Worst romance in WOT?

[EmperorAllspice]

Okay, let's not mince words here, near enough ALL the romances in WOT are forced. Almost all are eye roll worthy too.

 

But which one is the worst? Which is the one that comes the most out of nowhere? Which is the one that just doesn't make any kind of real world sense? Which is the one that just feels pointless?

 

Where I am in book 8, Siuan/Bryne seems to be shaping up to be the most meaningless relationship ever. Maybe because the narrative keeps on rubbing it in our faces that they're gonna get together and that the other characters keep mistaking their affection for something else. (it's a running gag that wore out it's welcome 5 books ago in my opinion)

 

(this is assuming those two DO get together, obviously. I might be misreading the situation entirely.)

 

I was just wondering if I'm alone in this, and what other people's worst couple is. Not necessarily in a "these two don't go well together" way but a "the manner in which the story is showing or not showing the development of their relationship is terrible from a writing perspective" way

 

Prime example of that for me would be Nynaeve and Lan. I like the two together, but the development of ther relationship is all but nonexistant.

 

 

[Jagen Sedai]

I don't understand how Rand ever fell for Elayne. But what bothers me more is Egwene's affection for Gawyn, which also seems a bit out of nowhere. Or, both are more like crushes that are mistaken for love. I might have to re-read the series again, now that it is over.

 

I do really like Mat and Tuon though :) And Morgase and Tallanvor.

[Arran]

I will never understand what Egwene saw in Gawyn. Never.

 

I quite like what Rand and Min have going on though, seems pretty genuine.

[Hagazussa]

I would say Egwene and Gawyn. I mean I get why they get a crush on one another, she is pretty an he is a handsome nobleman. I mean what 17 or 18 year old girl (Was that not about the age she was when she met him?) would not fall for the handsome nobleman who show her attention, however it never appear to me to be more than a crush and it is never developed, so I would say that pair get high up on the list for the worst romance. I am not to fond of Perrin and Faile either, I mean she is princess Peach for crying out loud and is just there to be annoying and occasionally be the damsel in distress. That being said, as much as I love WoT and I really love the series, it is my favorite fantasy series, I do not think romance was handled particularly well in it in general to be honest, I never got that warm, puppy eyed feeling from any of the couples, and actually the pair I liked best was Mo and Siuan, they where at least sweet together.

[capuga]

The two that seemed the most forced with very little interaction between the couples before having intense feelings:

 

Rand and Elayne

Egwene and Gawyn

 

Most of the rest still have an element of feeling a bit forced but they at least have some build up and getting to know each other.

[Whizbang]

Mat and Tuon.

 

He likes plumply pretty, playful and willing women with full lips and a bit of wiggle.

 

She likes completely obedient and propper noble men who are politically acceptable.

 

He is a peasant rogue with an independant army and a strong dislike for nobles and slavery, likes to dance and gamble and frequents the seedier taverns and doesn't mind a good natured bar fight.

 

She is a petite, serious girl who likes everything in its place and everyone completely loyal and obedient to her every whim, completely unwilling or unable to accept another culture's customs as valid.

[BFG]

And yet ironically, for me it's one of the more believable romances because we see it happen, perhaps because RJ realised that this couldn't be a 'love at first sight' relationship so put more work into it.

 

I also don't have much of a problem with any of Rands romances, I view Rand and Elayne as a crush that developed as they spent time together in Tear, he spent a lot of time with both Avi and Min. 

 

 

For me the most unbelievable is Eg and Gawyn, mostly on Egs side - she's infatuated with Galad and for no apparant reason switches to Gawyn *shrugs*

[capuga]

And yet ironically, for me it's one of the more believable romances because we see it happen, perhaps because RJ realised that this couldn't be a 'love at first sight' relationship so put more work into it.

I agree. They may not be a good match but at least the relationship had time to develop and grow in a fairly realistic manner.

[al'Lanis Morissette]

Moirane and Thom. Weird thing is, I think it kind of fits, so my disatisfaction is mostly because the reader couldn't witness any of it developiong. Even a few POV from either regarding this would have been cool.

[Barid Bel Medar]

I don't know, I would say Gawyn and Egwene, however, we know they at least spent a good couple of weeks/months in the White Tower together - which is more than can be said for many of the other couples. 

