Which Order of the Knights Radiant Do They Belong To?? Ft. Todoroki Shouto
ok hi here we go, i love doing this
obligatory explanation: the knights radiant are a fictious organization in brandon sanderson’s the stormlight archive series, which consists of ten orders that protected mankind. each of the ten orders attracts specific people who believe in specific ideals. each of the orders of the knights radiant has access to two distinct powers, which i’ll explain with each character analysis i do (in case you ever read this lmao) and each order has a specific set of five ideals! the first ideal is the same “life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination” but the other four differ amongst all the ten orders! with each ideal you speak, well, you get a huge sword (called shardblade) and a set of armor (called shardplate) as long as you mean those ideals. well i suppose that’s the best explanation i can give really.
honestly, shouto could be either an elsecaller or a lightweaver (which is convenient, because both orders have ice powers) but since shouto had been more significantly erratic at the beginning and since his journey and character arc was about facing himself, i think he’d be a….lightweaver!
(this does not have anything to do with the fact i got lightweaver on the quiz, please)
lightweavers are significantly more different from the other radiants in that their ideals aren’t specific- they have to speak forth truths about themselves. shouto’s character arc at the beginning, as kick-started by midoriya, was about facing the truth that his powers weren’t a product of his parents’ sham marriage, but belonged to him as a person.
obligatory analysis from the quiz incoming.
Instead of speaking specific words, or even words along a certain theme, Lightweavers speak truths about themselves—things they must admit to themselves in order to progress as people. It is theorized that because Lightweavers live on the line between reality and fiction, it is important for them to be able to separate the real from the lie, and only with the proper ability to do so can they move forward.
Lightweavers are the Radiants most interested in the arts, including all kinds of visual arts and theater. They range widely in personality from the quiet and introspective painter to the outgoing and gregarious stage performer, with everything in between. What unites them tends to be a love of art, though there are some few who are more interested in intrigue, secrets, and espionage. They are the spies of the Knights Radiant and are often untrusted by others (such as the stoic Skybreakers) for their love of subterfuge. They have a reputation for having looser morals than other Orders, but the Lightweavers are quick to point out that their personal values are strong. They just don’t feel they need to match what other more hardline Orders tend to require. They can be vague with oaths, and many say there is far more Cultivation in them than Honor. (Others dispute this, saying that all Orders have an equal mix, despite some spren naming themselves “honorspren.”) Lightweavers tend to be free spirits, and many among their Order see the importance of entertainment, beauty, and art in a person’s life, and strive to make sure that the world doesn’t just live through the Desolations—because mere survival isn’t enough unless there is something to live for.
this would be good for shouto because that’s what he’s been doing his whole character arc- trying to progress as a person and step out of endeavor’s shadow to be the best hero he can be. now of course, i don’t know if he’s interested in the arts (unless being a part of stage decoration counts, lmao? he does have a good sense of aesthetic with his ice, so that would count!), but the best thing about the lightweavers is that they include a wide variety of people. he definitely has a strong moral compass, but he does what he thinks needs to be done, most of the time.
he’s not a very free spirit either, but his journey is all about finding something to live for, something that can be worthy to people. his personal values are far stronger than the law itself (as shown in how he was ready to beat the chief of police itself because he didn’t agree with the law), which is what being a lightweaver is all about.
interestingly enough, lightweavers maintained morale. shouto doesn’t usually maintain morale, but his words were what sustained midoriya when confused about kouta. he gave yaoyorozu the confidence she needed. he told iida to stand up and be who he should be. heck, wasn’t he the one who told an insecure ashido that a dance would be a good idea? shouto wants to be seen as someone soothing, someone reliable, and he wants to cultivate an image of himself in that regard- which is also another lightweaver trait, wanting to cultivate an image of oneself to help others.
fun facts: lightweavers’ powers include forming all manners of illusions; auditory, visual and tactile too- they can bring illusions to life provided they’re powerful enough! they can convert any form of matter into another type in a form of magic called soulcasting, provided they’re experienced enough to do so!