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|titles=King of [[Alethkar]], Gavilar the Majestic{{book ref|sa3|105}}
|groups={{tag|Sons of Honor}}
|died={{Rosharan date|1167|9|missing-date=?}},{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}{{book ref|sa2|prologue}}{{book ref|sa3|prologue}}{{book ref|sa4|prologue}} killed by Szeth
|nation=Alethkar
|world=Roshar
{{quote
|My people need to be united, and I need an empire that won't simply turn to infighting once I am gone.
|Gavilar to [[Eshonai]]{{book ref|sa3|prologue}}
}}
'''Gavilar Kholin'''
== Appearance and Personality ==
In his youth, he had a habit of summoning and dismissing his Blade when getting ready for a battle, perhaps as a way to relieve stress.{{book ref|sa3|11}} It's unknown if he retained it in his middle age.
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Gavilar has two very different images of who he was as a person: there is that which is pushed by official biographies that paint him as a wonderful and ideal king, and therefore the way that he is viewed by the public; and the bleak reality that those very biographies sought to hide.{{book ref|sa4|prologue}}
==== Official Record ====
The official record shared with the public depicts him as a great man that perfectly embodies the [[Vorin]] masculine ideal.{{book ref|sa1|45}}
He is known for his political skill for making alliances.{{book ref|sa3|19}}
==== True Personality ====
He's an ambitious man who is obsessed with the rise of House Kholin and overshadowing the Sunmaker and his legacy.{{book ref|sa3|11}} His ambition was enough to not only lead him to a violent conquest to unify Alethkar, but also led him to killing off many of his relatives so that he could take the position of Kholin Highprince for himself.{{wob ref|4006}}
He is a deeply abusive and manipulative man who uses those close to him as nothing more than tools and as a means to continue his legacy, even if it means controlling their lives or forcing them into things they don't want to do, or even trying to force them to change their ideology for no reason other than to prevent them from sullying his image. He does not hesitate to tell people, even his own wife, that he thinks that they are worthless.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}}{{book ref|sa4|prologue}}{{wob ref|11434}} Despite this, he does hold some affection for his family, even if his words and actions do not reflect this.{{wob ref|11434}}
He has a tendency to think very lowly of people, even his own family, if they do not live up to his high expectations. He also tends to discount and dismiss the personal passions, ideals, and autonomy of those closest to him.{{book ref|sa2|prologue}}{{book ref|sa4|prologue}}
-->
== Attributes and Abilities ==
=== Early Life ===
{{image|OB - Flashback Gavilar Dalinar.jpg|side=right|width=250px|Young Gavilar and [[Dalinar]]}}
Gavilar and Dalinar were born into a provincial branch of the Kholin family, with Gavilar being born some time before {{rosharan date|1120}}.{{wob ref|5569}} His mother died when he and his brother were young, and his father was absent from his life and spent his time dueling. After their father suffered a permanent head injury in a duel, Gavilar took over a paternal role for his younger brother Dalinar, teaching him things like how to shave.{{book ref|sa3|107}}
Gavilar was only fourth dahn, and not considered a serious contender for highprince. He conquered the [[Kholin princedom]], killing some of his relatives and taking the title of highprince for himself.{{wob ref|4006}}
From the start, Gavilar was supported by his brother. Dalinar would often introduce Gavilar to people he felt Gavilar should know. This led to some confusion when Gavilar was introduced by his brother Dalinar to [[Navani]]. Dalinar introduced them because he wished to court Navani himself, but Gavilar believed Dalinar intended him to court Navani with the introduction.{{book ref|sa1|64}}
=== Unification of Alethkar ===
The night of his assassination, Gavilar was attending a feast celebrating a treaty with the listeners. Before the feast he spoke in the lower palace floor with five people, including [[Amaram]] and [[Taravangian]];{{book ref|sa3|prologue}} in his conversation with Taravangian, he discussed the [[Dalinar's visions|visions]] he had been seeing and warned the other king that a storm was coming.{{book ref|sa2|i|14}} When he discovered that [[Eshonai]] had seen the meeting, he decided to speak to her about his plans. Gavilar wanted to bring back the listeners' gods, the [[Unmade]], and start a new [[Desolation]]. Despite Eshonai's protests to the contrary, he believed this would benefit everyone, including the listeners. He then gave Eshonai a [[black sphere]] and asked her to take it to [[The Five]] and tell them what he had told her.{{book ref|sa3|prologue}}
At some point during the feast, Gavilar slipped into the hallway to speak privately with Amaram. It is not known what they discussed. His daughter, Jasnah, found them talking. He rebuked her for her contempt for the party and expressed an
{{sidequote
|side=right|size=250px
}}
When Gavilar learned that [[Szeth]] was in the palace to assassinate him, he put on his [[shardplate]] and prepared to act as a bodyguard while Sadeas prepared to act as the fleeing king. Szeth initially fell for it, fighting him and leaving to pursue Sadeas after he temporarily incapacitates Gavilar. When Gavilar does not follow Szeth, however, Szeth realizes the ruse.
{{image|Assassination of Gavilar.jpg|side=right|width=300px|Gavilar fighting [[Szeth]]}}
A piece of wood gravely injured him by stabbing him in the side where his plate was damaged. As he was dying, Gavilar had a small, strange [[black sphere]] that he gave to Szeth and told him not to let some unknown group get it. He wished his brother to know the "most important words a man can say".{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} Szeth then proceeded to write in Alethi those words in Gavilar's blood on a wooden block, which was later deciphered by [[Jasnah Kholin]]. [[Dalinar]] then took this to mean the words of the [[Knights Radiant]].{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}
Gavilar feels affection for his brother [[Dalinar]], but he tends to use people around him as tools to further his goals.{{wob ref|11434}} After their mother died and their father suffered a brain injury and was left unable to take care of them, he took on a sort of paternal role over Dalinar.{{book ref|sa3|107}}
When Gavilar was still alive, Dalinar often introduced him to people that he felt that he should know.{{book ref|sa1|64}} Dalinar refuses to allow criticism of Gavilar{{book ref|sa1|61}} and devotes himself to protecting Elhokar, the remaining piece of his brother.{{book ref|sa1|15}} Dalinar feels responsibility for his brother's death, believing that
==== Elhokar Kholin ====
Elhokar
▲Elhokar remembers him as a perfect king Elhokar will never live up to, so dislikes when Gavilar is mentioned.{{book ref|sa1|12}}
==== Navani Kholin ====
{{quote
}}
Although he and his wife Navani were once close and plotted the conquest of Alethkar together, when Navani
Due to how openly abusive he was towards her, Navani saw the darker side of his character. On the day of his assassination, he pushed her over the edge and caused her to burn a glyphward asking for the Almighty to kill him. Due to this, she felt responsible for his death when he was assassinated later that day.{{book ref|sa4|prologue}} Despite her hatred for him, she chose to hide it, writing him a legacy of being the ideal Alethi man.{{book ref|sa4|prologue}}{{book ref|sa4|65}} She considers this illusion that she conjured to be what he once was.{{book ref|sa4|prologue}}
{{holder|title=King of [[Alethkar]]
|prev=''Interregnum''<br /><small>(Previously [[Sadees]])</small>
|this=c. {{Rosharan date|
|next=[[Elhokar Kholin]]
}}
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