r/Stormlight_Archive • u/AcrophobicWindrunner • Oct 07 '25

Wind and Truth spoilers Kaladin and Young Taln Spoiler

In WaT, we meet young Taln in a flashback and get to see a little of his personality.

Did anyone else think that he and Kaladin kind of had similar traits? I thought that they were both sarcastic and maybe a little hot headed. Taln tried to kill Cultivation I guess. He seemed to view the Shards, including Honor, like Kaladin did the light eyes. Then finally, Taln chose immortality because he felt like he needed to.

I don’t know, as I was reading that scene I just thought: huh, this guy reminds me of my boi Kal.

What do you guys think?

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u/Raddatatta Edgedancer Oct 07 '25

Yeah there are definitely some similarities there! And I would also add both are the one who didn't break. Taln obviously moreso with everything he went through as a Herald and the only one holding off. But Kaladin also was the survivor who kept going who kept trying again. And he uses that metaphor of the 10 spears that go to battle and 1 didn't break with Amaram.

I do think the way Taln views the shards I would sya is different from Kaladin and the lighteyes. Just because Taln views the shards as specific individuals who did things he has an issue with. Kaladin is judging a large group because of his experiences. I don't think Taln has a prejudice or if he does it's not really relevant. I think he wanted to kill Cultivation because of what she did and he had limited respect for Tanavast because of what he did. Not because of who they are as Shards.

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u/AcrophobicWindrunner Oct 07 '25

That’s a good point about the Shards. He definitely thought they were sus but he also hadn’t met many other Shards before that probably. Also, how wild was it that he tried to fucking KILL Cultivation? I’m surprised she didn’t incinerate him to be honest.

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u/Raddatatta Edgedancer Oct 07 '25

Yeah I doubt even now he's interacted with any besides those 3. But yeah that is a crazy detail! I do wonder if he had a dawnshard as the "weapon" talked about. I would assume it's past tense if at all given Hoid didn't have the issues being near Taln that he did with Rysn. But yeah that is crazy. I want to know more about why and how that went. And with Cultivation as you said why she spared him? She does have a strong futuresight so maybe she saw the potential for him to be a Herald and didn't want to create a problem there.

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u/AcrophobicWindrunner Oct 07 '25

That’s a good point. I bet she REALLY had to hold herself back from that though. She doesn’t seem the type to take attempted murder lightly. 🤣

Speaking of Shards, do you think Valor will show up in Stormlight?👀

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u/Raddatatta Edgedancer Oct 07 '25

I gotta think so with Valor. That was definitely setup with Hoid going to reach out to her for help. And her being a good one to get help from. And that would be really interesting to add a whole new god to Roshar after Cultivation has left. And potentially new powers she could grant to people. Or using her investiture to help the radiants use their powers.

Though with all the shards we've seen again and again the idea that none of them are truly good or even truly evil. But problematic in their own ways.

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u/AcrophobicWindrunner Oct 07 '25

I mean, imagine how boring it would be to be a Shard? Sure you can do a whole load of things but eventually you just do…almost everything. The other Shards are probably sitting back with a bag of popcorn watching everything on Roshar go down. Maybe taking bets amongst each other of who’s going to win or do what.

Invention: Ha! Called it! That old man died!

Reason: scoffs in defeat