Egwene al'Vere: A Wheel of Time Character Analysis

[@Harldin]

I think it was Perrin talking to Rand early in book 4 just before they all leave the Stone. But Perrin said something along the lines of “Rand be careful around Egwene, she has left Emonds Field further behind more than any of us and regrets it less” That may just sum up Egwene’s journey as much as anything else.

[@Erik-um1zn]

That was Mat in book 5 before the battle of Cairhien.

[@ChristmasLore]

Exactly...

[@Harldin]

@@Erik-um1zn Yea you could be right on that one, no argument here.

[@PurpleOpinionM]

I dont see why thats a bad thing. She wanted to do good.

[@xarvous]

>She bonds Gawyn, and marries him shortly thereafter. To _everyones_ delight. The best giggle I've had all day, thanks Naebs!

[@nathanoleary1439]

nae'blis' vacation from his vacation was auditioning for the part of narg

[@kirstenpaff8946]

I am really glad that Egwene got to have her own arc and wasn't just the love interest she was set up to be in the first book. Her relationship with Gawyn was incredibly random, and felt like it was only thrown in, because Jordan was obsessed with giving everyone and their cat a romantic subplot. In general most of the issues I had with Egwene were more the result of issues I have with Jordan's writing style in general than with Egwene specifically (i.e. off page character development, lack of set up for personality traits or skills, being an idiot to stall the plot, etc). Her rise to power was incredibly satisfying to read, especially once she was captured by the White Tower, because Jordan put the effort into showing us how Egwene used her intelligence, creativity, and shear strength of will to achieve her goals, rather than the Wheel just plopping out a highly unlikely outcome because the plot demanded it. We got to see her struggles and character development in real time, rather than in an offhand flashback.

[@snookums01]

Egwene al'Vere will go down in Aes Sedai and Tower history as the Warrior Amyrlin Seat.

[@justingroth5152]

I feel like claiming Egwene is disingenuous, we see her learn from several different tutors to learn the skills she does. The Seachan would have pushed her as hard as they could just shy of ruining her, thus explaining her rise in the One Power. The Aiel train her in the world of dreams and though she is significantly better than the other Aes Sedia the WO's out class her. Her political strategies come from both Nynaeve and Sanche. She is young but was forced to have experiences that would be uncommon for her predecessors. In that situation her options were to die or grow.

[@Iansco1]

People hate this. She is just short of a Mary Sue. Yes everyone. Rand is Dues Ex Machina. We know that and HE could not be written any other way.

[@craigbradford4850]

I started reading these books so long ago. I always felt like Egwene was an example of someone so singularly focused, almost to the point of obsessed. She seemed to have been focused on becoming a wisdom and then once she found out she could be Aes Sedai that’s all to she focused on. I agree the dalliance w/ Gawyn seemed uncharacteristic of her, but maybe it could be written off as a young girl w/ fantasies of marrying a prince, as it was said that she loved to read stories of women out smarting men and tales of adventure AND romance. But, other than that she had no homesickness; as displayed by Rand, Perrin, Mat and Nynaeve, no attachment to material things or wealth. You could almost say she became kind of power hungry. That combined w/ her obsession (and Suian’s round the clock tutoring) kind of made her the perfect Amyrlin for the last battle.

[@ambermurray2496]

egwene is my favorite wheel of time character. she can be frustrating for sure, but every character in the wheel of time is frustrating at times. She's kinda the embodiment of the best things about Aes sedai while still being a believable character.

[@mephestopholes]

Always liked Egwene's story ark. Overall, she's one of my favorites. Well done analysis. You really know your stuff.

[@arthurmalavasic6788]

The Egwene / M'Hale fight is my absolute favorite scene in the whole series.

[@bbymob]

Dude I just finished that scene I’m so fuckin hurt rn I can’t believe she’s gone man

[@charlieteneyck6797]

I'm on my second read of the series and I'm so happy that I can watch these kind of videos now! Love your channel! Keep up the great content.

[@LordLazaruss]

I love her because she is strong on the inside. She does not give in to beatings, she is smart and manipulates the hall cunningly, and she was a Ghandy in books 11 and 12.

