Kaladin

Kaladin
by Exmakina
Family Parents Lirin, Hesina Siblings Tien (deceased)
Born	Late 1153
Abilities	Surgebinding (Adhesion/Gravitation) Shardwielding
Titles	Kaladin Stormblessed
Profession	Soldier Bridgeman (formerly) Apprentice Surgeon (formerly)
Groups	Knights Radiant (Windrunners) Bridge Four
Birthplace	Hearthstone
Nationality	Alethi
Homeworld	Roshar

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“I don’t know what I am either. A bridgeman? A surgeon? A soldier? A slave? Those are all just labels. Inside, I’m me. A very different me than I was a year ago, but I can’t worry about that, so I just keep moving and hope my feet take me where I need to go.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena

Kaladin (Alethi pronounciation: [ˈkæl·ə·dɪn] KAL-a-din), nicknamed Kal, renowned as Kaladin Stormblessed, is a darkeyed Windrunner of the Knights Radiant from Alethkar. Although trained as a surgeon from an early age by his father, his chosen profession is that of a soldier. He is famed as the captain of Highprince Dalinar Kholin's personal guard, a unit known as Bridge Four, and commander of the bridgemen battalion.

Kaladin has known adversity and loss throughout his life. He has suffered repeated oppression and betrayal by the lighteyed nobility, including being driven from his home by the citylord of his hometown as a teenager and being sold into slavery by the commander of his army. Kaladin has also been unable to save numerous patients, comrades, subordinates, and even his brother Tien from death.

Despite these challenges, or perhaps because of them, Kaladin is driven to protect others. Utilizing his skills as a surgeon, he attempts to save as many lives as possible. As a soldier, he has rescued thousands of soldiers during the Battle of the Tower, liberated a thousand bridgemen, and defended Dalinar Kholin and King Elhokar Kholin from numerous assassins.

He has bonded with the honorspren Sylphrena, more commonly known as Syl. This bond allows him to discover his powers as a Surgebinder and destiny as a member of the Knights Radiant, an order which has been defunct ever since the Day of Recreance. Kaladin, along with Shallan Davar, is one of the first two new members of the Knights Radiant in centuries. Their public revelation during the Battle of Narak serves as the catalyst for the re-founding of the Knights Radiant.

Appearance and Personality

Kaladin is a fairly tall man. He is muscular and has multiple scars on his body. He has tan skin and shoulder-length wavy black hair typical of an Alethi. He was born with dark brown eyes, though after swearing the Third Ideal of the Windrunners, his eyes turned very pale blue that glowed while holding Stormlight. Like most Rosharans, Kaladin's eyes have an epicanthic fold that appear faintly colored amber when he is holding Stormlight. His face is square and firm with strong lines and a proud chin. He prefers to be clean-shaven but during his time as a slave, he grows a long, scraggly beard. He is branded on his forehead with a sas nahn glyphpair indicating his slavery and a shash glyph meaning "dangerous".

Kaladin is a natural leader who makes people want to listen to him. Men of his squad in Amaram's army called him lucky and believed they would be protected because they were in Kaladin's squad. During his time in Bridge Four, he takes men who no longer care about anything and organizes them into an extremely loyal and well trained squad of spearmen. Dalinar Kholin remarks his men think very highly of him. He has a strong protective instinct, especially over those who are defenseless. He joins the army so he can look after his younger brother. As a squadleader in Amaram's army, he strives to protect the men in his squad. He specifically recruits the youngest members with the least training to his squad by bribing other squadleaders so he can train and protect them.

Kaladin shows a deep sense of loss when those under his protection die and has a tendency toward depression in various forms. By the time he joins Bridge Four, he has lost so many people that he has fallen into a deep depression. He thinks himself cursed because he always survives when others did not. At his lowest point, Kaladin falls into apathetic despair and becomes suicidal. He is also prone to seasonal depression, feeling a sense of heavy melancholy during the weeks of the Weeping.

