Many fans of The Folk of the Air trilogy have painted Cardan Greenbriar, the series' male main character and antagonist-turned-deuteragonist, as 'baby girl' and 'weak'. However, this interpretation of the character is incredibly wrong, arguably worse than the interpretation made of him by the many characters in Elfhame. Cardan Greenbriar may not be an intentional killer, but there was a reason why Jude Duarte was terrified of him.
Let's start strong with the way Cardan was introduced in the series - being shown tearing off a child fae's wing just because he didn't BOW to him.
Talk about brutal and ruthless.
This action also depicts his raw strength and his capability of violence and dominance, ultimately contradicting the 'baby girl' image people have made of him, and establishing a 'cruel' and 'wicked' image of him from the very start.
And can we talk about the fact that he nearly drowned Jude and Taryn in that one scene? Sure, he may never have had the intention to actually
kill them, but still, it was an incredibly wicked thing to do, and it showed how he was capable of showing cruelty to everyone, even to those who intrigued him.
When Queen Orlagh of the Undersea tried to blackmail Cardan so that she could gain more power by using Jude as leverage, he didn’t cower or submit. Instead, he responded in a way that shocked everyone—he used the land against her. This wasn’t just a dramatic move; it was a calculated power play that ensured she could never try manipulate him again, or think of hurting Jude. He may have an anti-kill policy, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let anybody lay a finger on Jude without suffering the consequences of it.
When Madoc abducts Jude, thinking she was Taryn, in The Queen of Nothing, Cardan doesn't just stand by, waiting for her to come back to his chambers like some damsel in distress being protected by her and the other guards. No, he legitimately fought back. He made sure more than half of Madoc's men didn't make it out of there. Not to mention the fact that he literally protected Jude when they were trying to find the sword Grimsen was forging and the arrows from the trapdoor shot at them. Additionally, he carried the Roach when he was unconscious due to the poison, showing that he is physically strong. In The Cruel Prince, Jude even admits that while Cardan may not have shown great swordsmanship when she once saw him training with Balekin, it could be because he simply didn't want to kill anyone - a ploy he constructed himself, due to the fact that Balekin was trying to get him to kill a mortal. Later, he even threatens Randalin when he was trying to get Jude to give up the title of Queen of Elfhame, even though Jude could've done it herself.
Jude is one of the most cunning characters in the series, always thinking several steps ahead. Yet, Cardan managed to turn her own game against her. When he got her to marry him, saying that it was to be done to make sure they both were happy and maintained their own distinct power - a strategic move - it showed that he was a logical thinker. Additionally, he managed to outsmart the Jude Duarte when he exiled her. And she didn't even realize the trick in his words that allowed her to come back whenever she wanted until later! By exiling Jude with carefully chosen words, he ensured that he held the upper hand while still leaving her a loophole to return, proving that he wasn’t just cunning—he was a master of strategy.
Cardan may have been less overpowering when it came to swordsmanship, but saying that he's 'baby girl' is just outrageous. He acts like he doesn't care, but secretly, he's observing everything and thinking several steps ahead. He's physically strong too, contrary to what many think. If Cardan were truly weak, he would have remained a pawn in Jude’s game of chess or a puppet king controlled by others. Instead, he proves time and time again that he is ruthless, intelligent, and powerful in his own right. He doesn’t just survive in the brutal world of Elfhame—he flourishes in it, outsmarting those who seek to control him. Ultimately proving that he is not a weak or passive character, but one that is cunning and cruel, showing it through both wit and power and ultimately making him Jude's equal.
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