History Characters / TheWheelOfTime

* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeTheWhiteTower The White Tower]][[note]]Moiraine Damodred, Lan Mandragoran, Siuan Sanche, Elaida do Avriny a' Roihan, Alviarin Freidhen, Galina Casban, Verin Mathwin, Cadsuane Melaidhrin, Leane Sharif, Pevara Tazanovni, Liandrin, Sheriam Bayanar, Romanda & Lelaine, Teslyn & Joline[[/note]]

Note that, due to the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters nature of this series, this list is nowhere near complete or comprehensive, and is nowhere near enough to allow you to actually understand the plot. Also due to the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, this page is now separated by CastHerd.

* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeTaveren Ta'veren]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeOthersFromTheTwoRivers Others from the Two Rivers]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeRoyalLineOfAndor Royal Line of Andor]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeTheWhiteTower The White Tower]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeTheBlackTower The Black Tower]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeIndependentCharacters Independent Characters]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeTheAiel The Aiel]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeTheWhitecloaks The Whitecloaks]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeSeanchan Seanchan]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeHeroesOfTheHorn The Heroes of the Horn]]
* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeTheShadowAndDarkfriends The Shadow & Darkfriends]]

* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeSeries The Wheel of Times Series]]

[[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeSeries The Wheel of Times Series]]

* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTimeTheWhitecloaks The Whitecloaks (Children of the Light)]]

Note that, due to the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters nature of this series, this list is nowhere near complete or comprehensive, and is nowhere near enough to allow you to actually understand the plot. Still, the sheer length meant the page needed splitting.

* [[Characters/TheWheelOfTime HeroesOfTheHorn The Heroes of the Horn]]

Note that, due to the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters nature of this series, this list is nowhere near complete or comprehensive, and is nowhere near enough to allow you to actually understand the plot.

As always, this page is still under construction. If you have the time and inclination, feel free to contribute.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Ta'veren]]
!'''Rand al'Thor'''
[[quoteright:288:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/RandAlThor_4537.jpg]]

-->"He is born again! I feel him! The Dragon takes his first breath on the slopes of Dragonmount! He is coming! He is coming! Light help us! Light help the world! He lies in the snow and cries like the thunder! He burns like the sun!"

A farm boy from a village so remote that they didn't even know they were technically part of a kingdom, Rand had no idea he was adopted until one fateful Winternight when [[TheUsualAdversaries Trollocs]] attacked his home town. Thereafter he was told by the story's [[TheObiWan Obi-Wan]] that [[BigBad The Dark One]] was trying to find him (or perhaps one of his two friends, Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara), and convinced to flee. This was just the first step in Rand's journey into discovering that he is a male channeler, [[TheChosenOne The Dragon Reborn]], and fated by the Wheel of Time to lead the fight against Shai'tan...

* AcheyScars: Caused by cursed weapons.
* {{Badass}}: By the latest book, [[spoiler:Rand is the single most powerful being in the world. He is the strongest channeler, arguably the most skilled channeler as well- along with controlling roughly half the continent the story takes place on. Add to this the fact that he cleansed the Taint from ''saidin'' (giving the Light its only true victory in 3,000 years) and carried enough power to ''unmake reality itself''.]]
** [[spoiler: In Book 13, Rand goes out on the battlefield against enough Trollocs, Fades, Dragkhar, to overrun the Borderlands in a few days, even if ''every'' Borderlander goes to fight against them. '''''[[OneManArmy Alone.]]''''' Not only does he completely [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] every single one of them, but the sheer amount of power he used drove every Darkfriend within a few miles radius completely insane.]]
* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: And it's sending a bazillion shadowspawn to say hello.
* CelibateHero: For the first five books or so in the series, Rand is pretty much one of these. Although at least part of it is that he considers himself in a (heretofore non-sexual) relationship first with [[ChildhoodMarriagePromise Egwene]] and then with Elayne. Sort of. Still, he has a LOT of opportunities that he turns down, and he's explicitly the last of the three Two Rivers boys to get laid. The explanation is probably that he's confused and playing it safe.
** Also a little ChasteHero-ish at times, particularly with regards to Min and to a lesser extent Aviendha for a while.
* ChangelingFantasy: Along the down-to-earth family, fantastic lineage line. Rand has the blood of the Andoran royal line combined with that of a chief of one of the better ProudWarriorRace examples you're likely to find... but more often than not, it's the rockheaded stubbornness he learned from the Two Rivers people he grew up around that saves him.
* ChildhoodMarriagePromise: With Egwene.
* TheChosenOne: Who chose him? Everyone! He's The Dragon Reborn for the Westlands and Seanchan Empire; he's He Who Comes With The Dawn for the Aiel; he's The Coramoor for the Sea Folk...
** Even the wolves have a name for him: Shadowkiller.
* [[spoiler: DespairEventHorizon: Oh boy howdy does Rand ever blow straight through this and out the other side in ''The Gathering Storm''.]] [[spoiler:He gets better.]]
* {{Determinator}}: Suffers from ''6'' separate wounds that will never heal and give him constant pain. Two of these were made by [[ArtifactOfDoom very nasty things]] and are literally competing with other for the opportunity to kill him- oh, and did we mention that any time he overexerts himself they tear open and he nearly bleeds out? [[ItGotWorse Then he lost a hand.]] Beyond this, there is the massive psychological trauma of discovering what he is and what he must do to succeed. Rand's reaction to all this? Push ''harder''.
* EnemyWithin: Rand's personal expression of madness [[spoiler: is that he hears the voice of his previous incarnation, Lews Therin Telamon, in his head. LTT appears to be an actual personality and has gotten into conversations with Rand, and at one point took control of Rand's ability to channel and showed off some fancy spells.]]
** Interestingly, according to Semirhage, [[spoiler: Lews Therin in Rand's head is ''real'', where the voices that most channelers hear are not. This is not a good thing, as it only serves to highlight how far Rand's descent into madness has gone. However, this ''is'' one of the Forsaken we're talking about, so take it with a grain of salt.]]
* FarmBoy
* FightsLikeANormal: For the first half of the series, he sticks to fighting with a sword, since he's not sure exactly what's going to happen when he tries to channel.
* FisherKing: Particularly apparent in ''Towers of Midnight''[[spoiler:, where the sky brightens and unspoiled food is found because he is in the vicinity, but goes bad again once he leaves]].
* GoodIsNotNice: Well, to start with, even if Rand wins, the world's still gonna be a shambles.
** [[spoiler:[[TookALevelInKindness Subverted]] as of ''Towers of Midnight''.]]
* GrayEyes: Sometimes appearing as BlueEyes in the right lighting.
* HeroicBSOD: An epic version over the course of the entire series, especially in ''The Gathering Storm''.
* HonorBeforeReason
* HowDoIShotWeb: All the channelers experience this to a large degree, but Rand especially: despite being the {{reincarnation}} of the most powerful magician ever, he still does half of everything by instinct, sometimes learning ''from himself'' by MegaManning a spell he didn't know existed until he saw himself cast it; and sometimes he can't even touch the Power at all. He finally manages to [[TookALevelInBadass Take A Level In Badass]] during the fifth book, when he gets a teacher, [[spoiler:Asmodean himself]].
* HurtingHero: He's a DestructiveSavior. He's the Dragon Reborn in a world where the Dragon's Fang is a symbol for evil. He's fully aware that his magic is tainted and will drive him mad. [[spoiler:Fain sends Trollocs to ravage his hometown just to hurt him. People who should really be on his side lock him in a box, taking him out only to beat him. Semirhage nearly forces him to kill his lover.]]
** Going along with the DestructiveSavior motif, Rand is kind of a Lucifer figure, in certain respects. In much the same way that Rand al'Thor sounds vaguely reminiscent of Arthur, Lews Therin Telamon (AKA The Dragon, Rand's last incarnation) sounds like Lucifer. Add to this that one of Lews Therin's apellations was Lord of the Morning ("Lucifer" = "[[BilingualBonus morning star]]"), that Rand himself is known as He Who Comes with the Dawn among the Aiel, and the manner in which the Dragon is regarded in Rand's era, and there you go. Not a 100% match, obviously, but still, it's there.
* IdiotBall: All the time. He is hardly alone in this; IdiotBall seems to be a SignatureStyle for Robert Jordan in this series. This is exacerabated by the fact that, with their wits about them, Jordan's characters are fairly competent and sometimes even GenreSavvy.
* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: Does this to two of his love interests, but can't bear to do it to the third. This is also the reason he never drops by to visit his village or his father.
* ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne: This could easily be the name of the series, the theme is so prominent.
--> '''Jasin Natael:''' “I would not take your place for all the world, not with the fate that accompanies it. Death or madness, or both. ‘His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul... ’ That is what The Karaethon Cycle, the Prophecies of the Dragon, says, is it not? That you must die to save fools who will heave a sigh of relief at your death. No, I would not accept that for all your power and more.”
* JerkassFacade - Is annoyingly fond of assuming these in order to [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies protect his loved ones]], particularly in the older books but spread throughout.
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: [[spoiler: Stops himself just in time at the end of ''The Gathering Storm,'' holding enough power to crack the world like an egg and then deciding not to do it. Another example of a JustInTime aversion would be him realizing he was just about to ''balefire'' Tam in rage, and deciding to run away instead.]]
* KatanasAreJustBetter: His WeaponOfChoice; even the FlamingSword that he generates out of magic is fashioned on one.
** CoolButInefficient: the whole FlamingSword thing. The most powerful channeler ever to live, and this is what he does with it? Invoked by [[PsychoExGirlfriend Lanfear]] in one of her (many) attempts to get him to come to the dark side.
* KissingCousins: He becomes worried at one point that he might be related to [[spoiler: Elayne]], and it turns out that they are, albeit very distantly.
** Although, [[spoiler: both he and Elayne share a mutual half-brother, but ''all three of them'' are completely unaware of this.]]
* KneelBeforeZod: To the [[spoiler: Aes Sedai]] at the end of book six. Doubles as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
* MasterSwordsman: You technically become a "blademaster" if you kill one in combat, [[spoiler:which Rand does at the end of Book 2, but there was some luck involved; later, he actually earns the title.]]
* TheMessiah: Which is the reason why he is [[TheChosenOne The Dragon Reborn]]
** MessianicArchetype: Thus far, [[spoiler:He has acquired two heron brands on his palms (which look very much like red wounds), a spike through his foot, been stabbed through his chest (well, twice, but still) and wears a crown of "swords" which look very much like thorns. Did we mention that his "blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul" will be the only thing that can buy mankind's salvation from the Dark One? And don't you just love the fact that he didn't become "whole" until he climbed a mountain? While doubting himself? And in extreme pain?]]
* MindlinkMates: With Min, Aviendha, and Elayne, via Warder bond.
* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler: Moiraine's HeroicSacrifice hit him particularly hard.]]
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Justified, [[spoiler: his Lews Therin personality keeps digging up memories of how to channel from his previous life, so he literally SuddenlyAlwaysKnewThat.]]
* NoGuyWantsAnAmazon: Averted. Rand has one in [[FanNickname his harem]].
* NotDistractedByTheSexy
* ParentalAbandonment:
** DeathByChildbirth: [[spoiler: Shaiel, a member of the local AmazonBrigade, during the aftermath of a battle.]]
** DisappearedDad: [[spoiler: His father, Janduin, could not get over the loss of his beloved, and went north as a DeathSeeker. He found it.]]
** HappilyAdopted: Meanwhile, this little baby on the mountain, not even named, was found by a survivor of said battle, Tam al'Thor, who took him in and brought him home to his wife, Kari.
** MissingMom: ...who also died.
** GoodParents: And despite the early loss of Kari, Rand is the first to admit that Tam gave him a good upbringing and after seeing Tam's [[HeartwarmingMoments heartwarming]] [[SoProudOfYou interactions]] [[BerserkButton and]] [[PapaWolf fierce]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome protectiveness]] of his son in the latest books, it's ''very'' clear why Rand loves his [[BadassNormal father]] so much.
* [[spoiler:PastLifeMemories: As Lews Therin Telamon. After he works out his issues in ''The Gathering Storm,'' these become less flashbacks and glimpses and more just memories he has.]]
* OneManArmy: [[spoiler:In ''Towers of Midnight'' he takes on an army of one hundred thousand Shadowspawn in one battle, and wins.]] See above: {{Badass}}.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: All channelers are to a degree, but Rand stands out at times.
* PowerLevels: Rand, being TheChosenOne, is one of the most powerful channelers in the entire series. Other channelers describe him as being pretty much off the charts in every dimension.
** [[spoiler:And he becomes even more powerful after coming down from Dragonmount in Towers of Midnight. The aforementioned OneManArmy entry has him splitting his flows thousands of times, so much that the Asha'man with him couldn't count them all. Rand was completely unaided when doing this, by any channeling bond or angreal/sa'angreal.]]
*** In fact, only [[TheDragon The Nae'blis]] equals him.
* PowerTrio: TheKirk, TheHero
* ReadingsAreOffTheScale
* RedHeadedHero: The very first sign that he's different from the other members of his PowerTrio is that his tall frame, red hair, and light eyes mark him out from the dark-haired, dark-eyed Two Rivers folk.
* RedRightHand: Heroic example as he has his hand [[spoiler:exploded by a fireball from Semhirage.]]
* RefusalOfTheCall: He tried; He tried ''so hard''. The downside of being ''ta'veren'' is that the Pattern will drag you kicking and screaming to your destiny, which he eventually [[ResignedToTheCall resigned to]].
* {{Reincarnation}}
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: When Rand hears a rumour that one of the Forsaken killed [[spoiler: Elayne's mother,]] he does not take it well. [[spoiler:He eventually blasts Rahvin with what is probably the second-most-powerful balefire blast we've seen so far.]]
* TheStoic: He turns himself into one as the series progresses. [[spoiler: He has been so OffTheRails successful that now he's basically a JerkAss, to the ire of both fandom [[GenreSavvy and other characters]]. He gets better, but not before he [[ItGotWorse gets significantly worse...]]]]
* TenchiSolution, coupled with an eventual ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies.
** BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Elayne, Min, Aviendha
** TheHecateSisters / TheThreeFacesOfEve: Only loosely and symbolically, in that Aviendha is a [[AmazonBrigade Maiden of the Spear]], Elayne is a queen ([[spoiler:and eventually pregnant]]), and Min can see the future. Otherwise, the personalities don't match at all.
* ThemeNaming: Lessee, Rand ''al'Thor'', who [[strike:is in love]] was friends with a girl named E''gwene al'Vere'', an Obi-Wan named Thom ''Merrilin'' and draws a sword named ''Callandor'' out of a stone... DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything? KingArthur, maybe?
** Not to mention a character named [[NorseMythology Thor]] who can call down thunder from the sky and is associated with destruction, storms, fertility ''and'' the protection of mankind [[spoiler: and is basically a PhysicalGod by the thirteenth book.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: Starts the first book as a farmboy who barely knows how to wield a sword and can only channel in the most random of circumstances. By the end of the fourth he is [[spoiler: a blademaster, has taken control of one of the strongest nations on the continent, and carries around a magical object that would allow him to melt said continent.]] By the end of book Twelve [[spoiler: he is the most powerful male channler in the world, possibly creation]] He's come a ways from herding sheep.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Progressively as the books go on, as per his SanitySlippage [[DrivenToMadness via]] ''saidin'''s taint, due to him wanting to become "harder" to face Tarmon Gaidon. It gets to the point where he openly tells people that he doesn't "want their help", he rather "needs to use them". [[spoiler:It comes to a head in ''The Gathering Storm.]]
** [[spoiler:TookALevelInKindness: As of ''Towers of Midnight'', his epiphany on Dragonmount results in this.]]
* TranquilFury: In ''The Gathering Storm'', [[spoiler:after killing Semirhage, Rand spends the rest of the book in this. The rest of the characters find it ''incredibly disturbing,'' and he even manages to glare down Cadsuane.]]
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Rather literally, since all male channelers are condemned to go mad ''by'' their ability to channel.
* WindsOfDestinyChange: ''Ta'veren'' cause probability to go all out of whack. ContrivedCoincidence is literally an explicit power for them, and HeadsTailsEdge is pretty normal as well. Rand has it even worse than the others; he alters probability so strongly that just sitting in a populated area for more than a few minutes starts causing unbelievable coincidences across an area of miles.
* WouldntHitAGirl: He has extreme difficulty harming a woman or even having anything bad happen to them, which can [[HonorBeforeReason get in the way of reason]], sometimes. [[spoiler: he does kill a woman once, however, during Book 3, by decapitation with a flaming power-wrought sword. This causes him lasting guilt for several books on.]]
** Later on we get a bit more insight into what's going on here. Rand hangs on to this one ''[[InvokedTrope on purpose]]'' because, to his own tortured psychology, it represents the MoralEventHorizon and becoming an [[TheUnfettered Unfettered]] CompleteMonster. This is why, when he is ''[[AttackItsWeakPoint forced]]'' to give up on it later ([[spoiler:Semirhage, in ''The Gathering Storm'']]), he [[ItGotWorse basically goes batshit crazy]].
* YouCantFightFate: It works both ways, though.

----

!'''Matrim Cauthon'''
[[quoteright:344:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mat_3444.jpg]]

-->"I am a free man, Aes Sedai. I am no Aes Sedai meat"

A troublemaker with a penchant for jokes, women, wine and gambling, Mat was stolen away on Winternight at the same time Rand was. Figuring he was just being swept along on an adventure, Mat had no idea that he too was a ''ta'veren'', almost as important to the Light as Rand is. While he can't channel, Mat has developed an impressive array of BadAss powers and has become TheGeneral in a lot of ways. He also has more CrowningMomentOfFunny to his name than the whole rest of the cast combined.

