Kaladin's Storming Hair

[S. Stormy]

Okay. So I had this conversation with @IheartKaladin4eva, among others.

What's up with his hair?(haha Studio C y'all)

But seriously. It covers his brands, but I refuse to believe he has bangs. Because

A.) Just no

B.) Kaladin wouldn't think about his appearance enough to get bangs.

So now that that's established, the real question is:

THEN WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING WITH HIS FACE??

Is it just always in his face? Does he have a ridiculous side part that just makes his hair able to cover his forehead? I'm tortured by these questions!

Also, sidenote:

Spoiler

his hair's... probably kinda gross. Like... it never mentions anything about him taking care of it... so... yeah. And it's long and curly. Also HOW ON EARTH would he fight with it down? Like, just running is hard with your hair down. Battling Fused? No way. 

My evidence that he fights without a ponytail:

Quote

But storms, it was hard not to feel inspired at the sight of Kaladin framed in the entryway like that in a sharp blue uniform, his hair free, his scars bold and stark on his forehead.

(emphasis mine) 

And unless he made his dramatic entrance with his hair down then went, "hold on Lezian, gotta put ma hair up bro", he kept it down. Which doesn't make sense!

 

[king of nowhere]

i always assumed that they are long enough to cover his forehead, but not long enough to go over his eyes.

as for not taking care of them, in the past - before the invention of hot water taps and cheap detergents - it was normal to not take care much of one's hygiene. and yes, we'd find that gross. progress does not just means cars and mobile phones, it also means the common people are able to wash regularly.

this premise gives the best clue to what is likely kaladin's haircut: a rough hack-and-saw job done for practical reasons. when he has a lock of hairs going over his eyes, that lock is cut. aside from that, nope.

at least, that's how he was as a slave; now that he's important, i guess he has access to good care.

Edited November 10, 2022 by king of nowhere

[Treamayne]

For a Windrunner, longer hair is likely a benefit. Think about long hair on a person driving a convertible - the wind naturally keeps it out of your face.

37 minutes ago, king of nowhere said:

 a rough hack-and-saw job done for practical reasons. When he has a lock of hairs going over his eyes, that lock is cut.

This makes the most sense. A Rosharan mullet - short up front, long in the back. Washed with every highstorm during the Riddens. . .

[S. Stormy]

5 hours ago, Treamayne said:

This makes the most sense. A Rosharan mullet - short up front, long in the back. Washed with every highstorm during the Riddens. . .

That's... even worse than bangs...!

[Treamayne]

3 hours ago, Shallan Stormblessed said:

That's... even worse than bangs...!

Does that mean bangs aren't as bad as you thought?

[Jerfier]

I believe he has bangs.

Like here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/951998120/8x10-print-fanart-of-stormlight-archives

Edited November 12, 2022 by Jerfier

[HSuperLee]

On 11/9/2022 at 11:14 PM, Shallan Stormblessed said:

his hair's... probably kinda gross. Like... it never mentions anything about him taking care of it... so... yeah. And it's long and curly.

Now you've got me wondering if stormlight healing has any affect affect on hair. I know technically hair isn't part of your body, but neither is gut flora, and I assume stormlight takes care of that. Part of me wonders if using stormlight regularly maintains hair in a healthy, though perhaps not clean, condition. Plus Rosharans in general would have some small boon due to the increased health they get by living in an investiture saturated environment. What I'm saying is, Kaladin may not have to do much to have amazing hair.

[S. Stormy]

On 11/10/2022 at 2:51 AM, king of nowhere said:

a rough hack-and-saw job done for practical reasons. when he has a lock of hairs going over his eyes, that lock is cut. aside from that, nope.

at least, that's how he was as a slave;

But he wasn't allowed weapons at all as a slave.

"Hey there, Mr. Slavemaster, ignore the word 'dangerous' written on my forehead and give me a knife, would ya?"

(I'm not meaning to be mocking you, I'm just imagining that. Although are you meaning that his masters chopped the hair? That would make more sense. And it also mentions that they trimmed the beards)

[IheartKaladin4eva]

ok thinking about Kaladin with a mullet is horrifying. I don't even want to picture it. But bangs are just kinda.... girly? ya know?

ok I just googled it, and apparently, this counts as bangs..... and its not thatttttt baddddd....... kaladin's hair wouldn't be that stylized, but more messy and curly.... but don't you have to like, cut bangs? like, make it so you have them? it's not just natural? excuse my inexperience, I know nothing about cutting hair. I just can't picture kaladin just being like, "Ah, look at my beautiful hair. I think that I'll trim a little here, a little here...." nah. i think it's just kinda.... there. 

 

Spoiler

Edited November 12, 2022 by IheartKaladin4eva

[Odiumiumium]

I bet his hair is made of handwavium It just grows as is convenient for the plot. 

