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Your search for the tag 'Kaladin' yielded 73 results

  • 1

    Interview: Oct 15th, 2010

    17th Shard

    Ok, the first question is, why did you change the main character's name to "Kaladin" in the final draft?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Excellent question. I see you're stealing all of my annotation questions that I would ask myself. For those of you who don't know, the character's original name was Merin. The change was a very hard decision because the history of Way of Kings goes back so far. You know, I started writing about and working on Merin as a character in the year 2000, so he'd been around for almost a decade in my head as who he was.

    A couple of things sparked the change. Number one, I'd never really been pleased with the name. I had been doggedly attached to it, despite the fact that all of my alpha readers on the original Way of KingsWay of Kings Prime we'll call it now—said, "This sounds like a girl's name." I'm like, "Well...you know, sometimes in different cultures names sound like girls' names. I've recently discovered that Bilbo and Frodo's actual names are "Bilba" and "Froda". Those are their actual names; that's what they say in-world and in the appendices. Tolkien in one of his appendices said, "I English-ized them to make them sound more more masculine for the 'translation' of the Lord of the Rings books, but they would actually call themselves Bilba and Froda." So, anyway, Merin sounded a little bit feminine, but still I dug in my heels.

    One of the concepts for the new Way of Kings is Kaladin's arc as a character. In Way of Kings Prime he makes a decision very early in the book, and in The Way of Kings I wanted to have him make the opposite decision. There's a big decision that comes to him and it's almost like these two books are branching paths from that moment in a lot of ways. And so it's going to be a very interesting process when I eventually let people read Way of Kings Prime, which I won't right now because it has spoilers for the rest of the series, but you can see how all the characters go in different directions from that moment and they also change slightly. It's like an alternate world version of the book you're reading.

    So, point number two was that I started to feel he's changed so much as a person I can no longer think of him as the same character. Point number three was that, as I am now working on The Wheel of Time, having a character whose name sounded a lot like Perrin started to be problem to me. Particularly since in Way of Kings Prime Merin was not the main character but in this Way of Kings he is. Way of Kings Prime was much more evenly divided between the characters, but in the published book he gets essentially double the space, and so he becomes the main character. I felt I wanted the main character of this book to have a much stronger, perhaps a little more mythic name. I tried lots and lots of names before I eventually settled on "Kaladin".

    17TH SHARD

    Kaladin does sound like a much more powerful a name.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Yeah, it's a much better name. I'm very happy we did it, but we changed it on like the last draft, so it was very surprising to my editor and to my writing group when all of a sudden he changed to a different name.

    Tags

  • 2

    Interview: Sep 21st, 2010

    Boomtron Interview (Verbatim)

    Lexie

    In reading the Way of Kings a very Ben Hur vibe can be felt from Kaladin., was this intentional and what other genres were your inspiration?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I wouldn’t say that I was specifically shooting for that vibe, certainly I am influenced by all the things around me, I was just looking to tell a really great story, and this is the story that came out. It was Kaladin's story in specific, it was - the genesis of the story was actually the Shattered Plains themselves, the area. I write fantasy and one of the reasons that I write fantasy is I want to tell stories about places that don’t exist, that maybe couldn’t exist in our world and so the geography of the shattered plains is sort of what appealed to me. I’d actually been planning this for many years and extrapolated from there, how would warfare be like in this place and then I extrapolated from there, what are they going to need, what types of troops. And Kaladin as a person was growing separately, and I just wanted the best place to put in- the place of most conflict and it ended up being that.

    Plot-wise to be perfectly honest I was looking more at- when I was building this plot- underdog sports narratives. To be perfectly honest, I like to, when I look for inspiration in plotting sequences I like to look far afield to try and take things and pull them into my books so that we aren’t getting some of the same repeated dealings over and over again. But certainly historical works like the ones you mentioned are a big part of my make up as well.

    Footnote

    Shattered Plains came from the original Dragonsteel book.

