Sorting Hat Game for Stormlight Characters

[maxal]

I wouldn't say that is a bad thing. The fate if Alethkar, no, of the entire world could depend on his capacity to unite Alethkar as far as he knew. As his son said, the nation was not ready to lose him. Very few would want Dalinar to die instead of Adolin, and no one would like if both died uselessly. What Dalinar did was the the right choice, even if an unpleasant one.

 

The choice to sacrifice a child never is the right choice and if it appears as the only choice, then you have not think it through. The man who is willing to watch his son die for what he believes is the greater good of a nation is not the right person to lead it.

[DreamEternal]

The choice to sacrifice a child never is the right choice and if it appears as the only choice, then you have not think it through. The man who is willing to watch his son die for what he believes is the greater good of a nation is not the right person to lead it.

Then we will have to agree to disagree. One should never let his feelings for a person get on the way when so many other people are at risk in my opinion.

But I also don't fully agree with the idea that the ends don't justify the means when we are talking about something as big as the decimation of humanity, so call me Diagramist if you wish.

EDIT: Of course, this depends on how you view that fight. Dalinar truly didn't think it thought, and I believe he overstated how important it was and was foolish to not surrender. But from his point of view, it was damning his son now or the world later. It was a foolish plan, and it wasn't a good choice to make his son such a target.

I only think it was moraly right to put the fate of the world above the lifes of his family, not that he wasn't wrong. One can do what is moraly right while still making a wrong choice due to foolishness and misinformation.

Edited September 24, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[maxal]

Then we will have to agree to disagree. One should never let his feelings for a person get on the way when so many other people are at risk in my opinion.

But I also don't fully agree with the idea that the ends don't justify the means when we are talking about something as big as the decimation of humanity, so call me Diagramist if you wish.

 

Do you have children? I suspect not... Needless to say nobody gets within harms way of mine and I sincerely pity the one who would dare try to touch them. No agenda, no cause, no nation is worthy enough for me to think sacrificing any of my children is an acceptable price.

 

It goes deeper than that. From my point-of-vue, if you can't protect your own family how can you pretend to protect a nation? How narrow-minded are you to think the faith of the kingdom lies on this duel? How can you think your house would not recover if you were to yield and give it away? The ultimate wager, to punish and discriminate Sadeas, was not worth it. The life of a son was not worth keeping your face in this duel.

 

More importantly, if I were a bystander, I would revoke my entire support to Dalinar Kholin the second his son starts to take serious hits while he stands still. I would never follow a man who is wiling to watch his own flesh and blood die for the shake of his political agenda. If this is how he treats his own, how is he going to treat his allies the second they stop being useful or the second they displease him or fail at meeting his high standard?

 

I would never follow such as man. Surely, others in the crowd would have felt the same. Luckily, the scene stopped before we had to witness what Dalinar's ultimate decision would have been. So that one is still left open, but it is scary.

[DreamEternal]

Do you have children? I suspect not... Needless to say nobody gets within harms way of mine and I sincerely pity the one who would dare try to touch them. No agenda, no cause, no nation is worthy enough for me to think sacrificing any of my children is an acceptable price.

There are two points I would like to make before I abandon this discussion. The first is that while I don't have children, it doens't really matter for the context of this discussion, for I am saying my opinions now, bot the ones I may have later(althought I would rather keep my current morality even if I do have children some day, no matter how hard it will be). I believe that whatever some choice is moral or not does not depend on the personal feelings, alegiances and bonds of the one deciding, but how it affects others and the world. I value imparciality and altruism. No favorites or exceptions. I do not have anything against those who think differently, because this model of morality is something I see as impossible and unhealty to follow completely, being more something to seek and aspire to than to actualy reach.

Second: Dalinar is very narrow-minded. As I said before in my edit, the only choices he could see were sacrificing his son or what he (wrongly) saw as sacrificing Roshar's long term survival. Could have called of the duel and given away his shards, but he overestimated the consequences of that. It is like when a hero is faced with two horrible choices, until he notices one is obviously right or that there is a third option. Except this time the hero couldn't notice because he was to blinded by fear to see one of them wasn't as bad as he thought.

