Includes MASSIVE SPOILERS for Wind and Truth!

Wind and Truth’s game-changing ending all the more exciting, as it affects not only the following five volumes but every Cosmere book Brandon Sanderson has to come. Still, there are plenty of mysteries to be solved.

The Stormlight Archive takes place on Roshar, a planet that’s been occupied by three Shards of Adonalsium. These three gods have been in conflict for millennia, with Odium and Honor using the planet as the battleground for their proxy war, causing death and destruction in the form of events called Desolations. That leaves the third god, Cultivation, as a source of mystery, as even after Wind and Truth, she’s the major Shard readers know the least about, and her motivations are still an enormous X-factor for the narrative going forward.

Cultivation Left Roshar After The Contest Of Champions

Cultivation Immediately Dipped

Dalinar and Odium’s contest of champions has significant implications for the Cosmere universe, with Taravangian now possessing both Honor and Odium, becoming Retribution. Following his acquisition of a second Shard, all the gods in the Cosmere turned their attention to Roshar, now unable to ignore the threat of Odium with the additional Investiture he has with Honor. This additional attention forced Retribution to flee Roshar, going into hiding and biding his time until it’s right to return. Despite this, Cultivation also flees.

Brandon Sanderson has escaped a major question, which is whether Cultivation is a protagonist or a scheming antagonist.

Wind and Truth has more information and direct scenes involving Cultivation than any other book so far, with her personally meeting with Odium and trying to stop his plans. She even sends assassins to attack his family in Kharbranth, testing the humanity remaining in Taravangian. Not to mention, there’s plenty of exposition regarding her in Tanavast’s Day 9 POV chapters. This makes it all the more baffling when she flees the planet, disappearing when Roshar needs her most. Brandon Sanderson has escaped a major question, which is whether Cultivation is a protagonist or a scheming antagonist.

Cultivation's Motivations Are Still Unclear After 5 Stormlight Archive Books

What Does Cultivation Really Want?

Cultivation has made some questionable choices throughout The Stormlight Archive and the events leading up to it. She's the one who altered Taravangian to create his fluctuating intelligence and comion levels, preparing him as a candidate to become Odium's Vessel. Then, she was also the one who took away Dalinar's memories, though only temporarily, allowing him to grieve before Odium attempted to turn him into his champion in Oathbringer. She also provided Lift with her Lifelight-powered Surgebinding abilities.

These three decisions were all crucial for The Stormlight Archive's story, but there's no consistency between them to ensure what side she's on. She fails multiple times in her efforts in Wind and Truth to convince Taravangian to defy Odium's Intent, leaving a few options. It's possible Brandon Sanderson wrote himself into a corner with the character and just didn't want her to get too involved yet. Another option is she's incredibly incompetent. The last, which has become a popular theorization topic, is that Cultivation wanted the contest of champions to end the way it did.

What Will Happen With Cultivation In Stormlight Archive Arc 2?

Cultivation Could Be Playing Her Own Game

As for what will happen to Cultivation in the next five books, all readers have for now are theories. There might be an update on her whereabouts in Brandon Sanderson books like Mistborn Era 3 or the Elantris sequels, but otherwise, it will be a six-year wait until Stormlight 6. In the meantime, there are some interesting theories that suggest Cultivation's future sight led her to orchestrate the contest of champions, beginning with her motivation being to escape Roshar herself.

Cultivation wasn't the one who wanted to come to Roshar; it was Tanavast. She's been stuck there for millennia, so it'd make sense to push matters in a direction that would allow her to leave and not take the blame for it. She pushed Taravangian to take Odium's Shard, pushed Dalinar to reform Honor, and even left the humans of The Stormlight Archive with some protection by giving Lift her Lifelight powers, making her one of the most powerful beings on the planet in the absence of Stormlight.