 

Elayne and Rand I can buy - it is a classic love story, and technically, it can happen. If it was every single relationship in the series, then I would say it was totally crappy. However, having one: "Meets a Princess by accident and they fall in love" is at least acceptable. Not the greatest story, but not the worst. 

 

Perrin and Faile will probably get a lot of crap for their realationship, but I believe it is one of the most developed. It takes half a book for him to even like her - which is a start. Plus their relationship develops into a strong and believable one. In modern society, I could see half of the couples/other  getting a divorce, but Perrin and Faile would be the ones who you would be going to their 50th anniversary and they are still going strong. Strange as hell relationship - but a well built one. 

 

I agree Mat and Tuon are also one of the best developed relationships. Again, strange as all hell, but it is developed well and Mat/Tuon in Crossroads is some of my favourite WoT stuff. 

 

The only one I would say was totally crazy and such is Galad and Berelain. We have Min's vision, which is all well and good. Gawyn and Egwene are random enough - but this one takes the cake I think. Their relationship is literally developed in an afternoon -and not much beyond they seem like Graendal's been up to her tricks. I like it and I think it could be a good match - but it is totally non-existent up to this point. 

[EmperorAllspice]

I love how Min kinda just went "screw it. Can't fight fate. Guess I'm in love with Rand now"

 

What would you call that? Fate Stockholm Syndrome?

[BFG]

^lol

[lolguy26]

I love how Min kinda just went "screw it. Can't fight fate. Guess I'm in love with Rand now"

 

What would you call that? Fate Stockholm Syndrome?

 

XD lol

 

but you shoudnt forget that rand is also quite handsome...

[Richie_Bean]

Yeah I did get the feeling as more and more of the main characters shacked up together that it was being forced. None of them were allowed to get through the busiest 2 years of their life without falling madly in love. Which I find not an overly long time for love.

 

Thom and Moiraine seemed forced I felt. They were pretty much the two remaining single people who had been around since the start. It was over a decade ago, but when reading those first books I never got the feeling they had any king of romantic spark between them.

 

Egwene and Gawyn also not that great.

[Rhienne]

Prime example of that for me would be Nynaeve and Lan. I like the two

together, but the development of ther relationship is all but

nonexistant.

To me it seemed like they had more development than most of the other relationships.

 

Tbh, I don't like about half the relationships in the series.

 

I would without question put Egwene and Gawyn at the top.  First off, they are probably my least favourite (Gawyn) and second least favourite (Egwene) characters in the books by the end of the series (although Egwene has been one of my favourite characters at some parts), so I find it hard to see how anyone could fall in love with either of them.  Secondly they seem completely incompatible and almost all of their thoughts towards each other are off frustration and annoyance.  Gawyn hates being in Egwene's shadow; Egwene wants a completely subservient minion, not an equal partner.  Thirdly, as others have mentioned, one minute Egwene is crushing all over Galad and the next she is madly in love with Gawyn!?  And fourthly, the Wise One Dreamwalkers make such a big deal of Egwene being sucked into Gawyn's dream being the sign of an extremely unique and rare romance, and it actually seemed like the most superficial relationship of the series.

 

After them I would put Moiraine and Thom.  It just seemed so out of the blue, and even on a complete re-read there is nowhere near enough build up for

Moiraine to bond and proprose to him the second she's rescued.

  Plus while I know Moiraine's older than she looks, I still think of her as young/middle aged and Thom as pretty elderly and their life views seem so different that I just don't think they match up well.

 

I am also not a big fan of Min and Rand.  I know I'm pretty much alone on this, but I prefer his relationships with Elayne, and Aviendha.  I completely accept that his relationship with Min has way more development than with his other women, and I also really like both Rand and Min as characters so not sure why I don't like them together.  Partly I think its because I get a bit frustrated with Min sometimes as her insistence on staying with Rand seems like a massive liability (and is in actuality on several occasions).  I also think it has something to do with the difficulty of understanding how the three lovers thing would work.  I accept that the Aiel are polygamous and that two women who are very close could potentially share a man with everyone staying happy (hence why I find his dual relationship with Elayne and Aviendha more plausible), but I just can't see it working out long term with the three of them.  Especially as Aviendha and Min don't know each other well.  I think Min would find it harder to share than the other two.

