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== Appearance and Personality ==
[[File:Kaladin.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Kaladin concept art by [[Ben McSweeney]]]]
Kaladin is a fairly tall man. He is muscular and has multiple scars on his body.{{ref|b|twok|c|6}} He has shoulder-length wavy black hair typical of an Alethi and dark brown eyes
His personality varies with the events of his life. As a child, he was enthusiastic and had a strong sense of justice and responsibility, wishing at various stages to become a soldier to protect his country and a surgeon to heal the people of his town. In Amaram's army, he became a strong and confident leader, leading his squad through the battles. He cared deeply for his men, bribing the armies surgeons to treat his men before all except the wounded lighteyes. After being sold into slavery, Kaladin became frequently withdrawn and depressed, as it seemed to him that he lost everyone who he tried to save. He maintained a rebellious streak, making frequent escape attempts and possibly planning to kill the leader of the slave caravan with a poisonous leaf he found. After joining Bridge Four Kaladin attempts to gain back his former confidence and leadership from his soldiering days, and trying to inspire the other bridgemen. However the continual setbacks they suffer still leave him sometimes depressed and pessimistic about their situation. Syl usually pull him out of these episodes, offering him hope for the future. By the time Bridge Four rescue Dalinar's army, Kaladin more or less regain his former leadership and confidence, bolstered further by his new Surgebinding abilities.
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During his time in [[Bridge Four]], Kaladin grows more and more depressed. He stops caring about anything and Syl leaves Kaladin saying she will try to get back because she can't bear seeing Kaladin as he is.{{ref|b|twok|c|9}} The last man from Kaladin's first bridge run dies, and between that and Syl leaving, Kaladin comes to the point of suicide. He goes to the [[Honor Chasm]] at night. Before he jumps down, Syl comes back with a leaf of [[blackbane]], a deadly poison, hoping to make Kaladin feel better without understanding what she's bringing. She convinces Kaladin to try to protect the men of Bridge Four, saying there is nothing Kaladin can do to make their situation worse. Kaladin goes to the bridge sergeant [[Gaz]], bullies and bribes him to become the bridgeleader and so Gaz stays out of his way. He goes back to the barracks and learns the name of every men in Bridge Four.{{ref|b|twok|c|11}}
Next morning, Kaladin starts training for bridge runs. He tries to get others to practice as well, but is ridiculed for the effort,{{ref|b|twok|c|14}} though soon [[Teft]] and [[Rock]] start training with him. Kaladin starts bringing back the wounded back at this point.{{ref|b|twok|c|17}} Kaladin, Teft and Rock start collecting [[knobweed]] sap to use on the injured and to sell it so they can have money for supplies.{{ref|b|twok|c|21}} Kaladin tells Rock to cook meals every night and soon every man in Bridge Four accept Kaladin as their leader and start training with him.{{ref|b|twok|c|27}} This cuts down their losses in bridge runs but Kaladin doesn't feel it's enough. They start practicing carrying the bridge sideways so they can use it as a shield from the arrows.{{ref|b|twok|c|30}} This, however, undermines the strategy of the army and causes it to lose a battle.{{ref|b|twok|c|32}} As a punishment, Kaladin is strung up on the side of a building facing east during a [[highstorm]] to be judged by the [[Stormfather]].{{ref|b|twok|c|34}} During the highstorm he has a vision of an inhuman, smiling face of darkness that is as large as he can see.{{ref|b|twok|c|35}} His [[Surgebinding]] abilities allow Kaladin to survive the highstorm but he is still severely injured.{{ref|b|twok|c|38}} It takes him ten days to recover, which is found to be miraculous and people start calling him Stormblessed again.{{ref|b|twok|c|40}} Lamaril is executed and his replacement's, Brightlord [[Matal]], wife Brightness [[Hashal]] informs Kaladin that Bridge Four will always work in chasm duty from then on. Kaladin realizes that the bridgemen are bait to the [[Parshendi]] and knowing no matter how much they cut their losses it will never be enough, he proposes that they escape and starts training the Bridge Four as spearmen.{{ref|b|twok|c|43}}
==== Riding the Storm ====
