The most despicable character

[Jethro]

Rands arrogance comes from him changing from a farmer to a man who the whole world depends on, a man who siezes nations by force.

[Mr Ares]

Rands arrogance comes from him changing from a farmer to a man who the whole world depends on, a man who siezes nations by force.

Elayne's comes from what amounts to a lifetime of being told, you are better than these people, you are going to rule them someday. All things considered, she is remarkably down to earth.

 

Defending her?

Why not? I approve.

 

And Moiraine had the camp warded, so she said; no creature of the Dark One would see it unless he walked right into it... The scouts would find anyone or anything trying to approach the camp.

Scouts around, and camp warded. Precautions taken. So, who dies because of Perrin's refusal to use his wolfbrother senses? Those people died because the scouts didn't pick up on the Shadowspawn and they stumbled right into the camp and attacked. If Trollocs attack in force, it's not unusual for people to die. Name one character who died because of Perrin not using his wolfbrother senses (not Leya, it was the Fade that killed her).

[mcs0083]

I have to go with Elaida on this one.

[ssj5_nick]

My vote goes to Nynaeve.

[mcs0083]

Are you kidding me?

[Gentled Ben]

I think people are confusing despicable with disliked, including the OP. Some of the candidates, like Egwene, are far from despicable, though they may be quite unlikable.

[ssj5_nick]

No, she is totally self-absorbed and a see you in tee. So far, (i'm on book 5) all she wants is revenge on Moraine. If not for Moraine everyone dies. I feel sorry for Lan, who is one of the smartest and most likeable characters, who has been forced by Robert Jordan to be in love with her.

[Chel Vanin]

No, she is totally self-absorbed and a see you in tee. So far, (i'm on book 5) all she wants is revenge on Moraine. If not for Moraine everyone dies. I feel sorry for Lan, who is one of the smartest and most likeable characters, who has been forced by Robert Jordan to be in love with her.

 

Bah, you people. Nyn is not despicable (and certainly not self-centered, she just thinks she right 100% of the time) she's very hard headed and occasionally annoying. Do you DESPISE a person because they get angry easy? If so, you need to stop being judgmental, everyone has faults. People need to look past the braid-tugging, and men-thinking-with-the-hair-on-their-chest attitude of Nyn's and look at what she has done. Someone pointed out that there is a difference between dislike and despise, and I wholeheartedly agree.

 

In defense of Nyn, her dislike bordering on hate of Moiraine is pretty understandable. Moiraine "kidnapped" (not really but if Rand or Mat or Perrin said they wouldn't come you can bet your boots she would have) the boys from Emonds Field (albeit to save the world) and held the loyalty of the man she loves. Pretty much zero chance of them getting along. And, come on, she's occasionally ridiculous (ok often) but as the series goes on she's turning more and more to be one of the most admirable characters. She sticks by Rand's side no matter what and would (and many times has, in her own Nynaeve way) do anything to see the boys safe. Truly despicable.

 

Someone said that its interesting that Elayne and Egwene are on here but none of the main male characters and I have to agree. I think that comes from a lot of people being annoyed by the women always thinking they know better than the men. Sure lots of problems could be avoided if they opened their eyes occasionally and noticed that sometimes the men see clearer (*gasp*) but how often does that happen in real life? Why should it happen in RJ's world more often? I like nearly all the main characters (although Elayne's "oh I can't be hurt, Min's viewing lalalala" attitude is purely infuriating) and I think people who don't need to look at the overall spectrum. As far as I'm concerned Nyn can tug her braid to hearts content as long as she continues to help Rand.

 

Gah.

[mcs0083]

Well said Chel

[rhadamanthus]

I have no idea why Egwene and Elayne are even on this list.  ???

 

Similarly, no Forsaken should be on this poll, since they would obviously all be MUCH more despicable than any character we've seen from the current age.

 

Whatever.  I'll go with Sevanna, for the same reasons others mentioned already.  Close second though is Elaida.  While not as ruthless as Sevanna, her rampant ego and proudly self-induced ignorance are just maddening.  I can't wait to see her smacked down in AMoL - I have a feeling she will not be killed, but I suppose a lifetime of humiliation is just as statisfying.