[@adgrego2]

Unpopular opinion. I've read these twice and Egwene is the my favorite after each one, even if the Gawyn thing isn't great

[@twig8523]

I love Egwene as well! Maybe it's a rationalization, but in a world where prophecies & omens are true & accurate, the fortelling exists, destiny, reincarnation & all that. Well, I suppose true love-at-first-sight also fits into the fantasy world. It does clash with the realistically flawed characters & their arcs/interactions. So, I give these things a pass. Opposites attract. 🤷 ... Having lost count how many times I've read WoT, *I* have the unpopular opinion of liking Gawyn himself! 😳😆

[@gauchesymbiote1039]

Egewne is definitely a favorite of mine.

[@brett88knight]

Moraine Egwene Dumbledore The hardest I’ve ever been hit by a fictional persons death. All three of those affected me to a point where my wife started asking what’s got me down. Egwene was a character I didn’t even like until she refused to leave the white tower despite the abuse and humiliation she was dealing with.

[@LongShaynx]

But did she deftly maneuver the sitters to declare war on Elaida though?

[@Aerohead]

And muscled for rank.

[@jeremyyoungblood4859]

@@Aerohead you won internet yesterday and I missed it....

[@mhail7673]

Yes. She seems like a flouncy brat that is trying to make obvious, stupid demands that mean nothing in the hall. She is not a threat, she is a figurehead with no acumen or power. She presented her "Declare war on Eliada" before the other two could usurp the full power of the hall. Neither saw her or it as anything but the whims of a child. That was deft. She only got one other easy thing past the Hall where they took over the army and she was recognized as the emissary for kings and queens...meaning Rand.

[@deadpiratetattoo2015]

Her death is epic. I reread it all the time. One of the greatest moments in the final battle.

[@marcobhuachalla9814]

I cried with delight.

[@kimyettarodgers925]

I reread it all of the time as well. She was like "Y'all coming with me"

[@ziegfeld4131]

Nah shes stupid for ever bonding Gawyn hes the only reason she dies

[@TankInATree]

I love the great moments where she is away from any position of real power. This includes when she is raised to Amyrlin in the rebel camp because she is considered a puppet. These are the moments where she shines and really shows the strength of will and character. Whenever she is the underdog, she is really admirable. However, as soon as she feels she is better/more powerful than someone, she becomes unlikable in my eyes. Within a couple of months, she is "fully of the tower" and throughout the story she doesn't even seem to think about her family other than she couldn't possibly go see them, even when she can travel instantly. I think she thinks "that life is behind me" or some such at one point. People and even friends who have proven their worth and honor are ground into the dirt, even when she knows she is in the wrong, just so she can be "right". I can understand that she has to cement her position to them and really convince them that she is truly in a position to be respected, but I seem to recall her going beyond that quite a few times. One thing that I noticed is that when she does not have power, she seems convinced that many things that the Aes sedai are doing and many of their traditions are outdated and even wrong, but that changes as she does gain power, where she seems to stick her roots in these old outdated traditions and that kings and other races should just bow... because... reasons. Not just one time, but in waves as it ebbs and flows in the story. I don't fault her for not immediately trusting zen Rand when he visits her, because he has done a lot of bad stuff and has been acting really crazy at points and he was equally as stubborn in that meeting, but after he left, she doesn't seem to even consider if he is right and that maybe the cage needs to be rebuilt from the bottom up. By all means, prepare for the worst, but give it some serious consideration and ask around... I am sure that other scholars than the one Rand used (his name escapes me) could come up with the same answer. She has whole groups dedicated to such studies. Okay... rant over. Not sure if it is fair, because I could gush about her awesome story arcs for days, while this little comment essentially describes the reason why I don't like her personality. I think in the end it comes down to that these traits seem to not grow better throughout the story and some of them get worse.

[@PurpleOpinionM]

Ive thought of these things myself, if rand is LTT reborn and egwene is Latra Poscae Decume, i think she is entitled to disagree with him. Female aes sedai by forming the fateful concord did prevent saidar from being tainted as well.Even though LTT was from the age of legends maybe egwene had her reasons to refuse, she did rediscover cuendillar and invent her own weave that counters balefire. Agruing over what is to be done may not be the best in wartime but maybe rand needed someone to disagree with him, and until the actual confrontation we wouldnt know who was right

[@JoePauley]

Great breakdown here and I think you do get to the heart of why Egwene is a divisive character. One thing I think should be mentioned is that Egwene is both a Dreamwalker (able to access T'A'R) and a Dreamer (has dreams that are symbolic Foretellings). These are two separate and distinct Talents, and I don't think the books and most analyses of Egwene really get this distinction right. Her Dreaming talent doesn't take place in T'A'R, it takes place in her normal dreams. It's a rare combination and really sets her apart.

