Kaladin's ultimate fate.

[NameIess]

I believe that everyone who's read the most recent (tenth) chapter of RoW has one question burning in their minds: What is going to happen to Kaladin? Today, I have the answer to that question.

(Slightly less crackpot part of the theory)

Most people seem to agree that the obvious next step in Kaladin's journey is the fourth ideal. However, I see a problem with this: Kaladin is dealing with more than one problem. Kaladin always feels an urge to protect everyone, even other Windrunners. This has caused a lot of what we see in the early chapters of RoW, and Kaladin references it when Dalinar suggests he help train Windrunners, saying that sending them off to possibly die would tear him apart. However, this is not the only problem. When Moash confronts Kaladin, he tries to hurt him by telling him that everyone will die, and that Kaladin cannot save them all. Kaladin is bogged down by the guilt of all the people he has failed to save, and simply ceasing to hold himself responsible for people who can protect themselves is not going to end that guilt, and Kaladin will not be able to recover fully. An obvious ideal to deal with both of these problems would be something along the lines of: "I will forgive myself for failing to protect" but that would be seemingly contradictory to a Windrunner's gem archive statement in OB, "Aren't I supposed to want to protect people?" (I paraphrased that). So in conclusion, in order to make more than a , either Kaladin needs to say both the fourth and fifth ideals, or Brandon has thought of a fourth ideal that solves both of Kaladin's problems, fits with the gem archive, and leaves room for further character development.

(On to the crackpot part)

So, everyone who's read the tenth chapter of RoW knows that it ends on a downer, and anyone who's in Brandon's newsletter knows that there is a Syl interlude (Spoilers ahead) during which (last warning) Kaladin is still depressed, and it is uncertain whether he has chosen a new job yet. Here is my theory: the Syl interlude is the end of Kaladin for the rest of the series. Kaladin fades away into a background character, perhaps appearing a few more times, maybe even swearing the fourth ideal, only to find it is not enough. Kaladin will even go so far as to change his name, and we will not even know who he is. We will have so much nothing from Kaladin that everyone but his most ardent fans move on. Then, in the back half, near the end of the second Stormlight, some random person will say the fifth ideal of the Windrunners and save the day in awesome fashion, revealing the one person whom we never would have considered as a possible Kaladin (and there will have been many), to be the real Kaladin. (Either that or Kaladin will swear both the fourth and fifth ideals almost simultaneously in RoW, even odds I'd say).

[LightReader]

While I highly doubt he’ll fade into the background for the next six books to suddenly pop out in book ten, I do think there’s a good chance Kaladin could swear both the fourth and fifth ideals in RoW. 

[Master Silver]

Kaladin needs/want to protect, but even Syl realizes for him it is an all consuming desire which is not good. I really wish Brandon had used the term "the wretch" as a throwback to Way of Kings. Kaladin has found that by protecting and having a goal of saving he is able to keep the wretch at bay. But what he fails to see is that their is other medicine that he needs to use two, flying in the sun for the sake of flying. Laughing, eating and drinking ale with friends. Maybe someday a wife and children. Teaching his little brother anything and everything. I would love for him to swear both 4 and 5, but their seems to be a danger of biting off more than you can chew. Kaladin told Teft, the more he learns about the words the harder it is.... Kaladin probably should have thrown pancakes into his oath. Maybe next time lol  

[NameIess]

33 minutes ago, Master Silver said:

Kaladin needs/want to protect, but even Syl realizes for him it is an all consuming desire which is not good. I really wish Brandon had used the term "the wretch" as a throwback to Way of Kings. Kaladin has found that by protecting and having a goal of saving he is able to keep the wretch at bay. But what he fails to see is that their is other medicine that he needs to use two, flying in the sun for the sake of flying. Laughing, eating and drinking ale with friends. Maybe someday a wife and children. Teaching his little brother anything and everything. I would love for him to swear both 4 and 5, but their seems to be a danger of biting off more than you can chew. Kaladin told Teft, the more he learns about the words the harder it is.... Kaladin probably should have thrown pancakes into his oath. Maybe next time lol  

I think that the next oaths will probably deal with Kaladin's obsession with protecting, and his depression and guilt when he fails.

