Would Nightblood destroy good?

[NameIess]

I have a question, could Nightblood destroy something that wasn't evil? Like if I had a person whose spiritual and cognitive aspects included no evil and stabbed him with Nightblood, would Nightblood kill him? Because Nightbloods intent is "Destroy evil" can he also destroy good? what about inanimate objects? that would be trickier as their cognitive aspects would be based on how other people see them, so if a few people saw them as evil, they might be defined as evil, technically.

[Calderis he/him]

1 hour ago, Llstml said:

Could you post those WoBs please? I have read the books and annotations, but they don't say that Nightblood would destroy someone good, Vasher seems to think so, but the annotations say this:

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Will

Who would win in a fight? Vin, or Vasher, or the Nightblood?

Brandon Sanderson

And who would win in a fight between Vin and Vasher? It would probably depend on who got the jump on who. Vin's a bit more sneaky, so I have the feeling that Vasher would be in trouble if it involved sneaking, but Vasher is... he only has to get one little cut on you and you're gone so it, it would probably... my money would be on Vin.

Google+ Hangout (April 17, 2012)

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Questioner

What would happen if Hoid held Nightblood?

Brandon Sanderson

Uh, Hoid would not do that. Hoid would stay very far away.

Stormlightning

Not even hold it??

Brandon Sanderson

He would stay really far away. There are very few things in the Cosmere that Hoid is afraid of, and Nightblood is one of them.

Stormlightning

I thought he'd be afraid of the blade end.

Brandon Sanderson

So let's just say if very, very, very few things in the Cosmere had a chance of destroying you, you wouldn't even pick one up. You'd try to be in a different room entirely.

R'Shara and Sunbird and JoyBlu

*Whispering about Nightblood being able to destroy Hoid*

Brandon Sanderson

I didn't say, I said theoretically. I said "had a chance of", I did not confirm. Hoid doesn't know. But there's a chance, and so he is not going to risk that.

Skyward release party (Nov. 6, 2018)

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Questioner

How does Nightblood determine who is evil and who is not?

Brandon Sanderson

He is not very good at that, which is the joke. He needs someone else.

Skyward release party (Nov. 6, 2018)

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Pagerunner

Is Nightblood like the Tzai Blows... from Dragonsteel, where he pulverizes a Spiritual aspect, and it has a result on the Physical? Is that what he does, popping into smoke?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, he is attacking directly at the spirit.

Oathbringer Houston signing (Nov. 18, 2017)

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Questioner

So, Hoid was not afraid of a Shardblade? Would he be afraid of Nightblood?

Brandon Sanderson

Every rational person *laughter* who has ever existed in the cosmere is afraid of Nightblood, or should be. Hoid isn't always rational, but yes, he is afraid of him.

Oathbringer release party (Nov. 13, 2017)

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Snipexe

Would Nightblood view Nale as evil?

Brandon Sanderson

*Long pause* Probably not.

Orem Signing (March 16, 2019)

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Questioner

What’s your most terrifying character, and why is it Nightblood?

Brandon Sanderson

Ha. Nightblood is pretty terrifying… You know, an object created to destroy evil but doesn’t know what it is?

Questioner

When you brought it back...I had <to like shut the book> a little bit and like, scary.

Brandon Sanderson

I wanted you to think that Nightblood in the hands of Szeth should be one of the most terrifying things that you have ever contemplated.

Shadows of Self San Jose signing (Oct. 9, 2015)

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Brandon Sanderson

Chapter Thirty-Five

Vivenna Awakes, Bound by Vasher

This chapter—with what happens in the latter part of it—is the most dangerous in the book. Dangerous to me as an author, I mean. I love good plot twists, but I worry about leaving them without proper foreshadowing. I've never done something as drastic as I have in this book, having a group of sympathetic characters turn out to be working for the wrong side. I hope it succeeds, but I know that if it doesn't, readers will be very mad. Nothing is sloppier than a book with unearned changes in character motivation.

