Athena

As others have pointed out, I hope if a movie is made, the Alethi aren't whitewashed. Black Panther has proven that a cast largely dominated by people of colour can sell well. Like @maxal I also think Alethi being cast as middle-eastern would suit how they have been portrayed in the book quite well.

I kinda disagree that Adolin brings Shallan stability. Does he make her happy? Yes but only one part of herself. It has already been mentioned in the thread that Veil and Radiant are just as important to Shallan's identity as the "Shallan" that Adolin has fallen in love with. Brandon Sanderson himself has stated that they would all have one identity in the Spiritual Realm, and both Radiant and Veil have traits that were seen in Shallan before she had her whole identity crisis in Oathbringer. In my opinion, Adolin just loving one part of herself is going to lead to more problems for her. I'm not trying to go against the Adolin and Shallan pairing, I mean it is completely possible that he will learn love all three parts of herself, but as of now, his doubt on being able to love all three during their talk before the marriage doesn't make things look good.

Great post! I agree on your point about Veil having attributes of Shallan. I've been re-reading OB and I'm beginning to toy with the idea that the "masks", by the end of the book at least, are extensions of Shallan. You mentioned the theft and spying part of her, as well as her feelings for Kaladin, being put on Veil. To add onto that, I think the parts of her that were able to kill Tyn, and her parents, basically the "soldier" in her, have been pushed onto Radiant. I also think the traditional and religious part of her have been pushed onto Radiant as well. I noticed in WoR and WoK, Shallan was religious, or at least more religious than the average Alethi. Some examples were the prayer to herself when Jasnah was speaking of the Almighty being dead, and the ones she did after people died at the camps she met Vatath, but on her Wedding day, it was only Radiant that was concerned about her doing a prayer before her Wedding, and she eventually doesn't do it. Which I think add on to the point of her being fractured by the end OB and the "Shallan" that has married Adolin isn't the complete version of her.

Been following this forum for awhile, but haven't posted here before. I just finished OB today, and like many others, the ending of OB was unsatisfying for me in terms of the Shallan-Kaladin-Adolin triangle. I found this thread very cathartic and I pretty much agree with almost everything that has been said. I for one also think that Adolin isn't healthy for Shallan. Adolin isn't in love in Veil and Radiant, but only the image of "Shallan". The image of "Shallan" to me is the simple image of a light-eyed woman that Adolin wants her to be while she is completely more than that. I think the true Shallan is an equal mixture of all three personas" A scholarly light-eyed woman, a woman who isn't afraid to take lead or fight when necessary (Radiant), and a woman who isn't afraid to lie, kill, or have a drink when necessary (Veil). Will he still be in love with her if he finds out that she killed both her parents? Or the other things that she associates so closely with Radiant and Veil like pragmaticism and subterfuge? On Shallan's side, I see Adolin as just an anchor she is using to keep hold of the Shallan persona. In the last but one chapter, she keeps on saying that "Adolin knows me" and she keeps on associating that "me" with the Shallan persona while dismissing the Veil and Radiant persona. I think there is still more to come from this and the marriage wasn't a "conclusion", nor is Adolin a good "support system" for Shallan.