Captain Chaol Westfall ~ Character Discussion

[Jen]

Tash, Lexie, you guys just brought tears to my eyes with your love for Chaol (such amazing points to love him), took the words right out of me. Thank you for that. I'm new to the group and I don't think that I have enough time to read comments from two years ago lol but as I scanned through the topics, I was very surprised with the Chaol hate. Personally, I loved him from the beginning (until now), so I guess I was biased.

I'm sure we will be getting more of Chaol in the next book :) He has a huge role to play.

[Lexie]

Ahaha, thanks Jen.

[Tash]

It was the same for me when I found these boards Jen. I just didn't understand the hate for some characters. And when I see others appreciate, I just melt.

Chaol is awesome & I hope he continues to have a major role in the plot.

[Jen]

I'm hoping for that as well :) There was a time, while reading HoF I think, that I imagined that Chaol has crochan blood hahaha. Anielle is just beyond the Fang mountains and behind that is the western wastes where the witch kingdom can be found. The Ironteeth witches have been hunting Crochans for centuries because of the curse. What if Chaol's mother was a crochan and is in hiding? - was the question keeping me up all night. And then his blood can free the curse lol that was definitely a stretch of my imagination. I haven't read the novellas so idk if that makes sense.

Don't know if this would be spoiler-ish so (view spoiler)[Another one is that, not only does Chaol have crochan blood but he is the heir of the whole clan. His mom may use magic to give them human forms but got stuck in it when magic was lost. We know that unlike the Ironteeth, the crochans got more fae characteristics than valg ones. Chaol is amazing with a weapon, he may not have Aedion's fae senses but he can sense more than an average human does (could be result of his training of course), he is territorial even if he denies it and doesn't growl it out hehe.

So why be scared of/refuse to accept it when he finds out about Dorian's magic and Aelin's identity? Why does he not have any recollection of this magic that I am referring to? Another stretch (believe me, with the amount of stretching I did here you'd think I was running a marathon), despite having more fae characteristics, the valg 'force' is strong. His mom knows the pull of that darkness and chose to ran away from it and protect him or rather free him of it. Maybe using magic again to take the knowledge away (I even dared to think that she used wyrdmarks to keep that darkness locked in him. She could be living that long already to know about them. And every time he comes across magic his mind would respond with fear or confusion to keep the darkness at bay). Despite her efforts, she notices that the darkness takes over young Chaol at some times, especially when his father beats/chastise his mother in front of him or while they are living in Anielle (call of the dark beyond the mountains i guess), and the only time it was gone/subdued is when Chaol is with Dorian. So it wasn't that painful for her when he left Anielle and renounced his title and went to Rithfold, because she knew it was a better choice and chance for him. A chance for him to bleed red and not blue. Did I even make sense? lol but then we got QoS and then we all know who has witch blood, not Chaol T_T so that theory was so off hahaha.

It would have been nice if he has some kind of magical background/bloodline but I think it's his humanity that makes him a great character. Courage of the human heart. (hide spoiler)]

I think about Chaol Westfall a lot and I'm happy to :)

[Lexie]

Did anyone know that Chaol's name in the original story (Queen of Glass) was Chaol Wydrael?

[Natalia]

@Jen that an amazing theory!

[Grace Meredith]

I'm so glad SJM changed it to Westfall. It adds a nice solidity to his name.

[Rufayda]

Chaol has my heart lol I will love him forever <3

[Jen]

Thanks Natalia :)

Ohhh yes i agree, Westfall was definitely a better choice!

[Grace Meredith]

TBH Rowan is more my style, but I still love Chaol and he will forever be remembered as the first guy I shipped in this series. #rememberchaolaena

[Natalia]

@Jen, you welcome!

[Tash]

Is it just me or does Wydrael sound like some fae persons surname/name from a Tolkien book, lol.

@Jen, I love love love your theory, I would have been super content if that happened. I was always a bit torn between wanting Chaol to have some special magic and wanting him to just be human and bring that aspect, presenting in the end that human is no less than any other of those races. Maybe that was the reason I liked him and Celaena together, cause I wanted it to say:"You know what, you can choose between hot-ass fae, perfect magical prince and just a human guy and go for the last cause it feels right."