Kaladin is deeply conflicted about killing, finding it philosophically hard to justify. In particular, he finds the notion that one must kill in order to protect ironic and paradoxical. Although he is a soldier, he has been trained as a surgeon, whose highest calling is to save all lives. His father's beliefs about the sanctity of life have similarly been deeply ingrained within him. Additionally, as a member of the Order of Windrunners, he lives by the Ideals of his order, which revolve strongly around protecting life. In fact, Kaladin's powers of killing appear to be at their strongest when he is actively protecting something or someone. This paradox has plagued Kaladin and Syl, who have both been unable to explain why killing is justified if the protection of life matters.

Kaladin harbors a deep resentment and distrust for virtually all lighteyes, fueled by the betrayals of people like Roshone, Amaram, and Katarotam. Ironically, many characters have noted that "Kaladin" sounds like a lighteyed name, rather than a darkeyed name. Further, when Kaladin comes into his true power as a Knight Radiant, he despises the fact that he is now lighteyed.

Due to his recent struggles Kaladin shows hostility and resentment, although at times his wit, sarcasm, and intelligence show through. He appears to have got his sense of humor from his mother and is constantly questioning the world around him.

History

Early Life (1153–1168)

Childhood

Kaladin was born in late 1153 to Lirin and Hesina, a family of second nahn, in the town of Hearthstone in Torol Sadeas' princedom in northwestern Alethkar. His younger brother Tien is born two years later. Kaladin grew up isolated from the majority of the townsfolk due to the class disparity between his family and the other townsfolk (who are of fourth or fifth nahn), as well as superstitions surrounding his father's work as a surgeon. As a result, he becomes very close with his brother and, at the encouragement of his parents, Laral Wistiow, the daughter of the citylord.

Starting at the age of eight, he trains with his father in surgery, though he dreams of becoming a soldier. In 1164, he assists his father in amputating one of the fingers of a fifteen-year-old girl named Sani. When they are finished, they discuss Kaladin's future; despite Kaladin's wishes to be a soldier, Lirin announces that he plans to send Kaladin to train in the Great Concourse of Kharbranth when he turns sixteen.

Two years later, Kaladin and Laral are walking together outside when Kaladin finally tells her about his father's plans to send him away. Laral encourages him to become a soldier instead, implying that he could marry her if he won a Shardblade in battle, thereby becoming a lighteyes. Kaladin misses this implication, even though he is attracted to her. Eventually, they encounter a group of older boys, one of whom makes the claim his father had won a Shardblade in the wastescum skirmishes. At Laral's prompting, Kaladin contradicts him, which leads to the boy Jost challenging Kaladin to a quarterstaff fight. Although it is his first time holding a weapon, his natural talent for combat manifests. However, seeing that he has hurt Jost, he stops himself from fighting anymore. Jost, having no similar inhibition, beats Kaladin to the ground. Kaladin asks Jost to teach him, but the older boy declines, telling Kaladin to "go be what you are." Joined by Tien, Kaladin makes his way home while contemplating what he wants to be. Arriving home, Lirin informs him that Citylord Wistiow has died and has bequeathed a goblet full of spheres to Kaladin so that he could study in Kharbranth.

Two months later, a thirteen-year-old Kaladin attempts to treat a five-year-old girl named Miasal on his own. Miasal has suffered multiple severe wounds. Kaladin starts treatment, but it is too late as Miasal dies from blood loss. An hour later, his father finds Kaladin in front of the surgery room crying to himself. Lirin tells him he is proud of Kaladin's work and there was nothing he could have done to stop Miasal's death. Kaladin tells Lirin he did not want to be a surgeon, but Lirin answers that he would have to learn when to care.

New Citylord

Near the end of 1166, Kaladin overhears two townswomen disparaging Lirin. Angered, he asks his mother why people hate Lirin. She answers that they did not hate him, but are afraid of knowledge itself. The conversation turns to Kaladin's own future, and he realizes his parents had encouraged him to spend time with Laral in the hopes that the two would marry. As Kaladin mulls over the conversation, Lirin arrives with the news that the new citylord has arrived. The family makes their way to the town square, meeting up with Tien there. Brightlord Roshone arrives in his carriage and barely acknowledges the crowd. When Lirin tries to welcome him to town, he responds by blaming Lirin for being the reason he ended up in Hearthstone. Worried, they return home.

