Kaladin's Choice

A destination is nothing without a journey, and no journey shaped a character in the Cosmere more than Kaladin's. Kaladin's choices throughout the Stormlight Archive have molded him into the tragic hero we know today. From the moment he chose to follow his brother into the service of Brightlord Amaram, Kaladin has walked the difficult road from soldier to slave to Radiant and on towards his eventual destination.

But what if Kaladin walked a different road? What might have come to pass if he had chosen the life of a surgeon studying in Kharbranth? What kind of man would he have become if he went into the service willingly instead of as a means to save his brother?

Those well invested in the Cosmere may wonder, what if Kaladin made his own choice?  

Before we explore this topic in-depth, let's set some ground rules and concessions.

1. Big plot points stay mostly the same. We're talking about changing Kaladin's journey, not his destination. Significant plot points will mostly remain intact, but how we get there will be slightly different.
2. Sly is in the mix. I need to be more clever to rewrite a version of Kaladin who bonds to an order other than Windrunner. We'll see the path towards becoming a radiant play out slightly differently, but he's still Kaladin.
3. Tien won't get drafted in 1169. I know this is a significant part of Kaladin's development, but I had difficulty thinking of a way around this point. See concession 4.
4. Creative freedom. I am taking some leaps of logic here; give me a little creative rope.

Through this exploration, we will piece together the steps Kaladin will take when Amaram comes to recruit for the army. On one path, Kaladin will choose the life of a surgeon and commit to going to Kharbranth. On the other, Kaladin will choose the life of a soldier and willingly join Amaram. 

Before we start down either path, let's set a rough outline of the relevant parts of Kaladin's journey and parts of other storylines that will come into play in our imaginary plot. For those interested in such things, check the interactive map and timeline of Roshar on the 17th Shard. Once again, the work put on by their team was instrumental in my research for this article.

Notable dates

Below is a collection of events relevant to the two timelines we will explore.

1168.10 - Kaladin Joins the Army

With no choice but to follow his brother into the enlisted service, Kaladin chooses to abandon his father's dream of him studying in Kharbranth.

1169.4 - Tien dies

Forced onto the front lines, Tien dies in battle four months after being drafted into the military.

1172.9 - Kaladin becomes a slave

After years of serving in Amaram's forces, Kaladin is forced into slavery after defeating a shard bearer.

1173.7 - Kaladin joins Bridge 4

Kaladin is sold to Sadeas' forces and is assigned to the bridge crews.

1173.6 - Shallan becomes Jasnah's Ward

After an initial failure, Shallan officially starts studying under Jasnah.

1173.9 - Kaladin surgebinds

Teft tricks Kaladin into intentionally surge binding, forcing him to acknowledge what he is becoming.

1173.9 - Kaladin saves Dalinar at the Battle of the Tower

Kaladin and the bridge crews abandon their plans to escape, saving Dalinar from Sadeas's trap.

1173.9 - Amaram arrives on the Shattered Plains

Aramam finally arrives at the Shattered Plains 

1173.9 - The Wind's pleasure is attacked

Jasnah and Shallan's ship is attacked on their travels to the Shattered Plains.

1173.10 - Shallan arrives at the Shattered Plains

After surviving a month of traveling across the forestlands, Shallan finally arrives at the Shattered Plains.

Kaladin the Solider

Let's explore a timeline where Kaladin willingly joins Amaram with Tien safely at home in Hearthstone. 

Kaladin joined Amaram's forces in 1168.

Without the drive created by losing his brother, Kaladin's rise within the military ranks is slow. He initially struggles with the horrors of battle: between losing friends and taking lives, Kaladin's morality is pushed to a limit he had not yet experienced. He begins to form a deep connection with the men in his squad. He quickly earns a reputation as someone who leaves no man behind, leveraging his raw determination and knowledge of field medicine to help the members of his squad survive impossible odds. His natural inclination to protect pushes Kaladin to constantly fight to save the men around him, gaining their respect and loyalty. 

His grit often bumps against the unruly and undisciplined parts of Amaram's command structure. Initially placed under some lower lighteyes, Kaladin quickly learns that the best of the army has already been shipped off to the Shattered Plains. Determined to join their ranks, he forms a plan to see himself be put in charge of his squad. 

