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== Appearance and Personality ==
Kaladin is a fairly tall man. He is muscular and has multiple scars on his body.{{book ref|sa1|6}} He has tan skin{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} and shoulder-length wavy black hair typical of an Alethi. He wasis born with dark brown eyes,{{book ref|sa1|1}} though after swearing the [[Immortal Words|Third Ideal]] of the Windrunners[[Windrunner]]s, his eyes turnedturn very pale blue that glowedglow while holding Stormlight.{{book ref|sa2|87}} Like most Rosharans, Kaladin's eyes have an [[Wikipedia:Epicanthic fold|epicanthic fold]]{{qa ref|979|86}} that appear faintly colored amber when he is holding [[Stormlight]].{{book ref|sa1|38}} His face is square and firm with strong lines and a proud chin. He prefers to be clean-shaven but during his time as a slave, he grows a long, scraggly beard.{{book ref|sa1|46}} He is branded on his forehead with a ''sas nahn'' [[glyphpair]] indicating his slavery and a ''shash'' [[glyph]] meaning "dangerous".{{book ref|sa1|2}}
Kaladin is a natural leader who makesinspires peoplebelief wantand toconfidence listenin tohis himmen. Men of hisHis squad members in [[Amaram]]'s army calledcall him lucky and believedbelieve theythat wouldbeing bein protectedhis becausesquad theygrants werethem insupernatural Kaladin's squadprotection.{{book ref|sa1|1}} DuringKaladin hisalso time intransforms Bridge Four, hefrom takesa mendejected whoand nodespondent longergroup carewith aboutthe anythingworst and organizes themreputation into ana extremely loyalhighly-motivated and welleffective trainedfighting squad of spearmenforce. [[Dalinar Kholin]] remarks that his men are remarkably loyal and think very highly of him. {{book ref|sa1|73}} He has a strong protective instinct, especially over those who are defenseless. He joins the army so he can look after his younger brother.{{book ref|sa1sa2|4475}} As a squadleader in Amaram's army, he strives to protect the men in his squad. He specifically recruits the youngest members with the least training to his squad by bribing other squadleaders so he can train and protect them.{{book ref|sa1|47}}
Ever since childhood, Kaladin has had a strong protective instinct, which only grows once he begins discovering and swearing the [[Immortal Words]]. He uses his medical skills to save people, first as an apprentice surgeon and later as a battlefield medic. As a youth, he joins the army so he can look after his younger brother;{{book ref|sa1|44}} as a squadleader in Amaram's army, he recruits the youngest members with the least training to his squad so that he can train and protect them;{{book ref|sa1|47}} and as captain of Dalinar's personal guard, he protects Dalinar and [[Elhokar Kholin|the king]] from assassins on multiple occasions.
Kaladin shows a deep sense of loss when those under his protection die and has a tendency toward depression in various forms. By the time he joins Bridge Four, he has lost so many people that he has fallen into a deep depression. He thinks himself cursed because he always survives when others did not.{{book ref|sa1|2}} At his lowest point, Kaladin falls into apathetic despair and becomes suicidal.{{book ref|sa1|11}} He is also prone to seasonal depression, feeling a sense of heavy melancholy during the weeks of the [[Weeping]].{{book ref|sa1|43}} ▼
▲Kaladin shows a deep sense of loss when those under his protection die and has a tendency toward depression in various forms. By the time he joins Bridge Four, he has lost so many people that he has fallen into a deep depression. He thinks himself cursed because he always survives when others diddo not.{{book ref|sa1|2}} At his lowest point, Kaladin falls into apathetic despair and becomes suicidal.{{book ref|sa1|11}} He is also prone to seasonal depression, feeling a sense of heavy melancholy during the weeks of the [[Weeping]].{{book ref|sa1|43}}
Kaladin is deeply conflicted about killing, finding it philosophically hard to justify. In particular, he finds the notion that one must kill in order to protect ironic and paradoxical. Although he is a soldier, he has been trained as a surgeon, whose highest calling is to save all lives. His father's beliefs about the sanctity of life have similarly been deeply ingrained within him. Additionally, as a member of the [[Order of Windrunners]], he lives by the [[Immortal Words|Ideals]] of his order, which revolve strongly around protecting life. In fact, Kaladin's powers of killing appear to be at their strongest when he is actively protecting something or someone. This paradox has plagued Kaladin and [[Syl]], who have both been unable to explain why killing is justified if the protection of life matters. ▼
▲Kaladin is deeply conflicted about killing, finding it philosophically hard to justify . In particular, he findsand the notion that one must kill in order to protect ironic and paradoxical. Although he is a soldier, he has been trained as a surgeon, whose highest calling is to save all lives . His father's beliefs about the sanctity of life have similarly been deeply ingrained within him. Additionally, as a member of the [[Order of Windrunners]], he lives by the [[Immortal Words|Ideals]] of his order, to which revolve strongly around protecting life is central. InIt fact,is further irony that Kaladin's powers of killing appear to be at their strongest when he is actively protecting something or someone. This paradox has plagued Kaladin and [[Syl]], who have both been unable to explain why killing is justified if the protection of life matters.
Kaladin harbors a deep resentment and distrust for virtually all [[lighteyes]], fueled by the betrayals of people like [[Roshone]], [[Amaram]], and [[Katarotam]]. Ironically, many characters have noted that "Kaladin" sounds like a lighteyed name, rather than a darkeyed name. Further, when Kaladin comes into his true power as a Knight Radiant, he despises the fact that he is now lighteyed. ▼
▲Kaladin harborsdraws a black and white distinction between lighteyes and darkeyes, harboring a deep resentment and distrust for virtually all [[lighteyes]], fueled by the betrayals of people like [[Roshone]], [[Amaram]], and [[Katarotam]]. Ironically, Kaladin himself is noted to have many lighteyed qualities. Many characters remark that Kaladin has the bearing of a lighteyes—meaning a leader or noble, since the term "lighteyes" encompasses these qualities in the Alethi language—and others have noted that "Kaladin" sounds like a lighteyed name, rather than a darkeyed name. Further, when Kaladin comes into his true power as a Knight Radiant, he becomes lighteyed. Kaladin despises thethese factqualities thatin hehimself, isbecause nowthey lighteyedmake him more similar to lighteyes. {{book ref|sa2|87}}
Due to his recent struggles Kaladin shows hostility and resentment, although at times his wit, sarcasm, and intelligence show through. He appears to have got his sense of humor from his mother and is constantly questioning the world around him.
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