Citylord Roshone's arrival brings misfortune to Kaladin's family. Believing that Lirin had stolen the spheres from Wistiow, he coerces the townspeople to stop making donations for Lirin's work, which is the primary source of the family's income. While the townsfolk acquiesce, they still secretly provide provisions to Lirin and Hesina. Tien is apprenticed to a carpenter because he is unsuitable as a surgeon while Kaladin is still unsure if he wants to join the army or become a surgeon. About a year after Roshone's arrival, a group of men try to break into Lirin's surgery room while he and Kaladin were inside. They demand that Lirin hand over Wistiow's spheres. Instead, Lirin uncovers the light of the spheres, revealing that the intruders were not highwaymen as Kaladin had thought, but members of the town: Luten, Horl, and Balsas. Not expecting to find anyone inside, and ashamed of their actions, the men leave without taking anything.

Half a year later, Roshone invites Lirin to the mansion for dinner. Although Lirin and Hesina try to hide the meeting from Kaladin, he finds out and attends anyway. Roshone discusses their situation and wants them to return the spheres; when Kaladin responds with an outburst, Lirin sends him away to the kitchens. In the kitchens, Roshone's son Rillir walks in with Laral and, confusing Kaladin for a servant, orders him to fetch them supper. Kaladin, protesting that he isn't a servant, loses an argument with Rillir and is humiliated. As Lirin and Kaladin leave the mansion, Kaladin admits to his father that he had been considering joining the army but has resolved to become a surgeon so that he would have the education to stand up to the lighteyes. During the conversation, Kaladin realizes Lirin had indeed stolen the spheres from Wistiow. Kaladin resolves to use the spheres for his training, but would pay them back to Laral.

While on a hunting trip, Roshone and Rillir are seriously injured by a whitespine and brought to Lirin's surgery room. Kaladin and Lirin determine that Rillir is already fatally wounded and tend to Roshone, despite his protests. They anesthetize both patients and begin surgery on Roshone. Lirin hesitates when he discovers a piece of the whitespine's tusk near Roshone's femoral artery. Kaladin considers how easy it would be to fake an accident, but they continued on to save Roshone's life, as Rillir died. When Kaladin asks his father why he had not let Roshone die, Lirin answers that they have to be better men than the lighteyes.

In the Weeping of 1168, as Kaladin's family grows increasingly desperate, being forced to spend some of the spheres, Roshone assembles the townfolk in the town square. Meridas Amaram has arrived in Hearthstone to recruit soldiers for his army. There, Kaladin and his family are shocked to learn that Laral is now engaged to Roshone himself after Rillir's death. Meanwhile, since only six men have volunteered, Amaram asks Roshone to announce the list of conscripts. As citylord, Roshone was barred from placing Lirin or Kaladin on the conscription list because they served a vital function to the town. However, Roshone places Tien's name on the list instead; when Kaladin tries to take Tien's place, he is denied because the law gave the choice to Roshone alone. Left without any other option, Kaladin enlists in the army in order to protect Tien and promises his devastated parents that he would bring Tien back in four years. Amaram promises Lirin that he would make Tien a messenger boy for a while.

Amaram's Army (1168–1172)

Tien's Death

Kaladin receives his initial training under Tukks, where he learns the importance of controlled passion—to be passionate without losing control of his emotions—a lesson that he does not initially understand. During his training, Kaladin demonstrates his natural talent and learns the spear faster than everyone else in his cohort, barely even needing instruction.

Despite Amaram's promise to Lirin, the older messenger boys, including Tien, are soon organized into several squads of reserve units to make up for a shortfall in recruitment. Dalar assures Kaladin that these squads would not see combat unless the army is in serious danger. Less than four months after his enlistment, Kaladin takes part in his third real battle. Amaram's army is attempting to hold a hilltop; as the battle deteriorates, messenger boys are assigned to Sheler's company. Hearing that the messenger squad has sent to the front, Kaladin runs recklessly through the battlefield in an attempt to reach his brother. On the southeast side of the hill, Squadleader Varth places Tien and two other boys in the front lines, successfully using them as bait. Kaladin, killing a man for the first time during his run, reaches Tien only after he is killed. Weeping and bleeding from wounds taken during his run, he hugs Tien's dead body until long past the end of the battle.

