Faith's importance spoilers

[dspringer1]

I am going to approach this question differently by asking a different question.  WHY would JB have the story end with Faith. 
*  Part of it is symmetry of course -- the really short story with Faith was the first Dresden story.  So having her play a role in the last story is symmetry.   
*  Part of this is that Dresden has a relationship with Faith -- a connection.  That connection has to be important.   
*  Part of this is just a reward for us fans -- who obsessively read everything that JB writes.

Dresden does not need a connection to seek to save a victim, so the connection has to be more than a hook to draw Harry to his doom.  This lead me to believe that the connection implies that Faith is a person of power in some respect, as that connection will matter at some critical point.  Hence the theories that she is Kimori as that is really the only person of magical power that is identity unknown at this point that is not obviously too old.  So this theory is the front runner in a one person race.

Personally I think we know too little to usefully speculate as I can throw out other possibilities that "could" happen -- although there is no real evidence for any of these so far in the story.
*  Faith can become a Knight of the Sword --- with a name like "Faith" --come on!!!
*  Faith can be a Fallen --- the dark mirror of the 1st idea. 
*  Faith can (although unlikely) be a changeling or other person with some supernatural connection.  I say unlikely as past books have indicated that such people can be recognized by Dresden as such -- even if he cannot precisely identify their connection
*  Faith can simply be the person that gives Dresden the right encouragement at the right time for one more try
*  Faith can be an agent of the government agency that watches the supernatural and plays a key role in getting that agency involved
*  Faith can simply be a memory --- a random news article that tells Dresden that this person is dead or a member of the UN or just married or whatever... and triggers a retrospective thought at the right time and place

[kazimmoinuddin]

I wonder if she might try to trick, attack or harm Harry for some reason, it would fit with history with women.

[wardenferry419]

You forgot one thing many women try to do with Harry, seduce him.

[raidem]

I like your idea of symmetry.  In one of my time travel wags, I too have symmetry with a fully knowledgeable Murphy meeting up with Harry and faith at that bridge.

It can be one of two ways, straight up future informed Murphy or some alternate Murphy riding tag a long to meet Harry in that first encounter.  This plays off of some time loop that Murphy gets to play in.

So in some ways, the restoration of faith would be closer to an end of a time loop, and the end of the story, but also the beginning of it.

Oh, and by the way I have a wag that Murphy=Mab at some point so it would be like Mab taking a peak at her first encounter with Harry.

[kazimmoinuddin]

I could see her coming to Harry to help her kid, just as he helped her when she was a child. It all coming full circle.

[Kindler]

I am going to approach this question differently by asking a different question.  WHY would JB have the story end with Faith. 
*  Part of it is symmetry of course -- the really short story with Faith was the first Dresden story.  So having her play a role in the last story is symmetry.   
*  Part of this is that Dresden has a relationship with Faith -- a connection.  That connection has to be important.   
*  Part of this is just a reward for us fans -- who obsessively read everything that JB writes.

Symmetry is doubtlessly a part of it.
And fanservice may play into it, but I think it'd be more like giving Harry a win. The girl he saved years ago returns, and Harry's overcome with emotion, because of course he is.
His connection with Faith was one he had made when he was a very, very different man. Since then he'd seen and fought werewolves, ghosts, vampires, Faerie Queens, weird, shaggoth-like creatures, ghouls, demons, Fallen, and more dark wizards than you could shake a stick at. He fell in love, twice, and... assisted the first's suicide in a horrifying act of murder and genocide. He died, and was forced to come to terms with what the world would be like without him. He had a daughter of his own, whom he had to pull out of the vipers' nest, and has a less-than-traditional relationship with her. He's been tempted by a Fallen, and now has to battle the base impulses of the Winter Knight.

And Faith has had a whole life we haven't heard about, whether inside or out of the Supernatural community.

In all, if they had soulgazed, I'm willing to bet they've changed so much that they'd be able to do it again.

When Faith arrives, I think Harry will have a momentary emotional break. He'll remember the man he used to be, and look at the way he is now, and he won't like it. And, honestly, I'm looking forward to that kind of introspection.

I don't know what her role is going to be. If she brings him a case (which, to me, means he's back working as a PI and no longer the Winter Knight), I don't expect her to be a person of power, just someone desperate who remembers the man who helped her once.

If she turns up as a body, then I will personally write Mr. Butcher a very angry letter that I'll never send.

[kazimmoinuddin]

Names have power, faith a girl who believes in the power of magic and in Harry the wizard.