Why is Min such an unpopular character?

[Leopoled Boothe]

She's one of my personal favorites, but I've talked to alot of WOT fans who just don't care for her. Does anyone else here like Min, and if not why?

[Guest Majsju]

Unpopular? Around here Min is one of the more popular characters, at least she used to be.

[SinisterDeath]

Most people have a fanatical hatered of Nyneave, Egweene, and Faile. I think they are just sexist!

Now, they may have a point if they are talking about the female version of Arnold Swarzenager*sp*... But thats physical power not.. illusionary power/attitudes.

[Leopoled Boothe]

who's the female Arnold?

[SinisterDeath]

Think of Arnolds muscular structure, Then make em female.. There are such people who exist... I don't know there names.. but the mere thought makes most guys shutter. :P *Not to mention that, that amount of muscles on a women looks bad!* :P

[Kadere]

personally I love most, if not all, of the female characters of this series, and Min is by FAR my favorite. I'm completely smitten with her.

[TaeaDawn]

I am... sadly to say.. not fond of Min.

 

I love Nynaeve because I think she is such a great contradiction of herself all the time, of what she thinks she should be and who she is, of what she wants to do and what she really ends up doing.

 

Egwene is interesting because of her personal will, her drive to do things against her own fears.

 

Elayne has the whole Queen thing going for her, plus her mom and brothers to deal with.

 

Aviendha is interesting in her whole cultural otherness and how we see her getting almost corrupted sometimes by the 'wetlander' ways and then demeaning herself for it.

 

Min... well... Min just hangs with Rand. Don't get me wrong. She's got that awesome sight. But I always just feel like she's there to calm Rand down, to ground him, and other then the visions she sees from time to time, I don't feel like she had a purpose. The other woman all have a goal they are working towards. And no, I don't think Min does. I would even give her credit is she was trying to keep the Gragon Reborn sane for the Last Battle. As a character, she's just going along for the ride with him. (Not in the had no willpower kinda way, but in the, hey where you go I go kinda way.) All the other woman are there for a reason and I keep waiting to see what Min's really defining purpose will be... and I haven't found it yet. Or even worse, maybe I have.

 

Nynaeve.. gets to help Rand clear the taint and send Lan off to reclaim him homeland.

Egwene becomes Amyrlin Seat and gets that kickin' rebellious won't-sit-on-a-cushion-though-i've-been-thrashed thing going and the Tower loves her for it.

Elayne becomes Aes Sedai Queen of Andor

Aviendha..well... she gets to become a Wise One and wear pretty dresses :P

Where is Min going, except to dangle on Rand's knee and read philosophy books by dead guys who crushed on her? Cause if her whole purpose in 12 books is to spout a line of philosophy at the right moment i'm gonna be really upset. She deserves more than that. Give me a real purpose for her and I will love her to pieces rather than thinking she's Ok for a piece of Rand's furniture.

 

:P

[Inara]

i love min, myself

she's not my fav, but she's up there.

i've always thought that pple here didnt like perrin, faile, egwene or nynaeve

 

i didnt know min was on anyones hate list

[Kaznen]

When you look at the company Min keeps it is easy to see how she looks diminished. I used to like Min but after she wormed her way into Rand's emessary group I grew to quickly dislike her.

 

Min is a distraction to Rand. It's good when they are alone and he needs to take his mind off his troubles but when he has a job to do, like meeting tDoNM he was focused on protecting her instead of the encounter. He raise his hand to block the fireball to protect Min. If she wasn't there he might have jumped out of the way instead.

[Kadere]

Personally I see Min as kind of an equivalent to Sam Gamgee. Rand is going mad, he could blow at any point, there's danger all around him, everyone and their brother wants him dead, and even knowing that Min stays by his side.

 

Elayne and Avi have left him. Now that's not necassarily their fault, Elayne did have to take back her throne and Avi did have to............ wait she didn't do anything. Their like Aragorn and Gandelf (or any of the other characters from the Fellowship) they love Rand, but they got better things to do then try to consule him when he's going nuts.

