Let’s be real. If you’ve spent any time on Dragonmount or Reddit, you’ve seen the flame wars. Someone posts a list, someone else brings up the "power ceiling," and suddenly everyone is arguing about whether Egwene could actually take Nynaeve in a straight-up fight. It’s messy. It’s complicated. Robert Jordan didn't make it easy for us, honestly. He had this massive, sprawling system of wheel of time power levels tucked away in his notes, and while the books give us hints, the Companion and the notes held by Brandon Sanderson changed the game entirely.
Raw strength isn't everything. That’s the first thing you have to understand. In the Age of Legends, they had a specific numerical scale, but in the "modern" Third Age, the Aes Sedai were basically guessing. They used a hierarchy based on how long you’d been in the shawl, which is kind of ridiculous when you realize some of these women were barely a spark compared to the heavy hitters.
The God-Tier: Why Rand Al’Thor is Basically the Sun
Rand is the ceiling. Period. In the 72-point scale Jordan used (where 1 is the strongest and 72 is the weakest—yeah, it's counterintuitive), Rand sits at Level ++1. He is the absolute max a human can reach without burning out or using an angreal.
But here’s the thing people miss: Ishamael is right there with him.
Most fans want to put Rand in a category of his own, but the Dragon Reborn and the Betrayer of Hope are perfect mirrors. They are the top of the wheel of time power levels. When they clashed at the Eye of the World or in the skies above Falme, it wasn't just about who had more "juice." It was about the fact that they were both drawing as much of the One Power as a human soul can possibly handle.
Then you have Rahvin and Moridin. Moridin is just Ishamael 2.0, so he keeps that top spot. Rahvin, though? People underestimate him because Rand fried him with Balefire so quickly. In terms of raw capacity, Rahvin was arguably stronger than Aginor or Sammael. He was a powerhouse who just happened to be in the wrong place when the plot needed him to die.
The Gender Gap and the "Buffer"
We have to talk about the difference between Saidin and Saidar. Jordan was very specific about this in his world-building. On average, men are stronger in terms of raw volume. They can push more. They can hold more. But—and this is a huge "but"—women are generally more dexterous with their weaves.
A woman at a lower level on the scale could theoretically slice a man's weaves if she's fast enough. It’s like a fencer versus a guy with a sledgehammer. The guy with the sledgehammer (the man using Saidin) has a higher "power level," but if the fencer (the woman using Saidar) is better trained, the raw numbers don't matter as much.
💡 You might also like: Songs by Tyler Childers: What Most People Get Wrong
The Forsaken vs. The Modern Greats
The gap between the Age of Legends and the Third Age is staggering. Think about it. Moiraine was considered "very strong" by the White Tower's standards when the series started. By the time we get to the Last Battle, she’s barely in the top twenty.
Lanfear is the gold standard for women. She sits at the very top of the female scale, Level 1(+1). In a world of Olympic athletes, she’s the one breaking world records every morning. For a long time, fans thought Nynaeve al'Meara would catch her. Nynaeve is incredible—don't get me wrong. She’s the strongest woman found in a thousand years. But even Nynaeve, at her absolute peak, is still a few clicks below Lanfear and Alivia.
Speaking of Alivia, let’s talk about the Seanchan "weapon."
She’s terrifying. She spent four hundred years as a damane. While the Aes Sedai were sipping tea and arguing about politics, Alivia was being forced to blow things up. Her raw strength is higher than Nynaeve’s. She’s the only woman in the series who actually makes the Forsaken nervous. Cyndane (the reincarnated Lanfear) was genuinely pissed off that Alivia had more raw capacity than her new, slightly diminished body.
Where do the Wonder Girls Land?
- Nynaeve al'Meara: She sits at Level 3(+3). That puts her above every single Aes Sedai in the Tower, but still behind the top-tier Forsaken like Lanfear or Graendal.
- Egwene al'Vere: She’s about a Level 8(+8). She’s strong—exceptionally so—but her real power came from her talent with Dreaming and her sheer, stubborn will.
- Elayne Trakand: Tied with Egwene, mostly. They are the benchmarks for what a "powerful" modern Aes Sedai looks like.
It’s easy to look at the wheel of time power levels and think Egwene is the strongest because she does the most impressive things in the late books. But that’s skill, not capacity. Creating the "Flame of Tar Valon" weave wasn't about her having the most One Power; it was about her understanding the physics of the universe better than anyone else at that moment.