Slowly working his way up the ranks, Kaladin finds his way to a battlefield alongside Amaram. Despite the terrible impression the other lighteyes had made, Kaladin still holds Amaram in high regard. The two begin to form a bond on the battlefield. Amaram is impressed by Kaladin's leadership and martial skill, and Kaladin finds Amaram's command to be more in line with his expectations of a lighteyes.

This bond solidifies when, during a battle, Kaladin saves Amaram's life in a confrontation with a shardbearer. Kaladin, having seen shard blades claim far too many of his friends, willingly gives the blade to Amaram. This time, Amaram graciously accepts the gift from a trusted friend. While Kaladin is happy to be rid of the blade while helping his commander gain glory, he is bothered by the lies Amaram insists on telling the public: that he won the blame himself on the field. Kaladin sees a flash of the self-serving lighteyes in Amaram but is willing to look past it for now.

During this time, Kaladin would have begun to notice a windspren who seems to be constantly around him, especially in battle.

Amaram determines it's time he makes his way to the Shattered Plains and brings Kaladin as one of his guardsmen. They arrive towards the end of 1173.

In the war camps

A note on the status of Dalinar and the rest of the Kholin family. In the canonical timeline, we would have seen Kaladin and the rest of Bridge 4 safely in the hands of Dalinar by now. Dalinar and Adolin wouldn't be alive at this stage since Kaladin wouldn't have been at the Battle of the Tower to save them. Since I'm not entirely rewriting The Way of Kings, let's assume that the political war between Dalinar and Sadeas is still churning. Without the interruptions Kaladin causes by innovating the bridge runs, Sadeas would feel more in control of the war camps and less threatened by Dalinar's actions. This may have stalled the direct action he would eventually take against Dalinar and his family.

Upon arriving at the war camps, Kaladin is further troubled by the state of Sadeas's forces on the Shattered Plains, especially the bridge crews. Believing that he can make a difference with the support of Amaram, Kaladin makes a few social missteps when out in public, saying the wrong things in the presence of the wrong lighteyes. This publicly shames Amaram and Kaladin in the eyes of Sadeas. The event begins to drive a wedge between Kaladin and Amaram: Kaladin is frustrated by the lack of honor on the battlefield and the attitude of the other lighteyed generals. Amaram is frustrated at Kaladin's lack of priority, given his rank and social status.

Amaram launches a scheme to cool things off: he gets Kaladin assigned to run a few of the bridge crews. This keeps Kaladin busy in a rank-appropriate position, doing the kind of work Kaladin prefers to do: helping people stay alive. Sadeas is also pleased since he sees the appointment as a kind of punishment that also helps free up more important lighteyes in his army.

Bridge 4

Kaladin takes to running the bridge crews well. He is reminded of his old squads back on the frontlines in Kholinar and quickly takes to improving the lives of bridgemen in whatever ways he can. He sees the potential of the bridge crews to be more than just slaves and begins to outfit them with better equipment and training. This is where he meets Bridge 4 and its members, forming bonds with them individually. After meeting some resistance to outfitting slaves, Kaladin realizes this will ruffle the higher command's feathers, so he secretly proceeds, even keeping Amaram out of the loop.

Once again in his element, Kaladin's bond with Syl begins to manifest, catching Teft's eye. Under his encouragement, Kaladin starts to understand his potential as a Radiant.

Eventually, Kaladin gets caught by Sadeas. Sadeas plans to punish Kaladin publicly, stringing him up for the Stormfather to judge. Kaladin survives. To help protect his friend, Amaram convinces Sadeas to send Kaladin into the service of Dalinar as a spy, claiming it would be a shame to lose a "capable darkeyes." Again, Amaram gets a lot out of the exchange: he gets to look good in front of Sadeas while also helping his friend. All he needs to do is convince Kaladin to occasionally drop hints about what Dalinar is up to, which he assumes will be easy given their relationship. 

Amaram was not counting on how upset being separated from the bridge crews would make Kaladin. Kal is struggling with the realities of war: he is now thoroughly disillusioned with the supposed honor of lighteyes. He sees the use of the bridge crews as the ultimate expression of darkeyed exploitation. Removing command over the bridge crews only cements Kaladin's frustrations with Sadeas, Amaram, and the war. 