    Tags

  • 3

    Interview: Sep 21st, 2010

    Boomtron Interview (Verbatim)

    Lexie

    Was Kaladin supposed to be Originally with the bridge crew or was that something that just built from while you were writing?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It’s actually built at the planning, it was not originally, in fact I did an entire draft of the Way of Kings, in 2003, so seven years ago, the version of the Way of Kings I wrote then didn’t have him as a member of the bridge crews at all. In fact the Shattered Plains weren’t even in Roshar at that point. They were something I’d been developing for another series and when it came time to do this version of this draft I hadn’t exactly been pleased with the one I wrote in 2003, I wanted to do the book again, actually tossed all that and started from scratch.

    I was looking for a really strong visual setting location for Kaladin's story to take place. I was building him separately as the soldier, and the surgeon, with both two sides of him warring within him at this part. This part of this book for me is about the contrast between the sides of, different sides of people, people who have different things pulling on their insides trying to wreck them, so I was looking for a great setting location and the Shattered Plains through various- actually doing artwork, some of the concept art for the world. I was working with an artist, just to give myself a better visual handle on things. The Shattered Plains appealed to me, it worked and so I built it in and it all kinda came together.

    Tags

  • 4

    Interview: Apr 14th, 2012

    Question

    Have you chosen a flashback character for book two of Stormlight Archive yet?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. I have chosen to use Shallan as the flashback character for Stormlight Two. I feel that her narrative is the best one right here, and so I pretty much filled out the first five, 'cause Stormlight's in two five-book narratives, where we're going to anchor it with Kaladin is the first one and Dalinar is the last one, and then we'll use Shallan, Szeth is number three, and then probably Navani is number four. That's the one I haven't nailed down yet. It's either Navani or a character I can't tell you yet.

    Tags

  • 5

    Interview: 2013

    Justin Kirklin (10 January 2013)

    Is Kaladin in Stormilight 2?

    Brandon Sanderson (10 January 2013)

    Yes, quite a bit.

    Tags

  • 6

    Interview: Feb 22nd, 2013

    Terez

    I brought my friend Dick for company since it was roughly a five-hour drive one way. I think I have mentioned him before; he and I have been friends for more than ten years, though I used to be closer to his brother whom I lived and worked with in Baton Rouge for about six months (along with Hoda, who actually made it to Elder at Theoryland but is probably remembered by few).

    Dick and I didn't see each other for several years, and then I happened to go to his house one day (this was after RJ died) and I noticed A Crown of Swords on his coffee table. He was reading it for the first time, and he had no idea any of his friends had read it, so I told him and Hoda and I had read it and that I had more than read it (insert long explanation of Theoryland here). So between that and the fact that he told me he played Tetris Attack (the only video game I love), he and I started hanging out regularly. He finished the series in time to read Towers of Midnight when it came out. Then he started reading Brandon's books, and has decided to name his as-yet-unborn son Kaladin, which resulted in a funny moment (paraphrased):

    (Brandon is signing Dick's book which is addressed to Kaladin.)

    Brandon Sanderson

    (Says something appreciative.)

    Terez

    I told Peter about that, and he said "That's like the tenth Kaladin I've heard of." (Okay, so I exaggerated; I think he actually said fifth.)

    Brandon Sanderson

    *sighs* That sounds like the kind of thing Peter would say...

    Terez

    (to Dick) Yeah, Peter is not as unfailingly courteous as Brandon...

    Brandon Sanderson

    *hilarious smirk*

    Terez

    ...which is why I like him.

    Tags

  • 7

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    Cheese_Ninja ()

    Did Kaladin say the words of the 2nd Ideal of the Windrunners in modern day Alethi or the ancient tongue that Dalinar uses in his visions?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He spoke them in his own language.

    Tags

  • 8

    Interview: May 22nd, 2013

    StormAtlas

    I finally got to ask a question about the Stormlight Archive that Windrunner17 and Chaos helped me with which was: "Why Can Kaladin Surgebind with any gem type but Jasnah and Shallan need specific types?"

    Brandon Sanderson

    A lot of that will be explained as the series comes along. It is really the difference between Soulcasting and the other forms of Surgebinding. It's more a quirk of Soulcasting than it is something that is different about about Kaladin. So you've kind of got it reversed a little bit though; Soulcasting has this additional restriction that the other ones don't.

    Tags

  • 9

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Nemuri

    How has writing Shallan as the focus character been compared to Kaladin in the last book? Easier? More difficult?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So far, I've only done her flashback sequence--but this was a little easier than Kaladin's, as I've been kind of chomping at the bit to tell her story.

