42 pages • 1-hour read
Waverider
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Themes
The Struggle Between Darkness and Light
In Waverider, Kibuishi presents the struggle between darkness and light as both an external battle and an internal journey of self-awareness. While the novel includes a traditional conflict between an organized resistance and the shadows, Kibuishi complicates this dynamic by showing how the battle plays out within individual characters as well. The soldiers fighting for the shadows are not simply evil; they are influenced and manipulated by external forces, their autonomy compromised by the darkness they serve. At the same time, those on the side of the light must contend with their own inner fears, doubts, and shame. This duality—where light and dark exist not in opposition but in constant interaction—shapes the novel’s central conflict. Victory is not achieved by overpowering darkness but by understanding it, integrating it, and choosing how to navigate its presence.
This is particularly evident in the novel’s depiction of the series’ overarching antagonist. While IKOL functions as an external enemy, he also serves as a manifestation of Emily’s emotions—her anger, guilt, and fear. He feeds off her shame, growing stronger when she doubts herself and weaker when she acknowledges her past mistakes. Emily realizes that IKOL reflects her own internal struggle, recognizing him as the “result” of her “anger,” “guilt,” and “fear” (188). Indeed, IKOL himself lacks self-awareness and wisdom. When Emily confronts IKOL, she exposes the flaw in his worldview: He believes he “knows what’s best for others,” yet he does not understand how to “help [himself]” (39). Unlike Emily, who learns to acknowledge her emotions and accept uncertainty, IKOL is trapped by his own selfishness and inability to change. By confronting her emotions directly rather than succumbing to them, Emily is therefore able to strip IKOL of his power. Her self-awareness causes him to physically shrink, proving that the battle against darkness is won not through brute strength but through understanding and accepting one’s own complexity.
Kibuishi deepens this exploration by demonstrating that wisdom itself requires engagement with darkness. Ronin teaches that true understanding can only be reached by touching the void—a metaphor for grappling with fear, doubt, and the unknown. This idea is reinforced through the imagery of Emily’s journey into IKOL’s abyss, where “the light is below” and “down is up” (184). Instead of resisting the darkness, Emily dives into it, discovering that the very act of facing her fear allows her to access the light. This reversal of expectations—where light is found not by avoiding darkness but by moving through it—suggests that struggle and hardship are necessary parts of growth.
Kibuishi expands the metaphor of light beyond individual self-awareness to encompass the structure of the universe itself. Ronin’s discoveries reveal a cosmic balance between bright realities and a central dark void, suggesting that darkness and light are not simply (or even primarily) forces at war but fundamental aspects of existence. Just as Emily must move through darkness to find understanding, the universe itself requires both light and shadow. This physical representation of balance mirrors the journeys of the stonekeepers, reinforcing the novel’s central idea that darkness is not something to eliminate but something to navigate with wisdom.
The Benefits of Collaborative Leadership
Throughout the novel, Kibuishi explores multiple forms of leadership, highlighting the challenges leaders face in different situations. Through characters like Trellis, Ronin, Gabilan, and Vigo, Kibuishi presents leadership as a dynamic interplay between different approaches, each with its own strengths and limitations. Ultimately, Waverider suggests that leadership is not about dominance or control but about wisdom, trust, and—most importantly—the ability to bring people together.
Trellis’s arc directly engages with the theme of leadership, as he struggles to define his role and understand what it means to lead effectively. Initially, his position is based on a hereditary claim, but he quickly realizes that lineage alone does not grant him trust or authority. The elves question whether they can “trust those who wield so much power” (23), reflecting the widespread fear and skepticism of stonekeepers. Trellis has an opportunity to fulfill their worst expectations—to “take this throne by force” (24)—but he recognizes that doing so would only reinforce the distrust between the people of Valcor and the stonekeepers. Instead, he chooses a different path, offering assistance rather than demanding control. This decision marks the first step in his development as a leader who values collaboration over dominance.
As Trellis steps back from the throne and assumes a more supportive role, he observes and learns from other leaders. Gabilan, who leads the elves, represents a form of authority based on a social contract. He has been appointed by the people and wields power through trust rather than force. Kibuishi visually reinforces Gabilan’s leadership qualities through his tall, confident posture and noble bearing, presenting him as a kingly figure. At the same time, Trellis also spends time with Ronin and her students, witnessing an entirely different form of leadership. Ronin’s philosophy emphasizes innovation and forward-thinking; rather than focusing on the “keys to the past” (78), her students possess the clarity to think about the future. This style of leadership prioritizes creativity and growth over control, encouraging young minds to imagine new possibilities instead of imposing rules and traditions on them.