Stormblessed

Kaladin sends a letter to his parents informing them of Tien's death and his decision to not return to Hearthstone. He spends the next year driving himself to exhaustion every day on the practice yard, vowing vengeance and to never let another person die because of his lack of skill. He becomes the best spearman in his company and is rumored to be the best in the entire army. He eventually meets Tarah, who coaxes Kaladin out of his single-mindedness, claiming it would burn him out. The two are romantically involved, but are separated after some time, for which Kaladin blames himself. He joins the Takers under Tukks' leadership. He meets Durk, who becomes a mentor figure to Kaladin. Eventually, every member of the Takers are killed except for Kaladin.

Kaladin is promoted to squadleader at the age of eighteen, becoming the youngest one in the army.

Fighting the Shardbearer

On the Ishi 1172, Kaladin fights his final battle in Amaram's army. Prior to the battle, Kaladin meets with Squadleader Gare and two of his sergeants. Kaladin bribes Gare to transfer Cenn, a young and inexperienced soldier, to Kaladin's own squad, whom he entrusts to his sergeant Dallet. He also bribes the surgeons to give priority to his men. While bribing the surgeons, the pouch sticks to his hand by what Kaladin assumes is a windspren, although it is actually his first meeting with Sylphrena. Kaladin goes to the front lines and prepares for battle after consulting Dallet.

Once the signal to march was given, Kaladin's well-disciplined squad uses non-standard tactics to avoid taking any casualties. The larger battle, however, doesn't go nearly as well, and after the larger body of Amaram's force breaks, Kaladin's squad is left in the middle of the enemy. During the chaos, Kaladin single-handedly defeats six men to save Cenn, who had been stranded alone without the rest of the squad. After treating Cenn, Kaladin sees an enemy battalionlord and decides kill him, hoping that such a feat would allow him to be transferred to the Shattered Plains, where Kaladin believes the real fight and honorable men can be found. Kaladin and two of his subsquads execute their plan flawlessly, with Kaladin himself striking the killing blow on the enemy battalionlord.

Immediately after, an unknown enemy full Shardbearer, later revealed to be Helaran Davar, appears and cuts through Amaram's army, killing Cenn, Dallet, and two more of Kaladin's men. Helaran continues on to attack Amaram, whose honor guard has abandoned him. Enraged, Kaladin and his twenty remaining men chase after Helaran. They engage Helaran, saving Amaram. Helaran is able to kill sixteen of Kaladin's men before Kaladin finally manages to kill him. Amaram and Coreb, one of Kaladin's men, urge Kaladin to claim Helaran's Shards, as it is his right to do by ancient tradition. However, Kaladin is disgusted by the thought of wielding the same Blade that has claimed the lives of so many of his friends. Instead, Kaladin gives the Shards to Coreb and walks away.

A few hours later, Kaladin is called to Amaram's warcenter. There, Amaram and his advisers are pondering over the assassination attempt and the identity of the perpetrators. Eventually, they meet Kaladin along with the four surviving members of Kaladin's squad. A short conversation takes place, and pressed on why he didn't claim the Blade, Kaladin has no answer to give. The conversation at an end, Amaram suddenly orders his men to kill the surviving members of Kaladin's squad while Kaladin himself is restrained. Amaram apologizes, but says that this was the only way to ensure secrecy. He informs Kaladin that he had thought it over for hours before finally being convinced by Restares that the best interests of Alethkar would be served if he wielded the Shards himself. As an act of mercy and gratitude, Amaram spares Kaladin's life and has him branded with the sas nahn glyphpair to mark him as a slave and sold.

