Who Are the Forsaken in 'The Wheel of Time?'
Image Source: TV Insider
Robert Jordan liked to play with numbers and symbols to drop those subtle ties to our own timeline, which plays into his world-building of time as cyclical. So the story we’re reading is supposedly part of our future, but also part of our past. It can be a little confusing, but cyclical time is central to The Wheel of Time.
Back in the Age of Legends, when the Dark One was discovered and the Bore allowed his corruption into the world, many Aes Sedai, both male and female, turned to the Dark One’s power and sought to free him. By the time of Lews Therin Telamon’s last ditch effort to seal the bore, there were 12 channelers who had aligned themselves with the Dark One that came to be known as the Forsaken. They were his most loyal and powerful channelers, and by the time of Rand’s story, they had been released from their prison and continued their work to free the Dark One.
Image Source: Nerdist
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The most powerful of the Forsaken were those closest in loyalty to the Dark One. Prime among them was Ishamael, considered to be the Dark One’s right hand man. He was so immensely powerful that he was comparable to the Dragon himself, and could draw upon the True Power, that which comes from the Dark One. Ishamael was also one of the only ones who was immune to the passage of time. Rahvin, another of the Forsaken, is his only equal among them with power.
Because of the nature of the Dark One’s corruption, which brings out the worst in humanity and enhances it, the Forsaken were notoriously duplicitous with each other, all while trying to achieve the same goal. The Dark One’s influence enhances traits like jealousy and rage and desire for power.
With the Forsaken having sworn to serve him, and being some of the most powerful channelers ever, they frequently fought with each other and betrayed one another. Rivalries developed among them, such as the one between Lanfear and Moghedien. It is a poignant flaw that continues to elude them, that if they were to have pooled their efforts and worked with each other without the ambition of being chief among them, they would have been able to easily defeat Rand.
Image Source: Nerdist
Most of the Forsaken operate in the background of the story. Since Jordan was so incredibly detailed in his world-building, they make their way into the prose through a form of intermission, but much of the time word of their machinations come through whispers and rumors among the characters. The ones that get the most exposure and time dedicated to their involvement are of course Ishamael, due to his role as lord of the Forsaken, but there is also Lanfear, Moghedien, Sammael, and Semirhage.
Much of the time, their identity is speculated and only becomes apparent when they are confronted, like when Rand and his friends conquered the Stone of Tear and Moiraine killed Be’lal with balefire. They frequently placed themselves in courts around the world to influence the wealthy and powerful, except Moghedien. She enjoyed infiltrating people’s dreams and hiding in shadows.
Because there are 12 of them, it will be interesting to see how the show incorporates all of them into the story. It’s “easier” to do so in a 14 book series with an average page count over 600, but when you are limited to eight episodes in a season, I would be surprised to see more than the big names to make screen appearances. So far, the show has introduced Ishamael, Lanfear, and Moghedien. With the discord and dissidence in the White Tower a frequent feature in the show, it’s likely that the showrunners will bring in Mesaana, who is undercover as a Brown Ajah sister. Time will tell.
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Source: Fandom
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