[@thomastheisman1751]

She's also a Crafter. The can create and copy angreal ect.

[@danielszigeti3241]

I could be wrong, but doesn't Perrin also see futures in the sky when in T'A'R.

[@andrewberenson5717]

I agree with you that Egwene is probably a better war time Amyrlin than a peace time Amyrlin. Despite the Dragon's Peace, the Tower would be in a Cold War mentality with the Seanchan. The tower, and certainly Egwene, would not feel the world is at peace with the Seanchan in control of the southern portion of the continent and parts of the west portion. With respect to the need to maintain a certain level of vigilance regarding the Seanchan, i think Egwene would have been an effective Amrylin post Last Battle. She also relates well to non Tower, non-Seanchan channelers. Lastly, I think because of her age, she would have had to resign as Amyrlin after about 75 years. I think she would have become too ineffective if she were on control any longer. I could see her retiring to the Aiel Waste and become a Wise One.

[@jeanfish7]

Cadusaine ( sp) becomes the new amyelyn, boy I would love THAT storu!:)

[@prestonmcginty4631]

Egwene is a person who, by the end of her arc, I wouldn't want to be friends with. She's kind of manipulative and toxic. But her character is written so well, I love her. She's such a strong person, which makes up for her flaws imo

[@RiseeRee]

Exactly this.

[@charleshixon1458]

I love Egwene, she is real. People don't come through life unscathed and I think the criticism against her is unfounded especially with what Rand goes through and does himself.

[@justingroth5152]

She adapted to her environment and was a product of it.

[@michaelhowze8198]

Well the thing is she's a politician that's kind of what they do. So it's to be expected honestly.

[@zachtaylor8222]

@@michaelhowze8198 the fact that we accept her behavior from people in the real world because they "they are politicians" is really frightening. like this isnt a shot at you, but a concern at what humans are willing to put up with in their "leaders"

[@valinor1082]

I love Egwene's arc, character, and her chapters are some of my favorite. She has clear goals and is constantly working torwards them and it's rewarding seeing her progress. I think Gawyn could have been am endearing character if he had held onto more of his youthful idealogy and we would all have been rooting for him and Egwene to be together. One of the very few failings of the series for myself.

[@PurpleOpinionM]

Right, they should have been a bit more selfish and looked for their own happyness

[@siriusb22]

And as much as I can't stand her anymore she is no Mary Sue. She was raised by two canny politicians. She was trained by wise ones and Aes'sedai as well as being forced by the Seanchan. Yes she was great at everything but she worked hard for it.

[@katesharkey435]

Please please please do a deep dive on Egwene’s Dream fortelling

[@joeshafer2123]

I agree that Egwenne and Gawynn were a terrible relationship, but that is what makes it feel real for me. Who hasn't been madly infatuated with a person that was horrible for them

[@justingroth5152]

Especially in there teens.

[@andrewberenson5717]

Egwene is my favorite character

[@Siansonea]

Same.

[@andrewberenson5717]

@@Siansonea Great minds think alike.

[@TrentMenssen]

Also same, which is why Knife of Dreams is my favorite book.

[@ziegfeld4131]

Wow imagine liking the worst character on the side of the light shes a terrible person

[@cholericimp1358]

She's insufferable.

[@leonardhollerbach9806]

I agree with audiobooks. I can’t reread 13000 pages so I got the audiobooks and for this series at least I really enjoy it. I listen to it while driving/ cooking, etc…. I do not have a lot of down time anymore to read. That and had cataract surgery recently and it’s hard to squint and I’m a vampire in the sun. That’s right I’m old like the age Rand Al’Thor would be right about now. I was about 21 when I first read TWOT back in the early 1990’s. Rand probably be a little bit heavier, one of his wives probably tried to kill him by now …(Avhienda). And he’s probably running to a dermatologist to keep an eye on a few facial spots…just in case you need a more accurate epilogue description on what Rand is up to now.