[Rg2045]

I always contributed kaladins messy hair to his depression and him not cutting it. Similar to his beard

[Eluvianii]

Now I gotta try to reread all the best scenes, several times each, picturing a different haircut each time. I think his hair may have plot armor, it will look amazing no matter the circumstances.

Oh storms, now I have to picture all the people worshiping Kal, calling him a hero, the kids trying to be like him, and he's just this tall muscled guy with a messy unkempt curly tangle of hair on top under which you may or may not find a face.

[Zea mays]

1 hour ago, Eluvianii said:

Now I gotta try to reread all the best scenes, several times each, picturing a different haircut each time. I think his hair may have plot armor, it will look amazing no matter the circumstances.

Oh storms, now I have to picture all the people worshiping Kal, calling him a hero, the kids trying to be like him, and he's just this tall muscled guy with a messy unkempt curly tangle of hair on top under which you may or may not find a face.

Plot armor? Who needs plot armor when you have personal control over gravity and forces that adhere things together, not to mention a close loving relationship with the Wind? He doesn’t have to style his hair, just think at it to go in the right direction. Bad hair days? Not happening to a windrunner.

[Highmarshal Stormface]

I think it's hilarious that there has never been (to my best knowledge) an introspective moment of Adolin thinking about Kal's hair, yet everybody seems to have an opinion, usually positive (even if begrudgingly), about Adolin's hair.

As far as Kal's hair style goes, I figure it went something along these lines: he grew up with it kept short (probably by his mom at the insistence of his dad). When he went into the military, it grew out, and he kept it tied back. But imagine an uncut, untidy growing out of a short haircut. It's messy, and the only way to make it look decent in regards to keeping with his uniform would be to tie it back. After having witnessed my brother do that exact thing, I can say with confidence that with the raggedy split end nightmare that is a perpetual ponytail, the hair will in effect cut itself out of pure fatigue. 

Then Kal became a slave, and his split ends and lack of grooming would likely have caused his hair to have mats and fray at the ends. That would, in effect, give him a sort of long bangs situation. Once he's able to tend to his hygiene and personal grooming, he'd probably be accustomed to wearing his nappy hair tied back if only because he knows how it moves in battle. Consistency would be preferable, so he sticks with it likely without much regard toward it because he's more focused on important things and values practicality. 

Aside from that, I figure since most everybody I know has a rude cowlick somewhere, his part is probably to the side. The wispy baby hairs and frayed ends would then sweep to one side, easily obscuring his forehead.

....well, I wasn't intending to write a book about Kal's hair, but eh, welcome to my Ted talk, I guess.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Highmarshal Stormface

[Little_Dagger]

On 10/11/2022 at 9:14 AM, Shallan Stormblessed said:

Okay. So I had this conversation with @IheartKaladin4eva, among others.

What's up with his hair?(haha Studio C y'all)

But seriously. It covers his brands, but I refuse to believe he has bangs. Because

A.) Just no

B.) Kaladin wouldn't think about his appearance enough to get bangs.

So now that that's established, the real question is:

THEN WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING WITH HIS FACE??

Is it just always in his face? Does he have a ridiculous side part that just makes his hair able to cover his forehead? I'm tortured by these questions!

Also, sidenote:

  Hide contents

his hair's... probably kinda gross. Like... it never mentions anything about him taking care of it... so... yeah. And it's long and curly. Also HOW ON EARTH would he fight with it down? Like, just running is hard with your hair down. Battling Fused? No way. 

My evidence that he fights without a ponytail:

And unless he made his dramatic entrance with his hair down then went, "hold on Lezian, gotta put ma hair up bro", he kept it down. Which doesn't make sense!

 

I love this post! I have struggled with my mental image of Kaladin as well because of this and in the end decided to place the slave brands on his temples, so that they could be covered by a more decent haircut. I can survive that change easier than bangs 

[S. Stormy]

19 minutes ago, Yuliya said:

I love this post! I have struggled with my mental image of Kaladin as well because of this and in the end decided to place the slave brands on his temples, so that they could be covered by a more decent haircut. I can survive that change easier than bangs 

That makes me happy that I'm not the only one.

[Beodrakis]

honestly, if curly hair hangs in front of your eyes a bit it's not really a problem, it happens to me all the time, and it only slightly impairs my vision, I feel like long hair slightly covering his eyes would be an advantage for Kaladin, as his enemies wouldn't be able to see where he was looking, and thus can't predict his moves. 

[rabidhexley]

I also think it isn't that implausible that if the hair hanging over his face was getting too long Kaladin would just...cut it? Like literally just slice off some the hair in front so he can see. So just messily cut, long-ish bangs surrounded by longer hair.

[AquaRegia]

If there is one character in SA who would care absolutely ZERO about how his hair looks, it's Kaladin.

That said, Adolin is frequently jealous of how hot Kaladin looks (without even trying!), so it follows that his hair must be consistently good.