The Angreal Factor: Breaking the Scale
If we’re being honest, talk about base power levels goes out the window once the "toys" come out.
The Choedan Kal.
📖 Related: Questions From Black Card Revoked: The Culture Test That Might Just Get You Roasted
When Rand used the Access Key for the male Choedan Kal, he wasn't just a Level ++1 anymore. He was a force of nature. He was drawing enough power to literally unmake the world. At that point, comparing him to Aginor or Logain is like comparing a forest fire to a candle.
Even smaller items like Vora’s Sa’angreal (the wand Egwene uses) or Sakarnen (the cup Taim uses) act as massive multipliers. Vora’s wand doesn't have a buffer, which is insanely dangerous, but it allowed Egwene to take on dozens of Sharan channelers simultaneously.
This is why "who would win" debates are so hard. If Mat Cauthon is in the room with his foxhead medallion, the power levels of everyone else suddenly drop to zero because they can't touch him. Or take Cadsuane. Her "paralis-net" hair ornaments give her so many defensive and offensive edges that she can bully people who are technically "stronger" than her on the 72-point scale.
Misconceptions About Logain and Taim
There’s this weird idea that Logain and Mazrim Taim are equal. They aren't.
Jordan’s notes are pretty clear: Logain is slightly stronger. He sits just a tier below Rand and Ishamael. Taim is formidable, sure, but Logain is the true heavyweight of the Black Tower. The reason Taim felt so dangerous was his willingness to use "dirty" weaves and his experience from the Age of Legends (after he turned to the Shadow).
Logain is a Level 1, the highest natural level on the "normal" scale before you hit the "++" levels reserved for the Dragon and the Nae'blis. He is basically the gold standard for what a powerful male channeler looks like in any age. If he hadn't been gentled and then stilled, he might have been even more of a powerhouse by the end.
The Talent vs. Strength Debate
We can't ignore Talents.
👉 See also: The Reality of Sex Movies From Africa: Censorship, Nollywood, and the Digital Underground
Androl Genhald is the perfect example. In terms of raw power, he’s a nobody. He can barely light a candle on a good day. He’s so low on the wheel of time power levels that he almost wasn't accepted into the Black Tower.
But he has a Talent for Gateways.
Because of that specific Talent, he can do things with the One Power that Rand Al’Thor struggles with. He can open a Gateway into a volcano and pour lava onto his enemies. Is he "powerful"? Not in the way we usually measure it. But in a fight? He’s one of the most dangerous people on the continent.
This nuance is what makes the series so good. It’s not just a "Power Level over 9000" situation. It’s about how you use the threads you can actually reach.
Ranking the Heavy Hitters (Raw Capacity)
- Tier 0 (The Outliers): Rand al'Thor, Ishamael/Moridin.
- Tier 1 (The Elite Men): Rahvin, Logain, Aginor, Demandred, Sammael.
- Tier 2 (The Elite Women): Lanfear, Alivia, Graendal, Semirhage.
- Tier 3 (The New Guard): Nynaeve, Mesaana, Moghedien.
- Tier 4 (The High Tiers): Egwene, Elayne, Aviendha, Cadsuane.
Notice Moghedien is lower than you might think. She’s the "Spider" for a reason; she hides because she knows she can’t win a fair fight against the other Forsaken. She’s a Tier 3 power who acts like a Tier 1 when she’s got the drop on you.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Reread
If you want to track these power levels properly as you read through the series (or watch the show), stop looking at what they say and look at what they do without a circle.
- Watch the distance: How far away can they sense someone channeling? This is the most consistent "tell" for raw strength in the books.
- Look for the "weaving behind the back" trick: Stronger channelers can see and do more complex things simultaneously.
- Pay attention to the "Strength of Will": Jordan often conflated power with character. Those who survive the longest aren't always the strongest; they're the ones who don't blink first.
The next time you’re arguing about whether Rand could beat everyone at once, remember: he probably could, but only because the Wheel literally wove him to be the ultimate weapon. Everyone else is just trying to find a way to survive in his shadow.
If you’re diving back into the books, pay close attention to the scenes in A Crown of Swords where the hierarchy of the Kin and the Aes Sedai starts to clash. It’s the first time the characters (and the readers) really have to reckon with the fact that the White Tower’s "power levels" were a complete fabrication based on age and social standing rather than actual ability. It changes everything about how you view the politics of the world.