Wow, Wuk Lamat is really single-handedly ruining the DT story...

[ArcturusWhisper]

The writers don't care about Koana, as far as they are concerned he exists solely to prop up Wuk Lamat's character
If they cared about him they would have had him, the guy who wants to bring mass technological innovations to Tural, be the one to accompany us to Alexandria where he can see for himself the people of Tural living under said highly advanced technology while seeing how such technology can be misused. On top of that the story seems to show that Koana knows Zoraal Ja better and has known him for longer than Wuk, therefore it would've made more sense for him to be the one to confront him. It's a baffling decision really, not only would it have greatly benefitted Koana's character but it would've been better for Wuk Lamat's character too for her to stay behind at Tuilloyal because then she can stand with the people of Tural while showing them she understands them by fighting and working among them, but of course that would require Wuk Lamat not being the center of literally every single quest in the MSQ and we can't be having that.

I have seen many people proposed that we should have Koana accompanying us in the second arc and I think I agree. It would get Wuk Lamat away from us for a while and so more room to flesh out other characters. Both Koana and Zoraal Ja are characters with potential, but they squandered it with literally not actually giving them any substance. We are told their character traits and then that's more or less it. Showing how Koana and Zoraal Ja interact with each other growing up would have been good at making it more REAL. Now everything is just so superficial and sudden and...urghhhh.

[Striker44]

I have seen many people proposed that we should have Koana accompanying us in the second arc and I think I agree. It would get Wuk Lamat away from us for a while and so more room to flesh out other characters. Both Koana and Zoraal Ja are characters with potential, but they squandered it with literally not actually giving them any substance. We are told their character traits and then that's more or less it.

I don't see how Koana being the one to go with us would've made sense, though. The whole purpose of going inside the dome is to fight Zoraal Ja on his home turf. Wuk Lumat is the warrior of the duo; it makes sense for her to be the one going to fight. Koana is the thinker of the duo and familiar with the innovations he's brought to Tuliyollal; it makes sense for him to be the one organizing the defense. I just can't see a viable plot reason for them to swap roles there.

Koana SHOULD'VE been the one to go with us in the 2nd half. He could've went to Shaaloani to see that the Dustwatch he set up has corruption issues, see the issues that his train may have inadvertently caused to some of the locals and the local wildlife as a result, and maybe gotten some more backstory on him the nomadic family that just left him.

Same as above. At the time we're going to Shaaloani, both Wuk Lumat and Koana just became the Dawnservants of Resolve and Reason. Koana needs to be in Tuliyollal at that point, just like how Wuk Lumat (who follows us literally everywhere else) isn't with us for that part of the journey.

Koana changed the most during the rite, going from someone who pretty much didn't give a damn about his nation's culture and only about Sharlayan innovation, to someone who gradually understands it's importance and why it's not a hindrance. Meanwhile Wuk barely changed at all and solved pretty much everything in her path with peace and happiness and friendship, both during and after the rite. She was always pushed as "The Perfect Ruler" ultimately and Koana just existed to enforce that by giving up right at the finish line to declare she was the only one fit to rule.

What? Wuk Lumat started the journey as someone with no self-confidence whatsoever and didn't think she brought anything to the table, then steadily learned how her empathy is actually a valuable characteristic, that there are people you can trust and be vulnerable with rather than just showing false bravado, and ultimately that she can be (part of) a capable leadership team. Koana and Wuk Lumat were basically opposite sides of the coin; one started over-confident and thinking he knew everything, the other started without confidence and thinking she knew nothing. He learned there's things he didn't know and that other people could make important contributions; she learned she had something essential to contribute.