[@JacobFury]

Unpopular opinion: I think Egwene is one of the best fictional protagonists ever written. Up there with Paul Atriedes, and Luke Skywalker. When I read her say, “I have Toh” I got goosebumps. Love that character and I wish she had left an heir to live on after her.

[@joeshafer2123]

Love Egwenne! Even though she is super frustrating sometimes. I was surprised to see Perrin has a higher word count than Mat, I guess being out of an entire book hurts

[@mcina001]

Perrin was absent for an entire book too (Fires of Heaven I think?). Compared with Perrin, Mat missed out on word count in the first couple books.

[@joeshafer2123]

@@mcina001 yea he really doesn't come into his own until the dragon reborn

[@ChucklesMcChuckleson]

"COME GET THIS WEAVE" -Egwene to M'Hael, probably

[@PurpleOpinionM]

Bwhahahahahaahahaha

[@callinicobo5991]

I think she is a great character, who accomplish her potential thanks to her skills, her unique training and a wonderful mentor. And in my opinion she is an example of the tendency in the series from the "experienced" peaple who understimate the younger person only becouse of that, and then they are often defeated. Satrting with the Forsaken to Elaida, to the white tower council etc etc

[@annja76]

My first read through the series Egwene was one of my favorite characters, subsequent reads her being a something of a contrary brat before learning from the Wise Ones was more noticeable to me. @2:20 breakbone fever wasn't fatal, Egwene would have been fine, it would have just been one or two days before Egwene was better. Eye of the World pages 321-322 is where Moiraine and Nynaeve talk about Nynaeve healing Egwene.

[@genaystevens5842]

Great job. I havent read the books and love spoilers. Thanks now im going to check out other main character analysis

[@cbpd89]

I love who Egwene became after training with the Wise Ones. Even though she is fully invested in becoming Aes Sedai, she sees that the tower needs to change and the way Aes Sedai act is extremely obnoxious to her (like it is for us!) BUT I think Nyneave is even more aware of and actually more correct about the Aes Sedai. But the practical, pragmatic Egwene I see I can't imagine putting up with Gawyn's idiotic, impetuous ways. She expresses a lot of irritation with his behavior in the tower, but clearly it wasn't a big of a turn off for her as I feel is realistic.

[@kmallory100]

Also, it's also worth noting that with her skill in Earth and using Voras Wand she exhibited ferrokinesis.

[@michaelh9649]

Holy crap…I’d call this a character summary rather than an analysis, but it was a really good summary. Summarizing the arc of a character that stretches over 14 books is no easy task.

[@SilverSidedSquirrel]

Totally unrelated, but how funny will it be if DUNE ends up coming out RIGHT as we start meeting the Aiel?

[@sherizaahd]

I always thought that the Emond's Fielders, and Faile were pretty annoying because they're so stubborn and grouchy... She was MADE for Gawyn! LOL

[@pcuimac]

Egwene is a true Queen and the Wheel spun her out, because she was needed. No Mary Sue here.

[@errtu123]

Egwene most prominent character trait is hypocrisy

[@Siansonea]

surejan.gif

[@jonathonwhitington402]

Yep. Absolutely.

[@ChristmasLore]

Same goes for Nynaeve, Elayne, and most Aes Sedai. Almost all women in the books are absolutely unbearable. Jordan lamentably failed at whatever he was trying to do with his gender reversal societies, and he ended up being highly sexist, both toward men and women as a result. I almost quitted reading the series altogether. Somehow, the overall story got me to finish them. Am I glad I did? Still not sure.

[@patrikbostrom-fors8442]

Thank you for this great analysis of Egwene! She has always been my favorite character in The Wheel of Time. She has her flaws, but everyone has flaws. She is very stubborn and I will admit that she´s not always nice to her friends, but she loves them, despite her words. When it comes to her young age and her rise to a powerful position, I´m surprised to hear that people questions that. I mean no one questions Rand´s Mat´s or Perrin´s way to reach their respective powers and abilities. They are not so much older than her. She gets help during her way and I feel she earns it with blood, sweat and tears. Egwene is a wonderful character and I think she´s outstanding from the other heroes in WOT. I just hope that Rafe and his crew will build up the relationship between Egwene and Gawyn, so we will see what she sees in that guy. I never really understood why she fell in love with him. I can´t wait to see Madeleine Madden bring Egwene to life on screen. I think she will be perfect as Egwene :-)

[@lewstherin10]

Great video! Always love how organized you videos are...lol. And I am with you on her ability to lead during peacetime should she have lived.

