words came out before I could think twice.

“Everyone has to excel at something, right?”

“Well, you’re doing a great job.”

“My palms itched to have a close encounter of the bitch-slap kind with his face.”

“I always liked you. From the moment you first flipped me off.”

Aaron Warner – Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

• one of the best “hate everyone but you trope examples” I have ever read
• the ONLY reason I’m pulled through all six books (I’m not going there)
• light hair bad boy
• top-notch cold sarcasm and dry humour
• “touch her and you die” vibes
• was supposed to be evil
• has a scary reputation
• his iconic quotes about Adam had me screaming
• the serious type of guy that doesn’t try to be funny but because of how little he cares he ends up being unintentionally funny anyway with his iconic dry remarks

“It’s not charity,” I snap. “He cares about me–and I care about him!” Warner nods, unimpressed. “You should get a dog, love. I hear they share much the same qualities.”

“His smile is laced with dynamite. “Go to sleep”

“Go to hell.”

He works his jaw. Walks to the door. “I’m working on it.”

“I am going to MURDER YOU—”

“No,” he says, pointing at me as he shifts backward again. “Bad Juliette. You don’t like to kill people, remember? You’re against that, remember? You like to talk about feelings and rainbows—”

Ryder – Fighting Destiny by Amelia Hutchins

• dark prince (that’s literally his title)
• dark king too
• arguably one of the horniest characters on this list (the fact that he even comes close to surpassing Rhysand and Casteel is impressive)
• dark haired golden eyes bad Boy (just like Casteel)
• supposed to be evil
• scary reputation
• watched the heroine long before she was aware *cough* Casteel *cough* Rhysand
• is one of the most powerful characters in the entire series
• note this book has a lot of technical flaws that sometimes can be jarring and can interfere with the reading experience (that’s what happened with me). So you would enjoy it more if you keep that in mind and just be in there for the romance and smut (don’t get your expectations too high).
• be warned the book is one of the smut-iest books I have ever read. But if you are into things like that you would definitely enjoy this book
• actually slow burn
• solid enemies to lovers
• a n g s ty
• there will be quotes that would make you scream at 2 am in the morning
• if you are under 18, you never got this book recommendation from me

“I’m not the kind of man to woo anyone. I can make her scream my name to the rafters, isn’t that enough wooing?”

“You suck,” I mumbled.

“No you suck, and you do it very well.”

“I told you that I would protect you. Even if you don’t want me to,” he whispered, moving closer and pulling me against him. “Some things are worth protecting”

Acknowledgement page from the author:

To my daughter,

if you ever date anyone like the men I write, I will kick your *ss up between your ears and you will walk sideways for a month, but I’ll still love you.”

Cardan Greenbriar – The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

• one of the hottest male leads out there
• Has the iconic “oh no” trope when he realized he is infatuated with Jude
• Was very not happy that he was infatuated with Jude
• dark hair bad A N G S T Y bad boy
• really angsty enemies to lovers
• bully romance
• dark prince (black sheep trope)
• a more “troublesome” than scary reputation
• a more complicated situation of the “was supposed to be evil” trope: he really was kind of evil, but he kind of turned evil because of how he was raised so you can argue that he is by nature actually not evil, but when he was evil he was actually evil and that was all him so you can say he was actually just evil turned good not good turned evil and turned back to good….so it’s a bit controversial

“Most of all, I hate you because I think of you. Often. It’s disgusting, and I can’t stop.”

“Have I told you how hideous you look tonight?” Cardan asks, leaning back in the elaborately carved chair, the warmth of his words turning the question into something like a compliment.

“No” I say, glad to be annoyed back into the present. “Tell me.”

“I can’t.”

“I am going to keep on defying you. I am going to shame you with my defiance. You remind me that I am a mere mortal and you are a prince of Faerie. Well, let me remind you that means you have much to lose and I have nothing. You may win in the end, you may ensorcell me and hurt me and humiliate me, but I will make sure you lose everything I can take from you on the way down. I promise you this is the least of what I can do.”

*screams into pillow*

Warth – Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

• another one of the hottest male leads out there
• golden eyes black hair bad boys (I SWEAR I don’t have a type, it’s just that the dark hair and golden eyes combo is so overused in the genre)
• another (powerful) dark prince
• scary reputation
• was supposed to be evil…but I guess he kind of is? I mean, I’ve seen worse so he’s actually not that bad at the moment but I need to keep reading to confirm
• his relationship with Emilia is very similar to Cardan’s relationship with Jude

“One day you’ll call me Death. For now, Wrath will do.”

“This was not the kind of prince written about in fairy tales. There was no golden crown sitting atop his dark head, or promises of safety waiting in his sculpted, tattooed arms. He was death and rage and fire and anyone stupid enough to forget that would be consumed by his inferno.”

“One day you might beg me to kiss you.” He stepped close enough for me to stab him.”

“I tried to say yes, but the numbness spread to my throat. I think he saw the answer in my face anyway. I sounded like he whispered, “Live long enough to hate me for this.”

