The Sunbearer Trials

Aurelio, a dynamic and round character, serves as a crucial foil to Teo. As the son of Diosa Lumbre, the formidable head of the Academy, Aurelio represents the pinnacle of the Gold class, embodying the privilege, power, and immense pressure that come with his inherited status. His character is initially defined by a stoic and calculating demeanor, a mask he wears to navigate the intense expectations placed upon him by his mother and society. This reserved exterior causes Teo to see him as an arrogant and cold rival, but it conceals a deep internal conflict between his prescribed duty and his personal morality. Aurelio’s journey is one of deconstructing the rigid identity forged for him and reconnecting with the compassion he was forced to suppress.

The fractured friendship between Aurelio and Teo is central to Aurelio’s character development. Their childhood bond was a casualty of the strict social stratification enforced by Diosa Lumbre, who insisted that Golds only associate with other high-ranking Golds. Despite the years of distance, Aurelio demonstrates a lingering sense of responsibility and care for Teo. He saves him from the fire in Quetzlan, offers unsolicited but correct advice in the training room, and shields him with his own body during the final trial. These actions reveal a compassionate nature that contradicts his stoic facade and defies the social order that separated them. His struggle to reconcile his duty to his class with his feelings for Teo illustrates the human cost of The Injustice of Inherited Social Hierarchies.

Aurelio’s development culminates in his quiet rebellion against the brutal traditions of the Trials. He confesses to Teo his profound moral conflict, admitting, “I don’t know that I could take someone’s life” (346), a direct challenge to Reino del Sol’s foundational ritual. The revelation that his skin is not fireproof and is covered in scars from his mother’s abusive “resistance training” (342) exposes the terrible price of his perceived perfection. It reframes his identity as a Gold Hero as a painful burden rather than a privilege. By the end of the novel, his loyalty shifts from his Gold family and community to his own conscience, choosing to protect his sister and aid Teo, even if it means defying the system he was groomed to uphold.

Niya, a round yet static character, serves as Teo’s steadfast ally. As the daughter of the earth god Tierra, she is a high-ranking Gold semidiosa, possessing immense physical strength and power. However, her unwavering loyalty to Teo, a Jade, serves to subvert the novel’s rigid social order. She acts as a bridge between the two worlds, proving that personal bonds can be stronger than the systemic prejudice that defines their society. She demonstrates this immediately by rejecting the elite Gold tables to sit with Teo at the “small, rickety table on the outskirts” (46) during the opening feast, a simple act that signals that her primary allegiance is to her friend, not to her status.

Niya’s character is built on the juxtaposition of her formidable power and her warm, unfiltered personality. She is described as being “incredibly muscular” (44) and a top competitor at the Academy, yet she is also “a lot like a puppy” (44) with little understanding of personal space and an endearingly blunt nature. Teo notes that there’s “no filter between Niya’s head and her mouth” (45), which provides both comic relief and a counterpoint to the calculated stoicism of other Golds like Aurelio. Her motivations are simple and pure: She wants to help people and protect her friends. She is fiercely protective of both Teo and Xio, readily agreeing to form their “misfit gang” (70) and defend them against the elitist attitudes of Auristela and Ocelo. Her steadfastness provides Teo with a crucial source of emotional support, grounding him as he navigates the dangers of the Trials and his own insecurities.

Xio is initially introduced as a timid and sympathetic Jade semidiose who functions as a false friend, but he’s ultimately revealed to be the story’s primary antagonist. As the supposed son of Mala Suerte, the god of bad luck, he’s an outcast even among the Jades, a status that immediately earns him Teo’s protection. Teo and Niya see him as a younger brother figure to be sheltered from the cruelty of the Golds, and they make it their mission to keep him from ranking last.

This perceived vulnerability is Xio’s greatest weapon. Thomas eventually reveals that this persona of a “defenseless little thirteen-year-old” (84) is a carefully constructed deception. Xio’s encyclopedic knowledge of the competitors, which he presents as a fan’s obsession with trading cards, is in reality a form of strategic intelligence that he uses to manipulate Teo’s perception of the other competitors. The bad luck that seems to follow him is a cover for his deliberate sabotage. The final chapters reveal his true parentage: He is the son of Venganza, the Obsidian god of vengeance. His entire purpose in the Trials is to ensure the Sol Stone is not refueled, thereby freeing the Obsidian gods. His transformation from a frightened boy to a triumphant villain is cemented when he declares, “Sol can’t help you now” (383), shattering Teo’s trust and plunging their world into darkness.

Auristela serves as an antagonist and a foil for Teo, representing the height of Gold arrogance and ambition. As the top-ranked student at the Academy, she possesses formidable power and a “cutthroat determination” (408). She’s openly disdainful of the Jades, viewing them as nothing more than “default sacrifices” (131) for the Golds. Her early interactions are defined by her elitism and her fierce rivalry with anyone who challenges her or her brother’s supremacy.

However, Auristela’s primary motivation is not her own glory but the protection and success of her twin, Aurelio. She is intensely protective of him and believes his victory as Sunbearer is the only way to protect him from their mother’s disapproval. This desperation drives her to increasingly reckless and violent actions during the Trials, such as attacking Teo to steal the replica Sol Stone. It is later revealed that this aggression is amplified by the external, dark influence of the Obsidians, twisting her ambition into something monstrous. Her arc culminates in a moment of vulnerability when she is chosen as the sacrifice. The facade of the fearless hero crumbles, revealing the terrified young woman beneath and underscoring the horrific reality of the tradition she was raised to revere.

Ocelo is a flat, static character who acts as a secondary antagonist who bullies Teo and Xio throughout the Trials. As the child of Guerrero, the diose of war, their character is defined by immense physical strength and an aggressive, narcissistic personality. They are a pure representation of the Gold class’s worst traits, combining raw power with a deep-seated prejudice against Jades. Ocelo is an “obnoxious narcissist” (50) who takes pleasure in intimidating others and disrespecting those they deem weaker, such as when they physically shove their way through a group of Jade semidioses at the Trials’ opening ceremony (50). Xio notes that Ocelo’s primary weakness is “problem-solving” (409), emphasizing their reliance on brute force over strategy or intelligence. Ocelo’s uncomplicated antagonism makes them a clear physical threat and a pawn for the darker forces influencing the Trials, their natural aggression easily manipulated to create chaos.

Huemac is the head priest of Quetzlan and serves as Teo’s primary guardian and mentor figure. He is a man defined by tradition and duty, and his stern, rule-following nature often puts him at odds with Teo’s impulsive and rebellious spirit. His “perpetually exasperated expression” (25) when dealing with Teo masks a deep, fatherly love and a fierce desire to protect him. This underlying affection becomes clear when he breaks the strict rules of the Trials to give Teo crucial advice about the other competitors, prioritizing Teo’s life over protocol (69). Huemac provides Teo with a vital source of stability and moral guidance, ultimately affirming Teo’s worth by identifying his troublemaking nature as evidence that he is a brave “seeker of justice” (334).

Diosa Quetzal, Teo’s mother, embodies the archetype of the loving and accepting parent. As the goddess of birds, she is a vibrant and gentle figure whose primary concern is her son’s well-being and happiness. She is fully supportive of Teo’s identity as a transgender boy, her only wish being that he feels comfortable enough to unbind his wings and integrate all the parts of his identity (31). Quetzal’s constant worry for Teo’s safety throughout the Trials is informed by a deep-seated trauma: the loss of her previous child, Paloma, who was sacrificed in the Trials 130 years prior. This hidden grief adds a layer of tragic depth to her character, framing her as a mother forced to watch her son face the same fate that claimed her daughter.