Why (I think) that Kaladin is a better hero than Dalinar

[Patrick Star]

So, this is an opinion piece of mine, and a discussion of Dalinar and Kaladin.

 

In my opinion, Kaladin is by far the better hero character.  Here's why.

 

Major events in Kaladin's life include: seeing his brother killed because of an incompetent and selfish squadleader, watching his men get killed by and being enslaved by a corrupt brightlord, and possibly foresaking his freedom (and life) in order to go on a suicide mission to rescue a highprince who had allied himself with Sadeas.

 

Major events in Dalinar's life include: Getting so freaking plastered that he allowed his brother to be killed by Szeth, putting himself in the best possible position for Sadeas to betray him, and being bailed out of said betrayal by Kaladin.

 

Kaladin's major mistake so far was his plan to allow Moash to murder Elhokar.  While this is quite a bit of a transgression, Elhokar WAS indirectly responsible for Kaladin's troubles (his brother, the shardblade, etcetera), and Kaladin has proven to have severe depression and PTSD.  As soon as he thinks of Tien, he loses grip with reality.

 

Dalinar's mistakes are a... bit more varied and numerous.  Let's see here: getting drunk in the prologue, allying himself with Sadeas, allowing Roshone to retain a degree of power, and naming Amaram the head of the Knights Radiant while simultaniously not realizing that there wasn't anything special about Kaladin (or Shallan).

 

Also, Dalinar really hasn't had to address his mistakes.  Kaladin and some of the highprinces bailed him out Sadeas' betrayal, and nobody other than Kaladin (with Amaram) has really harped on Dalinar for the others.  You could argue that Gavilar's death is punishment enough, but I really don't think that works, especially if Gavilar was a twisted as the Sons of Honor.

 

I really don't think that the same argument can be made for Kaladin.  Between the bridge runs, fighting Szeth, and saving Dalinar, Kaladin has almost single-handedly made up for his and others' mistakes.

 

I know that I should probably reserve this judgement until Highprince of War comes out, but at this point in the series, I think that Dalinar is relatively undeserving of the leadership of the new Radiants, and that Kaladin is simply a better hero.

 

Also, while I commend Dalinar for not taking the throne, I really think that he should have.  For him to put the entire kingdom in jeopardy just so that he could keep an outdated promise to his brother is a bit selfish.  If he had the support that he said he had, he should have at least overseen Alethkar during the Parshendi war.  Elhokar was in no way ready for the throne, and Dalinar could have used those few years to stabilize the kingdom and demonstrate to Elhokar how to be a better king.  To me, his refusal to take at least temporary control was the wrong move.

 

Sorry if this is a bit disjointed and/or ranty.

 

What do you guys think of this?  Who do you think is the better hero?  Or the better character?

[Chrono she/her]

I think there's a lot of bias towards Kaladin, simply because he has a lot more screen time then Dalinar does. And he's been put through the wringer a lot more. However, I'd give it some time. We often don't get to see Dalinar's perspective on things, so I haven't really had a chance to grasp him as a character yet. Kaladin I'm pretty sure about, Shallan I'm sure about, even Adolin I'm sure about. But Dalinar? He hasn't really ever had much emphasis.

 

To be honest, I see Dalinar as a struggling soul. His problems have been mostly internal, which sometimes make them harder to pick up on. However, they're still there, and they're putting a lot of pressure on his mind. He's constantly having to walk the line between being helpful to Elhokar but not simply taking over the throne. He's struggling with the fact that God is dead, pretty much. Almost every highprince either hates him or wants nothing to do with him. He's seen as an embarrassment, an old goody-goody that's condescending and "holier than thou" to everyone (although there are certainly elements of truth in that). And, as always, he's basically forced himself into a position that's uncomfortable to him: being a diplomat instead of a military leader.

 

Those problems may seem minor compared to Kaladin's, but I suspect that Dalinar is going to be ripped to shreds as these books go on. Brandon has said that Dalinar is his favorite character from the SA, and Brandon loves to hurt his favorite characters. I'm patiently waiting for the day when Dalinar will have to lose everything and everyone he loves to save the world.

