Your Favourite Characters (Top Ten)

[raolan]

I could just be blind but I've not seen any free discussion topic on favourite characters. Most just seem to be polls on a select few.

 

So, since The Wheel of Time has enough named characters to fill a small city, I figure it may as well be your top ten. Or as many as you want, really.

 

Feel free to give reasons for why they're your favourites. Mine are (SPOILER WARNING):

 

 

1. Moiraine and Mat as equal first.

Moiraine for being one of few characters who is focused entirely on the Last Battle. Even when it seemed like she was manipulating, everything she did leaned towards winning TG.

Mat because of his notoriety and attitude. Though I dislike how Sanderson made him seem an illiterate moron in his letter to Elayne.

 

2. Birgitte

She's basically the female counterpart of Mat.

 

3. Rand (and LTT by extension)

While there were times when I hated him (e.g when his fear of killing women, even women who were Forsaken and ALSO killing women he actually loved resulted in Moiraine dying. He somewhat redeemed himself from this by having Moiraine as number one on his list.) he has been badass for the better part of the series and I particularly like him with ToM when he discovered he did indeed have balls.

 

4. Hopper

I loved this wolf. I practically raged when he died.

 

5. Perrin

Perrin went up my list drastically when he created his BANHAMMER OF POWARZ and realized he was indeed a leader.

 

6. Nynaeve

Only after she removes her braid from her ass and starts helping Rand rather than being an obstacle of stupidity. After that she is quite awesome.

 

Yes, only six. There's no others that really stand out.

[Medo123]

1. Aviendha/Nynaeve

Avi - I love her POVs and her ramblings about Wetlanders, also her long slow acceptance of her love for Rand.

Nynaeve - I love her temper and her stubbornness, her POVs are the funniest, I like how she cares about everyone.

 

2. Mat

Once again for his hilarious POVs, his way with the ladies, his luck, his carefree attitude and his heroics. Despite what he tells himself he's a very caring guy and would sacrifice himself to rescue his friends.

 

3. Moiraine/Lan

These two are awesome in the earlier books, their devotion to their cause is admirable.

 

4. Siuan Sanche

I love her fish metaphors and her distrust of horses, also like Moiraine she is totally dedicated to the Light.

 

5. Rand al'Thor/Lews Therin Telamon

Rand - All the stuff he goes through is enough to make anyone crazy, let alone the taint in saidin. I like his growth as a character, his ups and downs and then his awesomeness in ToM.

Lews - I like how he hums when he sees a pretty lady.

 

6. Perrin

I like his wolf related stories and his reluctance to be a leader, even though it went on for ever. In ToM he is awesome.

 

7. Tam al'Thor

The kind of guy you would trust with your life, dependable, capable and very reasonable. The perfect father.

 

8. Birgitte

The awesomest lady in WoT.

 

9. Rodel Ituralde

Out of the great captains, he is my favourite. His battle tactics are the best.

 

10. Egwene

The way she proves that she really is the Amyrlin Seat.

 

11. Thom/Domon Bayle/Juilin

Without these men those silly girls would be dead by now.

 

12. Sorilea

She can beat the crap out of Cadsuane.

[Shimmer]

1. Mat: Simple charm and wit. Hilarious, super skilled and awesome no matter what

2. Nynaeve: One of the most powerful AS and cares about Rand as a person, not as the DR.

3. Moiraine: Selfless and quite simply amazing. Driven in her goal and genuinely cares for Rand.

4. Rand: No specific reason but overall, he's just amazing and to have gone through that arc...WOW!

5. Min: Helpful and truly loves and cares about Rand, not to mention (life-saving) visions.

6. Aviendha: Determined and genuine. Honest and just a great character.

7. Lan: Had a hand in shaping the leaders who were buried inside Rand, Mat and Perrin. Not to mention the super sword skill and world-saving intentions.

8. Siuan: The best Amyrlin ever!!! Just fantastic.

9. Birgitte: Just generally awesome.

10. Tam al'Thor: So genuine and epic.

[OptimusPrime]

1. Rand. The early heroics, the late darkness, the epic development, philosophies of a weapon. Kicks ass all the way through.

2. Mazridin. Balls of steel, Ishamael. Balls of steel.

3. Nynaeve. She finds the perfect balance of Two Rivers Wisdom and Aes Sedai. her consistent loyalty to the Emonds Fielders is one of my favorite aspects about her, particularly the way she behaved towards Rand in TGS. She told him she hated what he had become, but still didnt turn her back on him.

