Rand Al'Thor as commander-in-chief

[Builder]

I don't know about you guys, but I felt a little dissapointed that Rand didn't manage to conquer all known land by book 11. That was then, and I'm like two years older I think and I'm on my first re-read.

 

I think he will become more successful after he 'learns to cry'. I think that he will learn that being hard isn't as good as he thought, and that after overcoming the emotional breakdown that he will become stronger and not harder.

 

I think Rand would be better at everything (of course he wouldn't, but you know what parts I'm talking about) so he and everyone else would get better chances at defeating the DO.

[spothistto]

I don't think he would become better or stronger if he let his emotions cloud his judgment. Considering how slippery most of his subjects are (Tear lords), I think he can't allow to be soft or 'strengthened by his emotions'. He might just snap and kill them all, should he let their betrayals and plotting affect him personally.

 

He could very well already be mad if he hadn't grown so hard. Not everyone can endure two never-healing wounds in his side and just ignore the fact that he lost his hand. I certainly wouldn't stay the same and I don't have the threatening madness on the horizon.

 

Only thing that his hardness might do is that after winning the Last Battle it might not be much better than loosing. But as he will very probably die, that isn't a problem.

 

So I think that Rand should continue as he has so far.

[CUBAREY]

Only thing that his hardness might do is that after winning the Last Battle it might not be much better than loosing. But as he will very probably die, that isn't a problem.

 

Even if we presume he dies, his example to the Ashaman would be really made news for the rest of the world after the last battle. Think of a few hundred to a few thousand hard arrogent Ashaman doing what they wanted regardless of how the general population felt. Would not be much better then a world ruled by the Chosen.

[spothistto]

Lets hope that Logain, who seems a sensible guy, takes the Black Tower over from Mazrim Taim and keeps the Ashaman under control.

[Jethro]

I think he will become more successful after he 'learns to cry'. I think that he will learn that being hard isn't as good as he thought, and that after overcoming the emotional breakdown that he will become stronger and not harder.

 

Hasnt it made for briliant reading so far though? The way he hardens himself, repressing his emotions so in the end they wont exist, in order to stop his loved ones from becoming targets. How he tortures himself with his list of women that died for him. I think Moiraines return will play a part in Rand reconnecting with his emotions.

 

He could very well already be mad if he hadn't grown so hard.

 

Rand is already mad, its just not the typical utterly loopy madness people look for. I believe what Semirhage said in KoD, that Rand suffers from a madness that connects him to his past life. The Taint is NOT an exclusive cause for this madness; the wildness of the mind is a common trait of the Taints effects, but since Graendal has heard of this madness before, she must have known of another who had it before she was sealed in the Great Lords prison, ie before the Taint existed.

 

Not everyone can endure two never-healing wounds in his side and just ignore the fact that he lost his hand. I certainly wouldn't stay the same and I don't have the threatening madness on the horizon

 

Thats probably the best example of how Rands hardness has benefited him. Moments after coming to after blacking out in KoD, I think the second thing he said was "I'll have to relearn the sword." Hardcore! And Min says he feels nothing. Its like hes moved on from it moments after it happened; chances are if he wasnt as hard as he was he might have actually cared-the Power can do anything a hand could anyway, and nothing will compare to dying even if he lives afterwards-and if he cared, losing the hand might have caused him to falter like it would for any normal person.

 

Only thing that his hardness might do is that after winning the Last Battle it might not be much better than loosing. But as he will very probably die, that isn't a problem.

 

So I think that Rand should continue as he has so far.

 

Yet the characters have been given hints that mean Rand may live after dying, and also nobody knows what sacrificing himself entails. If Rand did live after dying, but was completely nuts and still as hard as he is now, then things wouldnt be looking good at all, since he is as powerful as channelers can be so the common belief says