* AccidentalMarriage
* {{Badass}}: Hoo boy.
** BadassLongcoat
** BadassNormal: Relatively normal, anyway. Aside from his luck, Mat doesn't have any powers of his own, although he does gain an AntiMagic artifact.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[spoiler: Mat blows his ThreeWishes this way. Mind you, he ''thought'' he was going to get three true answers, and made his wishes in a frustrated rant. Fortunately for him, his wishes were actually pretty good ones even if he made them without realizing it.]]
* BecauseDestinySaysSo, Mat will have to: 1) give up half the light of the world to save the world; 2) come BackFromTheDead; and 3) marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons. How they played out:
** BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Happened either right then and there in Book 4, in which he is hanged but not killed, or in Book 5, when he is lightning'd to death by Rahvin but gets better when Rand kills Rahvin with [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique balefire]], a spell which causes in-universe {{Rewrite}}s. (WordOfGod is that it's the second, but Mat, who quite logically can't remember having died [[TimeyWimeyBall since, in the "official" timeline, he didn't]], thinks it's the first!)]]
** [[spoiler: ArrangedMarriage: He said his vows in Book 9, she in 11. ([[ItMakesSenseInContext Don't ask.]])]]
** [[spoiler: [[EyepatchOfPower Light of the world]]: book 13. [[hottip:*: Rather than winning a battle or sacrificing others, he allows the Eelfinn to rip out his eye, permanently removing half the "light" of the world and dooming half of his vision to eternal darkness]].]]
* BladeOnAStick: His WeaponOfChoice is some sort of curve-bladed spear which he uses as a quarterstaff. Prior to this he subscribed to TheArcher and SimpleStaff schools of thought. He also has a [[KnifeNut ton of knives]], primarily for throwing.
** [[spoiler:The spear turns out to be a ChekhovsGun that can open portals between the Finn's world and Randland.]]
* BlaseBoast: When he wants to impress a woman.
* BornLucky: Very much so, especially as he comes into his power as a ''ta'veren''. He practically can't go for a walk without tripping over a ChekhovsGun.
* ButtMonkey: His "luck" has more to do with random events favoring him when he desperately needs it than with being fortunate or happy. If you were to hear described everything that happens to him in the series without luck being mentioned, you wouldn't think he was lucky at all. Click on footnote for details, but '''WARNING: unmarked spoilers''' in footnote[[hottip:*:Almost as soon as the adventure starts, he catches a HatePlague that nearly kills him on 4 seperate occasions before he's finally cured of it. Risks his life to save 3 young female channelers who use the One Power to treat him like crap when he rescues them. Gets hanged and left for dead (possibly even dies) before Rand resuscitates him. Gets saddled with a lot of unwanted memories of battles that cause him to become the general of his own army when it's the last thing in the world he wants. Has to kill in self-defense a woman he's slept with when she tries to kill him. Has to look after 2 of the 3 same female channelers from last time, and ends up getting raped by a queen for it. Others in-universe think this is very funny. Gets caught in the middle of an invasion that leaves him seriously injured and spending more "quality time" with his rapist. Is stalked by an invincible killer. Gets accidentally married. Loses an eye. And, in general, since this is a WorldOfBadass, his own BadAss qualities are usually unnoticed and unappreciated by his fellow main characters.]]
** Additionally while both he and Perrin get one book off, Perrin's absence is due to having just been married, Mat's absence is due to having been crushed under a building.
* {{Casanova}} and ChivalrousPervert
* TheCharmer: To a T.
* ChekhovsGunman: Mat himself. There's a {{MacGuffin}} called the "Horn of Valere" which uses SummonMagic to call the souls of very special heroes into battle for a short time; its use will be mandatory during Tarmon Gai'don. Once a person has blown it, nobody else can. [[spoiler: Mat blew it in Book Two. Do you see where we're going with this?]]
* CunningLikeAFox: Mat is referred to in prophecies as "The Fox that makes the Ravens fly" [[spoiler: (ravens being the symbol of the Seanchan Empire, from whence his destined wife comes from).]]
* DeadpanSnarker: So very much. Mat is far and away the snarkiest character in the series.
* DeconfirmedBachelor
* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: PlayedForLaughs. Mat gets "pursued" later in the series by a MrsRobinson who won't take no for an answer. He ''learns to live with it.''
** BlackComedyRape: Elayne jokes about how he's getting a taste of his own medicine, although she does apologize.
* [[spoiler:EyeScream]]: [[spoiler:In ''Towers of Midnight'', the Eel'finn rip one of his eyes out as their price to release Moiraine.]]
* FriendToAllChildren: When he was infected with the HatePlague the only people he relaxed around were children. He ends up rescuing Olver later.
* TheGambler
* GeneticMemory: While all three boys have this to a fair extent, Mat has more moments with it than the other two, being subconsciously fluent in the Old Tongue.
** In the first book he shouts Manetheren's war cry, meaning that this effect predates the HatePlague and the Eelfinn filling his head with stolen memories.
* GenreBlind: Exhibits some of this in the first book, particularly in Shadar Logoth. This leads straight to his being infected by a...
* HatePlague which made him a major JerkAss. The two together [[TheScrappy soured a lot of the fandom on him]].
* HypocriticalHeartwarming: With a dash of SelectiveObliviousness--repeatedly Mat keeps insisting he wants to protect Olver from harmful influences and would like to know who among the Band is corrupting him with swearing and {{Casanova}} / ChivalrousPervert tendencies. But it should be fairly clear to the reader that said person is...Mat himself.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: He just wants to drink and gamble and chase girls. The Pattern keeps forcing him to deal with [[WitchSpecies Aes Sedai]], nobles, and people trying to kill him.
** Unlike many examples, instead of ''wanting'' to be normal, Mat continually insists that [[ImplausibleDeniability he]] ''[[ImplausibleDeniability is]]'' [[ImplausibleDeniability normal]], and is just an ordinary guy caught up in Aes Sedai business and Rand's destiny. Despite the fact that he has supernatural luck, an AntiMagic medallion, the [[spoiler: memories of history's greatest generals, helped invent cannons, is probably the [[BadassNormal best non-magical fighter]] in the series, and is married to the most powerful woman in the world.]] You sometimes get a sense that he knows he's lying to himself.
*** After he [[spoiler: gets married, he continually insists that just because his wife is a noble, it does NOT make him a noble. Cue several characters telling him "Yes, it does."]]
* [[spoiler: InstantExpert]]: After picking up an ArtifactOfDoom and being cured of its HatePlague, Mat wakes up with "holes" in his memory. [[spoiler: Later, they are filled (and/or over-filled) with ''hundreds'' of people's memories, all of whom are soldiers. With so many leaders to draw on, he can step into the role of TheStrategist with ease.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: after he gets healed of the HatePlague (and actually becomes a narrator), he starts showing his true colors. (Not coincidentally, [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap the fandom's opinion of him improved markedly]].)
--> The Amyrlin gave an exasperated sigh. “You remind me of my uncle Huan. No one could ever pin him down. He liked to gamble, too, and he’d much rather have fun than work. He died pulling children out of a burning house. He wouldn’t stop going back as long as there was one left inside. Are you like him, Mat? Will you be there when the flames are high?”
* LadyKillerInLove: Meaning that...
* LastGirlWins
* TheManTheyCouldntHang: [[spoiler: Mat survives a hanging at one point.]] (The fact that CleanPrettyReliable from Rand brings him round suggests he was NotQuiteDead.)
* NiceHat: Picks one up on his journey through the Aiel Wastes. He keeps it throughout the rest of the series and even invokes this trope by name.
-->'''Mat:''' When Thom puts this all into song, he better remember my hat. It really is a nice hat.
* PowerTrio: {{The McCoy}} side of it, with shades of FragileSpeedster, PluckyComicRelief and TheSmartGuy.
* RuleOfSymbolism: Mat is frequently characterized as having things in common with Odin, a TricksterArchetype from NorseMythology. Notably, Odin once sacrificed an eye for wisdom, which might explain that "[[ChekhovsGun give up half the light of the world to save the world]]" thing...
** Not forgetting that Odin had himself hanged in order to gain wisdom.
*** Nor that Odin is also TheGeneral of the Norse Pantheon, and has a magic BladeOnAStick.
*** And ravens named Thought and Memory (carved on Mat's [[BladeOnAStick ''ashanderei'']]. And the gift of poetic inspiration (the Old Tongue). And magical abilities in a society where magic is female (the foxhead medallion). And...yeah, he's freakin Odin. As of The Gathering Storm, he rides into essentially Valhalla with a couple of Aes Sedai as his Valkyries.
* SelfFulfillingProphecy: [[spoiler: Mat's AccidentalMarriage to Tuon.]]
* TheStrategist: From Book 5 and onwards.
* TookALevelInBadass: Book 4, when Mat gets the ThreeWishes and much of his signature equipment (foxhead AntiMagic medallion, WeaponOfChoice, InstantExpert memories). However, he doesn't get to ''show off'' that level until Book 5...
* TheTrickster
* TrueLoveIsExceptional: {{Lampshaded}} in one book. His destined love is a noble, can learn to channel, and is boyishly slim. His usual type is the exact opposite of that, since he hates nobles, dislikes anything to do with the One Power, and likes his women plump and busty.
* UpperClassTwit: How Mat looks upon every noble alive.
* WindsOfDestinyChange: Again, Mat is a ''ta'veren''. This is par for the course for him. Unlike Rand and Perrin, though, he normally gets ''good'' contrived coincidences, whereas theirs can go either way.
* WouldntHitAGirl: Subverted. ''Kills'' a girl when she turns out to be TheMole. (Was also his lover.)
** It's made clear that this was an accident. He was only trying to defend himself, and she got killed in the process -- which Mat was upset about, thinking to himself that he "kisses women, not kills them." In a later book, he makes a nearly fatal mistake in hesitating to kill another woman, with [[spoiler: Tuon]]coming to the rescue and commenting on his oddly endearing "weakness". Mat's not as bad about this as Rand, but he's still pretty bad.
* YouCantFightFate: Mat tries to ScrewDestiny on a regular basis, for instance by determinedly saddling his horse in Book 5 and deciding he will not participate in a major battle Rand is trying to win. But he sees some troops who are about to walk into an ambush and stops to warn them. [[spoiler: By the end of the day, he has taken command of that squad, enlarged it into a personal army, killed the enemy general in single combat, and become by popular acclaim the hero of the day.]] (In comparison, Rand spends his time playing artillery from a tower, which eventually gets knocked over by bad-guy lightning.)

----

!'''Perrin Aybara'''
[[quoteright:290:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Perrin_2757.jpg]]

An apprentice blacksmith and son of farmers, careful with his strength, Perrin is the quiet one. He thinks, he's careful, he's spare with words. He is also, like his childhood friends Rand and Mat, a ''ta'veren'', and uniquely talented in his own right. He is the closest to the FarmBoy archetype of the PowerTrio, being close with his parents and mustering most of his followers and resources from their hometown of The Two Rivers.

* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: When Faile is in danger, rescuing her becomes more important than ''anything.''
* AnAxeToGrind
* BattleCouple, BackToBackBadasses: With Faile.
* BecomingTheMask: Perrin hates that axe and wants to get rid of it. His personal [[TheObiWan Obi-Wan]] tells him to throw it away only when he's started to like using it.
* TheBlacksmith: Which aids in the selection of his ''other'' WeaponOfChoice...
* DropTheHammer. Robert Jordan milks this symbolism -- axe vs hammer, creation vs destruction, Perrin the man vs Lord Goldeneyes the leader -- for all it's worth.
* EyesOfGold: Eventually his epithet ("Perrin Goldeneyes")
* FarmBoy: He gets called this on a regular basis by Faile.
* FirstGirlWins
* GentleGiant
* HenpeckedHusband: He dearly loves Faile, and he's very careful not to lose his temper in general. She would actually like it if he was more forceful.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: He's just a blacksmith, honest. (He stops doing this as much in later books, realizing that [[BecomingTheMask he can't stop people from seeing him as something he's not]].)
* HugeGuyTinyGirl
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Has this attitude about being a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Wolfbrother]], at first. [[spoiler: Ditto for when he's first made a lord over his protests.]]
* LoveTriangle: [[spoiler: Perrin has to endure advances from Berelain, a FemmeFatale queen of a minor country. She and Faile almost get into a CatFight at one point.]]
* TheMasochismTango: In Perrin's marriage with Faile. Though they get better about it.
* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler: His Power-wrought hammer is named in the Old Tongue to mean "He Who Soars," after Hopper. It is also named to sound phonetically similar to Mjolnir.]]
* MyGreatestFailure: In the fourth book, Perrin rushes home to protect his family. It doesn't work.
* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: Perrin is a "wolfbrother" and can communicate telepathically with wolves. He also has "wolf dreams" in which he ''is'' a wolf, Young Bull, and has met one wolfbrother who has become [[ShapeshifterModeLock Mode Locked]] in wolf-think, which only increases his fears of BecomingTheMask. Finally, he has the aforementioned EyesOfGold, not to mention enhanced senses.[[spoiler:Eventually he learns that the risk of BecomingTheMask was never really a threat, and strikes a balance with his wolf side]]
* PapaWolf: Punning aside, you want to avoid threatening his wife or his village.
* PowerTrio: TheSpock, mostly via being TheStoic, the MightyGlacier and TheBigGuy.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker
* SensorCharacter: Perrin's connection to wolves grants him a sense of sight and smell on par with that of a wolf. He routinely notices people walking up behind him by catching their scent before they make a sound.
* TookALevelInBadass: Perrin is a tagalong character, lacking a solo campaign, until Book 4. [[spoiler: Over the course of that novel he returns home, defends his people against not only the milieu's ChurchMilitant but TheUsualAdversaries, gets married, and by popular acclaim is elected Lord Perrin Goldeneyes of the Two Rivers. In Book 6 he comes back with an army, ready to take his place on the world stage.]]
** He practically [[LevelGrinding level grinds]] in badass in ''Towers of Midnight''. That HenpeckedHusband GentleGiant [[spoiler: manages to get the Children of Light on his side, comes to terms with his wolf powers, has a battle to the death with [[ArchEnemy Slayer]], [[TrainingFromHell masters the mechanics]] of [[DreamLand Tel'aran'rhiod]] to the extent of ''blocking [[RetGone Bale]][[DeathRay fire]] with his bare hands'', upgrades his iconic weapon with magic, and is instrumental in defeating [[QuirkyMiniBossSquad Mesaana]] and saving the White Tower.]]
* WindsOfDestinyChange: ''Ta'veren'', remember?
* WouldntHitAGirl: He comes from the same background as Rand and Mat, but it doesn't come up as much. [[WouldHitAGirl Also occasionally spanks or manhandles Faile when she gets uppity.]]
** Played amusingly when Galina [[spoiler:(a Black Ajah Aes Sedai)]] needs an excuse to curry sympathy with the Shaido Aiel. She tells Perrin to hit her, which startles him away from ignoring everything else but rescuing Faile. Naturally, he refuses, even though it was Galina's request to be hit. Berelain does it for him.

----
[[/folder]]


[[folder: Others from the Two Rivers]]
!'''Egwene al'Vere'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Egwene_2761.jpg]]

A girl who grew up in Emond's Field with Rand, to whom she has a ChildhoodMarriagePromise. Being a PluckyGirl, she insists on going on the adventure with Rand, and eventually finds out that she can channel. She then spends exactly half a book at WizardingSchool before getting IdiotBall'd into various adventures and misadventures. As with many (seemingly) secondary characters, she has become a leading character in her own right as the books progress.

* TheAce: Is quite strong in all five elements, can split her flows fourteen ways and is a very strong dreamer. [[spoiler: Also manages to reinvent the weave to create ''cuendillar'' with only Moghedien's limited knoweledge.]]
** Of course, she's like a drop in the ocean compared to Rand. (This is not meant to indicate that Egwene is weak; to the fandom's knowledge, she's one of the top 20 female channelers ''in the world''. It's simply to point out that, where ''Rand'' is concerned, ReadingsAreOffTheScale.)
** Granted, she isn't perfect. She is noted as having difficulty with Healing, and doesn't have Elayne's proficiency with ''ter'angreal''.
* BerserkButton: During the second book, Egwene is tricked into being captured by the Seanchan, who chain her up and, as is their custom with channelers, start treating her like a dehumanized pet. Specifically, a device called an ''a'dam'' is used to let other people control her channeling. Don't show Egwene one unless you want the crap beat out of you.
** Or you're [[MoralDissonance one of the good guys]] and your captive's a Forsaken.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: In-universe, other characters tend to regard her as the most likeable and least annoying of the female PowerTrio of herself, Nyneave, and Elayne. Which means that she can be [[UngratefulBastard just as bitchy as they are]] (and sometimes [[UpToEleven even worse]]) without [[MoralDissonance anyone in-universe noticing]] or [[WhatTheHellHero calling her out on it.]]
* ChildhoodMarriagePromise: With Rand. Eventually broken with no ill feelings on either side. She is still good friends with Rand, and serves as an HonestAdvisor to him at times. Which he often needs.
* DistressedDamsel
* DreamLand: ''Tel'aran'rhiod'', the World of Dreams. Egwene is a "dreamwalker" and can visit this place naturally, whereas most people just sort of flit in and out randomly. Eventually she goes to visit the local [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Proud Warrior Race]], the Aiel, who have people who specialize in dreamwalking.
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Egwene also has this ability, including an EitherOrProphecy where one character will either kneel to her or kill her. [[spoiler:It was her LoveInterest Gawyn.]] [[spoiler:He knelt.]]
* DreamWithinADream: One of the mechanics of T'A'R is that you can visit other people's dreams. If that person has very strong feelings about you, they can yank you into their dream -- which is very dangerous in a world where YourMindMakesItReal. Fortunately for Egwene, this turns into a bizarre MeetCute that sets her up with her ''actual'' LoveInterest.
* GirlishPigtails: The Aiel threaten to put her in this if she doesn't shape up. They do, during a brief time. (They are also able to do this to her in ''Tel'aran'rhiod'' at will.)
* GuileHero: As the Amyrlin.
* HonorBeforeReason: A quality of the Aiel culture which Egwene adopts.
* ReassignmentBackfire: Was elected Amyrlin of the rebel Aes Sedai essentially as a [[FallGuy Fall Girl]] to [[TakingTheHeat Take The Heat]], since the rebels originally intended to just make a little show of defiance before rejoining the tower. Boy did ''that'' not go according to plan.
* PromotedToOpeningTitles: not literally, but Egwene started the series looking like a supporting character and love interest, but by now is absolutely integral to the plot. By some measures she's ''more'' important than Perrin and Mat.
* [[spoiler:TheyDo: Finally with Gawyn, as of Book 13.]]
** [[spoiler:MindlinkMates: He also became her Warder.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: What happens when she adopts HonorBeforeReason. (ItMakesSenseInContext: She does this right before she goes back to WizardingSchool, which has a higher SmugSnake-per-capita ratio than a CorruptCorporateExecutive Convention.)
* UngratefulBastard: To Mat in Book 3. Unlike Nyneave and Elayne, has never made up for it. Also to Nynaeve, in several books, but especially in [[BreakTheHaughty Book 5]]. [[KarmaHoudini Has never made up for that, either.]]
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: To Rand; or Rand to her (depending on which character you like better).
* [[spoiler:UnwantedRescue: Siuan, Gareth and Gawyn rescuing her from the White Tower and thus potentially ruining her efforts to overthrow Elaida peacefully.]]
* WhackAMole[=/=]WitchHunt: One of the misadventures Egwene gets into at WizardingSchool. Promptly leading to ''another'' misadventure where one of said Moles gets her captured by the Seanchan. (Again, IdiotBall moment.)
* TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask: Why was she summoned back to WizardingSchool? So that they could make her a puppet Amyrlin, of course! Egwene has other ideas, which aforementioned Level In Badass helps her achieve. (Seriously. She's in charge of a rebel faction of Aes Sedai, but just via PillarsOfMoralCharacter she manages to get ''all'' the legitimate ones to defect to ''her''!)

----

!'''Nynaeve al'Meara'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Nynaeve_5657.jpg]]

-->"Men always seemed to think violence could solve anything. If she had had a stout stick, she would have thumped all three of them about the shoulders until they saw reason"

A {{Tsundere}} of the highest caliber, Nynaeve was formerly the "Wisdom" (read: herb granny) of Emond's Field, despite being all of 24 when the books started. After Moiraine "kidnaps" Rand, Mat, Perrin and Egwene (Nynaeve's apprentice), Nynaeve rushes off to bring the kids back. Instead she gets roped into the adventure, especially after Moiraine notices that Nynaeve too can channel. Though she's the only Two Rivers character who hasn't become a main character in her own right, she's kept around [[TheBigGuy for her muscle]]: she is ''the'' strongest female channeler on the good-guy side.

* BadAss: In addition to being able to handle more of the Power than most male channelers, until Book 9 she was also one of only ''three'' good-guy characters to have faced the Forsaken head-on. The second is Rand. The third had to resort to either {{Back Stab}}s with {{Death Ray}}s or a TakingYouWithMe HeroicSacrifice.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: In [=ToM=] [[spoiler: Nynaeve reveals she used to wish that Rand would 'grow up' until he actually did 'grow up' by becoming as hard as ''cuendillar''.]]
* BreakTheHaughty: Undergoes this in Book 5 at the hands of [[TheRival Moghedein]] and [[BitchInSheepsClothing Egwene.]]
* CharacterTics: That whole braid-tugging thing.
* CharacterDevelopment: Starts off as one of the more annoying females, but unlike most she actually matures as the story continues. She even stops tugging her braid.
* CowardlyLion: Undergoes a phase of this, which began during the BreakTheHaughty storyline in Book 5. The last mention of it was early in Book 7, which suggests that [[TheyDo finally hooking up with Lan later in the same book]] snapped her out of it.
* DistressedDamsel: She still manages to get herself captured or compromised at least once per novel for Books 2 through 5.
* DyeOrDie
* FirstGirlWins: Nynaeve is this to Lan. (Narrative-wise, at least; Lan's like twice her age, so it's really doubtful she's the first 'girl' he ever met ''ever''.)
** The prequel confirms that this is only true of the main sequence novels.
* TheGift: Nynaeve is so genetically predisposed to channeling that, even in the absence of training, she began to do it instinctively. Three people out of four who have TheGift but lack training end up killing themselves with uncontrolled channeling. The "wilders" who survive are saddled with major impediments.
* GondorCallsForAid: Later in the series; [[HateDom even readers who still hate her]] admit that was pretty awesome.
* HardWorkHardlyWorks: While all the major characters get this at WizardingSchool, Nynaeve is the most prominent example: instead of spending a couple years as a Novice, she gets jumped directly to Accepted, solely on the virtue of her strength. (Egwene and Elayne get their promotions by Book 3.) By Book 6 they're Aes Sedai in name, too.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Never commented on in-universe, but she spends more time with Elayne than wiht any other character in the series.
* HowDoIShotWeb: "Wilders" manage to control their channeling by developing a "[[RestrainingBolt mental block]]" to avoid knowing what it is they're actually doing. This block needs to be broken later so that the channeler can use the Power consistently. Nynaeve's is that [[PsychoactivePowers she can't channel unless she's angry]], and it takes her ''seven books'' to get past it.
* HypocriticalHumor: a main perpetrator of it, due to a ferocious case of SelectiveObliviousness. This may have something to do with the fandom's LoveItOrHateIt response to the character.
* MamaBear: The reason she left her hometown and learned magic was to protect the above four characters.
* TheMedic: Nynaeve's main passion is Healing, up to and including inventing her own spells for it.
** BeyondTheImpossible: A spell she discovers, which [[spoiler:heals [[FateWorseThanDeath severing]]]].
*** Another spell she discovers, which [[spoiler:heals taint-induced madness]].
* OlderThanTheyLook: Because WizardsLiveLonger. Since she's already young for her original position, she's a bit touchy about her age.
* ReadingsAreOffTheScale: Fortunately, Robert Jordan had the sense to avert actual PowerLevels, but it's known that Egwene is stronger than every living Aes Sedai by a large margin... and that Nynaeve is stronger than ''her'' by a large margin. The only channelers on this whole Characters page who equal or exceed her strength are 1) Rand and 2) Bad Guys.
* RecurringBoss: Moghedien, one of the Forsaken. ItsPersonal to both of them.
* {{Tsundere}}: Even by the standards of this series, in which basically ''every'' woman is a Type A {{Tsundere}}, Nynaeve stands out... until her CharacterDevelopment finishes and she's closer to a Type B, if anything.
* UngratefulBastard: To Mat in Book 3. She has since made up for it.
* WhatTheHellHero: Aviendha and Birgitte call her and Elayne out for being Ungrateful Bastards to Mat.

----

!'''Tam al'Thor'''

Rand's adoptive father, Tamlin al'Thor remains in the Two Rivers after his son and his friends leave, hearing tales of adventure. However, his [[CoolSword heron-marked blade]] and a fever dream tell there's more than meets the eye...

* TheArcher: One of the best the Two Rivers has to offer, and their archers are assumed to be some of the best around due to the quality of the bows.
* BadassNormal: A blademaster and one of the best archers in the Two Rivers.
* ColonelBadass: As of leaving the Two Rivers again, he is Perrin's First Captain and presumably his executive officer in military matters.
* CoolOldGuy
* DarkAndTroubledPast
* GoodParents: Despite not even being Rand's actual father, he still qualifies.
* MasterSwordsman
* OldSoldier
* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:Lays one on Cadsuane after Rand nearly balefires him, wanting to know what happened to his son that he can't even mention Cadsuane without being nearly killed, and not being ''told this was an issue''.]]