 

I think Min is incredibly brave, it's not her fault she can't touch the Power. And I'm sure she's going to have something cool in the 12th book, I mean EVERYBODY is going to have something cool to do in the 12th book.

[TaeaDawn]

I hope you're right. I loved Min at first because she had the coll sight thing and was different from most people, but she's been relagated to 'companion' status without anything else to do for quite a while. It's not being around power people that has diminished her, it's been her lack of action. Following Rand isn't really action to me. I want to see her do something great in the last book. I want to see her come out from her 'keeping Rand sane and going with the flow' job to be someone important, to have something real to contribute.

[Msnformd]

I'm kinda hot'n'cold on Min as well. I like her, but after reading this read, you're right; she doesn't seem to have much Purpose in the story. She's playing Deanna Troi to Rand's Picard. She's counselor and emotional buffer, the ultimate paramour. At one point she says she'll take him any way she can, even if it's only for a little while. She feels like she can't compete with what Elayne, or even Aviendha has to offer. That's pretty low self-esteem if you ask me.

 

It has occurred to me that her long term purpose could be to become an educator - a professor in the universities that are being created in Cairhien and Camelyn and elsewhere. She developed enormous respect for the old professor who was unfortunately killed (Feld something?). She likes to read. Hopefully she's learned a love of knowledge, and the desire to preserve knowledge, and foster the development of new knowledge. And if another Breaking of the World comes, the need to preserve knowledge will be great. I can see her long term becoming head of one of those universities, perhaps. But that would be years down the road, not likely something we'll see actually written, unfortunately.

[rd2000]

I see Min as a central character in the story. She serves to help "humanise" Rand for us, the audience. Kind of like she's a balance that she speaks of....against the hard, cold Rand we have seen a lot of lately. If you were Rand, would you like to have Min by your side? Having someone who supports you unconditionally, and someone you can trust implicitly can make a bleak world a lot more bearable.

[dalic]

Min rocks. She's the girl next door who plays tackle football with the guys and looks hot hot in Daisy Dukes at the same time.

[Guest Cadsuane]

I don't dislike Min, but I also don't like her as much as I did before she became Rand's plaything. She was more interesting when she was out and about doing her own thing, rather than just tagging along after him. She's cooler than her current role gives her credit for.

[F Horn of Valere]

Cadsuane is the only female character on Rand's side that I don't really like. hehe sorry caddy!

 

Min is cool, though the flirtier she gets, the less I like her.

 

Eg is awesome as long as Aram is not around.

 

Nyn is my hero!

 

and Faile... well lets just say I'm one of the minorities on her... I'm very much like Perrin... and my best friend is very much like Faile...

[Orgavin360]

Actually... I like Min. I am not quite sure WHY i like Min, but I do. I think because shes a loyal woman and would humiliate herself and the things she has become for Rand because she loves him. That kind of sacrifice is important to me.

 

Avi-Rands first sex... and.. well.. shes a wise one so therefore overbearing and set in some odd ways. I like Avi too, don't get me wrong. But I don't think shes as good as Min

 

Elayne- Elayne is a ruler, and a damn fine one at that. She knows what needs to be done and understands the concept of sacrificing the few for the greater good.. but doesn't resort to that at any given moment. If she could find a way to help everyone she could.

 

Nyneave- I hated Nyn at the beginning of the series, but as she grew (and finally got rid of that blasted channeling block) she became a much more important character to me. Especially when she and Lan finally got together and now that shes pulling him off of his fancloth covered hiney to do what he needed to do three books ago.

 

Egwene- Honestly, I don't like Egwene at all. She was my favorite character up until the end of the Great hunt, and she just got a bit too big for her smallclothes.

 

Faile- My absolute favorite female character to date. Why? She is independent, strong willed, and pretty much an atypical nordic type woman in my book. Nordic women are the best, ever. She leads Perrin to where she feels he needs to be... and choosing her will cause Perrin to pretty much choose the axe (which I kind of want him to choose.. i like Perrin as a begrudging leader... those who don't want power are the ones more fit to wield it). Choosing the Hammer would set him so far back... at least now. AFter Tarmon Gaidon let him choose the hammer, when the fate of the world isn't aided by his shoulders.