    Tags

  • 10

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Telcontar

    Is one of the symbolhead-spren (or maybe all of them) responsible for Shallan's ability to Soulcast (in the way that Syl is responsible for Kaladin's Lashings)?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There is indeed a similar relationship there.

    Tags

  • 11

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Stroniax

    Does SzethsonsonVallano's Surgebinding require HonorSpren like Kaladin's?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, it does not. (Hm....) Gold star to you.

    Tags

  • 12

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Cheese Ninja

    Did Amaram ever find out who the Shardbearer that Kaladin killed was?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Tags

  • 13

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Kurkistan

    Was it Shallan's brother, by the way?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO

    Footnote

    Kurkistan is referring to the Shardbearer who Kaladin killed.

    Tags

  • 14

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    The_Vikachu ()

    Is Kaladin naturally stronger than Szeth in using Stormlight? Szeth can only hold onto it for a few minutes, but Kaladin has been shown to hold onto it for much longer. Or does it have to do with Kaladin having a spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ah, so you all noticed that, did you. :) Glad you did. I have like a dozen things I nearly posted here, but all of them spoil a scene in Words of Radiance. So I'll just zip it for now.

    Tags

  • 15

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2012

    Brandon Sanderson

    So what’s going on here is, for Stormlight 2 I needed a lullaby in-world. And poetry is not my forte. However, my father-in-law is a semi-professional singer/songwriter. He’s released a couple of albums, they’re just local, he does stuff like that. So, I asked him to compose a lullaby that I just left blanks in the story from. And he actually turned it in just like a couple of days ago. And it’s quite good and it fits in.

    So, what I’ve been doing lately is writing on Stormlight 2. And Stormlight 2, if you’re unaware with what’s going on in the Stormlight series, I conceived the series as ten volumes, two five book arcs, with each volume focusing on a character by giving them a flashback sequence. So if you’ve read the first one, Kaladin, one of the main characters, there’s a sequence of flashbacks that kind of inform how he came to be where he is at the start of the book. And I intended that for each of the ten primary characters because I kind of began them all in the middle of their stories, which is what happens when you’re writing a book. The beginning of a story is not the beginning of a book. It’s impossible to tell the beginning of a story because there’s always something more that could come before. So you start with people who have passions, who have lives, who have things going on and then I wanted to use these sequences to bring you back up to where they were when they started.

    Tags

  • 16

    Interview: Aug 9th, 2013

    Question

    Going back to characters: Stormlight Archive is very character driven—each book essentially focuses on one character. Who will we learn more about in Words of Radiance?

    Brandon Sanderson

    In the second book Shallan becomes the focus, though I would honestly say there is as much Kaladin in in the second book as there is in the first book. In the first book the things Shallan was doing were important and fun, but at the same time her plot line was intentionally disjointed because I was setting up what's happening in this book.

    Tags

  • 17

    Interview: Mar 29th, 2014

    Question

    Why does the shardbearer — when they're dueling with Adolin and Renarin — why does the shardbearer freak out when Kaladin grabs the sword — like, he screams, and shouts "I didn't kill you!" and ran away?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Question

    Why does he do that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Because when Kaladin was there and they were touching it, they actually heard the spren that was inside of it.

    Question

    So it wasn't Syl that he heard, it was —

    Brandon Sanderson

    It was the sword's spren. That Kaladin was touching it — when a Knight Radiant touches it — you'll see when other Knights Radiant pick up sword, they can hear the screaming.

    Tags

  • 18

    Interview: Mar 29th, 2014

    Question

    How did Shallan rescue Kaladin when they fell in the chasm?

    Brandon Sanderson

    She did not, it was actually Syl. But he was in the process of breaking the bond, and so she was able to get some stormlight to him, but that is what really — Like you can imagine, this bond was really a strain for her to use at that point, so it was her, but doing what she did just about destroyed her, which is why you don't hear from her after that.

    Question

    Is healing a universal stormlight power then?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, within reason. Some are better at it, but it is a universal power.

    Question

    With Dalinar, as a bondsmith, what does that mean his power-?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That is a good question! That is going to be an [RAFO card].