----

!'''Bela'''
Rand's horse at the beginning of the series, she gets passed around to different characters and has ended up seeing quite a bit of the world. Like Narg, below, she has become something of a literal EnsembleDarkhorse.

* AllGirlsLikePonies: Although initially owned by Tam al'Thor, Bela is known as Egwene's horse once the plot picks up.
* CoolHorse: Well, pretty average horse, but don't let the {{fanon}} tell you that.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Royal Line of Andor]]

Andor is the largest and most populous country in the West. The oldest tradition of Andor is that only a queen must sit on the Lion Throne of Andor, and wear the Rose Crown. The eldest daughter is known as the Daughter-Heir, and is always sent to Tar Valon to study. The eldest brother of the Daughter-Heir is sworn to protect her with his life, and is prepared from an early age to take control of Andor's army. He is given the title First Prince of the Sword.
Elaida Sedai had a foretelling that the royal line of Andor would be critical to the Last Battle. [[spoiler: This foretelling could refer simply to Rand who is the son of Tigraine but Galad, Elayne and Gawyn are all set to be major players in the last battle.]]


!'''Elayne Trakand'''
[[quoteright:344:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Elayne_9925.JPG]]

The Daughter-Heir of Andor. Elayne, like most daughters of House Trakand, was sent to [[WizardingSchool The White Tower]] to study with the Aes Sedai. However, unlike most daughters of House Trakand, this is not merely a formality in Elayne's case: she can actually channel, and she will be the first Aes Sedai on the Lion Throne in some years. In the meanwhile, she gets swept up into the grand scheme of things, partially because she becomes friends with Egwene and partially because she's got a thing for Rand.

* [[spoiler:AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: She is now the Queen of Andor.]]
* BadassPrincess
* BlueEyes: Rand notes when he first sees her that her eyes are "bluer than he could believe."
* DistressedDamsel: Especially since she spends a lot of time teamed up with Nynaeve.
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Her official title is "Daughter-Heir," but it's pretty obvious what that's supposed to mean.
** It's later mentioned that the term "princess" is known, but is considered terribly old-fashioned.
* HairOfGold
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Has several female friends you might think are this. She's bonded Birgitte as her warder, has undergone an Aiel ceremony to become "first sister" with Aviendha and feels much the same way towards Min, and she and Egwene were best friends when they were novices. But the character she spends the most actual time with is Nyneave.
* KissingCousins: [[spoiler: Rand is Elayne's very distant cousin, as he begins to suspect once he finds out his mother's name and confirms later. The relation is distant enough, though, that it wouldn't occasion any comment.]]
* LoveAtFirstSight: To Rand, when he falls into the castle garden. This is later LampShaded by Elayne herself in Book 4.
* MeetCute: The falling-into-the-garden bit.
* MindlinkMates: With Rand, eventually, via Warder bond.
* NotStayingForBreakfast: Rand, after he and Elayne finally find a room with a bed. (He ''does'' have a world to save.)
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Elayne's mother Morgase was originally married to Taringail Damodred; ''he'' was originally married to the then-daughter-heir Tigraine, with whom he had a son, Galad. Tigraine [[PutOnABus Put Herself On A Bus]] after she was given a prophecy that, if she didn't go east and join the Aiel AmazonBrigade, the world was doomed. This is because she, under the pseudonym Shaiel, was destined to become Rand's mother. Meanwhile, Taringail re-married the queen of Andor, Morgase Trakand, and had Gawyn and Elayne before he died. Elayne loves Rand.
** Oh, and Gawyn is enamored of Egwene.
** And yes, this does mean that Galad is half-brothers with Rand. Of the three, only Rand has made the connection, and he hasn't told anybody. Besides, while he's half-brothers with Galad, Elayne is half-siblings with Galad's ''other'' half, so it's not as if Rand and Elayne are KissingCousins by any meaningful standard.
* PowerLevels: Explicitly mentioned as being of similar strength to Egwene.
* SpoiledSweet: Raised in a palace as the heir to one of the richest and most powerful thrones on the continent, her BFFs and boyfriend are farmers from the ass-end of nowhere (and technically her own subjects); she adopts as her sister a "savage" Aiel using their customs (making her the honorary daughter of the Wise One who performed the ceremony); she started making ter'angrael because she always wanted to work with her hands after seeing the pride of a carpenter delivering his chairs to the Palace.
* StrangledByTheRedString: Prophesied from before they even met, which Elayne [[{{In-Universe}} isn't happy about.]] They go from canoodling in alcoves (Book 4) straight to [[TheirFirstTime doing it]] (Book 9), despite not seeing each other for ''nine months'' in between. (Of course, it was eight years for readers, so they probably didn't think it was as hasty.)
* TemptingFate: Because Min has had a viewing that her twins will be born healthy, Elayne thinks she has PlotArmor until their birth. Other characters, Min included, are GenreSavvy enough to note that Elayne [[WrongGenreSavvy might be outsmarting herself here]].
** [[spoiler:And, surprise surprise, it happened. In Towers of Midnight, Elayne is stabbed in the stomach whilst interrogating the Black Ajah. She survives, but appears to have learned her lesson.]]
** It gets to the point that it's very close to a deconstruction of ContractualImmortality. Elayne is safe from death...but not imprisonment, severe injury, mind control, or any number of other nasty things that very resourceful, very evil antagonists have done in the story. Furthermore, she seems to forget that those around her are not under said contract.
* UngratefulBastard: To Mat in Book 3. She has since made up for it.
* WhatTheHellHero: Aviendha and Birgitte call her and Nyneave out for being Ungrateful Bastards to Mat.

----

!'''Morgase Trakand / Maighdin'''

Queen of Andor, mother of Elayne and Gawyn, step-mother of Galad.

* ArrangedMarriage: Perrin tries this on her because he is tired of the way she and Tallenvor keep moping over each other. She chews him out for it [[spoiler: then later asks Perrin to marry them anyway on her own terms.]]
* {{Brainwashed}}: Gaebril [[spoiler: Rahvin]] uses compulsion on her in order to take over Andor essentially reducing her to little more than a puppet and SexSlave.
* BrainwashResidue: Escapes from her brainwasher without realising she is brainwashed but continually feels a desire to return to him.
* BreakTheHaughty: Particularly unhaughty for a queen but she sure does get broken a lot. Could be considered TheWoobie or possibly ButtMonkey.
* DrivenToSuicide: But luckily is talked out of it until rescue arrives moments later.
* PowerLevels: About as magically weak as a person can get, barely enough to make a scarf move in a breeze. [[spoiler: Yet moving a scarf does save her life at one point.]]
* [[KingIncognito Queen Incognito]]: When Perrin rescues her from Dragonsworn bandits she claims to be a ladies Maid and joins his party to spy on him. (She’s not very good at making tea to begin with.)

----

!'''Gawyn Trakand'''

* BadassNormal
** [[spoiler:BadassAbnormal: Bonded to Egwene as a Warder in ''Towers of Midnight''.]]
* GreenEyedMonster: [[spoiler:Elayne forces him to realize that this is the real reason he hates Rand. While Rand is able to rise to be a ruler in spite of being "a sheepherder", Gawyn, a prince, is forced to travel the world with a small band, akin to the very thing that Rand once was. He finally gets over it soon after realizing this.]]
* MasterSwordsman: Became a blademaster when he killed Hammar (his own trainer) during the tower schism.
* [[spoiler:MindlinkMates: Becomes engaged to and bonded to Egwene in ''Towers of Midnight''.]]
* {{Pride}}: Realizes that [[spoiler:this is why he could not be a Warder; he wanted to write his [[FamedInStory own story]]. However, by getting over this some time after getting over his envy, he allows himself to be Egwene's Warder]].
* [[spoiler:TheyDo: With Egwene as of ''Towers of Midnight'' after the Battle in Tel'aran'rhiod.]]
----
!'''Galadedrid Damodred'''

Son of the disappeared former Daughter-Heir Tigraine, adopted by Morgase when she married his father and gained the throne. He is half-brother to Elayne and Gawyn through his father [[spoiler: and Rand through his mother]].

* TheBeautifulElite: “Like a statue carved from marble, a relic from the age of legends. A perfect thing left behind. For us to worship.” according to [[TheVamp Berelain]] who is no slouch herself.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: A great believer in this, as are all Whitecloaks. Morgase attempts to teach him that [[GreyAndGreyMorality morality is not even shades of grey]] [[BlueAndOrangeMorality but full of colors that didn’t sometimes fit into any spectrum of morality]].
* ChurchMilitant: Joins the Whitecloaks. [[spoiler:Eventually becoming their Lord Captain Commander.]]
* TheComicallySerious: According to his family.
-->'''Galad:''' "I do have a sense of humor, Gawyn. You only think I do not because I do not care to mock people".
* LoveAtFirstSight: Technically applies to nearly all women that see him but occurs mutually with [[spoiler: Berelain ]].
* MasterSwordsman: Extremely skilled with a sword, but gains this title officially (as well as the trademark Heron-mark sword of a Blademaster) when he duels and kills [[spoiler:Eamon Valda]].
* [[spoiler:YouKillItYouBoughtIt: Becomes the Lord Captain Commander of the Children of Light by killing Valda in a Trial Beneath The Light.]]


----

!'''Tigraine Mantear / Shaiel'''

Former Daughter-Heir, mother of Galad [[spoiler: and Rand]]

* BladeOnAStick: The weapon of choice for all Aiel and specifically the Maidens of the Spear.
* TheDeterminator: Abandoning her old life she enters the Aiel Waste in search of the Maidens of the Spear, pressing on after her horse dies and after she runs out of water, she is found near death but refuses to be deterred from joining them. [[spoiler: Later she goes into battle despite being pregnant and dies on a battlefield after giving birth (to Rand).]]
* PosthumousCharacter: Died twenty years before the series begins but had a very serious impact on the world first.
* ResignedToTheCall: Abandoned her old life and entered the Aiel Waste upon hearing a prophesy that if she does not do this then the world would suffer. She went through with it but was somewhat bitter about having had to do it (especially abandoning her son).

----

[[/folder]]

[[folder: The White Tower]]

!'''Aes Sedai (in general)'''

Aes Sedai are the WitchSpecies of the story. Remember how male channelers inevitably go mad and die? That means only women can safely channel, and do so under the aegis of the Aes Sedai. They run a WizardingSchool, the "White Tower," in the city of Tar Valon, and have representatives all over the world. While they aren't technically a nation, they are still a force to be reckoned with politically and militarily, and their leader, "The Amyrlin Seat," is certainly the most powerful person on the continent.

Aes Sedai affiliate themselves into seven sub-families, or "Ajah"s:

* '''Red Ajah''': Devoted solely to hunting down and {{DePower}}ing male channelers, which often results in the men's DeathByDespair. (Frequently, long before they have a chance to breed. And then everyone wonders why fewer and fewer channelers show up nowadays.) The average Red DoesNotLikeMen and is often a StrawFeminist. Only two Amyrlins in recorded history have been elected out of the Reds, and all of them were failures; during the story itself, a third puts both of the previous ones to shame.
* '''Blue Ajah''': Devoted to "causes", which seems to mean ChronicHeroSyndrome. (And hey, UnderdogsNeverLose.) Blues tend to be idealistic and charismatic. They are the second-smallest Ajah numerically, but still the most influential, and more Amyrlins have been elected out of the Blues than from the next two Ajahs combined.
* '''Green Ajah''': Also called the "Battle Ajah." Greens tend to be {{Action Girl}}s, and to explicitly Like Men in contrast to the Reds. They are the only Ajah to allow the bonding of more than one Warder, and the only Ajah where marriage (generally to one of those Warders; occasionally to all of them) isn't considered unusual.
* '''Yellow Ajah''': TheMedic, The Organization. While all Aes Sedai are taught the spells for healing, Yellows are best at it and most interested in it. Beware, though: an Aes Sedai's gift is never free.
* '''Brown Ajah''': TheSmartGuy, The Organization. Browns love knowledge and can disappear for years into old libraries; they have a reputation for being {{CloudCuckooLander}}s... though, when an Aes Sedai is involved, [[ObfuscatingStupidity you should always be careful]].
* '''White Ajah''': TheSpock, The Organization. Whites do logic, and little else; they can be extremely stoic.
* '''Grey Ajah''': An organization consisting solely of {{Mediator}}s, Grays spend a lot of time in politics, helping to smooth over ruffled feathers and raw tempers. Any time a major treaty happens or someone backs down from a war, you can expect a Gray to have been involved.
* '''Black Ajah''': If you ask an Aes Sedai whether there really ''is'' a secret organization of [[TheMole Darkfriends]] within the Tower, she will kill you with a FascinatingEyebrow. And lightning. And, until about Book 3, there was no hard evidence that the Black Ajah ''did'' exist. But it does. These are Aes Sedai who serve The Shadow, and it's known that they are spread throughout the Tower hierarchy; almost anybody can be one, and there have been multiple attempts to root them out, of varying success.

The following tropes apply to, basically, every Aes Sedai character in existence:

* ActionGirl: While more in the MagicalGirl style than MagicKnight, most Aes Sedai are able to hold their own in battle by way of channeling.
* TheCorpsIsMother: Aes Sedai are of the opinion that any female channeler should go to the White Tower to train, no matter what culture she's from... and whether that culture has its ''own'' WitchSpecies. (Most do, but, knowing the Tower's imperialism, keep themselves secret.)
* ExactWords: Vow to tell no lies, but get around it by ''technically'' telling the truth.
* FascinatingEyebrow
* IdiotBall: Sadly, this one has to go on the list. Pretty much every serious plot problem could have been resolved had the Aes Sedai handling things actually been sensible and willing to compromise instead of being hell-bent on maintaining their power, prestige and dedicated image as cool and in control.
* LadyLand: The Tower itself. There are men around, Warders particularly, but it's clear who wears the pants at Tar Valon.
* PowerLevels: A major part of social ranking. The ability to "Travel" (teleport) has recently become the new standard, as the majority of Aes Sedai are unable to handle the necessary quantities of Power.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Being a channeler slows aging. The oldest known channeler, though not an Aes Sedai, is something over 400.
* RestrainingBolt: An Aes Sedai, before being promoted to full membership, has to swear "The Three Oaths" on the Oath Rod:
** To never use The Power for violence, unless in self-defense, defense of their Warder, or dealing with agents of the Shadow. (At one point, several Aes Sedai are seen [[LoopholeAbuse flinging themselves in front of charging infantry]] so that they can help their side.)
** To not make weapons using the Power. Some Heron-marked blades, the most common sort of CoolSword in the story, are artifacts created thusly before this Oath was instituted, and owning one is appropriately unusual.
** To [[CanNotTellALie never tell a lie]]. As mentioned, telling truths FromACertainPointOfView is allowed. Unfortunately, most people in the Westlands are GenreSavvy to this, and this attempt at being trustworthy has [[NiceJobBreakingItHero flat backfired]] - no one takes ''anything'' an Aes Sedai says at face value.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: "Pillow friends".
* SmallNameBigEgo: [[{{In-Universe}} Aes Sedai can get very... strongheaded]].
--> ''Nobody could humiliate one more soundly than an Aes Sedai, for they did it without malice. Moiraine had explained it to Min once in simple terms: Most Aes Sedai felt it was important to establish control when there was no great conflict, so that if a crisis ''did'' happen, people would know where to look.''
* WitchSpecies
* WizardsLiveLonger: Though, curiously, the Oath Rod seems to act as a RestrainingBolt on maximum lifespan as well as behavior. (This may be due to the fact that the Oath Rod is actually repurposed Phlebotinum: back in the Age of Legends, it was used to keep paroled criminals from going back to their old ways.)

----

!'''Warders (in general)'''

A "Warder" is a warrior, typically a man, who has [[SwordAndSorcerer sworn service to an Aes Sedai]]. They are typically confidantes, bodyguards and accomplices, occasionally lovers and/or husbands. A Warder is typically either trained in combat at the White Tower or was already really good to begin with. They are attached to their Aes Sedai via the "Warder bond," a PsychicLink that verges into {{Synchronization}}. The vast majority of Warders are men, though it is not known if this is a hard-and-fast rule or just custom; the only Aes Sedai (Elayne Trakand) with a female Warder ([[TheArcher Birgitte Silverbow]]) has managed to keep that affiliation secret thus far. Visually, Warders are known for their cloaks, which have chameleonic properties.

* DeathByDespair: Losing the person on the other end of the Warder bond is ''extremely'' traumatic. "Orphaned" Warders are known to go all DeathSeeker, and it's implied that Aes Sedai may have to be prevented from doing the same by their fellow sisters.
* {{Determinator}}
* LightningBruiser
* MasterSwordsman
* SwordAndSorcerer: They provide the muscle, Aes Sedai the magic.
* {{Synchronization}}: You can feel a certain amount of what's going on with the other person through the Warder bond. Injuries communicate, as does drunkenness. And, err, private fun time. (It's even worse if you're the same gender as your Warder.)

----

!'''Moiraine Damodred'''
[[quoteright:344:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Moiraine_7627.jpg]]

An Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, Moiraine starts the series off as TheObiWan, parading into the DoomedHometown and effortlessly singling out the main characters. The fact that Rand & Co are somewhat GenreSavvy to her doesn't help a bit -- but in any case, she's not here to beguile them, but rather to protect them. Eighteen years ago, [[TheChosenOne the Dragon]] was reborn. Moiraine has been searching for him ever since, and has finally narrowed it down to one of three boys in Emond's Field. The fact that the BigBad sends TheUsualAdversaries in just confirms it. So Moiraine gets them out of there, with an express intent to guide the Dragon Reborn, teach him, and protect him until it's time to fight the FinalBoss -- and, also, to figure out which of the three he is...

In addition to all the standard Aes Sedai habits, Moiraine exhibits the following tropes:

* {{Badass}}: The second-best Forsaken-killer next to [[TheChosenOne Rand]] [[spoiler:and Graendal]].
** BadassBookworm
** BadassPrincess: Close enough, anyway.
* BlueBlood: Given that a relative of hers started a world war, she's not particularly proud of it.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: Balefire. She scolds Rand for using it in Book 5, despite having done so herself in Book 3, although that may have more to do with typical Aes Sedai "We know better of the Power than everyone" attitude than the balefire itself, as she seems fully aware that it is the only reliable way to kill Darkhounds.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Moiraine has that whole "Aes Sedai poise" down to a science. While no defrosting has actually happened yet, the fandom can read between the lines.
* FirstGirlWins: With [[spoiler:Thom]].
* [[spoiler:HeroicSacrifice]]
* HideYourLesbians: If "[[UnusualEuphemism pillow friends]]" means what the fandom thinks it does, then Moiraine and Siuan used to be... close. (Having said that, the term's use can be read to imply SituationalSexuality, and Moiraine and Siuan have since gotten married to men.)
* MemeticBadass: Becomes this in Salidar to [[{{In-Universe}} other Aes Sedai]] who find out about her Forsaken-killing.
* PowerLevels: again, RJ keeps this vague, but it's known that Moiraine was one of the strongest channelers amongst the Aes Sedai. She's on the third level of the CharacterTiers chart, bettered only by Egwene (and those tied with her; see below) and Nynaeve (and those tied with ''her''; again, see below).
** [[spoiler:At least, before her trip through the redstone doorway.]]
* SaveThisPersonSaveTheWorld: Why she's looking for the Dragon Reborn.
** Ironically, thanks to Min's viewing, this trope seems to be true of ''herself'', from the POV of Mat and Thom. We'll have to wait till the last book to find out why...

----

!'''Lan Mandragoran'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Lan_5072.jpg]]

Introduced to the story merely as Moiraine's Warder, a bodyguard with a MindlinkMates PsychicBond and some other sundry skills, Lan is later revealed to be the LastOfHisKind: he is the crown prince and only surviving citizen of the nation of Malkier, which was overrun by TheUsualAdversaries and the GardenOfEvil when he was still a babe at the breast. Condemned to wage a one-man war against the Shadow, Moiraine managed to distract him by dangling that whole "SaveThisPersonSaveTheWorld" thing in front of him, and he has protected her ever since.

In addition to the standard Warder tropes, Lan exhibits the following traits:

* {{Badass}}: How {{badass}}? He fights Toram Riatin, a noted blademaster, while Rand goes after Fain. Jordan doesn't bother describing the duel; it's just assumed that Lan won effortlessly. And Riatin beat Rand, who is no slouch with a sword himself, in Book 7 (though to be sure he had to use some [[AttackItsWeakPoint foul play]] to do so).
* BadassNormal: He is probably literally the single deadliest non-channeler ''in the entire world''.
** BadassAbnormal: To be fair, he's still a Warder, but he was still badass before.
* CoolHorse: Mandarb. It's so iconic of him that Nynaeve knows that even if he tries to hide his appearance in a disguise, he'll still ride that same black horse.
* {{Determinator}}: Here is the oath that Malkieri kings swear, and which Lan is still following:
--> ''"To stand against the Shadow so long as iron is hard and stone abides. To defend the Malkieri while one drop of blood remains. To avenge what cannot be defended."''
** DeathSeeker, more or less, as a result: after all, he has to avenge an entire goddamn country.
** HonorBeforeReason
* HugeGuyTinyGirl
* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: Says this to Nynaeve; the two of them have basically sorted out their WillTheyOrWontThey by the end of the first book.
* KingIncognito: He tries this in Towers of Midnight. He fails miserably, and ''it is one of the best moments in the series.''
* LastOfHisKind
* LivingLegend: To both the Aiel and the Borderlanders.
* MarriedAtSea
** AuthorAppeal: Lan and Nynaeve get married by a Sea Folk captain, who have a custom that whoever gives commands in public must take them in private. [[BrainsAndBrawn Nynaeve is the brains, Lan is the brawn]]. [[ConvenientlyCommonKink You can see where this is going]].
* MasterSwordsman: Rand's first teacher, as a matter of fact.
* PillarsOfMoralCharacter
* RightfulKingReturns
* StaticCharacter
* TheStoic: On the outside, at least.
* TakeUpMySword
* TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: al'Lan Mandragoran, Lord of the Seven Towers, Diademed Battle Lord of the Malkieri.
-->"Perrin blinked. Lan was all of that?"
* YouCantFightFate: "[[{{BadassCreed}} Duty is heavier than a mountain; death is lighter than a feather]]."
-->'''Rand:''' "That mountain can get awfully heavy sometimes. When do you get to put it down?"
-->'''Lan:''' "[[TheStoic When you die]]."