[Orgavin360]

Actually... I like Min. I am not quite sure WHY i like Min, but I do. I think because shes a loyal woman and would humiliate herself and the things she has become for Rand because she loves him. That kind of sacrifice is important to me.

 

Avi-Rands first sex... and.. well.. shes a wise one so therefore overbearing and set in some odd ways. I like Avi too, don't get me wrong. But I don't think shes as good as Min

 

Elayne- Elayne is a ruler, and a damn fine one at that. She knows what needs to be done and understands the concept of sacrificing the few for the greater good.. but doesn't resort to that at any given moment. If she could find a way to help everyone she could.

 

Nyneave- I hated Nyn at the beginning of the series, but as she grew (and finally got rid of that blasted channeling block) she became a much more important character to me. Especially when she and Lan finally got together and now that shes pulling him off of his fancloth covered hiney to do what he needed to do three books ago.

 

Egwene- Honestly, I don't like Egwene at all. She was my favorite character up until the end of the Great hunt, and she just got a bit too big for her smallclothes.

 

Faile- My absolute favorite female character to date. Why? She is independent, strong willed, and pretty much an atypical nordic type woman in my book. Nordic women are the best, ever. She leads Perrin to where she feels he needs to be... and choosing her will cause Perrin to pretty much choose the axe (which I kind of want him to choose.. i like Perrin as a begrudging leader... those who don't want power are the ones more fit to wield it). Choosing the Hammer would set him so far back... at least now. AFter Tarmon Gaidon let him choose the hammer, when the fate of the world isn't aided by his shoulders.

[GoodGrief]

Min rocks, even if she has moved to the land of under-used awesome characters. Her use is vital, both in terms of the story and from a storytelling perspective, but I agree that she could be given more to do. We know that she is capable of awesomeness, having managed to plant a dagger in Semi during a mad battle with the Power. But to me her greatest traits are courage, loyalty and understanding. Once, an Asha'man went mad before her very eyes, and instead of screaming and running she babysat him and kept him occupied so that he didn't do any damage until help came. How much courage would that take? About as much as it would take to stick with a man who all the world fears, who is quite probably going to die as far as you know, and who is going mad with paranoia and *the voice in his head* as you watch. She has what the others don't, and they can kick all the booty they want, they don't have what she does. I like them all for different reasons. Well, this is why I like her.

Maybe she could see more action, but the job is doing now is vital and the plain fact of the matter is that no one else qualifies.

 

You could look at it another way.

 

Before becoming Rand's mistress, she kept Eggy from cracking under Seanchan brainwashing just by being there when she could have escaped on her own. She helped smuggle Suian and Leane from the tower. She had a heap of cool visions.

 

Afterwards, she still has cool visions but her role has been more subtle. She's been around Aes Sedai, Wise Ones and philosophers, and it shows - she's becoming a bit of a sage herself. She's seen details of the Pattern but now she's exploring the nature of the bigger picture. She has gained a tremendous amount of influence. Women are copying her style from Tear to Cairhien, and it's not just because she's the Dragon's mistress, I believe. Is it any coincidence that that style took off just after Cairhien's little Aiel-inspired ji'e'toh fencing society and female warrior controversy? It's not: she's sitting on the epicentre of a cultural revolution, and she already has the respect of the spiritual leaders of an entire people, the attention of the Aes Sedai, and clearly has an influence on the lifestyle choices of all those in Rand's various places of court. She's fashionable among them become of who she hangs with, but she is much more than just fashionable. They all know that she's more than just Rand's lover. Already, when she talks people sit up and pay attention whether she's having a vision or not. Basically, she's caught a lot of attention and is in a position to do something with it. She might become one of the most influential people of the next Age.

