Dalinar & the Dawnshard: A Stormlight Theory

I think I may have gone off the deep end for this one. Unfortunately for my mental health, there are many more theory videos to come. Stay tuned!
00:00 - Intro
0:40 - The Blackthorn
07:42 - Honor & Odium
12:29 - Lesser Theories
18:22 - The Theory

[@arlopaden9794]

The part about this theory that really intrigues me is that it's the only theory I've heard that I think really resolves Kaladni's arch in a satisfying way. I would actually be so so happy if this is how Kaladni's arch ended.

[@luischirinos643]

Wind and truth is going to be such a lore bomb for the cosmere

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

I really hope so! I can't wait to get a clearer picture where the cosmere is headed.

[@mystry4022]

I dunno, I feel like most of the lore has been covered, we just have a few key pieces missing that will pull it all together. Think the main back spike of the Inquisitors. We’ve got all the auxiliary spikes, but that main lynch pin? That’s what’s being delivered in Wind and Truth.

[@rendarcrow]

Yes cultivation is definetly pulling all the strings here.

[@joannen1738]

This theory os blowing my mind actually. Falinar loosing and beong turned over to Odium seemed way too hopeless of an ending for the characters, but FINALLY the war light plot gets greater significance. Im so excited to hear more!

[@KaydianBladebreaker]

Ralkalest helmet 🤣🤣🤣

[@jechuviadscape]

That's an awesome theory, it opens so many fun possibilities for the space age of the Cosmere

[@2DaysYouth]

Another stormlight Nerd. Love it. Yall are so much better at these deep dives and theory crafting. I cant come up with any of these regardless of how many times I read it. If I didn't have these types of vids to get me by in between books I think id cry.

[@PlayguePals]

As always, well written and very intriguing theories! Favorite quote without spoilers: "He was able to pick up *censored* and shove it into *censored's* vessel." Looking forward to more!

[@BinarySecond]

DESTROY

[@dalemason8418]

Dalinar can do all these things because he is a Bondsmith unchained by Honor's rules. That is explained by Stormfather multiple times. You even get to see Ishi do the same things and more in RoW.

[@nyaatama8529]

Cultivation, cultivating her own plans... I like and have had similar thoughts. For some odd reason, I have my doubts about Kaladin becoming honor... I do not even know why. As for Odium... I feel as if Taravangian's goals are different from Rayse, which also makes things crazy. What goals and ambitio s have changed. Figiring ghat out can lead to more answers and I cannot wait for that leadup Brandon gives with Daily chapters. So excited.

[@makcraft]

Imagine an outright war between Scadriants and Alethi in the space age, wielding Shards and stuff. That would be something.

[@liul]

Great theory, and I love Kaladin will be Honor, I thought that since Way of Kings

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

It makes so much sense!

[@dezeld1]

Just to add the thing I'm sorta hope will happen but I sorta doubt (particularly 3) 1. Child champion happens and Dalinar loses. 2. Oathpact is gonna be reforged so odium will be bound to roshar 3. Dalinar is still gonna end up as a new version of honour. So due to the above we're gonna have Odium being forced to interact with the rest of the cosmere through honour (so we're gonna have War). Then in some way cultivation is gonna end up on board in some capacity (not sure how but mostly think cause of their shenanigans) which is gonna push it towards conquest. One of the first things we did hear from TOd was a desire to go "save" everyone in the cosmere. This is with a Ralkalest hat though haha.

[@mr_matrix990]

I like the theory, I think instead of conquest the name Glory is much more fitting and adds a lot of callouts on a reread

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

Oooooooh, I like that!

[@MisterSketch4]

This last theory u proposed sounds plausible and would be incredibly satisfying. Also I hope ur burrito was delicious.

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

I'm glad you agree, I think it makes a lot of sense from both a narrative standpoint as well as a metatextual one. Leaves a lot of room for fun conflicts in the upcoming books. And thank you, the burrito was delicious!

[@molliethomas2585]

This sounds plausible, and the use of a Dawnshard might be what's needed to smooth out the merging of Honor and Odium. I'm rereading Rythm Of War, and Navani was talking about how water and oil could be merged with the help of an emulsifier. She then went on the find one for merging Stormlight and Voidlight, with is how we now have Warlight. If these respective Lights can be merged like that then there's no reason to think that it couldn't happen with their Shards. As for how Harmony would react to this, I think he would be astonished at first, but then he would want to get his hands on a Dawnshard so that he can try to fix what's going wrong with him.

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

Your logic checks out! I would love to see how Harmony would react to such a situation as well as what other Dawnshards are currently out there.