But we're not there quite yet. Before that we have the first real interaction between Vivenna and Vasher. He gives her what he likes to think of as the Nightblood test. One nice thing about having a sword that "cannot tempt the hearts of those who are pure" is that when someone like Vivenna touches it, she gets sick. I didn't want Nightblood to come across as a "one ring" knockoff. He doesn't turn people's hearts or corrupt them. However, in order to be able to do his job and fulfill his Command, he needs the ability to determine who is good and who is evil.

This, of course, isn't an easy thing to determine. In fact, I don't think it's a black or white issue for most people. When Nightblood was created, the Breaths infused in him did their best to interpret their Command. What they decided was evil was someone who would try to take the sword and use it for evil purposes, selling it, manipulating and extorting others, that sort of thing. Someone who wouldn't want the sword for those reasons was determined to be good. If they touch the weapon, they feel sick. If others touch the weapon, their desire to kill and destroy with it is enhanced greatly.

Nightblood himself, unfortunately, doesn't quite understand what good and evil are. (This is mentioned later in the text.) However, he knows that his master can determine who is good and who is evil—using the sword's power to make people sick, or through other means. So, he pretty much just lets whoever is holding him decide what is evil. And if the one holding the sword determines—deep within their heart—that they are evil themselves, then they will end up killing themselves with the sword.

Vivenna passes the test, which surprises Vasher. He thought that she'd be the type who would use Nightblood to kill and destroy. (He doesn't have a high opinion of her, obviously. Of course, that's partially because he's let his temper dictate what he thinks.)

Warbreaker Annotations (Dec. 22, 2010)

Nightblood can't decide what evil is or isn't. Even his test is based on what a person thinks of themselves. 

If he is being wielded by someone and they swing him towards a person or object and he is able to cut that, it will be destroyed. 

There is nothing anywhere that says Nightblood can only harm evil things. The ground can't be evil. Walls can't be evil. Spren per Brandon aren't good or evil but slaves to their nature and he can kill them.

"every rational being should be scared of Nightblood" 

There's more if you want to dig through wobs, but there's nothing that says he's limited to destroying evil or barred from harming good, and plenty of things that point to his inability to understand those concepts and his ability to destroy pretty much anything. 

[Calderis he/him]

16 minutes ago, Llstml said:

But if they would use him to destroy, they would fail the test.

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Nightblood himself, unfortunately, doesn't quite understand what good and evil are. (This is mentioned later in the text.) However, he knows that his master can determine who is good and who is evil—using the sword's power to make people sick, or through other means. So, he pretty much just lets whoever is holding him decide what is evil. And if the one holding the sword determines—deep within their heart—that they are evil themselves, then they will end up killing themselves with the sword.

It's not that simple. Especially with greater mental fortitude. 

If Denth got hold of Nightblood, he would have use him to kill Vasher, but we know he'd have passed the test. Perception is important on the Cosmere. It's more about the motivation for why that person would use the sword in those ways and what they think about that. 

[Myuken]

Nightblood, as far as I understood him, doesn't have the ability to determine good/evil, he wants to destroy evil but needs an user to find what is evil. A trick he found is that people who wants to use him, as he is a weapon, wants to hurt people and as such are evil.

[Karger he/him]

1 hour ago, Llstml said:

I have a question, could Nightblood destroy something that wasn't evil? Like if I had a person whose spiritual and cognitive aspects included no evil and stabbed him with Nightblood, would Nightblood kill him? Because Nightbloods intent is "Destroy evil" can he also destroy good? what about inanimate objects? that would be trickier as their cognitive aspects would be based on how other people see them, so if a few people saw them as evil, they might be defined as evil, technically.

 

Nightblood lacks a definition of good.  Sorry.

[RShara she/her]

3 hours ago, Llstml said:

I have a question, could Nightblood destroy something that wasn't evil? Like if I had a person whose spiritual and cognitive aspects included no evil and stabbed him with Nightblood, would Nightblood kill him? Because Nightbloods intent is "Destroy evil" can he also destroy good? what about inanimate objects? that would be trickier as their cognitive aspects would be based on how other people see them, so if a few people saw them as evil, they might be defined as evil, technically.