Hades – A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

• dark hair bad boy
• Villain gets the girl
• one of the most powerful characters in the entire series
• supposed to be evil but is actually not (very similar example to Rhys)
• SJM smut is always superior but this book definitely didn’t hold back on smut either
• more of a dark king than a dark prince
• Persephone and Hades retelling, in this sense it’s really similar to Rhys and Feyre since their story was a form of Persephone and Hades retelling as well (this can be why Hades reminded me so much of Rhys)

“Hmm. I think you are the Goddess of Sexual Frustration.”

“Did I say sexual frustration? I meant Hades sexual frustration”.

“Respect could build an empire. Trust could make it unbreakable. Love could make it last forever.”

“He smirked, and she could feel it deep in her gut. “Darling, I win either way.” Her eyes went wide, and her heart stuttered. She stood quickly, and his name fell from her mouth like a curse. “Hades.”

“Let me show you what it is to hold power in your hands,” he said. “Let me coax the darkness from you – I will help you shape it.”

The Darkling – Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

• there are bad boys, and then there are people who are actually evil
• dark hair actually-a-bad-person boy
• has a scary reputation, is actually evil (sorry darkling fans)
• one of the most popular characters in the entire series
• antagonist love interest (kind of like Rhys’s situation)
• not enough smut though (smh)
• villain romance

“The problem with wanting,” he whispered, his mouth trailing along my jaw until it hovered over my lips, “is that it makes us weak.”

“I will strip away all that you know, all that you love, until you have no shelter but mine.”

“Fine,” he said with a weary shrug. “Make me your villain.”

“What are you smiling at?”

I whirled, peering into the gloom. The Darkling’s voice seemed to float out of the shadows. He walked down to the stream, crouching on the bank to splash water on his face and through his dark hair.

“Well?” he asked, looking up at me.

“Myself,” I admitted.

“Are you that funny?”

“I’m hilarious.”

“It’s harder when you like them. You mourn them more.”

“Tell me, Alina,” said the Darkling. “Has he claimed you yet?”

“Claimed me? Like a peninsula?”

Nikolai Lantsov – Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

• I know he’s not a misunderstood villain or anything like that, but the reason I put him on this list is that his iconic attitude reminds me so much of Rhys
• Extremely sarcastic
• the hilarious and lovable kind of “egotistical” attitude, not the actually arrogant kind
• is actually a good person
• a prince
• his flirting is just *chefs kisses*
• dashing “light” prince

“When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”

“I took a breath. “Your highness—”

“Nikolai,” he corrected. “But I’ve also been known to answer to ‘sweetheart’ or ‘handsome.”

“I hope you weren’t looking to me to be the voice of reason. I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret.”

“I saw the prince when I was in Os Alta,” said Ekaterina. “He’s not bad looking.”

“Not bad looking?” said another voice. “He’s damnably handsome.”

Luchenko scowled. “Since when—”

“Brave in battle, smart as a whip.” Now the voice seemed to be coming from above us. Luchenko craned his neck, peering into the trees. “An excellent dancer,” said the voice. “Oh, and an even better shot.”

“Who—” Luchenko never got to finish. A blast rang out, and a tiny black hole appeared between his eyes.

I gasped. “Imposs—”

“Don’t say it,” muttered Mal.”

Roth – White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

• dark hair bad boy
• demon
• feisty sassy (and very flirty), just like Rhys
• wings~
• supposed to be evil but not actually evil
• triangle love (I personally enjoyed it)
• snake familiar (this book makes me want to have a snake pet)

“Modesty belongs to losers.”

“If I say thank you, will you go away?”

“Yes”

“Thank you” I said eagerly.

“I lied”

“Roth heaved a long sigh. “Look. I’m so—I’m sor…” He took a deep breath, trying again. “I’m sorr…” I turned my head toward him, waiting. “You’re what? Sorry?” He looked chagrined, lips pursed. “I’m…sorr-ree.” “Oh, give me a break. You can’t say I’m sorry?” “No.” He looked me straight on, serious. “It’s not in a demon’s vocab.”

Magnus Damora – Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

• very angsty enemies to lovers, Cleo and him actually hated each other
• anti-hero/villain/antagonist/misunderstood villain
• dark prince
• Throne of Glass vibes (Speaking of which, if you like Throne of Glass, I highly recommend you to read Falling Kingdom and vice versa)
• It’s also similar to ACOTOR because of how this series had a lot of different characters ending up with a different love interest than the one they started with (a trademark of SJM as well)

Hover to save it to save it to your board so you can look back on it later!

As many readers may know (especially romance book readers), oftentimes we like to seek out book tropes and read romance books that include the book tropes we usually like and the book tropes we want to read at the moment. It’s what drives a lot of book recommendations and is a common way we seek out books to read.

If you are a reader who is interested in:

• Tracking tropes that you have already read
• Tracking tropes that you would want to read in the future
• Collect original trope ideas that you came up with (and haven’t come across before)

Then this book trope reading journal is perfectly made for you!