----

!'''Siuan Sanche'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Siuan_930.jpg]]

Introduced into the story as [[TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard The Watcher of the Seals, The Flame of Tar Valon, The Amyrlin Seat]]. What this means is that she is the elected leader of the Aes Sedai and, as such, basically the most powerful person alive. She and Moiraine went to school together and are co-conspirators in the "[[SaveThisPersonSaveTheWorld Save the Dragon, Save the World]]" plan.

* BusmansVocabulary: She hails from the port city of Tear, and her dialogue often includes fish analogies.
* {{Chickification}}: When presented with her LoveInterest ([[spoiler:Gareth Bryne]]), especially after [[spoiler:showing that she is only half as strong a channeler post un-severing]].
* {{Determinator}}
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: The "stole" (shawl) of the Amyrlin Seat involves all the colors of the Aes Sedai (blue, red, green, yellow, brown, gray and white).
* [[spoiler:FateWorseThanDeath: Is impeached as Amyrlin, and stilled.]]
* GuileHero: You can see her thoughts as she does this to everyone in Salidar.
* TheMentor: To Egwene.
* [[spoiler:MindlinkMates: With Gareth as of Book 12.]]
* NotSoDifferent: To Elaida. Both of them are use rumors of the others involvement with false dragons and the real dragon reborn to have the other overthrown from the position of Amyrlin Seat and neither see anything wrong with using the backlash to disband the other's Ajah.
* OlderThanTheyLook: True of all Aes Sedai, but especially for Siuan. After [[spoiler: she is stilled, the effects of the Oath Rod dissapear and she reverts back to a very youthful appearence. Despite being in her late 40s, Siuan now appears as a girl in her late teens to early twenties. See the picture at right.]]
* PowerLevels: marginally stronger than Moiraine; roughly "Third Place" on our "Who Can Kick The Most Butt With The Power" list. (Note that sheer power is not the only criteria for being elected Amyrlin, or even the most important one.)
* SpicyLatina: Subverted. She definitely has the fiery temper, but totally lacks the sensual element (to the point where even ''Egwene'' thinks she's a bit prudish; Egwene is young enough to be her daughter and probably the only major character who's still a virgin). Tear is partially based on Spain, and her last name is basically Sanchez.
* {{Tsundere}}: Type A. She rarely resorts to violence. [[IronLady She doesn't need to]].

----

!'''Elaida do Avriny a' Roihan'''

An Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah, formerly the adviser to Queen Morgase of Andor, [[{{Jerkass}} and a monumental bitch with delusions of grandeur]]. Was Accepted when Siuan and Moiraine were novices, and an Aes Sedai for five years when they were Accepted. Always disliked them, but also did her best to ensure they would both become Aes Sedai since they were both so strong in the One Power and the White Tower would need them for the Last Battle. [[{{Seers}} Has the Foretelling]]. Attached herself to Morgase because she (secretly) Foretold the Trakand line would be instrumental in defeating the Dark One. Eventually, she instigated a coup (encouraged by [[EvilChancellor Alviarin]] and, though she didn't know it, [[TheManBehindTheMan Mesaana]]) to tear down Siuan Sanche and install herself as the Amyrlin Seat. From there she proceeded to become an arrogant, vain, petty tyrant.

* BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler: Toward the end of ''The Gathering Storm'' and her one scene in ''Towers of Midnight'', she has gone from Amyrlin Seat, one of the most powerful stations in the world, to a damane, one of the least powerful. A FateWorseThanDeath in progress.]]
* DefectorFromDecadence: A lot of Aes Sedai, including her own supporters, end up abandoning her for the rebels or at least withdrawing their support due to her insane amounts of ego, pretentiousness, and mishandling of events, as well as the punishments she deals out. See EvilIsPetty.
* DoesNotLikeMen: Like most Reds.
* EvilIsPetty: She decides to make an example of one of her coterie of advisers, just to prove who is in charge and make them fear her if not respect her, by demoting one ''back to Accepted''. And the Aes Sedai goes along with it. Similarly she sends Teslyn off to Ebou Dar even though she was one of her biggest supporters, and enjoys tormenting Egwene with trips to the Mistress of Novices and demeaning drudgery far too much.
* HideYourLesbians: Was once "pillow-friends" with Meidani, one of the rebel [[TheMole "ferrets"]].
* ItsAllAboutMe: Elaida is convinced that she, and only she, can save the world from the Dark One, and that she must be given all praise and support as the Amyrlin who won the Last Battle and prevented another Breaking. Partly this is due to Padan Fain's influence, but also her own natural ego which was bolstered by her Foretellings. In contrast to Ewgene, who believes the Tower is more important than she is, Elaida actually tries to build a rich, opulent palace which if finished would be ''[[BeyondTheImpossible larger than the White Tower]]''. Even her bringing a very expensive old clock out of mothballs partakes of this attitude, since again it's meant to bring awe and glory to her reign.
* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:Made a ''damane'' by the Seanchan, whom she alternately dismissed as fictional or [[NotNowBernard of no threat]].]] And it is ''so'' sweet.
** ...except now [[spoiler:[[PyrrhicVictory the Seanchan have Traveling because of her]]]].
*** True, though chances were they could have learned it from any Aes Sedai they had kidnapped. As Egwene herself states, the Seanchan were bound to get it eventually.
* LightIsNotGood: While she isn't a Darkfriend, Elaida is certainly not a hero, yet she is still on the side of the Light. In the end her idiocy, stubbornness, pride, and outright bitchiness cause as much trouble for Rand and his allies as anything the Shadow does.
* NotSoDifferent: With Siuan Sanche. Each rose from humble (or at least obscure) beginnings to become Amyrlin Seat, each was one of the most powerful Aes Sedai of her generation, each knew the Last Battle was coming and tried to prepare for it. But where Siuan wanted to merely guide Rand, Elaida tried to control and contain him, and while they both wanted to save the world, Elaida wanted to do so in a way that would give her fame and greatness. [[{{Foil}} Despite the similarities]], they have always hated each other.
* OverlyLongName: It gets worse when you add all the Amyrlin Seat's titles and honorifics.
* [[PinballProtagonist Pinball Antagonist]]: With how much she got yanked around by Alviarin, Mesaana, Galina, and any number of Black Ajah behind the scenes, not to mention adding Fain into the mix, and it's any wonder she survived as long as she did or managed to do anything right--[[FailureIsTheOnlyOption wait, she didn't]]. It's enough to make the reader feel sorry for her, once in a while, especially when it becomes clear she really is trying, in her own way, to serve the Light. She just has very SkewedPriorities.
* {{Pride}}
** [[spoiler:PrideBeforeAFall]]
* StopHelpingMe: Elaida's way of making sure Siuan and Moiraine pass their Aes Sedai tests is to 'cheat' by abusing them, both verbally and with the One Power, so that they can handle any distractions and pain the testers may throw at them. She is chastised for this (by a Black, it turns out, though that is less likely EvenEvilHasStandards and more that she didn't want Siuan and Moiraine to become Aes Sedai), but when they find out what she was actually doing, their response is definitely along the lines of "With friends like these..."
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Despite everything, she isn't a Black. Her Foretelling warned her (and rightly so) of the pain and devastation that would occur with Rand's coming, she genuinely believed Siuan was leading the Aes Sedai and the world to ruin, and much of her early 'villainy' was brought about due to Alviarin's manipulations. Even the torture Rand undergoes, while nominally sanctioned by her, was Galina's idea and not something she decreed, having only wanted the Dragon Reborn brought to her to keep him (and the world) safe until the Last Battle. (Of course, [[IdiotBall that would have kept him from fulfilling the prophecies]]...) In the end her egotism, nastiness, and ignorance are as much due to Fain's corruption as her own failings, so there's no way to know what would have happened if he hadn't influenced her. A good example of her extremism, though, aside from the whole gentling men thing and her treatment of Rand, is one which dates to well before any tainting: her claim that channeling men are 'unbelievers'--that is, that because they channel (even though they can't help it), something which will lead to insanity and death and is therefore against the Pattern and the will of the Creator, they must not believe in the Light.
* WrongGenreSavvy: Elaida had basically attached herself to House Trakand of Andor because she had a fortelling that the royal line of Andor would be all important in the Last Battle. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, as it turns out, Rand Al'Thor, the prophesised saviour of the world just happens to be the son of a previous heir to the throne who went AWOL. Whoops.]].
** The current Queen of Andor could very well have a very large role to play in the Last Battle.

----

!'''Galina Casban'''

The Highest of the Red Ajah [[spoiler: and one of the two second in commands of the Black Ajah.]]. Elaida puts her in charge of the expedition to capture Rand. This [[spoiler: fails and she is captured by the Shaido Aiel, tortured, and made to swear an Oath of obedience on a second Oath Rod and ultimately broken.]].

* AssholeVictim: You feel sorry for any other Aes Sedai if they were exposed to what to Therava did to her.
* BreakTheHaughty: Has experienced this at the hands of the Shaido Aiel, finalized in Book 11.
* DoesNotLikeMen: She is a Red and seems to enjoy what happens to male channelers.
* DespairEventHorizon: When she is brought along with Therava and the Shaido survivors back to the Waste and forbidden from trying to escape.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Hoooo boy, when it finally hit its target, there was no mercy. Not that any was deserved.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: Will kill anyone if their existence could in any way lead to her discovery.
* PsychoLesbian: Apparently used her position as Highest of the Red Ajah to coerce others into relationships and had favourite Accepted (like Tarna). Now is on the receiving end of this.
* StockholmSyndrome: Ends up experiencing this towards Therava.
* StupidEvil: [[spoiler: The moment Faile's group brought her the Oath Rod she tries to kill them and run away by herself instead of escaping with them.]].
** Mixed with a little {{Irony}} and DickDastardlyStopsToCheat. If she had played the whole thing straight, with no lies, deceit, or attempted murder, she would have gotten free. But nope, she just ''had'' to try and screw everyone else over.

----

!'''Verin Mathwin'''

A dreamy Brown Ajah who is very interested in books. Is smarter and more observant than she appears. Helps Perrin in the Two Rivers, then goes off to advise Rand. [[spoiler:Later returns to the White Tower where she kills herself to betray the Black Ajah.]]

* TheAtoner [[spoiler: Regrets joining the Black Ajah instead of choosing death, so she betrays them by poisoning herself. Her Warder also felt this way.]]
* BadassBookworm: Definitely.
* DefectorFromDecadence: One of these during most of the White Tower schism.
* ExactWords: [[spoiler:How she gets around the Oath to "never reveal the Dark One's secrets until ''the hour of her death''"]].
* IGaveMyWord: Swears an Oath to obey Rand. As the Oath Rod prevents an Aes Sedai from speaking words that are not true...
** [[spoiler: Subverted by being Black and able to lie.]]
* [[spoiler: FaceHeelTurn: Is forced to join the Black Ajah and ends up with a Darkfriend Warder.]]
* [[spoiler: HeelFaceTurn: Confesses everything to Egwene and gives her all her research on the Black Ajah.]]
* [[spoiler: HeroicSacrifice: Poisons herself to get around the Oath to not betray the Black Ajah (see ExactWords). Doubles as a SenselessSacrifice as if she had just waited for the Oath rod to be returned it would have been unnecessary.]]
** [[spoiler: Well, Egwene does mention that the Oath Rod may not have helped, and Verin herself agrees that the oaths made to the Dark One were "distinctive"; there was no guarantee that it would have worked. Still, it would have been worth a try.]]
** Considering the sort of punishments the Dark One meets out to those who betray him, suicide may actually have been the better option than chancing it.
* TheMentor: Is one of these to Egwene.
* TheMole: [[spoiler: Became one of these and a ReverseMole, joining the Black Ajah and using her position there to spy on them for the Light.]]
* MoreThanMindControl: Has a version of Compulsion that only works if the victim is caught by surprise and can provide their own reasons for their actions.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Puts on an appearance of dreaminess, but is shown to be much sharper under careful examination.
* [[spoiler:RedemptionEqualsDeath]]

!'''Cadsuane Melaidhrin'''

One of the oldest and most respected Aes Sedai alive (possibly ''the'' most in both categories), Cadsuane is something of a living legend for her adventures, the number of male channelers she's managed to deal with, and for being one of the Most Triumphant Examples of an IronLady to walk the halls of fiction. She appears out of nowhere (that is, Ghealdan) in the seventh book to add herself to the growing list of hangers-on around Rand, and the two have a very contentious relationship.

Cadsuane, despite being introduced in a book that came out 15 years ago, has not been added to the character sheet until now for a very simple reason: ask any character ''or'' reader what she's really up to, and ''nobody will be able to tell you.'' She plays things close to the vest and rarely needs help, simply using her forceful personality to bully people around.

* [[BullyingADragon Bullying THE Dragon]] : Seems to believe this will [[WrongGenreSavvy help]] him build character.
* CripplingOverSpecialization: She may be one of the most powerful and skilled of the Aes Sedai but she has aways used just one technique in order to achieve her goals; Bullying. It's allowed her to make weak people stronger and powerful people more humble but she never seems to catch on to the fact that it is just making the situation with Rand much more volatile. Unable to successfully bully Rand leaves her quite lost for ideas.
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: her willingness to bully Rand (and, frankly, everyone else) is a large part of the antipathy and controversy surrounding her character. GoodIsNotNice, but in her case it's ''so'' un-nice that it's quite easy to read sinister motivations in her actions.
* IronLady
* LivingLegend
* NervesOfSteel
* PhraseCatcher: "I thought you were dead!"
* ReplacementScrappy: {{Invoked}}. She tries to position herself as Rand's primary advisor, similar to the office Moiraine fulfilled; and, as mentioned above, Rand's not down with it.
* RetiredBadass
* StrangeBedfellows: with Sorilea, just about her only equal in the series. Together they have pledged to teach Rand "laughter and tears."
* WildCard

----

[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Black Tower]]

A relatively recent organization of male channelers known as Asha'man co-led by Mazrim Taim, Logain Ablar, and Rand al'Thor. Serves as the SpearCounterpart to the White Tower, and uses the polar opposite philosophies. Due to the [[DrivenToMadness rather]] [[BlessedWithSuck unpleasant]] reputation of male channelers, this idea is met with less than great praise, but they serve to fight much more readily and with less constraints than the Aes Sedai.

!First for the organization as a whole:

* BadassLongcoat: All members of the Asha'man wear long black overcoats.
* BlessedWithSuck: ''Saidin'' and its Taint are rather horrible ways to die, and inevitable for male channelers. [[spoiler:That is, until the end of Book 9, and even less as of Book 13, with Nynaeve's discovery of the anti-taint madness weave.]]
* TheDreaded: To those who know of them. The very idea of a man channelling gives people nightmares. Here's a whole organization of them.
* MagicKnight: They are all trained in both swordsmanship and the Power, and are explicitly referred to as soldiers.
* MarsAndVenusGenderContrast: Their use of the power is so alien to Aes Sedai that it is impossible to teach one gender how the other uses it effectively.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: An entire organization of them. See the [[CurbStompBattle Battle of]] [[LudicrousGibs Dumai's Wells]] for a specific example.
* RestrainingBolt: Averted, unlike the White Tower. Asha'man have none of the moral constraints of Aes Sedai except their own compunctions, leading them to be able to perform weaves that Aes Sedai never would, such as a LudicrousGibs maker and [[spoiler:Aligning the Matrix to make Power-wrought weaponry]].
* SpearCounterpart: To the White Tower.

!!'''Mazrim Taim'''
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TaimSmaller_8536.jpg]]

A "False Dragon", Taim once declared himself the Dragon Reborn as a publicity stunt. Obviously, he's not, but that didn't stop the chaos. Unlike most False Dragons, Taim can actually channel (and very strongly too), and escaped soon after he was captured by Aes Sedai (which is more than can be said for Logain Ablar). He unexpectedly shows up in Book 6 (though he had been TheGhost since Book 2) and is placed in command of Rand's personal WizardingSchool, "The Black Tower," where male channelers train to become ''Asha'man'' and fight in The Last Battle. [[TheStarscream Taim's agenda is not Rand's]].

* CombatPragmatist: "''Asha'man'': '''''[[LudicrousGibs kill]]'''''."
* DarkMessiah: The most powerful and dangerous False Dragon who ever lived.
* DevilInPlainSight: He's a boundlessly ambitious military commander who's been channeling for a decade with no sign of madness, who resents the Dragon, and whose subordinates ''avoid speaking his name, preferring instead to refer to him by a vaguely ominous-sounding word in the Old Tongue''. Logain seems to be the only person to see any danger signs in this.
* ManipulativeBastard
* PowerLevels: At least as strong as Rand in the Power [[spoiler:before the latter's trip to Dragonmount in Book 12, at least]].
* PuttingOnTheReich: Assigns titles blatantly stolen from the Germans. His own title - ''M'Hael'' - means leader; however his use of it as an unqualified title actually translates to "leader of everything".
* TheResenter
* RedHerring: [[spoiler:Taim is introduced in the same book as Demandred, only a few chapters after Demandred gets an important task from the Dark One. When he and Rand come face to face for the first time, Lews Therin starts screaming about killing the Forsaken in Rand's head. At the end of the book, after Taim plays an integral part in the climax, Demandred is lauded for the success of his plan by the Dark One. Despite the obvious hints, Robert Jordan confirmed that Taim is not Demandred in disguise.]] Despite this, he is still likely one of the Forsaken, as at one point he refers to Asha'man being "severed", which is a term for stilling used in the Age of Legends.
** Interestingly, since as we enter the last book, [[spoiler: all the other male Forsaken are dead]], if he is not Demandred the only Forsaken he ''could'' be is [[spoiler: Moridin / Ishamael himself]], which puts an interesting perspective on a few things. Unless something else is going on.
* TheStarscream

!!'''Logain Ablar'''

!!'''Jur Grady'''

!!'''Fager Neald'''

!!'''Damer Flinn'''

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Independent Characters]]

!'''Thom Merrilin'''
[[quoteright:344:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Thom_2438.jpg]]

A traveling gleeman who happens to be in Emond's Field, Thomdril Merrilin gets caught up in the mad flight out of the Two Rivers. While Moiraine fits the "wise mentor" aspect of TheObiWan, Thom has the "old man" side of it. He also has that [[ThemeNaming name that sounds suspiciously like "Merlin"]]. Of course, in true Gandalf fashion, he performs a Save-Yourself-style HeroicSacrifice (practically shouted "Fly, you fools!"), and then comes back later in Book 2, though via careful escape as opposed to reincarnation. He then becomes a peripheral character, eventually becoming trapped with Mat in Ebou Dar.

* BadassMustache: He's always knuckling it when he thinks
* BadassNormal
* CoolOldGuy
* GuileHero
* HandicappedBadass: Gets a limp from killing a Fade in a duel, but this doesn't stop him.
* HeroicSacrifice: Although he survives.
* KnifeNut: Teaches this skill to Mat and Min.
* MyGreatestFailure: His nephew, Owyn, was a male channeler whom he wasn't able to save.
* MysteriousPast: An extremely talented performer who is well-versed in politics... is wasting time traveling to backwater villages? Would this have anything to do with tales about Elayne's mother Morgase and her lover, a bard, whom she suddenly became angry with and had chased out? Is that why Elayne seems to find him familiar?
** (After Elayne finds out, their relationship gets... complicated. She starts out by flirting with him, comparing herself to her mother, then starts seeing him as a father figure and trying to make sure he dresses warmly and stays out of the rain.)
** He wasn't just Morgase's lover and the court bard... it's never explicitly stated, but if you read between the lines, he's also responsible [[spoiler:the deaths of at least two kings.]] He killed [[spoiler:Taringail Damodred (Galad and Elayne's father) upon discovering that he was plotting to take the throne of Andor]], and he also is strongly implied, and outright stated in the RPG, to have killed [[spoiler: Galldrian Riatin to avenge the death of his girlfriend.]] And Elayne ''knows'' - note that [[spoiler: her offer of a position as court bard in book 12 includes forgiveness for all crimes committed in Andor ''or Cairhien'']].
* WanderingMinstrel

----

!'''Min Farshaw'''
[[quoteright:344:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Min_8565.jpg]]

Min is a little older than Rand, and wears men's clothing and has short curly hair, which he finds pretty sophisticated. Moiraine consults her once she's managed to drag everyone out of the Two Rivers, wanting to know what Min's "viewings" say about her charges. It takes another six or seven books for her to become important to the plot, but once she does...