House Kholin

Despite his sorrow at "abandoning" the bridge crews, Kaladin finds his assignment under Dalinar refreshing. Dalinar's armies are more orderly and honorable, closer to the ideal that Kaladin held so long ago. While he can't bring himself to make connections like he had in Amaram's army or the bridge crews, he throws himself into the position. It isn't long before Dalinar notices that he isn't merely some untrained darkeyes but has true leadership potential. 

Dalinar assigns Kaladin to learn under his family's guard. Kaladin meets Adolin and the newly arrived Shallan Davar. Their relationship is similar to what we see in the books: he initially dislikes Adolin and doesn't trust Shallan. Despite his initial hesitation, Kaladin becomes closely integrated with the Kholin family and often finds himself on guard duty with Dalinar's family. 

During his time with the Kholin family, Kaladin and Dalinar speak of the bridge crews. Kaladin begs Dalinar to help save the bridge crews by convincing the king to make them illegal or rescuing them by force. Dalinar rejects both ideas, knowing that either move could be political suicide. This further pushes Kaladin towards a hatred towards lighteyes, but Syl interjects that he at least tried. This mirrors Kaladin's struggles, convincing Dalinar that Amaram wasn't the nobleman everyone believed him to be.

The Battle of the Tower

We finally come to Sadeas's betrayal of Dalinar. 

Despite his close ties with Dalinar, Kaladin has yet to turn up anything valuable for Amaram to provide to Sadeas. This pushes the relationship between Amaram and Kaladin to the breaking point. Amaram chews out Kaladin as a disobedient darkeyes. Long gone are the days when the two fought beside each other on the battlefield, growing a friendship that would bring them both glory and renown. Between the pressures from the Sadeas and the rest of the court at the Shattered Plains, Amaram completely loses his patience with Kaladin. Amaram revealing his true colors severs any last love Kaladin had for him. As Kaladin tries to leave, Amaram feels a moment of guilt and tries to warn Kaladin that Sadeas may move against Dalinar soon. 

Rather than mend the broken bond between the two, this pushes Kaladin further away. How could Amaram willingly support the downfall of the only lighteyes on the Shattered Plains with a shred of honor? Kaladin abandons his ties to Amaram and Sadeas, making for Dalinar's war camp.

Kaladin attempts to warn Dalinar about the potential betrayal Amaram warned of, but Dalinar pays it no mind. The two were about to participate in a joint assault that would bring the war camps even closer together, after all.

Convinced that the assault is when Sadeas will strike, Kaladin begins preparations for a disaster. He sneaks into Sadeas's war camps to secretly meet with the bridge crews to see if they know anything. Of course, Bridge 4 and the other crews knew nothing, but the trip was worthwhile. Kaladin spent one last night with his bridge crews, renewing his passion for protecting his friends and family. 

The Battle of the Tower occurs slightly later than in the canonical storyline. The primary differentiation is that Kaladin is trapped alongside the rest of the Kholin family on the tower. As Sadeas pulls out, one bridge crew remains. Bridge 4 charges back towards the tower and helps save the Kholin forces. 

Onward

From here, the events of the story play out similarly. Dalinar trades Oathbringer for the bridge crews. Kaladin and Amaram struggle against each other from a distance, with Dalinar not believing that Amaram has a shred of dishonor about him. 

What I love about this timeline is that we see nearly the same version of Kaladin as in the canonical timeline. His distrust of lighteyes, hatred for Amaram, and desire to protect those in need remain here. It's simply just not as good as what Sanderson initially wrote. Tragedy and Kaladin go hand in hand, and while it can be devastating to watch Kaladin's life unfold, it makes the heights he reaches all the better.

 Kaladin the Surgeon

But what if Kaladin put down his spear and went to study in Kharbranth instead? Can you separate the man from the spear and still get the same Windrunner we know and love? Maybe.

 Kaladin departs for Kharbranth in 1169.

When Amaram comes calling at the end of 1168, Kaladin stays silent. He's decided to use his father's stolen money to become a surgeon and get his family as far away from Rashone as possible.