If he's drawn, he'll vaporize anything that he scratches, good, evil, or neutral. In that state, he's more Destroy Everything. Remember he almost ate Lift and Szeth at the end of OB.

Yes, Vasher used him to vaporize a hole in stone so he could go through it.

[NameIess]

 

2 hours ago, Karger said:

Nightblood lacks a definition of good.  Sorry.

But Nightblood has never destroyed a sentient who is not considered "evil" has he? has he ever been used against someone "good"? the only people he has been used against that I know of are nameless soldiers, the person who made him, a thunderclast, a corrupt nobleman, and a fused, never a "good guy" so to speak.

 

1 hour ago, RShara said:

If he's drawn, he'll vaporize anything that he scratches, good, evil, or neutral. In that state, he's more Destroy Everything. Remember he almost ate Lift and Szeth at the end of OB.

Yes, Vasher used him to vaporize a hole in stone so he could go through it.

the eating of the investure of the people who wield him is like the price of him being drawn, I don't think it is the same as him vaporizing someone. I do agree that Nightblood can destroy all inanimate objects.

[Karger he/him]

20 minutes ago, Llstml said:

But Nightblood has never destroyed a sentient who is not considered "evil" has he? has he ever been used against someone "good"? the only people he has been used against that I know of are nameless soldiers, the person who made him, a thunderclast, a corrupt nobleman, and a fused, never a "good guy" so to speak.

Raises eyebrows.  So none of those people could possibly be good in your eyes?

[NameIess]

Well... the soldiers were consumed by the thrill or involved in a plot to start an all out war that would end in countless deaths, the person who made him made nightblood, the thunderclast and the fused were both actively involved in a war to kill or enslave all humanity on Roshar, and the nobleman used the money he was given to mantain the prison for himself, leaving the prisoners to starve in a cell with one guard and no light. so no, None of those people could possibly be good in my eyes.

[Calderis he/him]

Nightblood will destroy anything he cuts. Period. She has no concept of good or evil in its own rite and relies on the beliefs of their wielder. 

This isn't a question. It's been reiterated from its introduction in warbreaker, throughout the annotations, and in a number of WoBs. 

"evil" is subjective and Nightblood can't accurately comprehend it. If you are cut, you poof. Period. 

[Wander89 he/him]

I agree with everyone else. Nightblood just wants to destroy and has probably been told he is destroying "evil" when it's really just the user's perception of good and evil. He thinks that everything he destroys is evil when really he just bases this off the user's evaluation.

[NameIess]

 

23 hours ago, Calderis said:

Nightblood will destroy anything he cuts. Period. She has no concept of good or evil in its own rite and relies on the beliefs of their wielder. 

This isn't a question. It's been reiterated from its introduction in warbreaker, throughout the annotations, and in a number of WoBs. 

"evil" is subjective and Nightblood can't accurately comprehend it. If you are cut, you poof. Period. 

Could you post those WoBs please? I have read the books and annotations, but they don't say that Nightblood would destroy someone good, Vasher seems to think so, but the annotations say this:

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Vasher has a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Nightblood. He makes assumptions he wouldn’t make regarding other people or elements of Awakening. It’s hard for him to regard the sword without bias.

Which could mean that Vasher is not completely reliable when he thinks about how Nightblood cannot tell the difference between good and evil, I am probably completely wrong about this, but I just want to be sure.

[NameIess]

Okay thanks, so the way Nightblood avoids destroying good is picking good people to wield him.

[Calderis he/him]

31 minutes ago, Llstml said:

Okay thanks, so the way Nightblood avoids destroying good is picking good people to wield him.

Which is still flawed, because if they believe they're good... They pass. The test still relies on what they believe deep down. 

Good people could fail through their own judgment of themselves, and evil people could pass through believing themselves to be righteous. 

[NameIess]

But if they would use him to destroy, they would fail the test.