KKC Theory Wiki

Ambrose Jakis Is the King That Kvothe Kills to Earn His Title

plausible identity · popularity 56 · 1 source thread

The Jakis family keeps rising in succession, so Ambrose may become the king whose death earns Kvothe the name Kingkiller.

About: Ambrose Jakis, Kvothe

Also involves: Vintas, Maer Lerand Alveron, Roent Calanthis

The theory§

This theory proposes that Ambrose Jakis becomes the king whose death earns Kvothe the title Kingkiller. It rests on Sim's accounting that the Jakis family stands close to the Vintish throne, vaulted toward thirteenth in line after the entire Surthen family was lost at sea. A further run of convenient deaths could carry Ambrose to the crown, and since Baron Jakis rules the pirate isles, piracy is read as the family's instrument for clearing rivals from the succession, consistent with the pirate attack on Kvothe's own ship near Junpui that hints at Jakis involvement. The succession is not a simple queue, however, and one may fall out of it by disinheritance or attainder for treason as readily as by death. A competing reading holds that Kvothe is merely blamed for killing King Roent Calanthis, with the frame-story war set between a Penitent King Alveron and a rebel Ambrose, or that no king dies at all and the legend grows from a misunderstanding.

Evidence§

  • “Thirteenth,” Simmon said sullenly. “The entire Surthen family was lost at sea two months ago. Ambrose won’t shut up about the fact that his father’s barely a dozen steps from being king.”
    OP's seed: a mass death already vaulted the Jakis family close to the throne. — u/notweirdrambo
  • Has anyone ever thought that Ambrose might be the king that Kvothe kills naming him "king killer?" It wouldn't be a stretch to see a few more members of Ambrose's family dead by some event...sickness, civil war...etc elevating Ambrose himself to heir to the throne or even king himself.
    OP's core claim: more deaths could raise Ambrose to king, whom Kvothe kills. — u/notweirdrambo
  • Ambrose’s dad is ruler of the pirate isles. All of a sudden a whole swathe of the royal line of succession goes missing at sea…. Bumping Jackis Sr up another few rings on the Royal ladder. Also, Kvothes ship gets attacked by pirates near Junpui and it’s eluded to that the Jackis family might have been involved somehow.. Feels like piracy might be the Jackis family’s way of getting rid of undesirable people/obstacles..
    Adds mechanism: piracy is the Jakis tool for clearing rivals from the succession. — u/Serious_Permission25
  • The blacksmith kid calls kvothes sword the poet-killer. Ambrose is a wannabe poet. The man who recognizes kvothes in the inn says that he saw where kvothe killed him in Imre. Who do we know who frequents Imre who kvothe would kill?
    Adds textual hints pointing the killing toward Ambrose specifically. — u/Ill_Investigator9664
  • The first thing to keep in mind, is the succession isn't a simple queue/straight line.. It is possible to fall out of the succession by ways other than death.. Say by being disinherited or attainted for rebellion or treason..
    CounterCounter/refine: rank can be lost or jumped by means other than death. — u/Zhorangi
  • Kvothe is blamed for the death of Roent Calanthis, King of Vint. Weather he did the deed is debatable. The current war in the frame is between Penitent King Alveron and the Rebel Ambrose.
    CounterCounter: the slain king is Calanthis, with Ambrose cast as rebel, not king. — u/WacDonald
  • I think it’s a misunderstanding, because of the stories. For example, “I burned down the town of Trebon”, but he didn’t do it... So, he probably didn’t kill anyone intentionally, but he does believe it was him.
    CounterCounter: no king dies; the Kingkiller legend grows from exaggerated stories. — u/Strong-Neck

Book refs: WMF ch 6

Tier reasoning§

tier confirmed: succession proximity is textual but the identity leap remains speculative

Contributors§

Source threads§