    Tags

  • 19

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    macros

    Based on what we know currently about the ten heartbeats, why does Szeth require ten heartbeats to bring forth his Honorblade?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Perception is a very important part of how these things all work, and remember, the Honorblades work differently from everything else. Everything was based upon them. Why don’t you read and find out what’s going on there, but remember, the characters’ perception is very important.

    macros

    So then that’s why at one point Shallan requires ten heartbeats and now she doesn’t.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Right, just like—it’s the exact same reason why Kaladin’s forehead wounds don’t heal, because he views himself as need—as having those, somewhere deep inside of him, and that can’t heal until that goes away. And it’s the same reason why in Warbreaker, when you bring something to life your intention, rather than really what you say, is what matters. It’s all about perception.

    Tags

  • 20

    Interview: Jan 10th, 2013

    NutiketAiel

    One fan asked Brandon to compare Kaladin with Galad, Gawyn and Lan.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Brandon said that Kaladin shares things with both [Gawyn and Lan]. Lan overcame his troubled past, whereas Kaladin hasn't yet. Brandon hopes that Kaladin does better than Gawyn, who was overcome by his past and let it crush him. In reference to all three, he said "I would hope that Kaladin would appreciate the comparison."

    Tags

  • 21

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    Question

    Will the flute come back?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A lot of people are curious about the flute. I have been non-committal, so far.

    Footnote

    The flute that Wit gave to Kaladin, which he had to abandon in Sadeas's camp after the Battle of the Tower.

    Tags

  • 22

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    Question

    Kaladin in the second book seemed to be a different Kaladin than at the end of the first book.

    Brandon Sanderson

    What way?

    Question

    Angrier, and my question is, why did you write him that way?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He has always been angry. In the first book, he is focused on saving his men and now that his men are safe, all of those emotions—if you go look at him from the first nine chapters of Way of Kings, he's that way there, it's when he becomes focused on saving his men he has something to drive him and it kind of subsumes these things, but once they're safe all these things he hasn't dealt with came back out.

    Tags

  • 23

    Interview: Mar 19th, 2014

    Ant

    The Stormlight Archive already has that feeling of an "epic" tale, not just in the size of the novels and the rich world building but the story too. Do you have any idea how long the book series might go on for?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. I conceived The Stormlight Archive as a series dealing with ten characters, where each book took one of the characters and delved deeply into their past and their psychology. Granted, the other characters will appear, as Kaladin is a big part of Words of Radiance even though this volume could be described as Shallan's book. Since I have those ten characters, and there are ten orders of Knights Radiant, I built a ten-book series with two five-book arcs: five books and then a break, followed by another five books.

    Tags

  • 24

    Interview: Jun 10th, 2014

    JeremyG (Tor.com)

    How is Kaladin able to consistently recognize Syl, even when she's in different forms?

    Brandon Sanderson

    This has to do with their bond.

    Tags

  • 25

    Interview: Mar 6th, 2014

    Question

    Who are the 5 main characters from the first half of The Stormlight Archive?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Kaladin, Shallan, Szeth, Eshonai, Dalinar in that order.

    Tags

  • 26

    Interview: Mar 6th, 2014

    Question

    What was Kaladin's original decision that you changed?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Kaladin won the Plate and Blade in chapter one and kept it.

    Tags

  • 27

    Interview: Mar 6th, 2014

    Question

    So what was the Moment?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It was actually right near the climax. It was the phrase 'These words are accepted.'... Oh I thought you were talking about the Moment of Inspiration. Oh the moment you're asking about is the moment where Kaladin, in the original writing, he took the Blade and plate instead of turning it down.

    Tags

  • 28

    Interview: Mar 19th, 2014

    Question (Paraphrased)

    Please don’t tell me you’re going to do a love triangle between Adolin, Kaladin, and Shallan.

    Brandon Sanderson

    (he phrased this very carefully) I'm not a fan of the traditional love triangle. However, I am fond of conflict in relationships.

    Tags

  • 29

    Interview: Aug 13th, 2014

    Question

    When Kaladin helped Adolin fight in the arena, did Elhokar notice him surgebinding?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO. :)

    Tags

  • 30

    Interview: Aug 13th, 2014

    Question

    What was your inspiration for Kaladin? Do you plan any European signings—we will be trilled to have you here!