4. Graendal. I like the intricacy. I like it how in TGS she seems to be Moridins favorite, and I also like the semi-feud between her and Demandred.

5. Davram Bashere. His introduction was awesome, the way he threw a knife at the Dragon Reborn and didnt even move when everyone started kicking off. But alas, I think he was played, and he had an opportunity to expose it right at the start but didnt push it hard enough.

6. Mat. So many pieces that fit together. Aside from Rand, I would say he looks the part of Hero of the Horn more than any other character, what with his black broad brimmed hat, scarf, and foxhead medallion and the ring with the fox and raven, matching up with his title Prince of Ravens, and the ashanderei... Mat makes it as much of a fashion accessory as a weapon.

7. Pre-TGS Cadsuane. At the end of KoD she was SO well set to being the next best thing to Moiraine, I really liked her. Especially the way she handled the false meeting with the Daughter of the Nine Moons. She wasnt prepared to take any crap. I know her fall from grace wasnt her fault, but I still think it ruined her.

8. Pre-revelation Verin. Sometimes I think some things are better left implied, and I think this was one of them. I cant see why she couldnt have simply left the book somewhere Egwene would have found it and left some clue that IMPLIED it was her but didnt say outright. She should have found a loophole in the Dark Oath(s) IMO that would have been more satisfactory.

9. Padan Fain. Used to be higher up but still awesome. Sure there was a bit where he thought to himself early on that he was invincible. I also like it when Rand and Lan go after him.

10. The Dark One. Nobody ever says anything about him in threads like this. When you look at the grand picture you have to admit the guy knows what hes doing. My favorite Dark One moment is in Lord of Chaos. "Would you be Nae'blis? Then I will tell you who lives and who dies." Then, offscreen, tells Demandred to bring Taim so Ishamael can come back in his body. Moridin is introduced, Dark One declares Moridin Nae'blis, and Demandreds like "But, but, but have I not done well?" Demandred joined the Shadow because he hated being second to LTT, who he hates, but he just ensured that he would still be second place, but to someone else that he hates. The Dark One laughs his head off because Demandred is a fool, and cant see whats right under his nose.

[Medo123]

How did I forget Min?!

Edited January 8, 2011 by Medo Farstrider

[trench]

1. Mat bloody Cauthon. I dont think anything else needs to be said.

 

2. Siuan Sanche. I have always enjoyed reading Siuan chapters. Her fall from power and eventual rise was my favorite arc in the series.

 

3. Moiraine Damodred. She is just the pinacle of mysterious powerful women in this series. Also her ability to info dump is unequaled.

 

4. Rodel Itrualde. His recent actions have catapulted him to this position. I think the man could out fox Mat or atleast give him a run for his money.

 

5. al'Lan Mandragoran. Now this man is the pinacle of awesome. He is the pinacle of all things man IMO. He doesn't have to do anything and he just gushes awesome all over the place.

 

6. Min Farshaw. I love her because she is straight forward and honest. She is the most normal and relateable character, and she is the only person actually wants to help Rand the man and not the Dragon. So she gets points for not being a schemer.

 

7. Aviendha off the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel. I think what I like the most about her is that she is the window to the Aiel. She teaches Rand and us all about the Aiel. We also see her grow from a warrior into a woman and eventually into a Wise One.

 

8. Davram Bashere. He is one of the few people who follow the Dragon who do so Honorably and has never softened his words when he felt he had somthing to say. His conduct durring Rand's failed assault on the Seanchan was wonderful.

 

9. Verin Mathwin. Sneaky Sneaky Verin

 

10 Rand al'Thor. I have had my up's and downs with him but for not letting go of Lan in Far Madding he gets to be on my list.

Edited January 8, 2011 by trench

[Ananta]

1. Mat Cauthon - Love the guy. His remarks about things and events are hilarious.

 

2. Nynaeve al'Meara - Maybe even my favorite character at times. I just like the way she is and acts. She's one of the only honest and truly caring characters in the series. She's real and herself, and doesn't pretend to be anything more or less.

 

3. Rand al'Thor - Especially after VoG, he's been pure pwnage and flawless victory.

 

4. Moiraine Damodred - Truly dedicated to her cause. Brave and epic woman. Love her.

 

5. Tam al'Thor - Damn. He's a beast. He's Blademaster, Archermaster, Quarterstaffmaster... The list goes on forever. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he was one of the Great Captains. He's also extremely kind and caring. There's simply nothing to hate about the man.

