Why Haven't We Seen Someone Turn Darkfriend?

[rane008]

Ok, the series has gone on for the better part of 3 years (?). In that time, there is ample opportunity for someone to go to the Shadow. Why hasn't this happened within the timeline of the books? Perhaps it has and we haven't had the "origin" story, but still, one would think that in an story as intricate as this, something as obvious as that would happen.

 

Discuss amongst yourselves.

[Swithin]

Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

Wouldn't you rather we discuss it here? ^_^ Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

It's a good question, but I think the easiest answer is that showing someone turning would defang the mystery of "who's a darkfriend?" a little bit. I mean, if some main character is heading for a betrayal, then letting the knife come out without warning is much more effective. Beyond that, it might be that neophyte DFs aren't given much interesting to do. Ingtar was effective because he was in charge of stuff, and Hanlon (that character always seemed a bit too convenient) was used because he's an old, experienced, con.

 

You're right, though... until we see what the heck benefits regular people get for being Darkfriends, it still doesn't make sense why anyone would become one.

 

[edit:] totally forgot the BA. It would have been nice to see what that's all about, even if it had to be a known-BA or some inconsequential BA inducting an equally inconsequential AS.

[Zyntras]

wait for ToM when egwene proclaims herself to be the new naeblis (sp?) ;p

[Luckers]

Well we do know of characters who weren't darkfriends in New Spring, and have since become so--Sheriam, for instance.

[Arkane101]

Well we do know of characters who weren't darkfriends in New Spring, and have since become so--Sheriam, for instance.

Sheriam joined because she didn't expect TG to be coming, nor the coming on the Chosen... eh Forsaken, sorry thinking from her POV. She says something like she joined the BA because she wanted to advance in power in the WT nothing to do with loyalty towards the DO or the Forsaken.

[Tom Sawyer]

It would have been an interesting side plot to put in. Much better that the Black Ajah hunter waste of time or something like that. Then you could have had someone be evil with a decent motivation, rather than just randomly turning out to be a bad guy for no particular reason like Sheriam, whose motivations for doing so were just so totally at odds with her character that it was inane.

[Arkane101]

It would have been an interesting side plot to put in. Much better that the Black Ajah hunter waste of time or something like that. Then you could have had someone be evil with a decent motivation, rather than just randomly turning out to be a bad guy for no particular reason like Sheriam, whose motivations for doing so were just so totally at odds with her character that it was inane.

The Black Ajah hunters weren't a waste of time, they were the ones who gave Egwene the idea to reswear the oaths to flush out all BA

[Tom Sawyer]

Ya, and that could have been done with a paragraph. It was just too random an offside that did too little for my liking.

[Sharaman]

Take your pick of all the people with zero or tiny PoVs - some of them are surely DFs.

There's 1/2 dozen Aiel, Bashere, Darlin, Dobraine, Dyelin, Faile, Thom, --- . I'm sure we'll get reveals of who and some motivation/ PoVs at some stage.

For the Aiel, one obvious vibe could be a promise from the GLod's minions to avert the "remnant of a remnant" prophesy.