Shaidar Haran what the hell?

[Guest Omar]

The most disappointing aspect of the book  for   was this characters resolution.

For years  i heard dreamt of a confrontation between Rand and Shaider Haren at Shayol Ghul, Rand like the other forsaken before him tries to blow Shaider Haren away with the Power, his sudden realzisation that he can't access the source and that this no typical Myraderaal... Rand has to rely his one armed sword skill that he has just recently rediscovered..  the scene really writes itself.

 

I had a crazy theory for a long time that Shaidar Haran and Moriden shared the same body much like Slayer, this being the price of the True Power since we never actually saw these two  in  a scene together

 

  Instead we got a pile of clothes on the floor.

 

 

 

There were many aspects of the book I liked however.

 

 

[Feral]

I agree it was disappointing, although I'd kind of forgotten about this as there were other issues I found more annoying. I was left wondering what the point of Shaidar Haren was really, but then there were lot of things in the book that made me think "what was the point?". It would have been nice to see him go up against one of the Light characters, or at least do something useful for the DO. Instead the DO reabsorbs one of his most useful tools because...why? Would he really have been too weak to face Rand otherwise? Seems a bit unlikely. 

[PhoenixUK]

Shaidar haran was mostly there to let the Dark One personally intervene and reign in the Forsaken, who often did as much harm as benefit to the Shadow with their infighting and selfish plots. Although Moridin also did that to some extent. The most chilling aspects were his ability to cut off the True Source, and his marking Alviarin with some sort of Mark. In the end, neither of these plots went anywhere. Would have been cool if he had gone in and tried to kill one of the channellers and then one of the ashaman would have taken him on via a sword fight, which they only learnt to do because Rand insisted they know how to fight even if cut off from the Power. 

[woomia]

He was the Dark One's avatar. The DO didn't need it anymore. Why would Shadar Haran fight when the DO was waiting for Rand at the Bore?

[ZorValachan]

I thought Galad fighting SH, losing his arm, etc. but killing him would have been symbolic of the ultimate Right fighting the ultimate Wrong.

[Pinzarn]

One sentence or passing comment closure for a variety of items in aMoL was a bit overused.  I appreciate that these things got wrapped up instead of left dangling out there, but more than a few words would have been nice.

[bigdoug1971]

I was hoping that Fain (another HUGE disappointment) would square off against Shaidar Haran.  Let the two evils collide and see what happened.  I'll agree that Shaidar Haran was an avatar for the DO, and really no longer needed when he was to face Rand, but Shaidar Haran and Fain both had a lot of build-up that amounted to nothing. 

 

I did enjoy the book, and the great parts outweighed the disappointment by far, but these two characters were absolutely nothing in the end and that was a let down.

[TheBeerPatriot]

Shaidar Haran had been intimately involved in the Shadow's dealings from LOC through TOM-the resurrection of Aginor and Balthamel up to handling Graendal's punishment.  It was utterly ridiculous and wasteful to simply dispose of this character by saying he was no longer needed.  WTF??!!!

[Vambram]

He was the Dark One's avatar. The DO didn't need it anymore. Why would Shadar Haran fight when the DO was waiting for Rand at the Bore?

 

 

+1

[Entreri]

Yes, it was an epic let down, just like Fain.

 

SH really served no purpose. By LoC, likely Moridin was already resurrected and could have done whatever SH could do and more.

 

Given what was shown about SH's capabilities, I was hoping Rand or Fain would confront him. Given Rand Sedai's capabilities in book13...that would have been an epic battle.

[Az]

Shadar Haran is the Hand of the Shadow.  He was basically a physical manifestation of the Dark One.  It would have absolutely made no sense to have physical confrontation between Rand and the Dark One.

[Vambram]

Shadar Haran is the Hand of the Shadow.  He was basically a physical manifestation of the Dark One.  It would have absolutely made no sense to have physical confrontation between Rand and the Dark One.

 

+1 Quoted for Truth.

[ZorValachan]

 

Shadar Haran is the Hand of the Shadow.  He was basically a physical manifestation of the Dark One.  It would have absolutely made no sense to have physical confrontation between Rand and the Dark One.

 

+1 Quoted for Truth.

 A physical representation to confront Rand being senseless is not equal to a physical representation being senseless.

[Pinzarn]

Shadar Haran is the Hand of the Shadow.  He was basically a physical manifestation of the Dark One.  It would have absolutely made no sense to have physical confrontation between Rand and the Dark One.

