Which main character should die (if any)?

[Terez]

So, we know Mat and Tuon will survive, and we know Rand will die, so those three aren't listed. Beyond those three, which of the main characters (or their significant others) should be the token death toll for the Last Battle? You can only choose one.

 

Inspired by sleepinghour's assertion that most if not all of the main characters and their significant others will survive. I think she's probably right, but I do have my own hopes...

 

I think it's possible that as many as three would die, but there's another poll for that.

 

PS—I personally think Perrin and Faile are unlikely to die because we know Perrin has to be king of Saldaea at some point, and we know he needs Faile to be alive for that.

 

PPS—I removed Aviendha because Min's viewing really does seem to guarantee she lives. Elayne is somewhat less safe, despite her pregnancy not being all that close to full term. There are plausible ways she might give birth before the end; Aviendha is not even pregnant yet. And after the vision of the future it seems unlikely that the 'something odd' points to Aviendha not actually having her own babies or any loony theories like that. Both have to survive through Rand's resurrection, but only Aviendha has to survive further.

[Neophyte]

al'Lan Mandragoran will die fighting the Last Battle - not right at the beginning, of course, but late in the book - and I think he's the only one of the list who does (not that I don't wish a couple of the others might).

[Terez]

Yeah, I figured Lan would be pretty popular, and Nynaeve too since we have no visions of her future after the Last Battle. But I've seen good arguments that Lan will survive, mostly that it's too obvious.

[Alonin]

Personally, I think both Lan and Gawyn will die. Lan partially because he seems to have a death wish in Malkier, and is charging thousands of trollocs in a suicide run, with no obvious help on the way.

 

Gawyn because first he took the Bloodknife rings that would slowly kill him, and the also because of a dream Egwene had. Two paths, one led to Gawyn dying in bed, to other to a violent death. One path he would marry Egwene and on another he would not. She didn't know which ones were together. I figure the tragic ones would go together. Gawyn marrying egwene, and him dying violently.

[Random Man]

I would say just because we haven't heard of a vision of Nynaeve past the Last Battle doesn't mean there isn't a future for her. Min only offhandedly mentioned she had seen all kinds of things about Moiraine (and we don't know what they were) that hadn't been fulfilled.

 

Regarding Lan, though, Min's vision of Nynaeve in grief over a corpse is pretty indicative something bad might befall Lan, unless it was meant as a red herring. Her thoughts that it "could mean anything" reads as her attempting to distract the reader from the obvious conclusion.

[Random Man]

I figure the tragic ones would go together. Gawyn marrying egwene, and him dying violently.

 

Nice Egwene Burn there.

 

Also, Gawyn's possession of the bloodrings certainly leads to, as RJ would say, an "intuitively obvious" conclusion that Gawyn will use them, and therefore die.

[Terez]

Regarding Lan, though, Min's vision of Nynaeve in grief over a corpse is pretty indicative something bad might befall Lan, unless it was meant as a red herring. Her thoughts that it "could mean anything" reads as her attempting to distract the reader from the obvious conclusion.

 

I think Rand and Lan are equal possibilities there.

[Terez]

I figure the tragic ones would go together. Gawyn marrying egwene, and him dying violently.

 

Nice Egwene Burn there.

 

Also, Gawyn's possession of the bloodrings certainly leads to, as RJ would say, an "intuitively obvious" conclusion that Gawyn will use them, and therefore die.

 

I think it's possible he could be Healed from the effects of the Bloodring. As we know, the Seanchan only just learned Healing.

[triadruid]

Gawyn deserves it most.

 

Lan would be least surprising.

 

Aviendha would be a poetic way to change the vision she had, but Min's visions pretty much preclude that, I think.

 

Therefore, I'm going to go with Birgitte. She's diminished right now, but if she dies, the Horn can call her back in her full glory for the LB.

[Terez]

Gawyn deserves it most.

 

Lan would be least surprising.

 

Pretty much this. However...

 

Aviendha would be a poetic way to change the vision she had, but Min's visions pretty much preclude that, I think.

 

Therefore, I'm going to go with Birgitte. She's diminished right now, but if she dies, the Horn can call her back in her full glory for the LB.

 

Birgitte is unlikely to die for the same reason Aviendha is unlikely to die—Min's viewings.

[Southpaw89]

Nynaeve will die doing something huge

[Southpaw89]

I think it's likely that a few big good guy characters will die. I mean, Brandon did tell me that we'd need tissues and not for the reason of it being the last book

[triadruid]

Therefore, I'm going to go with Birgitte. She's diminished right now, but if she dies, the Horn can call her back in her full glory for the LB.

 

Birgitte is unlikely to die for the same reason Aviendha is unlikely to die—Min's viewings.

Which viewing? Only one I'm aware of is in WH12, which just recognizes Birgitte for what she is, a Hero.