 

As for whether Dalinar or Kaladin would make a better leader, I would say Dalinar in a heartbeat. Kaladin is charismatic and has some leadership abilities, but Dalinar is much more experienced at leading armies. He's shown us that he is a respectable leader and wise in strategy (that plot with Amaram? Pure genius. He's gotten much better at scheming). He's slowly starting to get over his bad trusting ability, but I have a nagging feeling that it won't leave him. In short, he's just got more experience at leading massive amounts of conflicting people than Kaladin. I also have a feeling that Dalinar will delegate a lot of responsibility to those under his command. 

[maxal she/her]

Very very interesting post. Alas, I do not have time at the moment to write a lengthy response, but I will later on tonight.

 

For now, I will just say I agree with most of your points, but not with your conclusion. Overall, I do not think Kaladin is a better hero than Dalinar. I think they are different kind of heroes, but I would not qualify one better than the other. I agree Dalinar made numerous mistakes in his distant and not so distant past, but he did compensate by trying to do the good thing. He is a man thorn between his natural violent instincts, his inner desire to bring peace and stability and his loyalty to a brother he once sworn to kill out of jealousy.

 

You mentioned how traumatized Kaladin is by Tien's death and how he loses it each time he thinks about him.... It is not much different for Dalinar. Up until the end of WoR, Dalinar blames himself for his brother's death and it hurts him even more he once hoped for this. He grew up the second son, always bested by more than perfect Galivar. Galivar was better than him at everything, he got to the king and worst he even got to have the girl (Navani). I bet he was much more handsome as well. He was jealous of his brother to a point where that feeling turned into hate. He managed to move through it, but I feel it added to his failure for preventing Galivar's death. Therefore, I do think Galivar's death was very hard for Dalinar and he feels much more responsible than Kaladin ever felt. Kaladin could not have done anything to save Tien. He knows it. His rage is directed towards the culprits, not himself, unlike Dalinar. I think you are not being fair in your assessment of Dalinar regarding Galivar's death.

 

Alright. I had so much more to say, but I'll have to come back later.

[Terisen he/him]

One of the issues here is that we haven't seen Dalinar's history and, therefore, haven't seen much of his "hero's journey".  We've gotten the backstory for Kaladin, which is quite tragic, but we've only seen the recent history of Dalinar.  We don't even know the full story behind his Blackthorn moniker or how he went from that to the person we see today.  There's a massive time skip.  Oh sure, we've seen references to him changing, but we haven't gone on that ride with him (so to speak).

 

Dalinar is also, as has been pointed out, a different type of hero.  Personally, it's one that I think is a bit more relatable.  Most of us will never come close to the horrors that Kaladin goes through, though we might use them as allegories to our own problems.  We won't be enslaved and watch all of our friends killed off brutally.  However, a lot of us WILL have the issues Dalinar has struggled with so far.  Some of us will be leaders in our work, trying to figure out how to unite the people who work for us and with us.  Most of us will have to find ways to make our children understand why we want them to live a certain way and why it would be good for them.  Granted, some of Dailnar's problems aren't ALL relatable, but I find Dalinar to be a good hero of a different kind.

 

That said, I love Kaladin's story.  I root for the guy since I, too, have suffered from clinical depression.

 

Two different heroes.  Gives you options!

[kaellok he/him]

I'm confused.  Wait, no, I'm not, I'm kaellok.  Confused is someone else entirely.

 

Anyway, on point, you are attempting to compare the hero-ness of two people, and then at the end say that the better hero should be the leader.  If you are going to argue about who is the better hero (similar, but absolutely not the same thing as who is more heroic, or who shows more heroism) then you need to identify what traits make a hero, and which ones are the most important.  For instance, Kaladin has been through and survived a lot.  That is heroic, period.  Any of the bridgemen that survive, even if they have done nothing else and will never do anything else, are heroic.  This doesn't mean they are heroes.  Superman is basically invulnerable.  Is he incapable of being a hero or showing heroism simply because it's really hard to kill him?  What about the Hulk, who is even harder to kill?  Is vulnerability, and overcoming this, required of a hero?  Does there need to be an element of danger before someone can be a hero?