 

Mildly off-topic:  One of my favorite scenes is when Merise addresses the rebel Aes Sedai in KoD, lamblasting them for their trivial political games while the whole bloody world crumbles around them to the shadow.  Both sides of the Aes Sedai are just plain aggravating at times, and it was nice to see some of them forced to contend with reality.

[adverge]

 

I vote for Morgase for being a godawful queen.  I never understand why certain characters say she was so wonderful all the time.  When Rand first got to Caemlyn the city was in near revolution against her.  She doesn't seem to ever have control over anything other than the city, and just barely that.  She spends all of her time moaning over men; Thom, Rahvin, Tallanvor.  When she finally escapes Rahvin she decides the best idea is to go to the Whitecloaks, who have laws against women like her who trained in the White Tower and were basically enemies of Andor, instead of going to the White Tower itself - a place she was allied to for a long time and supports her own daughter being at.  She has no idea what is going on in the world and believes that Andor is the only real important thing, despite her constant braying about knowing the prophecies.  She's a really stupid person and needs to be killed by the Aiel at some point.  If the world thinks she's dead, afterall, she may as well be.

[mcs0083]

Actually I blame her for being a sucky queen for being seduced by a damn Forsaken :-\

[MikeRiley]

Wasn't the revolt due to Logain being paraded through Caemlyn and drawing countless spectators? Andorans didn't like the strangers around. The Queen's Guard was pretty active patrolling to keep the peace.

[Scutum Fidei]

Wasn't the revolt due to Logain being paraded through Caemlyn and drawing countless spectators? Andorans didn't like the strangers around. The Queen's Guard was pretty active patrolling to keep the peace.

 

The revolts were over the prolonged winter that was inflicting Randland.  In fact, White Cockades found alot of support amongst the new arrivals, because the strangers were willing to put on the White so as to fit in more.

[Majsju]

It might be worth keeping in mind that Rahvin Compelled Morgase quite heavily, so whatever she did while he was in the palace, including some time after her escape is not her fault. It does however speak volumes about hpow strong as a person she is, when she was able to break free of Rahvins Compulsion.

[MikeRiley]

Along the same line of thought, most of what Elaida did as Amyrlin Seat could be chalked up to Black Ajah blackmail. She's also set on making things right again. Sure, she's elitist.. but I think she'd make a pretty good Amyrlin in peaceful times. I can see Egwene deposing her but forgiving after as a gesture to keep the Tower whole. Elaida isn't all that bad, though.

[Majsju]

You mean Elaida is not evil. Which is not the same as her being bad. She did quite a few grey area things long before Alvhiarin started to blackmail her. Not because she is evil, but because she is extremely full of herself. Elaida is one of those peple who believes that there is one absolute truth, and she knows what it is. Very much like the whitecloaks and the Seanchan, though compared to them she is kinda Mother Teresa.

[Solarian]

 

When she finally escapes Rahvin she decides the best idea is to go to the Whitecloaks, who have laws against women like her who trained in the White Tower and were basically enemies of Andor, instead of going to the White Tower itself - a place she was allied to for a long time and supports her own daughter being at.

 

Never thought about it, but yeah, this really doesn't make much sense at all.  ???

[Majsju]

 

When she finally escapes Rahvin she decides the best idea is to go to the Whitecloaks, who have laws against women like her who trained in the White Tower and were basically enemies of Andor, instead of going to the White Tower itself - a place she was allied to for a long time and supports her own daughter being at.

 

Never thought about it, but yeah, this really doesn't make much sense at all.  ???

 

Just having escaped from being heavily Compelled, and thus not thinking as clearly as usual?

[Alderthal]

I'm going to go with Sevanna.

 

Although, if I were to make an addition to the list, I'd say all Aes Sedai.

 

The entire idea of the White Tower ruling the world is despicable. I do not like manipulators, especially those who do not think very highly of those they manipulate.

 

The AS have had what? 3000 years of making the world dance to their tune, and have no problem with twisting things around and ruining people in order to get their chance at it.