Despite Kaladin's wishes, his family must stay in Hearthstone. There needs to be more money to send him to the academy and pay for the entire family to relocate to Kharbranth. Kaladin must make it on his own in the city. 

It takes Kaladin the better part of a year to travel to Kharbranth and get admitted to the academy.

Year 1 - 1170

Kaladin's first year at the academy is rough. He is virtually destitute, living only off of what is provided by the academy and what his father was able to send him away with from their surgery room. Kaladin's economic status and dark eyes separate him from the other students, primarily lighteyes and the occasional wealthy high nahn darkeyes.

Despite his humble upbringing, Kaladin excels in his studies. His father's instruction far surpasses the information they teach in the academy's first year, and Kaladin finds himself at the top of his class. This creates a rift between him and some of his classmates, especially the high-ranking lighteyes. Many of them are undertrained compared to Kaladin: they have the knowledge of one who spent their lives being taught by the best tutors, but they lack the experience or passion for backing it up. The first-year courses of the academy would likely cover anatomy and medicines, things Kaladin had been drilled into for years. The other students needed to gain the real-world experience Kaladin was raised in.

Kaladin often conflicts with these students, forming rivalries and bitter resentment towards lighteyes and their privilege.

While quick to make enemies, Kaladin finds making friends significantly more difficult. He bonds with a professor who sees that Kaladin has the skill and passion to become a surgeon someday. Through this professor, Kaladin finds stability and learns some of the hard lessons of being a city darkeyes, surrounded by wealthy lighteyes.

During the later parts of his first year, Kaladin learns that things back home are not going well. His father is still struggling with Rashone, and what little money they had is nearly gone. A solution to this issue comes from an unexpected path: the one he left behind. 

Between boredom with his studies, home stresses, and rivalries, Kaladin realizes he needs to blow off some steam. He resolves to go out for drinks with some of the more agreeable students. They find a nice and cheap bar near the theatre district, and things go well until they head home for the evening. Out from a dark alley, a gang of armed thugs emerges, demanding the students turn over what little valuables they have. The soldier in Kaladin that he thought he had left behind emerges; before the city guard can turn up, Kaladin disarms and subdues the thugs. 

Once the city guard does arrive, they quickly round up all parties involved with the scuffle. While the lighteyed students traveling with Kaladin were allowed to go home without further question, Kaladin and the other darkeyed students were taken back to the city guard post for questioning.

After a night detainment, Kaladin is approached by one of the city guard captains. All accounts of the night's events had Kaladin handily dispatching several thugs. This kind of skill would be needed, especially on their night watch. Instead of leveling a fine against Kaladin for brawling, the captain offers him a job.

Kaladin is initially hesitant; he's here to learn, not fall back on the spear he left behind. All hesitation fled him when he saw the pay. Not only would he be able to live a more comfortable life in Kharbranth, but he would also have enough left over to support his family back home.

This brings a much-needed balance to Kaladin's life. Over the coming months, Kaladin finds balancing his relatively light coursework during the day and his evenings on guard duty manageable. The peace that sending money back home brings is immeasurable. Kaladin's nights spent on guard duty, bonding with the other guards, and practicing the spear are some of his best in Khabranthn. During his training, he begins noticing a windspren who constantly seems to be following him around.

No good deed goes unpunished, however. At the end of his first year, Kaladin learns that Tein has been drafted into the war. Apparently, Rashone discovered Kaladin had been sending money back home. After confronting Lirin, Rashone threw everything he had in revenge, sending his only remaining son off to war. 

Year 2 - 1171 

Returning to Hearthstone wasn't really an option for Kaladin. For one, his family depended on his income on the night watch, but their long-term stability relied on Kaladin completing his studies. They wagered everything they had on him becoming a surgeon, and he couldn't let them down.

Kaladin's second-year classes were a struggle. Now that the students were drilled on the basics of medicine and anatomy, their coursework would move on to practical applications of that knowledge. This often took the form of working with patients in controlled exercises. 

It is here that Kaladin's experience turns against him. Kaladin never got over his extreme reaction to operating on live patients, and he found that doing it at the academy was no exception. While other students are able to put a certain clinical distance to their work, Kaladin felt every stroke of the scalpel and dreaded failure. While emotionally taxing, his professors took notice of his passions and drive to succeed. Much like his father, they cautioned against becoming so invested in his work that he would sometimes have to let go. It was a lesson Kaladin would not be ready to learn for quite some time.

