Padan Fain

[RandA lThor]

Hey guys, i did not see a thread on Padan Fain, and thought I would start one because i think that he has a huge role coming up. I also wanted opinions on a poll, so i started this too. I personally think that he will kill Shaidar haran as he is known to kill myrrdrall and this would be his best one. I think he will also end up killing one of the Forsaken, probably Graendal or moghedien, but I think he will try to kill Rand and then someone else will come and save him. I think that in the end Padan fain will die. i also think that he will try to kill as many people as possible.

[Barid Bel Medar]

INTERVIEW: Dec 8th, 2007

Dragonmount Interview with Brandon Sanderson (Verbatim)

 

JASON DENZEL

 

And now, just for fun:

 

Who's nastier: Moridin, or Padan Fain?

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

No contest: Moridin. You can't really top Ishamael when it comes to nastiness, particularly if his opponent is just a little Darkfriend weasel. Yeah, Padan Fainfacilitated the attack on Emond's Field and all that, but he's still just a weasel

.

 

 

He is in the Blight, heading to Shayol Ghul, he will kill a lot of Shadowspawn, but nothing important. When he tries to kill Rand, he will fail. Most likely die, but I don't really care.

[1Brotherbill]

I don't think he will be a major role. If it comes down to it he will die. But I have a feeling that Padan Fain will be one of a million loose ends that are not dealt with in the final book. And that is fine in my book. Padan Fain was a huge part of the books in the beginning. Now he isn't needed to be in the final book there are much bigger fish to fry.

[Lacanos]

I don't think he will be a major role. If it comes down to it he will die. But I have a feeling that Padan Fain will be one of a million loose ends that are not dealt with in the final book. And that is fine in my book. Padan Fain was a huge part of the books in the beginning. Now he isn't needed to be in the final book there are much bigger fish to fry.

Padan Fain is incredibly important in the context that "He is something new" according to an interview with one of BS/RJ - i.e. the powers that meet in him, those of the Dark One and this "other force" from Aridhol, have never met in such a way before.

Furthermore, with what we saw of him in the last book, it's laughable to suggest he's "not needed" or won't be an important part of the last book.

[EmperorMayhem]

i find it interesting that Sanderson said that Fain facilitated the attack on the Two Rivers, but it was Slayer who did that. He commanded the trollocs, if you remember before the attack they were yelling for Isam... Fain was there for a bit, subverting some whitecloaks, killing a few Aybaras but not much more... i suppose he was the reason the whitecloaks were there

[Edynol]

I think he was talking about the first attack in TEotW.

[RandA lThor]

I think he meant the one in TEotW

[Edynol]

Beat ya! :P lol.

[RandA lThor]

Really, it was by less than a minute, and I was on my phone, so it took longer than if i was on my keyboard. So close.

[Edynol]

Excuses! Everyone has em...Except me. There is none for me. lol.

 

Anyways, I voted for something to do with Mashy and Machi,(Wonder Twin powers combine to form Super Asmo riding headless upon Bela bringing Hell with him to kill the Dark One while his head sing the long lost Tinker Song becoming the best Gleeman ever to live).

 

Though in one Interview BS said Mashy was destroyed, but in another he said they never confirmed it was destroyed, so I dunno. But I think he will do something with Machi that will result in the Ways being cleansed after TG.

[mj1475]

I believe fain will be the buffer between the DO and the seal. he's the x-factor that was not there at the last sealing. the wounds at rands side, the cleansing of the male half all points to my conclusion.

[RandA lThor]

How do you think they can incorporate fain into the seal, I have heard this theory before, but don't know how it works. Please explain.

[mj1475]

the fog is one of fains forms, something like he thinks he can kill the DO sending the fog into the bore. he's not mentally stable so i'm not sure that he'll be able to stop himself from getting revenge for what was done to him. if he thinks rand is dead then his next target would be the DO. granted i not sure of all the details(not that smart) just a feeling or hunch i have.

[Barid Bel Medar]

the fog is one of fains forms, something like he thinks he can kill the DO sending the fog into the bore. he's not mentally stable so i'm not sure that he'll be able to stop himself from getting revenge for what was done to him. if he thinks rand is dead then his next target would be the DO. granted i not sure of all the details(not that smart) just a feeling or hunch i have.

 

 

INTERVIEW: Dec 25th, 2010

Stormblessed.com Interview with Brandon Sanderson (Verbatim)

 

QUESTION

Everyone's favorite Wheel of Time question has been answered—after Towers of Midnight, we now know who killed Asmodean. It doesn't seem right to leave you without a WoT question, so in honor of Asmodean: What do you think would happen if Rand managed to hurl Padan Fain through the Bore into the Dark One's prison?

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

The Dark One would spit him back out because he tastes bad.

