Dalinar Kholin is an integral character in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series. Like basically all of Sanderson’s characters, Dalinar has gone through significant changes in his life, and even over the course of the books. As a youth, he was a bloodthirsty warrior, but the man we get to know in Stormlight Archive is thoughtful and generous — though no less intimidating. Dalinar is also a Bondsmith, a powerful Surgebinder who can utilize Stormlight to perform feats of magic.
In this article, we’ll cover all of the key events in Dalinar’s life, discuss his Bondsmith Powers, examine his strengths and weaknesses, and go over his most important relationships.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the first five Stormlight Archive novels.
Biography
Early Life
These events are mostly revealed during Dalinar’s flashback scenes in Oathbringer.
Grew up a prince in the Kholin family of Alethkar. He was second in line to his older brother, Gavilar, who he both respected and envied. Their mother died when Dalinar was young, and he was mostly raised by a parshman nurse.
With his brother Gavilar and their friend Torol Sadeas, the Kholin princedom conquered the other Alethi highprinces by force, or else convinced them to surrender. Dalinar’s strength as a warrior was integral to the success of this plan.
Earned himself Shardplate and a Shardblade (by killing their previous owners) during the course of the war. Notably, he spares the child of the man whose Shardblade he takes, Brightlord Tanalan of Rathalas — this act of mercy comes back to haunt him.
Falls in love with Navani, but she chooses his brother Gavilar instead.
Marries Evi, a princess from Rira, to help secure an alliance.
Struggles with boredom and depression as the fighting part of the Kholin takeover winds down; turns to firemoss and tavern fights to replace The Thrill.
Evi gives birth to Dalinar’s sons, Adolin and Renarin, a few years apart. When Dalinar is sent to fight in Herdaz, Adolin accompanies him.
These events are mostly revealed during Dalinar’s flashback scenes in Oathbringer.
Evi shows up during the Herdazian campaign with a message from Gavilar, sending Dalinar back to Rathalas to quell a rebellion there — led by the child Dalinar spared. At Rathalas, Evi sneaks into the city to beg them to surrender, and they take her hostage. Messangers from Rathalas are sent to notify Dalinar of Evi’s capture, but he has them killed before they can deliver their message. Later, when Dalinar sets fire to the city, Evi is killed in the resulting inferno.
Drinks heavily as a result of his guilt over killing Evi, becoming an alcoholic. His sons remind him of Evi, and this causes him to mistreat and avoid them.
Travels east with Gavilar to hunt chasmfiends. In a forest near the Shattered Plains, they meet the Parshendi, who Gavilar becomes obsessed with.
Gavilar is assassinated by the Assassin in White, sent by the Parshendi; Dalinar was too drunk to do anything to help. The Alethi make a Vengeance Pact, and plan an expedition to the Shattered Plains to seek revenge.
Hears Jasnah reading from the book The Way of Kings, a book Gavilar was very interested in before he died. Listens to the entire book — eventually, he becomes as obsessed with the book as his brother had been, taking many lessons from its pages.
On his way to the Shattered Plains to fight the Parshendi, takes a detour to visit the Nightwatcher, seeking the Old Magic (which grants people a boon and a curse). He asks the Nightwatcher for forgiveness, but she tells him she cannot grant such a thing. Then Cultivation herself appears to Dalinar, and after initially resisting his request, agrees to “prune” him in order to let him grow; she takes away all of Dalinar’s memories of Evi in the process.
The Shattered Plains (The Way of Kings)
Fights constantly on the Shattered Plains, winning gemhearts for the Alethi.
Grows weary of the war, realizing the Alethi are not seeking vengeance but instead fighting only for wealth and prestige. Influenced by The Way of Kings, Dalinar seeks an end to the war, either through diplomacy with the Parshendi, or by forcing the Parshendi to meet them in a decisive battle.