The stress gets to Kaladin during an exam where he is tasked with operating on a volunteer patient. During the surgery, which should have been routine, the patient began to spasm, a previously diagnosed complication flaring and threatening the patient's life. Under close supervision, Kaladin poured every ounce of his knowledge into healing the patient but was commanded to stop by his professors. The patient's condition had far passed the point of saving. Kaladin, refusing to give up, continues to operate and unknowingly takes in Stormlight for the first time. Despite his best efforts, the patient passes away, and Kaladin experiences his first death rattle. One of his professors takes note of the event. 

This part of the coursework in the academy was, in part, a front from the Diagram. Terminally ill patients would volunteer to be a part of medicinal studies to repay the kindness shown to them in Kharbranth. The Diagram used it as the early staging grounds for their death rattle collection efforts. The professor who recorded the death rattle was a part of the Diagram and knew the signs to search for in a Radiant. They witnessed Kaladin's intake of Stormlight and reported directly to King Tarvangian, who began monitoring Kaladin's academy progress.

Exhausted and defeated, Kaladin returns to his room to discover a letter from home. Tien had passed away in the war. Pushed to his limits, Kaladin attempts to leave the city that night. On the outskirts of town, Kaladin considers the choice in front of him: return home a failure or stay and continue to struggle against the pain and stress of it all. Syl appears to him for the first time as herself and helps Kaladin find his courage. Kaladin reluctantly resolves to stay but sends his family to join him in Karbranthn.

Year 3 - 1172

Despite his family's refusal to leave Hearthstone, Kaladin takes on his schoolwork and nightly guard duty with renewed vigor. Determined to bury the pain of losing his brother, Kaladin drowns himself in his studies by day and training at night. 

As luck would have it, Kaladin's grit helps him meet the unseen challenges that the Diagram would begin to throw his way. King Taravangian noted Kaladin's potential as a Radiant and competence as a surgeon and guard and determined that he would make an excellent addition to his organization. He set Kaladin's professor to the task of testing Kaladin, pushing him to his absolute scholarly limits. He also arranged for Kaladin to take on particularly dangerous patrols during his watch duty, hoping that it might further stir his potential as a Radiant.

While many would buckle under this stress, it was just what Kaladin needed. While he didn't understand the forces that were moving him, he was thankful for the distractions. 

This increased workload brought a sense of balance back to Kaladin's life. His coursework rechallenged him, and the extra action he saw during his night watch duties earned him several promotions and a sizable pay bump. He could distract himself from his pains and increase the support he was sending back home. 

During this time, Kaladin began to notice odd things that would occur during his time with Syl. He found wells of energy when he thought he had none left. He accepted that Sly was more than a windspren, but wasn't sure what to make of it.

At the end of his third year, Kaladin meets King Taravangian himself. The meeting occurs during one of Kaladin's night guard duties; Kaladin is unexpectedly assigned to a guard detail for the king himself. Taravangian arranged for the meeting, of course, and used it to access Kaladin for himself. Impressed with what he saw, he offered to support Kaladin's studies by assigning him to guard duty at the Palanaeum. He would be granted general access for his studies and work a guard detail during his off hours. The work was easy, and the pay was ridiculous. 

Kaladin eagerly accepts.

Year 4 - 1173

Things are going well for Kaladin. His work at the Palanaeum left him more than enough time to study, and he would still make appearances at the city guard to train and eat with the squad he had grown attached to. The extra study time made his coursework significantly more manageable, and he also found that his professors seemed more relaxed than they had the previous year. 

Unknown to Kaladin. King Taravangian would soon approach with an invitation to join the Diagram, given that he would pass a final test. 

Around this time, Jasnah Kholin and, eventually, Shallan Davar arrived to study in Karbranth. 

Kaladin can't help but run into Shallan. He meets her on several occasions during her attempts to become Jasnah's ward, and after succeeding, they constantly interact as they pursue academic research. Their early relationship forms like it does in the canonical timeline: playful, whit-filled jabs at each other, with romance undertones. A similar distanced love triangle forms between Shallan, Kalladin, and Kabsal. Not my thing, though, moving on.