However, Trellis also comes to recognize the limitations of some of these leadership styles. While Ronin’s approach fosters innovation, it can also lead to recklessness, as her students become too focused on wielding the most intense form of their stonekeeper powers. This realization pushes Trellis to develop his own philosophy of leadership—one that balances strength, wisdom, and collaboration. He comes to understand that true power is not “defined by [one’s] show of strength but by the quality of [one’s] intellect and character” (217). His leadership does not rely on fear or force but on guiding others to recognize their own potential so that they can in turn become leaders. By the time he fully steps into his role, his leadership is no longer a solitary endeavor but a collective effort—an idea reinforced when he recognizes that the way to bring Cielis to the ground is to “do this together” (214).
Vigo’s sacrifice further reinforces the theme of collaborative leadership. When Vigo commands IKOL to “take [him] instead” (213), he demonstrates a form of leadership rooted in selflessness and service. Vigo’s willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good affirms the novel’s central message: Leadership is not about exerting power over others but about recognizing one’s role within a larger whole. No single person can carry the weight of leadership alone, and it is only by working together that they can prevail over the shadows. Emily, reflecting on her journey, concludes that “no one person or creature or thing is responsible for the fate of all others. The bigger picture remains out of our control” (224). This realization captures the heart of Kibuishi’s argument—effective leadership does not come from any one individual but from the combined efforts of many.
The Complexity of Autonomy
Waverider explores the complexity of autonomy, illustrating how people’s desires and motivations can be in conflict with themselves. The novel does not present autonomy as a simple matter of free will but rather as a delicate balance—between self-determination and external influence and between encouragement and coercion. Emily, as a leader and a stonekeeper, must navigate these tensions as she interacts with others, recognizing that true autonomy is not just about the ability to make choices but about the internal struggles that shape those choices.
Several moments in the text illustrate how conflicting impulses and desires can complicate the idea of agency. Early in the novel, Emily liberates an elf soldier from a shadow only for him to immediately ask, “[W]hy have you done this to me?” (7). Rather than expressing relief or gratitude to be free of the shadow’s parasitic control, he reacts as though Emily has violated his self-determination. The soldier reaches for the counterintuitive comfort of the shadow’s influence, as it relieves him of the burden of facing his own dark thoughts and fears. His reaction reveals that some people willingly give up their autonomy in exchange for certainty or emotional protection. This moment forces Emily to reconsider what it truly means to let people make their own decisions—she must find a way to encourage others to make difficult but ultimately empowering choices without simply exerting her will over them.
The novel underscores the latter temptation with the character of IKOL, who manipulates emotions to control others. Trellis describes him as a “malevolent entity that uses our emotions against us” (216), complicating the portrayal of autonomy: While the emotions that fuel IKOL’s power belong to their hosts, an external force is twisting and redirecting them for its own purposes. Moreover, IKOL himself struggles with his own conflicting desires. He expresses that “he wants to be needed” (191), a statement that highlights another tension within the concept of autonomy: IKOL wants connection and validation but tries to secure both through control, which ultimately renders both meaningless, as they’re not freely chosen. This suggests that the coercion IKOL embodies is self-defeating. It is an attempt to exercise one’s own autonomy at the expense of others’ (for fear that others will make “bad” choices), but it stems from a lack of self-knowledge that precludes real agency.
Emily’s story presents an alternate understanding of autonomy. Her ultimate confrontation with IKOL reveals her evolving understanding of the subject. Rather than seeking to destroy or overpower him, she instead asks him to “let go.” Her approach is not about crushing or dominating but about release and liberation. Even in dealing with an adversary like IKOL, she looks for ways to foreground his autonomy rather than impose her will upon him. A similar dynamic unfolds when Emily fights Cora and Cala in their cursed forms. Rather than simply attacking them or attempting to force them back to their true selves, she asks them, “[I]s this who you want to be?” (52). This question emphasizes that autonomy is not just about the ability to make choices but about choosing between different versions of oneself. By framing the battle as a matter of self-reflection rather than force, Emily respects their autonomy even as she pushes them to confront their own inner divisions.
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