The question is not wich of the present options was the greater evil, but wich of the options Dalinar saw was the greater evil.

Now I think it is better to let this drop, OK? I respect your view and I am not trying to change it. It would be horrible if this thread turned into a long winded morality discussion after wich everyone hates one another for how twisted our moral moral compasses are. Hating is bad.

EDIT: I may also have overstated my opinions. The Assuredness Movement and all that. Please don't stab me.

Edited September 25, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[maxal]

Was it the question about the children that set you of like that? I simply believe it is easier to understand the impulse parents naturally have to protect their young once we have some of our own. Any parent would confirm this. Being a parent also makes it harder for me to justify Dalinar's train of actions in this particular scene. There are things in life that needs to be experienced to be truly felt... children are just one of those things. You can read about it, you can talk about it, you can think about it, but you can't truly know until you get there.

 

It was not meant as a critic, simply meant to expose how wrong Dalinar actions are to me and how non-paternal they were. I am still puzzled as to why you sound so flustered... Since I seem to have offended you in a manner I can't quite discern, I will apologize.

 

It does not seem to be a pleasant discussion for you so I agree to drop it.

[DreamEternal]

Sorry if I seemed upset. As I feared, this kind of discussion can spark a more confrontional side in people. As for why your question about me being a parent upset me... Well, I fear this argument will never end if we allow it to last a little longer, so I leave this unexplained if you allow me.

Edited September 25, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[The Honor Spren]

I am, obviously, not a parent. If I was, at my age, that would be terrible. Even if I plan on being one someday.

I would, however, like to point out that Dalinar did not sit idly once he realized what was going on. Fist he went to the judge, commanding her to call off the match. When she refused, he was going to end it himself, only to be restrained by law. So he went and tried to find a Shardbearer to help. Only Kaladin stepped up, if he hadn't, though, I'm fairly certain Dalinar would have just jumped on down, even if he knew that the princedom and the kingdom both needed him and he was probably going to be throwing his life away.

Edited September 25, 2015 by The Honor Spren

[DreamEternal]

How about we change the subject as fast as we can? We could argue wich is Szeth's House!

According to the sorting hat tumblr he would probably be a Ravenclaw, most likely one who has fallen after being forced to not adapt his moral-philosophical system in order to fit new nformation, first trying to keep some "truth" in his personal universe by denying anything that contradicted it and later breaking down and actualy falling when he found out it was false.

Of course, that is what that tumblr page says. I'd wager he would be a Slytherin in the books, or just enter whatever house his parents were.

[gbazz4]

This thread is awesome as it brings together two of my favorite book series. I think it is important to actually look at the actual traits laid out in the books for what each house values. Below I summarized the traits of each house along with the quotes from the sorting hat songs in a few of the books.

 

Gryrfindor (values bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry):

“Their daring, nerve and chivalry, Set Gryffindors apart.”

“By Gryffindor, the bravest were Prized far beyond the rest;”

“Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those With brave deeds to their name."

 

Hufflepuff (values hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play rather than a particular aptitude in its members):

“You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true, And unafraid of toil.”

“For Hufflepuff, hardworkers were Most worthy of admission;”

“Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot And treat them just the same."

 

Ravenclaw (values intelligence, knowledge, and wit):

“Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind;”

“For Ravenclaw, the cleverest Would always be the best;”

“Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose Intelligence is surest."

 

Slytherin (values ambition, cunning and resourcefulness. Also values pure-blood wizards vs muggle-born wizards as the house is almost exclusively comprised of pure-blood wizards, with a few exceptions):

“Or perhaps in Slytherin, Where you'll meet your real friends, Those cunning folk use any means, To achieve their ends.”

“And power-hungry Slytherin Loved those of great ambition”

“Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those Whose ancestry's purest."

