I could just be blind but I've not seen any free discussion topic on favourite characters. Most just seem to be polls on a select few.

So, since The Wheel of Time has enough named characters to fill a small city, I figure it may as well be your top ten. Or as many as you want, really.

Feel free to give reasons for why they're your favourites. Mine are (SPOILER WARNING):

1. Moiraine and Mat as equal first.

Moiraine for being one of few characters who is focused entirely on the Last Battle. Even when it seemed like she was manipulating, everything she did leaned towards winning TG.

Mat because of his notoriety and attitude. Though I dislike how Sanderson made him seem an illiterate moron in his letter to Elayne.

2. Birgitte

She's basically the female counterpart of Mat.

3. Rand (and LTT by extension)

While there were times when I hated him (e.g when his fear of killing women, even women who were Forsaken and ALSO killing women he actually loved resulted in Moiraine dying. He somewhat redeemed himself from this by having Moiraine as number one on his list.) he has been badass for the better part of the series and I particularly like him with ToM when he discovered he did indeed have balls.

4. Hopper

I loved this wolf. I practically raged when he died.

5. Perrin

Perrin went up my list drastically when he created his BANHAMMER OF POWARZ and realized he was indeed a leader.

6. Nynaeve

Only after she removes her braid from her ass and starts helping Rand rather than being an obstacle of stupidity. After that she is quite awesome.

Yes, only six. There's no others that really stand out.

I'd just thought of another funny theory about Taim. Lews Therin absolutely hates the guts of Demandred. Whenever Mazrim Taim shows up, Lews Therin starts screaming about killing him. Connection? Maybe.

Anyway, about Egwene.

Another reason I hate her is that shortly after becoming Amrylin she promised that The White Tower would not interfere with Wise Ones or Athan Miere Windfinders. Not too long later she is trolling about trying to get as many as she can.

Her 'THEWHITETOWERISEVERYTHINGSCREWRANDALTHORHESHOULDBEKNEELINGTOUS' attitude makes me hate her. As always Mat seems to be one of the favourite characters. Another epic character is Hopper the wolf.

The only main female characters I actually like in WoT are Moiraine (above all) and Min. You can probably add Aviendha to that because she's a total fruit loop. She doesn't have a care in the world about Rand seeing her naked, then one time she's so afraid of it that she somehow creates a gateway to Seanchan and almost freezes to death.

I'm trying to think of what male character I like the least... but if you exclude all the nobles and the Forsaken (who are all total pushovers) I can't think of any...

I don't know about anyone else, but for stupidity I think Elaida deserves the gold medal.

I'm currently re-reading A Crown of Swords. Whilst reading the prologue, I noticed Elaida thinking 'Alviarin really is a fool.' right after telling Alviarin to send fifty sisters to stop the Black Tower and its '2 or 3' male channelers, and believing that the rebel Aes Sedai only have 3000 troops in their army, an army being lead by a Gareth Bryne, one of the Great Captains. There had been even more stupidity involving her, such as how she wants a palace that has a spire taller than the White Tower. I understand making her an idiot so that the reader would dislike her, but it sure feels like RJ did that and then added twice as much.

As for annoying characters, I personally would say Elayne, followed by Egwene, followed by Nynaeve (until she starts helping Rand).

In book six, Mat is risking his own life to keep Elayne safe. And what does she do? During the entire trip to Ebou Dar her and all the others keep channeling at him despite him saying no, keep harassing him, keep abusing him. When Mat saved them in Tear, even then she was ungrateful. From Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve, throughout the entire series they think of Mat in ways like this 'I hope he doesn't cause too much trouble.' or 'I hope Elayne and Nynaeve will keep Mat from causing problems,' even after it was those three who had caused him problems for the hundredth time and he had saved them over and over.

So if I had to pick the top three characters I hate, it would be Elayne, followed by Elaida, followed by Egwene.

So did RJ just have something against women with names beginning with 'E'?