 

6. Mazrim Taim - One of the cool badguys. Managed to sneak into Rand's good side and got to 'build' The Black Tower. One of the only bad guys who has yet to fail miserably. Demandred is another one of these bad guys who did well, but since we haven't seen any of him I can't really say he's one of my favorites.

 

7. Logain Ablar - One of the epic male channelers. I only wish there was more of him in the books.

 

8. Rodel Ituralde - Well played, dawg. Well played. Brilliant strategist and love his devotion to the cause. He was willing to die for a city that almost got them killed (although the soldiers there redeemed themselves by coming to his aid when he was 'bout to die.)

 

9. Cadsuane Melaidhrin - I'm one of the people who think she's awesome. She kept pushing Rand when no one else dared to. She, like Moiraine, is determined to see that Rand doesn't screw up. She's not doing things for personal gain, but for the best of the world. A lot of people consider her a bully, but I consider her a person who does what is required, when it's required.

 

10. Elyas Machera/Sebban Balwer - Elyas: He's cool, calm and collected. Knows who and what he is. Balwer: I just like that sneaky bastard.

 

I'd have added Lan, but his actions in ToM were so idiotic that I lost a lot of respect for him. His punishment is being left out of my top 10(11) list.

[cgk84]

1) Mat Cauthon; for someone that's basically dead weight for the first two books man does he really go on to redeem himself. I've rarely rooted for a character as much as I do him

 

2) Rand al'Thor; I love his arc and I imagine if I was in his shoes I'd have done much the same as he did when he tried to harden himself and intimidate the world into doing what he said. I root for him only slightly less than Mat

 

3) Al'Lan Mandragoran; particularly the Lan of the early books when he tries to help the boys, especially Rand when the Amyrlin comes to meet him in Sheinar. The epitome of a man's man.

 

4) Rodel Ituralde; mentioned long before he actually makes an appearence but was he sure worth the wait! Not half bad for a short-arse with a beauty mark!

 

5) Davram Bashere; a military genius and a man who treats Rand as just another man but with the heaviest of burdens to bear. Aware that his following Rand likely means his death when his queen gets her hands on him but still serves regardless.

 

6) Lord Dobraine; another solid military man who realises who and what Rand is and follows him in the name of the greater good and not out of some attempt to control him or acquire power through him (Aes Sedai take note). It's men like him, Bashere and Ituralde who will hold the line against the Shadow long after the channelers (and Aes Sedai in particular) are dead or exhausted beyond use.

 

7) Birgitte Silverbow; a female Mat and just about the only woman to ever treat him fairly and realise his greatness. Could've been on par with Mat as one of the great characters of the series if she wasn't dragged down by Elayne. One of the greatest tragedies of the series.

 

8) Pedron Niall; another Great Captain. I loved the fact that even though he was a Whitecloak he wasn't a foaming at the mouth fanatic but rather coldly logical. I especially loved how sneaky his idea was of letting Rand run loose to scare people into supporting the Whitecloaks. And then those pesky Seanchan had to show up and ruin it all!

 

9) Tam al'Thor; is it any wonder he rose so high in Illian? Who wouldn't follow this man?! I'll lay money that during the Aiel War he had loads of Green Ajah pulling each other's hair out to try and be the first to proposition him about being a warder/lover.

 

10) Jahar Narishma; an outright badass. He Who Will Follow After. Worthy of being in the list for just that one scene where he walks straight into the Aes Sedai camp and out-sneers them as he realises that he is a living weapon who will do some good in the Last Battle while they are just a group of largely useless, manipulative women who will still be trying to manipulate their fellow humans while the Last Battle is raging around them and good men and women are fighting and dying for each other.

 

 

 

 

I'm aware of the ratio of men to women in my list and to be honest if we were just taking the first few books it would possibly be 50/50 or majority women but we all know the disasters that Egwene, Elayne and others turned out to be. Thoroughly unlikeable little madams.

 

 

Edit; spelling.