Slavery (1172–1173)

Sas nahn and shash

Kaladin spends the next eight months under at least six different slavemasters, suffering from constant beatings and squalid conditions. Initially, Kaladin is still defiant, making ten escape attempts; although several of them are successful, he always ends up re-captured. In his tenth escape attempt, he leads a group of twenty armed slaves, including a man named Goshel. However, they all die, leading Kaladin to believe that he has failed them. By the eighth month, Kaladin falls into despair and has stopped making any escape attempts.

Though he should have been killed for his tenth escape attempt, Kaladin's master finds him "intriguing," and brands his forehead with the shash glyph, meaning dangerous, and sells him. Eventually Kaladin is bought by Tvlakv. By now, Kaladin is at his lowest point; he even finds and secretes away some poisonous blackbane leaves, unsure of whether he wants to use them to commit suicide, to kill his slavers, or for something else. However, when a fellow slave is sick, his instinct to protect and heal re-emerges, and Kaladin attempts to save his life. His attempt fails as Tvlakv has the slave killed in order to avoid the infection spreading.

It is during this time that Kaladin first notices Syl. Although Kaladin notices that Syl has been following him for several months, he believes it is nothing more than the average, though mischievous windspren. At this point, Syl acts much like a normal windspren, though Kaladin notes some oddities about her, such as the exceptionally long period of time that she has been following him. Just before Kaladin is sold to Sadeas, Syl begins talking to him and calls him by name, an unprecedented occurrence; although spren can mimic voices, Kaladin doesn't believe them to have intelligence or memory. Kaladin thinks he is insane at first, but eventually starts to converse with Syl.

Bridge Four (1173)

Decision

During his time in Bridge Four, Kaladin grew more and more depressed. He eventually stopped caring about anything and Syl left Kaladin saying she would try to get back because she couldn't bear seeing Kaladin as he was. The last man from Kaladin's first bridge run died, and between that and Syl leaving, Kaladin came to the point of suicide. He went to the Honor Chasm at night. Before he jumped down, Syl came back with a leaf of blackbane, a deadly poison, hoping to make Kaladin feel better without understanding what she was bringing. Kaladin found this oddly sweet. She convinced Kaladin to try to protect the men of Bridge Four, saying there was nothing Kaladin could do to make their situation worse. Kaladin went back to the bridge sergeant Gaz, bullied and bribed him to become the bridgeleader and so Gaz would stay out of his way. That night, he learned the name of every men in Bridge Four. Next morning, Kaladin started training for bridge runs. He tried to get others to practice as well, but was ridiculed for the effort, though soon Teft and Rock started training with him. Kaladin started bringing back the wounded back at this point. Kaladin, Teft and Rock started collecting knobweed sap to use on the injured and to sell it so they could have money for supplies. Kaladin told Rock to cook meals every night and soon every man in Bridge Four accepted Kaladin as their leader and started training with him.

Side Carry

The training cut down their losses in bridge runs but Kaladin didn't feel it was enough. They started practicing carrying the bridge sideways so they could use it as a shield from the arrows. This, however, undermined the strategy of the army at the Tower and caused the army to lose the battle. As punishment, Kaladin was strung up on the side of a building facing east during a highstorm to be judged by the Stormfather. During the highstorm he had a vision of an inhuman, smiling face of darkness that was as large as he could see. His Surgebinding abilities allowed Kaladin to survive the highstorm but he was still severely injured. It took him ten days to recover, which was found to be miraculous and people started calling him Stormblessed again. Lamaril was executed and his replacement Brightlord Matal's wife, Brightness Hashal, informed Kaladin that Bridge Four would always work in chasm duty from then on. Kaladin realized that the bridgemen were bait to the Parshendi and knowing no matter how much they cut their losses it would never be enough, he proposed that they escape and started training the Bridge Four as spearmen.

Escape

During a highstorm, Kaladin dreamed he was the storm. In the dream, he followed the path of the highstorms, travelling from east to west. He raged forward just ahead of the stormwall, soaring above Roshar. He saw many places including a city that Sigzil later confirms as Sesemalex Dar. He also saw a Shin man that appeared to see Kaladin as well. Once he reached the western ocean, he heard a voice calling Kaladin Child of Tanavast. The face he saw when he was strung up in the highstorm appeared again and was revealed to be the source of the voice. The face informed Kaladin that the Oathpact was broken and Odium reigned. Kaladin woke up, finding himself surrounded by the men of Bridge Four trying to restrain him from walking out into the highstorm.