[@chickenmonger123]

I’m not as down on her by the end as everyone else by the end. She has an important job. One that arguably dictates that she has to control or be controlled. She can’t afford some of the frivolity others engage in. She can’t falter for even a second. Toxic this. Manipulative that. I don’t think she has much choice. I don’t think it’s wrong for her to do that. That said she is written in that obnoxious strong female way. Far to much contempt for “men” and arrogance with the mass of a Neutron Star.

[@FemkevanDrooge]

I love Egwene, and I was a little bit shocked at all the comments calling her toxic etc. Although after considering I do realize these comments also have merit because she WAS a know-it-all and condescending. Weird link maybe but she reminds me of Jane Austens Emma - meaning Egwene would have benefited more from a love interest or opposite character that reminds her of humanity & humility as well, like Emma has mr Knightley, someone who is as intelligent as she is and challenges her on some of her more stubborn beliefs. Gawyn dies nothing except fawn after her, which is really a shame for the relationship

[@ssmmav10]

Egwyne goes on to become an AS politician which an Amyrlin must be. Even after the schism heal and revelation of BA manipulations, the Hall of Tower still plays politics so to lead them one must also be that The only thing I found disappointing about her is that her view of Rand becomes more of that of a typical AS where she believes that he is wrong and needs guidance whereas that of Nynaeve evolves to understand him

[@ctstackh]

I liked Egwene my first read through, was annoyed by her my second read through, but I've liked her again since my third read through

[@phlatbrim2732]

Nice red spoilers the best spoilers! love these character reviews!

[@livdriscoll3981]

Love Egwene- i dont love manipulation but understand and marvel at when someone is able to do it for the RIGHT reasons- her laughing through spankings then defending everyone with her hands figuratively tied is awesome to read- her inner monologue near her end, understanding the bigger picture and sacrificing herself in the way she did Rocks harder than almost any other ending I’ve read. - makes up for her choosing a frivolous immature baby of a man- you need to have one guilty pleasure at least right?

[@kmallory100]

How is she polarizing? Egwene is awesome! Attend you all. She comes and she comes...

[@LordMichaelRahl]

Never had any strong feelings of like or dislike towards Egwene lol. It's kinda funny seeing the widespread hate.

[@heatherkramer3139]

Egwene is best as a wartime Amyrlyn because she is a person who needs someone to fight. She is at her strongest when in contention with others. She's a warrior at heart, and this would not be good in peacetime. It makes her the ideal Amyrlyn during the Last Battle.

[@lexieve8673]

I would love to hear more about her Weave creating Crystals, The Flame of Tar Valon!

[@mmccrownus2406]

What a true Queen.

[@shantilaselucia8107]

I always liked Egwene a lot but she somehow never made it into my top 3 even though she grew on me more and more after each reread. Maybe her know it all attitude or wanting to learn faster and faster is the deal. I loved her fight with the Seanchan and her sacrifice in the end (she owned it). Top 5 for sure imo and yes, Gawyn and her was off and never meant to be.

[@armandog3335]

Thank you.

[@signaltome]

I don't hate Egwene but she is not among my top five either, though she does have plenty of badass moments I agree. I hold to the greatest as sadly her last one holding the world together. I never wanted her to die but Min's viewings always come true. Once again I feel that Nynaeve, in telling that she will help the people before the White Tower has become a TRUE Aes Sedai, a true servant of all. I think the channelers of the Tower lost sight of that at some point. Oh well.

[@jamesderosa2041]

Best whiteboard by far.

[@deanmoxley1868]

Egwene is the most badass Aes Sedai in the series.

[@Siansonea]

Yep!

[@timpeterjensen2364]

1) Moiraine 2) Verin 3) Pevera 4) Teslyn 5) Leane so she atleast misses top 5, i think i could find more that would beat her, i on purpose did not mention Nynaeve.