 

 

So this is how I would sort some of the SA characters based on the above information:

 

Kaladin – Gryffindor. Goes fearlessly into danger on numerous occasions. I could also see him as a Hufflepuff for his loyalty to his friends or a Ravenclaw because he is intelligence and his upbringing as a surgeon. I completely disagree with anyone who suggests Slytherin. The whole pure-blood vs muggle-born issue is something that is too close to lighteyes vs darkeyes for me to think Kaladin would feel comfortable there. Also I don’t think he is that ambitious and cunning in the way Slytherin values.

 

Shallan – Ravenclaw. Very smart. I don’t see her as being ambitious or cunning like the Slytherins. She is cunning because of her family’s circumstances. But ultimately decides to follow Jasnah to try to save the world from the desolations and is using her intellect and knowledge to that end.

 

Adolin – Hufflepuff. He is extremely loyal and dedicated to his family and men. He is brave so I could see Gryffindor as well. But thinking about it more I think Hufflepuff is a good house for him.

 

Dalinar – I would say the younger Dalinar is more Slytherin because I do think he was ambitious and out for himself (his whole hating his brother at times for being with Navani thing). However, I think the older Dalinar fits into Hufflepuff. He is not cunning like other highprinces and prefers fairplay. He is loyal to his friends/allies and not afraid of hardwork. I could see him being brave which fits into Gryffindor (like when he charges into the Parshendi by himself to save Sadeas. Though I think that even exemplifies Hufflepuff traits) but I think overall Hufflepuff is better for the older Dalinar that we know firsthand through the books.

 

Szeth – He is a tough one. But I am settling on Hufflepuff. The traits of dedication and loyalty are too hard for me to ignore. He is dedicated and loyal to his religion and beliefs. Some might want to put him in Slytherin because he is a massive killer, but he is not doing that for any particular ends of his own. He is doing that to adhere to his beliefs and religion. Also he hates killing and knows nobody can stand against him and wishes he had a worthy opponent with the hope that person can best him and he can die, which I think hints at him wanting fair play and him acknowledging when he is killing throngs of people that he has more advantages and his fights aren’t fair.

 

Jasnah – Ravenclaw through and through to me. So scholarly and intelligent it just fits.

 

Elhokar – I don’t see him as particularly intelligent. I don’t think he is ambitious , cunning, or resourcesful. So I think Hufflepuff is appropriate as they will “teach the lot and treat them just the same.” I think he wants to be a good king and is willing to dedicate himself to try to work hard to be one, he just doesn’t have the skill for it so far. I go back and forth on his bravery. On the one hand he will charge a chasmfiend without blinking, on the other he is freaked out about assasins. I couldn’t take the paranoia and feel like it made him a good fit for Gryffindor.

 

Ialai Sadeas and Torol Sadeas – These two are a sure bet for Slytherin. They fit all the values of that house. They are very political savy and cunning. They string Dalinar along and then abandon him at the Tower. They also outthink Dalinar and Adolin and get Adolin to face 4 shardbearers in the duel. They will use any means to achieve their ends in my opinion.

 

Lirin – Ravenclaw. He is smart and values knowledge, wanting his son to train as a surgeon like him. He has bravery like a Gryffindor when he stands up to the townsfolk who want his spheres and when Roshone tries to intimidate him. So I could see Gryffindor, but his love of being a surgeon to me signals he belongs in Ravenclaw.

 

Lift – I am leaning towards Gryffindor. I think she has nerve and daring. She sneaks into a palace to steal for one. Then when she is faced with her friend being hurt she goes back for him. Going back is pretty loyal and shows a Hufflepuff tendency, but the situation she goes back into I think shows bravery knowing she was being chased and Nalan’Elin and his minions were around the palace looking for her.

 

Navani – Ravenclaw. She is a scholar to the core, that fits well with Ravenclaw.

 

Renarin – Gryffindor. He is kind of the Neville Longbottom of SA. He is obviously book smart, but I think he is brave and will charge in without thinking about consequences. He charges in to help when the Chasmfiend is rampaging during the hunt in WOK, without armour. He also charges in without armour to help his brother during the 4-1 duel. I think under all his bookish demeanor is a brave Gryffindor who wants to be a fighter.

