Who's gonna die in Stormlight 5?

[SPECTRE120]

One of the main good guys has gotta die. That's just how books like this work. Who will it be? (I realize Renarin and Jasnah are planned for flashbacks, but that doesn't make them safe). Are there any important candidates I missed?

Edited October 2, 2024 by SPECTRE120

[BinarySecond]

The ass of Roshar is on the chopping block.

[Master Silver]

I would rather Hoid die than Dalinar or Adolin. 

Edited October 2, 2024 by Master Silver

[Subvisual Haze]

My 3 guesses seem to match the consensus: Dalinar, Adolin and Szeth.  Mostly just because they don't really have any character growth left.  They've completed their arcs (or will soon in Szeth's case), and can now die in a tragic yet heroic manner.

[BinarySecond]

7 hours ago, Master Silver said:

I would rather Hoid die than Dalinar or Adolin. 

I'll take things that will never happen for 200, Alex.

 

Adolin still needs to resolve his Maya repair storyline so I don't think he can go - Unless B$ has him speedrun it this book.

Edited October 3, 2024 by BinarySecond

[+Child of Hodor]

10 hours ago, Subvisual Haze said:

My 3 guesses seem to match the consensus: Dalinar, Adolin and Szeth.  Mostly just because they don't really have any character growth left.  They've completed their arcs (or will soon in Szeth's case), and can now die in a tragic yet heroic manner.

Those are my guesses as well. I think it will be either an older character like Dalinar or a major character that isn't one of the main POV characters (Szeth has had very little POV compared to the others). There's a sweet spot in my mind where the death(s) will be sad but not too sad.  I just don't think Brandon has it in him to do too many major deaths. Of course, in MB era 1 he killed off almost all the main characters by the end. But that was one or two per book over 3 books. 

One caveat is if Dalinar becomes a Fused or other characters become Heralds as cognitive shadows they technically died and stuck around. Same with Taravangian he was killed by Szeth, but Ascended a few seconds later. A similar thing could happen to Dalinar. We could have a bunch of major "deaths" where the characters are not actually gone from the story. 

A rundown of why I think other characters won't die:

Venli: what's the point of killing this substitute "main" character?

Renarin, Lift and Jasnah: I don't see him killing the 3 younger (compared to the Heralds) back 5 main characters now. Half the fun of the back 5 is seeing how they've changed 10-15 years down the road. 

Kaladin: he spent most of the series wanting to die. Death is too easy for him.  The hard thing for him is to continue to live.

Shallan I just don't think will die here. I am fully in on Chana being her mom and if that's the big reveal toward the end of this book then Shallan needs to be alive for it and Chana returning the favor and stabbing Shallan doesn't seem likely to me. 

The spren aren't on the poll but they are fair game and someone like Syl or Pattern getting killed would be a major death. Shallan's got a spare so Pattern could go. That could be part of her story having to revive Testament with Pattern gone. 

[the_archduke]

Why does anyone think Adolin has completed his arc?

[Subvisual Haze]

32 minutes ago, the_archduke said:

Why does anyone think Adolin has completed his arc?

That's a good point, completing an arc implies he had an arc to begin with.

[the_archduke]

3 minutes ago, Subvisual Haze said:

That's a good point, completing an arc implies he had an arc to begin with.

He is necessary for Mayalaran's arc.

[Bridge Boy]

17 hours ago, Master Silver said:

I would rather Hoid die than Dalinar or Adolin. 

I had not considered this as a potential option. 

Now that I have read it though, it is my most fervent hope for the book. I really despise what BS is doing to the series with this character. 

[GudThymes he/him]

10 minutes ago, the_archduke said:

He is necessary for Mayalaran's arc.

Adolin is a very interesting character to me because imo his arc has been a slow descent into anger and emotion while still embodying the same virtues he showed us on day 1. I think Adolin is a great foil to Dalinar and while I don't want him to die I see a way that BS can explor his descent and death (I would want him to become fused if he dies) in interesting ways.

[ShatteredDiamond She/Her]

2 hours ago, the_archduke said:

Why does anyone think Adolin has completed his arc?

I have no idea. All we've really seen is him just being happy and feeling a little insecure he isn't a radiant. He still has to finish everything with Maya, probably also is going to forgive Dalinar and all that. Not saying he can't die... just that some things have to happen first

[Master Silver]

One thing that I didn't realize is that perhaps Adolin allowing Maya to take what she needs from him has created a crack in his spirit web. I feel like he is not bouncing back as well as he used to. Or maybe we are just seeing inside his head more. 

[Atlas333]

Are we not counting spren as possible candidates for character deaths?

If we are then Pattern is a goner. He's been saying for like 3 books now that Shallan is going to kill him. This will be flipped where it will be a sacrificial death instead of an accidental one like he expected but I feel like Pattern talks about dying too often to not be foreshadowing. Additionally, this would force her to work with Testament and explore that bond in more detail.

The stormfather is another strong candidate because of all the death rattles that refer to rain and the loss of light. 

[Inevitability]

Does anyone actually die? Teft wasn’t a main character. Wayne was at the end of an era so there’s no real impact.

Let’s get some teeth in the cosmere! If someone dies, stay dead!

 

[Cocoa he/him]

3 hours ago, Inevitability said:

Does anyone actually die? Teft wasn’t a main character. Wayne was at the end of an era so there’s no real impact.

Let’s get some teeth in the cosmere! If someone dies, stay dead!

 

Vin, Elend, Tindwyl, Clubs, Dox, Roial, Karata, Hrathen, Lightsong, Blushweaver, Lessie (...eventually), Liyun, Elhokar: "What are we, chopped liver?"

