Use the Falchion

Leslie Knope - The heart of an Edgedancer, the tenacity of a Stoneward, the leadership of a Windrunner, and the ability to unite of a Bondsmith. She understands the law like a Skybreaker, reaches for the potential of herself and others like an Eslecaller and a Willshaper, and she is as creative as any Lightweaver. Leslie Knope is probably the closest character in fiction to the Almighty. However, I'll say that she's a Stoneward and Bondsmith combo. Ann Perkins - Edgedancer or Truthwatcher. Ann cares for people often forgotten about (partially because it makes her feel powerful), but she's also always there to listen to those who'd rather not be heard...and give them the truth they need to hear. Ron Swanson - HARDCORE Willshaper, with a hidden Stoneward. Ron is always there when you need him, but he's not always the most...open about being there. Tom Hatherford - Elsecaller. One would think Willshaper, but Tom's goals are clearly about being his best self. His trials and lessons throughout the show reflect that. Donna Meagle - I think I had her as a Willshaper as well. Donna has the attitude and wisdom of an Elsecaller, but she isn't concerned about reaching her peak - she's already there and she knows it. Now it's all about self-expression and whatnot. Maybe that makes her a Level 5 Elsecaller? April Ludgate - Edgedancer Andy Dwyer - Edgedancer Ben Wyatt - Skybreaker Chris Traeger - Elsecaller/Dustbringer combo. I think Chris is naturally a high-level Elsecaller, but his trials in later seasons force him to become a Dustbringer. Jerry Gergich - Stoneward. I don't know Craig enough to place him just yet, but I have a feeling he'll be a Dustbringer. Mark is also hard to place, but my instincts say to place him as a Lightweaver. Community - Jeff Winger - Lightweaver and Bondsmith. Jeff is a man made up of lies and facades, but he's undoubtedly the leader of the Study Group. He cares, and he cares deeply, but he's not always able to voice that care well or in a selfless way. Jeff finally coming to terms with himself, his feelings, and his life is a main arc. Troy Barnes - Windrunner (and Bondsmith?). Troy is the heart of the show, and he's one of the more altruistic members. A dumb jock with a heart of solid gold, but one who is always looking out for his friends. Abed Nadir - Truthwatcher/Dustbringer combo. Abed is all about the meta-nature of the show and Greendale, and struggles to connect to most humans outside of a screen. But he has a great heart and tries to apply what he knows to help people. Britta Perry - Willshaper, easily. Britta would probably rather be an Edgedancer, but she Britta'd that and became a Willshaper instead. Annie Edison - Bondsmith/Elsecaller combo. Jeff might be the leader, and Troy the heart, but Annie is the soul. She's innocent, community(heh)-oriented, and VERY driven. Annie is idealistic yet VERY conniving at times, so don't turn your back on her for too long. She'll take you down (in the name of the Study Group...and her GPA.) Shirley Bennet - Lightweaver/Elsecaller combo. Shirley would LOVE to be a Bondsmith, but alas, that's not what the Almighty called her to be. Shirley is a person who believes in the best in a person, but can and will easily manipulate people for her greater good. She likes control and refuses to let it go. But Shirley can be quite artistic and is always thinking of her friends...except when it comes to her GPA... Pierce Hawthorn - ??? Probably an Elsecaller, but I also just want to call him a Voidbringer... Dean - Lightweaver? Brooklyn 99 Captain Raymond Holt - Skybreaker. Terry Jeffords - Bondsmith - He's the glue that keeps the 99 together. Jake Peralta - Windrunner. Because he's surrounded by Skybreakers in a Skybreaker system, he seems a lot more like a Skybreaker than he actually is. (He cares about protecting people, being a real life hero, and doing the right thing than following the rules.) Amy Santiago - Skybreaker Charles Boyle - Skybreaker(?). Charles would definitely be Jake's Squire, but I think at his heart he's a Skybreaker. He likes law and order and is good at figuring out who is guilty and innocent without having his feelings cloud his judgement...too much. He's a great detective, which makes him a Skybreaker Rosa Diaz - Lightweaver (that wants you to think she's a Dustbringer). Rosa is a woman who's wrapped herself in lies and half-truths, rarely letting anyone in. She's artsy, creative, and good quite good at espionage...so long as it doesn't involve small-talk. Her truths would be very personal, and very emotional. Hitchcock and Scully - Edgedancers Gina Linetti - Elsecaller How I Met Your Mother Lily and Marshall are Edgedancers. Lily wants to be a lightweaver, but as much as her heart yearns for art, she's too self-realized to fully go there, and she knows it. Lily cares about her friends and those who might be hurt. Besides, her Aldrin Justice is EXACTLY what Lift would do. OP said it best with Marshall. Barney Stinson....yeah, I agree with OP, Barney is a Lightweaver. Barney's words, while sometimes harmful, have the most profound impact on his friends' lives when done well. He brings out the best in his friends (at times) and inspires others to believe in them as well. His arc is also about digging deep within himself and finding out who he is, what he really stands for, and what life means to him. Robin Sparkles is a Dustbringer. Competitive, controlled, and quite scary, Robin is easily the most terrifying person on the show (outside of Lily). She's also the most misunderstood internally. Ted Mosby...I actually don't want to give him an Order. He feels like he'd be perpetually a Squire to me.