 

I also disliked Faile and Perrin for the first half of the series, but now I quite like them.

[Ozzie_aiel]

I think most of the romance in the stories are basically "s/hes hot, think I'm in love".

 

Nynaeve and Lan seems the oddest one to me. He loves her coz she can follow his trail, she has daddy issues.

[szilard]

Okay, let's not mince words here, near enough ALL the romances in WOT are forced. Almost all are eye roll worthy too.

 

But which one is the worst? Which is the one that comes the most out of nowhere? Which is the one that just doesn't make any kind of real world sense? Which is the one that just feels pointless?

 

Where I am in book 8, Siuan/Bryne seems to be shaping up to be the most meaningless relationship ever.

Prime example of that for me would be Nynaeve and Lan. I like the two together, but the development of ther relationship is all but nonexistant.

 

There's a technical error in Nyn's pov in tEotW: we know from Rand's pov that she's totally in love with Lan, but her own pov does not refer to anything like this.

 

S-B: Bingo.

 

I don't understand how Rand ever fell for Elayne. But what bothers me more is Egwene's affection for Gawyn, which also seems a bit out of nowhere. Or, both are more like crushes that are mistaken for love. I might have to re-read the series again, now that it is over.

 

I do really like Mat and Tuon though :) And Morgase and Tallanvor.

 

Elayne is one of the hottest woman in Randland. And she looks good too.

 

Tallanvor is too creepy for me.

 

I will never understand what Egwene saw in Gawyn. Never.

 

I quite like what Rand and Min have going on though, seems pretty genuine.

 

Eg has zero suitor - she's not a very pretty girl -, so she grabs the first fool she sees to ****

 

Mat and Tuon.

 

He likes plumply pretty, playful and willing women with full lips and a bit of wiggle.

 

She likes completely obedient and propper noble men who are politically acceptable.

 

He is a peasant rogue with an independant army and a strong dislike for nobles and slavery, likes to dance and gamble and frequents the seedier taverns and doesn't mind a good natured bar fight.

 

She is a petite, serious girl who likes everything in its place and everyone completely loyal and obedient to her every whim, completely unwilling or unable to accept another culture's customs as valid.

 

???

 

And yet ironically, for me it's one of the more believable romances because we see it happen, perhaps because RJ realised that this couldn't be a 'love at first sight' relationship so put more work into it.

 

I also don't have much of a problem with any of Rands romances, I view Rand and Elayne as a crush that developed as they spent time together in Tear, he spent a lot of time with both Avi and Min.

 

That's not true.

 

Moirane and Thom. Weird thing is, I think it kind of fits, so my disatisfaction is mostly because the reader couldn't witness any of it developiong. Even a few POV from either regarding this would have been cool.

 

Jordan (sometimes) was way too subtle:

 

Lan settled down to his meal methodically, as if he were stoking a fire, the food less important than fueling his body. Moiraine ate well, too, and as tidily as if they were not squatting on bare stone quite literally in the middle of nowhere, but Rand only picked at his food. The tiny flame of the oil stove gave just enough heat to boil water, but he crouched toward it as if he could soak up warmth. His shoulders brushed Mat and Perrin. They all made a tight circle around the stove. Mat held his bread and meat and cheese forgotten in his hands, and Perrin set his tin plate down after only a few bites. The mood became more and more glum, and everyone looked down, avoiding the dark around them.

 

Moiraine studied them as she ate. Finally she put her plate aside and patted her lips with a napkin. “I can tell you one cheerful thing. I do not think Thom Merrilin is dead.”

 

Perrin and Faile will probably get a lot of crap for their realationship, but I believe it is one of the most developed. It takes half a book for him to even like her - which is a start. Plus their relationship develops into a strong and believable one. In modern society, I could see half of the couples/other  getting a divorce, but Perrin and Faile would be the ones who you would be going to their 50th anniversary and they are still going strong. Strange as hell relationship - but a well built one.

 

Anniversaries do not mean anything. 'Golddiggers' do not care about simple blacksmiths.

 

I love how Min kinda just went "screw it. Can't fight fate. Guess I'm in love with Rand now"

 

What would you call that? Fate Stockholm Syndrome?

