Chapter 136: Ideals – Oathbringer

[⚠️ Major Spoilers Below – Do Not Read Unless You Have Finished the Chapter]

Chapter Summary

The chapter opens with Moash hacking rubble in Kholinar’s ruined palace, feeling only numbness after killing Elhokar. Lady Leshwi and the Fused Hnanan offer him a rare honor: Odium wishes him to kill a god. They give him a strange golden knife with a sapphire pommel. Meanwhile, Navani hurries onto the battlefield outside Thaylen City and embraces an exhausted Dalinar. He hands her a large ruby imprisoning one of the Unmade, asking her to study it, then admits he wants her to teach him to read.

Shallan struggles with her fractured selves. Radiant and Veil both show interest in Kaladin, but when Adolin notices something is wrong and then suggests he should step aside so Kaladin can have her, Shallan forcefully rebuffs the idea. She declares her love for Adolin, and they share a passionate kiss. Venli, aboard a fleeing parshman ship, reflects on her bond with the spren Timbre and resolves to teach the freed parshmen about the listeners’ heritage. Szeth swears to follow Dalinar Kholin’s will, and his words are accepted.

Kaladin speaks with Teft about the burden of addiction and vows to support him. When he sees Rock sitting in shame for having used a Shardbow, Kaladin thinks, “We lift the bridge together, Teft, and we carry it.” Dalinar confronts Taravangian, who admits he plotted to seize control of the coalition and confesses to hiring Szeth years ago. In Kholinar’s gardens, Moash stabs the madman Jezrien with the golden knife. The Herald dies a final death, his soul eradicated. Ash and Taln feel the cataclysm; Ash cries that her father is dead before she collapses.

Lopen’s spren Rua grows mischievous, and Lopen unexpectedly speaks his Third Ideal of the Windrunners (to the annoyance of a delayed Stormfather). Kaladin receives a message and rockets away. The chapter closes with Ash unconscious amid a crowd of refugees, while Taln has become a simpleton.

Key Events

Moash is given the dagger that can permanently kill a Herald.
Dalinar gives Navani the gem containing the Unmade and asks her to teach him to read.
Shallan firmly chooses Adolin and rejects the internal pull toward Kaladin.
Venli decides to teach captured parshmen about the listeners.
Szeth swears to follow Dalinar, taking his Third Ideal.
Lopen inadvertently swears his Third Ideal while joking with a wounded soldier.
Taravangian reveals his murderous political machinations to Dalinar.
Moash kills Jezrien, the King of Heralds, destroying his soul forever.
Ash senses Jezrien’s death and collapses.

Character Development

Moash sinks deeper into emotional void, trading vengeance for service to Odium. His numbness after avenging his grandparents shows that revenge brought no satisfaction, and he now becomes an instrument for a far greater atrocity.

Dalinar demonstrates humility and trust. By giving Navani the Unmade and asking her to teach him to read, he symbolically unites the scholar and the warrior within himself. His confrontation with Taravangian reveals his shock but also his growing understanding of political ruthlessness.

Shallan takes a vital step in reintegrating her personas. For the first time she explicitly dominates Veil and Radiant, telling them “they were not her.” Her declaration to Adolin—“That’s the one I am”—marks progress toward accepting her core self.

Adolin shows insecurity for the first time, offering to step aside because Kaladin can fly. Shallan’s passionate rebuttal reinforces that his worth lies in his kindness, humility, and genuine partnership.

Venli embraces a new role as a preserver of her people’s history. Timbre’s bond allows her to resist Odium while she begins to tell the freed parshmen who they were before enslavement.

Szeth finally speaks his Truth and feels approval. Aligning himself with Dalinar is a monumental shift from his previous obedience to the Stone Shamans.

Lopen achieves the Third Ideal in the most irreverent way possible, underscoring that readiness isn’t always about solemnity. His chapter of growth is humorous but also deeply empathetic.

Teft and Rock each confront inner failures, and Kaladin’s promise to carry the bridge together signals Bridge Four’s continuing role as a family.

Ash and Taln suffer the ultimate blow: losing Jezrien in a way that cannot be healed. Taln’s lucidity is gone, and Ash’s grief marks the end of an era.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

The Death of Gods: Moash’s assassination of Jezrien with the strange golden knife raises the stakes. The Heralds, once perceived as immortal, can be killed permanently. This unravels the mythology of the Almighty’s chosen.

Identity and Integration: Shallan’s struggle mirrors the broader theme of broken people becoming whole. Her insistence “They were not her” parallels Dalinar’s refusal to let Odium take his pain and Lopen’s recognition that being broken isn’t a prerequisite for Radiance.

The Oaths and Ideals: Multiple Radiants speak new Words in this chapter—Szeth, Lopen, and even Kaladin implicitly reaffirms his duty to support Teft and Rock. The chapter title “Ideals” highlights how each character’s personal commitment shapes the world.

Power and Humility: Dalinar’s request to learn to read is perhaps the most radical act of humility from a warlord. It symbolizes his transformation from a man who conquered to a man who builds.

Why This Chapter Matters

“Ideals” is a pivotal convergence point. Jezrien’s permanent death changes everything—there will be no more returns for the Heralds, and Odium’s forces now possess a weapon that can annihilate the soul of a deity’s champion. Meanwhile, the heroes recommit to their bonds: Shallan chooses Adolin and her true self, Szeth finds a worthy master, Lopen matures, and Dalinar begins to remake himself as a scholar-king. The chapter sets up the emotional and cosmic stakes for the rest of the book, tying the personal struggles of identity directly to the world’s survival.

Study Questions

What does Moash’s emotional state after killing Elhokar suggest about the nature of revenge?
- Moash feels empty, not triumphant. The text describes him as a man at the end of a long journey who finds only fatigue, not satisfaction. This suggests that revenge cannot heal deep wounds and merely leaves the avenger hollow, a theme Sanderson often explores through his characters’ arcs.
Why is Shallan’s declaration “That’s the one I am” significant for her character progression?
- For most of the book, Shallan has hidden behind Radiant and Veil to cope with trauma. When Adolin sees through her personas and she acknowledges that the real Shallan is the one he knows, she begins integrating her fractured self. It’s a turning point toward healing and shows the value of being truly seen by another person.
How does Lopen’s unexpected swearing of the Third Ideal reinforce the chapter’s title?
- Lopen thinks he needs a dramatic moment, but the Stormfather tells him he wasn’t ready earlier. The ideal comes when he is simply being himself—a man comforting a wounded soldier with humor. This underscores that living the ideals in small, consistent ways is more important than grand gestures, and that readiness is an internal state, not an external event.