 

Taravangian – Slytherin. I could have gone Ravenclaw because he is super smart on his good days. However, I think he exemplifies values of Slytherin. He is resourceful. He sacrificed his mind to have his one great day where he could see how to stop the end of humanity. He follows what he learned in that day regardless off of the consequences and shows he will use whatever means to achieve his ends. He is obviously cunning, using his secret society to orchestrate murders and other events throughout the world.

 

Tien – Hufflepuff. He is loyal to Kaladin. He is patient and always able to cheer Kaladin up. I couldn’t think of anything that would cause me to want to put him in another house.

 

Wit – Ravenclaw. His name is one of their values.

[bobsaveg]

 

Dalinar – I would say the younger Dalinar is more Slytherin because I do think he was ambitious and out for himself (his whole hating his brother at times for being with Navani thing). However, I think the older Dalinar fits into Hufflepuff. He is not cunning like other highprinces and prefers fairplay. He is loyal to his friends/allies and not afraid of hardwork. I could see him being brave which fits into Gryffindor (like when he charges into the Parshendi by himself to save Sadeas. Though I think that even exemplifies Hufflepuff traits) but I think overall Hufflepuff is better for the older Dalinar that we know firsthand through the books.

 

 

 

I agree and disagree with you. I think young Dalinar was also Hufflepuff  and here is why. Dalinar was not the one who decided to go start a war and unite the princedoms that was his brother, yes he fought hard to win and waded through blood to achieve his goals, but they where his brothers goals not his. The main constant in his life has been his loyalty to his brother and his dedication to him .

 

Also can I just say  FINALY!!!!! I started a thread that is actually interesting to people YAY!

and thanks to Gbazz4 for the Description of the different traits for each house. the site I used had similar descriptions but i like that you posted them here.

Edited September 26, 2015 by bobsaveg

[Seana]

This is really quite simple. Here let me show you

By House

Gryffindor: What do Gryffs like? Sports and hitting things. The three main sports in Roshar are Dueling, War, and Bridging, which means Kaladin, Adolin, and Dalinar all qualify. Looking at Harry, another apparent quality is womanizing, so Adolin double qualifies. So is sulking and moaning about responsibility, so Kaladin double qualifies as well.

Slytherin: The only apparent quality of Slytherins is their ability to be despised. So Sadeas, Amaram, Roshone, and pretty much all of the Lighteyes are shoe-ins.

Ravenclaw: Nerds, thus anyone who has glasses or reads books. Shallan, Navani, and Renarin fit the bill. Jasnah was in this group, but she was expelled for declaring the entire staff senile id'jits and telling people that all of the "friendly" ghosts were really an evil undead army of the damned, lying dormant.

Hufflepuff: Everyone not good enough to get into the other clubs.

So basically Elkohar.

Um. Hufflepuffs are the hardworking, loyal, sensible, honest, optomistic, and overprotective. If you have a Puff on your side, they stick there without fail. They will literally jump in frount of you to keep you safe.

But on the flip side, if they decide to be evil BOY are you in trouble! Everyone seems to forget that Umbridge was a Hufflepuff...

As for Slytherins, DID YOU FORGET HORACE SLUGHORN? Yes he was a pompus codger but he was a very lovable pompus codger.

And that discription of Ravenclaws was downplayed and borderline offencive. Being a Ravenclaw myself, I know a lot about it. Ravenclaws are nerds, yes. We read books, again correct. However you forgot that we are the house that is good at potions, that tries to create new and helpful spells, and might be slightly insane.

Gryffindors just like "sports and hitting things"? Wow. No WONDER they've always been the glorified house.

Excuse me if I'm wrong but that seems a little house racist to me. All of us have a dark side, and people are more complex then those discriptions.

Edit: I don't mean to be rude, but I don't want anyone else to be rude to my Hufflepuff and Slytherin friends.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Seana

[DreamEternal]

Re: Kaladin as a Slytherin:

You must remember that often the hat lets one choose between two houses, even if it judges that one fits better. I think Kaladin would want to be a Slytherin because of how he wished in his youth to take control of his life and grow into either a respected healer or a great war hero, and to learn how the lighteyes(or purebloods in this case) think in order to outsmart them.