    Brandon Sanderson

    I was just there last week! :) (In spain and the UK.)

    Kaladin was inspired originally by reading about surgeons in the middle ages.

    Tags

  • 31

    Interview: Mar 22nd, 2014

    Question

    Who would win in a fight, Kaladin or Kelsier.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Kelsier would probably find him in his sleep and kill him there. I would say Kelsier because he would not fight fairly.

    Tags

  • 32

    Interview: Mar 22nd, 2014

    Question

    Why can Stormlight heal Lopen's arm, but can't heal Kaladin's scars?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Because a lot of the healing in the cosmere works on principles of expectation and how you envision yourself.

    Question

    So Kaladin has accepted the scars.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And Lopen never accepted the one arm. It's one of these ties when I built the magic systems that I wanted certain threads to run through them, so when I eventually have them being used in the same books, there will be consistency among them, so they won't feel like everything's just thrown together. So, the intention and expectation, for instance, in Warbreaker. What you want to have happen, the expectation, the way you are thinking about things, all that influences what actually happens. Very important for most of the cosmere magics.

    Tags

  • 33

    Interview: Sep 4th, 2014

    Question

    Who is your favorite character you've written, if you had to pick one?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's a hard question, I can't pick a favorite character. Dalinar is what I normally say, just because I've been working on him the longest. Honestly, I don't know. It's whoever I'm working on at the time.

    Question

    Dalinar is a good character, I like Kaladin a lot too.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Kaladin has really worked out well. It's interesting because Kaladin-- the first time I wrote The Way of Kings, in 2002, did not work and I had to rip him out and try a completely different personality and things for him. So it's cool to see it finally working.

    Tags

  • 34

    Interview: Mar 8th, 2014

    Trickonometry ()

    We've now seen that the Syl-Blade can change shape to meet Kaladin's needs. Is there a limit to the size that Syl can become?

    Brandon Sanderson ()

    As for the size, she can get up to about the size of a human.

    Tags

  • 35

    Interview: Mar 8th, 2014

    Trickonometry ()

    We've now seen that the Syl-Blade can change shape to meet Kaladin's needs. Is there a limit to the size that Syl can become?

    Brandon Sanderson ()

    As for the size, she can get up to about the size of a human.

    Tags

  • 36

    Interview: Mar 8th, 2014

    AhoyMatey ()

    Why didn't Kaladin's brand heal if Lopen can regrow an arm?

    Brandon Sanderson ()

    It comes down to how one views oneself. It is the answer that you think it is. So really what that's saying is Kaladin sees himself as branded.

    Tags

  • 37

    Interview: Mar 14th, 2014

    the_archduke

    Will Kaladin ever get Wit's flute back to woo a certain red haired young lady?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Wit is very mad about Kaladin losing the flute. If he recovers it, he wouldn't let Kaladin have it again.

    Tags

  • 38

    Interview: Mar 18th, 2014

    tganchero

    (Brandon mentioned changing Kaladin's plot so that he chose the "hard" path) What was the hard path?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Kaladin initially accepted the shardblade and plate in the first book, and the rest of the book was about him fighting with them. Really boring.

    Tags

  • 39

    Interview: Mar 18th, 2014

    tganchero

    How many oaths can a Radiant swear?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There is an upper-limit/threshold to the number of oaths a Radiant may make. By the end of WoR, Shallan is a step higher than Kaladin.

    Tags

  • 40

    Interview: Mar 19th, 2014

    Question ()

    The weepings--Shallan and Kaladin react very differently to them.

    Brandon Sanderson

    They do.

    Question

    It just seems to me that the Weepings feel very close to Cultivation.

    Brandon Sanderson

    The primary thing you're noticing -- and I'm not going to say there's not any magical influence -- but the primary thing you're noticing is that Kaladin has season affective disorder and Shallan likes the rain. That's the primary thing you're noticing. I like the rain--my wife hates it. My wife gets depressed when it rains and I love when it rains.

    Footnote

    changed "defective" to "affective"

    Tags

  • 41

    Interview: Mar 20th, 2014

    Outis

    Kaladin is a lot younger than his knowledge and training levels are? (Can't make out the rest)

    Brandon Sanderson

    You've got to keep two things in mind. He's led a very hard life which has aged him experience-wise prematurely, and also Roshar years are longer than ours, so when in this book they say he's 19, he's not actually 19, he's more like, I can't remember the exact equation, he's like 23 or something like that.