* CreepyChild: When Rand first meets her, she comes across as this. Later chapters from her point of view paint [[IJustWantToBeNormal a rather different picture]].
* EmbarrassingFirstName: Elmindreda, a storybook character who spends her time swooning over and being fawned on by men.
* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: She's the only one on whom this doesn't work.
* KnifeNut
* LoveAtFirstSight: To Rand.
** Subverted, she had a viewing that she knew meant she would love him, but she wasn't in love with him at the time.
* MindlinkMates: With Rand via Warder bond.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: ''Twice''--her horrifying viewing from the start of ''The Shadow Rising'' prompts her to rush to Siuan in warning...but in doing so she arouses not only Gawyn's suspicions, but also Elaida's, thus leading her to recall the connections between Min, Rand, and Siuan and thus orchestrate the very coup the vision had warned of. As one of Egwene's [[DreamingOfThingsToCome prophetic dreams]] put it, she "walked right through a steel trap, setting it off without even seeing it". Then in ''Lord of Chaos'', her panicked viewing of the Salidar embassy, pain and torture for Rand, and there being thirteen Aes Sedai, leads to Rand fleeing Caemlyn for Cairhien...[[YouCantFightFate where the exact thing she viewed comes to pass]] via Galina and the Tower delegation. Both cases also double as a SelfFulfillingProphecy--which Min is [[GenreSavvy aware often happens]] to those she tells of her viewings, [[GenreBlind yet she fell prey to it anyway]].
* OracularUrchin: When Min looks at you, sometimes she'll see an image. About half the time she knows what it means. Whatever it is, and whether she knows what it means or not, it will ''always'' come true. ''Wheel of Time'' fansites will often have an entire WildMassGuess section devoted exclusively to Min's "viewings" (as they're called) and [[ChekhovsGun how they might play out]].
* RealWomenNeverWearDresses: [[{{Invoked}} Which is why Min doesn't.]]
* StrangledByTheRedString: [[{{In-Universe}} This is how she views it.]] She saw a vision of her falling in love with Rand in book 1, and spent the next book complaining about it. She first expresses attraction to Rand near the end of Book 2, but at the beginning of Book 3 is PutOnABus by Moiraine. That bus arrives at The White Tower at the beginning of Book 4, where she stays (essentially) until arriving at Rand's location at Book 6. TheirFirstTime is straight out of a HurtComfortFic. (She even ''describes'' it as "comforting each other," with Rand giving her "IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow" eyebrows.)
* TheSmartGuy: Her most recent adopted role has been to pore over the Prophecies and philosophical notes for anything that can give an edge to Rand in the Last Battle. She's the one who comes up with the plan to [[spoiler:destroy the Dark One's seals]].
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Min is essentially both sides of this dichotomy -- especially when she goes into hiding at The White Tower and Siuan forces her to masquerade as an "Elmindreda" to throw people off the trail.
* YouCantFightFate: Whatever Min sees, it comes true. No matter how she warns the victim, it comes true. ...[[FailureIsTheOnlyOption She's learned to keep certain viewings to herself]].

----

!'''Loial'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Loial_4318.jpg]]

An [[OurGiantsAreBigger Ogier]] who escaped his ''stedding'' in search of adventure and good books. The Ogier have GentleGiant and botany as their [[PlanetOfHats Hats]]; by their standards, Loial is considered quite hasty. After finding out who Rand is, he decides that his life's work will be to chronicle the life and times of The Dragon Reborn, but most of the time he ends up hanging out with Perrin.

* {{Adorkable}}: Is he ever!
* AnAxeToGrind
* BadassBookworm
* GentleGiant
** BewareTheNiceOnes: "To anger the Ogier and bring mountains down on your head." Does that mean that one's as impossible as the other, or as dangerous? [[MathematiciansAnswer Yes.]]
* MeaningfulName
* OlderThanTheyLook: He's 90... which makes him the equivalent of a 15-year-old.
* OurElvesAreBetter: The name sounds more like ogre, but he's fantastically long lived, loves nature, and is unusual for leaving the [[HiddenElfVillage ''stedding''.]]
** ''Really?'' The Ogier are a pretty obvious clone of Tolkien's Ents, and Loial of the character Quickbeam. They even have the same {{catchphrase}}, referring to humans as "hasty".
* {{Patronymic}}: "Loial son of Arent son of Halan."
* PutOnABus: Has been arguing at the Great Stump since Book 11. Justified in that Ogier meetings are generally far longer than this one has to be.
* RunawayFiance: This is the other reason Loial left home: to escape his ArrangedMarriage. Of course, when he finally meets his betrothed, they go head-over-heels for each other.
** No, he didn't meet her until later. Of course he wanted to marry her, but didn't.
* TheSmartGuy: Loves reading, and is never far from books. Even Aes Sedai enjoy picking his brain for trivia and minutiae.
* YouShallNotPass: His two CrowningMomentOfAwesome. One even happens entirely off-page.

----

!'''Elyas Machera'''

A Wolfbrother like Perrin, who teaches him about his abilities early in the series and reappears later on to aid him in his adventures.

* BadassBeard
* CoolOldGuy: Maybe not so old, but has certainly seen his fair share of winters.
* ExpositionFairy: Conveniently on-hand to explain to Perrin about being a Wolfbrother. Much later they meet up again essentially so he can tell Perrin "Your wife likes it rough, smack her around a bit!"
* EyesOfGold: A consequence of being a Wolfbrother.
* MeaningfulName: Dubbed by the wolves as "Long Tooth" due to the large hunting knife he wields.
* OldShame: Used to be a Warder to an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah. When his Wolfbrother abilities began to manifest, the Red Ajah thought it was a sign of the Dark One and tried to have him gentled. He killed two other Warders while escaping and regrets their deaths.
* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: A Wolfbrother, like Perrin. He leans more on his wolf side, liking them better, but still has his human side as well.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Particularly adept since he's lived in the woods for 15 years.
* SuperSenses: Has heightened senses of smell, hearing, and sight.
* TheNoseKnows: Like Perrin, can identify a person's emotional state from smell alone.
* TheObiWan: To Perrin.

----

!'''Faile'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Faile_2451.jpg]]

AKA Zarine Bashere, she took the name Faile as an alias while a Hunter for the Horn. She is Perrin's love interest [[spoiler: and later, his wife]]. She is described as taller than average with long, dark hair, tilted eyes, and a prominent "Saldean nose".

* BadassDamsel: While held prisoner by the Shaido.
* BadassNormal: The only major female character who can neither channel the One Power nor has any other magical abilities like Dreamwalking or Min's viewings. Yet she still manages to survive, thrive, and even lead in a [[CrapsackWorld Crapsack Wor]][[WorldOfBadass ld of Badass]]. She qualifies.
* TheConsigliere: To Perrin. While he doesn't want to be a ruler, it's made obvious that he's going to be one, like it or not. Faile then takes on this role and forces him to act like a proper leader, advising him on the best way to handle his new position.
* KnifeNut: Carries a ridiculous number of knives on her person. So much so that Perrin fears he may puncture himself if he holds her too tight.
* TheMasochismTango: With Perrin.
* SlapSlapKiss: While this does represent [[MarsAndVenusGenderContrast the majority of relationships in the Wheel of Time universe]], it is especially poignant with her. Due to her cultural norms, she expects Perrin to play along with this. He, however, can't understand why she gets angry when he tries to calm her down and reason with her, rather than yell at her.
* StalkerWithACrush: Gains one in Rolan. [[ItGotWorse Gets worse]] when he saves her from AttemptedRape and she realizes she needs his protection for herself and her followers, and might need him to escape ([[spoiler: in the end she doesn't]]).
* {{Tsundere}}: Comes from a culture where this is the norm, but made worse by a CultureClash with Perrin.


----

!'''Gareth Byrne'''


----

!'''Rodel Ituralde'''


----

!'''Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron'''


----
[[/folder]]


[[folder: The Aiel]]

The Aiel are a race that live beyond the Spine of the World and every single one of them is a ProudWarriorRaceGuy. Ever since [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt The Breaking of the World]] they have scratched out an existance in the [[ThirstyDesert Three-Fold Land]] waging constant wars amongst themselves for scarce resources which has forged them into a highly efficient fighting force, much a like a similar [[{{Dune}} desert-dwelling people]]. They follow a complex set of rules and social moores that can be [[HonorBeforeReason confusing to outsiders]]. The history of their people is a [[EmpireWithADarkSecret dark and shameful secret]]. Those aspiring to be Clan Chiefs or Wise Ones must travel to their abandoned holy city of Rhuidean in order to learn this history. Only about one in three return, the rest suffer from GoMadFromTheRevelation.

!'''Aviendha'''
[[quoteright:344:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Aviendha_6656.jpg]]

A Maiden of the Spear from the Nine Valleys sept of the Tardaad Aiel, Aviendha crosses into the "wetlands" in Book 3 along with a bunch of other Aiel in search of "[[TheChosenOne He Who Comes With The Dawn]]." She becomes friends with Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne and eventually joins forces with them. Later it is revealed that she too can channel, being roughly on par in power with Egwene and Elayne, with whom she eventually becomes BFF. When Elayne needs to go have her own campaign separate from Rand, she has Aviendha promise to watch out for him and make sure Rand stays loyal. The Aiel elders also assign her to be Rand's local guide, teaching him the customs and ways of his people. This causes a lot of conflict for Aviendha, because (according to one of Min's viewings) Rand is fated to fall in love with three women, and Aviendha is one of them...

* ActionGirl: Due to her membership in the...
* AmazonBrigade: Maidens of the Spear have to give up membership in that society to wed or if they plan to raise children. They can have as much sex as they want, but the resultant children are given up for adoption if the mother wants to stay in the society.
* [[BloodBrothers Blood Sisters]]: With Elayne, eventually.
* TheChiefsDaughter: Subverted. She's Rhuarc's niece, but because the Aiel are a meritocracy, this has no special privilege associated with it (TruthInTelevision for many of the Native American tribes the Aiel were based on). Still ends up with the hero, though.
* DistractedByTheSexy: Aviendha is told by the Wise Ones to deploy this on Rand so that she can spy on him. Rand is GenreSavvy enough to see through it.
* GreenEyedRedhead
* HeroesWantRedheads
* HonorBeforeReason: She ''is'' a member of the ProudWarriorRace. (Ironically, she eventually breaks her word to Elayne, making her either the first dishonorable main character of the series or the first sane one. Maybe both.)
* IntimateHealing: At one point, to escape her own UnrequitedLove, Aviendha teleports her way into a blizzard. Rand has to resort to that whole "sharing body warmth while naked" thing. OneThingLedToAnother, and one SexyDiscretionShot later...
* MindlinkMates: With Rand via Warder bond.
* PowerLevels: Again, on par with Egwene and Elayne. Remember that this ties her for second place on the "strongest female channelers alive" list.
* StrangledByTheRedString: Saw this happen when she saw her possible futures in Rhuidean, and [[{{In-Universe}} wasn't happy about it]] because she felt that he belonged to Elayne and had promised to make sure he didn't stray.
* {{Tsundere}}: At first anyway. More so than the rest of the female characters.

----

!'''Rhuarc'''

The Clan Chief of the Taardad Aiel and one of Rand's closest supporters. As is not unusual among the Aiel, he has two wives, Amys and Lian. He journeyed into the Westlands along with Aviendha in search of He Who Comes With The Dawn. Rhuarc is there when Rand first takes Callandor from the Stone of Tear and reveals that the Aiel are actually the fabled People of the Dragon.

* BadAss: As a matter of course, being Aiel.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy
* HonorBeforeReason
* TheLancer: Sort of. Definitely Rand's staunchest supporter among the Aiel, his loyalty is without question.
* TheStoic: Even more so than Lan, if you can believe it.

----

!'''Sevanna'''

A Jumai Aiel of the Shaido clan, one of the main non-darkfriend antagonists to Rand. She opposed recognition of Rand as Car'a'carn and supported her husband, Couladin, in his bid for power. Once he is defeated in battle she takes on the role as leader of the Shaido. She wages a war of pillage and plunder across the Westlands, taking many people prisoner as ''gai'shain'', including Faile, which launches Perrin into his RoaringRampageOfRevenge.

* BlackWidow: Her husbands don't last long. Neither will Rand if she has her way.
* BlondesAreEvil: Not a very nice person. So much so that her own people only follow her because of HonorBeforeReason.
* DarkSkinnedBlond: Like all Aiel, is tanned by the sun of the Three-Fold Land.
* DistractedByTheLuxury: Falls into this trap as she gains more wealth from raiding the country side.
* EverythingsSparklyWithJewelry: Has a penchant for elaborate jewels acquired by conquest.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Although she is called a Wise One and is acting clan chief, she has never been to Rhuidean, unlike other Wise Ones in the Shaido, who know that Rand's revelation of the Aiel history is perfectly true.
* [[spoiler:PutOnABus: After her defeat at Malden, she is taken away by the Seanchan as a trophy.]]
* TheVamp: Only married her first husband because he was a clan chief. Hooked up with his successor after he died. Determined to capture Rand, rape him to get some heirs to secure her rule, then murder him.

----

!'''Sorilea'''
A Wise One from the Jarra sept. Sorilea is barely able to channel, but is one of the oldest and most revered Wise Ones. She has a formidable and forceful personality and can be quite frightening.

* CoolOldLady: The Aiel regard her as one.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: As a Wise One, she's an expert in dishing these out. For instance, forced an apprentice to search through a giant pile of sand for one specific red grain of sand as punishment for speaking out of turn.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment
-->"In my day, girls jumped when a Wise One said jump, and continued jumping until they were told to stop. As I am still alive, it is still my day. Need I make myself clearer?"
* IronLady
* NeverMessWithGranny: Aes Sedai give {{muggle}}s nightmares. Cadsuane gives Aes Sedai nightmares. Sorelia gives ''Cadsuane'' nightmares.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: She's one of the oldest of the Wise Ones.

----
[[/folder]]


[[folder: The Whitecloaks (Children of the Light)]]

An organisation dedicated to fighting the Dark One wherever his influence appears. Sadly, the current Whitecloaks have devolved into fanatical [[KnightTemplar Knight Templars]] who arrest and torture anyone they even slightly suspect of being a Darkfriend. This extends to Aes Sedai, whom the Whitecloaks believe are the Dark One's foremost servants.

!'''Whitecloaks as a whole'''

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Great believers in this yet woefully incapable of telling the difference.
* ChurchMilitant
* FantasyCultureCounterpart: To several orders, most prominently UsefulNotes/TheSpanishInquisition in how they deal with channelers.
* FluffyTheTerrible: Members of the Whitecloaks are known as "Child" rather than Lord.
* KnightTemplar

----

!'''Pedron Niall'''
The Lord Captain Commander of the Whitecloaks by the time the story begins. Niall is renowned as one of the Five Great Captains, with few enemies defeating him once and none twice. Niall believes Rand to be another False Dragon and his every move is calculated to both bring him down and expand the influence of the Whitecloaks. Killed by his spymaster, Omerna, due to the machinations of Valda and Asunawa.

* AnOfficerAndAGentleman: Morgase thought of him as one, anyway, especially compared to [[TheStarscream his replacement]], [[CompleteMonster Eamon Valda]].
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: In strategic and military terms, yes. Not so much physically, since Niall himself is an old man past eighty.
* BatmanGambit: Many, including false Dragonsworn sent to ravage the countryside to sway opinion against Rand. None of them really work out.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: For a long time it looked like he was being set up to be a major threat, but his death was quiet and barely announced.
* KnightTemplar: Not to the same extent as some of the other Whitecloaks, but the sentiment is still there.
* OldMaster: "Despite his age, there was nothing frail about him."
* TheChessmaster: He thinks he's this. Although his battle strategies are brilliant, he isn't very good at planning and plotting outside the battlefield.
* TheStrategist
* WorthyOpponent: Morgase thinks of him as this [[spoiler:after her abdication]].

!'''Eamon Valda'''
* DuelToTheDeath: Takes part in one of these with [[spoiler:Galad. Valda loses.]]
* {{Jerkass}}
* [[spoiler:KarmicDeath: Killed in a SwordFight with Galad, whose stepmother he raped.]]
* MasterSwordsman
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: His abuse and probable rape of [[spoiler:Morgase]] is what led to [[spoiler:his eventual death]].
* ReplacementScrappy: [[invoked]]In-universe. Niall may have had his failings, but everyone seems to compare him favorably to Valda.
* TheStarscream
* [[spoiler:VillainTeamUp[=/=]EnemyMine: Made an alliance with the Seanchan shortly before his death.]]

!'''Rhadam Asunawa'''
The High Inquisitor of the Hand of the Light, derisively known even by the Children themselves as "Questioners" (with being "put to the question" being a common euphemism for torture in Randland), Asunawa orchestrated the death of Pedron Niall alongside Eamon Valda in order to gain more control over the Children of the Light.

* BaldOfEvil: In pictures drawn only. In the writing, he has gray hair.
* EnhancedInterrogationTechniques: Quite a fan of these, and even used them on [[spoiler:Morgase]].
** ColdBloodedTorture: What it actually is, since most of his subjects did not actually do anything wrong.
* [[spoiler:EtTuBrute: Decapitated by his own allied Lords Captain for his treatment of Galad.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Not him, but everyone else about the Hand of the Light. Even other Whitecloaks call then Questioners and dislike their methods. Also, his hatred of [[WitchSpecies Aes Sedai]] makes most Whitecloaks look ''tame''.
* EvilOldFolks
* {{Foil}}: Of a sort to the Amyrlin Seat, his ArchEnemy. While the latter addresses other Aes Sedai as "daughter", he addresses all Children, up to and including the Lord Captain Commander, as "my son".
* [[spoiler:KarmicDeath: Killed by his own Whitecloaks after capturing Galad, the new Lord Captain Commander, for trying to force a new change in leadership and name their own Lord Captain Commander a Darkfriend when their numbers are already so low.]]
** [[spoiler:DecapitationPresentation: Albeit a low-key one, and only to one person.]]
** [[spoiler:OffWithHisHead]]
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:Runs off after the duel between Valda and Galad goes south for him.]]
* TheStarscream: In an alliance alongside Valda.
* VillainTeamUp: With Valda, though Valda still hates Asunawa simply because he is a Questioner.

!'''Jaret Byar'''
* {{Jerkass}}: Even more so than most Whitecloaks.
* [[spoiler:KarmicDeath: Killed by Dain for trying to kill Galad and Perrin after they secured an alliance after a battle with Shadowspawn in Book 13.]]
** [[spoiler:InTheBack]]

!'''Geofram Bornhald'''
* BolivianArmyEnding: Charged into battle at Falme alongside the Heroes of the Horn thinking he was fighting the Shadow on all sides. He doesn't make it out.

!'''Dain Bornhald'''
* YouKilledMyFather: To Perrin, though the latter actually didn't. [[spoiler:He finally accepts the truth in Book 13.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Seanchan]]

Almost a thousand years before events in the book, the legendary king Artur Hawkwing (the KingArthur[=/=]AlexanderTheGreat of the [=WoT=] universe) united the Westlands under his empire. He sent his son with a huge contingent of troops across the Aryth Ocean to the west to discover new lands for his kingdom. They never returned and were thought to be lost at sea. Hawkwing's empire eventually crumbled after his death, resulting in the independent nations of the series' present. However, the expedition survived the journey and set up a new empire in the continent they discovered. Utilizing the strange creatures native to the land as well as [[EmpireWithADarkSecret mystical and fearsome devices for controling channelers]], they conquered the indigenous peoples. Now, they are returning to the Westlands, determined to retake their homelands which they believe is their birthright and will stop at nothing to see the Hawkwing Empire restored.

!'''Tuon'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Tuon_1456.jpg]]

Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag is the second and favorite daughter of the Empress of the Seanchan Empire. She comes to the Westlands to oversee the Return and ensure that the nations there are reunited under the Empire's rule. As such, she becomes another non-darkfriend antagonist to Rand. While she agrees that the world needs to be united when the Last Battle comes, it must be under Seanchan's banner and the Dragon Reborn must kneel to the Empress.

* AllGirlsLikePonies: One of her hobbies is horse-training and becomes as close to giddy as she can get when she receives a rare horse as a gift. Takes on a less than innocent tone from the fact that she also enjoys enslaving women who can channel and treating them like animals.
* ArrangedMarriage: zig-zagged. Tuon's marriage was foretold by one of her Damane, but she wanted to meet her future husband and make certain it was him. She justifies the marriage with political reasons, as it gives her a link to Rand, though she says she might grow to love Mat one day.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Has risen to her position as heir to the throne by carrying out, and surviving, numerous assassination attempts amongst her siblings. So much so, that any attempt on her life causes her to try and determine which [[SiblingRivalry brother or sister]] would benefit most from the situation.
* [[spoiler:AwesomeMomentOfCrowning]]
* BadassPrincess
* BaldWomen: Her head is shaved as a sign of nobility.
* CloudCuckooLander: Sort of, but not due to stupidity. Her very non-standard upbringing and life causes her to have very strange reactions to things that keep catching Mat off-guard. Attempts on her life are regarded as minor annoyances, but very simple everyday activities are fascinating new experiences to her.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Has grown fond of her new husband, to a degree.
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: carries the title "Daughter of the Nine Moons," signifying her position as heir-designate to the Crystal Throne.
* IronicEcho: Gives Mat's AccidentalMarriage Vows back to him word for word. "Matrim Cauthon is my husband. [[RuleOfThree Matrim Cauthon is my husband.]] Matrim Cauthon is my [[PrecisionFStrike bloody]] husband."
* LadyOfWar: Despite her demure appearance, she is deadly to her enemies and is exceptionally skilled at hand-to-hand combat.
* MeaningfulRename: [[spoiler:Gives herself the name [[YouCantFightFate Fortuona]] Athaem Devi Paendrag upon ascending to the throne of Empress.]]
* {{Pettanko}}: Conspicuously aware of the fact that she looks like a slim boy, except in the right clothes.
* PlayAlongPrisoner: Captured by [[spoiler: Mat]] by being at the wrong place at the wrong time as he tries to flee Ebou Dar to the countryside. She considers this an opportunity to observe the lands that she will eventually rule as Empress.
* [[ScaryBlackMan Scary Black Woman]]: Inverted, subverted, and reverted. The color of her skin is never pointed out as being anything other than rare for the region. She is small, rather than large, yet can kick your ass without breaking a sweat. Also, the scary part comes more from the fact that she can order your death, the deaths of everyone you ever knew, the destruction of your nation, and the enslavement of your women. All with the same level of emotion she gives to picking out what she'll have for lunch.
* {{Tsundere}}: Like most women in the Wheel of Time universe, a full on type A and only shows flashes of her deredere side around her husband.