During each highstorm, has visions of the past that he lives through as if he were there. While in these visions, he acts them out in real life, yelling in an unknown language and thrashing around — this leads to rumors that he is losing his mind, especially when combined with his change in behavior thanks to The Way of Kings. What he sees in the visions — that the Radiants were actually heroes — also goes against Alethi beliefs.
Frustrates Adolin and others under his command with his insistence that his army follow the Alethi Codes of War, which prohibit things like drinking and dueling during times of war.
Stops feeling The Thrill, further reducing his desire to perpetuate the war with the Parshendi.
Tries to convince the Alethi Brightlords to take the war more seriously, and/or consider diplomacy — they laugh at him and think he’s grown weak in his old age.
In a joint operation with Brightlord Sadeas, engages a large Parshendi force on the Shattered Plains. As part of a planned betrayal, Sadeas takes his army and abandons Dalinar, whose army is rescued by Kaladin‘s bridge crew.
Trades his Shardblade, Oathbringer, for all of Sadeas’ bridge slaves.
Dalinar trading Oathbringer for the bridge crews (Marie Seeberger)
Highprince of War (The Rhythm of War)
Learns that the visions were a kind of pre-recorded message, and that his god (The Almighty) is dead, killed by Odium. This inspires him to change his tactics with the other Highprinces, and to refound the Knights Radiant.
Gives in to Navani’s advances, despite their relationship going against Alethi propriety.
Demands that his newphew King Elhokar make him Highprince of War, while reiterating his love and loyalty to him.
Uses his new position to change how the gemheart captures work, from a system where everyone fought to gain wealth, into one where the Highprinces worked together to capture gemhearts and defeat the Parshendi. This move upsets basically every Highprince.
Allows Adolin to duel again, as part of a plan to disarm the other Highprinces by having Adolin with their Shards — the plan was to culminate with Adolin challenging Sadeas to a duel, but Kaladin’s outburst after the challenge allowed Sadeas to postpone the duel for a year.
Sets out with a small number of allies and their armies on an expedtion to find the center of the Shattered Plains, in an attempt to defeat the Parshendi for good. The Parshendi summon the Everstorm during the battle, and Dalinar’s forces retreat through the Oathgate Shallan discovers, reaching Urithiru through the gate.
Bonds the Stormfather, becoming a Bondsmith and swearing the first two Oaths of his order.
Highking of Urithiru (Oathbringer)
Now bonded to the Stormfather, is able to explore the visions with more control, and uses them to research the past with Navani and Jasnah.
Appoints Highprinces to positions in Urithiru, working to turn the tower into a city and base of operations for the war against Odium.
Marries Navani Kholin, making himself a pariah in the Vorin religious community (as he has technically married his sister by marrying his dead brother’s wife).
Works to unite Roshar against the threat of Odium, but finds that world leaders don’t trust him due to his reputation as The Blackthorn and the war-hungry reputation of the Alethi. He solves this by bringing the world leaders into his visions, which successfully convinces them of his sincerity.
Visits both Thaylena and Azir, bringing both nations into the new coalition against Odium.
His memories of Evi and Rathalas suddenly return to him, overwhelming him for days. He visits Vedenar, and is nearly overwhelmed by The Thrill (which had migrated there). While attempting to leave via the Oathgate, he encounters a group of ardents, who are there to excommunicate him. Afraid that he will succumb to the Thrill and kill the lead ardent, he forces the Stormfather to manifest so that he can activate the Oathgate and flee to Urithiru.
After drinking for a few days, a dream of Nohadon allows Dalinar to work through his feelings, and he wakes up refreshed and able to accept his past failings.
Clever plotting by King Taravangian leads to three pieces of news being released at once: Elhokar’s plan to swear fealty to Dalinar as Highking; the humans being the Voidbringers who invaded Roshar; Dalinar having met with Odium twice and not informing the coalition. The coalition meeting ends, with the status of the alliance unclear. Queen Fen of Thaylena remains allied with Dalinar — as she has no choice, with her city about to be attacked.