    Tags

  • 42

    Interview: Mar 20th, 2014

    Outis

    What was the tweak you wanted to put in the end?

    Brandon Sanderson

    At the end of the day, I kind of wish that I had had Kaladin decide not to kill Szeth. But him killing Szeth is what the outline calls for and it's going to send the book in some interesting ways but I kinda wish I hadn't done that. Forcing him to live with what he'd done instead. Taking his blade and forcing him to live with what he'd done, I'd kind of wish that's what I'd done.

    Tags

  • 43

    Interview: Jan 6th, 2015

    Question

    I read online, something about one of your original drafts, I think it was about Gavilar, and it was where he was blind?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah that was actually Taravangian, in the oldest version. One of the very first things I wrote was that, though Taravangian had a different name then, and was very different. Szeth has stayed the same through all the revisions. Kaladin has changed wildly, and almost everybody has changed dramatically, except Szeth is the same person. Him and Dalinar are the same.

    Tags

  • 44

    Interview: Mar 20th, 2014

    Outis

    Szeth in the prologue of book one says he can't heal from a Shardblade wound, but Kaladin can. What is the distinction there?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You should be looking to see if you can find other distinctions between what Szeth says and what happens to Kaladin, because there's three or four big inconsistencies.

    Tags

  • 45

    Interview: Mar 20th, 2014

    Outis

    If after speaking the Third Ideal, Kaladin were to betray his oaths, would Syl turn into a Shardblade?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Tags

  • 46

    Interview: Jan 6th, 2015

    lightningrani (Tumblr)

    Can you tell me anything about Kaladin’s maternal grandparents?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Let's just say that his mother—you're asking a very astute question—gave up more than most people gave up in that city to go be what she became. She's definitely fallen in social standing since her childhood. She took a hit.

    Tags

  • 47

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    Question

    When does a person become a Surgebinder? Because Kaladin talks about when he was a child, about it being a familiar feeling, and Shallan obviously was younger. Or is it when they speak the Words?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The bond starts forming before the words are spoken, but if the words are never spoken that bond will eventually evaporate and get broken. But the bond will start forming before. Just like an emotion attracts a spren, acting in the way that the spren you would eventually bond will start drawing them toward you and that will start to create that bond.

    Tags

  • 48

    Interview: Mar 29th, 2014

    Question

    Are we going to see the flute again?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Hoid is very disappointed by the loss of his flute and would like to recover it.

    Tags

  • 49

    Interview: Apr 24th, 2016

    Question

    What is Syl’s favorite form?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Syl is kind of ephemeral. So her favorite changes quite often. I would say, she probably likes being in human form the most because she gets the best reaction from the people around her that she is interacting with. But that has not always been the case. But she is responding to those around her.

    Question

    I hope to see more of her and Kaladin in the future.

    Brandon Sanderson

    They have some fun times.

    Tags

  • 50

    Interview: Apr 24th, 2016

    Question

    There won’t be a weird love triangle between Kaladin / Shallan / Adolin?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I will do my best not to be weird.

    Tags

  • 51

    Interview: Jan 21st, 2015

    ZenBossanova

    I said since Shallan has a unique ability of Memory from her blended surges, is fighting what Kaladin has?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No. His unique ability is “Strength of Squires”.

    Tags

  • 52

    Interview: Jan 20th, 2015

    Leinton

    So for Kaladin’s depression and Stormlight’s healing abilities, does Kaladin remain depressed because of his view of himself, or is it a limitation of Stormlight’s abilities to heal, or something else?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Disorders like depression are a part of a person's personality, and thus aren't diseases and cannot be cured. He talked a lot about this, and he talked about how a hyper kid annoys people but that doesn't mean there's something wrong.

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  • 53

    Interview: Jan 19th, 2015

    Question

    In transitioning from Merin to Kaladin, was there any plot sacrifices that were particularly difficult for me?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No. I had been disappointed enough in the way that Merin turned out in the original draft of The Way of Kings, that transitioning to someone more vibrant and more interesting in Kaladin really didn’t feel like a sacrifice to me.