[@deanmoxley1868]

I disagree

[@alaska4939]

Because all the others were idiots who expected the world to fall on their knees soley because they're Aei Sedai

[@crimson1919]

Egwene sections are my favorites in the series, even over Matt. The white tower mending and defense are just too bad ass.

[@unrulyjulie4382]

Egwene's best quality? She loves Bela!

[@LordLazaruss]

She was a Ghandy in book 11 and 12

[@RiseeRee]

She was my favorite character in my first read through, but each time I re-read I disliked her (as a person) more and more. Now I just hate her lol, but she is a powerful, and well written character

[@gogogappy]

Hi four years later, I just finished my first WOT read and I HATED Egwene for most of the series and she ended the series as one of my favorite characters and imo one of the best written

[@LezbiNerdy]

Man, I'm sitting here working on my notes for my Egwene video and I see this pop up in my alerts... Damnit Nebbles!

[@NaeBlis]

I’m excited to see your video! You always have really thoughtful takes on stuff

[@LezbiNerdy]

@@NaeBlis Thanks! Heh, that's just cause I've spent way too much time thinking about these books

[@Siansonea]

Moar Egwene videos plz thnx.

[@faithwerksdesigns6197]

Did you see Robert Jordan's notes that at one point he was going to have Egwene pregnant? I would have loved seeing her have her Joya 😞

[@andrewberenson5717]

In my opinion she is as close to tav'eren as a character can be without actually being designated as tav'eren. I think it would have been better if Robert Jordan had made her a tav'eren

[@Siansonea]

Ta'veren is just a cool lampshade for the Mary Sue lamp. Ta'veren cheapens everything it touches. Did Rand become great, or did ta'veren just lift him up? Perrin would have spent his whole life as a smith if it weren't for ta'veren, so how much of his rise in power can really be attributed to his own effort? And Mat is the most absurd example of them all. Without ta'veren, he's dead in the first book, by dint of his own stupidity. Egwene didn't need the Pattern to do the heavy lifting for her, she actually, you know, studied, and talked to people, and listened, and learned. She learned from the Tower, the Seanchan (yikes), the Aiel, and literally every person who stopped to talk in the dingy tents or Tower rooms she found herself in for most of the series. The ta'veren boys just sort of lurched around and relied on the Pattern to put them in the places they needed to be, it's like bowling with those little rails that keep you from having a gutterball. Do you think Mat ever really worried that he might fail, or might die? Did Mat every study or learn...anything? Mat literally had a Matrix-like download of competence to compensate for his provincial backwardness and give him an in-story reason to rise to the level he does in the books. Mat is the Maryest of Mary Sues, and no one bats an eye. But Egwene sits in rooms and tents endlessly talking to Aes Sedai and eventually rises to fill the role she was prematurely elevated to and everyone starts clucking about 'arrogance' and 'unearned glory' and calling her a Mary Sue in a story where Mat exists. Mmmkay.

[@rickkopfler8447]

I actually agree with both of you. Egwene should have been ta’veren and also that ta’veren is what Jordan used to explain some Mary Sue outcomes. The series should have taken place over at least 5 years and probably 10 or more to make the character arcs of the Emond’s Field Five reasonable. The whole thing would make much more sense if each book had covered a year or as I think of it a micro-mini turn of the wheel.

[@sherizaahd]

Nynaeve says explaining healing Egwene "I was young, and I didn't know the wisdom had everything well in hand... I thought I was going to have to watch her die" so even though young Nynaeve thought she would surely die, no, Egwene was not going to die based on what Nynaeve says in the Eotw, because it was "well in hand", but minor point i guess.

[@yafes_han]

I like egwene very much. I understand why people hates her a lot but still, she is one of my favorites, especially last books.

[@fangoram29]

I loved her on my first read-through. On rereads I liked her less because I loved Nynaeve and her childish lashing out in the early books at her former mentor was really grating. Other than that or her love interest I still really enjoy her arc thorough the series

[@leonardhollerbach9806]

It felt like to me that maybe because her best friend (Elayne) wanted her to hook up with her brother instead of her hooking up with her half brother Galad. That might have planted a seed especially since he was a warder (or Youngling…🤮) Which her future boyfriend would have to be.

