Tracking the Chosen of the Wheel of Time (SPOILERS)

With so many characters in the Wheel of Time I had to keep notes on who was who as I was reading the books, especially so when I reread the series I can better see where they were hiding, what they were doing, and their motivations. Here are my notes on who the Forsaken are. Warning SPOILERS

 

Aginor - Osan'gar

• True Name: Ishar Marrad Chuain
• Aliases: Corlan Dashiva (used to infiltrate the Black Tower)
• Life before the shadow: Geneticist
• Reason for turning: Banned from doing any research after conducting ethically questionable experiments on animals.
• Activities in the second age: Creator of the shadow-spawn
• Activities in the third age: Infiltrated the Black Tower and corrupted many Asha’man
• Death: Killed by Rand al’Thor at the eye of the world
• Rebirth: Resurrected as Osan’gar
• Second Death: Killed by Elza Penfell and Jahar Narishma (with Callandor) during the cleansing of Saidin/Shadar Logath

 

Asmodean

• True Name: Joar Addam Nesossin
• Aliases: Jasin Natael
• Life before the shadow: Composer
• Reason for turning: Promise of immortality
• Activities in the second age: Life in the shadow: Governed conquered territories
• Activities in the third age: Captured by Lanfear and given to Rand al’Thor to train him in the one power
• Death: Killed by Graendal during the conquest of Caemlyn

Balthamel - Aran'gar

• True Name: Eval Ramman
• Aliases:  Halima Saranov
• Life before the shadow: Historian
• Reason for turning: Immortality and avoiding punishment for criminal activities
• Activities in the second age: Spymaster
• Activities in the third age: Infiltrated the White Tower in Exile, murdered several Aes Sadai
• Death: Killed by Someshta at the Eye of the World
• Rebirth: Resurrected as Aran’gar in a female body but still channels Sadin
• Second Death: Killed by Rand al’Thor (when he levels the palace in Arad Doman with Balefire)

Be’lal

• True Name: Duram Laddel Cham
• Aliases: High Lord Samon
• Life before the shadow: General and close friend of Lews Therin Telamon
• Reason for turning: Envy of Lews Therin
• Activities in the second age: General
• Activities in the third age: Ruled Tear
• Death: Killed by Moiraine Damodred with Balefire

Demandred

• True Name: Barid Bel Medar
• Aliases: Bao, the Wyld
• Life before the shadow: Much like Lews Therin but always coming second to him in every way.
• Reason for turning: Envy of Lews Therin
• Activities in the second age: General
• Activities in the third age: Ruler of Shara
• Death: Killed by Lan Mandragoran at the Battle of Merrilor

Graendal - Hessalam

• True Name: Kamarile Maradim Nindar
• Life before the shadow: Renown healer
• Reason for turning: Extreme hedonism
• Activities in the second age: Subversion (especially corruption of children)
• Activities in the third age: Uses King Alsalam (of Arad Doman) as a puppet to plunge Arad Doman, Tarabon, and Altara into chaos. Killed Asmodean, used compulsion to undermine the army of the light’s four great captains. Commanded forces of the shadow at Shayol Ghul
• Death: Killed by Shaidar Haran in punishment for killing Asmodean and Aran’gar and disrupting Mesaana’s plan’s for the White Tower.
• Rebirth: Ressurected as Hessalam with a hideously ugly body as part of her punishment
• Final Fate: During the last battle Aviendha reflected her own compulsion back on herself destroying her mind.

Ishamael - Moridin

• True Name: Elan Morin Tedronal
• Aliases: Ba’alzamon (when impersonating the Dark One)
• Life before the shadow: Philosopher
• Reason for turning: Flawed logic. Believed that since the creator must win every cycle whereas the Dark One only needed to win one the Dark One would ultimately prevail
• Activities in the second age: First of the forsaken and champion of the Dark One
• Activities in the third age: Was not completely trapped in the seal which left him free to occasionally act upon the world. During this time he founded the Dark Friends, Black Ajah, and started the Trolloc Wars as well as interfering with the development of Nations and setting Artur Hawkwing against the White Tower. As Moridin he and Rand al’Thor tried to kill each other with Balefire; the bolts connect and cancel each other out, but establish a psychic connection between the two which allows Rand to channel the True Power.
• Death: Killed by Rand al’Thor at Falme
• Rebirth: Resurrected as Moridin
• Second Death: Switches bodies with Rand al’Thor at the Bore at the conclusion of the Last Battle. In the body of Rand al’Thor he dies of wounds he himself inflicted.

