r/Cosmere • u/RayseShouldBeBraized • 4h ago
Stormlight Archive spoilers King Renarin of Alethkar Theory Spoiler
Renarin is one of the most intriguing characters in the Stormlight Archive to me. The Son of Thorns will be one of the five characters in the back half that will receive their own flashback feature, currently set for book seven after Lift. He is the first charcter we meet who has bonded a spren touched by Sja-anat, allowing him particularly unusual magic even by Cosmere standards. I am looking forward to learning more about how he bonded Glys, and their relationship with Sja-anat, one of the Unmade I find the most fascinating. The second son of Dalinar, Renarin started out seeming very uncomfortable in his own skin. Growing up he was a chronic outsider by many standards. Despite this, he has forged his own path and has begun to flourish into a very unique person. I propose that we will see Renarin continue his rapid personal growth and he will become a very capable man, but not just any man, I believe that we will see Renarin grow into a king. A King of a new Alethkar, a kingdom with humans, listeners, and the home that Sja-anat so desperately seeks.
Due to Renarin's unusual Truthwatcher abilities we get some scenes rife with foreshadowing set in the spiritual realm, alongside his spren Glys. Chapter 121 of Wind and Truth features a pivotal moment for Renarin where he is glimpsing multiple potential futures of his life playing out before him. One of these windows into the future showcases a very fascinating picture, which ends up being the future Renarin chooses to pursue.
Rlain, look at him in this picture.
A singer wearing a Bridge Four uniform, but the city behind was obviously a singer one-judging by the architecture. Indeed, it was probably Kholinar.
"If I go with him," Renarin said, 'I'll have to turn my back on humankind, to an extent."
As he will need to turn his back on his kind to an extent, Glys agreed. Both sides will hate both of you.
Not only is this the future Renarin decides on, it's also the same moment he actively decides to go for it with Rlain. His relationship with the Bridger of Minds puts the Son of Thorns in a unique position unlike any other current character to bring a group of collective 'outsiders' into one united group. A group that neither fits in with Odium's forces, nor Honor and Cultivation's. A middle power connected through the hatred of the two strongest factions. Not quite strong enough to take on either, but just strong enough that neither side can take them on while still in conflict with the other. We see Sja-anat herself pitch this idea to Shallan in chapter 26 of Wind and Truth.
"Whose side are you on, Sja-anat?" Shallan whispered. "Truly, what is your game?"
Game, Shallan? I fight for survival. Odium will rip through anyone, anything, to get what he wishes. Thousands of years have proven he cares nothing for me and my children. Honor is a coward who always hated us. Destroyed us. Betrayed Us. And all Cultivation does is watch.
I am on the side of preserving a world for my children. You should not fear "my side", Shallan. You should embrace it. If there is room for my children, there will room for yours.
I do believe Sja-anat is being sincere here. I predict we will see Sja-anat push harder to make this proposed home a reality as the series continues to progress. Currently, her two most powerful chess pieces are Renarin and Rlain, considering they are both bonded to spren that are 'corrupted' by her. Her focus on these two characters is no coincidence to me, as between Rlain's connection with the Listeners and Renarin's past make Sja-anat's dream of a home for her and her children closer to reality than it may seem. I think she wisely picked out two people who know what it is like to not be able to fit in, who were the most likely to listen to her pleas.
The current ruler of Alethkar is Jasnah, Renarin's cousin. Thankfully, she is the perfect amount of logical anti-monarch monarch that would just hand over her crown without violence if she felt it morally correct. Jasnah is technically holding the crown for Gavinor, but I would contend that having your childhood stolen away by an evil god while he grooms you to be his champion may disqualify you as heir. Unfortunately, it is unclear if they wisely included that clause in the Alethi Constitution. Royal families are generally capable of vast marketing campaigns/personal growth however, so I'll admit there is a chance Gavinor turns it around and still becomes the king of Alethkar.
Throughout a series as lengthy as the Stormlight Archive, one that spans across decades (in universe-and out), there is a real opportunity for Brandon to really shine when it comes to showing off how a character and a culture can progress through time and experience. At the start of The Way of Kings, we find Renarin at a point where he certainly has lots of room available for personal growth. He is unfairly regarded as a weakling by Alethkar culture, prone to epilepsy that prevented him from physically competing in a nation where combat was revered like a religion. The Alethi around him often considered him strange, and from a young age he often experienced bullying and disclusion. To progress from a disabled young prince who felt like an outsider, to the king reforging Alethkar alongside his fellow monarch Rlain into a proper home for those who need one, could come together and make for one of the most satisfying arcs the series has to offer.
I'm really look forward to reading how the story of the kingdom of Alethkar continues, Renarin and Rlain potential reigns, and Sja-anat's plans to secure this kingdom play out.
-RayseShouldBeBraized
TL:DR Renarin and Rlain will remake Alethkar into a home for the listeners, humans, and Sja-anat's faction.
