The Dark Tower’s Rhea of the Cöos – Biography, History, & Character Information

Rhea of the Coös is a key antagonist in the Dark Tower series’ fourth book, Wizard and Glass. Her actions in the town of Mejis leave lasting scars on Roland Deschain and his ka-tet, shaping the tragedies that define his early life. Gifted — or perhaps cursed — with magical abilities after a shard of the Laughing Mirror pierced her eye, Rhea became a conduit for dark forces, including the Crimson King. Her obsession with Maerlyn’s Grapefruit and her spiteful nature make her one of Roland’s most formative and formidable adversaries.

Appearances

• The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass – Plays a pivotal role in the events in Mejis that occur before and after the arrival of Roland’s ka-tet. Eldred Jonas gives her Maerlyn’s Grapefruit to protect, and she becomes addicted to the magic of the crystal ball, peering into it as it saps her life force. When Jonas comes to retrieve the Grapefruit, she insists on coming with it. She causes Susan Delgado to be captured by informing Jonas of her location, and leads the mob that burns Susan on the Reap Day pyre.
• The Dark Tower Graphic Novel – Rhea’s role in the graphic novel is the same as it is in Wizard and Glass.
• The Eyes of the Dragon – Briefly appears in Maerlyn’s Grapefruit, saying “I’ll get you, my pretty!”

Backstory

Born in the Barony of Delain long before the events of the series, Rhea Dubativo grew up as a spiteful outcast. She lacked the cleverness or beauty to gain favor in her village but compensated with a sharp memory and a relentless capacity for cruelty. Her life changed forever when a shard of the Laughing Mirror became embedded in her eye, granting her the ability to perceive and manipulate magic. This newfound power allowed her to see the spirits and phantoms of the world, setting her on a path of destruction.

Rhea wandered from village to village, posing as a wise woman but using her abilities to curse and harm those who sought her help. Her misdeeds eventually led to a mob attempting to execute her, but she pleaded with the Crimson King for salvation. In exchange for her servitude, the King extended her life and directed her to relocate to Hambry, where she would play a role in furthering his dark plans. It was in Hambry that she was entrusted with Maerlyn’s Grapefruit, a magical sphere gifted to her by Eldred Jonas on behalf of John Farson. The Grapefruit captivated Rhea, consuming her thoughts and draining her vitality, yet she clung to it, obsessed with seeing the events the glass showed her.

Physical Description

Rhea of the Coös was a grotesque and unsettling figure, her physical appearance reflecting the corruption of her soul. Even before she encountered Maerlyn’s Grapefruit, she was old and haggard, but became even more gaunt and pallid after it began draining her life force. Her infected eye with the Laughing Mirror shard embedded within glowed faintly. She had unkempt hair, a hunched posture, and skeletal limbs. Her voice usdescribed as shrill and cutting.

Personality & Traits

Rhea was defined by her malice, manipulation, and unrelenting thirst for power. She thrived on the misery she inflicted, whether through curses, deceptions, or simple cruelty. While her spite made her a potentially dangerous adversary, her obsessive tendencies often clouded her judgment. This was most evident in her fixation on Maerlyn’s Grapefruit, which consumed her thoughts and hastened her physical and mental deterioration. Rhea was deeply vengeful and petty, holding grudges against anyone who crossed her. Her disdain for others extended to humans and supernatural beings alike, as she viewed the world through a lens of bitterness and suspicion.

Strengths, Weaknesses, and Abilities

Rhea’s abilities came from the shard of the Laughing Mirror lodged in her eye, which granted her a unique connection to magic. She excelled at curses and manipulation, using her powers to bend others to her will. She was able to place a spell on Susan Delgado that caused her to try and cut off her hair after losing her virginity (though Roland was able to prevent this).

While in possession of Maerlyn’s Grapefruit, she was able to see events occurring in other places, and used this information to further her schemes. However, her reliance on the Grapefruit was also her greatest weakness. The sphere drained her life force and clouded her judgment, making her increasingly erratic and paranoid.

Her spiteful and vengeful tendencies often led her to overreach, alienating allies and underestimating her enemies — these flaws ultimately left her vulnerable.

Key Relationships

Rhea’s relationships were marked by manipulation, cruelty, and mutual disdain. Her interactions with Susan Delgado and Roland Deschain were central to her story: Rhea’s hatred for Susan consumed her, driving many of her actions in Hambry and culminating in Susan’s horrific death.

Rhea’s alliance with Eldred Jonas and the Big Coffin Hunters was one of convenience. Though they shared common goals, their relationship was distrustful. Rhea’s obsession with Maerlyn’s Grapefruit created tension, as Jonas recognized her as a liability — ultimately, their uneasy partnership unraveled.

Her servitude to the Crimson King is unclear, though she seems to have followed his orders. However, even this relationship was tinged with self-interest, as Rhea pursued her own vendettas alongside the King’s orders.

Rhea’s closest relationships were with her two pets, her snake Ermot and her mutated cat Musty. Ermot is a snake that may have been Rhea’s familiar — it seems to understand her commands, guarding the Grapefruit at times; Ermot also very likely performs sexual acts on Rhea, and she sometimes uses his venom as a drug. Musty has six legs, two of which hang from its sides, and has a forked tail. Rhea uses Musty to take messages to the inn when she needs more alcohol delivered.

Role in the Dark Tower Series

Rhea of the Coös played a pivotal role in Wizard and Glass as a major antagonist during the events in Mejis. Her manipulation of Susan Delgado and her role in Susan’s eventual death had a profound impact on Roland, cementing the tragedies that would shape his quest for the Tower. Rhea’s actions extended beyond Hambry, indirectly influencing events later in Roland’s life: her image in the Grapefruit caused Roland to mistake his mother for Rhea, leading to her accidental death. This moment haunted Roland for the rest of his life.

Thematically, Rhea embodied the corrupting influence of power and obsession, serving as a cautionary tale of unchecked ambition. Her story underscored the pervasive chaos in Mid-World and the manipulative forces aligned against Roland’s quest for the Tower. Though her ultimate fate remains ambiguous, it is heavily implied that Roland killed her, bringing a grim end to one of his earliest and most formative enemies.