 
Lanfear - Cyndane

• True Name: Mierin Eronaile
• Aliases: Lady Selene, Keille Shaogi
• Life before the shadow: Researcher at the Collam Daan, responsible for creating the Bore
• Reason for turning: Was dumped by Lews Therin who married Ilyena
• Activities during the second age: Mistress of Tel’aran’rhiod which she used to manipulate enemies
• Activities during the third age: Often plotted against the Dark One in schemes to make Lews Therin (now Rand al’Thor) love her. Continually trying to get Rand to reach for power and glory. Gives Rand a captive Asmodean to teach him to use Saidin.
• Death: Uncertain: Moiraine Damodred wrestled her through a gate into the Realm of the Eelfinn and she was “Rescued” from there by Moridin but somewhere in there had died. Uncertain if Moriaine, the Eelfinn or Moridin killed her.
• Rebirth: Reborn as Cyndane, uncertain if this was done through a wish by the Eelfinn or by the Dark One. Noticeably weaker in the One Power than Lanfear leading to speculation that she was burned out in her fight with Moiraine and may have gained a new body by wishing with the Eelfinn to be able to channel again.
• Second Death: Killed by Perrin Aybara at the Bore at the end of the Last Battle  

 
Mesaana

• True Name: Saine Tarasind
• Aliases: Danelle Sedai
• Life before the shadow: Teacher and Researcher
• Reason for turning: Denied position at the Collam Daan, the premiere Aes Sedai research center
• Activities during the second age: Administered schools in conquered territories to teach children the glories of the Dark One and to inform on and punish people who did not believe strongly enough
• Activities during the third age: Controlled most of the Black Ajah, orchestrated the breaking of the White Tower, used Elaida as a puppet Amyrlin Seat.
• Final Fate: In a battle with Eqwene al’Vera she is mentally damaged and has the mental abilities of an infant

Moghedien

• True Name: Lillen Moiral
• Aliases: The spider, Gyldin, Marigan
• Life before the shadow: Financial expert
• Reason for turning: Censored for repeated ethical violations
• Activities during the second age: Kept her turning to the shadow hidden and caused significant damage to the forces of the light while hiding within their midst
• Activities during the third age: Uses a coven of Black Ajah to seek out items of power and execute her plans. Captured by Nynaeve who forces her to teach her uses of the Power from the second age. Freed by Aran’gar but enslaved by Moridin with a mind trap for her failures.
• Final Fate: Captured and collared with an a’dam by Seanchan at the battle of Merrilor

 
Rahvin

• True Name: Ared Mosinel
• Aliases: Lord Gaebril
• Life before the shadow: Politician
• Reason for turning: Lust for Power
• Activities during the second age: Used diplomacy to cause several territories to turn to the shadow
• Activities during the third age: Used compulsion to control Queen Morgase of Andor
• Death: Killed by Rand al’Thor by Balefire

 
Sammael

• True Name: Tel Janin Aellinsar
• Aliases: Lord Brend
• Life before the shadow: Famous Athlete (especially archery and fencing)
• Reason for turning: Jealousy of Lews Therin
• Activities during the second age: General
• Activities during the third age: Ruled Illian, searched for objects of power, scattered the Shaido Aiel across the continent to cause chaos and divert Rand al’Thor
• Death: When Rand al’Thor invades Illian Sammael fled to Shadar Logoth where he was killed and consumed by Mashadar

Semhirage

• True Name: Nemene Damendar Boann
• Aliases: Anath Djore
• Life before the shadow: Famous healer
• Reason for turning: Sadist, fleeing from Aes Sedai when they learned of it
• Activities during the second age: Tortured many prominent people into joining the shadow
• Activities during the third age: Operated in Seanchan where she murdered the imperial family and starting a civil war. Captured by Rand al’Thor and Aes Sedai with him. Almost broken by Cadsuane but rescued by a member of the Black Ajah who then helps her capture Rand with a male a’dam. Rand is forced to use the True Power to kill her to escape
• Death: Killed by Rand al’Thor with Balefire created with the True Power

 

M’Hael

• True Name: Mazrim Taim
• Life before the shadow: The only forsaken raised during the third age (other than forsaken slain and resurrected). Somehow survived channeling tainted Saidin for fifteen years. Was a false dragon until Rand al’Thor declared himself at Falme.
• Activities during the third age: Accepted Rand’s amnesty for male channelers and Rand places him in charge of the Black Tower. He uses that position to raise an army of dreadlords, convincing those he can to willingly swear to the shadow and using circles of channelers and Fades to force others.
• Death: Killed by Egwene al’Vere with anti-balefire at the battle of Merrilor

 

Slayer

• True Name: Isam Mandragoran & Luc Mantear
• Life before the Shadow: Not really one of the forsaken but an honorable mention. Little is known of how he came to be but he is somehow the fusion of the souls of Isam, cousin of Lan Mandragoran whose mother’s jealousy caused the downfall of Malkier and Luc who was First Prince of the Sword of Andor and Rand al’Thor’s Uncle. Luc went to the Blight based on a fortelling by Gitara Moroso where it is speculated he met Isam and somehow the two were fused into one being and turned to the shadow.
• Activities during the third age: Has the ability to appear as either Isam or Luc and can enter Tel’aran’rhiod at will. Sent by the Dark One to the Two Rivers to kill Padan Fain where he encountered and was driven off by Perrin. Slayer and Perrin repeatedly fight both in the real world and the world of dreams. Slayer has a dreamspike that prevents travelling into or out of an area.
• Final Fate: Unknown. Perrin gravely wounds slayer in the world of dreams during the last battle and leaves him trapped in a nightmare.