A Deep Dive Into Emilio Sakraya, the Actor Playing ‘Fourth Wing’s Xaden
Get your riding leathers ready. Prime Video’s Fourth Wing TV show adaptation has found its dragon-riding couple, Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson. You might recognize Violet actress Esther McGregor from yet another Prime adaptation, We Were Liars. You might be a little less familiar with her leading man, Emilio Sakraya.
Fans of Rebecca Yarros’ popular romantasy novel have long debated who should play their book boyfriend, even before the TV series was confirmed to be in development back in 2023. The character made an immediate impression on fans — and Violet, when she first stepped foot into Basgiath War College and started her journey in the cutthroat dragon riders quadrant.
If you fall into that camp of fans, you want to know everything there is to know about Emilio Sakraya before the show hits screens. Find out what else he’s been in before, how old he is, his height — important stuff for romantasy readers — and more below.
Who is playing Xaden in Fourth Wing?
Emilio Sakraya is playing the wingleader of the riders quadrant. Violet, the daughter of a war general in the fictional kingdom of Navarre, begins her deadly training at Basgiath, putting her in the crosshairs of Xaden, her superior. He’s 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.
Where is Emilio Sakraya from?
Sakraya is an actor and singer from Munich, Germany. His mother is Moroccan-German actress Meryem Moutaoukkil and his father is Serbian, though his name isn’t publicly known.
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How old is Emilio Sakraya?
At 30 years old, Sakraya is a bit older than Xaden, who’s in his early 20s at the start of Fourth Wing.
How tall is Emilio Sakraya?
According to IMDb, the actor is just under 6 feet tall at 5-foot-11. His costar, on the other hand, stands at 5-foot-4.
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What other movies and TV shows has Emilio Sakraya been in?
Sakraya has appeared in mostly international projects throughout his career. He also has a fighting and athletic background. During his childhood, he participated in figure skating, track, skiing, and American football, according to German Films Quarterly, but he particularly loved kung fu and karate. He won a German championship title in karate when he was 14 years old.
At that same age, he made his film debut in the film Zeiten ändern dich, otherwise known as Electro Ghetto. You can also see him in historical drama series Those About To Die, comedy One Night Off, 2021 film The Salvation of the World as We Know It, 2022 biopic Rhinegold, and Netflix’s Tribes of Europa. In 2024, Sakraya appeared on the German game competition series Schlag den Star.
Sakraya is best known for his role as JC in Netflix’s Warrior Nun. He’s got another big Netflix project coming up, as he’s set to appear as Koza in the third season of One Piece. It will premiere in 2027.
Our Xaden actor has got some pipes, too. His debut urban pop album, Roter Sand, reached number 40 on the German charts. When he was 27, Sakraya publicly revealed that he was a father via his song “Cacio e Pepe.”
“I always kept it a secret that I have a son because it is the one thing I wanted to experience for myself and not share with the public,” Sakraya told the German Press Agency.
Who is Emilio Sakraya dating?
Last year, the actor was linked to Spanish singer Rosalía. They were photographed kissing in May 2025 and again in June of that year. The two never spoke publicly about their romance, and as of October 2026, Rosalía is rumored to be in a relationship with someone else.
Fourth Wing, Season 1, TBA, Prime Video
