The identity of the mercenary who appears briefly at the beginning of Crescent City book 4 and ACOTAR book 6 are in development.

There are some compelling theories about the unnamed mercenary, exploring her possible connections to other characters and storylines within Sarah J. Maas's interconnected universes. From potential ties to Fury Axtar in Nesta's character arc and even a connection to Rhysand, this character is far too interesting to let go so easily.

3 ACOTAR's Mercenary Could Be Fury From Crescent City

The Two Maas Characters Share Common Descriptors

The most common theory among Maasverse fans online is that the mercenary shown early in A Court of Thorns & Roses is actually Fury Axtar from Maas’ Crescent City series. Both are described as having sharp features and a mercenary background, carrying expensive weapons, and possessing substantial wealth. The ACOTAR mercenary has a short, black bob hairstyle, tan skin, and dark eyes with brown flecks; Fury is described with a short black bob, light brown skin, and chestnut eyes. Feyre initially mistakes the mercenary for fae, hinting at an unusual nature beyond a typical human.

Furthermore, the ACOTAR mercenary's collection of wolf pelts and purchase of the wolf pet from Feyre - avoiding the need to kill them herself - may hold deeper significance. Fury's role in Crescent City reveals she concealed crucial secrets from Danika, including her own bloodhound identity. Fury states, “Danika knew something dangerous about me, and I knew something dangerous about her.” Given Danika's search for her bloodline, Fury's interest in wolf pelts in ACOTAR could connect the Maasverse timelines. Additionally, Fury's frequent absences in Crescent City mirror the mercenary's independent, transient lifestyle.

2 The Mercenary Could Be Connected To Nesta Later

Nesta Commissions The Mercenary

In a heartwarming exchange later in A Court of Thorns & Roses, when Feyre is reunited with her family, Nesta confesses that she had actually attempted to track Feyre down. When asked how she did this, Nesta says:

“I hired that mercenary from town to bring me a week after you were taken. With the money from your pelt. She was the only one who seemed like she would believe me.”

Although this primarily works as a logistical explanation, it shows that this particular mercenary was not in town just that one day and she may hold more significance than it seems. This is the last we hear of the mysterious mercenary. However, that Feyre is not the only character who has dealings with her, which makes it more possible for her to appear later in the series.

Bringing back seemingly minor characters much later in a series would not be unheard of for Sarah J. Maas...

While the mercenary may be simply in the novel for exposition to facilitate worldbuilding prior to Feyre crossing the wall, she is an intriguing character. Bringing back seemingly minor characters much later in a series would not be unheard of for Sarah J. Maas - for example, Yrene from Throne of Glass is first seen in The Assassin’s Blade, the first book of the series chronologically. She is then not seen again until Tower of Dawn, the sixth book. The mercenary could appear in ACOTAR book 6.

1 The Mercenary Could Be Related To Rhys

The Mercenary Doesn’t Seem Human

Another theory is that, due to the mercenary’s physical description, she could be Illyrian. This is not the only possibility - her black veins are also reminiscent of the witches in Throne of Glass. At any rate, the mercenary does not seem human. Physical descriptions include “She was massive even sitting down” and “Such interesting eyes - not just one shade of black, but … many, with hints of brown that glimmered amongst the shadows…” The Fae in A Court of Thorns & Roses are known to be bigger than humans and to have unusual eyes.

The mercenary refers to the “things” beyond the wall, not specifically Fae - she could be referencing anything from the Wraiths to the Puca. Her dark hair and tan complexion, paired with her large stature, could make her at least related to the Illyrian race.

Her appearance when Feyre takes her wolf pelt to the market and her overpaying for the goods just seem too coincidental. Once again, the mercenary could be a purely functional character in A Court of Thorns & Roses, but if she is connected to Velaris’ High Lord, that would suggest another big reveal that he knew of Feyre even earlier than readers thought.