His mission to protect others fits better Gryphindor, but I don't think he would associate with people just because they act or think the same. His desire to protect is something personal to him, and I think he would choose his house based on where he could better learn to use his skills or prove his worth, and keep protecting people on his own with that skills.

As an added point, Kaladin is ambitious, even if it isn't as pronouced a trait as his wish to protect others. During all of WoR he kept proving he couldn't just keep his head low like a normal bodyguard. No, he refused to act as anything less than an equal to the Kholins, and refused to accept the status quo that made him a distrusted former-slave when he could have risen to the top of society.

Edited September 26, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[maxal]

Re: Kaladin as a Slytherin:

You must remember that often the hat lets one choose between two houses, even if it judges that one fits better. I think Kaladin would wan't to be a Slytherin because of how he wished in his youth to take control of his life and grow into either a respected healer or a great war hero, and to learn how the lighteyes(or purebloods in this case) think in order to outsmart them.

His mission to protect others fits better Gryphindor, but I don't think he would associate with people just because they act or think the same. His desire to protect is something personal to him, and I think he would choose his house based on where he could better learn to use his skills or prove his worth, and keep protecting people on his own with that skills.

As an added point, Kaladin is ambitious, even if it isn't as pronouced an trait as his wish to protect others. During all of WoR he kept proving he couldn't just keep his head low like a normal bodyguard. No refused to act as anything less than an equal, and refused to accept the status quo that made him a distrusted former-slave when he could have risen to the top of society.

 

I support Kaladin as a Slytherin. 

 

 

...

 

I made a rant on that post on the previous page. I agree the description of the houses offered was overly simplistic.

[Fatebreaker]

Um. Hufflepuffs are the hardworking, loyal, sensible, honest, optomistic, and overprotective. If you have a Puff on your side, they stick there without fail. They will literally jump in frount of you to keep you safe.

But on the flip side, if they decide to be evil BOY are you in trouble! Everyone seems to forget that Umbridge was a Hufflepuff...

As for Slytherins, DID YOU FORGET HORACE SLUGHORN? Yes he was a pompus codger but he was a very lovable pompus codger.

And that discription of Ravenclaws was downplayed and borderline offencive. Being a Ravenclaw myself, I know a lot about it. Ravenclaws are nerds, yes. We read books, again correct. However you forgot that we are the house that is good at potions, that tries to create new and helpful spells, and might be slightly insane.

Gryffindors just like "sports and hitting things"? Wow. No WONDER they've always been the glorified house.

Excuse me if I'm wrong but that seems a little house racist to me. All of us have a dark side, and people are more complex then those discriptions.

Edit: I don't mean to be rude, but I don't want anyone else to be rude to my Hufflepuff and Slytherin friends.

 

Ah, no worries, no offense taken. 

 

And none meant. I was making a passing attempt at humor using the stereotypes of each house, but they're all perfectly alright in their own way I'm sure. Apologies if offence was taken, none was intentionally offered.

[gbazz4]

Re: Kaladin as a Slytherin:

You must remember that often the hat lets one choose between two houses, even if it judges that one fits better. I think Kaladin would want to be a Slytherin because of how he wished in his youth to take control of his life and grow into either a respected healer or a great war hero, and to learn how the lighteyes(or purebloods in this case) think in order to outsmart them.

His mission to protect others fits better Gryphindor, but I don't think he would associate with people just because they act or think the same. His desire to protect is something personal to him, and I think he would choose his house based on where he could better learn to use his skills or prove his worth, and keep protecting people on his own with that skills.

As an added point, Kaladin is ambitious, even if it isn't as pronouced a trait as his wish to protect others. During all of WoR he kept proving he couldn't just keep his head low like a normal bodyguard. No, he refused to act as anything less than an equal to the Kholins, and refused to accept the status quo that made him a distrusted former-slave when he could have risen to the top of society.