[Watchcry]

You bring up the Syl Interlude.  Isn't his new position the chief Surgeon? I think Syl will convince a cultivation spren to bond with him so that he can progress with both orders' ideals. 

[clockworkspider]

1 hour ago, Watchcry said:

You bring up the Syl Interlude.  Isn't his new position the chief Surgeon? I think Syl will convince a cultivation spren to bond with him so that he can progress with both orders' ideals. 

He's having enough issues as a Windrunner.  I don't think he needs to add Edgedancer oaths to that burden.

[rjl]

I'm hoping he's going to emerge from this slump to swear the 4th AND 5th Oaths towards the end of the book and save the day.

[agrabes]

On 9/10/2020 at 4:24 PM, Nameless said:

I believe that everyone who's read the most recent (tenth) chapter of RoW has one question burning in their minds: What is going to happen to Kaladin? Today, I have the answer to that question.

(Slightly less crackpot part of the theory)

Most people seem to agree that the obvious next step in Kaladin's journey is the fourth ideal. However, I see a problem with this: Kaladin is dealing with more than one problem. Kaladin always feels an urge to protect everyone, even other Windrunners. This has caused a lot of what we see in the early chapters of RoW, and Kaladin references it when Dalinar suggests he help train Windrunners, saying that sending them off to possibly die would tear him apart. However, this is not the only problem. When Moash confronts Kaladin, he tries to hurt him by telling him that everyone will die, and that Kaladin cannot save them all. Kaladin is bogged down by the guilt of all the people he has failed to save, and simply ceasing to hold himself responsible for people who can protect themselves is not going to end that guilt, and Kaladin will not be able to recover fully. An obvious ideal to deal with both of these problems would be something along the lines of: "I will forgive myself for failing to protect" but that would be seemingly contradictory to a Windrunner's gem archive statement in OB, "Aren't I supposed to want to protect people?" (I paraphrased that). So in conclusion, in order to make more than a , either Kaladin needs to say both the fourth and fifth ideals, or Brandon has thought of a fourth ideal that solves both of Kaladin's problems, fits with the gem archive, and leaves room for further character development.

(On to the crackpot part)

So, everyone who's read the tenth chapter of RoW knows that it ends on a downer, and anyone who's in Brandon's newsletter knows that there is a Syl interlude (Spoilers ahead) during which (last warning) Kaladin is still depressed, and it is uncertain whether he has chosen a new job yet. Here is my theory: the Syl interlude is the end of Kaladin for the rest of the series. Kaladin fades away into a background character, perhaps appearing a few more times, maybe even swearing the fourth ideal, only to find it is not enough. Kaladin will even go so far as to change his name, and we will not even know who he is. We will have so much nothing from Kaladin that everyone but his most ardent fans move on. Then, in the back half, near the end of the second Stormlight, some random person will say the fifth ideal of the Windrunners and save the day in awesome fashion, revealing the one person whom we never would have considered as a possible Kaladin (and there will have been many), to be the real Kaladin. (Either that or Kaladin will swear both the fourth and fifth ideals almost simultaneously in RoW, even odds I'd say).

These two things are not contradictory.  Forgiving yourself for failing to protect is the same thing as not protecting.  It's giving yourself permission to not protect everyone.  So, it is the same as "not wanting to protect" in the eyes of someone like Kaladin who has this need to protect everyone all the time.  I think the most likely thing is that swearing the fourth oath will at least make the struggle of want to protect/can't protect/shouldn't protect bearable for Kaladin.  I think Kaladin will truly try to come to terms with the idea that he may never swear the 4th oath, and when he finally accepts that he can be OK with a different kind of life away from battle and not pressuring himself to grow, then he will finally actually achieve growth and be able to swear the 4th Oath.

 

Anyway, it's an interesting idea.  I could see Kaladin becoming a bit of a background character for a short time, but at most he would have to come back by mid RoW.  Having a character that major just disappear without a trace would completely screw up the dynamics of how Sanderson is telling the story.  I could see him vanishing between the front 5 and back 5, only to appear again at the last minute.  But I can't see him vanishing in RoW, only to reappear in SA10.

[NameIess]

All right! the theory survives one week!