 

You also make a large deal about the mistakes (and their scale) versus how they went about fixing them.  Does making a mistake, even a large one, discount one from being a hero?  Does it make them less of a hero?  If so, how large does it need to be?  What kind of mistakes?  Presumably forgetting to get milk on the way home from market doesn't count, and accidentally ending all life on the planet would, but beyond those extremes what counts versus what doesn't?

 

Finally, what does being 'the better hero' have to do with leading?  Is a primary attribute of heroes to lead people?  Or is it to give them a symbol?  Look at The Avengers movie.  Iron Man is a hero, but a terrible leader.  Putting him in charge would be a terrible idea.  Maybe Captain America is a better hero, but they're pretty close to the same caliber of "we are really, really good at saving innocent lives."

 

tl;dr: How are you defining and evaluating what makes a hero?  Why should the better hero be in charge?

 

Spoiler tagging specific issues I have with the arguments made in OP

Dalinar has had to deal with being a belligerent drunken sot every day of his life for the last 6 years.  And not just by moaning and gnashing his teeth, but waging war and politics.  He has had to fight to keep the nation together, to keep Elhokar alive and as sane as possible, all while also searching for what his brother said and meant--every single day.  And he's getting visions from the Almighty now, that help to drive that home.  And he thought, every day for six years, that it was directly his fault and responsibility for the state of a large part of the world.

 

Dalinar appointed Amaram a KR because he knew that the world needed them, but no one else would step forward.  No one.  Including Kaladin, and including Shallan.  Was it a mistake?  Sure.  But Dalinar knew there was something special about Kaladin; he mentions it a few times, if not specifically by "omg I bet he's a Radiant!" quality.

 

He made a mistake with Roshar, definitely.  I don't understand why the Blackthorn didn't act to remove a potential threat, which is what is the oddest about that to me (banishing him makes him bitter, and will act against Dalinar and likely the throne in the future.)  However, the nature of Sadeas's treachery was not one that could have been predicted while also operating under the belief that the Almighty had said that it was a good idea.  Was he wrong?  Absolutely, but if you think that they were only saved because of Kaladin then you're severely downplaying the efforts of the Kholin army, as well as Dalinar and Adolin.  Kaladin and Bridge Four totally saved them and puled them out of the fire, absolutely, and without their efforts the Kholins would be dead; but surviving that battle was just as heroic as the runs the Bridgemen survived.

 

Dalinar on the throne would have irrevocably shattered Alethkar as a united nation.  Period.  Especially given the intense rivalry between Dalinar and Sadeas post-Gavilar's death.  If Sadeas or Dalinar either one had tried to take the throne, the other would have fought with all they had against it.  It was only through Elhokar that they were able to work together and preserve Alethkar. 

 

Kaladin's major mistake so far is his absolute inability to see that lighteyes are people.  He has been as prejudiced and hateful as any one else has been in the books; more, in my opinion.  Most lighteyes don't see darkeyes as anything, while Kaladin actively hates lighteyes for what they are.  Both are terrible, but I find casual indifference/disgust slightly more tolerable than active, untargeted hate (he hates lighteyes for being lighteyes, even the ones he has never met or seen before that second). 

 

Dalinar has also, time and again, actively shown greater leadership than Kaladin.  Sure, we see Kaladin on the small-scale in WoK, with a squad.  We see none in WoR.  None.  He's too full of his own problems, and the problems of his men, to actually see to leading them.  Dalinar, when he gets caught up with himself, is able to delegate to his son to take over.  Kaladin has no one else (which is also an aspect of a...leader who is not working at an optimum level).

 

Kaladin's struggle has been much more micro, Dalinar's much more macro, in my mind.  That doesn't make one bigger or better than the other, but I absolutely think Dalinar is a much better leader overall.

 

[maxal she/her]

Kaellok, I will not quote your post, but I thought it was amazing. I completely agree with you.

 

I wanted to add I too believe Dalinar is a much better leader than Kaladin. Dalinar has actually seen many wars, he is a good military tactician, he is able to grasp the bigger picture in the blink of an eye. Can Kaladin do the same? No. Kaladin fails multiple times to see the larger picture. He fails to understand the purpose of the bridgemen, ie to provide distraction for the Parshendi while the real soldiers took place. Brutal, yes, but he didn't see it until it was too late. A lighteye was executed because of his mistake. Kaladin inspired the bridgemen to be better men, that is true. He pushed them, he trained them. Well, he trained bridge 4. He was not involved with the other bridges. In fact, he delegated most of it to Theft. Does he lead them? Yes, in a way, but not much, really.

