Difference between revisions of "Kaladin"

After Kaladin sworeswears the Third Ideal of the Windrunners, Sylphrena gainedgains the ability to become a [[Shardblade]]. Kaladin can summon her in the form of any weapon he chooses, as well as a shield, and transform it from one to another almost instantaneously.{{book ref|sa2|86}} His preferred weapon for fighting is a spear,{{book ref|sa2|86}} but he usually summons Syl in her default Blade shape when showing her off.{{book ref|sa3|7}} Later, the Fourth Ideal allows him to additionally summon windspren and manifest them in the Physical Realm as [[Shardplate]].{{book ref|sa4|110}} His Plate glows blue at the seams, and is emblazoned with the glyph of [[Bridge Four]] on the chest. The spren that can create it are always present nearby, though not always manifest; this allows Kaladin to summon it at a moment's notice.{{book ref|sa4|114}} He can also send it out to manifest on other people and protect them this way.{{book ref|sa4|111}}

During his time in Amaram's army, Kaladin's natural talent blossomedblossoms him into a master at spear-fighting. He wasis the quickest learner among the members of his cohort. His effortless ability surprisedsurprises his drill sergeant, Tukks.{{book ref|sa1|27}} Kaladin spentspends the year after his brother's death driving himself to exhaustion each day at the practice yard. He eventually grewgrows to be known as the best spearman in Amaram's army.{{book ref|sa1|63}} He wasis able to take down six spearmen by himself in seconds, even before he discovereddiscovers his abilities as a Surgebinder.{{book ref|sa1|47}} Combined with Stormlight, he heldholds off dozens of Parshendi almost single-handedly.{{book ref|sa1|68}}

While the spear is his preferred weapon, Kaladin has training with other weapons as well. He often carries throwing knives as a secondary weapon and is able to use them with considerable accuracy.{{book ref|sa1|47}} He has at various times wielded a quarterstaff, a hammer, and a halberd.{{book ref|sa2|86}} After becoming the Kholin bodyguard, he startedstarts training with the Swordmaster Zahel, though he is by no means an expert with a sword yet.{{book ref|sa2|16}} Syl has also confirmed that Kaladin's preternatural skill with weapons, evident since the first time he picked up a quarterstaff as a boy, comes from their bond.{{book ref|sa2|52}}

Kaladin also possesses a capable mind as a military commander. He becamebecomes the youngest squadleader in Amaram's army when he wasis eighteen years old. He managedmanages to reduce the casualty rate of his squad to the lowest in the entire army.{{book ref|sa1|47}} He wasis able to train Bridge Four with barely any resources.{{book ref|sa1|73}} He is able to quickly analyze a battlefield and assess the tactical situation.{{book ref|sa1|32}}

Kaladin startedstarts training in medicine with [[Lirin|his father]] and assisting him in surgery when he wasis eight years old.{{book ref|sa1|10}} His training wasis mostly concentrated in, but not limited to, surgery. After joining the army, he hadgains considerable practice as a field medic, attending to his fellows soldiers injured in combat.{{book ref|sa1|1}} He has some level of understanding of pharmacology, as he is able to harvest and extract his own antiseptic from knobweed sap.{{book ref|sa1|23}} He also has a basic grasp of neurological disorders like epilepsy.{{book ref|sa2|41}}

Kaladin has had a varied social standing throughout his life. His birth to Lirin, a darkeyed surgeon of the second [[nahn]], setsets him at second nahn originally.{{book ref|sa1|6}} When he wasis branded a slave by Amaram, his rank changedchanges to tenth nahn, like all slaves.{{book ref|sa1|51}}{{wob ref|13069}} When Dalinar rescuedrescues him and mademakes him captain of the Kholin guard, his nahn wasis uncertain, since captain wasis a rank usually given only to lower-dahn lighteyes. During this time, he wasis treated as an oddity outside of the normal caste system by many.{{book ref|sa2|5}}

Once Kaladin beganbegins summoning Syl as a Shardblade, his eyes would temporarily change to blue, making him a lighteyes, before fading back to brown, making him darkeyed again. Dalinar decideddecides that his status as a [[Shardbearer]] mademakes him a lighteyes of the fourth dahn, regardless of his current eye color. Since fourth dahn is a landed title, Elhokar gavegives Kaladin a small piece of the [[Eastern Crownlands]] to rule over. This technically makes Kaladin a landed lord, despite him not actually having any control over his territory, as it wasis taken over by [[Voidbringers]] shortly before he obtainedobtains it.{{book ref|sa3|58}}

As Bridge Four grewgrows into the refounded Order of Windrunners, Kaladin wasis promoted from captain to highmarshal.{{book ref|sa4|3}} Shortly before the Fused occupation of Urithiru, Kaladin steppedsteps down, at Dalinar's request, and becamebecomes a surgeon.{{book ref|sa4|18}}{{book ref|sa4|10}} His notoriety as Stormblessed{{book ref|sa4|102}} and the high social status of Radiants{{book ref|sa4|25}} mademake his effective status remain high, even if he wasis technically just a surgeon. He wasis reinstated briefly as highmarshal during the occupation,{{book ref|sa4|63}} although he renouncedrenounces command again upon the retaking of the tower.{{book ref|sa4|116}}

Kaladin returned to the apothecary and made a deal for his bridge crew to gather [[knobweed]] sap in return for a [[spheres|skymark]] per bottle of sap and some bandages. Upon returning from selling the sap, [[Gaz]] sent [[Bridge Four]] to do chasm duty, recovering valuables from the war dead who had fallen into the chasms. In the chasms, Kaladin continued to build rapport with the men, bringing [[Dunny]] into the fold, who sang for the men while others hovered behind. Through their work, Kaladin came across a spear in the chasms. Picking it up and holding it drew the ire of [[Moash]], [[Sigzil]], and [[Earless Jaks]], who began taunting the bridgeleader. Ignoring their gibes, Kaladin closed his eyes and went into a trance. He performed an advanced practice kata with the spear, revealing his talent as a genius spearman to the men, leaving them speechless.{{book ref|sa1|27}} This particular sequence would years later become known as the Chasm Kata.{{book ref|tsm|37}} During the display, [[Teft]], along with some of the other men, noticed an unknown spren—actually [[Syl]]—zipping around Kaladin. Through the rest of their chasm duty and on the walk back, more men started to open up. The night culminated in Kaladin using the money he had earned to purchase food and assigning [[Rock]] to cook a stew. Not a single person refused to partake in eating around the fire. The next day, a majority of the men followed his orders to rise out of bed and practice.{{book ref|sa1|27}}