As time passes, Kaladin finds excuses to take shifts when he knows Shallan and Jasnah will be at their studies. During one of his guard duties, he overhears the two speaking about the Radiants and starts listening in. While he doesn't trust Jasnah or Shallan with his relationship with Sly, he resolves to try and learn as much as he possibly can from a distance.

At the end of his final year at the academy, Kaladin is approached by King Taravangian. The king offers Kaladin a job post-graduation - working with a specialized group in Karbranth for the betterment of the world. While Taravangian breezes over the details, he clarifies one aspect of the job: Kaladin will have to abandon his ties outside the organization, working in secret for an uncertain period. 

Until now, Kaladin had not thought much about what he would be doing after completing his education; his plan was more or less graduate, save his family, then…he wasn't sure? Kaladin didn't love the idea of returning to Hearthstone only to continue struggling against a brightlord who despised his family and a people who only tolerated them for the service they provided. Things would be different if he could convince his father and mother to leave town, but they are set on staying.

Venting to Shallan, Kaladin weighs his options. He could take this mystery job with the king but might struggle to support his family if he can't contact them. He could simply graduate and try to find work elsewhere, but he realizes he has few connections outside the city and virtually no prospects for returning home. Shallan recommends asking Jasnah for support, given her family and their status. Jasnah recommends traveling with them to the Shatter Plains. There would always be work in the military for trained surgeons, and she could almost guarantee placement within her household. Secretly, Jasnah has noticed Kaladin's interest in the Radiants and would have been able to spot some of the signs of a bonded spren. Her desire to bring along Kaladin is mainly motivated by recruiting another Radiant. Kaladin doesn't love the idea of heading to war. It was the path he had avoided by coming to Karbranth in the first place, and he couldn't help but think about what happened to his brother. 

Eventually, Taravangian would approach Kaladin for his decision. 

Kaladin's final choice - 1173 and beyond

Kaladin chooses to work with Tarvagian. He manages to convince himself that he could find a way to support his family, and being closer to home would be the best way to do this. However, once he is fully brought into the fold, he is horrified to discover what the Diagram is truly about. He ends up arguing with Taravangian over the methods they have been employing to bring about peace. 

Luckily for Kaladin, this argument occurs when Tarvangian has a day of lesser intelligence, so the king's response is compassion, not vengeance. He allows Kaladin time to consider everything he has seen and experienced in the world before moving forward: in the Diagram, Kaladin would be in a position to truly help the people of the world. To fix the wrongs that put Rashone in charge of Hearthstone and to stop the wars that took his brother's life. A small part of this pulls at Kaladin's desire to protect the ones he loves, but he ultimately knows that the means do not justify the end.

With no one else to turn to, Kaladin resolves to head to the Shattered Plains with Jasnah and Shallan. He finds that while he was learning about the Diagram, Shallan, and Jasnah had survived the assassination and were planning to leave the city. Kaladin agrees to travel with them.

When Taravagian learns of Kaladin's escape from the city, he is not angered. He knows that while Kaladin can potentially expose the Diagram, this likely won't happen. Kaladin is just a darkeyes and is traveling to a place where he already has a network of connected lighteyes. He'll be able to keep an eye on Kaladin from a distance and may be able to use him in the future, leveraging his position in the Kholin family to the Diagram's advantage.

The flaw with this timeline is that it would be challenging to bring Bridge 4 and Kaladin's arc to become a Radiant on a similar path to what unfolds in the books. Kaladin would get to the Shattered Plains with Shallan to deliver the news about Jasnah and perhaps eventually work his way into a command position with Dalinar's honor guard, but it feels like a stretch.

The journey

I spent a lot of time working through these two pathways for Kaladin, thinking through the exciting challenges and experiences he would have if he took a different path in life. What I found at the end of it all was a deep appreciation for the story we were given: Kaladin's story is both deeply tragic and overwhelmingly inspiring, taking us to some of the lowest lows and highest highs in the series to date (pre-Stormlight 5).

I can't wait to see where his story goes in the future. Will we see Kaladin's journey come to an end? Will he survive the events of the Stormlight Archive and continue to be a force in future Cosmere stories? Time will tell.