----

!'''Egeanin / [[spoiler:Leilwin Shipless]]'''

Egeanin Tamarath was a ship captain in the Seanchan fleet. After the fall of Falme, she is sent to the Westlands to help round up escaped ''sul'dam'' and ''damane''. After realizing that much of what she knew about channelers was wrong, she suffers a [[ToBeLawfulOrGood crisis of conscience]].

* BlueEyes
** IcyBlueEyes
* EnemyMine: first enters the story in Book 4, working alongside Elayne and Nynaeve. Cue the inevitable "NotSoDifferent" moments.
** First major role, but not quite her first appearance. She was the one who captured Bayle Domon's ship in Book 2, and is thus one of the first Seanchan characters we meet. This is why Domon recognizes her in Book 4.
* HappilyMarried: By all accounts to a person she would have otherwise arrested: [[spoiler: Bayle Domon, a smuggler]].
* ImportantHaircut: Allowed to cut her hair in the style of the lower nobility after her promotion. A point of great pride for her.
* MeaningfulRename: After her [[spoiler:defection from the Seanchan]], Tuon renames her.
** Doubles as a slight bit of DeadPersonImpersonation. Leilwin was the name of a woman who was mistakenly kidnapped by the thugs she hired in her search for the missing Sul'dam, as she [[HeKnowsTooMuch could not be released]] and Egeanin did not want to murder her she chose to send her back to Seander as a slave.
* SlapSlapKiss: Only admits her feelings for her future husband after they attack each other.
* TallDarkAndBishoujo
* WigDressAccent: Used to disguise herself as Leilwin during her time with Mat, although she keeps the accent that marks her as Seanchan.

----

!'''Suroth'''

High Lady Suroth Sabelle Meldarath is in charge of securing a foothold in the Westlands to prepare for the return of the Seanchan. She is a cold and calculating individual who does not tolerate dissention amongst her ranks. Although she suffers a great defeat early on, her subsequent victories elsewhere lead some to believe that she may have secret ambitions inappropriate for her station. [[spoiler: This is later verified as she is a Darkfriend under Semirhage with plans to make her the new Empress]].

* AmbitionIsEvil
* EvilChancellor: Somewhat, to Tuon. This doesn't end well when her secret is exposed.
* FateWorseThanDeath: An in-story example from her POV, judging by how she reacts to being stripped, shaved, and made ''da'covale'' to Tuon.
* ImportantHaircut: Has the sides of her head shaved, leaving a crest of hair not unlike a mohawk, as a status symbol.

----
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Heroes of the Horn]]
-->"The Grave is no bar to my call. Let he who sounds me think not of glory, but of salvation."
-->-- '''Inscriptions on the Horn of Valere'''

The Heroes of the Horn are the great heroes of the Pattern, bound to the Horn of Valere. They are summoned to battle for whoever blows the horn.

!'''Heroes in general'''

* TheHero: It's there in the job description.
* BadassArmy: When summoned by the Horn.
** BadassNormal: What got them the job as individuals and keeps them in it whenever they reincarnate.
* IHaveManyNames: An inevitable consequence of being constantly reincarnated throughout the Ages.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Often described as ghosts.

!'''Artur Paendrag Tanreall'''
Better known in legend as Artur Hawkwing, he is the king referred to in many legends who united all the lands west of the Spine of the World as a single Empire. After uniting the lands, becoming High King, his subsequent death sparked the War of the Hundred Years. His sign was a golden hawk in flight.

* FantasyCultureCounterpart: A twofer. While many of his attributes harken to KingArthur, including his name, Hawkwing's empire and how it fell apart following his death also makes him a version of AlexanderTheGreat.
----

!'''Birgitte Silverbow / Maerion / Teadra / Jethari Moondancer / The flaming Lady Birgitte Trahelion, if you flaming please'''

-->"I always say, if you must mount the gallows, give a jest to the crowd, a coin to the hangman, and make the drop with a smile on your lips"

Birgitte Silverbow is the heroine of many hundreds of gleeman's tales and legends. Like many of the great heroes of the Wheel of Time, she has been "spun out" into the Pattern many times, taking a different name but is always an archer and always falls for fellow Hero Gaidal Cain. When not being woven into the Pattern, or fighting in spectral form, she and all the other heroes of the Wheel reside in Tel'aran'rhiod, it is from here that she chooses to lend aid to Nynaeve and Elayne.

* TheArcher: Her defining characteristic throughout the ages (along with her braid).
* [[BigBrotherMentor Big Sister Mentor]]: To Elayne.
* DistaffCounterpart: Has a personality very similar to Mat's. Fond of swearing, drinking, eyeing up those they find attractive in public and not being nobility.
* IHaveManyNames: As do all the Heroes but more of Birgitte's previous lives/adventures are brought up than any of the others.
** During the Age of Legends she was known as Teadra and foiled a plot of Moghedien's
** In 47 AB, under an unknown name, Birgitte and Gaidal Cain helped to found the White Tower.
** Under the name Jethari, Birgitte once traveled into the Tower of Ghenjei in hopes that the Finn would heal Gaidal after he was injured in the battle of Lahpoint Hills.
* {{Ladette}}: Part of why she and Mat are good friends.
* OddFriendship: With Mat, the Hornsounder. Mat isn't even close to friends with Elayne, but he sometimes goes drinking with Birgitte.
* ReincarnationRomance: Always ends up with the Hero known as Gaidal Cain.
* RestrainingBolt: Tries to be this to Elayne's recklesness with limited results.
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Decides to help Elayne and Nynaeve against the Forsaken in Tel'aran'rhiod despite ancient injunctions to the contrary.
* SirSwearsALot: "This was Birgitte Silverbow, hero of a hunderd legends? The woman was foul-mouthed!"
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Is the Tomboy to Elayne's Girly Girl.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Is only attracted to ugly men, the uglier the better and always ends up with Gaidal Cain. Granted, being torn from the Horn by Moheigden probably renders that impossible.

----

!'''Gaidal Cain'''

Gaidal Cain, being bound to the Wheel of Time, is periodically spun back into the pattern. His incarnations take various forms, all of which share common themes. Most notably, he fights with two swords, and stories of him also include Birgitte Silverbow, his fated lover.

* DualWielding
* HeroesPreferSwords
* ReincarnationRomance: The fated lover of fellow Hero Birgitte Silverbow.
* UglyGuyHotWife:
----

!'''Shivan the Hunter and Calian the Chooser'''

Shivan and Calian are brother and sister Heroes, both of whom are only born at the end of an Age.

* EndOfAnAge: Only ever reborn when one Age moves into the next. [[spoiler:This has led to speculation that they may be Elayne's unborn twins.]]

----
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Shadow & Darkfriends]]

'''The Dark One''' aka '''Shai'tan'''

The ultimate evil, equal and opposite of [[{{God}} the Creator]], imprisoned by him at the beginning of time. Partially released during the War of Power and resealed by mortals, his ultimate goal is complete freedom and the annihilation of reality.

* BigBad
* {{Chessmaster}}
* GodOfEvil
* IHaveManyNames: Or at least many epithets. Father of Lies, Sightblinder, Leafblighter, Lord of the Grave, Grassburner...
* NamesTheSame: There are many fictional characters called The Dark One.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Shai'tan.
* OmnicidalManiac
* {{Satan}}: His true name certainly invokes this.
* TheScottishTrope: His followers don't say his name out of reverence, his enemies don't out of fear. One of the only two who ''have'' said it at any point thus far is Rand, who's used it twice. The first time, fifteen seconds later, an invasion of TheUsualAdversaries happened, and the second time he suffered PowerIncontinence so bad it wiped out a good chunk of his own army. The other person who's said it is Ishamael, who uses the name regularly- apparently being the Dark One's [[TheDragon favorite human]] gives you certain priveleges in that area.
* SealedEvilInACan
* UltimateEvil

----

'''The Forsaken / The Chosen'''

In the previous War Of Power, Lews lead the forces of light supported by a team of lieutenants and trusted advisers. Many died, but a many also turned cloak and joined with The Shadow and The Dark One. These best-and-brightest were called "The Chosen" by the servants of the Shadow, "The Forsaken" by everyone else. There where oringaly somwhere around thirty of these ranging in skill from tactical generals to doctors, scientists, artists, philosophers and so on, [[ThirteenIsUnlucky thirteen]] surived, sealed inside Shaylo Ghoul at the some moment the Lews placed the Thirteen Seals on The Dark One, but with the Seals wearing down, they are starting to get free...

The Forsaken are a QuirkyMinibossSquad composed of NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast -- literally, since most of them took a MeaningfulRename after they turned to the Shadow. They are just one step below TheDragon ("Nae'blis") to the BigBad himself; most of them are of the CardCarryingVillain variety, and they often fight amongst themselves over who is going to ''be'' Nae'blis. (This level of DividedWeFall is implied to be one of the main reasons why The Shadow hasn't won yet, though it's also something the Dark One is implied to actively look for in lieutenants: it prefers {{Complete Monster}}s over stabler but less evil minions.) They are here in the story's "present day" with all their knowledge from the Age Of Legends intact, and the one thing everyone agrees on, both Light and Shadow, is that it's likely to be a CurbStompBattle once they start taking the fight to today's backwards yokels.

* '''Ishamael / "Ba'alzamon" / [[spoiler: Moridin]] / Elan Morin Tedronai''':
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Ishamael_470.jpg]]

A famous philosopher and writer in the Age of Legends and one of Lews Therin's closest friends. He is the most powerful of the Forsaken and their leader. Incredibly intelligent he has profound insight into the nature of the Wheel of Time and the struggle between the Dark One and the Dragon. He is unique among the Forsaken as being the only member of the group who didn't join for the promise of power or immortality, but because his logic concluded that the Dark One must inevitably win against the Dragon, and therefore the only path was to join him and rule for a time. All of the other Forsaken believe him to be insane, though some of Ishamael's statements which are taken to be mad are in fact simply esoteric beyond what the other Forsaken are capable of understanding (the brief talk on Chaos Theory at one of their meetings while burning a rat alive).

He was only partially sealed in Shayol Ghul and has been manipulating and influencing the Pattern for eons by the time of the main series. He is responsible for both the Trolloc Wars and the fall of Artur Hawkwing.

** AGodAmI: Occasionally, he thinks that he is The Dark One himself, or an aspect thereof. It's not totally clear if he's wrong, either.
** ArchEnemy: The only one of the Forsaken equal in power to Lews / Rand and the one who has most went out of his way to make their respective lives Hell; notably, took responsibility for Lews killing his family, and at the very least showed up to rub his face in it, even giving him a moment of sanity just so he could comprehend what he had just done.
** AxCrazy: The other Forsaken agree he's nuts.
** BadPowersBadPeople: The True Power, which is like the One Power but can perform weaves impossible with the latter and derives from The Dark One, and is much more dangerous and addictive.
** TheChessmaster: Bonus points for being an actual master of this verse's version of chess.
** DarkMessiah: Sees himself as this, representing The Dark One as a counterpart to The Dragon, who is TheMessiah for The Pattern. [[spoiler:He's right.]]
** DespairEventHorizon: It is implied by Rand's comments to [[spoiler: Moridin]] in the World of Dreams that it was Elan Morin reaching the same conclusion as Rand did on Dragonmount at the end of ''The Gathering Storm'' that led him to become a NietzscheWannabe in the first place--he just didn't have an EpiphanyTherapy to bring him back from the brink. This, coupled with Graendal's thoughts on Elan Morin [[StartOfDarkness once having been good]] like herself, may suggest Moridin could possibly be brought back to the Light ([[spoiler: particularly with Nynaeve's ability to heal insanity]]), but since unlike Rand he has no one to love or protect, chances of this are very slim.
** TheDragon: Moridin was officially named Nae'blis.
** DiscOneFinalBoss: In the first three books, everyone thought he actually ''was'' the Dark One (Moiraine figured out his true identity after [[spoiler:his death]]), and that when Rand killed him it was all over. Boy were they wrong...
*** RecurringBoss: You'd think they'd have figured it out after Rand killed him at the end of the first three books ''in a row''. (They actually ''are'' GenreSavvy enough by the third book, but, still.)
** TheDreaded: The Forsaken are this in general, but for millennia men thought he was The Dark One himself thanks to misinterpreting his title Ba'alzamon (that, and he thinks he is too). Though even without it, knowing he's the most powerful of the Forsaken and is equal to The Dragon tends to be sufficient.
** EvilCannotComprehendGood: Doesn't seem to get compassion or [[LackOfEmpathy empathy.]]
** EvilCounterpart: To Rand. Sees himself as this to The Dragon in general, believing that he literally serves as TheDragon to The Dark One in the same way Rand is The Dragon to the Pattern, that they both reincarnate and battle for eternity.
** FallenHero: Not quite ''hero'', but he was a highly respected intellectual back in the day. He was called "The Betrayer of Hope" by the public when he publicly announced for the Shadow, signalling how far he had fallen in their eyes.
** GlowingEyesOfDoom: As Ba'alzamon. Also glowing mouth.
** HannibalLecture: Every time he opens his mouth.
** {{Jossed}}: [[spoiler: Robert Jordan reacted with surprise/disgust to the idea that Moridin was the mysterious "You!" at the end of Book 5, thus turning "and then [[MeaningfulName death]] took him" into a horrific pun.]]
** TheManBehindTheMan: Ishamael was not fully imprisoned, and, calling himself Ba'alzamon, was able to influence events unopposed for a couple of millennia. For instance, he started a world war.
*** It's implied he operated and was strongest in 1000 year cycles, and influenced both the Trolloc War and Hundred Year War.
** NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Ishamael means "Betrayer of Hope" and [[spoiler: Moridin means "death" in the Old Tongue.]]
** ThePhilosopher: Seems GenreSavvy to the endless repetition of the Wheel of Time.
*** NietzscheWannabe: The philosophical outlook he ultimately arrived at, which led him to ally with the Dark One in the first place. Ironically Rand is the Nietzschean Superman who has managed to accept EternalRecurrance while Ishamael's failure at this led to his downfall.
** OmnicidalManiac: Nearly all the Forsaken and every Darkfriend believes that the Shadow is trying to TakeOverTheWorld, or will at least remake it after destroying it with its followers in positions of power and glory. Ishamael is the only one who believes (or, perhaps, realizes) that Shai'tan seeks to destroy everything for its own sake, and actually signed up for that express purpose, finding EternalRecurrence to be unbearable, though since he believes he really is The Dark One he also is out for the taste of ultimate power that Shai'tan will enjoy once it breaks free of its prison and destoys The Wheel of Time that binds it.
** PowerLevels: Again, Jordan is fairly vague with this, but it's stated multiple times that Ishamael was comparable in power to Lews Therin during the age of legends, and is probably the single strongest channeler of either gender in the modern world other than Rand. In the first three books, his complete insanity seems to have gotten in the way of his power, but now...
** [[spoiler: RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: As Moridin.]]
** TookALevelInBadass: Of sorts. He ''always'' stood at the top of the pack of the Forsaken in terms of power, intellect, and loyalty to the Dark One, but as Ba'alzamon he was too nuts to make effective use of his skills, to the point that Rand and co. were able to best him thrice. As [[spoiler:Moridin, though hardly sane, he's regained enough presence of mind to be far more dangerous and get himself officially named as TheDragon (a position he only held unofficially before). ]]
** WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity

----
* '''Aginor / [[spoiler: Osan'gar]] / [[spoiler:Corlan Dashiva]] / Ishar Morrad Chuain:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Aginor_5444.jpg]]

Formerly known as Ishar Morrad Chuain, he was a famous biologist, but his lack of ethics got his license revoked so he turned to the Shadow for more....''creative freedom''. He created most of the Shadowspawn that still terrorize the world an Age later.

** CripplingOverspecialization: Per WordOfGod he's the second-strongers of the male Forsaken in the One Power (and probably third-strongest overall, after Ishamael and Lanfear), but he's focused almost entirely on making monsters using [[MadScientist Mad Science]]. This made him key in the War of Power, but in the Third Age he doesn't have the {{Magitek}} he needs for this purpose and as such is one of the least effective Forsaken.
** EvilutionaryBiologist: Created [[OurOrcsAreDifferent trollocs]] and other Shadowspawn, and thus indirectly created the Myrddraal.
** MadScientist: Turned to the Shadow because, hey, when your boss is an omnicidal force of utter evil, nobody bothers you about ethics in your research.
** NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: [[spoiler: An osan'gar is a dagger dipped in slow poison.]]
** [[spoiler: {{Reincarnation}}: Aginor is killed off after 5 pages of fight scene in the first book, but The Dark One eventually manages to stick his soul into someone else's body. The same happens with Balthamel, Ishamael and Lanfear. He then went into hiding, spending several books as an unimportant secondary character, managing to accomplish little of importance... then he teleported onto the wrong hilltop at the wrong time and got glassed again. Poor bugger.]]
** UnskilledButStrong: He's second-strongest of the male Forsaken, but he's neither a fighter nor a general. Even his choice of cover identity isn't great; a number of savvy fans noticed that ''something'' was up with the man, though (in fairness) few thought there would be a freaking ''Forsaken'' HiddenInPlainSight.
** WithCatlikeTread: Attempts to sneak up on Rand and Nynaeve and steal the Choedan Kal while they're cleansing ''saidin''.
-->''...he began to skulk from tree to tree in what he imagined was a stealthy manner. It was toward the key that he skulked.''

----
* '''Asmodean / [[spoiler:Jasin Natael]] / Joar Addam Nessosin:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Asmodean_9096.jpg]]

A famed musician and composer of the Age of Legends and the least violent of all the Forsaken. He is neither a schemer nor a general, and the only reason he turned to the Shadow was so that he could gain immortality and have enough time to learn every song ever written. However he ''is'' still a ruthless jerk, and [[MoralEventHorizon stilled his own mother]] among other terrible crimes. He favors Lanfear as an ally and is the weakest of the male Forsaken (still bounds ahead of most men in the current age). [[spoiler: His death is one of the single most famous mysteries in the series, fans arguing for years over who killed him.]]

** ALighterShadeOfBlack: He's definitely the nicest of the Forsaken. And as compliments go, [[DamningWithFaintPraise that's not one]].
** EvilIsPetty: In the previous Age, while Governor of his assigned domains in the service of the Dark One, he didn't really get up to many atrocities (compared to the rest, that is); ''however'', he ''did'' order every single musician, artist and any professional creative talent he could get his hands on to be ''maimed''- they lived, but they could no longer perform their craft. He particularly focused on those who had slighted him, were rivals, or had suggested he would never amount to anything.
** HeelFaceTurn: Forced on him by Lanfear, who threatened to arrange for his death unless he taught Rand to channel.
** HeelFaceDoorSlam: Decided to genuinely turn back to the Light, according to WordOfGod.
*** FamousLastWords: "[[OhCrap You? No!]]"
** PunchClockVillain: Was lured to The Shadow because immortality would give him the chance to... [[StupidEvil listen to more music]]??
*** To be more specific, he wished to be immortal so that he could spend eternity perfecting his musical talent and become the greatest musician who ever lived. A bit petty, yes, but considering he was a ChildProdigy who became something of a WhiteDwarfStarlet after he grew up, it's a bit more understandable--akin to wanting to live forever so you can read every book in existence, or so you have the time to find cures for all diseases. The things people will do for their art...
** ShrugOfGod: [[spoiler: His murderer was left ambiguous, leading to an entire rainforest of EpilepticTrees. Robert Jordan, who claimed the answer was "[[http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/12/12/jordan/index.html intuitively obvious]]" and also [[ProfessorXLikesWatchingTeenagersSweat Likes Watching Readers Sweat]], never gave a definitive answer, promising only to sneak the info into the last book if he could. [[AuthorExistenceFailure He couldn't]], but his ReplacementGoldfish Brandon Sanderson made sure to ask Harriet Dougal who had done it so that ''he'' could publicize it. (The killer: Graendal.)]]
** VillainTeamUp: He and Lanfear formed one. [[spoiler: It didn't end well for him.]]

----
* '''Balthamel / [[spoiler: Aran'gar]]/ [[spoiler: Halima Saranov]] / Eval Ramman:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Balthamel_8949.jpg]]

The ''anti-Mat'', he was a historian in the Age of Legends famous for his study of primitive and extinct cultures, but is better remembered as a gambling, womanizing, jack ass. He had major anger management issues that eventually led him to the Shadow in order to dodge a RestrainingBolt against using the power for violence. He ran an intelligence network unmatched by any of the other Chosen except for Moghedien. His most remembered evil deed was raising and organizing breeding camps for humans to be fed to the Trolloc armies. [[spoiler: He is resurrected in a female body part way into the series]].

** ANaziByAnyOtherName
** TheCasanova
** [[spoiler: DeaderThanDead as of book 13]], courtesy of [[spoiler:Graendal]].
** DepravedBisexual: [[spoiler: As Aran'gar.]]
** GenderBender: [[spoiler: Balthamel was a man, but was reincarnated as a woman by The Dark One.]]
** MaskPower: As Balthamel he wore a mask that looked like a face in agony.
** TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: [[spoiler: By WordOfGod, his sexual preference was "expanded" when he was turned into a woman.]]
** NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: [[spoiler: An aran'gar is a dagger dipped in slow poison.]]