Confronts the Thrill at the Battle of Thaylen Field, eventually sealing the Unmade in a large gemstone. Also confronts Odium, who attempts to lure Dalinar to his side of the conflict by promising to take away Dalinar’s pain. Dalinar refuses, swears the Third Ideal, and opens Honor’s Perpendicularity, refreshing his Radiants and allowing Kaladin and the rest of the group stuck in Shadesmar through — this turns the tide of the battle, and the city is saved.
Learns to read and write, and begins to write an autobiography: Oathbringer.
The War in Emul & The Contest of Champions (Rhythm of War)
Participates in a rescue operation of the Alethi city of Hearthstone, during which the Herdazian general The Mink is rescued and recruited.
Goes to Emul to supervise the battlefront there.
Discovers that Urithiru has been occupied by the enemy, and in response, seeks out the mad herald Ishar, in order to learn more about his Bondsmith powers. Ishar is temporarily lucid thanks to Navani bonding the Sibling, and tells Dalinar to meet him in Shinovar.
Meets with Odium, and convinces the god to agree to the Contest of Champions contract that Wit created.
The Spiritual Realm (Wind and Truth)
Learns that Odium’s forces are massing to strike at three key coalition capitals, seeking to capture them (and by Alethi law, the entire kingdom the capital belongs to) before the 10 day contest window closes.
Meets with the Shard of Cultivation, who suggests that Dalinar go into the Spiritual Realm in search of the truth of what happened to Honor, and perhaps to take up the Shard himself.
Ventures into the Spiritual Realm with Navani, in order to see a vision that Wit has suggested (as a test of his ability to find Honor’s Shard), but the Perpendicularity is destroyed by Mraize soon after they enter.
Loses his Connection back to the Physical Realm, causing him to be trapped in the Spiritual Realm with Navani (and Gavinor, who ends up there by accident). He and Navani explore visions in the Spiritual Realm, learning the history of Roshar, the Radiants, and the Shard of Honor.
Takes up the Shard of Honor, but then almost immediately relinquishes it, renouncing all his Oaths at the same time, in a gambit to have Taravangian take up the Shard of Honor.
No longer a Bondsmith, Dalinar dies protecting Gavinor from Odium’s storm at the top of Urithiru.
Dalinar is fifty-something years old. He is powerfully built, and is described as having a tight butt (thanks, Lift). His face is square, with blunt, clean-shaven features; his nose appears to have been broken at some point. He is specifically described as not being handsome in the books. His eyes are blue, and his hair is black, greying at the temples; he keeps it short.
Dalinar is covered in battle scars. When in public, he stands straight-backed. When he fought with Shards, he was notable for having his Shardplate unadorned and unpainted, leaving it as its “natural” slate grey.
Personality, Strengths & Weaknesses
Dalinar has changed significantly over his life — the thoughtful leader we meet in Way of Kings is not the same man we see burning Rathalas in Dalinar’s flashbacks. Because his transformation is so pivotal to his character arc, this section will examine Dalinar’s past as well as his present personality.
Young Dalinar was a vicious warrior, addicted to the Thrill (the bloodthirsty, competitive excitement that the Unmade spren Nergaoul causes when it is near). When he couldn’t fight, he turned to fire moss and alcohol to ward off his withdrawals from the Thrill. He was a terrifying presence on the battlefield, with no regard for his own safety. His fearsome reputation earned him a nickname: The Blackthorn. He enjoyed duels, and seemed to only be happy when he was either fighting or preparing for combat. The Blackthorn had no interest in strategy or planning, preferring to let his brother Gavilar handle that sort of thing.