Edited January 8, 2011 by Red-Arm Pikeman

[moratcorlm]

Not really in any particular order:

1. Nynaeve al'Meara: "Men always seemed to think violence could solve anything. If she had had a stout stick, she would have thumped all three of them about the shoulders until they saw reason."
2. Mat Cauthon: But that lay ahead, and he banished those memories in the pleasure of this one. Tonight he danced the pattern dance with . . .
3. Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag: Ta’veren. Ridiculous. These people and their endless superstitions! A small brown bird, surely a finch, flew out of a tall oak and circled widdershins three times above Toy’s head before flying on. She had found her omen. Stay close to Toy. Not that she had any intention of doing otherwise. She had given her word, playing the game as it had to be played, and she had never broken her word in her life.
4. Elayne sur Trakand Rie: Elayne stalked across the floor and slapped Egwene’s face. Egwene was so shocked she could only stare. “You go too far,” the golden-haired woman said sharply.
5. Moghedien: Moghedien had spent the night hiding under her bed, untouched and, because she was well hidden, without picking up one single stick of rubbish. She had even gotten a good night’s sleep once the first commotion died down.
6. Alviarin Freidhen: Alviarin seized Elaida’s shoulder, shook her. “Wake up, you fool woman!” she growled. Elaida’s eyes popped open to the dim light of a single lamp held by Alviarin, bending over her bed with a hand on her shoulder. Still only half-awake, she mumbled, “What did you say?” “I said, ‘Please wake up, Mother,’ ” Alviarin replied coolly.
7. Logain Ablar: Before Nynaeve could ask somebody to shield him again, Nisao planted herself in front of her. Short as Nisao was, she managed to loom. “Now what is all this nonsense about you Healing him?” “Is that what she says she did?” Logain actually managed to sound surprised.
8. Ishamael: “There is no path to victory,” Moridin said. “The only path is to follow the Great Lord and rule for a time before all things end. The others are fools. They look for grand rewards in the eternities, but there will be no eternities. Only the now, the last days.” He laughed again, and this time there was joy in it. True pleasure.
9. Lanfear: “Lews Therin? I love you, Lews Therin. I have always loved you, and I always will. You know that. You must!”
10. Asmodean: “I once saw a man hanging from a cliff,” he said slowly. “The brink was crumbling under his fingers, and the only thing near enough to grasp was a tuft of grass, a few long blades with roots barely clinging to the rock. The only chance he had of climbing back up on the cliff. So he grabbed it.” His abrupt chuckle held no mirth. “He had to know it would pull free.” “Did you save him?” Rand asked, but Asmodean did not answer. As Rand started for the doorway, the sounds of “The March of Death” began again behind him.

[Toad]

1. Mat- Awesome, hilarious, and awesome (Yes, it needed to be said twice).

2. Moiraine- She's just so incredibly brave and selfless. Also, in my opinion, Moiraine is one of the few Aes Sedai that aren't idiots.

3. Lan- "Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain." Although, he did get a bit less awesome after marrying Nynaeve. D=

4. Birgitte- It's really nice to have one women that isn't all uppity and boring.

5. Verin- Most epic Brown ever.

6. Galad- I really have no idea why, but he's grown on me in the last few books. I'm so happy that someone is finally leading the Whitecloaks in the right direction

7. Egwene- I used to hate her, but ever TGS, I've really respected Egwene.

8. Logain- I don't really have a reason. He's just cool. xD

9. Asmodean- I needed to have a Forsaken in here somewhere.

10. Rand- I've had my moments where I hated him, but Rand is at least somewhere on my favorites list.

[T00thbrush]

1. Rand al'Thor. His evolution throughout the series is nothing short of astonishing. I did not like Rand at first - to me, he was just an uninteresting country bumpkin, maybe even a bit of a simpleton. But then he rises, and goes through it all - denial, pain, anger, darkness, madness, the lot. And he never turns back. He shoulders his responsibility as the Dragon Reborn like it or not, and day by day turns into a smart, powerful, dangerous man. He is even more amazing post VoG. I can't think of a single better hero in any book I've read.

 

2. Moiraine Damodred. It's been said by someone else - she's the ultimate mysterious, beautiful, powerful, wise, clever, selfless, driven woman. Moiraine has no flaw.

 

3. Lanfear. Guess what? She's also the ultimate mysterious, beautiful, powerful woman. Except she plays on the dark side, and so is driven and selfish, clever and foolish - as in passionate. I love her interaction with Rand/LTT, I enjoy never quite knowing whether she loves him or not. I also love her as a temptress, coming into the 3 ta'veren's dreams with promises of glory. It's a shame she's been reborn as such a weak character as Cyndane.

