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The Angel Kvothe Killed for His Heart's Desire May Have Been Denna

fringe prophecy · popularity 108 · 1 source thread

Chronicler's tale of Kvothe killing an angel to keep his heart's desire could mean he was forced to kill Denna.

About: Kvothe, Denna

Also involves: Chronicler, The Chandrian, The Amyr, Cinder, Devi, Simmon

The theory§

Chronicler, weighing whether the innkeeper before him is truly Kvothe, recalls a tale that Kvothe went seeking his heart's desire, tricked a demon to get it, then was forced to fight an angel to keep it, and concludes 'this is the face of a man who has killed an angel.' This theory reads the angel as Denna. Under it, the heart's desire is knowledge of the Chandrian and the Amyr, the tricked demon is Cinder or Denna's mysterious patron, and some circumstance forces Kvothe to kill Denna, for her own good or for the safety of others. Competing readings within the same vein identify the demon with Devi (a popular reading), the angel with Simmon given his cherubic face, or treat 'angel' more literally as one of the Tehlin angels Aleph blessed, such as Andan, since Kvothe's own tale frames his story as a tragedy.

Evidence§

  • the story told of how kvothe had gone looking for his heart's desire. He had to trick a demon to get it. But once it rested in his hand, he was forced to fight an angel to keep it. … This is the face of a man who has killed an angel.
    The OP's foundational text: Kvothe tricked a demon and was forced to kill an angel. — u/ava_dirnt
  • What if he had to kill Denna? What if his "heart's desire" was info on the chandrian and amyr, the demon he tricked was Cinder or Denna's patron, and something happened that made it so he had to kill Denna for her own good, or for the safety of everyone else?
    OP's core claim: angel is Denna; heart's desire is Chandrian/Amyr knowledge; demon is Cinder or her patron. — u/ava_dirnt
  • We know almost all (if not all) Kvothe's heart desires … Denna … Knowledge … Cinder (it involves the Amyr, his quest to find them is based on revenge) … Now do the maths
    Refines OP by enumerating Kvothe's heart's desires, with Denna first. — u/RhinataMorie
  • Maybe he tricked a demon (Haliax) to destroy Cinder (potentially Dennas patron) to save her. … But being a Chandrian would mean that the Amyr are coming after him, so he had to kill an angel (Amyr), to keep his cover and Denna safe. I'm guessing Denna still dies somehow, but Chandrian and Amyr are as close to demons and angels as anything in the books.
    Maps demon/angel onto Chandrian/Amyr, supporting the metaphorical-angel reading. — u/barqsboy123
  • Pretty popular belief is that the demon refers to Devi
    CounterCounter-identification of the demon: Devi rather than Cinder or Denna's patron. — u/Stubev
  • If I remember right, Simmon was said to have a cherubic face. Hope he isn't our angel, but Kote also says this story is a tragedy.
    CounterCounter: angel could be Simmon, not Denna; notes Kote calls the story a tragedy. — u/Boegenauer
  • I think the angel is meant more literally. My money's on Andan.
    CounterCounter: angel read literally as a Tehlin angel (Andan), not Denna. — u/SlickMongoose
  • Bast and Kvothe speak about Denna in the past tense in NOTW. … The past tense is emphasized. This focus on the past makes me think Denna is dead. It doesn't seem like Kvothe killed her.
    CounterCounter: textual hints Denna is dead, but argues Kvothe was not her killer. — u/yourrussiandoll

Book refs: NOTW

Tier reasoning§

tier unchanged: speculative identity guess, competing reader interpretations

Contributors§

Source threads§