Honorblade

Drawing by Isaac Stewart

Honorblades were carried by the Heralds to fight the Voidbringers during Desolations. They are a direct link to the power of Honor. These Blades are similar to Shardblades, but far more powerful. Each of the ten Blades is unique.^{[citation needed]}

Unlike Shardblades, Honorblades disappear when each Herald who is bonded to a given Blade dies. However an Honorblade will stay in the world if a Herald is killed using the knife that Hnanan gave to Moash.

Though Honorblades are the weapons used by the Heralds - not the Knights Radiant, they give the power of a Knight Radiant to whomever wields them. They are not spren,* but made by the Almighty himself to imbue his chosen Heralds with Surgebinding skills. Anyone who bonds one can make use of the Surges inherent to that Blade. The Blades of the Knights are Shardblades too; they are alive.

They're literally a piece of the god who ruled Roshar turned into weapons.

The Honorblades and Shardblades served completely different purposes, even in their original Intent. However, according to Brandon, in some ways Honorblades are more powerful than Shardblades and in some ways they're a prototype.

Shallan believes Honorblades and Shardblades to be separate. Still, it is generally assumed that Shardblades were modeled after the Honorblades. (Much in the same way, it might be said that fabrial technology was modeled after Shardblade technology.)

Nine of the Honorblades appear to have been 'lost' at Aharietiam, when the Heralds ended the Oathpact. The tenth is carried by Talenel’Elin; the only Herald who did not survive the Last Desolation.

Initially, during Words of Radiance, it is stated that the abilities of each of the groups of Surgebinders are imitations of the abilities granted by one of the ten Honorblades; Szeth's Blade grants him the abilities of a Windrunner without the need of the Nahel bond, which Syl confirms. However, this causes the wielder to rely on far more Stormlight than a normal Surgebinder would in a similar situation.

“	"The Honorblades are what we are based on, Kaladin. Honor gave these to men, and those men gained powers from them. Spren figured out what He'd done, and we imitated it. We're bits of his power, after all, like this sword. Be careful with it. It is a treasure."	”
–Syl to Kaladin

(Syl makes this statement after Kaladin has obtained Szeth's Honorblade, after killing him - in the original hardcover edition; after slicing off his hand - in the subsequent paperback edition.)

Syl states that Honorblades are not spren, but that someone in possession of an Honorblade can do what a Windrunner can, but without the checks a spren requires. She also mentions that using Stormlight at the level required to wield an Honorblade is dangerous, hinting that such may have serious drawbacks or ill effects if used for prolonged periods of time. The Honorblades were originally used by and meant for the ten Heralds, not for Knights Radiant.

“	"With this sword, someone can do what you can, but without the ... checks a spren requires. This sword gave the assassin power to use Lashings, but it also fed upon his Stormlight. A person who uses this will need far, far more Light than you will. Dangerous levels of it."	”
–Syl to Kaladin

It is also mentioned by Szeth that the 'other Honorblades' are stored within Shinovar.

Tracings and color by Awesomeness Summoned

Appearance

Taln's Honorblade is described as massive, reflective of torchlight, long, narrow, straight, and shaped like an enormous spike.

The Blade of Jezerezeh is described as a thin, silvery blade with a gentle curve, its metal largely unornamented. A long, slender weapon. Elegant, yet somehow humble, as Shardblades went. It was once known as belonging to the Assassin in White.

Abilities

Betab
Tracing and color by Awesomeness Summoned

Chach
Tracing and color by Awesomeness Summoned

Jez
Tracing and color by Awesomeness Summoned

Kak
Tracing and color by Awesomeness Summoned

Nan
Tracing and color by Awesomeness Summoned

Shash
Tracing and color by Awesomeness Summoned

Each Honorblade grants its user the powers of two Surges and the ability to absorb Stormlight, effectively making the user one of the Knights Radiant without the Nahel bond with a spren.

Honorblades have far more destructive power than Shardblades and can strike through Shardplate. Two hits can destroy Shardplate so long as the Blade hits the same place.

Two of the Honorblades have been confirmed to allow Regrowth.