[@tylergordon6146]

Noting that Cultivation has also seen Lift. And there is just something going on with her and using Lifelight that feels like a set up

[@Haxerous]

My crack theory is that both Syl and Kal ascend to Honour. We have seen two shards being held by one vessel, and now we will get to see an inverse of that. Or we could have a situation where one of them holds the shard (likely Syl) and the other rides the storms (likely Kal). We have had visions where Kal rides the storms in the first couple of books and there's also the Fleet story. Syl is becoming more human and gaining a stronger physical presence which would help her ascend. This could explain why Sigzil in Sunlit man thinks of Kal as being alive and why he doesn't want to return to face his friends. This would also address the loss of the Storm father in the event that Dalinar loses and the storm father is unmade/destroyed/damaged.

[@arlopaden9794]

I love this! It all works so well and honestly seems really well set up.

[@martaferrerquintero4966]

Love this. Oddly makes lots of sense.

[@jeppusahn]

Solid theory. Love the pointed foil cap. Keep the cosmere vids coming, i just subbed

[@jcr6548]

love the theories, even better we wont have to wait too long, ive given up on rothfuss! hello kitty!

[@aredfoot]

I think you’re getting warm on a lot of things. Only edits I would make is Honor being reforged later. I think SA5 will result in Kaladin dying but not before filling Jezrien’s position in a new Oathpact.

[@Afronautsays]

You tricked me, this is highly plausible

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

Mwahahaha You have been bamboozled

[@jeffmiller6025]

Spoilers for Sunlit and released chapters of Emberdark: … … … In Sunlit we see Hoid in (presumably) a Kholin(ish) uniform in the Space-age. Which, in the context of your theory, begs the question of what Cultivation is up to and how this inflects (mitigates) the Unity of Honor and Odium. That is, what would her purpose be? Particularly given what we’ve seen of how Cultivation affects the drives of Knights Radiant, and, in Emberdark, we see a KR in the Space-age. Huh. Fascinating.

[@carlsmith4568]

Love your content.

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

Thank you! I really appreciate it.

[@kevinmutch9987]

I am more and more on the side of Lirin taking up honor and the Son of Tanavast thing for Kaladin is even more literal that we thought....everything you are saying about Dalinar and the Dawnshard sounds cool and I'm on board with that, just that the vessel is Lirin instead of Kaladin. There are some things about Lirin that others have pointed out to me and there is so much smoke there.

[@_Avstin_]

My man cooked up something wild

[@flornygrob]

Love all your theory vids.

[@shady7010]

great video and great quality content. subbed

[@yamirdreizehn283]

Why use a dawn shard to unite odium and honor? Harmony combined two opposite without one. Sixth of dust 2 and sunlit man suggest that the scandrians are the bigger problem in the cosmere then the rosharians meaning Conquest sounds unlikely to be the combination of honor and odium.

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

My guess would be that using is a dawnshard is a way to circumvent whatever negative effects are currently happening with Harmony.

[@jimmybrot8244]

Im no theorist but got several waves of goosebumps throughout the video😅

[@IAmSilverlined]

I’m still watching, but I wanted to be *that asshole* and say that the Dawnshard would most likely be named “Unite” instead of “Unity” since they are, at their core, Commands. Ok, back to it! Love the vid so far!

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

You're not an asshole! I don't think I've ever seen this mentioned before, has Sanderson ever confirmed this? That would be very good to know for theories going forward, and I think that it makes a ton of sense.

[@IAmSilverlined]

@@LoreoftheWorlds Yes, it's stated in Dawnshard, chapter 19. I don't have easy access to my physical copy at the moment, so I've transcribed portions of the audiobook below (which also means my capitalization may be off, which we know is important for Sanderson, so fair warning): "The force inside my mind asked me to choose." Rysn said. "It wanted me to accept it, whatever it is." -- "No, it did not!" Nikli said. "The Dawnshard isn't alive. It doesn't want things. You have stolen it." -- and Rysn knew, or at least felt, he was partially right. It wasn't a living thing she had taken upon herself, it was something else. A Command. ----------------------- "...You don't even know what it is you've done, Rysn. You don't understand what it is that is now inside your head." -- "So... tell me?" -- Nikli laughed. "Mere words cannot explain. The Dawnshards are Commands, Rysn. The will of a god."

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

Great catch!!!

[@shannonweeks3008]

You know who makes far more sense as a counter to Taravodium? Who is really really strict about following his oaths - something Honor is obsessive about? Szeth Son-Son-Vallano

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

This makes sense! I really do fear that if Szeth took honor he may be a bit... unhinged though

[@shannonweeks3008]

@@LoreoftheWorlds Surely a shard can heal some trauma, right? Right?? 😅

[@a_raconteur]

An interesting thought I just had was what if shards don't always add up to the same outcome? Like what if odium and honor merging doesn't always result in in war?

