a crazy notion of mine

[randprin]

first of all, forgive me if someone brought the idea before, i haven't read these forums that far back.

 

having read and re-read the series as well as the world of the wheel of time, i've had this crazy notion.

 

what if the dark one isn't really this immortal, super power, creator level being everyone assumes he is?

 

consider the following points

 

• during the AoL, no one knew about the DO, even after the bore was made, no one knew what they were facing until Elan Morin (aka Ishamael) "announced to the world what it was that they faced" (guide, page 63, under ISHAMAEL section).
  
• as far as we know, there are no light side sources of knowledge about the DO. all through the series, the only PoV we've seen that actually provided insight into the DO and his past and future plans come from the dark side.
  
• The curious case of the various timelines rand&co experienced back in TGH while going through the portal stone, it was obvious that in all those possible timelines, rand lost, which means that the DO was going free
   
  
• The fact the DO is an integral part of the third age, despite the claim he is a being outside the pattern (how can you hold something that is outside the pattern with the pattern? on a regular (age cycle) basis)
  

 

and i' pretty sure there were other places in the books that made me think, super power yeah, godlike doubtful.

 

so, here's the loony bit, i have two theories about the ending (both are probably wrong but wth  ;D)

1.The series is supposed to end with rand actually killing the DO, thereby breaking that cycle and letting the world continue along it's pre-planned path (very eddings like, but it sure as hell beat the crackpot theme that goes along the lines of <heavy austrian accent>"i'll be back..." </heavy austrian accent>)

2. same as one, except fain is the new DO that gets imprisoned so the next third age will have a DO as per the script the creator wrote

 

[Crael123]

that is a very interesting theory... we all did kinda assume he was creator level... that would be cool if it happened that way

[Tamar]

I was thinking that same thing about Fain just the other night. I like to think he will become the 'Dark One' for the next turning of the wheel.

[SaintEven]

That is good thinking there...I like it.  I have had a few crazy notions too.  In fact, I have had one similar to yours.  Mine is the DO is a past Dragon gone astray.  That Dragon was imprisioned and forgotten about.  His only way out is to get another Dragon to take his place.

 

Now, I do not have much stock in this crazy notion of mine, but reading your reminded me of mine.  You never know...