Content Warning: This section includes discussions of trauma and violence.

Chaol Westfall is the “former Captain of the Royal Guard and now Hand to the newly crowned King of Adarlan” (3). A former secondary protagonist throughout the series, Chaol becomes a primary protagonist in Tower of Dawn. He seeks both allies in the war threatening Erilea and healing from the debilitating magical wound to his back that has left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Throughout the series, Chaol has struggled to cope with his perceived failures. He’s ruthless in criticizing himself. He grapples with the shame of fleeing when Dorian bade him to after the King of Adarlan killed Sorscha, guilt at not stopping the possession Dorian subsequently suffered from the Valg, and lack of purpose after losing movement in his legs in his last battle to free Dorian from Valg control.

Chaol’s character arc in this installment lies in learning that Strength and Worth Start From Within. At the start of the novel, he notes that “no sword hung from his leather belt—the absence of that comforting weight like some phantom limb. Or legs” (5). This quote illustrates how closely Chaol’s identity and self-worth stem from his ability to physically fight for his kingdom and his loved ones.