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

This could definitely possibly! What other options would you see emerging from the various combination of shards on Roshar?

[@a_raconteur]

@@LoreoftheWorlds perhaps restraint of discipline something like that? It could tie in thematically with a lot of the character arcs but mm I am not sure either. I think it depends on how much each shard's intent is expressed. Perhaps commitment? both odium and honor sort of share that they commit to a course of action and it has that sense of bonds and stuff that seems important as well. It certainly opens up a lot of possibilities but I would have to think about it a lot more deeply. Perhaps war in itself if a commitment

[@EricaEE1]

I really feel like Dalinar will take up Honor the way Tarivangian took Odium. Theyve been such consistent narrative foils that it feels like a logical next step. Tarivangian has always been a few steps ahead, and so gets his shard sooner and more time to plan, but Dalinar embodies Honor, frankly more than he could have done without his tragic backstory ("bravery is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear" sort of thing, only he inst scared he was a war criminal) and so will take up the mantle during the sanderlanche. I also think Kaladin will be in Stormlight 6 (based on Sunlit Man, but ive done no looking to see if the more clever fans agree), I think Adolin will be champion (the whole "my father thinks im a better man that him" bit plus the chance to overcome something Adolin sees as a great failure of character) and I think Cultivation will finally do something on screen instead of just flashbacks.

[@tmrogers87]

Writing before your Grand Unified Theory at 13:10 . I think the Honor blades are Honor’s body. Dalinar will need to “unite” all 10 into one blade to “reforge” Honor

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

This is a theory I had never considered! Honorblades are literally honors physical manifestation of investiture, it definitely checks out. Hmmm.... I like this theory a lot.

[@tmrogers87]

@@LoreoftheWorlds Tanavastium? Dalinarium? Kaladinium has a nice ring to it

[@bigmeandaddy]

​@@LoreoftheWorldsSorry, I have to disagree here. Nightblood chipper an Honorable. I feel like 1/10th of Honor's body should still be more highly Invested than Nightblood.

[@Degrad21]

so you think giving up his body to form the honorblades was the opening he gave and odium used to kill him?

[@tmrogers87]

@@Degrad21 Not necessarily. Ruin isn't dead, and his metal body is available for use. I don't know how or when Honor was killed, but I suspect Aharietiam was probably the cause. We know breaking the bond with spren is what kills them, maybe breaking the "bond" with Honor on that day did the same thing.

[@josephgraney1928]

Ehhhh. Some aspects of this make sense, but Dawnshards seem pretty darn rare. We already know that there is a Dawnshard other than the hypothesized "unity". Two seems like a lot. But I am quite sure that Raize was at least somewhat concerned about the reconstitution of Honor, and such an event would possibly point to some revelation about the shattering of Adonalsium.

[@ChefTinman]

I've always thought that Honor will be reforged when the ten Honor blades are "united". I think unite them refers to the blades explicitly

[@BlackHand531]

Very interesting theory

[@matnat707]

I think it is possible but unlikely for book 5. Maybe for book 10 though?

[@CationJONES]

I was gonna say my theory is that Dalinar loses the contest, and he becomes Odium's herald and the Stormfather becomes the spren of the Everstorm, but Kaladin rises to become Honor and Syl becomes the new spren of the Highstorm. Just a theory tho

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

I really like this theory, I could totally see this happening!

[@ATAKeithStewart]

The Dawnshards are all verbs/action words

[@kylehollenbeck9585]

I like it, but this honestly sounds like the rising action of the second arc rather than the conclusion of the first

[@dalemason8418]

Dalinar will lose the challenge and become Taravodium's champion while Kaladin, the EPITOME of honor, will reforge and mantle the Shard of Honor.

[@Lezzyboy87]

Todium* Just sounds better

[@PixelatedEpiphany]

I like it but seems more likely cultivations influence is the source.

[@trevormundt4796]

first

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

Woohoo 🎉

[@seanhalpin87]

This is a brilliant theory. Shit man

[@splinteredmind4949]

Honour Lives in the Hearts of Men. Honour was splintered into the spiritual realm whereby they are caught in the spiritwebs of humans.

[@ericF-17]

Wait, is it tin foil, or is it aluminum foil? This is suspicious.

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

Ya know what, this is actually a really good point. It does matter quite a bit in this universe.

[@luischirinos643]

Third😂

[@LoreoftheWorlds]

🥉