Best scenes in the Stormlight Archives

[Tesh Any pronouns]

Warning: Content contains major spoilers for all published SA books. Do not read any further if you have not finished the series.

Have you found an amazing passage in one of the books that you are dying to share with other people, but no one else would understand? Here's your chance! With anything from the boot scene in WoR to the scene right after the highstorm (When Kaladin was strung up. And I admit it, I was on the verge of tears) in WoK. Any good insults from Wit\ Hoid? Planing on following a herd of 100 chasmfeinds singing an ode to your magnificence? Just type down there! Go a tiny way down to see a bit of the boot scene, as well as I can remember it.

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Words of Radiance- Chapter 28

Shallan does a very good Horneater impression.

Boot scene- 

Kaladin- You seem a little skinny for a Horneater.

Tyn- Did you just insult the princess's weight?

Shallan- I am offend!

Tyn- You have insulted her highness!

Shallan- Very offend!

Tyn- You better apologize.

Shallan- No apologize. Boots!

Kalladin- Boots?

Shallan- Yes. I is liking your boots. You will apology with boots.

Kaladin- You, want my boots?

Tyn- You heard the princess.

Edited August 11, 2017 by Tesh

[King Cole he/him]

I think the chapter with the stick that knew it was a stick was great

[Tesh Any pronouns]

What book is it in?

[Radiant_Jaeger he/him]

9 minutes ago, Smart Sloth said:

What book is it in?

It's in words of radiance when Dhallan tries to start a fire

[Tesh Any pronouns]

Oh. Thanks.

[iamstick]

11 hours ago, King Cole said:

I think the chapter with the stick that knew it was a stick was great

A favorite of mine.

As is the "I'm courting your mother" scene. Dalinar understands how to make his point...forcefully. I'm also exceedingly fond of the entire storm attack scene, both with Szeth realizing what Kaladin is and Adolin musing about it afterwards.

[Taeshi Vei she/her]

I'm planning on doing an oil painting of thousands of arrows being sucked straight toward Kaladin's shield.  I will use vivid colors and the "invisible lines" of the arrows will make Kal the exact focus of the artwork. It'll be a long project, but that's my favorite "image" in WoK.

[Tesh Any pronouns]

That will be really cool. You'll have to show me when we visit again.

[djammmer]

When sly brings poison do Kal to make him happy, right before he jumps to his death.

[galendo]

My favorite scenes, in order, at least at the moment (order may change, somewhat, depending on my mood at the time):

1) Bridge Four rescuing Dalinar and company from Sadeas' betrayal.

2) Kaladin and Adolin's duel against four Shardbearers.  (It also has the best line in the series: Kaladin's "Honor is dead.  But I'll see what I can do."

3) Jasnah interviewing Shallan to be her ward.

4) Kaladin strung up in the Highstorm; or more accurately, the immediate aftermath.  But I also love the description of Syl doing what she can to part the winds.

5) Syl bringing Kaladin a leaf.

6) Kaladin swearing his second Ideal.

7) Dalinar coming to grips with the fact that there's no way he could beat Szeth, either now or in the past.

It's maybe worth noting that five of the seven scenes involve Kaladin -- is he my favorite character because he gets so many great scenes, or do I think his scenes are better because he's my favorite character?  (Do windspren cause the wind, or are they attracted to it?).  I'm sure other people get good scenes, too...but I'd probably have to reread the books to remember them.  These ones come pretty much immediately to mind.

[TheDoomsday he/him]

1. The classic 'I am a stick' scene.

2. When Kaladin says, 'The Knights Radiant have returned' in that scene in WoR. It just sounds so epic.

3. When Kaladin is fighting Szeth in the storm.

4. When Kaladin throws the leaves at Tvlakv. 'Happy middlefest, you bastards'.

As you can see, I like Kaladin...

Edited May 22, 2017 by TheDoomsday
Spelling

[+Extesian he/him]

WoK spoilers

Spoiler

"THE WORDS, a voice said, urgent, as if directly into his mind. In that moment, Kaladin was amazed to realize that he knew them, though they’d never been told to him. “I will protect those who cannot protect themselves,” he whispered."

Needs the narrative lead-up of course, but it will forever be one of my favorite moments in fiction. 

