To live, you must die...

[Dagon Thyne]

I know many people have wandered the meaning of this part of the prophecy for as long as I have been reading the series. I have my own theory to it's meaning.

 

I believe that it has to do with the link between Rand and Moridin. They souls were linked when their bailfire struck each other. By the nature of bail fire, neither of them should exist, but at the same time, both should. They should have both been burned out, but at the same time, both should still exist, because the actions of each one, including using bail fire, should have been erased. The pattern linked them to correct this problem with the pattern.

 

I believe this part of the prophecy means that Rand will have to kill part of himself, by killing moridin, in order to survive the last battle. This could mean destroying his own ability to channel, or losing his memories, like Mat did, or anything else.

[Lacanos]

It's pretty certain that Rand is going to die at some point very soon.

""Twice and twice shall he be marked,

twice to live and twice to die."

 

Most theories discuss how he's going to come back to life, such as the theory that he will be ripped out of TAR in a Birgitte-style after dying.

[OptimusPrime]

I agree the Finns comment referred to the link. I think their threads are linked, meaning the Finns saying "YOU must die" encompasses Moridin. For Rand to live, Moridin has to die. Although I think there will be more to it than that. Whatever happens, there seem to be too many ways for Moridin to come back. Theres no way he'll die by balefire because that'd screw Rand as well. And if Moridin dies while theyre connected I bet he'll be sat waiting in T'A'R, and he knows enough to, say, be able to look like Rand and convince Nynaeve he died so she rips him out...

 

Way too many possibilities. I bet Rand will die twice, and return from both, the second time he'll take Moridins body, and Moridin will somehow be alive at the end as well. Hes linked to the CotL, Senior Hero of the Horn; theres no way he'll just dissipate or return to the pool waiting for rebirth. He'll have to wait in T'A'R for Rand to die.

[Lacanos]

I agree the Finns comment referred to the link. I think their threads are linked, meaning the Finns saying "YOU must die" encompasses Moridin. For Rand to live, Moridin has to die. Although I think there will be more to it than that. Whatever happens, there seem to be too many ways for Moridin to come back. Theres no way he'll die by balefire because that'd screw Rand as well. And if Moridin dies while theyre connected I bet he'll be sat waiting in T'A'R, and he knows enough to, say, be able to look like Rand and convince Nynaeve he died so she rips him out...

 

Way too many possibilities. I bet Rand will die twice, and return from both, the second time he'll take Moridins body, and Moridin will somehow be alive at the end as well. Hes linked to the CotL, Senior Hero of the Horn; theres no way he'll just dissipate or return to the pool waiting for rebirth. He'll have to wait in T'A'R for Rand to die.

 

Cannot agree. Moridin is NOT Rand. Regardless of what the link they have is, it's still not making them the same person. The Finns give true answers, and telling Rand that HE must die when referring to Moridin would not be within any definition of the truth (not even an Aes Sedai's, before you start).

 

Rand will die at least once within the books (the second time presumably being at the end of his natural life span, else he'd die three times). He may come back through exploitation of TAR, he may come back using the link (which is my preferred theory, as I find the TAR one a little bit lame and stoopid, as it would imply that whenever Rand dies he could be brought back the same way and reduce the attempts to kill him as pointless).