During a highstorm, Kaladin dreams he is the storm. In the dream, he follows the path of the highstorms, travelling from east to west. He rages forward just ahead of the stormwall, soaring above Roshar. He sees many places including a city that [[Sigzil]] later confirms as [[Sesemalex Dar]]. He also sees a [[Shin]] man that appears remarkably like [[Szeth-son-son-Vallano]]. Interestingly this man appears to see Kaladin as well. Once he reaches the western ocean, he hears a voice calling Kaladin ''Child of [[Tanavast]]''. The face he sees when he was strung up in the highstorm appears again and is reveled to be the source of the voice. The face informs Kaladin that the [[Oathpact]] is broken and [[Odium]] reigns. Kaladin wakes up, finding himself surrounded by the men of Bridge Four trying to restrain him from walking out to the highstorm.{{ref|b|twok|c|46}}
Later that day, Bridge Four gets a new member, [[Shen]]. Kaladin makes sure he is accepted by the rest of the men. While talking with Syl, he asks if she knows about Odium which makes Syl run away without looking back. Confused about what happened, Kaladin stumbles upon a prostitute being beaten by a lighteyes. [[Adolin Kholin]] and a few of his soldiers come and save her. Adolin tells Kaladin to deliver a message and calls him ''bridgeboy'' which makes Kaladin indignant. Syl returns with no explanation about what happened.{{ref|b|twok|c|46}}
In one of the next bridge runs, [[Dunny]] dies. Kaladin is frustrated, and starts rescuing members of the other bridge crews. Teft talks about how when Kaladin runs point, Parshendi arrows always miss them. Kaladin remarks his behavior as strange.{{ref|b|twok|c|53}} One week later, Bridge Four find an emerald broam along with a number of smaller denominations. Kaladin decides they can't get the emerald broam out of the chasm but they will find a way to recover the other spheres. They attach the sphere pouch to an arrow and Rock shoots it at under one of the permanent bridges to be recovered later.{{ref|b|twok|c|55}}
==== Battle of the Tower ====
In the [[Battle of the Tower]], Sadeas abandons Dalinar and his army in the [[Tower]] Plateau and escape taking all of his bridge crews.{{ref|b|twok|c|66}} Kaladin tells Lamaril that they will follow behind the army with their own bridge claiming they are too tired. He thinks they can fool the army into thinking they were dead by falling further and further behind. When he and Bridge Four see Dalinar's army surrounded by the Parshendi, they decide they cannot leave all those people to die while there is something they can do about it. Bridge Four charges to the plateau to set their bridge. Kaladin uses Reverse Lashing to draw the volley of the Parshendi archers who are firing on Bridge Four. He isn't ready for this however, and it leaves him unable to even stand up. Rest of the Bridge Four carry Kaladin back and return the set the bridge. Kaladin has a flashback to when Tien was killed. Remembering gives him strength and Kaladin runs back to the fight. He takes the [[Immortal Words|Second Ideal]] of the [[Windrunner]]s and almost holds back dozens of Parshendi by himself, defending the bridge.{{ref|b|twok|c|67}} Bridge Four joins him and they manage to hold the bridge until Dalinar's army arrive. Kaladin goes to get Dalinar out from his fight with [[Eshonai]]. In the end, Kaladin and the Bridge Four manage to save Dalinar and over twenty-six hundred of his men.{{ref|b|twok|c|68}} Dalinar, in his gratitude, buy all the slaves in the bridge crews from Sadeas with his Shardblade and free them.{{ref|b|twok|c|69}} Kaladin accepts becoming bodyguard with the rank of captain for Dalinar and training the former bridgemen for Dalinar's army.{{ref|b|twok|c|73}}
=== Bodyguard ===
=== Spearman ===
{{quote|I could have beaten him. I probably could have beaten all four of them. I’ve always been good with the spear. No, not good. Durk called me amazing. A natural born soldier, an artist with the spear.|Kaladin to Sylphrena}}
Kaladin is a master spearman. His skills with the spear are remarked by multiple people as very impressing. During his time in Amaram's army, he was reputed to be the best spearman in the entire army.
== Quotes ==
{{quote|
{{quote|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{{ref|b|sa1|c|14}}|}}
{{quote|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{{ref|b|sa1|c|14}}|}}
{{quote|Men are unreliable in many things. But if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s their greed.|Kaladin to Sylphrena{{ref|b|sa1|c|17}}|}}
{{quote|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{{ref|b|sa1|c|21}}|}}
{{quote|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{{ref|b|sa1|c|23}}|}}
{{quote|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{{ref|b|sa1|c|30}}|}}
{{quote|Shen is one of us now. I don’t care what he was before. I don’t care what any of you were. We’re Bridge Four. So is he.|Kaladin to the men of Bridge Four{{ref|b|sa1|c|46}}|}}
{{quote|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{{ref|b|sa1|c|53}}|}}
== Notes ==
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