SKYWARD 3 AT 40%

SKYWARD 3 AT 40%

As someone who came to WoT through Sanderson, I can say that through reading the series, I came to appreciate Jordan far more than I think you're giving us latecomers credit for. Yes, you can start a journey for one reason and finish it for another. I may have started for Sanderson, but trust me when I say that the pull isn't always enough to keep one going. You need your own motivation to finish that series, and Jordan provided it. To me, what would have been disrespectful is skipping to the Sanderson only ones or skipping books in the series. If you haven't done either of those, and you appreciate the pre-Jordan books, then it's a success in my book. It's fine to get into something for someone else, especially if you come to that thing yourself along the way. Besides, how many books have you read or movies have you watched, or games have you played simply because someone else recommended them to you? That's how I discovered Brian McClellan and Sabaa Tahir. It's why I gave Anthony Ryan's Draconis Memoria a try. I didn't think I'd like Crazy Rich Asians, but now it's one of my favorite movies. How is this any different? Or let's try another example. Say I'm in a spin class because I need to work on my cardio and I need accountability. I don't like the workout, but day after day I keep going back. Soon, I join extra classes because I like the effects and I enjoy the music. I start to get to know the people in the class, and overall I start to have some fun, all while achieving my original goal. (I still don't like cycling though.) Was my goal wrong? Should I feel bad for not joining for the music or because I love cycling? That's how it feels. People can have multiple reasons for doing an action, and those reasons can change. You see it as disrespect, I see it as an opportunity (and hopefully a victory). I also want to become a writer someday. Maybe that's part of the reason I can't fully understand why they wouldn't do this anymore. I want my story told because that's what I want to do - tell stories. If I can't tell the stories I want to tell, then why would I become a writer? If someone came to me and said "you're going to die, but we can promise that your dream, your vision, will live on. It won't be perfect because it's not you writing it, but it WILL live on to its completion," I'd take it. Are you sure you wouldn't? I burned through those books so quickly in 2012-2013...then years of speculation and deep dives into theories...and then group show viewings, both here and when I lived elsewhere...and then the final season. To be fair, I don't hate it as much as others do, but I DO think that the general anger is...maybe not deserved, but quite legitimate. This also wouldn't be as large a problem in the fantasy community if Martin wasn't as...distractible as he is and if the show had a fan-approved ending. And I get it. He's older now, and he has fame and fortune he never had before. He's seen success that most authors only dream of. Of course he should spend his time enjoying it! But at the same time, he made a promise to tell a story, and after nine years he's no closer to completing that promise than before. (Which should really be closer to 4 or 5 years, since we counting the time between the last release isn't really fair IMO. We need to give him at least as much time as the it took the last book to come out before we start to worry. Unfortunately, it's been nearly double that amount of time...) But all of this isn't for me. I've given up on the series. If The Winds of Winter does come out, I'll buy it when I can or if I feel like it. And if/when I do read it, I have a feeling it'll be more about the crackpot theories for me than the actual story. But there are thousands of fans out there who feel otherwise.