If I must choose others;

Kaladin leaping in to help Adolin wearing no freaking armour

Szeth realizing he's Truthful

Dalinar staring down the freaking Shard's-Cognitive-Shadow-blended-with-super-spren and forcibly bonding him. 

All just superb.

Edit - @Smart Sloth you really need to give big spoiler warnings in the title of this thread. This will be filled with spoilers. Just for the sake of folks who haven't read both books

 

Edited May 22, 2017 by Extesian
Spoilered

[Jaygc]

The end of WoR was quite incredible.

So many favorites to choose from for me come from this part of the book, but first that comes to mind is the scene where...

Spoiler

Kaladin makes his final choice on whether to save the king.. Narrowed down even more, specifically when Kaladin realizes that King Elhokar is Dalinar's Tien. 

Not only does it lead to his fully coming into his Radiant persona, but it also faces him to confront several of the deepest parts of himself that have been built up over his life... The sorrow over the death of his brother, his mistrust and hatred of ALL lighteyes, and the conflict between the surgeons (fathers) need to save, and the soldiers need to kill.

 Two books worth of character development coming together to create what is for me one of the most powerful chapters of fiction in recent (perhaps longer) memory.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Jaygc

[Steeldancer he/him]

3 hours ago, Jaygc said:

The end of WoR was quite incredible.

So many favorites to choose from for me come from this part of the book, but first that comes to mind is the scene where...

  Hide contents

Kaladin makes his final choice on whether to save the king.. Narrowed down even more, specifically when Kaladin realizes that King Elhokar is Dalinar's Tien. 

Not only does it lead to his fully coming into his Radiant persona, but it also faces him to confront several of the deepest parts of himself that have been built up over his life... The sorrow over the death of his brother, his mistrust and hatred of ALL lighteyes, and the conflict between the surgeons (fathers) need to save, and the soldiers need to kill.

 Two books worth of character development coming together to create what is for me one of the most powerful chapters of fiction in recent (perhaps longer) memory.

Welcome to the shard! I totally agree. That scene physically moves me each time I read it. It is so emotionally rich and then he recovers and has such power! And when Syl says "stretch forth your hand!" And I proceed to nerd out. It is the ultimate redemption, and clinched the fact that WoR is quite simply the best book I have ever read. I also loved the Taranganavian (sorry for probably spelling that wrong) interlude. I felt like, the first time I read that, that suddenly EVERYTHING had changed on Roshar, and that I had just opened a whole new door for how everything works. The only other transcendent moment like that was when I was searching around online and I was thunderstruck when I found out that everything in the cosmere was 1 universe. that literally blew my mind. 

[Kered he/him]

44 minutes ago, The Flash said:

Welcome to the shard! I totally agree. That scene physically moves me each time I read it. It is so emotionally rich and then he recovers and has such power! And when Syl says "stretch forth your hand!" And I proceed to nerd out. It is the ultimate redemption, and clinched the fact that WoR is quite simply the best book I have ever read. I also loved the Taranganavian (sorry for probably spelling that wrong) interlude. I felt like, the first time I read that, that suddenly EVERYTHING had changed on Roshar, and that I had just opened a whole new door for how everything works. The only other transcendent moment like that was when I was searching around online and I was thunderstruck when I found out that everything in the cosmere was 1 universe. that literally blew my mind. 

"Stretch forth your hand" is one of my favorite lines of dialogue. But my favorite line, comes right before that line. "Your will matters not!" Syl just totally shutting down the Stormfather so she can save Kaladin. That scene and dialogue is going to be tough to beat.

 

One of my other favorite scenes that hasn't been mentioned yet is when Kaladin gets out of jail in WoR and has that conversation with Adolin. It was cool to finally see them become friends.  

[Argent he/him]

Quote

Then she smiled. Oh, storms. She smiled anyway. 

 

[gbazz4 he/him]

These two have been mentioned but i loved them.

1) When Kaladin says "Honor is dead. But I'll see what I can do." Then jumps over the wall to help Adolin in the duel.

2) the whole following exchange:

Spoiler

 

YOUR WILL MATTERS NOT! Syl shouted. YOU CANNOT HOLD ME BACK IF HE SPEAKS THE WORDS! THE WORDS, KALADIN! SAY THEM!

“I will protect even those I hate,” Kaladin whispered through bloody lips. “So long as it is right.”

A Shardblade appeared in Moash’s hands.

A distant rumbling. Thunder.

