Emilio Sakraya has been chosen to play the role of 'Xaden' in 'Fourth Wing'. Here's what you need to know about him.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleFourth Wing fans have been waiting with bated breath to find out who will be playing the dragon-riding couple, 'Violet Sorrengail' and 'Xaden Riorson'. And their wait is finally over, as the makers have announced that the roles will be played by Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya. While we know Esther from We Were Liars, little is known about Emilio. So, let's take a look at the man behind 'Xaden'.
Fans of Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing have long been debating who should play the role of their book boyfriend, 'Xaden Riorson', a discussion that has existed long before the TV series was even confirmed. For the unversed, Prime Video revealed in 2023 that Fourth Wing was in development, and now, three years later, we finally have our leads. After what was an extensive screening, makers announced that the role of 'Xaden' will be played by Emilio Sakraya.
However, the question remains: who is the actor? Well, according to reports, Emilio Sakraya is an actor and singer from Munich, Germany. His mother is a Moroccan-German actress named Meryem Moutaoukkil, and his father is from Serbia, but his name isn't public. The actor will be playing the role of the wing leader of the riders' quadrant.
Talking about his age, Emilio Sakraya is reported to be 30 years old, which is slightly older than 'Xaden Riorson', who is written to be in his early 20s. According to IMDb, the actor is 5 feet 11 inches tall. He has 806K followers on Instagram and 1 million on TikTok.
In 2025, Emilio Sakraya was linked to the Spanish singer, Rosalía. The rumored couple was seen locking lips in May 2025 and later again in June 2025. However, they have never publicly addressed their romance. However, as of October 2026, Rosalía is rumored to be in a relationship with someone else. So, it seems like while the reel-life 'Xaden' is happily committed, the real-life Emilio might be single.
Talking about his work, Emilio Sakraya has mostly appeared in international projects throughout his career. However, he has joined the Fourth Wing cast with more than just acting skills. The actor also has a fighting and athletic background. According to German Films Quarterly, during his childhood, Emilio participated in figure skating, track, skiing, and American football.
According to reports, he particularly loved kung fu and karate. He won a German championship title in karate when he was 14 years old. At that young age, he also made his film debut with Zeiten ändern dich, otherwise known as Electro Ghetto. If fans want to familiarize themselves with his work, they can find Emilio Sakraya in the historical drama series Those About To Die, the comedy One Night Off, the 2021 film The Salvation of the World as We Know It, the 2022 biopic Rhinegold, and Netflix's Tribes of Europa.
In 2024, Emilio Sakraya appeared on the German game competition series Schlag den Star. And now he will be helming the role of 'Xaden' alongside Esther McGregor, who will be seen as 'Violet', the daughter of a war general in the fictional kingdom of Navarre. Her deadly training will begin at Basgiath, putting her in the crosshairs of 'Xaden'. He is the son of a former Navarre opposition leader and hates 'Violet' by association. Of course, this is an enemies-to-lovers story, so he doesn't feel that way for long.
What are your thoughts on the new leads for Fourth Wing? Let us know.
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