 

I agree AFTER the seals were broken.

 

BS could have used just as many words by saying that Shadar Haran crumbled into non-existence once the seals were broken.  This would have furthered Shadar Haran's true role as a phyiscal manfiestation of the Dark One (i.e. the Dark One is free and doesn't need a manifestation).  Instead we are left with the main servant of the Dark One disposing of the physical manifestation of the Dark One.

 

It was another poor delivery in the final book just to wrap up a plot line.

[Entreri]

Shadar Haran is the Hand of the Shadow.  He was basically a physical manifestation of the Dark One.  It would have absolutely made no sense to have physical confrontation between Rand and the Dark One.

 

Why not? Rand confronts the physical manifestation of Shai'tan (ToM) and defeats it and goes onto to take on the real Shai'tan (AMOL). That would have been epic.

 

ToM really had far too much filler. 

[Barid Bel Medar]

Logically and plot wise, it was perfectly fit. 

 

It was a let down to be sure. You can argue it was poorly done. 

 

However, it made perfect sense in context. Shaidar Haran was like the DO's sock hand puppet. Why would the DO fight with a hand puppet when he has the ability to fight with his whole - figurative - body. 

 

Of course, you could go on to argue that perhaps the DO could have sent his sock puppet to fight elsewhere, and perhaps created multiple sock puppets to fight on multiple fronts. However, that wasn't the DO's MO. His interest was solely in Rand - to his own detriment. 

[Malkeri tourist]

It's in the same vein as Mordeths' demise but as a less prevalent character. Sanderson worked with what he had and did a very commendable job finishing the series. Sadly some very unique characters that could've been fleshed out further came to an anticlimactic end.

Had Jordan not passed we'd all be wondering right now if in book 19 Nyneaves' hair had grown enough to be in a proper braid again.

Jordan said he'd keep writing until they nail shut his coffin and he kept his word. Let's not split hairs over the minutiae and relish that we were given closure. Even if it wasn't what we envisioned it to be previously.

Hell! Those of us that read George R.R. Martin probably won't even get that.

[Verbal32]

Holy necro, Batman!

 

;-)

[Sabio]

He was the Dark One's avatar. The DO didn't need it anymore. Why would Shadar Haran fight when the DO was waiting for Rand at the Bore?

 

Exactly, he was lets says the DO's enforcement arm.  The companion even states the DO was able to project a shadowy form of himself into it, yet it didn't have nearly as much power as the DO  When Rand went into the Pit of Doom the DO no longer needed Shadar so discarded it.  Also remember Shadr's death created that black void in which Rand fought the DO. He only purpose was to keep an eye on things for the DO and to keep the forsaken in line.  I doubt RJ had grand plans for Shadar, if Samm didn't get an epic sendoff what makes anyone think Shadar was going to have a great death?

[Ferule]

Rand already had a mini-boss to fight in Moridin and it would have been quite irritating to have a SECOND mini battle with Shaidar Haran. Moridin serves as a superior pre-cursor to the fight with the Dark One because he is human and thus has far greater capacity for randomness in his actions than Shaidar Haran. There was a (very brief) moment that we had genuine reason to hope that Elan (Moridin) would come back to the light and that would be part of what allowed Rand to defeat the Dark One.

 

Ultimately, the fact that the mini-boss HAS to lose makes Shaidar Haran a pretty wasted tool for that purpose. In a video game it's cool because it turns the fight into a marathon. In a story the conclusion is already foregone and thus has no surprise element.

 

Shaidar Haran DID create a great deal of fear within the chosen and had such a strong build up that the non-entity of SH during the Last Battle should have been more foreboding; if he was such a big deal for the last 1/4 + of the series and we walk in on him being completely meaningless in the Pit of Doom, it serves as great foreboding of the fight Rand's about to enter. That it DIDN'T elicit more anxiety for that fight can be chalked up to less than perfect writing. I am still satisfied.

[Sabio]

But I think it also shows the DO menatlity, Shadar was no longer of use to him so he tossed it aside, just like how easily he sacrified Semi.  All these people thought they were going to get power but it just shows they were nothing to the DO when their use was up.

 

If you look at it, most of what he did was terrorize and punish the chosen.  He did some spying, I think (I forget) he made apperances to terrorize that white cloak DF. Mostly he was to keep tabs on stuff for the DO.  Besides that he really didn't have a lot of purpose besides creating the black void..