Hare_Mettle Posted September 30, 2021 Report Share Posted September 30, 2021 Going off BS's insertion of a 'hidden' ending somewhere in the first two books of Stormlight, I started a re-read with this as my focus. Once I finished WoK and WoR, I considered many selections, really tried to make a few fit, and ultimately settled on this from Dalinar's first chapter in WoK (12). Before I delve into this, I must state that I think BS's idea of a 'hidden ending' - in the case of Sazed's in Mistborn - is stretching it. Especially in the genre of high fantasy where terms like "bear the future of the world on his arms" are prolific both in prose and world building. So yes, my interpretation of this scene may seem like I'm grasping at vague symbolism. That's ok. After we find out what Sanderson's elusive hint that he planted to foreshadow the series' ending, I believe it will be a passage we never saw coming. (Myself included - but I like this one, so stay with me.) THEORY: WoK Selection Summary: Dalinar and Elhokar race up a rock formation in the shattered plains. Even though he is winning, Dalinar lets Elhokar win because he knows it will have a positive effect on his personality. Elhokar helps Dalinar up, and together they stand as equals atop the rock formation. Dalinar thinks he has seen this place before - and Sadeas arrives shortly after. Dalinar represents Dalinar. Elhokar represents Kelsier. Dalinar and Kelsier - polar opposites. Dalinar: a bad man turned good. Kelsier: a good man turned bad. By the end of the Cosmere, Dalinar and Kelsier will have both ascended. Not only ascended, but they will have combined ALL the shards into two obvious ideals - good and bad (or a thesaurused version of those basic words). As the Cosmere story comes to a finale - Good Shard Dalinar and Bad Shard Kelsier will be racing to an important location in the Cosmere (ideas: Spiritual Realm, Yolen's original location, ???) As they approach this location, Dalinar - realizing if either of them win outright, will doom existence - hangs back and lets Kelsier arrives first. Dalinar convinces God Kelsier to save the world and keep Good and Bad alive. Kelsier allows him to join him at whatever location they were racing towards...and together they share a view of their saved universe. Dalinar recognizes it as a place he's seen before. And even Sadeas riding up is meant to be Hoid, arriving late to witness the event he helped set up and manipulate (Sadeas is described as not a FULL shard bearer - he had plate, not sword: or in terms of Hoid...God like abilities that protect him like PLATE but not creative and destructive God powers like a SWORD.) That's it...and yes. It is quite thin. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frustration Posted September 30, 2021 Report Share Posted September 30, 2021 1 hour ago, Hare_Mettle said: Going off BS's insertion of a 'hidden' ending somewhere in the first two books of Stormlight, I started a re-read with this as my focus. Once I finished WoK and WoR, I considered many selections, really tried to make a few fit, and ultimately settled on this from Dalinar's first chapter in WoK (12). Before I delve into this, I must state that I think BS's idea of a 'hidden ending' - in the case of Sazed's in Mistborn - is stretching it. Especially in the genre of high fantasy where terms like "bear the future of the world on his arms" are prolific both in prose and world building. So yes, my interpretation of this scene may seem like I'm grasping at vague symbolism. That's ok. After we find out what Sanderson's elusive hint that he planted to foreshadow the series' ending, I believe it will be a passage we never saw coming. (Myself included - but I like this one, so stay with me.) THEORY: WoK Selection Summary: Dalinar and Elhokar race up a rock formation in the shattered plains. Even though he is winning, Dalinar lets Elhokar win because he knows it will have a positive effect on his personality. Elhokar helps Dalinar up, and together they stand as equals atop the rock formation. Dalinar thinks he has seen this place before - and Sadeas arrives shortly after. Dalinar represents Dalinar. Elhokar represents Kelsier. Dalinar and Kelsier - polar opposites. Dalinar: a bad man turned good. Kelsier: a good man turned bad. By the end of the Cosmere, Dalinar and Kelsier will have both ascended. Not only ascended, but they will have combined ALL the shards into two obvious ideals - good and bad (or a thesaurused version of those basic words). As