Chapter 46: Consequences — Dalinar and Yanagawn Walk Among the Dead
Full chapter analysis. Spoiler Warning: This analysis discusses events from Oathbringer Chapter 46 and references earlier chapters. If you haven't read through this point, proceed with caution.
← Previous Chapter | Book Hub | Next Chapter →
Summary
Dalinar re-enters the familiar vision of Aharietiam, the final battle against the Voidbringers, but this time he brings Emperor Yanagawn of Azir along. Using a bow from a rocky perch, Dalinar protects the inexperienced teenage emperor as the battle unfolds. After a Radiant in Shardplate arrives and pushes back the enemy, Yanagawn wanders among the wounded and dying, eventually finding a crowd gathered around Jezerezeh'Elin himself, who proclaims victory over the Voidbringers. Dalinar reveals his identity to the stunned emperor and attempts to make his case for alliance. Yanagawn, however, knows Azish history well and immediately challenges Dalinar with the atrocities committed by the Sunmaker, who murdered ten percent of Azir's population during his conquest. Dalinar acknowledges his ancestor's brutality but distinguishes himself by one crucial difference: he has lived long enough to see the consequences of his own actions. Before the conversation can continue, Lift unexpectedly appears in the vision — to the Stormfather's bewilderment — and drags Yanagawn away, leaving Dalinar alone on the battlefield of the dead.
Key Events
- Dalinar enters the Aharietiam vision for the third time, now bringing Emperor Yanagawn into it
- Dalinar uses archery to protect Yanagawn during the battle, ensuring he experiences the vision's dangers without dying
- Yanagawn witnesses Jezerezeh'Elin address the victorious survivors
- Dalinar introduces himself, prompting Yanagawn to recount the Sunmaker's massacres in Azir
- Dalinar admits his own brutal past but asserts he differs from Sadees because he has seen the consequences of his actions
- Lift intrudes into the vision without Stormfather's knowledge or consent
- Lift and Yanagawn depart together, ending Dalinar's diplomatic effort prematurely
Character Development
Dalinar Kholin
Dalinar demonstrates a refined approach to the visions. Rather than letting Yanagawn coast through the experience as he previously allowed Queen Fen, Dalinar provides enough support to keep the emperor alive while still exposing him to the horror of a Desolation. His archery skills, honed through Shardbow training, prove effective. More importantly, this chapter reveals Dalinar's evolving self-awareness. When confronted with the Sunmaker's atrocities — a figure Dalinar once reverently modeled himself after — he doesn't deflect. He acknowledges his own brutal youth and distinguishes himself by one thing: he has lived long enough to witness the consequences. This is a man who no longer worships conquest.
Yanagawn (Gawx)
The young Prime Aqasix is far more perceptive than his awkward physicality suggests. Despite being of low birth and newly elevated, he immediately recognizes Dalinar's tactical manipulation of the vision environment. He articulates a detailed historical grievance against the Alethi, citing the Sunmaker's campaign of systematic slaughter. His wariness is well-founded, and his willingness to challenge a warlord in the middle of a supernatural vision shows real grit. His instant joy at seeing Lift reveals a boy still finding his footing in a role he never expected.
Lift
Though she appears only at the chapter's end, Lift's entrance is characteristically disruptive. She arrives in a vision she was never invited to, baffles the Stormfather, and dismisses Dalinar with a critique of his physique. Her comment about trusting an old man with a flabby butt over one who still trains for violence is absurd on the surface yet carries a sharper edge — she distrusts those who remain warriors at heart. Her protective instinct toward Yanagawn is clear, and her ability to defy the Stormfather's control hints at powers not fully understood.
The Stormfather
For the first time, the Stormfather expresses genuine frustration bordering on distress. Lift's intrusion into the vision is "a creation specifically meant to defy my will," and he calls her "tainted by the Nightwatcher." His anger reveals limits to his authority over the visions and suggests that whatever Lift has become represents something fundamentally opposed to his nature.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The Weight of History
Yanagawn's recitation of the Sunmaker's atrocities gives flesh to a name previously only mentioned in passing. The image of Zawfix with bones piled as tall as buildings by highstorms transforms abstract Alethi expansionism into a visceral horror. Dalinar cannot escape his people's past; he can only acknowledge it and try to be different.
Consequences
The chapter title manifests through multiple layers: the literal battlefield consequences of the Desolation, the historical consequences of the Sunmaker's conquest, and Dalinar's personal reckoning with his own violent youth. Dalinar's key line — "I've lived long enough to see the consequences of what I've done" — marks a turning point from the man who once burned cities to the man seeking to unify.
Sight and Perspective
Dalinar spends much of the chapter observing: watching the battle, watching Yanagawn process the vision, and finally watching the field of corpses alone. The vision forces both leaders to see — the cost of division, the shared humanity of all who fought the Voidbringers, and the long shadow of past sins.
The Disruption of the Expected
Lift's arrival breaks every rule the Stormfather thought governed the visions. Her presence suggests that forces beyond Dalinar's alliance — or even the Stormfather's understanding — are already invested in Yanagawn's fate.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter bridges Dalinar's diplomatic efforts with the Azish empire and introduces the first real obstacle beyond simple disbelief. Yanagawn doesn't doubt the vision's reality — he doubts Dalinar's moral standing. The Azish have a thousand-year-old grievance against Alethi imperialism, and Dalinar's bloodline literally embodies that history. Yanagawn's detailed knowledge of the Sunmaker's crimes shows that the Azish bureaucracy has long memories and has prepared its young emperor for exactly this kind of confrontation.
Lift's appearance changes the calculus entirely. She is a Radiant already aligned with Yanagawn, which means the Azish throne has a supernatural protector Dalinar knew nothing about. The Stormfather's shock indicates that whatever Lift represents operates outside the framework Dalinar has relied upon. The chapter ends with Dalinar alone among the dead — a stark image that parallels his political isolation.
Study Questions and Answers
-
Why does Dalinar protect Yanagawn during the vision rather than letting him experience the battle unaided? Dalinar has learned from his mistake with Queen Fen, where he allowed her to manage alone and the vision ended too quickly for meaningful impact. He wants Yanagawn to feel danger — the visceral understanding the Almighty intended — but doesn't want the emperor to die before absorbing the vision's lesson. His archery provides just enough intervention to keep the experience productive.
-
What historical event does Yanagawn cite in his argument against trusting Dalinar, and why is it significant? Yanagawn recounts how the Sunmaker (Sadees), after conquering Azir too quickly, ordered the murder of ten percent of the population through arbitrary methods like assigning each soldier a quota of captives to kill. This is significant because the Sunmaker is revered in Alethkar, wielded the same Shardblade Dalinar carried, and represents the Alethi tradition of conquest — making Dalinar's claim to be different a hard sell.
-
What does Lift's unexpected appearance in the vision suggest about her abilities and her relationship to the Stormfather? Lift enters the vision without being brought by Dalinar, which the Stormfather declares impossible. He calls her "tainted by the Nightwatcher" and says she is "a creation specifically meant to defy my will." This suggests Lift has abilities that operate on a level comparable to — and perhaps deliberately opposed to — the Stormfather's divine authority, likely stemming from her unusual bond and her boon from the Nightwatcher.