Why Amaram Sucks

[NerdSandwich she/her]

He is:

A glorified thief. Amaram was a murderer and a plunderer who hid his actions behind a facade of military tradition and religious fervor. The most glaring example is when he stole a Shardblade and Shardplate won by Kaladin, then had Kaladin's entire squad executed to cover his tracks and enslaved Kaladin to prevent him from speaking up.

A legend in his own mind. He saw himself as Alethkar's great military hero, the man destined to usher in a new era. Yet, he was actually an incompetent general whose constant, petty border squabbles made him look good on paper but accomplished nothing of real value.

A fake person. His public persona was a carefully constructed sham. He was unfailingly courteous and dignified to hide a fragile ego and a toxic resentment for anyone more genuinely capable than he was. As Shallan later observes, his refined demeanor is just an act put on by a "bastard".

A religious zealot and narcissist. Amaram joined the Sons of Honor not out of a deep and noble spiritual conviction, but because it promised a path to glory. When he was offered a chance to become a Radiant and appear as a savior, he leapt at it. When Odium later exposed the truth and stripped away his pretense, he completely broke down and embraced a new dark master to escape his guilt.

A petty, jealous loser. He could have built a reputation by being a genuinely good person, but he was always resentful of others' greater feats, like Kaladin's skill or Dalinar's vision. His obsession with glory meant that when his reputation was finally tarnished, he chose to become the "King of Hell" rather than accept a lesser, more decent position. His last moments were spent wallowing in his own power and vanity before getting taken out by a simple shot from a skilled archer.

Why I hate him:

Betrayal and deceit: Amaram's most hated action is his betrayal of the main character, Kaladin. After Kaladin legitimately earned a Shardblade, Amaram murdered his squad to steal it and claim the prize for himself, thereby violating a core tenet of his society.

Hypocrisy: A primary criticism is that Amaram is outwardly honorable and respectable but inwardly corrupt and power-hungry. His actions demonstrate a lack of honor, especially his mistreatment of his own soldiers.

Tragic cowardice: While his actions were self-serving, some viewed his embrace of Odium's power as a final, cowardly act. Rather than face his moral ruin, he embraced raw, uncontrolled power that ultimately destroyed him.

Lack of remorse: Amaram openly admitted to Dalinar that he was not remorseful for his betrayal, a stance that angered Dalinar and cemented his reputation for cruelty.

His story arc: It was kind of disappointing...

[Returned he/him]

I didn't like him much, either, though the biggest issue for me is that we don't see enough of him or his life experiences for him to be a proper character. A lot of what he says sounds to me like someone who might have wound up as a Radiant but didn't because he couldn't overcome his failures/traumas/whatever else. Him just alluding to those things doesn't give us anything to really think about, though. We'll probably never know because his story is done and his end too pathetic and inconsequential to warrant much more detail from flashbacks. Maybe we'll learn more about him and his life from the flashbacks of others in the next five books.

I do think that his motivations and mindset aren't necessarily as awful as you describe, although I certainly disagree with him and don't approve of his methods or perspectives. He really was a capable general, by all reports, and did well at what he was assigned (he didn't choose to oversee those border squabbles, he was ordered by his Brightlord to do it). He's diligent even when he's insincere. The petty jealousy I don't recall, though it's believable. He was definitely not a great guy. But (again, for me) he was too poorly developed and thinly portrayed to really hate him. I will agree that he sucks.

Edited October 17, 2025 by Returned

[NerdSandwich she/her]

Fair enough.

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

3 hours ago, YouCantHaveMySandwich said:

He is:

A glorified thief. Amaram was a murderer and a plunderer who hid his actions behind a facade of military tradition and religious fervor. The most glaring example is when he stole a Shardblade and Shardplate won by Kaladin, then had Kaladin's entire squad executed to cover his tracks and enslaved Kaladin to prevent him from speaking up.

A legend in his own mind. He saw himself as Alethkar's great military hero, the man destined to usher in a new era. Yet, he was actually an incompetent general whose constant, petty border squabbles made him look good on paper but accomplished nothing of real value.

A fake person. His public persona was a carefully constructed sham. He was unfailingly courteous and dignified to hide a fragile ego and a toxic resentment for anyone more genuinely capable than he was. As Shallan later observes, his refined demeanor is just an act put on by a "bastard".

A religious zealot and narcissist. Amaram joined the Sons of Honor not out of a deep and noble spiritual conviction, but because it promised a path to glory. When he was offered a chance to become a Radiant and appear as a savior, he leapt at it. When Odium later exposed the truth and stripped away his pretense, he completely broke down and embraced a new dark master to escape his guilt.

A petty, jealous loser. He could have built a reputation by being a genuinely good person, but he was always resentful of others' greater feats, like Kaladin's skill or Dalinar's vision. His obsession with glory meant that when his reputation was finally tarnished, he chose to become the "King of Hell" rather than accept a lesser, more decent position. His last moments were spent wallowing in his own power and vanity before getting taken out by a simple shot from a skilled archer.

Why I hate him:

Betrayal and deceit: Amaram's most hated action is his betrayal of the main character, Kaladin. After Kaladin legitimately earned a Shardblade, Amaram murdered his squad to steal it and claim the prize for himself, thereby violating a core tenet of his society.

Hypocrisy: A primary criticism is that Amaram is outwardly honorable and respectable but inwardly corrupt and power-hungry. His actions demonstrate a lack of honor, especially his mistreatment of his own soldiers.

Tragic cowardice: While his actions were self-serving, some viewed his embrace of Odium's power as a final, cowardly act. Rather than face his moral ruin, he embraced raw, uncontrolled power that ultimately destroyed him.

Lack of remorse: Amaram openly admitted to Dalinar that he was not remorseful for his betrayal, a stance that angered Dalinar and cemented his reputation for cruelty.

His story arc: It was kind of disappointing...

I honestly kind of liked him up until the point where he joined with Odium. Before that, he was completely understandable, if not portrayed well. After, though, I was just kind of disgusted with him. 

[NerdSandwich she/her]

yeah hypocrisy

[Through the Living Hopper He/Him]

I honestly kind of like what he adds to the story, if not him. He is interesting, though, because he has such a different personality than anyone else in the books (other than maybe Rayse).

Edited October 17, 2025 by ThatOneWorldhopper