But IS it his anymore? The words, maybe, but the story? Did he not promise to tell us a complete story? Doesn't it fall on his shoulders to arrange for us to see that finished story, even if he can't? They don't need to be his words or his version, but he promised us a complete story - as all authors do - and I don't think it's unfair for readers to ask for it to be completed, even if the original author can't. Otherwise, readers around the world have simply wasted their time reading this series and investing money into a story that will never pay off. Besides, having the manuscript and everything else destroyed would probably be worse for his image than having someone else complete the work. Imagine going into a bookstore and thinking about buying ASOIAF book, and then someone else warns you not to because the series will remain unfinished. That's a big turn off, but you've heard about the television show, so maybe you'd like to try that out...and cue the angry masses warning you about what they call a dumpster fire ending. I doubt that Martin's books would ever be truly phased out of bookstores, but the slow decline in sales could easily become a rapid drop if he doesn't have an heir in place. (Not that it matters for him or his family. They're set for life.) Counter that with the what happened with Robert Jordan - a man who apparently thought along the same lines as Martin, but changed his mind as his death loomed. Not only did Brandon's career (and writing) take a sharp turn for the better, but Jordan is remembered far more fondly, and hundreds of new fans now read his books because Sanderson's name is attached. So to me, Martin can do the thing he plans and potentially die with an unfinished story, the words all his own, and spurn the fans most loyal to him. Or he (or his widow...or his editor) can tap someone else to finish the series, brining success to a potentially lesser known writer who may just need a little help in their career AND get have his series finished. EDIT: This was my thousandth post. Yay.

Aizawa is the blessed fusion of Vasher and Kakashi.

On the flip side, Sanderson did build in the brutality of the Skaa world in his own works. I don't think it'd be the lack of sexual assault (which I need to readjust my memory towards, as the only blatant examples I can think of involve Dany in Book 1, The Hound at all times, Cersei in Book 5 I think, and a few examples scattered about. It wasn't as...abundant as it was in the show, IIRC. But then again, I haven't read the books since 2013 and I wasn't exactly keeping an eye out for it), but it'd be relegated to the background. For your second point, he has indeed said that. But whether or not those surrounding him follow through on that is another thing. There was a time where I looked upon that artistic idea with favor. Now, as I grow older, I see a sort of vain narcissism in it. It's one thing to not finish a series if you're only a book or two in. It's a completely different thing if you're five books into a seven or eight book series!

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur was one of my favorite comics to read this year! If you're into comics and haven't checked them out, I highly recommend Skyward (no relation to Sanderson) and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2016 run. I'm on Volume 4 of MMPR and its great. (And if I've recommended these to you before, I apologize.) Yeah, Comicstorian has two great - if not controversial (fitting this thread) - videos about Marvel's diversity and the complexities surrounding it. (They're from 2017, so keep that in mind.) I recommend watching the first one at the very least. I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but I do understand his point and appreciate it. Great point about Ultimate Spider-Man. At that time, people around me (who knew I was the comic book guy) kept asking me if they really killed off Peter in the comics and were replacing him. Trying to explain the Ultimate universe...that was a tough convo!

Today is Marianne's out of world birthday, and the FE subreddit has sort of exploded with Marriane/Byleth art. I have no problem with that.

Oh absolutely! Kamala owns the role of Ms. Marvel now. Neither Kamala nor Miles were sidekicks in their roles - they simply inherited the identity.* But that's the main difference between Kamala & Carol and Miles & Peter though. When Kamala came on the screen, Carol simply adopted a new name that was already associated with her character (although came from a different character itself). Miles and Peter didn't do this. Peter didn't become the Scarlet Spider, and Miles didn't become...Spider-Boy? Spiderling? Spider-Lad? It's like how Tim Drake came across the Red Robin mantle and his relationship with Damian - it originally belonged to Dick Grayson in Kingdom Come, then it was Jason Todd for a bit, and lastly Tim Drake. And when Damian came into the picture, it was time for Tim to graduate.** Kamala is more in that vein than she is with Miles IMO. *They aren't the first or the last to do so, but they've easily been the most successful. X-23 as Wolverine should also be considered a success, but I'm not sure if she's still using that mantle since Logan came back. **And while I'd LOVE for Damian to graduate, as it's been nearly 15 years since is introduction and roughly ten or so since he became Robin proper, I think they need to find a solid place for Tim first, and then Damian, and then they can introduce a new Robin. I would have loved for it to have been Duke, but he's too set as The Signal now.

Yup. One might say...ship's going down!

I'm pretty sure the quote was that his involvement will end after two movies, not that there won't be any more. Alas, since I can't find the quote or interview, it remains apocyphal... Anyways, the jackets look DOPE. Many people on Reddit are either putting this after the current manga arc or during MASSIVE SPOILERS I'm personally leaning towards after, as Bakugo's gauntlets are completely different. But we'll have to wait and see.

