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Kwisatz Haderach

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  1. Howdy all, This is my first post on this forum; it's great to be here! Although I have perused this site for some time, please excuse me if this theory has been previously stated. I also wanted to mention that I heard this theory from a close friend, and I have added slightly to it. So the credit (or criticism) goes to him! In short, I believe that Brandon used the word "capacity" in a purposefully ambiguous way; the interpretation of this term has series-altering potential. Let's first separate fact from assumption. Fact 1: Taravangian was given his condition by asking for "the capacity" to save mankind. Fact 2: Taravangian's condition is defined by a sliding scale of attributes. As he grows more intelligent, he becomes less compassionate and vice versa. Essentially, Taravangian's character is defined by four traits--intelligence, stupidity, ruthlessness, and compassion. Assumption: Taravangian's "capacity" to save mankind is referring to his attributes of intelligence and ruthlessness--to a lesser extent) Specifically, it has granted him the capacity to have that outlier day of supreme intelligence, the day where the Diagram was created. There are several reasons why I believe that the above assumption is wrong. 1. Odium's Encounter--At the end of Oathbringer, Odium displays such a degree of foreknowledge and sheer intelligence that the predictions of the Diagram and Taravangian's potential intelligence seem inconsequential in comparison. Taravangian, based upon his intelligence and ability to make ruthless decisions, never stood a chance. He never had the "capacity" in this way. 2. The Diagram's Degree of Error--As the series progresses, the Diagram seems to stray further and further off course. Although some characters initially chalk this off to misinterpretation, it becomes clear that Diagram is flawed based upon unforeseen results. This concept is further reinforced through other characters, such as Renarin, predicting the future incorrectly. 3. Taravangian's Own Experience--Lastly, Taravangian himself notes that his outlying days are very similar. When he is both incredibly intelligent and stupid, he cannot interact with humans in a meaningful way. Also, his decisions when he is most intelligent/ruthless seem to actually be incredibly stupid (i.e. killing off his subjects for being stupid etc.). In short, the above reasons, especially in view of Taravangian's story arc, show that his intelligence/ruthlessness never even came close to giving him the capacity to save mankind. This does not seem in keeping with what we know about the Nightwatcher/Old Magic. Instead, I believe that Taravangian's "capacity" comes from his more neglected attributes--his potential for compassion and/or for extreme stupidity. These attributes will increase in importance as his character becomes more aligned with Odium. His stupidity may thwart Odium at some critical point, and his compassion is not compatible with being an effective ally of Odium. In a way, Taravangian seems very alike to Gollum. Each are maligned characters that may unintentionally tip the balance in the favor of good, and each are intrinsically tied to the trait of compassion--Gollum to Frodo's compassion and Taravangian to his very own. Furthermore, all this is in keeping with what we know about the Old Magic--namely, that boons are indeed granted but often in ways that are unforeseen/unconventional. Please let me know what you think. Regardless of whether it happens or not, this could lead to a very redemptive/beautiful story arc and could be a very Sandersonian twist. TLDR: Taravangian's capacity to save mankind refers to his compassion/stupidity rather than his intelligence/ruthlessness.
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