Speculation on the defeat of the Dark One

[Guest Ticalc]

So I've been lurking quite a bit and want to share my speculations on what may happen in AMoL. I've only really been able to browse Dragonmount at work, so I apologize if this theory has been discussed elsewhere. In essence, my speculation is combining quite a few topics that I have seen discussed and combining them forming a cohesive theory. The main question my speculation seeks to answer is: can Rand kill the Dark One?

 

So, to start from the beginning, when Lews Therin sealed the Dark One, a taint was placed on saidin when it was touched to the Dark One. This taint is the essence of the Dark One, a part of Him. Thus, when channeling saidin, a channeler channels a minute part of the essence of the Dark One and goes mad.

 

What other power do we know that channeling causes one to go mad? The True Power. The True Power is another part of the Dark One, and quoting Lews Therin when Rand channels it:

 

Oh, Light, Lews Therin suddenly screamed. That's impossible! We can't use it! Cast it away! That is death we hold, death and betrayal.

It is HIM.

 

Could the True Power, being the essence of the Dark One, be the taint on saidin? Rand describes reaching for saidin in TGH as being like a "... slimy pond, scum floating atop clean water below, ..." Resting on the assumption that the taint is the True Power, or at least the essence of the Dark One, along with the previous description, it's likely that there is not enough True Power when channeling saidin to affect weaves. However, it is still being channeled and thus drives a channeler mad.

 

So, having established that the taint could be the True Power, why does this matter? Callandor. Cadsuane states in tPoD that Callandor, along with being a sa'angreal for saidin, magnifies the taint. If Callandor is solely a sa'angreal for saidin, shouldn't it only increase the amount of taint one channels or receives by the amount of saidin being channeled? The only way it could magnify the taint is if it is a sa'angreal for the True Power/taint.

 

Now, why would a sa'angreal for the True Power matter? A line from the Karatheon Cycle in ToM answers this nicely.

 

Light is held before the maw of the infinite void, and all that he is can be seized

 

Callandor being the blade of light, held before the maw of the infinite void at Shayol Ghul, could allow Rand to seize the entirety of the Dark One, held within himself. If Rand can take the entirety of the Dark One, how could he kill Him? I believe the answer lies with Padan Fain.

 

Robert Jordan has stated that the fusion of Padan Fain and Mordeth is brand new to the pattern, never before seen. Could this new amalgamation be the key to defeating the Dark One forever? The brand of evil in Mordeth has been shown to be completely opposite that of the Dark One, a la the cleansing. The two evils completely annihilated each other like matter and antimatter, aside from the burst of energy at their collision, nothing was left. Ever since TEotW, we have seen Fain's power growing. As of ToM it has swelled so much that he can either summon Mashadar or Mashadar issues from him and does his bidding. In my mind, this is because Mordeth is the originator of the evil in Shadar Logoth. Why would Robert Jordan say that the destruction of Shadar Logoth did not and will not affect Fain's powers? I think this can only be possible if Mordeth is the wellspring of the evil and the city held what sprang for from him. In essence, the evil that Mordeth discovered wells up from and spills over in the form of Mashadar. This fits with what happened in Aridhol, after Mordeth's arrival, the populace became more and more paranoid, culminating in madness and death, the ultimate expression of that evil being Mashadar.

 

So, the new Padan Fain is a combination of the old one and Mordeth. The old Padan Fain was charged with tracking down the Dragon Reborn by the Dark One himself and the amalgamation continues this task. As of the prologue of ToM, Fain knows that Rand will be heading north, towards Shayol Ghul. While there is speculation as to when Rand will die, whether it is at the Fields of Merrilor or at Shayol Ghul, my opinion depends on the latter.

 

So now we have two big puzzle pieces now that I think fit together nicely, Rand Al'Thor holding the entirety of the Dark One within himself from Callandor and Padan Fain holding the wellspring of the evil that destroyed Aridhol. I believe the clash of these two individuals, whether direct or indirect (in my mind the confrontation will be Rand seizing the Dark One and then Fain coming up and stabbing him with the dagger) will result in the actual death of the Dark One. Essentially, the thesis of this theory is that Rand will be able to channel the entirety of the Dark One then clash with Fain, resulting in an annihilation of the two evils.

 

After this fight, I'm not quite sure what will happen. I'm of the opinion that it will be after this that Nicola's foretelling comes true and Rand will rise again, but this is my theory as to how the Dark One can actually be truly defeated. Again, I apologize if this has been discussed before, however everything I've read never put all these theories together.

[herid]

Some interesting ideas there but the one about Callandor is wrong. RJ said that no angreal can be used to channel TP so Callandor would be useless for that purpose.

 

Wotmania Interview 2004

 

Q: Can Moridin use a male angreal if he channels the True Power?

RJ: No.

[BlckAlchmst]

I think that the since the evil of Shadar Logoth was "the evil they thought to use against the Shadow"

That Fain will be key in the last battle, and froms Fains POV we already see him musing about killing the DO.

Not to say that Fain will be the one to kill the DO of course, the Prophesies all point to Rand, but I think Fain will be the key.

[Entreri]

if Shaitan is the opposite of the Creator, then it would be too vast and too powerful to kill off. the best Rand could do is seal it away.