Miles Morales should always be Spider-Man. This is the case for a few reasons. First is that, for the first time in a LONG time in Marvel, we have two successfully functioning heroes under the same moniker. Sure, Marvel will do that for a run or two every couple of years or so, but it never sticks. With Miles, it stuck.* And if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Second, Miles being Spider-Man means that if Marvel ever retired Peter Parker (which they never will, but still), Miles could step into the role without feeling like he's "upstaging" Peter or like a fill-in. He's had the role for years at this point, and will have it for many more to come. Third, Marvel characters who don't take the name of their predecessor end up getting forgotten. Marvel isn't really big on sidekicks (a holdover from Stan Lee, who didn't really want the equivalent of child soldiers), and so those who fill the sidekick role are usually forgotten. Does anyone really remember Anti-Venom or Toxin, or any of the other spin-off symbiotes? No, they remember Venom and Carnage. Arana was upgraded to Spider-Woman because of this fact - the ones that stick out and stay are the ones that use the original hero's name. (Or the villain's name.) Kate Bishop is a prime example of that, as is Miles himself. Going off of that, second identities for superheroes rarely stick. The only ones that I can think of are with the Robins, as the title of Robin is a placeholder. But even then there are problems and only two true success stories I can think of are in Bucky Barnes (from Bucky to the Winter Soldier) and Dick Grayson. Jason Todd is the second Red Hood, taking over a mantle, not forging his own identity; Tim Drake was Robin, then Red Robin, then back to Robin, then to back Red Robin again, and then back to Robin, and now apparently Talon or something; Damian is the current Robin; Duke Thomas was skipped over for the role entirely, despite everything setting him up to be Robin. (Although maybe that was a blessing in disguise.) If Miles took a separate identity, chances are he'd find it only temporary and he'd be back to Spider-Man in a matter of months, if not years (probably by popular demand). Miles Morales as Spider-Man is a great thing because it keeps the role relatable while allowing for different people under the mask. Miles gives us a little insight into what being Spider-Man means for a different generation, a new generation. And that's awesome. So...yeah... As an extra controversial opinion, I LIKED the Ultimate Spider-Man clone arc, and they should have kept MASSIVE SPOILERS *Yes, his case was a little different than most, but we've seen cases like it before and it rarely sticks.

You may want to change the acronym, since you're using the Book 2 one instead of the Book 4 one... I never really read it that way, although that is a popular take on it. My interpretation (and I think Sanderson's too, considering his post about it when he was doing the annotations) is that Jasnah simply doesn't like to be beholden to tradition. She doesn't want to be expected to put down her work, her life, and her pleasures for what her husband would do, as is expected in Alethi society. Now in terms of LGBTQ+ stuff: [ROW SPOILERS]

I admittedly wasn't a fan of it, but I'm trying to parse out where it's me not liking it begins versus where my wounded pride ends...or if it's all my wounded pride. Regardless, it happened, and I'm trying to move on! THAT BEING SAID, MASSIVE ROW SPOILERS Friendship is still a ship, at least for the purpose of this thread.

Oh I absolutely agree. Nor does Sanderson himself want to finish ASOIAF in the case that Martin can't. It's just a selfish idea of mine that I think, in another world, would work out better than people originally assume. Sometimes we do our best growing when put in uncomfortable situations - this most certainly would be one for Sanderson, and the potential growth in that scenario excites me. But frankly, he has enough on his plate and I'd rather see more of the ideas he has than add a different person's idea to the mix (assuming it's not a collaboration).

Favorite is Mistborn easily. It was the first series that got me into Sanderson, the series I'm always excited about, and the one that has the most potential going forward. My least favorite...probably Legion. I liked the first two Legion novellas, but I really didn't like how the third wrapped everything up.