 

 

I support Kaladin as a Slytherin. 

 

 

 

I made a rant on that post on the previous page. I agree the description of the houses offered was overly simplistic.

 

I have to completely disagree with Kaladin as Slytherin. If you look at the traits Slytherin House Values i don't really think it applies well to Kaladin. 1) They are cunning and will use any means to achieve their ends, 2) they are power hunger and ambitious, 3) they value pure-blood wizards over muggle-born wizards. I just think there is too much in this value set that goes against Kaladin. 

 

1) I really don't see Kaladin as the type that would achieve his goals by any means necessary. I think that would actually go against the ideals he has sworn to so far. Him and his men could have left the Kholin Army to die in order to escape and gain their freedom. Instead they did what was the right thing and helped save the Kholin army at risk to their freedom. Ultimately it worked out for them and Dalinar purchased their freedom from Sadeas but he could have avoided that but it wouldn't have been right.Take Sadeas. he is a perfect fit for Slytherin. He likes Dalinar, but to ensure he can influence Elhokar as he sees fit he is willing to leave Dalinar to die at the Tower rather than try to use other means to outmaneuver Dalinar politically. It is a cunning and ambitious move on his part. Something I don't think Kaladin has shown he would be willing to do. 

 

2) Though he may want control over his life as a youth, i don't think that makes him ambitious or particularly cunning. Ambition I think would be more like wanting to be a lighteyes or become the king. He could have acted on ambition when he killed Helaran or when he won shardplate from helping Adolin in the 4 vs 1 duel. But he chose not to, he gave the plate and blade away both times. Most ambitious men in Roshar would have gladly accepted the shards. but he did not like what that would have made him. Sure he acts up and not just like a typical bodyguard. But i don't think that says anything about ambition because i don't see him as trying to gain anything by how he was acting. I think it actually illustrates that he is bold, daring, and has nerve by not accepting the status quo or bowing to anyone. I think that actually exemplifies more Gryffindor traits then anything. I think his main motivation is to protect his men and to do his job well in protecting the Kholin family. 

 

3) The whole pure-blood vs muggle-born preference is too similar to the lighteyes vs darkeyes issue to me to think he would want to be in Slytherin. On rare occasions muggle-born are let into Slytehrin, the most notable example is Tom Riddle/Voldermort but he got in 1) because he was the last living heir to Slytherin himsel, 2) was definitely out for himself with no loyalty to any friends (if you can even say he had friends), 3) was willing to do whatever was necessary to accomplish his goals (severing his soul into 7 pieces, killing people at wil, etc), and 4) and was generally a sneaky git who was brilliant, cunning and ambitions. Slytherin to me would be made of lighteyes, with the muggle-born allowed in being those who were able to gain a shardeblade and become a lighteyes. I just don't see Kaladin being ok with this given his dislike of how lighteyes typically treat darkeyes so differently.

 

I think he can learn skills to outsmart lighteyes, protect others, or show his worth in houses outside of Slytherin. Hermione was the most brilliant witch of her class and she wasn't in Ravenclaw, she was in Gryffindor. I think the core issues are really important and would lend Kaladin to either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff because of his bravery and loyalty. I just can't see him as a Slytherin because of their focus on using whatever means necessary, the importance they place on pure-blood wizards, and their ambitions and cunning values.

[maxal]

The problem is you view the Slytherin in a negative way... Simply because all of the antagonists in Harry Potter were sadly taken out of the same house does not mean all individuals with a modicum of ambition are evil and prejudice... Besides, Kaladin is, by far, the most prejudice character we have met, so even if I agreed it was a prerequisite to be sorted into Slytherin, I would be tempted to say your lighteyes/darkeyes debate may not be polarized in the way you think.

 

This being said, there is an ambition to Kaladin. He wants to lead his people, he does not want to delegate, he sees only himself as fit to accomplish his tasks, he prides himself into being the best, he wanted his squad to be sent to the Shattered Plains as the border fights were not enough for him... Kaladin is ambitious, but to read him as such, we must deconstruct our perception ambitious individuals are mean and despicable. 