Middle-aged Dalinar is the man we meet in The Way of Kings, and in many ways he is the polar opposite of his young self. He follows the teachings of the eponymous book, as well as the Alethi Codes of War that many of the other Highprinces consider outdated. He strives to live a life of service and honor, sometimes to a fault — he will honor oaths that put himself and others in danger, if he feels it is the right choice. Dalinar doesn’t concern himself what other people think of him, and often ignores social conventions he doesn’t believe are correct or useful (his willingness to learn to read and marrying his brother’s widow being two prime examples).
Dalinar’s extreme behavior is both a strength and a weakness — he can sometimes be inflexible, but his convictions give him the determination he needs to accomplish his goals, no matter the costs. The people around him find his single-mindedness frustrating at times, but respect his wisdom and decision-making abilities. He tends to treat people like tools, expecting them to do as he wants because, as far as Dalinar is concerned, he knows what he’s doing and everything should listen to him (and to be fair, this is often the case).
Despite this, he has a strong belief in the value of human life, which makes him a better leader: it instills confidence in the people he commands, knowing that he won’t throw their lives away needlessly. We see this on display when he trades his Shardblade Oathbringer for Sadeas’ bridge crews. Dalinar is a very capable leader, confident in his decision making and able to inspire those he leads. He is noted on multiple occasions to have a palpable presence that attracts people and causes them to listen to him.
Dalinar is an expert in every aspect of warfare, from one on one combat to logistics and strategy. When he still fought in battles, he was perhaps the most feared Shardbearer on the planet, a master of both Plate and Blade. Despite his expertise, he is capable of listening to others — we see this in how he recruits the Herdazian general The Mink and often heeds the man’s advice; he often seeks the counsel of his wife Navani as well.
Bondsmith Powers
Dalinar is bonded to The Stormfather, a powerful spren that is a Splinter of the Shard Honor. Through this bond, Dalinar is a Bondsmith — a unique type of Knight Radiant with special powers. He has sworn three Oaths, reaching the Third Ideal. Like every Knight Radiant, Dalinar can breathe in Stormlight and use it to heal himself.
Unlike most Radiants, Dalinar agreed to never wield The Stormfather as a weapon, or to carry a Shardblade — although we know it is possible for him to do so, he has only summoned his spren into they physical realm once (using the Stormfather to activate an Oathgate). It is possible Dalinar gains access to Shardplate when he reaches the Fourth Ideal, but not enough is known about Bondsmiths to be certain.
As a Bondsmith, Dalinar has access to two Surges:
Adhesion – By infusing an object or substance with Stormlight, it can be made to stick to other objects (or people) who come in contact with the infused object or area.
Tension – Infusing an object with Stormlight allows the Radiant to alter the flexibility of an object, making it stiffer or softer.
Together, these Surges create a Resonance — a special effect from having both powers: Bondsmiths are able to use Stormlight to repair broken objects. He perceives the broken pieces as wanting to be rejoined, actually hearing their voices in his head.
Bondsmiths also have special access to Connection, which is the way all things relate to one another. This lets him speak a person’s language by touching them — he can also grant this ability to others for a limited period of time, again via physical contact. When near a Lightweaver, he can create a hyper-realistic and accurate map of the world, based on what the Stormfather sees when he passes as a highstorm — it seems likely he can do similar combo-moves with other orders, but we have yet to see any.
As perhaps Dalinar’s most impressive ability, the Bondsmith can summon Honor’s Perpendicularity, a place where the Spiritual, Cognitive, and Physical Realms become one. This allows nearby Radiants and spheres to absorb Investiture from the Spiritual realm, and allows for passage to Shadesmar or the Spiritual Realm via the perpendicularity.
Bondsmiths share the First Ideal with all Radiants, and like most of the Orders, swear Oaths to reach each Ideal. Here are the Oath’s that Dalinar has sworn:
First Ideal – “Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination.”
Grants some access to the surges and Stormlight — Dalinar swears this on top of Urithiru when bonding the Stormfather.
Second Ideal – “I will unite instead of divide, Stormfather. I will bring men together.”