I mean, I take your point (though I disagree about a character having completed their arc equaling no impact), but I'd argue that the whole setting only has two real resurrections, in a narrative sense; Kelsier and Yumi. There's quite a few close shaves and the mechanics of investiture means that the Cosmere is lousy with near-immortals, but pretty much every time that someone's "properly" died, they've stayed that way.

To answer the original topic, my money's on Dalinar, Navani, and Szeth. Dalinar's discussion with Kaladin at the start about what happens if both he and Navani fall smacks too much of foreshadowing, and we know from the epigraphs that only two witnesses are avaliable to relate the events at Shinovar. Granted, that doesn't automatically mean the other three (two knights, two spren, Nightblood) are dead, but of the group (after Nightblood, because I'm not sure how you would kill him), Kal seems the most likely to survive; his whole character arc has been about reaching a point where he can live—and with a degree of peace and happiness at that—even with his depression and suicidal thoughts, so it feels weird to cap that off with his death.

[coolsnow7]

The Shallan persona is going to die, insofar as she achieves her final Truth that she (Radiant) is Chanarach, Herald of the Almighty, betrayer of the Oathpact, and body swapper with the real Shallan.

On 10/4/2024 at 9:08 PM, Inevitability said:

Does anyone actually die? Teft wasn’t a main character. Wayne was at the end of an era so there’s no real impact.

Let’s get some teeth in the cosmere! If someone dies, stay dead!

 

I agree with you in broad strokes, but I think it’s fair to say that if you told me at the beginning of Mistborn that Vin, Elend, and most of the crew would be dead by the end, I’d say “sounds like this series is heading in a dark direction.” Brandon clearly has it in him to massacre his protagonists, even if he’s been wimping out lately (see: Wax and Wayne, where somehow the only main character who dies is Wayne in the cheesiest way possible.)

Edited October 6, 2024 by coolsnow7

[Inevitability]

On 10/5/2024 at 12:57 AM, Cocoa said:

Vin, Elend, Tindwyl, Clubs, Dox, Roial, Karata, Hrathen, Lightsong, Blushweaver, Lessie (...eventually), Liyun, Elhokar: "What are we, chopped liver?"

I mean, I take your point (though I disagree about a character having completed their arc equaling no impact), but I'd argue that the whole setting only has two real resurrections, in a narrative sense; Kelsier and Yumi. There's quite a few close shaves and the mechanics of investiture means that the Cosmere is lousy with near-immortals, but pretty much every time that someone's "properly" died, they've stayed that way.

Fair point, I always forget about Mistborn era 1. I think that era was so great because the consequences were real

[the_archduke]

Chanarach will be revealed to be both Shallans mother AND a ghostblood.   Shallan kills her for real this time. 

 

I started this post as a joke... but... this could actually happen. 

[Nahema]

I think Szeth has to die. He has done horrible things, suffers by being tormented by his conscience, atones for it now in Shinovar, and is finally freed by death. Similar to Wayne and many Hollywood characters - the reformed baddy (or the unlucky protagonist who is forced to commit horrible crimes) who has to be punished in order to be truly absolved for his sins/deeds.

[LewsTherinTelescope]

5 hours ago, Nahema said:

I think Szeth has to die. He has done horrible things, suffers by being tormented by his conscience, atones for it now in Shinovar, and is finally freed by death. Similar to Wayne and many Hollywood characters - the reformed baddy (or the unlucky protagonist who is forced to commit horrible crimes) who has to be punished in order to be truly absolved for his sins/deeds.

That seems like the opposite of Stormlight's themes, which are about choosing life and continuing on to do better after mistakes.

[BinarySecond]

8 hours ago, Nahema said:

I think Szeth has to die. He has done horrible things, suffers by being tormented by his conscience, atones for it now in Shinovar, and is finally freed by death. Similar to Wayne and many Hollywood characters - the reformed baddy (or the unlucky protagonist who is forced to commit horrible crimes) who has to be punished in order to be truly absolved for his sins/deeds.

Saw a comment under the chapters on Reactor and they commented on how Szeth avoids making any decisions himself - He always defers to someone else.

And he calls Kaladin a coward. Ok bro.

[Nahema]

True. But still I‘m not convinced. Murder is a bit more than a mistake.

edit: that‘s a reply to LewsTherinTelescope

Edited October 8, 2024 by Nahema

[alder24]

9 hours ago, Nahema said:

Similar to Wayne and many Hollywood characters - the reformed baddy (or the unlucky protagonist who is forced to commit horrible crimes) who has to be punished in order to be truly absolved for his sins/deeds.

That's wrong, this is what Wayne thought, the truth is he was already forgiven, he earned it by being a good person. That's the theme of SA - everyone can be forgiven, everyone can try to be a better person, try to reach noble ideals. From a slave to a murderer or a warlord who butchered countless innocent people, they can be all be forgiven if they embrace the change - Szeth included. I don't believe Szeth has to die to be absolved of his sins and he already died and was reborn. He was absolved already. TLM ch 71:

Quote

Wayne nodded, then hesitated, looking toward Harmony. “Will this …earn me forgiveness?”

“Oh, Wayne,” Harmony said. “You’ve heard this from Wax. You have to hear it from me too, I think. You can’t do this for forgiveness. You need no forgiveness, not anymore.” 

And … he was right.

 

[BinarySecond]

Szeth can't really be forgiven until he takes some ultimate responsibility for his actions. He may not have felt like he had a choice but he always did.

"Special rock, I had to do it - Doesn't let me stop myself"

His flashbacks better soften my current attitude to him this book or he's in for a rough time.