 

4. Perrin Aybara. Thoughtful, quiet and strong. He does take a long time to accept his role as leader, but he does. Even before he does, he's still doing OK. I also like his relationship with Faile - they do work together. And of course the wolves.

 

5. Nynaeve al'Meara. Full of passion, and anger, and harsh words, but also full of love and care and kindess. More than any other character she stays true to herself. She is also hilarious, which is good - I remember actually laughing out loud at some of Nynaeve's antics

 

6. Matrim Cauthon. As with Rand, I used not to like Mat at all (stupid country bumpkin syndrome, and Mat seemed especially stupid - as in foolish and irresponsible), but he also grows up with time. He stays fun, but his loyalty also shines through, and gradually he becomes a much better man than he lets on, reliable in spite of himself.

 

7. Aviendha. Fiery, independent, capable and strong, I enjoyed her "I love you but I don't" bit with Rand, and her tumultuous rise from Far Dareis Mai to Wise One. Also, I love Aiel. Sadly we don't see that much of Aviendha as the story unfolds.

 

8. Galad Damodred. He's a great character, strong, loyal, good to a fault, smart and steadfast. He's been written in a very interesting way as well - much maligned by Gawyn and Elayne for a very long time, with his own PoV only finally revealed in KoD, where he turns out to be very caring as well.

 

9. Verin Mathwin. A very unique character, I enjoyed her final showdown with Egwene.

 

10. Davram Bashere and Rodel Ituralde. Yup, I'll cheat and name two - it's too much of a toss-up here, they are both great military men.

 

Androl might make this list depending on AMoL, I really liked the little we've seen of him in ToM.

[CTM]

1. Mat Cauthon: He makes everyone else better.

 

2. Tuon:

 

3. Cadsuane: I wish Sanderson liked her as much as I do. She understands that it isn't enough to just win.

 

4. Nynaeve: Sanderson is perfect for her.

 

5. Birgitte: completely wasted on Elayne.

 

6. Rodel Ituralde: is the most proven of the great generals.

 

7. Furyk Karede: He's just a good guy.

 

8. Siuan: took what she wanted, and paid for it.

 

9. Thom: I almost stopped reading when he "died" in EoTW

 

10. Moridin:

[Brevsparv]

1. Mat and Perrin. Since the healing of Mat in TDR they have always been impressive.

3. Rand. He is a different person in almost every book and yet he is the same all the time, somehow. Despite all that happens to him he will always be Rand. He changes rapidly and slowly at the same time.

4. Egwene. Also impressive, but not without flaws.

5. Nynaeve. I like her development. It is similar to what I said about Rand. She is more understandable and wiser now but still the same as in the beginning.

6. Min. She is honest and brings us a lot of viewings to think about.

7. Thom. I don't think I can point out why.

8. Siuan. Like a roller coaster. Not only the obvious, her relationship with Gareth Bryne too.

9. Verin. I always thougt "Verin is reliable", I never suspected her.

10. Talmanes, Rodel Ituralde and Loial. Talmanes because his relationship with Mat, Ituralde because his abilites as a commander on the battlefield. Loial.. is loyal and steady.

 

...

 

300. Aludra. Yes? Yes?

 

...

 

1900. Weiramon. Such an idiot. It grieves me that LTT liked him.

[TheAngryDruid]

1. Moiraine. Not even close.

2. Min. Guts and smarts.

3. Birgitte.

4. Siuan.

5. Lan

6. Thom

7. Aviendha

8. Amys/Rhuarc.

9. Ituralde.

10. Silviana

 

 

For me, these 10 have been the most consistently awesome. The main characters, for me most parts, have either been so blind in spots, for books on end, that I can't really place any of Rand (madness/tryanny), Mat (selfishness/denial), Perrin (worrywort), Nynaeve (blind spots, irrational AS hatred), or Egwene/Elayne (various reasons) in the top 10.