THE WORDS ARE ACCEPTED, the Stormfather said reluctantly.

“Kaladin!” Syl’s voice. “Stretch forth thy hand!” She zipped around him, suddenly visible as a ribbon of light.

“I can’t…” Kaladin said, drained.

“Stretch forth thy hand!”

He reached out a trembling hand. Moash hesitated.

Wind blew in the opening in the wall, and Syl’s ribbon of light became mist, a form she often took. Silver mist, which grew larger, coalesced before Kaladin, extending into his hand.

Glowing, brilliant, a Shardblade emerged from the mist, vivid blue light shining from swirling patterns along its length.

Kaladin gasped a deep breath as if coming fully awake for the first time. The entire hallway went black as the Stormlight in every lamp down the length of the hall winked out.

For a moment, they stood in darkness.

Then Kaladin exploded with Light.

 

 

[aurik he/him]

1 hour ago, gbazz4 said:

These two have been mentioned but i loved them.

1) When Kaladin says "Honor is dead. But I'll see what I can do." Then jumps over the wall to help Adolin in the duel.

2) the whole following exchange:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

YOUR WILL MATTERS NOT! Syl shouted. YOU CANNOT HOLD ME BACK IF HE SPEAKS THE WORDS! THE WORDS, KALADIN! SAY THEM!

“I will protect even those I hate,” Kaladin whispered through bloody lips. “So long as it is right.”

A Shardblade appeared in Moash’s hands.

A distant rumbling. Thunder.

THE WORDS ARE ACCEPTED, the Stormfather said reluctantly.

“Kaladin!” Syl’s voice. “Stretch forth thy hand!” She zipped around him, suddenly visible as a ribbon of light.

“I can’t…” Kaladin said, drained.

“Stretch forth thy hand!”

He reached out a trembling hand. Moash hesitated.

Wind blew in the opening in the wall, and Syl’s ribbon of light became mist, a form she often took. Silver mist, which grew larger, coalesced before Kaladin, extending into his hand.

Glowing, brilliant, a Shardblade emerged from the mist, vivid blue light shining from swirling patterns along its length.

Kaladin gasped a deep breath as if coming fully awake for the first time. The entire hallway went black as the Stormlight in every lamp down the length of the hall winked out.

For a moment, they stood in darkness.

Then Kaladin exploded with Light.

 

 

Every time I hear that sequence on the audiobook, I positively get shivers down my spine.

 

I also have to add:

- Any scene with Hoid

- Any scene with Lift's Awesomeness.

[Kered he/him]

3 hours ago, aurik said:

Every time I hear that sequence on the audiobook, I positively get shivers down my spine.

 

I also have to add:

- Any scene with Hoid

- Any scene with Lift's Awesomeness.

Yeah, i was trying to find a quote from Edgedancer with Lift, then I realized that it wouldn't be feasible to type the every scene with her in it. 

[Radiant_Jaeger he/him]

1 hour ago, Kered said:

Yeah, i was trying to find a quote from Edgedancer with Lift, then I realized that it wouldn't be feasible to type the every scene with her in it. 

Since when is eating with a Shard fork feasable, the point of Lift is to be as awesome as possible! Post away

[+Wax he/him]

 Interesting, I have a lot of favourite scenes:-

+ Jasnah's prologue and shadesmarr entry at the start of WoR

+ Szeth's killing of a room full of people was ... from WoK 

+ Taln's entry at the end of WoK

+ Kaladin's interactions with Hoid

+ Shallan's last scene with her father 

+ Shallan's interaction with Taln

+ Shallan, Kaladin and Tyn's scenes

+ more...

A lot of scenes I liked, although the 'I am a stick' scene has never rocked my boat.

 

 

 

[Tesh Any pronouns]

All of those scenes are amazing, but, the boot scene is easily my favorite. Still. Whenever my best friend (Kaladinwillumarryme?) and I get together, we always go through that together. We have it memorised. We even do it if there is a ton of people around. But we do get weird looks.

[+Wax he/him]

I am offend! 

[Tesh Any pronouns]

Tyn-You have offended her highness!

Shallan- Very offend!

Tyn-You should apologize!

Shallan- No apologize! Boots!

Me- He he he.

[Harbour he/him]

There is the scene from TWoK that made me scared as hell. The scene where Shallan drew the Cryptics that surrounded her in the room. It was a really creepy scene.