Words of Radiance

Shallan is a primary character, and like Kaladin, she undergoes a transformation both on a personal and societal level. At the beginning of the novel, she is ward to the brilliant Jasnah Kholin. When Jasnah dies, Shallan decides that she must continue Jasnah’s mission to save the world, burdening herself with immense responsibility: “Someone needs to continue Jasnah’s work […] Urithiru must be found, and the Alethi must be convinced that the return of the Voidbringers is imminent” (214). While Shallan was an assistant before Jasnah’s death, she is now the only person capable of completing Jasnah’s world-saving mission. Her devotion to this course leads her to push herself to be more independent, building her confidence. When she reaches the Shattered Plains, she advocates for herself and researches more, risking her life to find the information she needs. By the end of Words of Radiance, Shallan is no longer a ward following orders but an essential component of Alethi survival, leading Dalinar’s armies to safety in Urithiru.

Shallan is a dynamic character in that she grows by accepting her past. The narrative slowly reveals Shallan’s family history, centered around the death of her mother and her father’s violent and abusive behavior. Though she witnessed her mother’s murder, she protects herself by burying the memory. Her spren, Pattern, encourages her to unearth these memories, knowing that they are key to her development into a Knight Radiant. Having constructed her identity in the absence of this trauma, she believes that remembering will destroy her. When she remembers that Pattern can transform into a Shardblade, she reflects on how the lies in her life shape her: “She hadn’t been willing to admit that he was capable of it. Admitting that would have meant too much. How many more of my lies, she thought, hold me back from things I could accomplish? But she needed those lies. Needed them” (1055). This revelation about Pattern leads her to remember that she was the one who killed her mother. Her unwillingness to unlock this moment in her life keeps her from her full potential during Words of Radiance, but at Urithiru, these memories push her to accept her identity, her purpose, and the responsibility of becoming a true Knight Radiant.

Dalinar Kholin is the uncle to the current king, Elhokar, and de facto leader of Alethkar, finding his nephew too weak to lead. He is a primary character and the love interest of Navani. He is a fierce warrior but retires from the battlefield to shape the kingdom. He plans to build a united and cooperative kingdom through diplomacy. He struggles with this change, facing resistance from the other highprinces he could easily best in battle: “He found himself more annoyed—more at himself than at Aladar. He’d come on this plateau run not to fight, but to talk. To persuade. Navani was right. Dalinar needed more than brusque words and military commands to save this kingdom. He needed loyalty, not fear” (124). Dalinar, alongside his brother, once united the kingdom through violence and force, giving the highprinces no other option but to obey. Now, however, he seeks to earn their trust and cooperation through words and deeds. To do so, he tries to show them the potential of a cooperative Alethkar, but they are unwilling to abandon their autonomy. Though Sadeas and his allies work against him, Dalinar stays true to his vision of Alethkar, and through genuine effort, he wins some to his side.

Dalinar struggles with the need to avenge Gavilar’s death, for which he blames the Parshendi as well as the assassin Szeth. On the night Gavilar was assassinated, Dalinar did not defend him against the Parshendi-hired assassin. This regret fuels Dalinar in his pursuit to end the war to fulfill the Vengeance Pact, and when Szeth confronts him, he vows to correct his past failings. However, as they fight, Dalinar finds himself outmatched. In a reflection of how Dalinar transitions from a warrior to a diplomat, he accepts that he cannot kill Szeth and forgives himself: “If he’d been there, on that night, awake instead of drunk and asleep…Gavilar would still have died. I couldn’t have beaten this creature. I can’t do it now, and I couldn’t have done it then. I couldn’t have saved him” (1022). He finally accepts that even if he did do more for Gavilar, it would not make any difference. No one could save Gavilar, and Dalinar can finally unburden his regret and move on. He is a dynamic character whose changing role in society prompts a change within him, in which he is more patient and able to look to the future, not consumed by personal regret but instead inspired by a greater goal.

Adolin Kholin is the son of Dalinar and betrothed to Shallan. Adolin is at times antagonistic toward Kaladin, believing he operates above his social station. Adolin occasionally acts as a foil to Kaladin, both being young men in the army, though on opposite ends of the social hierarchy. Adolin is the son of a highprince, and his privilege is symbolized by his use of his Shardplate, which protects him from everything, and his Shardblade, which gives him an advantage over opponents. When he and Kaladin spar, Adolin uses this privilege to beat Kaladin and is chastised for it by Zahel: “You’re wearing Plate, Adolin […] You don’t throw an unarmored sparring partner like he’s a bundle of sticks. Your father taught you better than that!” (266). Adolin’s actions reflect the relationship between lighteyes and darkeyes, in which those with power can easily overpower those without. This moment, in which Adolin contradicts the code of honor that Dalinar has instilled in him, foreshadows his later actions. Unlike Dalinar and Kaladin, who relinquish their vendettas against those who wrong them, Adolin lets his consume him. In a confrontation with Sadeas at Urithiru, he murders the highprince in secret, an action contradictory to the honor that guides those around him.