----
* '''Be'lal / [[spoiler: High Lord Samon]] / Duram Laddel Cham:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Belal_9553.jpg]]

A general of the Shadow, and Master Swordsmen. He was one of Lews's closest friends before jealously led him to turn to the Shadow. [[spoiler: The first Forsaken to ''actually'' be killed off]]

** AmoralAttorney: According to the Guide, he was a lawyer in the Age of Legends.
** TheChessmaster: Played up as this in both the Guide and the information Loial has on him, but in the end he seems woefully inept when it comes to both fighting Rand and underestimating Moiraine.
** GreenEyedMonster: Went to the Shadow because he envied Lews Therin Telamon. Also envied Lanfear and Ishamael.
** MasterSwordsman: ''Reinvented'' swordfighting as a martial art with Lews Therin (before his defection).
** [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname The Nickname]]: The Netweaver.
** [[spoiler: WeHardlyKnewYe: Introduced late in Book 3. Balefired a couple pages later. DeaderThanDead, so he's not coming back. [[AntiClimaxBoss Whoops]].]]
** WorthyOpponent: Treats Rand this way, in honor of their once having been friends, allowing him to take Callandor if he dared and challenging him to a sword fight rather than just killing or blasting him off the cuff.

----

* '''Demandred / Barid Bel Medar/ [[spoiler: We Still Don't Know]]:'''

"Almost" would be the word to describe Barid Bel Medar's life. Born a day after Lews Therin Telamon, he is almost as handsome, close to Lews Therin in power, and almost as skilled. If not for Lews Therin, he would have been the most acclaimed man of his age. But in the War Demandred discovered something he was far better at: war. If not for the sealing of Shai'tan, the Shadow would have triumphed in the war beneath his command. Since being released...he has been doing ''something''. We just don't know what it is. Thirteen books in and we are still no closer to knowing his identity then we were in Lord of Chaos. All we know is he has armies, and they're big.


** AlwaysSecondBest: To Lews Therin, to the point where trying to prove himself better than Lews Therin is pretty much his FreudianExcuse.
*** OvershadowedByAwesome
*** RomanticRunnerUp
*** TheResenter
** BerserkButton: Don't tell him he's second best. Ever. And especially don't talk about how awesome / superior Lews Therin or Rand al'Thor are / is.
** EvilOverlord: We don't know a whole lot about his SecretIdentity, but apparently he rules a whole country, which makes him this one way or the other.
** ItsPersonal: ''No-one'' on the side of the Shadow hated Lew Therin more than he did; according to the guide, no-one on the side of the Shadow hates ''anything'' more than he hates Lews Therin, or now Rand al'Thor. Given what utter hateful bastards the Shadow has working for it...thats a lot of hate.
** RoaringRampageOfRevenge / EvilIsPetty / DisproportionateRetribution: One of the first things he did as general of the Shadow was feed entire cities to Trollocs; specifically, he went after cities he felt slighted him while he was on the side of the Light.
** ShadowArchetype: [[AllThereInTheManual As the Guide puts it]], "almost" is the story of his life in relation to Lews Therin. He was born shortly after him, almost as old; he was very good looking except for his hooked-nose, almost as handsome; he was almost as strong in the One Power; he was almost as best-selling an author; he was almost as brilliant as general, he almost got the girl, etc., etc. His FaceHeelTurn was explicitly prompted when Lews was chosen as the top general of the Light over him, as his BerserkButton is being told he is second to Lews in ''anything''. Now he's transferred that rivalrly to Rand. Of course, being slightly inferior to the most BadAss man on the planet means that you are still incredibly BadAss yourself, which makes him a very, very dangerous enemy.
** TheStrategist: '''The''' best general on the side of the Shadow, and the only one of the Forsaken whose SecretIdentity is still intact as we enter the final book.
** TheUnreveal: Only one book left, and Demandred is the only Forsaken with complete anonymity: he rules a country, but nobody knows which--and, as of RJ's death, his cover identity had never appeared "on-screen". While there are about [[{{Fanon}} forty]] [[WildMassGuessing million]] [[EpilepticTrees theories]], the truth is that we do not know who he is masquerading as, and we are not supposed to.
*** {{Jossed}}: The popular "Taimandred" theory that Demandred is masquerading as Mazrim Taim. (Notably, Jordan rarely Jossed anything over the course of his life. Some fans still think he changed it out of spite.)
** VillainTeamUp: He, Mesaana and Semirhage have an alliance to eliminate their mutual rivals and not betray each other until they are the last of the Forsaken remaining. Of course they never trust each other.
*** Amusingly, as we head into the final book Demandred ''is'' the only Forsaken remaining with uncompromised agency. [[spoiler: Everyone else is either dead, on the run, never ''had'' political influence to begin with (looking at you, Moridin) or is being punished by having their souls stuck in {{Soul Jar}}s. Which are around the neck of TheDragon. This particular plan seems to have worked for once!]]

----
* '''Graendal / [[spoiler: Lady Basene]] / Kamarile Maradim Nindar:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Graendal_4788.jpg]]

One of the Shadow's most dangerous and competent servants. Graendal was born Kamarile Maradim Nindar and she was a famous psychologist for nearly four hundred years, able to heal mental afflictions even use of the One Power could not cure. She was also a distinct ascetic, living an unadorned life free of physical and mental pleasures. Of course, she also placed these same impossible standards on the rest of the world and felt that anyone that couldn't hold to them was morally inferior. Eventually she snapped from the realization the world would never live up to her expectations, and was in general not a good place. She did a completely moral 180, creating the alter ego of "Graendal" that was the pure opposite of everything Nindar had been: lusty, indulgent, selfish, and vain.

She has a better understanding of the human mind than any living person, and is an expert at [[MindRape Compulsion]], capable of reducing even iron willed badasses into groveling slaves with ease. According to Lews it is impossible to out think her. She, Semirhage, and Ishamael are the only Forsaken that came to the Shadow without being influenced by it.

** BadPowersBadPeople / GoodPowersBadPeople: She appears on both tropes, which note that she is very good at MindControl because of her background in psychology as an analyst and therapist.
** BreakTheHaughty: Likes being served by brainwashed 'pets' who were once powerful people.
** ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: She will use anything as an excuse to backstab her fellow Forsaken like [[spoiler: Asmodean ]] and [[spoiler: Aran'gar ]] . Of course any of the other Forsaken would have done the same in her position.
** DepravedBisexual / HeadTiltinglyKinky: Today she's more then just an [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment analrapist]]. (And when it's ''other Forsaken'' who think she's depraved, you know she's out there.)
** EvilCannotComprehendGood: Averted. She can perfectly understand good unlike Moridin who does not seem to understand why Rand would feel regret for killing thousands of people in order to kill an enemy. Of course since EvilCannotComprehendGood is the largest flaw of The Shadow, this is part of what makes her among their greatest assets.
** FaithHeelTurn: She was (in)famous for her ascetic lifestyle and high moral standards before turning to the Shadow, but though she was popular with the masses for this in private those who knew her greatly disliked her because she always judged them by her ridiculously high and rigid standards, basically being a HolierThanThou {{Narcissist}}. She pledged to the Dark One after she realized that ''nobody'' could meet her standards, and went to the opposite extreme as a purposely immoral hedonist out of spite.
** [[spoiler:FateWorseThanDeath: At the hands of Shaidar Haran for one too many failures (and schemes against the other Chosen).]]
** TheHedonist
** {{Jerkass}}: Pushed Mesaana's BerserkButton in Lord of Chaos for no real reason.
** [[ManipulativeBastard Manipulative Bitch]] : Made Sammael think she was manipulating him one way when she was really manipulating him in another way. Tricked Moridin into believing her greatest defeat was JustAsPlanned. In the backstory she apparently used psychology to outthink and manipulate everyone.
** MindControl: The best of the Forsaken at Compulsion and uses it in various degrees for almost everything.
** StartOfDarkness: Her POV in ''Towers of Midnight'' shows she and several of the other Forsaken had these happen to them long ago. She then uses Semirhage as a counter example of someone who was always utterly evil.
** ThereAreNoPsychologists: It's been pointed out that SHE is the only actual psychologist in the entire series, possibly world. Which is ironic considering one of tasks is to destroy Rand's mental state.
*** PsychoPsychologist: She is a sadist and a ManipulativeBitch who uses her knowledge of psychology in the service of Evil and to torment her enemies and innocent people. So pretty much a textbook case here.
** VillainTeamup: She, Lanfear, Sammael and Rahvin attempt one. When [[spoiler: Lanfear and Rahvin die she remains with Sammael until his death. Then she organizes another one with Aran'gar ]]

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* '''Lanfear / [[spoiler:Cyndane]] / Mierin Eronaile:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Lanfear_1822.jpg]]

Lews's ex-girlfriend, and the most powerful woman to ever channel. Ever. She became obsessed with winning him back by any means necessary, and one such experiment (meant to earn her glory that she was sure would bring Lews back to her, despite him being married) is what originally freed the Dark One. She's skilled at scheming, lying, and manipulating to get what she wants, and she only wants one thing: Lews Therin back, even eons later. The Dark One does not truly trust her because of this, but she is kept around because there is ''no one'' that knows him better.

She is also the only Forsaken to stand trial in front of the Hall of the Servants for her crimes, where she proudly declared herself to be a servant of the Shadow and then blasted her way free.

** AmbitionIsEvil: And her ambitions are ''big.''
** BerserkButton: Calling her by her birth name, Mierin Eronaile, to her face. She doesn't seem to mind when Rand does it, though.
** ClingyJealousGirl: To Rand.
** FaustianRebellion: Her master plan.
** GenerationXerox: Lanfear seems to have dismissed any of the complications arising from the half-sided ReincarnationRomance she wants to start with Rand. Of course, he's fallen for a blonde, like he always does ([[MeaningfulName Ilyena Sunhair]] was Lews Therin's wife).
** GoKartingWithBowser: Lanfear is the bad-guy character most willing to help Rand, or at least not hurt him. This is partially due to UnrequitedLove, and partially because she is constantly trying to get him to TurnToTheDarkSide. Particularly, she wants to join forces with him -- the two strongest channelers alive -- defeat both The Creator and The Dark One, and set themselves up as {{God Emperor}}s. [[spoiler: When this fails....]]
** GreenEyedMonster: If she so much as gets a hint of Rand being attracted to another woman, [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge bad things]] happen.
** IfICantHaveYou: [[spoiler: She does not take Rand telling her he would never love one of the Forsaken very well.]]
** IHaveManyNames: Lanfear, Selene, Mierin, Else Grinwell, [[spoiler: Cyndane]], The Daughter of the Night, and several others are all the same person.
** LoveMakesYouCrazy: As you can see. Also...
** LoveMakesYouEvil.
** MurderTheHypotenuse: Her dating philosophy.
** NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler: The research team she led was responsible for breaking the seal on the Dark One's prison during the Age of Legends, thus starting the War of Power.]]
** EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: She has very dark hair and eyes, pale and fair in complexion, and always wears white. [[spoiler: Her color scheme as Cyndane is quite a bit different, though.]]
** PetTheDog: Her emotional response when [[spoiler: Lews Therin Telemon talks to her through Rand and calls her "Mierin." Notable in that it is the only time she is addressed by her birth name that doesn't send her into a rage.]]
** PsychoExGirlfriend: Of Lews Therin, and trying to seduce him now that he's Rand al'Thor. (In her defense, there are moments when she does seem to genuinely love him.)
** PowerLevels: ''The'' strongest female channeler alive ([[spoiler:until Moirane tackles her through that doorway, at least, whereupon she becomes weaker but ''still'' stronger than most other Forsaken]]). Yes, that does mean "stronger than Nynaeve".
** RavenHairIvorySkin: The contrast of her pale skin and dark hair is mentioned a lot.
** ReincarnationRomance: Well, sort of. She is in love with Rand, who is the reincarnation of her dead lover, but wasn't reincarnated herself, and the romance is rather one-sided. [[spoiler: She later gets reincarnated herself, however, as Cyndane.]]
** RoaringRampageOfRevenge: At the end of ''The Fires of Heaven'', when she [[spoiler:hears a rumor that Rand slept with another woman]].
** RomanticRunnerUp: To Ilyena (and to Elayne, in her own mind at least. The thought that a Forsaken might be gunning for her doesn't seem to have crossed Elayne's mind yet).
** TheStarscream: Has expressed interest in overthrowing the Dark One and the Creator using the Choeden Kal. It's unclear if this attitude continues in her present form, however.
** VillainTeamup: First [[spoiler: she pretends to form one with Asmodean only to betray him.]] Then she, Graendel, Sammael and Rahvin attempt one to defeat Rand.
** VoluntaryShapeshifting: She has a habit of adopting different forms as disguises. She usually appears as a beautiful, twenty-something woman with dark hair in a white dress. Her actual true form, as she reveals to Rand in Book 4, is that of [[spoiler: a slightly older version of her usual form, only more mature, perhaps 30-ish, and even more beautiful.]]
** WeCanRuleTogether: She makes this offer to Rand as an alternative to Tar'mon Gai'don and the long line of crappy stuff waiting for him down the road. He's not interested.
** WomanInWhite
** WomanScorned: And she isn't taking it well.
** {{Yandere}}: Have we mentioned she's interested in Rand?

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* '''Mesaana / [[spoiler:Danelle]] / Saine Tarasind:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mesaana_7115.jpg]]

"The Shadow Aymrlin", she is a teacher, organizer, and researcher from the Age Of Legends. She [[EvilIsPetty got turned down for a field study and was relegated to an educator's role]], so she turned to the Shadow. As far as Forsaken go, she's pretty okay for a person, though she still [[MoralEventHorizon conditioned legions of children into an army of little monsters that were capable of murder]]. She is among the most dangerous because of her refusal to scheme and plot against and with the other Forsaken (though she does form a non-aggression pact with Semirhage and Demandred) and instead focuses on the "down and dirty" aspects of winning this war. [[spoiler: Up until her FateWorseThanDeath she is the most successful of all the Forsaken in doing this, causing a schism in the White Tower that nearly destroyed it and murdering countless Aes Sedai]].

** BoringButPractical: According to records on the War of Power she acted as an organizer for the Shadow who reluctantly maintained order and provided a degree of unity to the other Darkfriend channelers.
** ChildSoldiers: Mesaana educated children to act like this. Even in the present day Mesaana's Children are remembered and feared.
** DramaticIrony: Despite joining the Shadow for being relegated to a teaching job instead of research she is the only Forsaken to willingly teach others.
** EvilCounterpart: To the Amyrlin Seat, as explicitly noted in ''The Gathering Storm''. She is the leader of the Shadow's Ajahs and teaches channeling and administration for the Black Ajah. She is even deliberately called "the Shadow's Amyrlin".
** FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler: BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind [[XMeetsY meets]] MindRape equals AndIMustScream.]] May count as DisproportionateRetribution, since we never really see her do anything that evil, but then again she ''did'' cause the Tower coup (which killed a lot of innocent Aes Sedai and Warders), and it's pretty clear that she would have done the same to [[spoiler:Egwene]] if she could.
** TheManBehindTheMan: She was secretly manipulating [[spoiler: Alviarin, who was in turn manipulating Elaida.]] She may also have been manipulating Galina and Katerine, and was certainly the one pulling the strings on Liandrin and her coven.
** TheMole: Is somewhere in the White Tower running the Black Ajah. Her sole identifying feature is that she once wore a dress with a brown hem. [[spoiler:Revealed to be Danelle.]]
** NotSoHarmless: In ''Towers of Midnight'' she [[spoiler:uses her knowledge of Tel'aran'rhiod to create a new basement level, lures Egwene there with no chance of rescue and captures her using an a'dam, and if Egwene hadn't had a EurekaMoment allowing her to surmount her fear and escape she would have been [[{{Brainwashed}} compelled]] into being Mesaana's puppet.]]
** TheResenter: For being relegated to a teaching position instead of getting to be a cutting-edge researcher at the Collam Daan. According to records on the War of Power her anger is second only to Demandred's.
** SadistTeacher
** VillainTeamUp: She, Semirhage and Demandred have an alliance to eliminate their mutual rivals and not betray each other until they are the last of the Forsaken remaining. Of course they never trust each other.

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* '''Moghedien / [[spoiler:Marigan]] / Lillen Moiral:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Moghedien_5926.jpg]]

"The Spider" Moghedien was originally an investment advisor named Lillen Moiral. Often looked down on even when she was part of the Light, she cultivated a massive network of spies and assasins for the Shadow, using an image as a meek and little woman to lead many agents of the Light to their deaths. She escaped after being revealed as a traitor and killing thousands to engineer a distraction. She favors moving and striking "softly from the Shadows". She is a master of the World of Dreams, making up for her lack-luster strength in the One Power.

** TheChessmaster
** CorruptCorporateExecutive: She was a shady "investment adviser" before going to the Shadow.
** CompellingVoice
** DirtyCoward
** FateWorseThanDeath / FoeYay : When she captured [[spoiler: Nynaeve in Tel'aran'rhiod in ''The Fires Of Heaven'' instead of killing her she gloated about how she was going to MindControl her, train her, and have the Dark One make her immortal so that she could turn her into a horse in Tel'aran'rhiod and ''make her stay that way for all eternity'' (but only in Tel'aran'rhiod.) Every night, she would become Moghedien's personal horse to ride everywhere.]]
** GoodPowersBadPeople: Moghedien is the undisputed master of Tel'aran'rhiod. (Don't tell that to Lanfear, who claims it as ''her'' domain. Moghedien is even better at manipulating it, but can't match Lanfear in the physical world and is a DirtyCoward, so...)
** NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Her name is the Old Tongue name for a very stealthy spider with a ''very'' potent poison (kills within seconds).
** PowerLevels: Moghedien is explicitly described as being equal in The Power to Nynaeve, which is part of her status as a...
** RecurringBoss and...
** TheRival to Nynaeve.

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* '''Rahvin / [[spoiler: Lord Gaebril]] / Ared Mosinel:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Rahvin_1423.jpg]]

A diplomat and megalomaniac, his specality was pushing regions into non-violent surrender to the Shadow.

** TheCasanova
** DeaderThanDead: [[spoiler: Balefire's time-bending properties (it actually kills you, chronologically speaking, a few seconds ''before'' it hits you) mean that Forsaken killed by it can't be revived (the window the Dark One has to revive them is measured in fractions of a second). Rahvin got hit hard enough to rewrite fifteen minutes and over a chapter of events]].
** HandsomeLech: And he knows it...and sadly, to judge by his physical description, it's actually true.
** MindControl[=/=]MindRape: His favorite means of manipulating others. His skill with Compulsion is said to be second only to Graendal's, and the number he does on Morgase in particular is rather horrific and cements his CompleteMonster cred. He, of course, finds the whole thing amusing...and [[{{Squick}} arousing]].
** TheRival: Not to Lews Therin (unlike Demandred, Be'lal, and Sammael), but to Be'lal (and, to a lesser extent, Sammael). While he trusts none of his fellow Forsaken in the VillainTeamUp, he explicitly decides to have Elayne killed when he learns she is going to Tear, simply to keep Be'lal from gaining an advantage over him. He also has arguments with him in the World of Dreams which is most likely over Callandor.
** VillainTeamUp: He, Graendal, Lanfear and Sammael attempt one to defeat Rand.
** WeHardlyKnewYe: While he lasts from book three to book five (though only appearing in two of those), he is only given one POV scene and is otherwise left to plot and scheme in the shadows. In fact he is an in-universe version of this, since it's stated in the Guide he is the Forsaken about whom least is known--no one in fact knows what he did or who he was before he joined the Shadow, other than his name.

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* '''Sammael / [[spoiler:Lord Brend]] / Tel Janin Aellinsar:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sammael_1686.jpg]]

One of the Chief generals for the Shadow, he was friends with Lews Therin Telamon, although it is not certain how deep this friendship ran; more likely he considered himself a rival to Lews Therin. He turned to the Shadow relatively late in the game, but still won major victories for them. He was scarred in battle by Lews, a scar he refused to let he healed, swearing he would do so only after killing him.

* BlatantLies: Tells Graendal he has a truce with Rand Al'Thor and that he has been appointed Nae'blis. [[spoiler: The Dark One responds by sending Moridin to kill him.]]
* ChekhovMIA: [[spoiler: This was the theory on him for a long time, because, in the narration, Robert Jordan has him trapped between a FogOfDoom on one side and Rand throwing [[DeaderThanDead balefire]] down the other... but has Rand let up at the last second, thinking, "NoOneCouldSurviveThat." He ''didn't'' survive that, but Rand NeverFoundTheBody, so "HesJustHiding" basically became {{Fanon}}. It was only after RJ {{Jossed}} the idea himself that everyone calmed down. "[[WordOfGod Sammael is toast]]."]]
* GreenEyedMonster, TheResenter
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: His name means "Destroyer of Hope".
* TheNapoleon: Hated the fact that he was so short.
* RedHerring: In the most recent books, [[spoiler: someone is impersonating him to commandeer a bunch of Shadowspawn. If not for the WordOfGod above, this might have just resurrected (no pun intended) those old ChekhovMIA theories. In a way, they're true, since Sammael did still come back to serve a purpose--it just isn't actually him.]]
* ScarsAreForever: Played with. Sammael chooses to keep the scar until he can kill Lews Therin/Rand. It was stated that after the death, Sammael would ask for one of the other Forsaken to remove it.
* VillainTeamUp: He, Lanfear, Graendal and Rahvin attempt one to defeat Rand. When [[spoiler: Lanfear and Rahvin die he remains with Graendal until his death ]].