Grants greater access to the surges and Stormlight, and allows the manipulation of Connection — Dalinar swears this on top of Urithiru when bonding the Stormfather.
Third Ideal – “I will take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.”
Allows the Bondsmith to open Honor’s Perpendicularity — Dalinar swears this Oath after refusing Odium’s offer to take away Dalinar’s pain, during the Battle of Thaylen Field.
Navani is Dalinar’s wife and confidant, and now as the other living Bondsmith, is also the only Radiant who shares Dalinar’s Order. They’ve known each other since they were young adults, and Dalinar has loved her all that time — Navani shared his feelings, but Dalinar’s intensity, and his unwillingness to pursue her in the face of Gavilar’s desire, stopped them from being together. When Navani arrives at the Shattered Plains, however, she makes her desires clear, and Dalinar eventually succumbs. The two work well together; not only is Navani an effective leader in her own right, her strong personality allow her to stand up to Dalinar, question him, and offer advice when others would simply do as Dalinar told them.
Evi was Dalinar’s first wife, and the mother of both of Dalinar’s sons. Her death affected him greatly, so much so that he had to have his memories of her removed in order to function (this was in large part due to his own hand in her death). Although their marriage was one of political convenience, Evi seemed to develop genuine love for Dalinar, despite how much she disagreed with his use of violence as a solution to every problem. They argued regularly about Dalinar’s way of life, with Evi pleading for Dalinar to change his warlike ways — to no avail. Ironically, it was her death that set Dalinar on the path to the man he would become, a man Evi would have seen as Dalinar’s truer, better self.
Adolin is Dalinar’s first son, and the two men have a troubled relationship. Adolin was his father’s favorite, as the boy was able to become a warrior, whereas Renarin’s illness prevented it. Adolin resents Dalinar for killing Evi, and for how Dalinar wasn’t much of a father after Evi died. He also struggles with conflicting emotions regarding his father: he both admires Dalinar and thinks highly of him, and finds him frustrating and overbearing. Dalinar in turn thinks highly of Adolin, and expects much of him — Dalinar wanted Adolin to take the throne of Alethkar after Elhokar’s death, although Adolin didn’t feel he was the right person for it.
Renarin is Dalinar’s younger son. Dalinar basically ignored Renarin for much of his youth, as the boy was sickly and unable to train as a warrior. Dalinar often suggested that Renarin become an ardent or a scholar. After Evi’s death, Renarin’s resemblance to Dalinar caused him to avoid his son. As Dalinar grew and changed, he began to treat Renarin better, becoming more supportive and even gifting Renarin both Shardplate and Shardblade. Dalinar has acknowledged that he treated Renarin poorly, and strives to do better — he even accompanies Renarin to scholarly meetings to show that it isn’t “unmasculine” to do so.
Dalinar’s brother Gavilar was a major force in his life before — and even after — he was assassinated. Gavilar was the brains of the operation when the Kholin family united the various kingdoms of Alethkar, and plotted further, world-changing moves that Dalinar was scarcely aware of. Dalinar was content to be Gavilar’s sword, deferring to him in all things. With his dying breath, Gavilar left a message for Dalinar, telling him to “find the most important words a man can say”, which Dalinar eventually does — the words being the Oaths of the Knights Radiant.
Dalinar shared a Nahel bond with The Stormfather, granting him the powers of a Bondsmith. Their relationship can be tense — Dalinar basically bullied the Stormfather into bonding him. However, the Stormfather is becoming more human, and more capable of getting along with Dalinar, as their bond strengthens. Dalinar often consults the Stormfather about Odium, the war, and the Radiants, although the Stormfather often cannot answer, either because he doesn’t know, doesn’t remember, or doesn’t want to answer.
We hope this Dalinar Kholin bio had what you were looking for! Questions, suggestions, and thoughts on the relative tightness of the Blackthornes butt welcome in the comments below.
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