Heroes, born or created?

[Caelan Arendor]

Children of the Wheel: Are Heroes Born or Created?

The Pattern gives us Heroes—men and women reborn again and again to fight the Shadow when the turning demands it. Names like Birgitte and Gaidal Cain shine through centuries, woven back into the world whenever balance falters. But that raises a question far older than any prophecy:

Are Heroes born, marked by destiny from their first breath… or are they created by the lives they lead?

Some argue the Wheel chooses them before birth, spinning souls with a brilliance that cannot help but shape the world. Others believe it is the choices they make—the courage, sacrifice, stubborn refusal to yield—that forge a soul worthy of the Horn of Valere.

Maybe both are true. Perhaps the Wheel chooses potential, not certainty. A soul woven to a purpose, but still free to rise or fall. After all, even Heroes can die before fulfilling their part… and even the most ordinary person can change the course of the Age with a single unexpected act.

If the Pattern is shaped by our decisions, not merely our destinies, then any one of us might become more than we seem. Maybe being a “Hero of the Wheel” isn’t just a title—it’s a possibility.

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

The Pattern shouldn't create Heroes. It should create protectors of Balance, not those that fight for the Light. 

 

It is, in my humble opinion, one of those parts of the lore that doesn't quite make sense.