 

Also, Kaladin knows Dalinar is looking for the Radiants and yet he hides. He grunts and gets angry for Dalinar naming the one person he thought would be suitable, Amaram. Who's fault is it? Dalinar had no way of knowing about the bad things Amaram did. Worst, in Alethki politics, what Amaram did was probably considered "acceptable".

 

As for battles, we have seen him being effective keeping a small group of soldier alive. Period. That is what he was doing in Amaram's army. Surviving. Would he be able to lead a large army into battle? To design on the spot battle tactics? Could he send his men forward knowing some of them won't survive? Probably not. He does not have the experience, the knowledge nor the training to be a tactical ear leader. Maybe he will at some point, but not now.

 

Putting Kaladin in charge of the Radiant would be a huge mistake. At this point, I believe Adolin might do a better job of leadership then Kaladin. He certainly is better then Kaladin at leading war assaults.

 

As for Elhokar, well Dalinar made many mistakes. Should he have taken the throne? Probably not. Has he made mistakes with his nephew? Oh yes, many. For one, he let his guilt over Galivar's death made him go easy on his nephew. Indulging in him and letting him go forward with his whims. Instead of providing him appropriate guidance he more or less let him do what he wanted even if it was wrong. He claims he did it for love, but I think he did for guilt. He goes much harder on his own sons than on his nephews and I think we are not done seeing this.

[Shadowspren he/him]

Personally, I think it has a lot to do with the experiences that they have had.

For instance, Kaladin has been raised in a Darkeyed family, his father was a surgeon and he had war experience. And he had been a slave. He has had way more experiences that are continually added upon with him being around high ranking lighteyes all the time throughout WoR. 

Dalinar on the other hand grew up as a lighteyes and although he has a vast knowledge of war and lots of war experience... that is really the only thing he knows how to do is fight (as shown by him trying to be a politician and not knowing anything) 

Since Alethkar is pretty much the main kingdom on Roshar, and Alethkar policies are based around Lighteyes and Darkeyes as the classes. I think that Dalinar and Kaladin both display exceptionally good qualities, Dalinar displaying them from a Lighteyed perspective and Kaladin from a Darkeyed. And not only has Dalinar been a honorable man in comparison to other lighteyes, but he also raised his children to do the same which I think gives him a few points, making him and Kal pretty even.

[Firiel she/her]

I think age and maturity are a big differentiating factors here too.  And I think in that case, Dalinar has two big advantages over Kaladin.  The first is impetuousness.  Impetuousness is part of what makes Kaladin a great warrior and hero.  He decided to risk everything to save Dalinar from Sadeas' betrayal.  He jumped into Adolin's duel without really thinking about it.  Those were great moments for him.  However, that impetuousness also caused him to demand to duel Amaram.  Dalinar also had his "impetuous" phase-- he was the Blackthorn and a great fighter.  He's older now and his youthful passions and ideals have settled down and solidified.  I am sure Kaladin will get there as well, but he's just not yet.

 

And I think that Dalinar has matured in a very important way that Kaladin hasn't yet.  Kaladin hasn't learned how to properly take responsibility yet.  It seems like he needs to either blame outside circumstances ("I must be cursed" and "They threw me in jail and it wasn't my fault") or take 100% of the blame and beat himself up over it ("It's my fault Tien died").  Neither leads to positive change.  Dalinar is (better) able to take blame where blame is due and use it to make positive changes instead of letting it paralyze him with guilt.  He felt responsible for Gavilar's death, so he changed his actions, started following the Codes, and stopped being a drunkard.  And when he realized just how adept Szeth was and that there was no way he would have been able to help his brother anyway, he let his guilt go.  Kaladin holds onto the deaths of those people close to him even when there was nothing he could have done.

