Oathbringer Chapter 40: Hero — Summary & Analysis

Spoiler Warning: This summary and analysis contains major spoilers for Oathbringer. If you haven’t read the chapter, continue with caution.

Summary

Twenty-four years before the present, Dalinar Kholin fumes as smoke billows from his fireplace during the Weeping. He wrestles the chimney flue open while his pregnant wife Evi does needlework. Once the fire is tamed, Evi settles beside him on the floor. They watch a pair of flamespren dance along a log; Dalinar sees them as sparring figures with tiny blades, but Evi simply sees them at play.

Evi pleads with him to enjoy the peace he fought so hard to create. Dalinar admits he feels alive only in combat—a black hunger she says is like taking lives to live. He forces himself to return to her side, and they discuss the nature of spren. Dalinar wonders aloud whether gloryspren are made of glory and whether they might appear around a deluded drunk. Evi dismisses such speculation as useless. Inside, Dalinar recalls a recent evening with Gavilar and Navani, where Navani spoke of spren with passion while Gavilar ignored her.

Evi advises him to seek peace through oblivion and to enjoy the moment. When Dalinar asks whether a man can truly change, Evi points to Vorin doctrine about Soulcasting from crass to glorious. She then offhandedly suggests that to meet the One in person, one must travel to the Valley and speak with the Nightwatcher. Dalinar immediately recoils from the mention of the Old Magic, shocked at her pagan speech.

A knock interrupts them. Gavilar arrives, dressed as a refined king rather than a warlord, with troubling news. The city of Rathalas is in rebellion. The heir of Tanalan—whom Dalinar supposedly killed years before to claim the Shardblade Oathbringer—is alive and demanding the weapon’s return. Gavilar confronts Dalinar directly: “You did deal with the heir, did you not, Dalinar?”

Dalinar confesses that the heir was a child, barely able to lift the Blade. He had spared the boy and given him to his mother, telling her to hide him. Gavilar rages, but Evi beams with pride. She wraps herself around her husband, grateful for his mercy.

Gavilar decides against sending an army. He explains that maintaining unity requires more than force; future generations must see Alethkar as a single nation, not a collection of grudging regions. Dalinar, who had secretly hoped to lead the quelling force, accepts the decision. For once he is content—because to Evi, the fearsome Blackthorn has become a hero.

Key Events

Dalinar and Evi share a quiet moment by the fire during the Weeping, watching flamespren.
Evi urges Dalinar to enjoy peace; he admits he thrives only on conflict.
Dalinar and Evi debate the nature of spren, recalling Navani’s research and Gavilar’s indifference.
Evi mentions the Valley and the Old Magic (the Nightwatcher), alarming Dalinar.
Gavilar arrives with news: Rathalas is rebelling, and Tanalan’s heir—alive—demands Oathbringer back.
Dalinar reveals he spared the child years ago after killing Tanalan.
Evi calls Dalinar a hero; he feels a swell of pride.
Gavilar opts for political maneuvering over military action to preserve unification.

Character Development

Dalinar — The flashback shows a man caught between his brutal reputation and a yearning for a different kind of worth. His confession about the child reveals a hidden capacity for mercy, one that he has concealed from everyone, even Gavilar. Evi’s approval means more to him than any battlefield victory, and her reaction lets him see himself as a hero for the first time.

Evi — Though her Alethi is still imperfect, her compassion is clear. She sees the beauty in Dalinar’s act of mercy and gives him the emotional validation he craves. Her gentle attempts to soothe his restlessness and her casual mention of the Old Magic highlight both her Riran heritage and her willingness to blend—or defy—Vorin norms.

Gavilar — Now fully a king, Gavilar embodies political shrewdness. Rather than unleash the Blackthorn, he plans to knit the kingdom together through diplomacy. His frustration with Dalinar’s secret lapse is tempered by a long-term vision for Alethkar’s future.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Transformation and the Nature of Spren — The flamespren are described as ever-shifting, human-like figures. Dalinar watches them “sparring” and imagines a miniature Shardblade. This parallels his own internal struggle: can a man change as readily as a spren alters its form? Evi references the Vorin concept of Soulcasting a person from crass to glorious, tying the idea of physical and moral transformation to the spren themselves.
Mercy and Heroism — Dalinar’s mercy toward the child heir stands in stark opposition to the Blackthorn’s legend. Evi redefines “hero” not as the victor of battles but as the man who spared a life. The chapter suggests that heroism can be a deeply personal, witnessed act rather than a public one.
The Old Magic and the Supernatural — Evi’s offhand remark about going to the Valley to meet the One plants the seed of the Nightwatcher, hinting at a world beyond Vorin orthodoxy. Dalinar’s horror shows his awareness of the forbidden nature of such practices, foreshadowing later crises of faith and identity.
Peace vs. the Thrill — The Weeping’s constant rain mirrors Dalinar’s inner void. Without combat, he feels dead; Evi calls him a “blackness from old stories.” The chapter illustrates his deep, almost addiction-like dependence on the Thrill and his difficulty imagining a life without it.

Why This Chapter Matters

“Hero” recontextualizes Dalinar’s past in a single, intimate moment. It exposes the lie he has told for a decade—that he killed the entire Tanalan line—and introduces the living heir who now foments rebellion. The revelation does more than set up a political crisis; it demonstrates that Dalinar’s brutality was never absolute. Gavilar’s decision to pursue politics instead of the sword defines the kingdom’s early direction, while Dalinar’s emotional reward—Evi’s joy—plants a desire in him to be more than a weapon. The casual mention of the Old Magic also quietly knots a thread that will unravel into major consequences later in the narrative.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Dalinar lie so long about the Rathalas heir, and how does the truth affect his relationships?
Dalinar fears that showing mercy would damage his reputation as the Blackthorn and appear weak. When he finally admits the truth, Evi showers him with love, revealing that she values compassion over conquest. Gavilar’s disappointment is tempered by his political pragmatism, showing both the personal cost and the potential for a different kind of strength.
How does Gavilar’s approach to the Rathalas rebellion reflect his vision for Alethkar?
Gavilar explicitly states that unity cannot be maintained only through force. He wants to build a kingdom where people identify as Alethi citizens, not grudging vassals. His choice to use politics rather than send an army signals a shift from a warrior-king’s mentality to that of a statesman, though it leaves Dalinar adrift.
What role do Evi’s pagan beliefs play in the chapter, and why does Dalinar react so strongly?
Evi casually references the Old Magic and the Nightwatcher as a way to meet the One. Dalinar, a Vorin noble, sees this as dangerous heresy. The moment establishes the tensions between their two cultures, hints at the supernatural forces in the world, and foreshadows Dalinar’s own eventual encounter with the Nightwatcher.