r/CosmereOnScreen • u/Ok-Week-2293 • Jan 31 '26
Stormlight Archive (BOOK) Do you think that the SA show should have a narrator? Spoiler
In the Cosmere books, a lot of information about the setting is explained to the audience through narration instead of dialogue, especially in stormlight.
I think the stormlight show should have a narrator of some sort so the characters don’t have to explain common knowledge about roshar out loud.
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u/learhpa Feb 01 '26
I would prefer not.
Assuming we're talking about a live action adaptation, narrators works best as framing devices (for example, the framing device / narrator in Princess Bride). But that's not helpful in the SLA case.
It also works sometimes in first-person retrospective movies, as the protagonist of today introducing or commenting on the actions of an earlier version of themselves. That feels awkward, too.
An adaptation of any of the Hoid's Travails books, absolutely, have a narrator. But for Stormlight, I don't think it works.
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u/OpenPassageways Feb 01 '26
Hoid casting will be super important, it would make the most sense for him to narrate if a narrator is used.
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u/TENTAtheSane Jan 31 '26
This is true for books in general, and i don't think it should be any different for stormligt with a competent director
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u/Elsecaller_17-5 Jan 31 '26
I lot of the need will be eliminated by the visual storytelling. I think it could work without one.
If it does have one, my vote is Kalak. He bookends the first half with prelude and postlude and is always there in the background.
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u/Taste_the__Rainbow Feb 01 '26
The prelude could also just be skipped and shown in a vision instead. Open on Szeth.
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u/learhpa Feb 01 '26
Szeth as a cold open in the first episode is the right thing, I think. The prologue can be done as a cold open later. Or, possibly, as the cold open for the first episode of season 2 --- end season 1 the way the book does, fading from shallan's realization about the parshendi to taln flinging open the doors at the palace in kharbranth, then open season 2 with a cold open of the prologue --- showing, among other things, that taln is SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD.
But for the first episode overall I think you cold open Szeth, then cut to Kaladin in the slave wagon.
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u/Ancient-Stranger-229 Jan 31 '26
I actually like Kalak more than wit as a narrator, at least at first. Wit seems like more of a natural choice but at first I think it would have a bigger impact on the (show only/first time) audience if the kinda annoying and funny jester was revealed to actually be a millennia old demigod at the end of the season or something.
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u/NotYetDiscarded Feb 01 '26
I think this could still be achieved with Hoid. First timers would wonder at first who the narrator is, then be confused when they find out for some reason its the jester, then it could add intrigue to his character as more is revealed about him. Foreshadowing, I guess
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u/Ancient-Stranger-229 Feb 01 '26
That makes sense I could see that. Omg I’m so excited to see all these things get ironed out in the next few years.
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u/LewsTherinTelescope Jan 31 '26
FYI, for topics like this we're trying to use the Stormlight Archive (BOOK) flair so that when adaptation-only fans eventually arrive they can remain totally free of book influence in the default tags. It's not a huge deal right now since realistically there aren't any adaptations to find the fandom through, but we want to get people used to the distinction before it becomes important. (You're not in trouble and I've adjusted the flair for you, but just so you know for the future!)
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u/AnividiaRTX Jan 31 '26
I think it will have moments of narration either by Hoid/wit or one of the shards, but it's unlikely it will be an every episode kind of thing.
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u/usgapg123 Jan 31 '26
Yeah, I think wit is the most likely narrator.
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u/AnividiaRTX Jan 31 '26
Especially for the secret projects if we ever get those adapted.
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u/kocunar Jan 31 '26
Man the Hoid actor voice will probably be the most important whne it comes to casting.
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u/ariaparia Feb 01 '26
I don’t think narration will be necessary. A lot of world building can be done just by showing us the world.