 

There also is a similarity between Kaladin and Harry... Both have lived through the death of beloved family members, both have been mistreated, both are the unexpected choice for great powers, both have trouble accepting their purpose... The hat wanted to sort Harry into Slyhterin because it saw in him a desire to surpass himself, which I do see in Kaladin as well.

 

He also talks on how the world would be a better place if darkeyes were in charge and not the lighteyes.

 

That being said, Hufflepuff probably is the worst choice for Kaladin: he is not loyal. He betrayed his word to Dalinar to absolve a petty need for revenge. I don't think a Hufflepuff would have never done such thing.

[Maya389]

Here is what I will base my arguments on. Although these writers do disagree with the books at some points (primarily about Slytherin, since Rowling had a tendency to portray the majority as Always Chaotic Evil, and these writers are more sympathetic toward Slytherin) I'd say they do have a solid basis in the books. 

 

Shallan: Slytherin, with strong Ravenclaw tendencies. She is fiercely loyal to her brothers, and once Jasnah becomes one of Her People, her loyalty remains there as well. However, she is also sneaky and conniving like canon Slytherins, although she uses these qualities for good. 

 

Kaladin: Gryffindor, though I'm torn between Slytherin and Hufflepuff for a secondary. He is devoted to what is right because it is right, like a true Gryffindor. Although he does set about creating a community among his fellow bridgemen, like a Hufflepuff, he is also loyal to those closest to him, like a Slytherin. So I'm a bit conflicted there. 

 

Jasnah: Ravenclaw, with strong Slytherin tendencies. Devoted to finding the truth, like a Ravenclaw; perfectly willing to stand on that truth and embrace her new identity as a heretic, like a Slytherin. At the same time, she respects that others will come to different conclusions than she did—so long as they weigh all available evidence and make their decision based on logic and not emotion. 

 

Adolin: I think he's more Gryffindor than Hufflepuff, though he does have strong Hufflepuff tendencies. He does what is right because it's right, no matter what others say, but he also strives to create community and welcome everyone. 

 

Dalinar: Gryffindor. Probably a Gryffindor secondary. He's the Gryffindoriest Gryffindor in Roshar, and if anyone argues, he will out-Gryffindor them right off the planet. 

 

Lift: Slytherin, with a Gryffindor secondary. She does her own thing first and foremost, but when a moral dilemma presents itself, she does the right thing for no other reason than that it is the right thing to do. 

Dalinar

[gbazz4]

The problem is you view the Slytherin in a negative way... Simply because all of the antagonists in Harry Potter were sadly taken out of the same house does not mean all individuals with a modicum of ambition are evil and prejudice... Besides, Kaladin is, by far, the most prejudice character we have met, so even if I agreed it was a prerequisite to be sorted into Slytherin, I would be tempted to say your lighteyes/darkeyes debate may not be polarized in the way you think.

 

This being said, there is an ambition to Kaladin. He wants to lead his people, he does not want to delegate, he sees only himself as fit to accomplish his tasks, he prides himself into being the best, he wanted his squad to be sent to the Shattered Plains as the border fights were not enough for him... Kaladin is ambitious, but to read him as such, we must deconstruct our perception ambitious individuals are mean and despicable. 

 

There also is a similarity between Kaladin and Harry... Both have lived through the death of beloved family members, both have been mistreated, both are the unexpected choice for great powers, both have trouble accepting their purpose... The hat wanted to sort Harry into Slyhterin because it saw in him a desire to surpass himself, which I do see in Kaladin as well.

 

He also talks on how the world would be a better place if darkeyes were in charge and not the lighteyes.

 

That being said, Hufflepuff probably is the worst choice for Kaladin: he is not loyal. He betrayed his word to Dalinar to absolve a petty need for revenge. I don't think a Hufflepuff would have never done such thing.

First off i find it fascinating that we can all look at the same information and come to such completely different conclusions.