 

I love Kaladin, and I am really looking forward to him learning these lessons in real time.  As someone said above, we haven't seem Dalinar's hero journey.  I think Dalinar is currently a better leader than Kaladin, though I think Kaladin will get there as he matures.  I mean, he's what?  20?  It would be unrealistic if he were as strong a leader as Dalinar.  You could make the case that Kaladin is a better hero, depending on your definition of hero.  One thing that I think is very heroic about Kaladin that the other characters may not have is the ability to push on in the absence of hope.  We see that in tWoK a lot, and that will come into play as the situation on Roshar gets more dire.  Perhaps when other characters can't, he will be able to ask the question, "Is there any way, any sliver of hope, that this will turn out okay?"  And when the answer is "No," he'll breathe in some Stormlight and carry on anyway because it's the right thing to do.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Firiel

[traceria she/her]

(This work computer hates formatting...argh!)

• Kaellok, you got an upvote for that post!  You basically took the words right out of my mouth.  I was going to point out that leader and hero are not synonymous terms.
• I just had a kind of random and somewhat related thought.  I think Dalinar and Kalidan both have something to learn about trust and, in doing so, could become better heroes of their own particular flavor.  Dalinar is already working on his 'trust everyone' issue.  Being the leader he is and being able to see the bigger picture, he also needs to prepare for the possibility that people under his command aren't going to do what they're supposed to (whether that means those people are deliberately divisive or accidentally so).  Kalidan, on the other hand, doesn't seem to trust anyone or at least very few people.  Those people he does trust had to do a lot to earn it.  If Kalidan is going to be the sort of hero that is more of a weapon than the decision-maker, he's going to have to start trusting the leaders calling the shots more than he currently does.  They both could learn quite a bit from the other if they pay attention.  Kalidan could teach Dalinar that some distrust is okay, and Dalinar could teach Kalidan that more faith in people isn't as dangerous as he thinks.
• Firiel, I think you also have some very good points about the difference in maturity level between the two.

Edited June 5, 2014 by traceria

[Endurant Archivist he/him]

We're also overlooking some of Dalinar's struggles outside of the book.

 

What drove him to go to the nightwatcher and forget his wife?

Was that the right choice? 

How would Gavilar have cared for his son?

How do you make a king a better man without DOING it all for him?

 

I believe he is on a level field with Kaladan. Think about how much he has had to stand up to, having his feet cut out of under him because he's trying to work with people, not dominate them. He is ridiculed for his visions, something no one has really turned around to him to say, "You're right, Dalinar, we were wrong about you." There are layers of responsibility on him that don't rest on Kaladan, or at least, didn't, until they both became Knights Radiant. Keep in mind that Dalinar also listened to Kaladan and brought out the truth from Amaram in public, discrediting him. 

 

So, I identify with Kaladan better, because he's younger and struggles with the small things. But Dalinar struggles with boulders while Kaladan is juggling his guilt and depression. Dalinar's journey isn't as heroic within the books, but as a model of a hero, he's neck and neck with Kaladan, in my opinion.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Endurant Archivist

[Cromptj he/him]

I think that the whole point of Kaladin's arc is that he becomes a better decision maker so he can lead by himself, without having to rely so much on others to be a moral compass. To get there, he has to sort out his own issues, so he can help people struggling with theirs. While I think Kaladin will probably end up being Honor's Champion, he is also a Windrunner, whose primary goal is to protect and lead.

[harry31j97 he/him]

Lol. Lots of 'Kalidan' from two different users. Have they set their minds on alethi names being in the form of Dalinar or Gavilar?

Regarding Dalinar's backstory, I think we'll not get as much of it as we've had it of Kaladin or Shallan simply because he's been alloted 5th book in series & last in the 1st arc. The main story is going to take precedence over his backstory. So whatever the ans to this debate, we are more likely to have it in next book, when Kaladin is going back to his home & then to capital to control riots. How will he handle rioters or the queen who are certainly going to have bad view of his slave scars?

[traceria she/her]

Huh...didn't even realize I'd typed it wrong!  I  have no excuse either.  I read the paper book, not the audio one.  XD

[Endurant Archivist he/him]

Same here, no excuse. My bad. But it's corrected. Thanks for the heads up.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Endurant Archivist

[Zmann966 he/him]

Am I the only one who feels like Kaladin is going to be Odium's champion?

