The Kingkiller Chronicle book series by Patrick Rothfuss is propelled by one essential question: who is the king that Kvothe killed? Told through the frame narrative of the retired Kvothe, now Kote, explaining his adventures and legacy, The Kingkiller Chronicle has been one of the most popular recent additions to the high fantasy genre, with audiences highly anticipating the return of the story with the long-awaited third installment, The Doors of Stone. Since there's so much left for readers to uncover about Kvothe's past, many theories have cropped up about where Kvothe's path will lead.

One of the most terrible villains in The Kingkiller Chronicle is Cinder, one of the Chandrians who killed Kvothe's parents. While Kvothe goes on his many journeys, learning about the world and becoming something of a folk hero, he is secretly fueled by the desire to track down the Chandrian and avenge his family. Throughout the story, hints are dropped about The Kingkiller Chronicle, and since the Chandrian plays such a prominent role in the narrative, it could be possible that Cinder is that very monarch.

One Kingkiller Chronicle Theory Reveals Cinder Is The King That Kvothe Kills

Cinder could be the king that Kvothe is known for killing

A popular but controversial theory for The Doors of Stone is that Cinder is the king the series has been talking about since the beginning. Based on the context of The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, not much is known about the Chandrian, other than the fact that they're responsible for Kvothe's parent's deaths and are a source of terror and folk legend for the people in the story. Cinder being the slain king would be a full-circle moment for The Kingkiller Chronicle, as he's the most prevalent member of the seven in the narrative.

If Kvothe killed the Chandrian's defacto leader, Cinder, there's reason to believe that the rest of the terrible beings would be searching for him to take revenge.

Kvothe's reputation, power, and life are seemingly upended by the fact that he kills the king at some point in the plot, and he's gone into hiding as Kote to prevent anyone from tracking him down. If Kvothe killed the Chandrian's defacto leader, Cinder, there's reason to believe that the rest of the terrible beings would be searching for him to take revenge. books in order, it's clear that people are terrified at the mention of the Chandrian because this can attract them and lead to people's deaths.

This Kingkiller Chronicle Theory Explains 1 Minor Detail From The Name Of The Wind

There are some hints that could indicate Cinder's true identity

If Cinder is the king that Kvothe kills, it would explain the line "I saw the place in Imre where you killed him. By the fountain. The cobblestones are all shattered" from The Name of the Wind. The Chandrian are some of the most powerful beings in all of The Kingkiller Chronicles, and Kvothe has been on the hunt for a way to kill them, and there's no question that it would take an enormous amount of power. If Kvothe succeeded in killing Cinder, it would likely make a significant mark on the world,

Though this is a small line from the first book, Rothfuss has proven that he's been painstakingly laying the groundwork for a tremendous payoff in The Doors of Stone and that nothing the characters say is accidental. Additionally, Kvothe has the most motivation for killing Cinder, and it's likely that there will be a showdown between them, regardless of whether Cinder is the king or not, by the end of the series. As much as The Kingkiller Chronicle revolves around the king's identity, the emotional core of the story is Kvothe's desire for revenge because of how damaged he is.

How This Cinder Theory Can Come True (Despite No Suggestions That He's A King)

So far, it's hard to imagine that the Chandrian is a king

There's no evidence that the Chandrians themselves have a king or that their ruler would be relevant to kingdoms of mortals in the books. However, it's conceivable that Cinder could find a way to put himself in a position of power and manipulate one of the many warring factions in the series to place him on the throne. Conversely, Cinder could be an ancient king from a long time ago, only ed by the other Chandrian, something that's been touched upon in Kvothe's research about the history of the Chandrian, even if he had to search tirelessly for this information.

If there's a screen iteration of the books, adaptation would likely start with Kvothe, but Cinder would be just as important. One reason it seems more unlikely that Cinder is the king is that Kvothe's conflicts with characters like Ambrose or the Maer are treated as separate entities from his magical connection to the Chandrian. However, subtle hints have been dropped throughout The Kingkiller Chronicle that show how the Chandrian have impacted many lives other than Kvothe's and that they could have even more hidden power than people realize.