 

My take on Slytherin is based on the traits of Slytherin from the books themselves. Those are the values spelled out by JK Rowling herself via the sorting hat. So i think it is fair to say that they will use whatever means to achieve their ends, they are cunning and ambitious, and they place value on pure-blood wizards. That is negative but i think it is clear it is meant to be negative. Ambition in and of itself does not necessitate placement in Slytherin, but a culmination of all the values of the house. For instance, Hermione is ambitious, she wants to be the smartest person in the class and get the best grades. But that didn't result in a Slytherin placement (nor Ravenclaw seeing as how they are known for their wit). She was muggle-born and i don't think would use any means to achieve her ends.

 

I agree there are similarities between Harry and Kaladin. Just because Kaladin wants to be the best spearman i don't think is ambition but more like pride in your skills. Wanting to lead his people i think is more like he thinks he is the only one that can do it right and so needs to lead. I don't think it means he is ambitious and would need to go into Slytherin. Harry wanted to be the best Quidditch player he could be and win the Quidditch cup. He wanted his house to win the House Cup (for that matter all Gryffindors wanted to win both cups and be the best house). That doesn't mean he was the right fit for Slytherin. The hat was torn on where Harry should go. He saw traits of both Slytherin and Gryffindor. Ultimately Harry hated the idea of Slytherin so the sorting hat said well then Gryffindor. And it was the perfect spot for Harry. Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled the sword of Godric Gryffindor out of the sorting hat in the Chamber of Secrets. When it comes to choosing i think the hat only would let you choose if you had qualities of two houses that worked. Otherwise i think it would just put you in the house you belonged in. Harry also has that tendency to not want to let others go into danger, much like Kaladin. They are very similar and i think that shows more of a lean towards Gryffindor.

 

I think there are far more examples of Kaladin fitting Gryffindor and Hufflepuff than can be used to show he is a better fit for Slytherin. I think there are quite a few examples of him not being right for Slytherin. The pure-blood vs muggle-born and lighteyes vs darkeyes i think fits. Many Pure-bloods want to rule the wizarding world and restrict teaching wizardry to only other pure-bloods. I think that falls well in line with Ligheyes being in charge in Alethkar and believing they should rule. In Slytherin house you wouldn't be a muggle-born prejudiced against pure-bloods. It just wouldn't fit, if you were prejudiced against pure-bloods you would likely be in a house with more muggle-borns. So i think Kaladin thinking darkeyes is similar to being prejudiced against pure-blood wizards. That prejudice i don't think would work for Slytherin.

 

I suggested Hufflepuff (as a second option) because i believe Kaladin is extremely loyal. He goes into the army because he is loyal to Tien and wants to protect him. I think at the end of WOR when he leaves to go to Hearthstone it is because he is loyal to his family and wants to make sure they are ok. I think he is loyal and dedicated to his men and will do everything he can to protect them.

 

I am not sure what you mean by "he betrayed his word to Dalinar to absolve a petty need for revenge." Are you referring to when he calls out Amaram after he helps Adolin in the duel? It has been a while since I read WOR (currently early on in a reread) but i don't recall Kaladin saying i won't step in and challenge Amaram if i help out (mainly because he wasn't part of the plan and Adolin thought he would be facing 2 shardbearers). So if that is the place you meant i don't see how he betrayed his word to Dalinar. He and Renarin were the only ones to go help Adolin so i think that shows he is loyal to his word to protect Dalinar's sons. It was more of being stupid versus betraying any word to Dalinar. If there is another scene that you were referring to please let me know because i can't recall one where i thought he was betraying a word to Dalinar. I think Sly would call him on something like that. Also he ultimately faces down Moash and protects Elhokar and shows he is loyal and dedicated to his ideals. I think that shows Hufflepuff fairly well.

 

But he shows bravery, daring and nerve throughout both WOK and WOR (risking himself to save men in battle, taking the front place in the bridge on runs, dressing up in parshendi bones to draw fire away from the bridgemen, charging off to save Dalinar from Eshonai, fighting Szeth when he attacks Dalinar both times, etc.). That to me shows Gryffindor clearly, which is why i think that is the best fit.