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  • 54

    Interview: Jan 24th, 2015

    Question

    So Kaladin, he has a lot of Christ-like qualities being the who protects those who can’t protect themselves. When you were writing the character of Kaladin did you ever make a conscious decision to make him a Christ figure or--

    Brandon Sanderson

    The question is: Kaladin has some Christ-figure feel to him, was that intentional when I was writing the character. Actually it wasn’t, there’s nothing really intentional about that allusion. But I can definitely see it. Being Christian myself a lot of what I find heroic is related to my faith. But I very rarely do conscious things like that, mostly-- This is for English majors, “I bet he got it from here” and things like that. So it was not intentional but I can totally see where you are getting that.

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  • 55

    Interview: Jan 24th, 2015

    ccstat

    Shallan's drawings in WoK showed multiple cryptics. Were there other cryptics accompanying Pattern at that time?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    ccstat

    Did they approve of what Pattern's choices?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. The cryptics are much like what is happening with Lift, where there is more of a conscious effort on their part. As opposed to what is happening with Syl or Jasnah where there is hesitance. What the cryptics are driven to do is in part because of what a few of their members have been experimenting with.

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  • 56

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2015

    Question

    How did Kaladin heal his shardblade wound without the power of Regrowth?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That’s partially a RAFO. Remember that healing in the cosmere usually has to do with how you view yourself. And as long as there is some outpouring of Investiture you are usually capable of healing. More the weird thing is not that Kaladin healed it’s that Szeth couldn’t.

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  • 57

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2015

    Question

    When Syl says in The Way of Kings that she had been with other men who have killed. Is she-- Why is she able to say that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Syl’s memories, the longer she’s bonded the more access to them she has, from times before. She knows some of these things. She’ll never get it all back.

    Question

    From the time before Kaladin.

    Brandon Sanderson

    From before Kaladin, from before the Recreance, yes.

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  • 58

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2015

    Argent

    At one point Syl turns into a hammer when Kaladin fights Szeth. Are there any actual advantages to a Shardhammer over a Shardblade or knife?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Very minimal. It has mostly to do with a-- How much thrust or swing or things you can get to it. The impact of blade or weapon against armor is not going to be-- The hammer could in some ways get more leverage. But it’s not that the impact is going to do--

    Kurkistan

    So it didn’t help against Szeth.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah

    Argent

    It was like the flow of the fight was-- Syl turned--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

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  • 59

    Interview: Oct 12th, 2015

    Question

    Would it be safe to assume that Kaladin is also carrying the Honorblade? Because that makes the most sense to me.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Which Honorblade?

    Question

    The one from Szeth.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That is... He's not.

    Question

    That surprises me, because to me that would be the best- That would make the most sense.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That would be sneaky of me. But that's not the case.

    Question

    So he actually has an Honorblade, since you asked which one.

    Brandon Sanderson

    He took Szeth's. So he has that one. Oh! I thought you meant Taln's, I thought. He does not have Taln's. He has Szeth's.. Yes he has Szeth’s.

    Question

    I'm assuming he found that one, because that made the most sense to keep it safe

    Brandon Sanderson

    He’s got Szeth’s, that is true. ... Sorry, I assumed you meant Taln's. Taln's is gone.

    Question

    Yeah. Taln's vanished off the face of the planet! I'm assuming Hoid grabbed that one, actually.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That is one of the prevailing theories and not one that is unreasonable.

    Question

    Well, considering. That was the one, because you had mentioned last time you were here that you could have both, and I was like, "okay, so that means he’s got Szeth's sword."

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  • 60

    Interview: Oct 22nd, 2015

    Jaller

    I also asked Brandon about that part in the Wandersail chapter of WoK, where Syl leaves Kaladin before he meets Hoid because she gets a bad feeling. I wanted to know whether this related to why Vin decided to not meet Hoid in HoA.

    Brandon Sanderson

    He said that they both got a certain impression from him, but wouldn't say whether or not it was the same thing, and stated I would have to RAFO what that was exactly.

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  • 61

    Interview: Nov 28th, 2015

    PrncRny

    Is the flute that Vin saw in the Lord Ruler's secret room in WoA the same flute that Hoid gives to Kaladin in tWoK?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO. The origins of that flute will be revealed at some point.