 

I mean I thought about it, and went back through to read tWoK and WoR and it really fits.

He goes dark at the slightest breeze, in WoR goes far enough to lose his bond with Syl. 

 

He's angry, vengeful, and quite frankly, very susceptible to hate.

Even at the end of WoR we feel he's made peace and become a good guy, gotten Syl back, saved the day...

But then he hears the Everstorm is gonna royally SCREW Roshar and what does he do? Take off immediately to go save his own family.

Not the world, not try and "protect" the peoples of the nations, he makes the selfish decision to protect those he wants to.

 

Not to mention the summary on the backs of the books:

 

Now there are four whom we watch: the surgeon, forced to forsake healing and fight in the most brutal war of our time; the assassin who weeps as he kills; the liar, who wears he scholar's mantle over a thief's heart; and the prince, whose eyes open to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes.

One of them may redeem us. One of them will destroy us.

 

The more I re-read, the more I feel like Kaladin is not the hero we want him to be.

Dalinar is strong and capable, and will follow his oaths no matter what. Shallan fights with her past to follow her oaths for the greater good. Even Szeth is honorable, and will make an excellent Skybreaker because of his devotion to his oaths.

Eshonai isn't even mentioned. And she's simply a pawn of Odium's. One of a million Voidbringers, (once the Everstorm changed the parshmen) helplessly slaved to their shard of hatred.

But Kaladin? Kaladin struggles every step of the way. Would it make for a heart-warming character-arc of struggle and redemption? Sure.

Would it also make the most sense for him to be corrupted by Odium, by hatred? Ohh yes. Kaladin is a much better choice to slip into that darkness inside him and succumb to the greater pull of hate.

[Aether he/him]

I have also considered this, and while I think there would be a huge back-lash if he did, it really does fit his writing style. Mistborn was originally brain-stormed as a "what if the dark lord won?" scenario, and he has always held that "every villain is the hero of his own story". It would be amazingly interesting if it now turns out that he is trying his hand at writing the story of a hero succumbing to his own demons, showing us his inner thoughts and machinations along the way.

[Aleksiel]

Am I the only one who feels like Kaladin is going to be Odium's champion?

 

I mean I thought about it, and went back through to read tWoK and WoR and it really fits.

He goes dark at the slightest breeze, in WoR goes far enough to lose his bond with Syl. 

 

He's angry, vengeful, and quite frankly, very susceptible to hate.

Even at the end of WoR we feel he's made peace and become a good guy, gotten Syl back, saved the day...

But then he hears the Everstorm is gonna royally SCREW Roshar and what does he do? Take off immediately to go save his own family.

Not the world, not try and "protect" the peoples of the nations, he makes the selfish decision to protect those he wants to.

 

You do have a point, but what else would you have Kaladin do? He can only save a limited amount of people. Where would you have him start? A random village where nobody knows him and the citizens are more likely to run away from him than follow? Why is a random village a better start than his hometown? Is it right and honorable to not go to his parents?

 

edit: the everstorm is going the opposite way a highstorm does and Dalinar's scholars said it'll hit Shinovar in two days, so it hasn't changed the Parshmen in Alethkar yet. 

Edited June 9, 2014 by Aleksiel

[traceria she/her]

I haven't thought about this very long and hard, but the most obvious issue I see with the idea of Kaladin going all dark on us and becoming Odium's champion is his bond with Syl.  I just don't see her sticking around long enough for him to be an effective champion for Odium.  He'd likely have to break one if not more of the oaths he's already said that make his bond with Syl possible. 

[Endurant Archivist he/him]

I agree with @traceria. Kaladin already stood up for a man he didn't like, King Elhokar, even had reason to hate. But when he protected him, his bond to Syl was restored. If he were to serve hate, it'd be selfish and he wouldn't fulfill the second oath. 

 

I will protect even those I hate

 

Given that it's integral to his oaths, he fits as Honor's champion more then Odium. 

 

Now Shallan and her relation to the Ghost Bloods...there's possibility for a darker path with her. She might give in to her lies, twisting the truth to be what she wants it to be. She's already struggling with the perspectives of her own truth.