Later that day, Bridge Four got a new member, the parshman Shen. Kaladin made sure he was accepted by the rest of the men. While talking with Syl, he asked if she knew about Odium which made Syl run away without looking back. Strolling confused about what happened in the warcamp, Kaladin stumbled upon a prostitute being beaten by a lighteyes. Adolin Kholin and a few of his soldiers came and save her. Adolin told Kaladin to deliver a message and called him bridgeboy which made Kaladin indignant. Syl returned with no explanation about where she went.

In one of the next bridge runs, Dunny died. Kaladin was frustrated, and started rescuing members of the other bridge crews. Teft talked about how when Kaladin ran point, Parshendi arrows always missed them. Kaladin remarked his behavior as strange. One week later, Bridge Four found an emerald broam along with a number of smaller denominations. Kaladin decided they couldn't get the emerald broam out of the chasm but they would find a way to recover the other spheres. They attached the sphere pouch to an arrow and Rock shot it at under one of the permanent bridges to be recovered later. Teft faked throwing a punch to Kaladin and Kaladin instinctively drew in Stormlight and used Full Lashing in front of Teft and Lopen. Kaladin confronted Syl about it and asked how he could get rid of it. They argued and Syl ran away, her feelings hurt. In the evening, Kaladin met Hoid while walking around the warcamp. Hoid gave Kaladin a Trailman's flute and asked him to look after his apprentice, Sigzil, and that he was graduated to a full Worldsinger. He also told Kaladin a story about Wandersail which made Kaladin think about responsibility. Kaladin decided to use Surgebinding to help Bridge Four and that he was not cursed.

He went back to Teft and they started practicing how to use Surgebinding consciously. Teft also taught Kaladin about the Immortal Words. They ran into Brightness Hashal and her husband, Hashal informed them that Bridge Four would be on bridge duty every day from then on while doing chasm duty at nights. While doing chasm duty, Kaladin found a Parshendi corpse and cut his carapace armor. He used Full Lashing and tied the armor to the permanent bridge they had used before. The next chasm run, Kaladin wore the armor and ran ahead of the bridge crews wearing the Parshendi armor. Parshendi were angry because Kaladin had disturbed the corpse of one of their kind and focused all their archers on Kaladin. He managed to dodge them with his abilities and bridge crews managed to set their bridges without casualty. Others volunteered to run with Kaladin and they decided that five men should run before the bridge crews every time. While they were resting, a group of Parshendi soldiers ambushed Bridge Four but Dalinar Kholin came to their rescue. Kaladin told Leyten to make a set of armor for every man in Bridge Four, not just those running in front.

Battle of the Tower

In the Battle of the Tower, Sadeas abandoned Dalinar and his army at the Tower Plateau, escaping with all of his bridge crews. Kaladin told Lamaril that they would follow behind the army with their own bridge, claiming they were too tired to keep pace. Kaladin believed they could fool the army into thinking they were dead by falling further and further behind. However, when he and Bridge Four saw Dalinar's army surrounded by the overwhelming numbers of Parshendi, they decided they couldn't abandon them all to die alone.

Bridge Four charged the plateau to set their bridge and give Dalinar's army a chance to escape. As the Parshendi archers on the Tower opened fire on Bridge Four, Kaladin instinctively used a Reverse Lashing to draw the entire volley of Parshendi arrows to his shield. Exhausted by the effort and expended of all his reserve Stormlight, Kaladin collapsed to the ground. The rest of Bridge Four rescued him from the front lines and continued to set the bridge. Surrendering to his fatigue, Kaladin nearly fell to depression, believing he had failed to protect Bridge Four just as he had failed to protect Tien years ago.

Regaining consciousness, Kaladin shook off his dark memories and ran to Bridge Four's aid. At the urging of Syl, he spoke the Second Ideal of the Windrunners, exploding with Stormlight and pushing back the Parshendi attacking Bridge Four with incredible speed and power. Amazed at his recovery and awed by the Stormlight still radiating from his body, his bridge crew joined him against the attackers and held the bridge until Dalinar's army arrived.

