Taravangian - Tumblr Posts

I don't think Taravangian is as big a threat as we think.

It's been established that Vin only did as well as she did against Ruin because the shards were so opposite. This isn't true for him; Cultivation could probably kick his ass if she wanted. We also saw in secret history how well a shard did if they didn't have a natural connection to the shard: Kelsier had to use connection juice to connect to Preservation. Taravangian did something similar: only connecting by his most emotional day because of his old magic condition. This will likely mean that he too will have a hard time controlling the power. But that's exactly what he thinks he can do at the end of ROW.

His main arc is about his intelligence and it failing him. While Smart Taravangian makes genius plans, these often fail, and at multiple times he's amazed by what Average Person Taravangain or Stupid Taravangian can do. The diagram fails him repeatedly, getting a small part of what he hoped to bargain for, and failing at gaining control of the coalition, because he underestimated other people (Rayse and Dalinar). His greatest triumph, killing Rayse, is done by him at his stupidest.

When he becomes Odium, he's now at his smartest yet, and he immediately seems to forget almost everything he learned. He's now scheming, convinced he's smarter than everyone else. He thinks that despite Cultivation's plans succeeding at every step, despite his being Odium being part of that plan, that he's now running circles around everyone: Cultivation, Rayse, Hoid, and maybe Dalinar. Did he trick Hoid? Maybe, or maybe not - rereading that chapter shows Hoid skipping some boring parts of their conversation the second time through, and shows that he may realize he's now lost breath (he's just lost his second heightening).

I think this book, and the end of the half-series, will end with his defeat, either taking down Cultivation with him, or setting up Cultivation as a future threat. It's also worth keeping in mind that while it feels like the conflict against Odium may be the central threat for the rest of the series, or at least a good part of it, that's not really how Sanderson writes. Only 2/4 existing books have directly been about the conflict with Odium, and no major threat really lasts that long in any of Sanderson's books. The only one close is the Set, but they only really felt like the main foe for the last 1-2 books of mistborn era 2. Ruin only really is a major villain whose presence you feel for 1 book, and while a couple standalones left their villains around, only one (the night brigade, who isn't even the book's main villain) seems like they're going to be used again in a meaningful way.

Taravangian is king not only of Kharbranth but of “the ends justify the means”, which is the exact opposite of the first Radiant Ideal.

Jasnah should’ve had him lecture Shallan on philosophy.

Yeah, he’s a fun guy to read about but definitely one I’m glad is fictional.