Jump to content

Honorblades Vs Shardblades


aczh1

Recommended Posts

Hope this question hasn't been asked before!

 

 

Spoilers below

 

 

Syl seemed to want Kaladin to keep and use the Honorblade he got from Szeth. Why?

Obviously, they allow people who don't have Nahel Bond to surgebind. But what would they do for someone like Kaladin, who already possesses a Nahel bond?

 

When Szeth fought Kaladin, his honorblade seemed to be far inferior to Kaladin's Shardblade, which could change form. I see no reason for Kaladin to use his Honorblade at all because Syl is just better. The honorblade seems wasted on him, and would be better on someone else (who isn't a windrunner).

 

On top of this, it's stated that Honorblades take more stormlight to use.

 

Is there something in the book that I've missed that make the Honorblades attractive for people who can already surgebind? 

Edited by aczh1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While Honorblades do seem to be inferior in Surgebinding, Kalak remarks they are weapons of power "beyond even Shardblades". Syl supports this by calling it unique and precious. I suspect there's secrets of their operation that Szeth simply didn't know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Didn't Sanderson said that and Honorblade with the powers to make someone into a Windrunner in hands of a Windrunner would enhance his own abilities? (not in a compounding way, but something less powerful)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe it can change form, but why would he even think to try? It is not something even a normal shardblade could do. And does Szeth even know that it is an honorblade?

 

Szeth did know it was an Honorblade. Szeth however seems to feel that many of its properties were like those of the Deadblades, and not the Sprenblades. Brandon, when asked questions about this, always responds with the note along the lines of "there's a number of things Szeth says he can't do that Kaladin can do...there's something going on there..." This implies that the Honorblade acts much more like a Sprenblade than a Deadblade.

 

We know Szeth required the 10 heartbeats, even though Honorblades don't, nor do Sprenblades. His Honorblade required it because Szeth believed that it did, and therefore it was always 10 heartbeats before the blade would appear.

 

My opinion on the matter is that Honorblades can do all the things Sprenblades can (change shape, heal spiritual wounds, etc.). The books note that the Spren molded their physical prescence after the Honorblades, so I don't think they would add abilities. In addition, why would the KR have been so intent on convincing the Heralds to become their leaders if their own weapons were superior to the Heralds'? It just makes sense that Szeth's Honorblade did not function the same way as Honorblades normally do because he believed that the only ability gained was the surgebinding (and therefore intake of stormlight as well).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Chaos locked this topic
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...