Gavilar Kholin
| House / Order | House Kholin |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Alethi |
| Status | Deceased |
| Origin | Alethkar; Shattered Plains |
| Born | Alethkar |
| Died | The Shattered Plains feast (assassinated by Szeth) |
| Weapon | Shardblade; Shardplate |
| Fate | Assassinated by Szeth the night of his treaty-feast with the Listeners; his death opens the series |
| Portrayed by |
Gavilar Kholin is a pivotal figure in The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, whose assassination in the prologue of The Way of Kings sets the entire series in motion. The elder brother of Dalinar Kholin, husband of Navani Kholin, and father of Jasnah and Elhokar, Gavilar unified the warring Alethi princedoms into a single kingdom and crowned himself its first king in generations.
In his final years Gavilar grew obsessed with ancient prophecy, the return of the Voidbringers, and the rebirth of the Knights Radiant -- secret dealings that drew the attention of dangerous forces and ultimately cost him his life.
Background
Gavilar, with his brother Dalinar Kholin at his side, conquered and unified the fractious princedoms of Alethkar through years of brutal war, taking the crown that had been vacant since the days of the Sunmaker. Charismatic and visionary where Dalinar was the blunt instrument, Gavilar became the architect of a new Alethi kingdom. In his later years he changed: he turned to the old book The Way of Kings, began speaking of honor and codes, and pursued secret research into the Desolations and the return of the ancient powers.
Biography
The visionary king
Gavilar made contact with the Listeners (the Singers of the Shattered Plains), negotiating a treaty -- but his hidden purpose involved harnessing their connection to ancient powers and the Voidbringers. He came into possession of mysterious artifacts, including a strange black sphere (a "voidlight" gem) that he attempted to pass to allies in his final moments. His dealings touched the Sons of Honor, the Ghostbloods, and other secret factions, and he glimpsed visions of the Heralds and the coming Desolation.
Assassination
On the night a treaty-feast with the Listeners was held on the Shattered Plains, the Listeners unexpectedly hired Szeth, the Assassin in White, to kill Gavilar. Szeth, wielding the Honorblade of Jezrien, cut through the king's guards and slew him. As he died, Gavilar entrusted a cryptic message and a black sphere to a confidant, urging the recipient to find "the most important words a man can say." His murder destabilized the realm and launched the War of Reckoning.
Character
Gavilar was charismatic, ambitious, and increasingly visionary -- some said unhinged -- in his final years. Capable of unifying a fractured nation, he was also manipulative and willing to deceive, including using the Listeners for his own ends. His late turn toward honor and prophecy was genuine but entangled with dangerous secrets, leaving an ambiguous legacy that his brother Dalinar Kholin would spend the series reckoning with.
Powers and abilities
Gavilar was a renowned warrior and Shardbearer, wielding a Shardblade and Shardplate in the conquest of Alethkar. He was not a Surgebinder, but in his final years he gained access to ancient secrets, artifacts of Investiture (including a sphere holding the trapped essence of a spren or Voidlight), and visions connected to the Heralds and the coming Desolation.
Relationships
- Dalinar Kholin -- his younger brother and war-leader, the Blackthorn.
- Navani Kholin -- his wife, later married to Dalinar.
- Jasnah Kholin and Elhokar Kholin -- his children.
- Szeth -- the Assassin in White who killed him.
- The Listeners -- whom he treated with, and who ordered his death.
Quotes
You must find the most important words a man can say.
Blood of my fathers. You must find the others. They must not have the Dawnshard.