While the four legendary Dragon Warriors in Yona of the Dawn are tied together by destiny, their stories greatly differ from one another. Born as a Dragon Warrior reincarnate, the people of their world treated them differently for the unusual powers they possessed. While some were worshipped and admired by their village, others were feared and abused.
One by one, Yona and Hak stumbled upon the Dragon Warriors and convinced them to join their mission to restore Kouka Kingdom. Being the Crimson Dragon King reincarnate, Yona awakened the dragon spirits living within each of them to confirm their destiny. As their group increased in number, the Dragon Warriors had to overcome their differences and work together to achieve peace. These are the stories of the four legendary Dragon Warriors who made Yona of the Dawn such a compelling anime.
Kija (White Dragon Warrior)
Kija was born in the hidden village of Hakuryuu, which carries the White Dragon's bloodline. His father was the previous White Dragon Warrior, and his powers transferred to Kija after his birth. Out of fear and jealousy that his power and life force were being sucked away, Kija's father attacks him before slowly passing away. With his power fully transferred to the son, the villagers make Kija their tribe leader and protector. While being widely adored and worshipped, Kija has been taught the ways of the Dragon Warriors since childhood. The elders tell him the Crimson Dragon King will eventually appear and that he has an obligation to obediently serve his master when the time comes.
Given his upbringing and understanding of the dragon reincarnates, Kija eagerly agrees to join Yona and promises to follow her anywhere. As Yona awakens his inner White Dragon spirit and it speaks to him, Kija is convinced he has finally met his true destiny. With the dragon's power being concentrated in a different area in each Dragon Warrior, Kija possesses a dragon's claw in his right hand that grows incredibly large and powerful, but he keeps it wrapped up when not in use.
He's honest and polite, with a strong sense of duty that causes him to argue with the other Dragon Warriors when they aren't as well behaved as him. While he lacks real-world experience and combat, his competitive and jealous nature drives him to outperform the others in the face of danger. As the first Dragon Warrior to join Yona of the Dawn's mission, he shows bravery and fortitude whenever Yona's life is in danger, loyally cherishing her above all else.
Shin-Ah (Blue Dragon Warrior)
Unlike Kija, Shin-Ah was neither admired nor celebrated by his village for possessing the power of a dragon. Instead, they despise the Blue Dragon Warrior spirit and view it as a curse that they're forced to suffer. Since the village fears the spirit's power, they force him to wear a mask at all times to cover up his eyes that wield his unique powers. Ironically, Shin-Ah uses his dragon powers to protect the very village that abuses him and defeats an entire troop with just his eyes, making the villagers fear him even more. Without friends or even a name, they isolate him and make him live in darkness with only a squirrel to keep him company.
Once Yona finds him and saves him from the darkness, she names him Shin-Ah, meaning "person of the moonlight." Despite his initial hesitancy, Shin-Ah is happy to be the second Dragon Warrior to join their party and feels grateful to finally receive his own name. Given his upbringing, he didn't believe he could ever make friends or experience kindness until meeting Yona. The trauma he endured makes him shy and guarded, saying very little throughout Yona of the Dawn.
Shin-Ah also continues to wear the mask his village forced on him out of fear that his cursed and dangerous eyes will hurt those around him. He only uses them to protect Yona and his friends, where he has the power to cause hallucinations and paralyze an opponent with his gaze. He gradually opens up to the others as they encourage him to express himself and teach him that he isn't cursed, but blessed.
Jae-Ha (Green Dragon Warrior)
Yona of the Dawn's Jae-Ha is the Green Dragon Warrior who wields his power in his right leg, essentially giving him the ability to fly by jumping high and over long distances. Like Shin-Ah, the people of Jae-Ha's village feared his power and locked him away during his childhood. The village believed he would bring unwanted attention if outsiders found out about him. After being mistreated and imprisoned, Jae-Ha escapes his home at 12 years old and joins a pirate crew led by Captain Gi-Gan, who becomes a motherly figure to him.
Defiant and troublesome by nature, Jae-Ha gives Yona's party a hard time in convincing him to join them. Despite knowing he's the Green Dragon Warrior, he initially hides and denies his true identity so they won't bother him. Given his confined upbringing, Jae-Ha values his freedom and thinks Yona threatens that by subjecting him to servitude. His hostility lessens when he gets to know her better, realizing she views everyone as friends and partners rather than servants.
Jae-Ha finally agrees to join Yona after witnessing her bravery and determination first-hand, both on the cliff to obtain a life-saving plant and during her undercover mission to stop human trafficking. Not only does he grow fond of Yona and start to treat the Dragon Warriors as his brothers, but he also becomes best friends with Hak.
Zeno (Yellow Dragon Warrior)
The Dragon Warriors in Yona of the Dawn have a natural ability to sense each other's presence, and that's exactly what happens when Yona's party stumbles upon Zeno in the forest. Unlike his fellow Dragon Warriors, he has a youthful and carefree attitude that offers a positive and sunny contrast to his comrades who suffered past trauma. Zeno speaks in the third person and refers to the Dragon Warriors by their dragon title instead of their name. Despite his child-like appearance and personality, he's actually more than 2,000 years old -- and the original Yellow Dragon Warrior who protected the Crimson Dragon King.
Zeno becomes the fourth and final Dragon Warrior to join Yona's party, instantly agreeing to their mission after they offer him food in the forest. While he typically hides his wisdom and maturity behind a youthful façade, he often acts as a peacemaker when others are fighting. He is incredibly intuitive and even has foresight, able to sense a person's nature and future. Zeno doesn't age and has the power to regenerate parts of his body with yellow dragon scales whenever he suffers an injury. Despite being a pacifist, he protects Yona and the others when they can't protect themselves.