Fighting through to reach Adolin, Kaladin convinced him to order a retreat, and then single-handedly rescued Dalinar, still dazed from his battle with Eshonai. In the end, Kaladin and Bridge Four managed to save Dalinar and over twenty-six hundred of his men. Dalinar, in his gratitude, bought all the slaves in the bridge crews from Sadeas for the price of his Shardblade and then immediately freed them. Kaladin accepted Dalinar's offer to become his bodyguard, with the rank of captain, and was charged with training the former bridgemen for Dalinar's army.

Kholin's Bodyguard (1173—)

Kaladin wearing his Captain's uniform.

Kaladin promoted Moash, Skar, Teft, Sigzil and Rock to lieutenants, a rank which is the equivalent of sergeant in companies made solely of lighteyes, because he needs a rank between squadleader and captain to form command structure for a thousand men. Kaladin set up a rotation to protect Dalinar, and his sons always using either himself or Moash or Skar for the Blackthorn. During this time he was encouraged to send some of his men to the kings guard to learn from them. After a small council Dalinar wished for Kaladin and his men to take on more duties extending to protecting Navani and then eventually protecting the King himself, Kaladin complains that his men are stretched thin, Dalinar says that he is not alone in that problem.

During the Highstorms Kaladin gathers all those who he is supposed to protect in one location to make it easier and blames himself for not stopping the numbers. After a highstorm the king is nearly killed after the balcony he was standing on broke free, Kaladin concludes with Dalinar that the support was cut with a Shardblade and this was an assassination attempt. Kaladin later confronts Moash as he was the only one on the balcony after the storm and Moash admits to have been an accomplice, Kaladin forbids Moash from meeting with the Assassins again.

Attributes and Abilities

Surgebinding

Kaladin has the ability to manipulate the Surges of Adhesion and Gravitation through his Nahel bond with the honorspren Sylphrena. By breathing in Stormlight, he gains superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability, stamina, and healing, as long as he has access to Stormlight. While his honorspren is present with him, his movements are enhanced by her, which Kaladin describes as "being guided by the wind." This gives Kaladin a superior natural fighting talent, although it does not replace skill by itself. After Kaladin swore the third Ideal of the Windrunners, Sylphrena gained the ability to become a Shardblade. Unlike the dead Blades left after the Recreance, Kaladin can summon his as any weapon he chooses, as well as a shield, and transform it from one to another almost instantaneously.

Adhesion

Full Lashing is the first of the Three Lashings Kaladin mastered, and the first he used consciously. He was able to bond fist-sized rocks to a sheer chasm wall and create a ladder. He used Full Lashing to disarm his opponents by yanking their weapons with his own and neutralize them by bonding them to surfaces, while sparring, although he stated he felt awkward due to lack of practice. His Full Lashing had no effect on himself at this time. He later bound himself to the saddle of his horse, demonstrating that he can choose when his Full Lashing would bond him or ignore him.

Gravitation

Though he has never used it consciously, Kaladin performed Reverse Lashings during the bridge runs for the entirety of his time as a bridgeman. He instinctively managed to infuse the bridge he carried to attract the Parshendi arrow shot at him while approaching the target plateaus. Later at the Battle of the Tower, he infused the shield he was carrying to draw an entire volley of arrow shot at the Bridge Four.

After his encounter with the Assassin in White, he managed to duplicate the ability to perform Basic Lashings. Initially he had problems adjusting to the sudden change of perspective, but with practice, he managed to push down his panic and become accustomed to the altered gravity. He has discovered how to perform multiple Lashings in the same or different directions, as well as partial Lashings, though he has not managed the accuracy necessary to perform, for example, a half Lashing which would make him weightless. He has achieved "flight" by Lashing himself to the air and shown that he can keep up with a more experienced Surgebinder like Szeth.

