Owning a Shardblade was enough- if you could claim it, and not have it taken from you, it was yours. With one in his possession, the brands on his head were meaningless. No man, not even Roshone, would imply otherwise.”
-- Narrator about Kaladin (Part One: 7: A Watcher at the Rim)

Importance: This quote shows the reader the importance of the Shardblades and how they work. This is important because almost every main character has a Shardblade or is closely connected to one. This establishes early on that owning a Shardblade is more than a privilege. It overrides everything else about a person- such as Kaladin’s slave brand- and puts them above the rest. The Shardblade gives the user both physical and political power as the act of owning a Shardblade is respected throughout the world. This means that no matter his past, Kaladin is special and demands respect.

You speak of the people… as if this were about them. As...
-- Tanalan about Dalinar (Part One: 11. The Rift)