Trivia / The Stormlight Archive

• Creator's Favorite: Sanderson named Dalinar as the soul of the series.
• Diagnosis of God: Renarin Kholin shows some behaviours that are consistent with someone on the autism spectrum, like stimming with a metal box. After the release of the first book, Brandon Sanderson confirmed that he's on the spectrum.
• Referenced by...:
  • Enter the Gungeon: The Sprun (and the Windgunner you get when it activates) are references to this book series, more specifically Kaladin's Arc in The Way of Kings (2010).
  • One of the knights summoned alongside Maria for her mission in Maria Campbell of the Astral Clocktower is a Sir Kal Elstrom of the Blue Sentinels, who wears formfitting blue armor, uses wind magic to enhance his movements, and fights with a spear named Sylphrena.
  • The Prothean "Macca" coins in Mass Effect: Human Revolution have gems mounted in them. The glowing gems contain energies which were used as their currency.
  • In The Apprentice, the Student, and the Charlatan, Storm Surge refers to the earth pony delegation as "air-sick lowlanders".
    • Nova at one point arranges Twilight's copies of The Thunderlight Chronicles (read, The Stormlight Archive) alphabetically to annoy her.
• Shrug of God: Sanderson has left it deliberately vague if Dalinar's Connections to the Beyond actually summons the dead back for the vision, or if the Connection just uses the deceased's likeness to give a Helpful Hallucination.
• What Could Have Been: In the original draft^note  The original book was The Way Of Kings Prime and was written a number of years before Sanderson revisited the series., Kaladin (then named Merin) received a Shardblade in the very first chapter, quickly befriended Adolin, and rose through the ranks of Dalinar's army. In Brandon’s opinion, he promptly became the most boring character in the book.
  • The original draft also had Renarin be the one to write the Diagram, whereas Taravangian writes it in the official version.
  • Amaram was originally a dual Shardblade wielder. He would eventually become one again in Oathbringer in the main series.
  • Sanderson also made a big change to the series, because he found the original book a bit too dark with Dalinar being the one to kill Elhokar in Book 1 rather than Moash killing him in Book 3.
  • A small rewrite also happened with Words of Radiance after it was originally printed. In the first print, Kaladin accidentally hits Szeth in the spine with his Shardblade, instantly killing him. It was rewritten instead so Szeth's hand holding the Honorblade was cut and he died in the highstorm. This was done as according to Sanderson, it opened up a plot hole later down the line.
  • Oathbringer was meant to be Szeth's flashback-book rather than Dalinar's originally, and it was originally titled Stones Unhallowed. This was changed during the outline stage of the book.
  • Rhythm of War was originally meant to be Eshonai’s flashback-book. This was changed to be both Eshonai’s and Venli's book during the first draft.
  • A Cosmere-wide example: the original book didn't have the Shattered Plains. Those were on Yolen.
• Word of Gay:
  • Renarin has become romantically interested in Rlain, and Rlain might reciprocate, though they haven't acknowledged those feelings yet.
  • Adolin would be comfortable in a polyamorous triad with Shallan and Kaladin.
    • And in the same post, Kaladin would say no because he’s a prude… not necessarily because he’s straight.
• Word of God:
  • Dalinar was the first character Sanderson came up with for the series, and he "is the soul of the series, for me."
  • Rhythm of War includes the first scene Sanderson imagined for the series, and another scene is one of the first he imagined for The Cosmere.
  • Sanderson created Lift partly because he thought there weren't any Hispanic characters in fantasy. That's, er, not quite true... though in fairness, thirteen-year-old Hispanic girl street urchin knights are a bit short on the ground.
  • The Alethi would all be identified as Asian by people on our world.
  • Shardblades can't cut through aluminum.
    • In the same vein, Surgebinding can’t affect aluminum.
  • Renarin is on the autism spectrum.
  • Several extras, usually members of Bridge Four, are all based on Brandon's friends. The most notable are Skar, Drehy, and Lyn.
  • Tien was going to be a Lightweaver before he died.
  • Iyatil is from Silverlight and has heritage from Southern Scadrial.

---