Combat Skills

During his time in Amaram's army, Kaladin's natural talent resulting from his Nahel bond blossomed him into a master at spear-fighting. He was the quickest learner among the members of his cohort. His effortless ability surprised his drill sergeant, Tukks. Kaladin spent the year after his brother's death driving himself to exhaustion each day at the practice yard. He eventually grew reputed to be the best spearman in Amaram's army. He was able to take down six spearmen by himself in seconds even before he discovered his abilities as a Surgebinder. Combined with Stormlight, he held off dozens of Parshendi almost single-handedly.

While the spear is his preferred weapon, Kaladin also has training with other weapons as well. He often carries throwing knives as a secondary weapon and is able to use it with considerable accuracy. He has been known to wield a quarterstaff, a hammer, and a halberd. After becoming the Kholin bodyguard, he started training with the Swordmaster Zahel, though he is by no means an expert with a sword yet.

Kaladin also possesses a capable mind as a military commander. He became the youngest squadleader in Amaram's army when he was eighteen years old. He managed to reduce the casualty rate of his squad to the lowest in the entire army. He was able to train the Bridge Four with barely any resources. He is able to quickly analyze a battlefield and assess the tactical situation.

Medicine

Kaladin started training in medicine with his father and assisting him in surgery when he was eight years old. His training was mostly concentrated in, but not limited to, surgery. After joining the army, he had considerably practice as a field medic, attending to his fellows soldiers injured in combat. He showed to have at least a basic understanding of pharmacology when he harvested and extracted his own antiseptic from knobweed sap. He also demonstrated knowledge in neurological disorders like epilepsy. After joining the army, he had considerable practice as a field medic, attending to his fellows soldiers injured in combat.

Quotes

“Perhaps you should pray to the Almighty for guidance. I hear he has a fondness for slavers. Keeps a special room in Damnation just for you.”

—Kaladin to Tvlakv

“Authority doesn't come from a rank. [It comes] from the men who give it to you. That's the only way to get it.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena

“Men are unreliable in many things. But if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s their greed.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena

“Death isn’t better. Oh, it’s easy to say that now. But when you stand on the ledge and look down into that dark, endless pit, you change your mind. Just like Hobber did. Just like I’ve done. I think you’ve seen it too.”

—Kaladin to Teft

“Tradition is the blind witness they use to condemn us, Teft. It’s the pretty box they use to wrap up their lies. It makes us serve them.”

—Kaladin about lighteyes

“Soon you’ll hardly be a spren at all. You’ll be a little translucent philosopher. We’ll have to send you off to a monastery to spend your time in deep, important thoughts.”

—Kaladin to Sylphrena

“Storm you! Look at that! Who cares for them? Not Sadeas. Not their fellow bridgemen. I doubt even the Heralds themselves spare a thought for these. I won’t stand there and watch while men die behind me. We have to be better than that! We can’t look away like the lighteyes, pretending we don’t see. This man is one of us. Just like Dunny was. The lighteyes talk about honor. They spout empty claims about their nobility. Well, I’ve only known one man in my life who was a true man of honor. He was a surgeon who would help anyone, even those who hated him. Especially those who hated him. Well, we’re going to show Gaz, and Sadeas, Hashal, and any other sodden fool who cares to watch, what he taught me. Now go to work and stop complaining!”

—Kaladin about members of other bridge crews

“I’ve been here before! What happened last time? I’ve learned! I won’t be a fool again! I owe you nothing, Kholin.”

—Kaladin yelling before helping Dalinar's army

Trivia

• Kaladin is currently immune to the Thrill although that does not mean he never felt it.
• Kaladin spoke the Second Ideal of the Windrunners in modern Alethi.
• Despite previous contradicting statements by Brandon, Kaladin is not likely to get another flashback book anymore.^{[citation needed]}
• Kaladin was originally named Merin. One of the reasons for the name change was that Merin sounded too much like Perrin. Another was it sounded too much like a female name. Brandon also felt that the character had changed so much that he couldn't think of him as Merin anymore.
• In the original manuscript of The Way of Kings, Kaladin saves the life of Elhokar from a Shardbearer and accepts the Shardblade. They try to take it away from him, but Dalinar insists that he be given it.

Notes

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