Though Adolin despises Kaladin at first, he proves to be a dynamic character when he accepts Kaladin after their confrontation with Szeth. He grows to trust Kaladin, seeing him as someone he can rely on. He ceases to define Kaladin by his status as a darkeyes and instead respects him for his abilities and commitment to the Kholin family. When Kaladin is imprisoned after their duel for challenging Amaram, Adolin imprisons himself as well, protesting what he believes to be unfair treatment. He even surprises Kaladin by siding with him against Amaram, a lighteyes Kaladin assumes Adolin respects: “Amaram never seems to do anything wrong […] That stinks to me, of someone who works too hard to maintain his reputation” (780). Kaladin assumes Adolin will side with Amaram, as all lighteyes, including Dalinar, do. He does not expect Adolin to think outside of the social hierarchy. However, Adolin trusts Kaladin because of his relationship with him and because he has his own suspicions of Amaram. Adolin differs from his father when it comes to respecting other lighteyes, influenced by the deception and treachery he witnesses from Sadeas. Despite the initial tension between the two, Adolin and Kaladin challenge each other to see the world differently.

Elhokar is the king of Alethkar, and though his father was a strong leader, Elhokar proves to be weak and ineffective. Elhokar himself remains static throughout the novel, though Kaladin’s opinion of him changes. Kaladin sees that Elhokar is not fit for the throne, believing he does not care for his kingdom or people, and instead focused on himself: “Elhokar was ranting that nobody took his safety seriously, that nobody listened, that they should be looking for the things he saw over his shoulder in the mirror, whatever that meant. The tirade sounded like the whining of a spoiled child” (302). Elhokar is immature, and Kaladin believes he cares more about preserving power and status than justice. When Elhokar refuses to punish Kaladin for seeking justice against Amaram, Kaladin dismisses the king as unfit to lead, vowing to help Moash kill him. However, Kaladin later realizes that Elhokar does his best to be a good leader: “We all die in the end […] So I guess what truly matters is just how well you’ve run. And Elhokar, you’ve kept running since your father was killed, even if you screw up all the storming time” (995). Kaladin recognizes that Elhokar carries a burden of responsibility after Gavilar’s death that he is not suited for but tries nonetheless to fulfill. He may not be the right person to lead Alethkar, but he did not have a choice and cannot be punished for that.

Navani Kholin is the mother of Elhokar and Jasnah and the love interest of Dalinar. She is an integral advisor to Dalinar as he plots their family’s course into the future. She values her family, and when she learns that her daughter is dead, she blames Shallan and shuns her. This makes Shallan’s tasks of finding Urithiru more complicated, as Navani sees Shallan as a reminder of her pain: “She doesn’t want to believe. About Jasnah, I mean. You represent something to her—the truth, in a way. Give her time. She just needs to grieve” (577). Navani loved her daughter but struggled to cultivate a relationship with her. The shock of the loss and the arrival of Shallan causes Navani to associate Shallan with the tragedy. However, after Shallan returns from the chasms, Navani changes, proving to be a dynamic character. She adopts Shallan and treats her like her own daughter: “Navani pointedly ignored Shallan’s protests that none of this was necessary. The mother axehound had finally emerged. Shallan was apparently no longer an outsider, but one of Navani’s clutch” (886). At this moment, Navani begins to heal from the loss of Jasnah and finds a new purpose with Shallan. She accepts Shallan into her life and further devotes herself to protecting her family, looking away from the past and into the future.

Eshonai is the military leader of the Parshendi and their final remaining Shardbearer, making her an antagonist to Dalinar and the rest of the Alethi. As a leader, Eshonai struggles with the burden of her people’s wellbeing, and when she sees how decimated the Parshendi are, she examines her priorities: “Eshonai shivered, and attuned the Rhythm of the Lost. It was a soft beat, yet still violent, with sharp, separated notes. She did not attune it for long. Remembering the fallen was important, but working to protect the living was more so” (163). She feels the loss of her people acutely and knows she must act in their best interest for survival. She decides to sue for peace. However, this plan unravels when she tests stormform for her sister Venli and becomes consumed by power. Though her goal of protecting her people remains constant, her methods change, and she seeks to find peace for her people through the destruction of humanity. The power of stormform pollutes her, and instead of approaching her role as a leader with duty, she does so with a possessive outlook: “It was an uncomfortable realization, as was the realization of how deeply Eshonai herself wanted to be in control. It didn’t feel like her. Not at all” (719). Eshonai wants control of the Parshendi, disbanding the Five and becoming an absolute power. She does not merely want to protect her people anymore but control them and their destiny, taking the power she needs to do so, even if she knows deep down it is wrong.