 

She's not a victim.

 

I think most of the romance in the stories are basically "s/hes hot, think I'm in love".

 

Nynaeve and Lan seems the oddest one to me. He loves her coz she can follow his trail, she has daddy issues.

 

One of the biggest misconception about the series that everybody is beautiful. They are not, our heroes are horny all the time. The levels: I definitely would; I would; I would... but then again, I may not; Eh, I still would.

 

Back to the original question: I sense a (little) spark between Rand and Nyn, and between Rand and Moi. So, my vote goes to one of these.

[Sabio]

Egwne has zero suitors?  Through the first three books she had Rand, also where did you get she wasn't pretty?  Rand, Gawyn, and Galad certainly thought she was attractive.  Also don't think she ever "had relations" with GAwyn.  She wouldn't even marry him till after the last battle.  

[jack of shadows]

egwene and gawyn were married by silviana offscreen before the last battle.

sure,she was a pretty girl on the outside,but on the inside,she was exttremely  ugly.

[flinn]

 Egwene and Gawyn was easily the worst relationship in WoT. Hands down.

[szilard]

Egwne has zero suitors?  Through the first three books she had Rand, also where did you get she wasn't pretty?  Rand, Gawyn, and Galad certainly thought she was attractive. 

 

(My memory is like a sieve. But this comes extremely handy in re-readings.)

 

I never got the feeling that she was a stunninng, breathtaking beauty. Here's what supports my theory/reasoning/view: she almost never describes beautiful women as beautiful, there's always a little jabbing, she basically looks down everybody except Aran'gar.

 

My experience says that only not so pretty women do things like this. My wife agrees with me too.

 

And when I use the the word 'pretty', its meaining is that: better looking than average.

 

Of course, when someone's horny, they will see almost everybody 'pretty'.

 

Rand: they were promised to each other, and Rand is very dutiful

the other two guys: Eg is a ta’veren (RJ denied this) or Rand (being an exceptionally strong ta'veren) is using them via Eg.

[jack of shadows]

@szilard,

 

"eg is a ta'veren."

ET TU,BRUTE?

this is uncharacteristic of you to overinflate egwene's importance and make her on par with rand .

egwene wasn't a ta'veren,she was and i quote "a spoiled,self-certain,unmitigated brat.."

directly from the dragon's mouth .

[szilard]

almost OFF

 

 

@szilard,

 

"eg is a ta'veren."

ET TU,BRUTE?

this is uncharacteristic of you to overinflate egwene's importance and make her on par with rand .

egwene wasn't a ta'veren,she was and i quote "a spoiled,self-certain,unmitigated brat.."

directly from the dragon's mouth .

 

I do not mix my personal preference(s) and theories. There were many theories about Eg is the real Dragon in end of the nineties. That could have been a mindblowing ending to the series, don't you think?

 

I still really don't know what to do with Eg after all these years... Our fanclub even stated that we'll never forgive her what she did to Nyn. But sometimes (many times) I sympathize with her.
 

 

Holding back, everyday the same
Don't wanna be a loner
Listen to me, oh no
I never say anything at all
But with nothing to consider they forget my name (ame, ame, ame)

[Chorus:]
They call me 'hell'
They call me 'Stacey'
They call me 'her'
They call me 'Jane'
That's not my name
That's not my name
That's not my name
That's not my name
They call me 'quiet'
But I'm a riot
Mary-Jo-Lisa
Always the same
That's not my name
That's not my name
That's not my name
That's not my name

I miss the catch if they throw me the ball
I'm the last chick standing up against the wall
Keep up, falling, these heels they keep me boring
Getting glammed up and sitting on the fence now

So alone all the time at night
Lock myself away
Listen to me, I'm not
Although I'm dressed up, out and all with
Everything considered they forget my name
(ame, ame, ame)

 

 

She just needs to drop the 'I'M THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE' thing.

 

Oh, and she's so funny. She always misunderstands Rand, and she has so weird conceptions about him that I always laugh my derrière off.

[Sabio]

Just becuase she acts like a b***** doesn't mean she isn't attractive.

[szilard]

Just becuase she acts like a b***** doesn't mean she isn't attractive.