 

It doesn't exactly refute anything, but an indicator anyway.

[Goldstar]

He's the Gollum of this story. He has to die.

[RandA lThor]

Funny that you say Gollum, one wonders if he will pull a Graendal and accidentally do something good for Rand. he probably will like kill someone for trying to kill Rand instead of him, killing Shaidar haran, killing a Forsaken, or something else like that.

[Barid Bel Medar]

INTERVIEW: Nov 8th, 2010

TOM Signing Report - Sarayne (Paraphrased)

 

QUESTION

Is Padan Fain going to turn out like Gollum?

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

No, he is not going to be like that. I am aware of the comparisons, and I am trying to distance him from that

.

[Wolf505]

I'm of the opinion that Fain will be used to help seal the bore. This was forshadowed twice. Once when Flinn uses the wound from Fain's dagger and the wound from Ishamael to fight against each other and leave Rand alone. Then again when Rand uses the darkness of Shadar Logoth to cleanse the taint from Saidin. I think in some way that darkness will be bound together with the Dark One outside the pattern to battle for all eternity so the world is left safe.

[Mr Ares]

I would like to see Fain die before he gets his revenge. More than that, I want someone other than Rand to kill him. I want him to die knowing that Rand wasn't there and didn't even care because there were more important things going on. Whatever else he does in the last book, I want him to understand, at the end, that he was just a side show.

[Edynol]

I have a feeling Fain will survive. Maybe once the seals are broken and the DO gets his little power boost or whatever, Fain will feel it and it will literally scare the wits out of him or affect in some way and he'll flee not to be seen again for a long time. I mean, think about, there has to be some sort of villain for the outriggers, if they happen.

[Majsju]

I have a feeling Fain will survive. Maybe once the seals are broken and the DO gets his little power boost or whatever, Fain will feel it and it will literally scare the wits out of him or affect in some way and he'll flee not to be seen again for a long time. I mean, think about, there has to be some sort of villain for the outriggers, if they happen.

 

The outriggers were supposed to be about Mat and Tuon going back to Seanchan. Not really any place, much less need for Fain there.

[Barid Bel Medar]

I would like to see Fain die before he gets his revenge. More than that, I want someone other than Rand to kill him. I want him to die knowing that Rand wasn't there and didn't even care because there were more important things going on. Whatever else he does in the last book, I want him to understand, at the end, that he was just a side show.

 

I agree, he is a thorny little weasel, he doesn't deserve an on-screen death even. Just have Mat hack off his head in Cairhien, while Rand is asleep in the next room.

[Edynol]

The outriggers were supposed to be about Mat and Tuon going back to Seanchan. Not really any place, much less need for Fain there.

How do ya think? There needs to be someone to pose a threat to their plans. Someone to sew seeds of discord into their ranks. Who better than Fain/Mordeth? Seanchan has been all about leashing channelers for ages, then all of a sudden their new empress comes back possibly with marath'damane Aes Sedai at her side, not all of them, perhaps very few of them, will accept this right away and some who want to hold on to the old ways will be against it, but not wholly ready to rebel against their empress. Fain could be just the push they need, poisoning their minds and such, to send them into a full on civil war. Remember he hate Mat as well, so this would be an opportunity to both kill Mat and gain power for himself as well.

[Barid Bel Medar]

Tuon is not their Empress. She is only empress of the Return, a murderer rules openly in Seandar.

 

Seanchan is like 3 times bigger than the westlands (not including Shara), the return is a small portion of the EVA. If the damane system is abolished by Tuon, their forces will be at a disadvantage, as the sul'dam and damane wouldn't be up to fighting.

[Majsju]

The outriggers were supposed to be about Mat and Tuon going back to Seanchan. Not really any place, much less need for Fain there.

How do ya think? There needs to be someone to pose a threat to their plans. Someone to sew seeds of discord into their ranks. Who better than Fain/Mordeth? Seanchan has been all about leashing channelers for ages, then all of a sudden their new empress comes back possibly with marath'damane Aes Sedai at her side, not all of them, perhaps very few of them, will accept this right away and some who want to hold on to the old ways will be against it, but not wholly ready to rebel against their empress. Fain could be just the push they need, poisoning their minds and such, to send them into a full on civil war. Remember he hate Mat as well, so this would be an opportunity to both kill Mat and gain power for himself as well.

 

There is a civil war in Seanchan right now, it started when Semirhage killed every single member of the royal family except Tuon. Mat and Tuon would have had to deal with the fallout from all that business.

 

Also, the outriggers would take place ten years after AMOL. Would fain just hide in a cave somewhere waiting for an opportunity to to come up with an extremely complivated plot to kill someone he has barely thought of throughout the series? Aside from being horrible storytelling, it would mean changing fains character so much it would not be fain anymore anyway.