 

Though I must say, they've all turned out wonderfully. If I had to take a snapshot RIGHT NOW and say who are my favorites:

 

1. Rand

2. Moiraine

3. Nynaeve

4. Aviendha

5. Siuan

6. Perrin

7. Mat

8. Faile

9. Min

10. Lan

[Mr Hindley]

Not really in any particular order:

1. Nynaeve al'Meara: "Men always seemed to think violence could solve anything. If she had had a stout stick, she would have thumped all three of them about the shoulders until they saw reason."
2. Mat Cauthon: But that lay ahead, and he banished those memories in the pleasure of this one. Tonight he danced the pattern dance with . . .
3. Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag: Ta’veren. Ridiculous. These people and their endless superstitions! A small brown bird, surely a finch, flew out of a tall oak and circled widdershins three times above Toy’s head before flying on. She had found her omen. Stay close to Toy. Not that she had any intention of doing otherwise. She had given her word, playing the game as it had to be played, and she had never broken her word in her life.
4. Elayne sur Trakand Rie: Elayne stalked across the floor and slapped Egwene’s face. Egwene was so shocked she could only stare. “You go too far,” the golden-haired woman said sharply.
5. Moghedien: Moghedien had spent the night hiding under her bed, untouched and, because she was well hidden, without picking up one single stick of rubbish. She had even gotten a good night’s sleep once the first commotion died down.
6. Alviarin Freidhen: Alviarin seized Elaida’s shoulder, shook her. “Wake up, you fool woman!” she growled. Elaida’s eyes popped open to the dim light of a single lamp held by Alviarin, bending over her bed with a hand on her shoulder. Still only half-awake, she mumbled, “What did you say?” “I said, ‘Please wake up, Mother,’ ” Alviarin replied coolly.
7. Logain Ablar: Before Nynaeve could ask somebody to shield him again, Nisao planted herself in front of her. Short as Nisao was, she managed to loom. “Now what is all this nonsense about you Healing him?” “Is that what she says she did?” Logain actually managed to sound surprised.
8. Ishamael: “There is no path to victory,” Moridin said. “The only path is to follow the Great Lord and rule for a time before all things end. The others are fools. They look for grand rewards in the eternities, but there will be no eternities. Only the now, the last days.” He laughed again, and this time there was joy in it. True pleasure.
9. Lanfear: “Lews Therin? I love you, Lews Therin. I have always loved you, and I always will. You know that. You must!”
10. Asmodean: “I once saw a man hanging from a cliff,” he said slowly. “The brink was crumbling under his fingers, and the only thing near enough to grasp was a tuft of grass, a few long blades with roots barely clinging to the rock. The only chance he had of climbing back up on the cliff. So he grabbed it.” His abrupt chuckle held no mirth. “He had to know it would pull free.” “Did you save him?” Rand asked, but Asmodean did not answer. As Rand started for the doorway, the sounds of “The March of Death” began again behind him.

 

Now that's what I call a great post - let the words speak for themselves! Some great moments there that I'd forgotten from Nynaeve, Alviarin and Moghedien.

[MatTuon]

1. Matt

2. Nynaeve

3. Perrin

4. Logain

5. Avienda

6. Faile

7. Egwene

8. Tuon

9. Siuan

10. Verin

[redarm]

Matt, Moiraine, Egwene, Nynaeve, Lan, Verin, Thom, Rand, Perrin, Birgitte. Honorable mention to Min, Tam, Rhuarc, and Aviendha.

[hankscorpio]

Long time reader first time poster.

 

Anyways:

 

1) Moraine - Cool in an "Obi Wan Kenobi" kind of way. One of the few Aes Sedai that actually sticks to Aes Sedai principles.

2) Mazrim Taim - I like me a good bad guy. A lot of mystery surrounding this guy, for a while we weren't sure if he was a good guy or a bad guy, and now that it's pretty obvious he's a bad guy, there are still questions - What are his real motivations? Is he working for someone else? One of the few bad guys that hasn't failed miserably.

3) Mat - Easily the best of the Two Rivers boys.

4) Nynaeve - While slightly annoying in the early books, really turns around later on in to a great character.

5) Ishy/Moridin - Plays the "evil genius" role quite well.

6) Verin - So much mystery around Verin, even after she's gone.

7) Asmodean - While he probably needed to die, I wish RJ would have let him live a little longer. I found his plot line in TFoH to be interesting - did he really want to turn to the light or did he have another plan?

8) Lan - He's basically Aragorn but he's still cool.

9) Lanfear - The last of the Forsaken that are actually distinguish themselves.

10) Bela - Why not?

[White_star]

I was debating whether or not in responding to this but why not, we have 18+ months to go til the end of the series. Sorry for the length.

 

It's pretty obvious who #1 is.