 

[lgautam]

Along the same line of thought, most of what Elaida did as Amyrlin Seat could be chalked up to Black Ajah blackmail. She's also set on making things right again. Sure, she's elitist.. but I think she'd make a pretty good Amyrlin in peaceful times. I can see Egwene deposing her but forgiving after as a gesture to keep the Tower whole. Elaida isn't all that bad, though.

I totally agree. She might have made a good Amyrlin in different circumstances. But she's had a horrible run of luck, beginning with being infected by Fain -causing her to be more brittle and angry- and then that mess with the Black Tower and her misintrepation of her Foretelling(concerning the Black Tower and the Dragon Reborn). I think the three supergirls are way too sanctimonious in their condemnation of her.

[Mr Ares]

No, she is totally self-absorbed and a see you in tee. So far, (i'm on book 5) all she wants is revenge on Moraine. If not for Moraine everyone dies. I feel sorry for Lan, who is one of the smartest and most likeable characters, who has been forced by Robert Jordan to be in love with her.

Are we reading the same books? There's not another version out there, is there?

[Emily_Sedai]

 

When she finally escapes Rahvin she decides the best idea is to go to the Whitecloaks, who have laws against women like her who trained in the White Tower and were basically enemies of Andor, instead of going to the White Tower itself - a place she was allied to for a long time and supports her own daughter being at.

 

Never thought about it, but yeah, this really doesn't make much sense at all.  ???

 

What options were open to Morgase after fleeing the city and finding no support in the countryside?  Tear/Cairhien (sorry for the spelling, I don't feel like picking up my books as I'm comfy on the couch, lol) were already controlled by Rand.  Ghealdan, where the prophet's mobs were decimating the countryside and leaders were changing monthly?  Murandy, a country with no central leadership and constant raids over the border?  Illian, which has been preparing for war with Tear?  The borderlands where leaders don't especially care for the game of thrones and armies generally don't leave the blight border?  Tar Valon - which keeps enough of an armed force to maintain one island, and you've been compelled for months on end to distrust Aes Sedai? (to that, we see in Morgase's perspective at times that even though she broke away from Rahvain's compulsion, the effects still lingered like when she regretting hearing he had been killed.) 

 

I think really the only possibilities open to her was Amadicia or Altara, but even Altara seems like a poor choice because of Tylen's weakness as a ruler.  Everyone else were either too weak to aid her, or had other things to occupy them.  Amador in the mean time had a ready army and a relatively stable country.  All in all, I think Morgase made the best choice she could out of a whole bunch of bad options.       

[MikeRiley]

No, she is totally self-absorbed and a see you in tee. So far, (i'm on book 5) all she wants is revenge on Moraine. If not for Moraine everyone dies. I feel sorry for Lan, who is one of the smartest and most likeable characters, who has been forced by Robert Jordan to be in love with her.

Are we reading the same books? There's not another version out there, is there?

 

In the early books Nynaeve's only goals were to protect the Emonds Fielders and get even with Moraine. She says this in her thoughts multiple times. An example being when Egwene asks her why she's coming to the Tower if she doesn't have to (she survived her first channeling), she thinks to herself to learn as much of the Power as she can so she can protect them and deal with Moraine.

 

Towards the middle of the series the reasons turn into Healing and the Yellow Ajah.

[Gentled Ben]

All in all, I think Morgase made the best choice she could out of a whole bunch of bad options.

Yes, when she abdicated. Andor fell into ruin under her reign, regardless of the Compulsion, and having alienated all of her friends, to bring in a foreign invader and re-establish her control through force of arms only to become a puppet state of another kingdom, was a selfish and terrible idea. The fact that she could gather no support whatsoever should have been a clue-by-four to her thick, besotted with the boy-toy-du-juor head, but being made of the same stuff as her daughter, it was, of course, insufficient to dissuade her from self-centered folly. All hail Morgase, now just a maid and failing just as miserably at that.

 

EDIT: But does that make her despicable, no. Characters like Carridin, Fain, and Sevanna are despicable; Morgase is just a self-centered hussy, a lousy maid, and a failed ruler.