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* '''Semirhage / [[spoiler: Anath]] / Nemene Damendar Boann:'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Semirhage_6857.jpg]]

Batshit crazy and evil to the core, Semirhage required no corrupting. A world renowned Healer in the Age of Legends, she was the TokenEvilTeammate for the Light until the Hall of the Servants found out that she was torturing her patients as "payment" for Healing (as she felt they were unworthy of being saved). They gave her an ultimatum: take a RestrainingBolt against her "pleasures" or be severed from the One Power forever. She said ScrewThisImOuttaHere and joined the Shadow, where she became one of their most valued assets.

She is ''the'' most feared of all the Forsaken, and even her fellows are more then a bit scared of her. Prisoners have committed suicide rather then be tortured by her.

** BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler: Cadsuane eventually realizes the key to breaking her isn't pain, but public humiliation... such as being forced to kneel and eat off the floor like a dirty beggar.]]
** DepravedBisexual
** TheDreaded: During the War of Power, captives often committed suicide- even by ''biting their own wrists''- when they learnt they were being taken to her, to the point her minions had to take special precautions against it for all prisoners. At one point she was captured, but she freaked out the guards so much that they actually ''smuggled her out and set her free''. She was an incredibly sadistic torturer and MadScientist, who enjoyed discovering new ways to make people suffer, and she has turned the SadisticChoice into an art form. Her rep survived down to the Third Age.
** FlawExploitation: Knows Rand WouldntHitAGirl. Is a girl. See where this is going?
*** [[spoiler:[[HoistByHisOwnPetard Hoist By Her Own Petard]]]]
*** [[spoiler:DeaderThanDead]]
** FateWorseThanDeath: Being captured by her. Why? Because of the...
** GoodPowersBadPeople: She was a world-renowned healer, possibly the best in the world, back in the Age of Legends, but also a sadist even before she joined the DarkSide. This makes her ''really'' good at...
** MindRape
** TheSociopath: As mused by Graendal, she is one of the few Forsaken to have had no StartOfDarkness- she joined the Shadow because the good guys fired her for being a TokenEvilTeammate. Mostly because she was already an infamous...
** TortureTechnician, at one point (post-Age of Legends) killing a man by ''over-stimulating his pleasure centers''. She also succeeded in keeping a man alive four hours after replacing all the blood in his body with tar.
** TokenMinority: We don't really know what Ishamael and Balthamel originally looked like, but Semirhage is the only black Forsaken that we know of.
** VillainTeamUp: She, Mesaana and Demandred have an alliance to eliminate their mutual rivals and not betray each other until they are the last of the Forsaken remaining. Of course they never trust each other.

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'''Shaidar Haran'''

The Myrddraal are mutant [[TheUsualAdversaries Trollocs]] which resemble pale humans with smooth skin where their eyes should be. Commonly used as commanders of the Dark One's armies, they are much more intelligent than their brethren and possess great fighting skills as well as minor magic, but are much weaker than the average channeler. Shaidar Haran, the most powerful of the Myrddraal, is a different story entirely, a fearsome creature that can command the loyalty and fear of even the Forsaken. Its true nature is the subject of much debate, but it is unarguably one of, if not the, most powerful weapons in the Dark One's arsenal- and might be something more...

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Some of the Forsaken have tried defying it. The results... weren't pretty.
* CreepyMonotone
* TheDragon: Possibly. It's unclear whether Haran answers to the Nae'blis, the Nae'blis answers to it, or if they're equals.
* EnigmaticMinion
* FanNickname: 'Fade' is common in-universe slang for a Myrddraal. Therefore Haran is 'Superfade'.
* FightingAShadow: The most common fan theory is that Haran is some sort of manifestation of the Dark One himself.
** It's expressly stated that obeying him is obeying the Dark One in fact, though the books themselves make it ambiguous if he ''is'' the Dark One or merely speaks with his voice metaphorically. WordOfGod clears up the issue- he's not truly the Dark One but is a vessel for a "shadow" of him. Basically, he's possessed by a much weaker, independent section of the Dark One that has to return to Shayol Ghul every so often to get "recharged".
* LargeAndInCharge: Ordinary Myrddraal are human-sized. Haran is almost half again as big.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: His means "Hand of the [[DarkIsEvil Shadow]]".

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'''Padan Fain'''
[[quoteright:340:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Fain_8831.jpg]]

Originally a Darkfriend sent to spy on the Two Rivers, Fain was forcibly recruited by Ishamael and some Myrddraal to aid in the hunt for Rand. The resulting proceedings filled him with hate for both sides, and a chance encounter in the haunted city of Shadar Logoth left him merged with the spirit of the infamous EvilChancellor Mordeth. Now he pursues revenge against both the Dragon and the Dark One, and he may well have the power to accomplish it.

* ArtifactOfDoom: That cursed knife Mat had for a while is now back in his possession.
* AxCrazy
* EvilChancellor: As Mordeth. He's weaseled his way into this role a couple of times as Fain, too.
* EvilVersusEvil: He's willing to capitalize on his former role as a Darkfriend to get what he wants, but at this point he has no love for either side. Per WordOfGod, his goal number one is to kill Rand, but goal number two is to kill the Dark One. You can see why neither side likes him much.
* FogOfDoom: He is now followed around by Mashadar.
* FromNobodyToNightmare
* GrandTheftMe: What Mordeth tried to do to him. The result was more like an even fusion of the worst aspects of both.
* ManipulativeBastard
* TheNecromancer: His newest ability has granted him the power to create zombies. Cue his zombie army of Trollocs, Worms, and other Shadowspawn.
** Which results in...
* NightOfTheLivingMooks
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: His speech tends to veer back and forth between the lower-class accent of Fain and the more cultured, sophisticated one of Mordeth. This happens largely unconsciously, and creepily, it'll occasionally happen in the middle of a sentence.
* PunchClockVillain: As Fain, initially, he was your standard rank-and-file darkfriend who joined up for the power and stayed joined because the alternative was to become Trolloc-food. After merging with Mordeth, he drops the "punch clock" and just becomes straight-up evil.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Granted the ability to find Rand, Mat, and Perrin wherever they are. The painfulness of the process where he acquired this ability is the main reason he hates both the Dark One and the heroes.
* TheStarscream: Is shaping up to be this. Quite a promotion from the PunchClockVillain he started out as!
* WildCard: To the point that both sides have assassins actively trying to kill him throughout the series [most of them end up dead, the lucky ones just never find him, or get killed by Fain without using his ArtifactOfDoom].
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Starts out as your average corrupt-but-sane Darkfriend. The more powers he gets, the more off his rocker he goes, until by the most recent books he's potentially one of the most powerful beings in the world and is ''completely freakin' nuts''.
* YourSoulIsMine: Per WordOfGod this was one of the original Mordeth's powers, and therefore presumably also one of Fain's, though he hasn't shown it (at least not explicitly) yet.

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'''Slayer'''

Once two different men -- Lord Luc, brother of Tigraine and blood-uncle to Rand, and Isam, cousin to Lan--who had a destined encounter in the Blight; Luc was there because he'd been sent by a Foretelling made by Gitara Moroso ([[TheChessmaster the same one]] who foretold Rand's birth ''and'' sent Tigraine off to the Waste to become a Maiden of the Spear), while Isam was there because he was trying to reclaim Malkier after his mother colluded with the Darkfriend Cowin Fairheart to betray it to the Shadow. Now they have somehow become one entity and act as Chief Assassin of the Dark.

* ArchEnemy: To Perrin, partly due to opposing him in the Two Rivers but mostly due to his wolf-killing.
* AristocratsAreEvil: Twice over! Though his Luc persona is much more nasty, it seems.
* BadAss: It can't be denied Slayer is a damned good fighter and supplements his magical powers with physical prowess to match it.
* DreamLand: He can enter it (in the flesh); make use of its morphability to fast travel, change things around him, and summon weapons; and stepping in and out of it is how he changes from one persona to the other.
* EgomaniacHunter: Pretty much describes his interactions with the wolves. The way he acts toward Perrin, as well as the notion of killing Aes Sedai, puts him very close to crossing into HuntingTheMostDangerousGame territory.
* EnemyToAllLivingThings: Or at least wolves, though no animal seems to particularly like him. [[EgomaniacHunter And with good reason]].
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: What he specializes in, particularly how he killed Amico and Joiya.
* FusionDance: It is still left unexplained exactly how the Shadow accomplished this gestalt, but the end result is a Switcher situation, where Luc and Isam can each take over the 'body' and adapt it to their appearance. Since "one did die and one did live" during their Blight confrontation, it's implied the one who died was Isam and the one who lived was Luc, since he seems unable to be Isam except in the World of Dreams, but this has yet to be confirmed and may not even be true. It's revealed he was Isam when he killed the two Black Ajah, and though that may have been done in the World of Dreams because dying there kills you in the real world too, it seems difficult to believe nailing tongues to a door would carry over. And the Trollocs in the Two Rivers called him Isam.
** Made even more confusing because we have no real reason to think Luc was a bad guy before the combining; he braved the incredibly dangerous GardenOfEvil Blight at the mysterious command of Gitara without any real personal benefit, for instance. Isam was apparently a sort of evil counterpart of Lan already. But now they're both one weirdly combined JerkAss.
* LovesTheSoundOfScreaming: Whether human or wolven.
* MoralEventHorizon: The in-universe example would be for Perrin in ''Towers of Midnight'' when he [[spoiler:kills Hopper]].
* TheMunchausen / MilesGloriosus: Much of his behavior in the Two Rivers in ''The Shadow Rising'' crosses back and forth between these tropes, as it isn't clear how much of his bragging about his warrior skills and his knowledge of tactics is real. (Though Isam for certain, and probably Luc too, would have a good wealth of knowledge of both.) Even once it's revealed he really can do some of what he says, the trope is subverted since a great deal of his activity either conceals more nefarious doings, works at cross-purposes to Perrin, or even gets Emond's Field in greater danger from the Shadowspawn and Whitecloaks alike.
* [[ObfuscatingStupidity Obfuscating Vanity]]: Because he acts like a preening, self-absorbed, but somewhat helpful and mostly harmless lord, no one but Perrin suspects [[VillainWithGoodPublicity he could be a villain]], at least at first.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Nobody but Perrin (and Verin) knows who he really is, and Perrin refers to him solely by the name the wolves give him. Even Moridin just calls him "the man with two souls".
* ProfessionalKiller: His job under the Shadow, though he also indulges for his own pleasure (and to create Darkhounds).
* PunchClockVillain: In some ways, Isam seems like this, at least in how he treats Perrin.
-->'''Slayer''', ''as Isam'': Luc hates you, you know. Hates you deeply.\\
'''Perrin''': And you don't?\\
'''Slayer''': No more than the wolf hates the stag.
* {{Ranger}}: A hunter who uses a bow and a [[DualWielding two swords]].
* {{Synchronization}}: Whatever happens to Isam in the World of Dreams happens to Luc in the real world, as seen when Perrin shot him with an arrow. No indication yet whether the reverse is also true.
** That's not really unique to Isam. ''Anyone'' hurt in Tel'aran'rhiod suffers corresponding injuries to their corporeal self; it's one of the properties of the World of Dreams.
*** True, but the reason this is notable is because Luc and Isam are two ''different'' people, yet what happens to one in the World of Dreams happens to the other in the real world. This is unique compared to the other examples of Tel'aran'rhiod, since such a correspondence could not happen between two different people without Luc and Isam being part of a FusionDance, and it is in fact how Perrin (along with the cold, inhuman scent they share) is able to figure out Luc is Slayer since otherwise they looked nothing alike.
* VillainousFashionSense: Though considering the fact his outfits correspond with either Andoran or Borderlander nobility, this would also be [[IdiotBall a dead giveaway as to his identity]]--''if'' anyone who had seen him knew who Luc or Isam was, or had described him to someone who knew they were related to Rand and Lan. (Which at this point is just Rand and Lady Dyelin for Luc, Lan and possibly Moiraine for Isam.)

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'''Narg'''

One of the first Trollocs in the series and the only one given a distinctive name. Despite his early and ignominious death, he still fascinates the fandom on a level surpassed only by Bela, leading to his inclusion in lists where he really doesn't belong. For more information about the fandom's reaction to him, head over to [[YMMV/TheWheelOfTime YMMV]].

* BlatantLies: Tells Rand that he's not going to hurt him... then tries to kill him.
* KilledOffForReal: By Tam not long after his introduction.
* MixAndMatchCritters
* YouNoTakeCandle: Me Narg. Narg smart. [[BlatantLies You no need sword. Narg no hurt.]]

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'''Shadowspawn'''

Artificial beings created by Aginor during the War of Power, the Shadowspawn are notable for being AlwaysChaoticEvil and forming the bulk of the Dark One's forces. There are many different kinds of Shadowspawn, but the most notable are discussed below:


* '''Trollocs'''

Brutish, bloodthirsty beast-men, the Trollocs are the most commonly encountered Shadowspawn and are the standard {{Mooks}} for the Shadow. Though inhumanly large, strong, and aggressive, they're not very good soldiers and need someone or something else in command in order to be at all effective.

** AlwaysChaoticEvil: They're basically exceptionally aggressive, bloodthirsty animals; though they have their own language (and some speak the human language as well), your average Trolloc isn't interested in much but fighting and killing and their intelligence is generally subhuman.
** DumbMuscle: It's about all they're good for.
** ImAHumanitarian: Trollocs will eat just about anything with meat on it, and that includes humans. They'll usually eat their captives, and darkfriends are sometimes threatened with being fed to them to ensure obedience.
** MixAndMatchCritters: All Trollocs look like large, overmuscled humans with animal features mixed in, but ''what'' animal they resemble varies a great deal from Trolloc to Trolloc.
** {{Mooks}}
** OurOrcsAreDifferent
** SuperSoldier: Arguably subverted. Though individually tougher than humans, they're not nearly as smart or disciplined, which makes them less effective overall.
*** They were designed by [[MadScientist Aginor]] as ideal soldiers... except Aginor had never seen real combat, and actually had no idea what makes for a good soldier.

* '''Myrddraal'''

Throwbacks to the Trollocs' human heritage, Myrddraal make up less than 5% of the Trolloc population but are by far the most important. More human-looking- and far more intelligent- than their cousins, they generally serve as EliteMooks or {{Mook Lieutenant}}s and without their presence making Trollocs function as an effective fighting force would be all but impossible.

** AlienBlood: It's ''acid''
** AlwaysChaoticEvil: Though unlike Trollocs, Myrddraal are smart enough to know exactly what they're doing. As such, they represent a more cold-blooded, calculated form of evil.
** BlackCloak: The standard Myrddraal "uniform" consists of a BlackCloak worn over formfitting black armor. The cloak is particularly notable because it always hangs flat, never rippling in the wind.
** CreepyMonotone
** EliteMooks / MookLieutenant: They're both more formidable than Trollocs and usually found in command over them.
** EmotionBomb: They can induce fear with a look.
** EyelessFace: They resemble eerily pale and graceful humans except for the fact that they have only smooth skin where eyes and sockets should be.
** FateWorseThanDeath: The original meaning of this phrase--one of the favorite things Fades enjoy doing to mortals (and, to judge from Shaidar Haran, to use as punishment for female Forsaken) is rape. Whenever a child results from such a union, the mother usually [[DeathByChildbirth dies in childbirth]]. Usually.
** GeniusBruiser: They're noted for their cunning, but they're also deadlier warriors than regular Trollocs and can cut through all but the most {{badass}} humans with ease.
** HumanoidAbomination
** KeystoneArmy: the simplest way for a Myrddraal to keep control of its fist of Trollocs is to bind them to it mentally. But if you kill the Myrddraal, its entire squad gets knocked over too.
** MagicKnight: Though they're not as powerful as human channelers, Myrddraal have a number of supernatural abilities in addition to their martial prowess.
** OneGenderRace: They all look male, but are usually referred to as "it" rather than "he" in narration. (This despite their proclivity to rape.)
** TheStoic: Myrddraal feel very little emotion, and show next to none. This is, in fact, a tip-off that Shaidar Haran is ''not'' actually a Myrddraal, as he frequently smiles and laughs (though his sense of humor is quite cruel).
*** In the first book, Rand gets the impression that they feel hatred for every living thing; near the end, we are told that both Myrddraal Padan Fain was assigned to (as well as the Trollocs) treated him like absolute dirt and verbally and physically abused him, and one forced him to sleep in a cooking cauldron every night to remind him of what will happen if he fails (ie. Trolloc food). Sounds less like TheStoic than The Eternally Malevolvent. Its also clear that they can feel fear; for instance, of Mashadar and Shadar Logoth.
** VillainForgotToLevelGrind: In the first few books, they're terrifying. Later on, the protagonists can kill them with only slightly more difficulty than Trollocs, though they're still a terrible threat to most people in the setting.
** TheWorfEffect: In regards to Fain; the fact that his powers let him kill, torture, and control them is used to emphasize how powerful and evil ''he'' is (normally, Myrddraal only back down for Forsaken or the Dark One himself).

* '''Draghkar'''

The Shadow's flying scouts and assassins, Draghkar are winged, humanoid creatures with the power to consume the souls of their victims. Fortunately they're said to be even less intelligent than Trollocs, but they're still deadly when under the command of a Myrddraal.

** AlwaysChaoticEvil
** BlackEyesOfEvil
** {{Flight}}
** MusicalAssassin: They use their song to mesmerize their prey before swooping in for the kill/soul sucking
** OurVampiresAreDifferent
** WingedHumanoid
** YourSoulIsMine

* '''Gray Men'''

These are standard human Darkfriends who have surrendered their souls to the Shadow. In exchange, they get turned into {{Ridiculously Average Guy}}s who can enter without anyone noticing, which serves them well in their role as assassins.

** BeneathNotice: {{Invoked}}. Grey Men are typically written into the narration as an UnusuallyUninterestingSight, inviting ''the reader'' to overlook them. {{Double Take}}s can follow, both InUniverse and out.
** KnifeNut: A knife is the weapon most often associated with a Gray Man assassin.
** PerceptionFilter: They're next to impossible to see coming; they don't even trip the SpiderSense radar that channelers get with creatures of the Shadow. The only ways to survive a Grey Man attack are to get lucky (have their initial attempt miss or fail somehow, which reveals their presence), be ''very'' quick (they become a lot easier to notice right before they strike, because the "OH GOD HE HAS A KNIFE" mental response overrides their powers), or to have some other way of detecting them ([[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Perrin]], for example, can smell them coming).
** NonIndicativeName: Yes, women can become Grey Men.
** RidiculouslyAverageGuy
** TheSoulless: One of their names, anyway.

* '''''Gholam'''''

An anti-channeling assassin created during the Age of Legends and kept [[SuspendedAnimation in a stasis box]] for until the present time in the Third Age. His behaviors and near indestructibility has made him one of the more notable single Shadowspawn, as well as being, as far as is known, the only one of his kind left.

** AndYourLittleDogToo: Threatens everyone Mat cares about when he confronts him eventually, specifying [[spoiler:[[TagalongKid Olver]], [[CoolOldGuy Noal]], [[OldMaster Thom]], and [[ArrangedMarriage Tuon]].]]
** AchillesHeel: The foxhead medallion.
** [[spoiler:AndIMustScream: Doomed to fall into the [[AnotherDimension Skimming dimension]] for all eternity when Mat kicks him off the platform in ''Towers of Midnight''.]]
** AntiMagic: Cannot be harmed by weaves directly, or even touched by them. However, it seems that he himself is composed of them, since the weave-destroying medallion can burn him.
** ArchEnemy: Seems to be one to Mat, due to [[AchillesHeel the foxhead medallion]]. Eventually, he is even deliberately sent to kill him and those close to him.
** BizarreAlienBiology: Completely bloodless, and doesn't seem to react to any wounds not made by his AchillesHeel.
** BlondeGuysAreEvil: This ''gholam'' is, anyway.
** BossInMookClothing: No other Shadowspawn has ever been so much trouble for the protagonists as this one.
** {{Golem}}: As per his MeaningfulName, he is a constructed man, albeit far more agile than many of that type.
** HeroKiller: Kills many members of the Band of the Red Hand, at least. His other kills have been noncombatants.
** ImplacableMan
** KickTheDog: [[spoiler:Killed and drained a tied up [[MrsRobinson Queen Tylin]] basically because he could.]]
** LastOfHisKind: It is unknown if any of the other ''gholam'' in stasis are still alive, so he is presumed to be ''the gholam''.
** NighInvulnerable: Can only be stalled through indirect uses of the Power, or harmed by the foxhead medallion. Whether or not he can even die is unknown.
** NoNameGiven: He is only ever known as "the ''gholam''".
** OurVampiresAreDifferent: Drinks the blood of his victims, tearing their throats out to do so.
** RubberMan: Can avoid nearly every attack and fit into a space "two hand spans wide" by squeezing and turning himself around it.
** SpellMyNameWithAnS: Always is italicized in print.
** SuperStrength
** ThisCannotBe: His reaction to [[spoiler:Mat's copies of the medallion]].
--->'''Gholam''': How? ''How!''
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[[/folder]]

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<<|CharacterSheets|>>

* KnightTemplar:

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Not him, but everyone else about the Hand of the Light. Even other Whitecloaks call then Questioners and dislike their methods.

* UglyGuyHotWife: Is only attracted to ugly men, the uglier the better and always ends up with Gaidal Cain.

* EndOfAnAge: Only ever reborn when one Age moves into the next. [[spoiler: this has led to speculation that they may be Elayne's unborn twins.]]

* NamesTheSame: There are many fictional characters called The Dark One

'''The Forsaken'''

* [[spoiler:PastLifeMemories: As Lews Therin Telamon. After he works out his issues in ''TheGatheringStorm,'' these become less flashbacks and glimpses and more just memories he has.]]
* OneManArmy: [[spoiler: In ''Towers of Midnight'' he takes out one hundred thousand Shadowspawn in one battle.]] See above: {{Badass}}.