Chapter 110: Loopholes Analysis & Summary
Spoiler Notice
This page contains a complete breakdown of Chapter 110 of Oathbringer. Every plot event, character insight, and thematic development from “Loopholes” is discussed in detail. If you haven’t read this chapter yet, proceed with caution.
Summary
The chapter opens with an epigraph from Hessi’s Mythica, noting the Unmade Sja-anat is often seen as an individual, unlike forces such as Moelach. The narrative then follows Szeth and twenty Skybreaker squires to the Purelake for a training exercise overseen by Master Warren. The contest involves aerial combat using colored powder pouches atop poles; the winner is the one with the fewest marks on their white uniform. Szeth initially resists enjoying the game, but soon finds himself exhilarated by the familiar dance of Lashings, a skill he mastered years ago with Honorblades. His brief happiness is immediately crushed by guilt over his murderous past.
As the battle intensifies, Szeth demonstrates superior skill, fighting off a coordinated pack of four squires with a broken pole. He eventually runs out of Stormlight right before sunset and is pummeled with pouches, crashing into the shallow lake. After the contest ends, Szeth realizes the rules’ loophole: his uniform, washed clean during his swim, bears zero marks. The masters declare him the winner and note highspren watching with approval. Szeth demands to swear the Third Ideal immediately, but the Herald Nale appears, ordering the Skybreakers to gather their reserves. Nale declares he will reveal two great secrets before Szeth can speak the oath.
Key Events
- The Purelake Contest: Twenty-one Skybreaker squires compete in an aerial game, throwing powder pouches to mark each other’s white uniforms. Master Warren emphasizes this is combat training for the Desolation, though without Nale’s guidance they speak of it only in “if”s.
- Szeth’s Moment of Joy: For the first time, Szeth finds pleasure in Lashing without killing. He smiles, feeling the screams from the shadows dim. This is immediately followed by crushing guilt: he believes he dare not believe in redemption.
- Winning by Loophole: After running out of Stormlight, Szeth is hit repeatedly and falls into the Purelake. He emerges with his uniform washed clean—zero marks, fewer than anyone else. The masters acknowledge his clever exploitation of the rules, though Warren warns that loopholes are dangerous to rely upon.
- Nale’s Return: Szeth demands permission to swear the Third Ideal. The Herald Nale interrupts, appearing on a low wall with his crescent birthmark visible. He commands the Skybreakers to leave tonight, promising to reveal “the two greatest secrets” he knows.
Character Development
Szeth
This chapter deepens the paradox at Szeth’s core. He experiences genuine happiness during the game—smiling, dancing among windspren, recalling his youth with Honorblades—yet immediately punishes himself for it. His internal monologue frames his past as “a personal seal” of tears and blood, revealing he views joy itself as a betrayal of his victims. He clings to the identity of a “tool of retribution,” explicitly rejecting redemption. Yet his actions contradict this self-image: he trains with precision, bends rules creatively, and insists on swearing the Third Ideal now. He is not merely waiting for death; he is carving a path toward something, even if he refuses to name it hope.
The sword-nimi’s brief comparison—“You think like Vasher”—provides a tantalizing external perspective, though Szeth ignores it. His tactical genius shines through the contest, but so does his isolation. Even in victory, he feels frustration with “their games,” eager to transcend the squires who still doubt the Desolation.
Nale
Though appearing only at the chapter’s end, Nale’s sudden return reshapes the narrative. He speaks with absolute authority, interrupting Szeth’s oath without explanation. The reference to “two greatest secrets” is ominous and unprecedented; even Ki, a master, seems surprised by the order to move tonight. Nale’s decision to leave most squires behind suggests both urgency and a hierarchy of trust.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Guilt as a Cage
Szeth’s guilt functions as a self-imposed prison. The chapter illustrates this through stark contrast: the freedom of flight versus the weight of memory. When he weaves between pouches “dancing above a lake painted by the hues of a setting sun,” he briefly escapes. Then guilt slams back: “He could not be happy. He was only a tool of retribution.” His identity is so bound to punishment that he cannot permit himself the very thing the Skybreakers teach—control and mastery without slaughter.
Loopholes and the Law
The chapter’s title literalizes in the contest’s resolution. Szeth wins not because he avoided hits but because the rules only counted marks on the uniform. His swim erased the evidence. This mirrors his entire relationship with the Skybreakers, who follow the letter of the law, and foreshadows potential moral complexities ahead. Master Warren’s warning that loopholes “are dangerous to rely upon” is both practical advice and a thematic caution: external rules cannot substitute for internal transformation.
The Nature of Spren
The epigraph’s distinction between Sja-anat (an individual) and Unmade like Moelach (forces) pairs with the chapter’s portrayal of highspren. They appear as “wounds in skin, exposing a black field full of stars”—terrifying yet awe-inspiring. Szeth bows not out of religion but awe. The highspren’s visible approval suggests they value tactical thinking as much as martial skill, a subtle clue about what the Third Ideal might require.
Why This Chapter Matters
“Loopholes” is a crucial pivot in Szeth’s arc. For the first time since his introduction as the Assassin in White, readers see him genuinely smile—and immediately watch him crush that emotion. This establishes the central tension of his redemption: he cannot be redeemed until he allows himself to want it. The chapter also fast-forwards the Skybreaker plot. Nale’s return and promise of secrets, combined with the order to abandon most squires, signals that larger events are about to subsume the training-phase narrative. Whatever Nale knows, it is severe enough to override Szeth swearing the Third Ideal, a moment the narrative has built toward since Szeth’s resurrection.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Szeth exploit the rules to win the contest, and what does this reveal about his mind?
Szeth realizes that the scoring rule only counts colored marks on the uniform. When he falls into the Purelake after running out of Stormlight, the water washes the powder away completely, leaving him with a pristine white shirt and zero points lost. This reveals his ability to think tactically under pressure even in non-lethal scenarios, his deep familiarity with interpreting rules literally, and his habit of finding escape routes in systems designed to constrain him—a skill honed under his oathstone.
2. Why does Szeth feel guilty about enjoying the contest, and how does this shape his self-perception?
Szeth believes his past atrocities permanently disqualify him from happiness. He frames his crimes as “a personal seal” left on everything he touches, and views his life as forfeit—useful only as a tool of retribution. The guilt is so deeply entrenched that a spontaneous smile triggers an immediate self-punishing inner monologue. This shapes his self-perception as unworthy of redemption, trapping him in a cycle where he pursues the Skybreaker ideals yet refuses to believe they could apply to him.
3. What narrative significance does Nale’s interruption and promise of “two greatest secrets” carry?
Nale’s interruption halts Szeth’s oath at the moment of culmination, creating suspense. The promised secrets—unprecedented in the Skybreaker training depicted so far—suggest a revelation that will reframe everything Szeth and the squires believe about the order, the Desolation, or Nale himself. The urgent departure and abandonment of squires who “leak Stormlight too much” implies an impending journey, likely toward Shinovar. This cliffhanger redirects Szeth’s character trajectory from internal struggle toward an external mission.