A super controversial one, but I'd actually like to see Brandon finish ASOIAF. Not because "he's the greatest and he has a precedent for finishing other author's books" or any of that nonsense, but because I think it would stretch Brandon as an author in ways that we've only seen with The Wheel of Time. Martin's prose, while not always perfect, is quite gorgeous. His world is intricately made, explored, and crafted. It at times feels like a giant playground. ...a giant, bloody playground that no one should ever want to visit. Anyways, Brandon has noted that his prose has been one of his weakest points. I agree.* I think working on ASOIAF would strengthen Brandon's prose in a way we haven't seen since he worked on WoT. Next comes in the view of the world. Brandon has gone on record on saying that the world of ASOIAF is a fundamentally pessimistic one. That's not a point I'm not sure I 100% agree on. In some ways, I think it is, in the sense that those with ideals are either killed or corrupted. But those ideals still exist in the world, and they are honored. When people live up to them, those around them become better as well. Things like "The North Remembers" and the arcs of Jon and Jaimie come to mind. I think fans sometimes conflate how the show viewed the world and how the GRRM views the world. Of course there's the "plot problem," which has been discussed before ad-nauseum, so I'll let it slide. Brandon is also great at making plot arcs pay off in logical yet satisfying ways, and I think that ASOIAF could really use that after the show's final season. Lastly, I think the direction of the story is headed in a more supernatural direction and some supernatural battles will be coming to the forefront of the series - and those sorts of conflicts are entirely in Sanderson's wheelhouse. A Memory of Light was practically one giant battle after all. The giant problem with this is the fact that he'd probably never finish the Cosmere if he did, and that's not a risk I'm willing to take. Maybe if he wrote it while working on Mistborn Era 3, Elantris 2 & 3, and Nightblood he could squeeze it in. All of that said, there are better picks for who should finish George's series; and Sanderson should go nowhere near Rothfuss' series. *This isn't me saying that it's bad or that it's not put to good use, simply that it's one of his weakest points. But when you're pretty strong all around...

I enjoyed it, but it's hard to judge with so many mysteries and so little context. I does get me excited for the next update!

Vin would be like the daughter Jasnah probably never wants! In a case of previous ships, I officially renege on my PS4 Miles & Stargirl's Courtney Whitmore ship. I've been watching gameplay of Spider-Man: Miles Morales before I get a chance to play it this week (hopefully), and I have officially met Hailey. So yeah, Hailey and Miles for sure. From what I've seen from both, Miles would be to Courtney like how Barry Allen was to Kara Danvers when they first met: friendly, a peer, cool enough to make their official love interest jealous, and someone who has been in her shoes. Also, for Power Rangers, I think Scott Truman from RPM ("Series Operator Red") and Lauren Shiba from Samurai.

Thanks for the fact check. I'll definitely have to reread that scene again.

The Honorblades that he'd most likely use are in use right now, and giving him another set of surges, while cool, don't seem very practical for storytelling imo. Besides, he's far more comfortable with a spear than a sword, and Syl can be those and more. Maybe he'll bond Teft's spren, but...I'm not sure that's the way to go. (I think the only dual Radiant we'll see at this time is Adolin.) There may be some guilty Singers she may be more wiling to take over. But yeah, I think @Zea mays said it best. Besides, Venli and Kaldin noticed that when Fused take over a Singer's body, some changes are made (patterns, hair, etc). I can see Leshwi becoming a Radiant and then the completion simply going all of the way. And if there's anything we've learned from Sanderson, it's that how people think powers work isn't always how they actually do. Leshadin? We'll figure it out as we sail!

Eh, I think that would do a disservice to Kaladin as we know him. He doesn't want to be on the frontlines, but also recognizes there are times he needs to fight. Or at least that's how I interpreted it.

Oh yeah, I don't think that the romance will happen during the book itself, especially if Book 5 takes place within a 10 day frame (crazy, but not impossible). But I do think that there's a chance it'll happen between the arcs, and by the time we see him again, he'll have a wife and some little Singer-Hybrid kids. Not only would it allow Kaladin to still be explored, but it also could give a sort of catharsis that I've become a fan of - catharsis through becoming. That's why I used to be a giant fan of the "Shallan and Adolin will have a baby" theories (which I still am to a degree), because I felt like it'd be cool for Shallan to address the trauma of killing her own mother by becoming a mother herself. Likewise, it'd be for Kaladin to overcome his own issues with his father when he understands how it feels as a father himself when his own children go to war/battle. It'd also be the culmination of Kaladin's growing respect and empathy for Singers that we've seen throughout the past few books, as well as a cool symbolic choice to say "we're putting our feud behind us to move forward." Lastly, the struggles of a Human-Singer hybrid could be mirrored with the ancient lore we're getting in the second half of the series. We're bound to see a few more hybrids in the past, and I think it'd be cool to compare and contrast life for hybrids then vs now. I can see it! I do worry what it'd do to Syl and Kaladin's powers though.

It is in the spoiler threads, so I thought it was fair game. I sincerely apologize if I spoiled anything for you. Being spoiled is a terrible feeling...