[GoodGrief]

Min rocks, even if she has moved to the land of under-used awesome characters. Her use is vital, both in terms of the story and from a storytelling perspective, but I agree that she could be given more to do. We know that she is capable of awesomeness, having managed to plant a dagger in Semi during a mad battle with the Power. But to me her greatest traits are courage, loyalty and understanding. Once, an Asha'man went mad before her very eyes, and instead of screaming and running she babysat him and kept him occupied so that he didn't do any damage until help came. How much courage would that take? About as much as it would take to stick with a man who all the world fears, who is quite probably going to die as far as you know, and who is going mad with paranoia and *the voice in his head* as you watch. She has what the others don't, and they can kick all the booty they want, they don't have what she does. I like them all for different reasons. Well, this is why I like her.

Maybe she could see more action, but the job is doing now is vital and the plain fact of the matter is that no one else qualifies.

 

You could look at it another way.

 

Before becoming Rand's mistress, she kept Eggy from cracking under Seanchan brainwashing just by being there when she could have escaped on her own. She helped smuggle Suian and Leane from the tower. She had a heap of cool visions.

 

Afterwards, she still has cool visions but her role has been more subtle. She's been around Aes Sedai, Wise Ones and philosophers, and it shows - she's becoming a bit of a sage herself. She's seen details of the Pattern but now she's exploring the nature of the bigger picture. She has gained a tremendous amount of influence. Women are copying her style from Tear to Cairhien, and it's not just because she's the Dragon's mistress, I believe. Is it any coincidence that that style took off just after Cairhien's little Aiel-inspired ji'e'toh fencing society and female warrior controversy? It's not: she's sitting on the epicentre of a cultural revolution, and she already has the respect of the spiritual leaders of an entire people, the attention of the Aes Sedai, and clearly has an influence on the lifestyle choices of all those in Rand's various places of court. She's fashionable among them become of who she hangs with, but she is much more than just fashionable. They all know that she's more than just Rand's lover. Already, when she talks people sit up and pay attention whether she's having a vision or not. Basically, she's caught a lot of attention and is in a position to do something with it. She might become one of the most influential people of the next Age.

[Toman Zahere]

Yes Min is one of my fav female characters. Her visions are really cool but putting all that aside I've her to be the most normal of the females in Randland. I personally liked how Rand always felt that he could sit down and talk to Min unlike any of the major female characters, and that she would tell him straight when he was being a woolheaded sheepherder.

[elmindreda]

i like min (as you can guess) her and aviendha are my favourite characters i like the way they are both tomboys and feminine at the same time

[ryan707]

I like Min very much too. She is a great character. She has helped many times with her visions, comforting Rand, and is learning philosophy. A different topic about Herid Fel & the gholam mentioned who better than Min now to figure out the philosophy stuff for Rand. She does have a role and is a lot of fun to read about.

[Aviendha]

I'm a great Min fan. I agree with rd's earlier description, Min balances, stablises and humanises Rand. She's part of the trio that makes him remember love (at least I think so) and this is something he desparately needs.

 

I also like Avi unconditionally.

 

I like Elayne, though I sometimes find her a bit of a pain.

 

Prior to hooking up with Rand again in the later books I sometimes found Nynaeve more than a little overbearing. Since re-joining Rand's crew I found her character much more appealing.

 

Fayle, well, she's definitely not one of my favourites. She lords over everyone. She doesn't like Rand and I feel she would pull Perin away from Rand if she could.

 

Egwene ... well of late I find her character more than a little annoying. Aside from the way she carries on with the rebel AS, she's supposed to know Rand (supposed to have been all but engaged to him) but the things she thinks about him - what he's supposed to have done or do - is so far off the mark it's annoying.

 

Cadsuanne - I find a stuck up old prune. Am I being too hard on her?

[Fantastic Sid]

I think that Min`s great purpose at the end is to figure out what Hared Fel(?) was going to tell Rand right before he was killed. He had figured out something vital (he was killed because of that discovery) about the last battle and the prison seal and I think its Min`s objective to figure out what that was.