[Random Man]

Regarding Lan, though, Min's vision of Nynaeve in grief over a corpse is pretty indicative something bad might befall Lan, unless it was meant as a red herring. Her thoughts that it "could mean anything" reads as her attempting to distract the reader from the obvious conclusion.

 

I think Rand and Lan are equal possibilities there.

 

Agree to them being possibilities, however I would weight it in Lan's direction as being the one to die to fulfill Min's vision. I got the impression out of my out of the vision of complete heartbreak and shock of the person's death on her behalf, whereas if she's accompaning Rand to SG she should be kind of expecting it due to prophecy and whatnot.

 

I figure the tragic ones would go together. Gawyn marrying egwene, and him dying violently.

 

Nice Egwene Burn there.

 

Also, Gawyn's possession of the bloodrings certainly leads to, as RJ would say, an "intuitively obvious" conclusion that Gawyn will use them, and therefore die.

 

I think it's possible he could be Healed from the effects of the Bloodring. As we know, the Seanchan only just learned Healing.

 

As long as we're in agreement he's going to use them and be exposed to their life-draining effects, I can stay open to a last-minute save just because saves pulled out of the author's is a theme among the Good Guys™ in this series.

[Terez]

Therefore, I'm going to go with Birgitte. She's diminished right now, but if she dies, the Horn can call her back in her full glory for the LB.

 

Birgitte is unlikely to die for the same reason Aviendha is unlikely to die—Min's viewings.

Which viewing? Only one I'm aware of is in WH12, which just recognizes Birgitte for what she is, a Hero.

 

It does more than that; it confirms she will be older than Gaidal when previously she was always younger.

[Amandera]

I voted Gawyn but only because I find him very irritating. And I don't really care how heartbroken Egwene or Elayne gets. Anyone else would just be... sad.

[TootThatHorn]

I just can't see Birgitte goin down, it might be cool to see a pregnant Elayne go on a deathrage, but I'm not feeling it.

[Sasha Grayes]

3 points on Egwene

2 points on Gawyn

1 point on Min.

 

I hope its all 3 of them.

[driedraspberry]

I'm certain I'll be very disappointed in this front. I expect the deaths to be limited to awesome secondary characters like Rhuarc/Amys/Bashere/Gaul/Tam... and all the TR gang will survive, along with their significant others. Sigh.

 

Gawyn and Lan are the exceptions I guess, but their deaths are so predictable so blah. Well, I do hope Gawyn does die. I've been hoping since he killed Hammar...

 

Some secondary characters I would like to see die simply for the reason I don't expect it to happen are Morgase/Galad/Alanna/Narish/not Cads but her AS buddies who aren't Corele, basically young attractive people who aren't Aiel.

[Terez]

Gawyn and Lan are the exceptions I guess, but their deaths are so predictable so blah. Well, I do hope Gawyn does die. I've been hoping since he killed Hammar...

 

Lan is super-predictable, but I think far fewer readers truly expect Gawyn to die. They just want him to. And +1 to Hammar; I think this is why hardly anyone thinks LOC 25 (source of my sig quotes) is romantic in any way (which is part of what makes the overly-flowery language stick out). But Hammar...that was the moment Gawyn became a loser. Nothing he has done since has changed that in my opinion. The battle against the Bloodknives might have been worth something if he hadn't spent several books being worthless. The only reason we don't have a Gawyn-hating problem similar to the Egwene-hating problem is because hardly anyone will defend him (and those who do usually only do it half-heartedly). And while Egwene will probably survive, Egwene-haters can at least take solace in the fact that the Warder bond will magnify her pain.

[Terez]

Gawyn's possession of the bloodrings certainly leads to, as RJ would say, an "intuitively obvious" conclusion that Gawyn will use them, and therefore die.

 

I think it's possible he could be Healed from the effects of the Bloodring. As we know, the Seanchan only just learned Healing.

 

As long as we're in agreement he's going to use them and be exposed to their life-draining effects, I can stay open to a last-minute save just because saves pulled out of the author's is a theme among the Good Guys™ in this series.

 

I just personally think it unlikely he will die from the effects of the Bloodrings. I still think he will die (obviously, since I voted for him).

 

PS—As I noted in an edit to the OP, I removed Aviendha for prophecy protection. Hers is stronger than the others'.

[NitroS]

Do you think that noals quote to mat of tell a malkier man that jain farstrider died clean foreshadowing that mat will see lan at some point?

[Amandera]

That's what I've been thinking. But that's no guarantee whether Lan dies or not, it could happen at anytime during the story. Though if it's true, it means Lan survives Tarwin's Gap.

[Terez]

Either that or Mat goes to Tarwin's Gap. And theoretically, there is a possibility that Nynaeve will resurrect Lan when she resurrects Rand, using the same method. Assuming Lan-as-hero is likely, which I think is a fairly safe bet.

[b3arz3rg3r]

I voted for Gawyn, but since he's Egwene's love interest even if he dies in all likelihood he'll turn out to be a HotH and Egwene will just rip him out of TAR to bond him again.