Rask Character Analysis in The Fifth Season

Rask is the elderly headman of Tirimo, Essun’s comm. When she reveals to him that she is an orogene, he admits that his sister was one as well, and was murdered as a child. He decides to personally lead Essun through the town gates so that she might leave safely, even though this will surely diminish his standing as a leader. When one of the town’s guards tries to kill Essun, however, Essun kills Rask along with everyone nearby in her rage and grief.

Rask Character Timeline in The Fifth Season

The timeline below shows where the character Rask appears in The Fifth Season. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...besides Essun’s children who knows that Essun is an orogene. Lerna now tells her that Rask, the town’s headman, isn’t letting anyone enter or leave Tirimo. Essun quotes something from stonelore,... (full context)

...have done something that gave himself away. Essun asks Lerna if he’s going to tell Rask that she’s an orogene, but Lerna angrily responds that he has kept her secret faithfully... (full context)

...is the “rogga’s mother” and might even be an orogene herself. Looking for the headman Rask, Essun goes to his office but finds his second-in-command there instead, talking to some people... (full context)

Tirimo’s library is merely a shack filled with books and scrolls, but Rask goes there for privacy. Essun finds him asleep on his cot at the back of... (full context)

Rask asks if Jija was ever violent before. “Never,” Essun replies, but she thinks that maybe... (full context)

...walk together toward the town gate, people start to whisper and stare. At the gate, Rask calls for one of the guards, a Strongback named Karra, and tells him to open... (full context)

Nodding farewell to Rask, Essun heads toward the opened gate. Suddenly, out of the corner of her, eye she... (full context)

...stands in the center of a circle of frost, suddenly letting her anger take hold. Rask realizes what is happening and tries to stop her, but Essun rages to herself, blaming... (full context)