List of Honorblades

Original Wielder	Surges	Current Location	Current Wielder
Jezrien	Adhesion Gravitation	Urithiru	Szeth (TWoK/WoR); Kaladin (WoR); Moash (Ob); Bridgeman (Ob); Moash (RoW)
Nale	Gravitation Division	With Nale	Hinted to be original wielder (WoR)
Chana	Division Abrasion	Shinovar	Unknown
Vedel	Abrasion Progression	Shinovar	Unknown
Palah	Progression Illumination	Shinovar	Unknown
Shalash	Illumination Transformation	Shinovar	Unknown
Battar	Transformation Transportation	Shinovar	Unknown
Kalak	Transportation Cohesion	Shinovar	Unknown
Taln	Cohesion Tension	Unknown	Implied to be original wielder (TWoK); Implied to be Dalinar (WoR)
Ishar	Tension Adhesion	With Ishar	Ishar (RoW)

Notes

*Still, according to Brandon, it is possible to have both an Honorblade and a spren.

Brandon has confirmed that Shinovar has seven Honorblades. It is unknown whether this includes Szeth's original Blade, now possessed by Kaladin, and/or with the Blade previously held by Taln, now cast aside by Dalinar at the direction of the Stormfather; this leaves two Honorblades unaccounted for. Where they are held or by whom is unknown.

Similarly, at a book signing, Brandon stated that an Honorblade cannot be bonded to anyone, only given. Brandon also confirmed that Honorblades can indeed be wielded by those other than the Heralds. This explains how Szeth is able to use the Honorblade he wielded (i.e., Jezrien's) before it was taken from him by Kaladin, but leaves just how he acquired it a mystery. This also confirms Dalinar's ability to use the Shardblade that was likely Taln's Honorblade.

According to Brandon, one could pulverize an Honorblade to the point that it wouldn't exist. One would need to repair it with Investiture, and if one didn't, it would happen, like the same thing that happens to Shardplate. Basically, it's changing form. Either one would end up with a bunch of dust made of a God Metal, which one could do things with, or one could add Investiture and reconstitute it, or one could get it to change back into its other states.

Speculation

Likely, Honorblades are Splinters, but without the intelligence that makes spren spren.

If the Honorblades are, in fact, the Dawnshards, then they have the power to bind any creature Voidish or mortal, according to the Poem of Ista.

Reader/contributor Siibt theorizes it is unlikely that the Shardblade taken from Talenel is an Honorblade due to the screaming that Dalinar hears when the Blade is summoned. The Stormfather tells Dalinar to get rid of it and upon doing so, he hears a scream in his mind. This is previously evidenced whence upon taking Szeth's Honorblade, Kaladin hears no screaming.

Given that the Blades originally wielded by Shalash and Battar grant their users the Surge of Transformation, might it be inferred that one of their two Blades is now in the hands of Kaladin (due to the restored arm of Lopen by contact with Kaladin) instead of that of Jezrien or is something else at play here?**

If one compares an Honorblade to a dead-spren Blade, the Honorblade is the more powerful weapon. Both can be bonded, summoned, cut spirit, etc., but the Honorblade grants Surges. However, if one compares an Honorblade to a live-spren blade with Nahel bond powers granted to its wielder, then the Honorblade comes up far short since the live-spren Blade affords its wielder:

• Surgebinding with minimal Stormlight.
• Bonus side effects such as squires who can use Stormlight or photographic memory blinks.
• Presumably, Shardplate at higher ideal levels.
• A spren with whom one speaks and reasons, and from whom one may learn.
• A spren partner who can do helpful things (e.g., stand guard, listen to others, scout out knobweed, hold an illusion while moving around, generate sound, pick locks, translate language, etc..
• A spren who can become any type of weapon its wielder requires.

Kelek said that the Honorblades were more powerful than Shardblades, however. It is possible that they are more powerful in the hands of Heralds.^{[citation needed]}

**Lopen's arm was restored by the healing effect of drawing in Stormlight as he became a squire,^{[citation needed]} much like Hobber restored his legs,^{[citation needed]} and Dalinar regrew his own arm during one of his visions.^{[citation needed]}

Q&A with Brandon

Q. Do Honorblades have the same sort of relationship to Honor (possibly to a much greater degree) that Shardblades do?

A. You're on the right track.

Q. What would happen if Hoid tried to burn the shard that came off Ishar's Honorblade?

A. If you were able to get a hold of that piece and burn it, it would act like burning... You would be burning a very pure form of a God Metal, and those have some very interesting effects. RAFO.