Sadeas is the primary antagonist of the Kholin family, a competing highprince who tries to undermine Dalinar and his plans to unite their kingdom. Sadeas is a foil to Dalinar, motivated by an opposing worldview. While Dalinar wants to unite the Alethi highprinces and work together, Sadeas wants to create a system of violence and ambition in which he can get ahead through force. Sadeas sees the world as a realist and does not seek to change it so much as manipulate it: “You have to stare the world in the eyes, in all its grimy brutality. You have to acknowledge its depravities. Live with them. It’s the only way to accomplish anything meaningful” (348). Sadeas believes that the world is meant to be brutal and that the only way to advance in it is to accept this and bend the world to his will. Where Dalinar seeks unity, Sadeas seeks discord, and he works constantly to eliminate Dalinar, to ensure that this worldview wins.

Amaram is a longtime friend of Dalinar and the primary personal antagonist to Kaladin. Like Sadeas, Amaram holds moral disagreements with Dalinar and Kaladin. Though he agrees with Dalinar that unity is necessary to save the imperiled world, he believes that difficult and amoral actions must be taken for the greater good. When Dalinar criticizes him for this, Amaram labels Dalinar a hypocrite: “‘And what is it,’ Amaram said, ‘when you send thousands of men to their deaths so that you may secure gemhearts, Dalinar? Is that different somehow? We all know that sometimes lives must be spent for the greater good’” (932). Whereas Amaram killed a few men to possess a Shardblade and advance his work in saving the world, Dalinar and the other highprinces needlessly lead soldiers to their deaths for personal gain. Amaram’s view of honor is antithetical to that of Kaladin and Dalinar, and they stand as foils to one another. Kaladin and Dalinar believe that honor applies to protecting everyone, even those they dislike, but Amaram easily subverts that notion for personal gain.

Szeth-son-son-Velano, Truthless of Shinovar, is an assassin and antagonist to Kaladin and the Kholinar family. After murdering King Gavilar six years ago, he returns to murder Dalinar. He is defined by his rigid and unwavering devotion to his role as an assassin, unable to question or disobey his master, Taravangian. He does this with confidence until his worldview is shattered by Kaladin, and he loses his way. When he is revived by Nin, one of the Heralds, Szeth begins anew, his devotion to his beliefs an attractive quality to Nin: “I watched you destroy yourself in the name of order, watched you obey your personal code when others would have fled or crumbled. Szeth-son-Neturo, I watched you keep your word with perfection” (1063). Other characters in Words of Radiance claim to have beliefs and follow a rigid code of honor, but all struggle with the moral complexity of their actions and question what they do. Szeth, however, is committed to his beliefs and upholds order at all costs, never straying even when he knows his actions are wrong. This commitment to order makes him unique among the characters, and it makes him dangerous.

Syl is Kaladin’s honorspren, a fraction of a larger spren, or god, the Stormfather. She enables Kaladin’s abilities and challenges Kaladin to be more confident in his beliefs. She worries when Kaladin becomes obsessed with revenge against Amaram. She thinks that his pursuit of vengeance corrupts him: “Thinking about him changes you. Twists you. You’re supposed to protect, Kaladin. Not kill” (511). Syl sees a stark distinction between killing and protecting, with one being needless and the other a necessity for honor. Kaladin struggles to understand this and makes conflicting oaths to both protect and kill Elhokar, breaking his bond with her. At first, he believes she cannot see that removing Elhokar from the throne is a just course of action: “Syl couldn’t see why his decision was the right one. She was a spren, and had a stupid, simplistic morality. To be human was often to be forced to choose between distasteful options. Life wasn’t clean and neat like she wanted it to be” (810). He believes that her rigid set of beliefs breaks their bond when it is actually Kaladin’s moral conflict that does so. When he realizes that it is wrong to murder Elhokar because it means Kaladin would be harming instead of protecting someone, Syl returns. Because she is an honorspren, her power and presence are linked to Kaladin’s honor.

Pattern is Shallan’s liespren and spends the novel trying to convince Shallan to remember her past. Though he thrives on lies, he needs Shallan to remember the truth for them to fully bond and for Shallan to develop and grow into a Knight Radiant: “‘You live lies,’ Pattern said. ‘It gives you strength. But the truth…Without speaking truths you will not be able to grow, Shallan. I know this somehow’” (257). Pattern represents Shallan’s dark past, but his persistent presence and faith in her demonstrates that her past is an essential part of her. Without it, she cannot learn the true potential of their relationship or accept who she really is. Shallan limits herself by blocking out the past and refusing Pattern’s advice. Pattern tells her that he chooses her because she did not break from the pain of her mother’s death, but that at some point she must push herself past this to become who she is meant to be.

Moash is a sidekick to Kaladin and a trusted member of Bridge Four. Kaladin trusts Moash enough to gift him the Shardplate and Shardblade that Adolin gives to him. Much like Kaladin, Moash despises lighteyes due to a painful past tragedy. Moash joins a group who plan to assassinate Elhokar, and he comes to trust their leader Graves, a lighteyes, because he resists the social hierarchy: “One of his sons is even a one-eye. Graves doesn’t give a storm about what other people think of him. He does what is right” (545). Like Kaladin, Moash allows his sense of honor and justice to lead him into this plot against Elhokar. However, unlike Kaladin, Moash cannot overcome his need for revenge when Kaladin reveals that Elhokar is not fully to blame.