Let’s be honest for a second. Most fantasy villains are basically cardboard cutouts with a "destroy the world" sticker slapped on their foreheads. They want power because... well, because the plot says so. But the Forsaken Wheel of Time characters? That’s an entirely different beast. Robert Jordan didn't just write "bad guys." He wrote a group of incredibly petty, brilliant, and deeply flawed immortals who spent three thousand years in a magical coma and woke up in a world they considered backwater trash.
They aren't a unified front. Not even close. If you think they’re a well-oiled machine of evil, you’ve got it wrong. They hate each other. Like, "stab-you-in-the-back-at-a-dinner-party" hate. This internal sabotage is actually the only reason the "good guys" even stand a chance.
Who Exactly are the Forsaken Wheel of Time?
In the books, they call themselves the Chosen. Everyone else calls them the Forsaken. There were thirteen of them originally trapped at Shayol Ghul when Lews Therin Telamon sealed the Bore at the end of the Age of Legends. Think about that. These people were the elite of a utopian society. They had flying cars, genetic engineering, and a lifespan that lasted centuries. Then, they threw it all away for the promise of eternal life from the Dark One (Shai'tan).
It wasn't just about being "evil." It was about ego.
Lanfear didn't join the Shadow because she loved darkness; she joined because she was obsessed with Lews Therin and felt the "light" didn't give her enough respect. Be'lal wanted power. Ishamael? He was just a philosopher who did the math and decided the Dark One would eventually win anyway, so why fight it?
The Petty Reality of Immortality
We often see them as these looming, dark figures in cloaks. But when you get into the nitty-gritty of the text, they are incredibly human in their failings. Take Rahvin. The guy basically took over Caemlyn because he wanted to live in a palace and surround himself with beautiful women. He wasn't some grand strategist for the apocalypse; he was a hedonist with a god complex.
✨ Don't miss: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
Then you have Graendal. She’s a world-class psychologist who decided that since people are fundamentally broken, she might as well turn them into mindless, beautiful pets. It’s unsettling. It’s way more disturbing than a guy in spiked armor swinging a mace. She uses the One Power to shatter minds, not just buildings.
The Power Gap and the Age of Legends
You have to understand the sheer scale of what the Forsaken Wheel of Time members can do compared to modern Aes Sedai. During the series, an Aes Sedai is considered "strong" if she can lift a heavy rock. A member of the Forsaken like Aginor or Sammael looks at that and laughs. They were the masters of Saidin and Saidar in an era where the One Power was used for everything from weather control to interstellar research.
When they show up in the "current" era of the books, they are basically nuclear physicists walking into a room full of people who just discovered fire.
Why They Keep Losing
If they’re so powerful, why do they keep getting beat? Honestly, it’s their own narcissism. They can't cooperate. If Demandred sees Sammael succeeding, he’s more likely to trip him than to help him. They are so caught up in who will be named Nae'blis—the Dark One’s right hand—that they lose sight of the actual goal.
Also, they underestimate the "primitive" people of the Third Age. They call them "cubs" or "animals." They don't realize that while the people of the current age lack their tech and knowledge, they’ve spent three thousand years hardening themselves in a world of constant struggle.
🔗 Read more: Not the Nine O'Clock News: Why the Satirical Giant Still Matters
The Heavy Hitters You Need to Know
Not all Forsaken are created equal. Some are basically fodder, while others are world-ending threats.
- Ishamael (Ba'alzamon): The only one who wasn't fully caught in the seal. He’s the most dangerous because he actually believes in the cause. He’s a nihilist. He’s the one who haunted Rand’s dreams early on, pretending to be the Dark One himself.
- Lanfear (Mierin Eronaile): The most powerful female channeler. Her mastery of Tel'aran'rhiod (the World of Dreams) is unmatched. She’s obsessed with the Dragon Reborn, and her jealousy is a recurring nightmare for everyone involved.
- Moghedien: The Spider. She doesn't fight fair. She hides in the shadows, uses Compulsion, and waits for you to turn your back. She’s a coward, which makes her survive a lot longer than the "brave" ones.
- Asmodean: Easily the most tragic. He joined the Shadow just so he could live forever and play music. He didn't want to rule the world; he just didn't want to die and have his music forgotten.
The Evolution of the Shadow
As the series progresses, the Dark One gets frustrated with his original team. They’re too busy bickering. So, what does he do? He starts recycling them. We see the introduction of the Cyae'ghua or the "New" Forsaken—souls of the dead Forsaken shoved into new bodies.
Balthamel becomes Halima (Aran'gar).
Aginor becomes Osan'gar.
This changes the dynamic. Now they have to hide their identities even from their "allies." It adds a layer of paranoia that makes the later books feel like a spy thriller. You never know if the person standing next to Egwene or Rand is secretly one of the Forsaken in a new skin.
The Impact on Pop Culture and Fantasy
Before Robert Jordan, many villains were just "The Dark Lord." The Forsaken Wheel of Time changed the game by giving us a council of villains with distinct personalities, backstories, and internal politics. You can see their influence in modern series like The Stormlight Archive or even the way George R.R. Martin handles his antagonists.
💡 You might also like: New Movies in Theatre: What Most People Get Wrong About This Month's Picks
They represent the idea that the greatest evil isn't a monster under the bed; it’s a talented person who decides their own ego is more important than the rest of the world combined.
What You Can Learn from the Forsaken’s Failures
If you’re a writer or just a fan of deep lore, looking at the Forsaken teaches you a lot about "The Villain's Journey." Their downfall is always their inability to see past their own brilliance.
They are a warning.
They had everything—immortality, god-like power, and knowledge. But they ended up as footnotes in history, hunted by "shepherds" and "farm boys" because they couldn't stop fighting each other long enough to win.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Readers
- Read the Companion Books: If you want the real dirt on their lives before the Bore, check out The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. It details their original names and their "crimes" in the Age of Legends.
- Watch the World of Dreams: Pay attention to the scenes in Tel'aran'rhiod. That’s where the Forsaken are most vulnerable and most dangerous. It’s the "backstage" of reality where their true motives often slip out.
- Track the Compulsion: When characters start acting weirdly out of character (like some of the Great Captains later in the series), look for the fingerprints of Graendal or Moghedien. The Forsaken rarely win with swords; they win by breaking minds.
- Re-read the Prologues: Robert Jordan loved to hide the Forsaken’s plans in the very first pages of the books. Often, a "boring" meeting between two people you don't recognize is actually a massive plot point involving a Forsaken in disguise.
Don't just view them as monsters. View them as the ultimate cautionary tale of what happens when talent meets a total lack of empathy. They are the shadows of what humanity could become if we let our worst impulses take the wheel.