1. Rand - He's been my favorite throughout the series from the very beginning. Some may find that odd but what can I say, I'm stubborn, I don't switch teams even if mine is doing poorly, I have a thing for shepherds and I could see the shepherd shine through even in his darkest. TGS was the hardest for me to read though, I felt a lot like Nynaeve. He has all the qualities of a shepherd: humble, brave, strong but gentle, approachable, and extremely self-less. In-fact I greatly admire his self sacrificing spirit, he is ALWAYS thinking about others. He recognizes what he doesn't know, freely admits mistakes and apologizes with sincerity. He's intelligent (learns via reading, asking questions and observation), duty oriented but still likes to have fun (pity he has no time to-except at night anyway ). I also love his interactions with Mat; he's patient and gentle with him up to a point. He's very loyal too his friends, can see through any one's attempt at manipulation, and although he's good looking, he's not cocky. Am I blind too his faults? Not at all; there are times I want to smack him but he's done a good job of smacking himself at this point. I must say VoG was such a breath of fresh air it became my favorite chapter of all.

 

 

Most of these I've gone back and forth with but have either redeemed themselves and/or have helped Rand in some way.

2. Nynaeve - In the very beginning I found her to be a complete nag but she's always gentle w/ Rand and is also extremely self-less, shows compassion to everyone, and is (and always have been) very loyal to Rand.

 

3. Mat - He was my favorite at first before Rand stole my heart but he remained #2 a while for his humor and how brotherly he was to Rand on their journey to Camrylin(sp?) and visa-versa (they basically took care of each other). He did drop off my list in TGH to ACOS for various reasons, but he's back on since he grew into his responsibility. I love HIS interaction w/ Rand (especially in Rhuidean(sp?) and I wish we got some flashbacks of pranks they did together. Perhaps we will when Mat is standing at Rand's death bed with tears in his eyes.

 

4. Min - She reminded me of a female "Mat" (extremely loyal to Rand, tries to get others to smile, she even complains at first about her role w/ Rand, and gets drunk) I think the only time I wanted to kick her was how she manipulated Rand into taking her along in the KOD, the fact that she did that was bad enough but how she did it was down right low.

 

5. Aviendah- Her temper was annoying and teasing him was rude but for the most part I found her relationship w/ Rand kinda funny.

 

6. Elayne - She IS annoying but being the only one to slap Egwene gets her high points in my book.

 

7. Moiraine - I found her manipulation, and assuming the boys were too stupid to notice, insulting to them but they ARE alive because of her and since she learned Rand was NOT a puppet she has gained high marks.

 

8. Tam - He's another shepherd, saved and raised the DR to be the good man he is.

 

9. Thom - For his humor alone even though he was a dirty old man.

 

10. Perrin - I liked him until ACOS when he expected Rand to be nice to the very women who hurt him, and I have not liked him until TOM which I can't go into here. The wolf-brother thing I could never get into. Whenever they where passing the wolf "greeting" I would get a nasty visual of dogs sniffing each others butts.

 

10. Lan - He IS kinda dry but he had similar beginnings as Rand, taught him well, was a much needed friend and mentor for Rand, and taught him how to stand up to AS.

Edited January 12, 2011 by White_star

[AuldGoldBeard]

1. Mat- RJ's Mat, since Sanderson can't quite capture him. Does what's right by his friends no matter the consequences; call him the anti-Egwene.

2. Rand- Job with a sword. Very nice combination of near-unlimited power and near-fatal weaknesses.

3. Nynaeve- Morat stole the quote I wanted to use, but it's probably my favorite line in the series.

4. Thom- "'Think...' Thom stopped to swallow, and went on hoarsely. 'Think you can outrun it, do you, boy?' He began to mutter to himself; the only word Rand could make out was 'Owyn.' Abruptly Thom growled, 'I never should have gotten mixed up with you boys. Should never have.' He shrugged the bundled gleeman's cloak off his back and thrust it into Rand's arms. 'Take care of that. When I say run, you run and don't stop until you get to Caemlyn... RUN!' Rand obeyed. The gleeman's screams pursued him." Really a shame he got relegated to adjunct status in later books.

5. Ingtar- His arc was short-lived, but nicely done. Would have liked to see more of him.

6. Asmodean- Love his final thoughts about clinging to the tuft of grass as long as he could.

7. Hopwil, Adley, Karldin- Hopwil's comment about how nice it will be to channel clean saidin is a poignant little moment given his impending death. Like Rand's suspicions about Adley in the battle in Altara and his subsequent death. Love Karldin in the prologue of CoT.

