Renarin Kholin

Renarin Kholin
Fan art by ex-m[3]
Biographical information
Ethnicity	Alethi
Nationality	Alethi
Gender	Male
Born	1154
Status	Alive
Abilities	Surgebinding (Truthwatcher)
Social Information
Title(s)	Brightlord, Prince of House Kholin
Family	House Kholin
Occupation	Noble
Appears in	The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance

Renarin Kholin is a Brightlord of Alethkar. At the onset of the story, he is nineteen years old, the younger son of Highprince Dalinar, and brother to Adolin. Since childhood, he has supposedly suffered an illness referred to as 'blood weakness'.

Initially, Renarin does not have either a Shardblade or Shardplate. Adolin wins a Shardblade for his brother in his first serious duel, as part of the plan to take Shards away from the other Highprinces. He is given his father's Shardplate when Dalinar decides to turn over field command of his forces to Adolin and devote himself to leadership.

Appearance

Renarin wears spectacles. When wearing regular uniform of Kholin blue and silver, golden knots on his shoulders mark him as a prince.

Personality

Renarin is a quiet person who is close to his brother but is dismissed by everyone else. He is shown to be quite thoughtful and intelligent but suffers from lack of confidence and depression. While these emotions are present within him, he is very good at controlling them, only showing what he wants, though usually nothing.

Renarin has no problem following orders, regardless of how silly they might be, and has a good attitude toward most things. He wishes to prove his worth to everyone but himself as he is unable to fight in a society that so greatly values war.

He is a humble man and very brave, especially when his father or brother are in danger. When his father is thrown from his horse during the chasmfiend hunt, he runs to protect him, heedless of the danger he faces; since he doesn't have shardplate, he could easily be killed. He risks his life to save his brother in the dueling arena, when Adolin faces four full shardbearers due to a loophole in the rules. Renarin doesn't have enough time to don his shardplate, but summons his shardblade and faces a fully trained, experienced shardbearer, Abrobadar.

Biography

Fan art by ex-m[1]

Renarin isn’t defined by his relations with other characters. He is well loved by his family and wholeheartedly supported, sometimes overly protected but always cared for by everyone who is close to him. His father dotes on him immensely; his big brother is always there ready to defend him; there is no conflict to be had. Renarin isn't jealous of Adolin's successes. He has little fear of death (judging from his running unarmored into the arena in a futile attempt to help his brother), and he has no expectations of being treated in a manner befitting his princely status. He is willing to plead with Kaladin to be admitted into the Bridge Four fellowship in order to be useful, and gradually becomes accepted. As Kaladin later explains to Dalinar, as a 'misfit,' Renarin fits very well into his collection of such people.

Finally, he has a set of Shards, though the Blade screams every time he summons it - but since he's always been the weird one, he assumes that's just his own personal problem, too. On top of that, he's seeing the future - which is supposed to be a thing of evil, so he really doesn't dare tell anyone: his family has enough stress, the rest of Alethkar already thinks he's "icky" and he doesn't need to add "anathema." So, as usual, he bore it alone and tried not to be a burden ... but now it's all getting to be too much.

Renarin's little box, however, which he always has with him for no purpose other than something to do with his hands, is recognizable as a form of stimming (i.e., a symptom of autism). Renarin's main issues thus seem to sprout mainly from himself. His ordeal appears to be a very internal one, a very private one. Nobody ever told him he absolutely had to be a soldier: it is quite the opposite. His family also tried to encourage him to pursue a path where they thought he would excel. In all appearances, the Kholin family has done everything right in trying to help, shelter and encourage this supposedly disabled child.

Therefore, all that is left is Renarin himself. He is the one who isn’t dealing with it. He is the one who self-depreciated himself: not his family, not his relationships, not anyone. Him.

It thus makes Renarin’s hardships very personal, which are lived inside his head.

He has little fear of death (judging from his running unarmored into the arena in a futile attempt to help his brother) - no jealousy - and no expectations of being treated in a manner befitting his princely status. He is willing to plead with Kaladin to be admitted into the Bridge Four fellowship in order to be useful, and gradually becomes accepted. As Kaladin later explains to Dalinar, as a 'misfit' he fits very well into their collection of such people.

Renarin begins combat training later than most light-eyed boys, who begin at around age 10. He is chosen by the Ardent, Master Zahel, who starts Renarin's training in Shardplate by getting him to jump off the roof of one of the training ground buildings. Once Renarin has completed this task, he is told to do it again. "This time, fall headfirst!"

Family

• Dalinar Kholin - Father
• Shshshsh - Mother (status unknown)
• Adolin Kholin - Brother
• Gavilar Kholin - Uncle (deceased)
• Navani Kholin - Aunt
• Jasnah Kholin - Cousin
• Elhokar Kholin - Cousin

Words of Radiance

Renarin Kholin
Fan art by Cunegonde[2]

Renarin stops wearing his glasses, presumably indicating he no longer needs them.

It would follow that he possesses the Surge of Progression (growth) and so likely used Regrowth on his eyes. Because, at the end of Words of Radiance, Renarin is revealed to be a Truthwatcher, a type of Radiant whose Surges are Progression and Illumination. His spren is Glys.

Notes

By the end of Words of Radiance, Renarin is twenty years old.

Gallery