Navani is Dalinar's Wife!

[Aeshdan he/him]

I think Dalinar asked for his wife to be returned to him. The Nightwatcher wiped Dalinar's memory so he wouldn't recognize her, fiddled with everyone's memory, put the real Navani someplace, and returned Dalinar's wife from the dead as Navani. So that's why the two of them fell in love so inevitably.

I await your applause for my brilliance.

[dj26792 he/him]

That... I don't even know.

I think I like it, its simple it works, its at least vaguely plausible and is comes out of the blue like no other theory I've seen on this forum.

Well played Good Sir.

[CrazyRioter she/her]

I think you just made my brain implode....in a good way, yay for vaguely plausible but completely loony theories.

[Arcanist Lupus he/him]

This is completely absurd (and yet no more so than half the other theories I've seen around here).

I do question the likelihood of the Nightwatcher preforming a massive mind wipe and a resurrection for the sake of one person, especially as I can't see how it would add the plot.

I like the idea for it's audacity, though.

[CrazyRioter she/her]

it's also assuming the Nightwatcher actually has that kind of power, which is a big assumption.

[Aeshdan he/him]

This is completely absurd (and yet no more so than half the other theories I've seen around here).

I do question the likelihood of the Nightwatcher preforming a massive mind wipe and a resurrection for the sake of one person, especially as I can't see how it would add the plot.

I like the idea for it's audacity, though.

The reason she performed the resurrection is because Dalinar asked her too. The mind wipe was so Dalinar wouldn't realize what she'd done.

[happyman he/him]

It's an interesting idea, but almost certainly false.

Firstly, we've never seen any other boon or curse that directly affected people other than the supplicant themself. This would have to be a massive overhaul of half the Alethi court's memories---not very likely. Also, Dalinar and Navani herself talk about his wife at one point, and Navani tells him just how perfect his wife was for him. Plus, Dalinar remembers events including both his wife and Navani, although he just infers that his wife was present from the odd gaps. It just doesn't seem likely, all things considered.

[Kurkistan he/him]

Also, Adolin had blond hair from his mother's side, while Navani most definitely does not, if I recall correctly.

Loony theories are always fun, though.

Edited December 13, 2011 by Kurkistan

[fiveAM he/him]

IF this were true, what kind of curse would have been put on Dalinar? They boon and curse are supposed to balance out evenly, to a point that apparently no1 ever feels like they were cheated or got a really good deal. Considering how that would TOTALLY mess with the 'real' Navani's life (kidnapping, imprisonment, memory change?), and warp the memories of thousands of people... the curse would have to include more than just Dalinar not being able to remember his wife. I feel the curse would have to be on the level of Dalinar losing someone else too but as happyman has said there's no evidence of anyone other than the person asking being directly affected with a curse/boon.

[Arcanist Lupus he/him]

Also, Dalinar knows what his boon was, and he shows no indication of thinking that Navani is his dead wife, which he would know if he knew his boon, and his boon was bringing his dead wife back as Navani.

[fiveAM he/him]

I've actually always thought that Dalinar's boon and curse were the same. He couldn't bear the pain of losing his wife, so he asked the Nightwatcher to erase his memory of her, but it also ended being his curse (like the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

[discipleofhoid he/him]

I've actually always thought that Dalinar's boon and curse were the same. He couldn't bear the pain of losing his wife, so he asked the Nightwatcher to erase his memory of her, but it also ended being his curse (like the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

I would bet the boon was something more like take away my pain at losing my wife. And the curse was losing all memory.

[Tulir he/him]

I would agree with discipleofhoid because the other theory is so far out there. However, I do Like your theory, ReaderAt2046.

[Arcanist Lupus he/him]

I favor this theory that the boon was saving Renarin's life, at the cost of Dalinar's memory of his wife.

[fiveAM he/him]

I favor this theory that the boon was saving Renarin's life, at the cost of Dalinar's memory of his wife.

Mm. I remember thinking that quote about Dalinar finding it hard to meet Renarin's eyes odd when I read it but i had totally forgotten about it. Very interesting... That makes a LOT of sense. Thanks for pointing out that thread, lots of cool stuff there. I think I might start leaning towards that theory too.

[ulyssessword he/him]

I don't think Navani was Dalinar's wife. Quote:

Unfortunately, [Dalinar] did remember how much he'd desired Navani, years before meeting the woman who would become his wife.

This seems to indicate that they are two different people.

[king208]

This doesn't seem possibe because Dalina can't remember his wife's face or name even when others say it in front of him, however he can certainly remember Navani's name. Also her face and her smell and her laugh and her... Major issue for him actually.

[Cheese Ninja he/him]

I don't like it at all, nothing in the book that makes it seem likely, or even possible. There's plenty in the book that works as an argument against it.