[Gabriele she/her]

I think Kaladin has reached his lowest point when he joins the assassination plot against Elhokar. When he drags himself out of that, he fulfilled his redemption arc.

 

Ma candidate is Shallan. There's a duplicity to her that makes me dislike the character (ok, that is a personal feeling) and which may offer the crack for Odium to creep it. After all, she's not dealt with her past and she keeps lying even to herself. One day, that facade may crumble spectacularly.

[Terisen he/him]

The whole "Kaladin becoming Odium's champion" has a little too much Anakin-becomes-Darth-Vader vibe for me.  Though, it would be much better written this time around.....

[Aether he/him]

The whole "Kaladin becoming Odium's champion" has a little too much Anakin-becomes-Darth-Vader vibe for me.  Though, it would be much better written this time around.....

Word.

[Zmann966 he/him]

Hate corrupts everything.

That's basically the overarching theme for the whole series, distilled.

 

Odium destroys Honor. Fear destroys the Oathpact (and subsequently, the world). Lust (for power) destroys Alethi Highprinces. Pride segregates the Darkeyes. Vengeance gets Kaladin in trouble (numerously).

And, best of all: Arrogance and Laziness enslaves the Parshmen (and well all know how that is going to end up)

It's only our protagonists, our heroes, who are rallying (slowly) against this domination of hate...

 

Makes sense.

If opening up to Odium's influence twists the Parshendi into hate-filled forms, then Spren being twisted towards hatred-fueled mentalities seems more than plausible.
Especially if you can draw similarities or opposites to other spren/attributes. Spren are, naturally, of creation. They are born, and drawn to, changes and manifestations of... "stuff." Hatred turns it into destruction, the Ten Deaths.

The Thrill is a twist upon Taln's pension for War. Dependable becomes Arrogant; Resourceful becomes Hungry.
Jezrien's desire to protect? Protecting becomes Vengeance. (Ding ding! Kaladin's struggle) Leading becomes Tyranny.

 

Hatred twists everything ugly.

It's even paralleled in Kaladin and Adolin's plot for WoR. They hate Amaram and Sadeas, respectively; so their normally-sound rationality and mental-state is corrupted by the mere presence of these men.
Kaladin's ideals turn petty and vengeful; Adolin's casual confidence turns angry and violent.

 

Did Kaladin crawl out of his low point in WoR? Yeah... 

Has he completely overcome that side of himself? Not quite yet.

He's trying to be honorable, and protecting. But he still struggling with it, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see him slip again.

 

I wouldn't be surprised is Odium has some way of twisting both men and spren. It would draw another good parallel to what he's already done: Splintered and destroyed Honor. 

 

Kaladin's struggle just seems to... Contrived. Everything he touches, everything he tries to protect is destroyed and taken from him.

There's more at play inside him and behind the scenes with him. He seems perfectly groomed throughout his life for Odium to slip in and turn him into a vengeful destroyer. 

And remember, Shards usually play the long-game very well.

[kaellok he/him]

I agree with @traceria. Kaladin already stood up for a man he didn't like, King Elhokar, even had reason to hate. But when he protected him, his bond to Syl was restored. If he were to serve hate, it'd be selfish and he wouldn't fulfill the second oath. 

 

I will protect even those I hate

 

Given that it's integral to his oaths, he fits as Honor's champion more then Odium. 

 

Now Shallan and her relation to the Ghost Bloods...there's possibility for a darker path with her. She might give in to her lies, twisting the truth to be what she wants it to be. She's already struggling with the perspectives of her own truth.

Only problem with this:

 

He already killed Syl once, when she warned him repeatedly against how he was acting re: the assassination plot.  There is literally nothing stopping him from doing so again except the hope that he actually learned his lesson. 

[Endurant Archivist he/him]

Only problem with this:

 

He already killed Syl once, when she warned him repeatedly against how he was acting re: the assassination plot.  There is literally nothing stopping him from doing so again except the hope that he actually learned his lesson. 

 

@kaellok Sure, he could. But he would loose all his power and ability. Can a broken Knight Radiant mesh with another spren? It just doesn't seem to work for him to be Odium's champion. Though you have a point that he might break his oath again.