On the "magical side" I used to imagine Chaol going to the S continent after QoS and in the process discovering that his family (I kinda feel like his mom and brother especially need a place in this) have a special kind of magic - that they're a type of protectors or maybe have water magic (there must be a lineage of water magic in the kingdoms somewhere, since Aelins mom had it, I thought the city at the silver lake sounded like something magical). That his mom was like a sworn protector to Aelin and that it was her power that saved her from drawing in the river before we-know-who found her. This is stretching it, I know, but hey, a girl can dream :D

[Albertina]

I love Chaol too, I like that he is flawed and human. It is nice to have a human that has to fight without magic, amongst all the fae warriors and magic wielders.
I never hated him throughout the series, I couldn't because I just felt like he did something most people would do and like you all pointed out, he DID so much for Celeana even when she had hurt him. If that isn't kindness then I don't know what it is. I love his character, and the way he cares for the people in his life, how he puts his life at risk to save others and that despite the burdens placed upon him and the bad decisions he thinks he has made, he still try to make everything right by trying to help.
Chaol Westfall is one of my favorite characters, and I hope there are a lot or chapters in his pov in the upcoming books :)

[Lexie]

Albertina love your comment. Wholeheartedly agree with you.

[Laura✧˚ · .]

Chaol is one of my favourite characters. He seems so real to me and I really like him. Can't wait to see what happens with him in HoF!

[Christa]

The Chaol novella is up for preorder on Amazon. Release date is June 27 2017. Here's the description

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.
His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica-the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.
But what they discover in Antica will change them both-and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

[Solaris]

I own the whole series of ToG except for Throne of Glass. ^^;;; Thanks for this discussion thread--love all the comments and analyses about Chaol. Helps me gain more insights since I don't yet own the [first] book. (the audiobook on youtube takes a while--and it makes me fall asleep when I listen to it for too long lol >.< ) It's really fun to see the early comments about Chaol from the first book, and how they've evolved since then.

[Jen]

Raise your hand if you're extra excited for the Chaol novella!!!! It's about time! I MISS THIS BROODING PUPPY! more Chaol is always a welcome!!

[Jen]

Ok so Chaol has had no update lately.

Soooooo who's excited for Tower of Dawn???????? THIS GIRLLLLL!!! ohgods I miss Chaol so much and I just want to read him again and I can't wait for his development and read about his struggles while healing and all the angst probably and brooding lol jus CHAOL WESTFALL AND EVERYTHING HE IS!!

Thats all! Come lets brood with our fave captain!!

[Breagh]

Chaol has been my favorite character since the beginning. I was HEARTBROKEN when Aelin left him, but I'm thrilled with where he is at after ToG. He has such a big heart of gold and I adore him. I don't understand why he gets so much hate!!

[Esther]

I never particularly liked Chaol. I really liked him in the first book but to me he kept getting boring. I never thought I would like him or his decisions again until ToD. This book made me think of him in a whole different way. I love how Sarah made the readers remember all that he has been through. I have to say that I do not despise him any more. I might even say that I prefer Chaol.

[sage]

I knew I would love Chaol after reading Tower of Dawn!! I love his character arc!

[Lauren]

to be honest the thing that I love the most about this series is Chaol and Dorian's friendship. They are willing to go extreme lengths if it means protecting each other. They wouldn't be the same without each other... (SPOILER) Chaol was the reason that Dorian got the collar off. For a point of time in the story, Chaol found that Dorian was the only person that he cared for in life. I LOVE THEM BOTH, AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP IS BEAUTIFUL! :)

[Paige]

Lauren wrote: "to be honest the thing that I love the most about this series is Chaol and Dorian's friendship. They are willing to go extreme lengths if it means protecting each other. They wouldn't be the same w..."

Completely agree. I love how close they are and am hoping that they both survive the last book because Chaol is my favourite!

[jenny !]

Ahaha well I was the biggest Chaolena fan until QoS came out and I wanted to rip Chaol to shreds (because Aelin will always be #1 priority for me even though she can fend for herself almost too well), but then Tower of Dawn existed and it's safe to say that Chaol is once again welcome in my fictional besties tree house.