the Cosmere story comes to a finale - Good Shard Dalinar and Bad Shard Kelsier will be racing to an important location in the Cosmere (ideas: Spiritual Realm, Yolen's original location, ???) As they approach this location, Dalinar - realizing if either of them win outright, will doom existence - hangs back and lets Kelsier arrives first. Dalinar convinces God Kelsier to save the world and keep Good and Bad alive. Kelsier allows him to join him at whatever location they were racing towards...and together they share a view of their saved universe. Dalinar recognizes it as a place he's seen before. And even Sadeas riding up is meant to be Hoid, arriving late to witness the event he helped set up and manipulate (Sadeas is described as not a FULL shard bearer - he had plate, not sword: or in terms of Hoid...God like abilities that protect him like PLATE but not creative and destructive God powers like a SWORD.) That's it...and yes. It is quite thin. The hidden ending is that of Stormlight, not the Cosmere. And Kelsier is hardly a good man, turned bad. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hare_Mettle Posted September 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2021 1 minute ago, Frustration said: The hidden ending is that of Stormlight, not the Cosmere. And Kelsier is hardly a good man, turned bad. I'm assuming the final arc of the Cosmere story prime will be seen in the Stormlight series. I should've stated Kelsier will be bad? We hardly know enough to make the call now, and from what I've read seen from BS, he seems intrigued by making Kelsier a villain. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frustration Posted September 30, 2021 Report Share Posted September 30, 2021 Just now, Hare_Mettle said: I'm assuming the final arc of the Cosmere story prime will be seen in the Stormlight series. MB era 4 takes place after SA 2 Just now, Hare_Mettle said: I should've stated Kelsier will be bad? We hardly know enough to make the call now, and from what I've read seen from BS, he seems intrigued by making Kelsier a villain. Brandon has said from the begining that Kelsier would have been a villian in any other story. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoey Posted October 1, 2021 Report Share Posted October 1, 2021 (edited) Yeah, we know for sure that SA will end centuries before the end of the Cosmere. The main outline currently is this: Quote Dragonsteel (Earliest event, around 6,000 Years before Aharietiam currently. Earliest in the series) White Sand (Earliest book currently published, is Pre-Elantris) Elantris Trilogy (Possibly centuries before Era 1, might get moved forward) Mistborn Era 1 (~340 Scadrian Years before Era 2) Warbreaker Duology ("A few generations" before SA) Shadows for Silence Stormlight Era 1 Mistborn Era 2 (Between the 11-16 Scadrian Year gap between SA5 and SA6) Stormlight Era 2 (10-15 Rosharan Years after Era 1) Mistborn Era 3 (~70 Scadrian Years after Era 2) Sixth of Dusk Mistborn Era 4 (centuries after Era 3, grand finale) Though others might be added. So the end of Era 2 is most definitely not the climax to the Cosmere. Also, yeah, I think your theory might be a stretch in reasoning. Edited October 1, 2021 by Zoey 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy92 Posted October 2, 2021 Report Share Posted October 2, 2021 On 9/30/2021 at 6:09 PM, Hare_Mettle said: Elhokar helps Dalinar up, and together they stand as equals atop the rock formation. Before you added in all the Kelsier stuff I was following this theory to think you were going for Dalinar symbolizing humanity and Elhokar symbolizing the singers/listeners. An ending where the two sides learn to live as one within the world they both knew is cool to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teknopathetic Posted October 2, 2021 Report Share Posted October 2, 2021 To me, the most obvious hidden ending is the vision the Stormfather gives of Roshar being destroyed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Oltux72 Posted October 2, 2021 Report Share Posted October 2, 2021 On 1.10.2021 at 0:09 AM, Hare_Mettle said: Dalinar and Kelsier - polar opposites. Dalinar: a bad man turned good. Kelsier: a good man turned bad. Daring, highy daring. Saying that Dalinar (or Jasnah for that matter) would not have done what Kaladin has done to protect Scadrial is an extremely debatable proposition. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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