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  • 62

    Interview: Feb 17th, 2016

    Question

    Why does everyone know about his [Kaladin] Stormblessed name? Like Gaz knows about it before he survives the highstorms. Like how do they know?

    Brandon Sanderson

    How do they know? The rumors were already spreading, people started talking about it and things like that.

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  • 63

    Interview: Feb 17th, 2016

    Question

    Who’d win, Vin or Kaladin?

    Brandon Sanderson

    On a battlefield Kaladin, off a battlefield probably Vin.

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  • 64

    Interview: Feb 27th, 2016

    Paladin Brewer

    In Way of Kings SYl leaves Kaladin before he means Hoid because she gets a bad feeling, did this have to do with Hoid himself or something unrelated?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO, I believe. I don't remember an answer for it. unsure emoticon.

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  • 65

    Interview: Oct 14th, 2015

    zandi

    Is the Fleet story indicative of future events/ending of SA?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. Hoid is telling Kaladin things he needs to know. But Hoid's knowledge of the future doesn't extend that far...(or something like that).

    Footnote

    WSB: surprised at such an open answer

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  • 66

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2016

    Blightsong

    In the end, how many bridge runs did Kaladin go on?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I didn't count them, uhhm, dozens. Probably not hundreds.

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  • 67

    Interview: Feb 20th, 2016

    Question

    Squires?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Bridge 4 are Kaladin’s Squires.

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  • 68

    Interview: Apr 23rd, 2016

    Question

    If a Shard were to heal the cracks in someone’s Spiritweb, like Saze did with Spook, and that person who was getting healed has a Nahel bond, would that break the bond?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, because the Nahel bond is already filling in those cracks, so you would have to rip it off to put something else in there.

    Question

    So the Shard wouldn’t be able to heal…?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, the Shard...Like, here’s the thing we have to get at with this, what we’re getting at, which is the question of, for instance, is Kaladin’s depression a flaw in him that needs to be healed? And that is a question for philosophers. There are certainly people in the Cosmere and outside the Cosmere that say yes, this needs to be healed, but what about somebody who’s...say, someone who is autistic, and their mind just works in a different way, and this way allows a certain bond to happen that couldn’t otherwise happen? Is that a flaw, or - is it a bug or a feature, to speak in coding terms? Is what’s up with Kaladin a bug or a feature? I know that my wife would probably get rid of her depression if she could, but it’s also fundamental in how she sees the world and who she is, would that change her into a different person? And things like this. So, I want you when you discuss this, to be very careful about treating mental illness as a flaw as opposed to an aspect of a human personality that allows certain different things to happen. Does that make sense? [Applause]

    Question

    The way I was sort of thinking, was, could Odium say, “Oh, I’m just going to fix this” and then [...]?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Right, right, yeah. If he - if there was - that is possible, but it would be hard to do without the consent of the person, but that is possible. You can fix somebody in a way that they didn’t want to be fixed, and it would ruin things.

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  • 69

    Interview: Nov 22nd, 2016

    BYU Bookstore (Paraphrased)

    Question

    At the beginning of WoK, Kaladin is annoyed by a mischievous wind spren, but not particularly shocked. Are personality quirks common to specific types of spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, although you'll see those quirks more common in elemental spren than in emotional spren.

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  • 70

    Interview: Oct 22nd, 2016

    Question

    My wife asked if we would regret naming our firstborn Kaladin (seeing as we don't yet know how Kal turns out), and

    Brandon Sanderson

    he said "you'll probably be very happy naming your son that" haha, so there's that.

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  • 71

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2016

    Argent

    When Kaladin speaks his oath, there’s always a very visual explosion of power, like a glyph.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That doesn’t necessarily happen with them all, and you’ll find out why.

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  • 72

    Interview: Dec 6th, 2016

    Question

    If Kaladin and Dalinar were Magic cards, what color do you think they’d be?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Dalinar now is mono-White. He was mono-Red in his youth, inching toward Black-Red, but I would call him mono-Red. Kaladin I would call Blue-White because they like things that fly and that have to do with the wind. So he would get the elemental Blue and personality White. Maybe a tinge of Red, but I would make a Blue-White Kaladin.

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