Contains MASSIVE SPOILERS for Wind and Reality!
The Stormlight Archive had a few of its largest reveals but in Wind and Reality, but there’s one Cosmere thriller that’s nonetheless unanswered. Brandon Sanderson has fastidiously woven the overarching narrative for his Cosmere fantasy universe, telling the story of the facility battle between gods by way of titles like Mistborn, Elantris, and, after all, The Stormlight Archive. That made Wind and Reality’s game-changing ending all of the extra thrilling, because it impacts not solely the next 5 volumes however each Cosmere guide Brandon Sanderson has to return. Nonetheless, there are many mysteries to be solved.
The Stormlight Archive takes place on Roshar, a planet that’s been occupied by three Shards of Adonalsium. These three gods have been in battle for millennia, with Odium and Honor utilizing the planet because the battleground for his or her proxy conflict, inflicting dying and destruction within the type of occasions referred to as Desolations. That leaves the third god, Cultivation, as a supply of thriller, as even after Wind and Reality, she’s the key Shard readers know the least about, and her motivations are nonetheless an unlimited X-factor for the narrative going ahead.
Cultivation Left Roshar After The Contest Of Champions
Cultivation Instantly Dipped
Dalinar and Odium’s contest of champions has important implications for the Cosmere universe, with Taravangian now possessing each Honor and Odium, changing into Retribution. Following his acquisition of a second Shard, all of the gods within the Cosmere turned their consideration to Roshar, now unable to disregard the specter of Odium with the extra Investiture he has with Honor. This extra consideration compelled Retribution to flee Roshar, going into hiding and biding his time till it’s proper to return. Regardless of this, Cultivation additionally flees.
Brandon Sanderson has escaped a significant query, which is whether or not Cultivation is a protagonist or a scheming antagonist.
Wind and Reality has extra info and direct scenes involving Cultivation than some other guide to this point, together with her personally assembly with Odium and making an attempt to cease his plans. She even sends assassins to assault his household in Kharbranth, testing the humanity remaining in Taravangian. To not point out, there’s loads of exposition relating to her in Tanavast’s Day 9 POV chapters. This makes it all of the extra baffling when she flees the planet, disappearing when Roshar wants her most. Brandon Sanderson has escaped a significant query, which is whether or not Cultivation is a protagonist or a scheming antagonist.
Cultivation’s Motivations Are Nonetheless Unclear After 5 Stormlight Archive Books
What Does Cultivation Actually Need?
Cultivation has made some questionable decisions all through The Stormlight Archive and the occasions main as much as it. She’s the one who altered Taravangian to create his fluctuating intelligence and compassion ranges, making ready him as a candidate to change into Odium’s Vessel. Then, she was additionally the one who took away Dalinar’s reminiscences, although solely briefly, permitting him to grieve earlier than Odium tried to show him into his champion in Oathbringer. She additionally offered Carry together with her Lifelight-powered Surgebinding talents.

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Dalinar Kholin’s determination in Wind and Reality has drastically modified the Cosmere. This is the way it impacts The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn.
These three choices had been all essential for The Stormlight Archive’s story, however there isn’t any consistency between them to make sure what aspect she’s on. She fails a number of instances in her efforts in Wind and Reality to persuade Taravangian to defy Odium’s Intent, leaving a number of choices. It is potential Brandon Sanderson wrote himself right into a nook with the character and simply did not need her to get too concerned but. An alternative choice is she’s extremely incompetent. The final, which has change into a preferred theorization subject, is that Cultivation needed the competition of champions to finish the best way it did.
What Will Occur With Cultivation In Stormlight Archive Arc 2?
Cultivation May Be Taking part in Her Personal Recreation
As for what is going to occur to Cultivation within the subsequent 5 books, all readers have for now are theories. There may be an replace on her whereabouts in upcoming Brandon Sanderson books like Mistborn Period 3 or the Elantris sequels, however in any other case, it is going to be a six-year wait till Stormlight 6. Within the meantime, there are some attention-grabbing theories that counsel Cultivation’s future sight led her to orchestrate the competition of champions, starting together with her motivation being to flee Roshar herself.

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Wind And Reality’s Most Tragic Story Wasn’t The One Stormlight Archive Followers Anticipated
Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive is full of fantastically tragic tales, together with one in Wind and Reality that nobody noticed coming.
Cultivation wasn’t the one who needed to return to Roshar; it was Tanavast. She’s been caught there for millennia, so it’d make sense to push issues in a path that will enable her to depart and never take the blame for it. She pushed Taravangian to take Odium’s Shard, pushed Dalinar to reform Honor, and even left the people of The Stormlight Archive with some safety by giving Carry her Lifelight powers, making her probably the most highly effective beings on the planet within the absence of Stormlight.