'Chaol Westfall'
Alright, full disclosure- even the people running our site have people to report to. And sometimes those people give us some super helpful suggestions about what kinds of content we should consider posting to our site to draw more people in. Recently we were provided with some of the top Google searches in relation to our fandom. Most of them are what you'd expect- Feyre, Lucien, Tamlin, the likes. And of course: 'Chaol Westfall'.
A lot of people have a lot of opinions on Chaol Westfall right? Chaol is a very complicated character with strengths, weaknesses, flaws and all that good stuff. Wether you're a fan of Chaol or not, he's got a big part in the Throne of Glass Series. Let's disect this a little shall we?
Chaol Westfall
Being a regular human between all the magic wielding, shapeshifting and iron teethed warriors must've been something.
Having his world turned upside-down
“How long was I asleep?" she whispered. He didn't respond.
"How long was I asleep?" she asked again, and noticed a hint of red in his cheeks.
"You were asleep, too?"
"Until you began drooling on my shoulder.”
So, full disclosure, I don't neccesarily like Chaol Westfall. He may be one of the most realistic and even normal characters in the Throne of Glass universe but something about him just rubs me the wrong way personally. However, I will be the last person to say that Chaol Westfall did not have a massive role to play in the war. Not only that, I think that without Chaol's help the war would have possibly, been lost. Chaol shall never be in my top 10 of book-boyfriends (not when there are brooding fae males like Rowan Whitethorn and Lorcan Salvaterre around) but he is a vital part of the books.
Chaol Westfall's journey
Honestly, Chaol has been through a lot. From the first-born son of the Lord of Anielle, a title he rejected, to the Captain of the Royal Guard in charge of protecting Dorian Havilliard, who became his best friend, to falling in love with Adarlan's most notorious Assassin, who then turned out to have been the Lost queen of Terrasen, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, to then losing his best friend to Valg Possession, getting paralyzed by his best friend's equally possessed father, travelling to the southern continent to get healing and then falling in love with his healer, linking their lives together, getting back to Erilea to fight in the war and finding out his now wife was pregnant with their child. Try telling that story to your kid when they're old enough to comprehend the gravity. Chaol Westfall sure is resiliant and brave and despite his flaws, a very good human being. Who just happened to have been dealt a very bad hand.
Memorable Moments
Whatever your opinion on Chaol Westfall is, you cannot deny there were some key moments that really either made you hate or love the man.
Some memorable quotes from Chaol Westfall
“Chaol kept his sword drawn. “I will not go to Anielle,” he growled. “And I will not serve you a moment longer. There is one true king in this room—there always has been. And he is not sitting on that throne.”
Dorian stiffened.
But Chaol went on. “There is a queen in the north, and she has already beaten you once. She will beat you again. And again. Because what she represents, and what your son represents, is what you fear most: hope. You cannot steal it, no matter how many you rip from their homes and enslave. And you cannot break it, no matter how many you murder.”
“He looked at his friend, perhaps for the last time, and said what he had always known, from the moment they’d met, when he’d understood that the prince was his brother in soul. “I love you.”
“Right," Chaol said. "So you're just...memorizing that information now?"
"If you're suggesting that I have no reason to be here and to leave, then tell me to go."
"I'm just trying to figure out what's so boring that you dozed off 10 minutes ago."
She propped herself up onto her elbows. "I did not!"
His eyebrows rose. "I heard you snoring."
"You're a liar, Chaol Westfall." She threw her paper at him at ploppedback on the couch. "I only closed my eyes for a minute."
He shook his head again and went back to work.
Celaena blushed. "I didn't really snore, did I?"
His face was utterly serious as he said, "Like a bear.”
Pride
Chaol Westfall is a proud person, who values their morals and beliefs. However, he is more then willing to sacrifice everything he beliefs and even himself to make sure his friends, those he cares for, are safe and sound. Chaol Westfall may be one of the most loyal people you can find in a book and his loyalty is proven time and time again throughout all the Throne of Glass books, not to mention the massive character development Chaol went through ever after learning about who Celaena really was. After all, if you were taught that magic was bad and Fae were evil and out to kill you and your entire kingdom, you would have some opinions and fear to deal with. I am however, very curious to hear other people's opinions on Chaol Westfall.
Feel free to share your opinion on the Captain of the Guard in the comments! I am always in for a healthy discussion and it's always a joy to see more points of view and talk about the Maasverse isn't it?