8. Darlin- His speech about how Mat will be honored to die on his blade is a great introduction, and he only increases his reputation.

9. Caraline- Ta'veren influence or not, love how she immediately takes to Rand.

10. Moiraine- Excellent transformation from all-powerful Galdalf figure to "little sister."

[Puck]

Not in exact order

1. Birgitte, I mean shes just so cool I would think knowing her as a friend would be awesome hero of legend or not she is loyal and wise and funny.

 

2. Mat, he is just easy to relate to he just wants to have a good time and relax, maybe make some easy money to chill with but has too many responsibilities and is torn in half from it.

 

3.Tam, almost has no flaws he is almost too kind but also very skilled and does not make many mistakes a perfect role model.

 

4.Lan for being that badass character that gets the job done where nobody else would think it possible, great ally but bad enemy.

 

5.Rand, though he has so many problems and makes mistakes constantly he is trying is hardest, from being forced into a situation no body else would have gotten as far as he did. I give him lost of willpower points to not have broken yet, he is tough.

 

6.Loial, such a kind soul you know you can trust and is very brave in contrast to how humble he is, you know he has your back.

 

7.Min, she is almost they only character is normal and has no great considerable power in comparison to channelers,blademaster,etc, but speaks her mind, tries to be useful even if only for someone else. She is not in this for glory but because she knows it has to be done.

 

8.Nynaeve, although stubborn,annoying and bitchy she stays true to her beliefs and is darn loyal to some brats because they are from the same village and she feels responsible. She would easily do anything for them even putting herself into danger.

 

9.Thom, has an array of talents and if you need a problem solved or a way out of something you go to him the GRAY FOX.

 

10.Gaul/Sulin/Aram/Elyas, are all tough as stone though Aram went crazy.

[dobraine]

You might want to make sure you don't slip in spoilers.

 

In no particular order.

 

1.Rand I've liked him since chapter one.

He is a great troubled hero with to much on is plate.

 

2.Nynaeve she is one of the few characters to grow at

reasonable pace.

Amazingly she just seems to get more likable as the series

progresses.

 

3.Dobraine the scenes with him leading to Dumai's Wells really

cemented him as a good character for me.

 

4.Moiraine reading New Spring really just pushed her over the edge

as a great character.

Twenty years ago she was overcoming most of the Super girls foibles.

She is like the best of the Super girls with more experience and

maturity.

 

5.Tam is one of the most solid characters in the entire series.

I like to contemplate what the series would have been like

if he had been the protagonist.

 

6.Min is a fun character to read.

She is smart and loyal quite a good match

for the hero of the series.

 

7.Ituralde I like all of the Great Captains but Ituralde seems

to step above the others.

His points of view are very good reads.

 

8.Verin's birdlike super AS persona was extremely fun.

Not to mention the theories.

 

9.Mat one of the most liked for very good reasons.

Loyal to a fault and a trickster a fun combo.

 

10.Loial/Logain can't wait for some arcs to come to fruition.

 

Edited January 13, 2011 by Dobraine Ablar

[McGillivray]

In no particular order

1. Tam al'Thor

2. Garth Bryne

3. Rodel Ituralde

4. Thom

5. Elyas Machera

6. Matrim Cauthon

7. Uno

 

 

If I had to pick a single favorite these would be the ones that would have to fight it out for the spot.

[GaseousAnomaly]

Will have to think on this a bit. Also I think I'd have to make 3 lists possibly. One for the first half of the series, one for the second half and one for overall. Mat is a good example of one who would be in very different positions in the first two lists.

Edited January 14, 2011 by GaseousAnomaly

[Gympok]

1. Mat - nuff said.

2. Rand - Though i did get annoyed with him in a couple of the later books he redeemed himself in the last 2-3.

3. Intar - I always liked his char and his ending.

4. Egwene - She was annoying in all books except 1, 2, 11, 12, 13. She is one of my favorite in these books.

5. Nynaeve

6. Min - Always liked the counterpart she played when with rand.

7. Loial - Just a great char.

8. Tylee Khirgan - Interesting char and she brings the reality of trollocs to the seanchan.

9. Verin - shes higher on my list than this just thought of her at the end though.

10. Moraine - Also should be higher on the list. I didnt realize i enjoyed her char until my second read thru.

 

i also like tuon, logain, and some other minor chars alot.

 

 

I never liked aram, always seemed very annoying to me. Also did not like Gawyn