[@johndunn1625]

I like Egwene's arc purely because it's a good example of how you can be someone who is on the side of Good yet still objectively be a terrible person. She's petty, manipulative, hungry for power, prone to violence as a first reaction, downplays the abilities and actions of others, will break oaths and lie through her teeth if it gives her more power, lacks even an ounce of self awareness, and has whole host of other flaws that would put her firmly more in line with the Forsaken, but in spite of all that she never once considers serving the Dark. It's really neat, even if i absolutely can't stand her as a character

[@hoorah92]

not gonna lie i dont understand why youd be upset with your best friend and sister hooking up and or dating. its 2 people making their own choice lol. if anything its someone you know and trust so your best friend would probably be your highest recommendation. lol

[@timpeterjensen2364]

but if your brother was Gawyn, would you really do that to your best friend? makes you a pretty horrible friend i would say, ofcourse i have always felt him and Egwene were perfect for each other.

[@d.rock2224]

Just out of curiosity Jake the Snake, do you have any siblings, and if so, are they of an age to potentially date any of your friends?

[@menachemsalomon]

I went as far as to recommend a friend of mine for my sister. I thought it was the highest compliment possible, for both of them. (It didn't go anywhere, though.)

[@Dunstan9]

@@timpeterjensen2364 Elayne is the one that was trying to matchmake then back in the Tower. Largely because due to her home life being somewhat affection starved, Elayne has a massive family complex. She wants as big of one as possible, and the idea of one of her best-friends becoming her sister-in-law is the kind of thing she'd be all over. Basically, it's just one of the Wheel's way of smoothing Elayne's willingness to accept the concept of First-Sisters.

[@sirenstarlite1485]

Egwene is in my top 3 characters. I love her so much. She is tied with Moiraine and Mat for me.

[@rune4769]

Don't forget to smash that like button ppl!

[@Harldin]

There could be a very strong argument for her being a Ta’veren, her effect on things around her, seems nearly as strong as Mat and Perrins

[@andylee6022]

Depends on your view of death of the author. Believe it? Minor ability. Disavow it? No way in hell.

[@haterzrmymotivators3]

Good stuff, and yes Recappa’s stuff is awesome!! I do have to disagree with you on egwene being only a wartime Amyrlin. She was already orchestrating big things between the aiel, and the seafolk also her poning of tuon when they met would be a great thing to come back to, as well her relationship with the dragon reborn would mean that she would have a great platform to start relations with the black tower, and her reunification of the tower and ground work with the different ajahs would mean she would be well set up to lead them into the new age, but annyywaayyys that’s my take. Love the video.

[@bondini101]

Honestly how many times are you going to advertise?

[@jonathonwhitington402]

The Wise Ones should have just kept beating her. She deserved worse than she got.

[@zachbreth9696]

Great video as always. But her being a wartime leader rather than a peace time leader is the part I've been harping about since WoT ended. 10000% agree Edit: Egwene is an interesting character, but probably the biggest Mary Sue. But RJ did an excellent job establishing the way the Pattern works in tumultuous times so it landed well for me.

[@danhenley9495]

Great synopsis as usual. I dont believe Egwene is a Mary Sue except for the proclamation by Moraine at the beginning of the story that Egwene could be Amrylin. Egwene has great moments and I admire her strength of character. She suffers from RJ 's flaw of spawning too many characters. Too many critical strengths are given to her because RJ tends to make Emmons Field the modern Age of Legends. As a woman she is sometimes insufferable, especially the way she treats Rand, Mat and Perrin.

[@danalou_who7765]

Naebs, I am afraid you are mistaken about Egwene’s breakbone fever. When Nynaeve tells about it in chapter 21 of EotW, she said that she “didn’t know that the Wisdom had everything in hand” and that Mistress Barran had told her that “the fever would break in another day, two at the most.” Nynaeve only believed that the Wisdom couldn’t save Egwene.

[@DiscoveryImmortality]

She was so annoying at the beginning, but in the end i was shocked how she handed things.

[@ladrac198]

Where is that colored map from that you showed when you talked about them going to Tear?! I need that in my life lol

[@NaeBlis]

It’s one of the maps I’ve made for my videos. They will all be featured on TheGreatBlight.com when it’s released her at the beginning of next month

[@ladrac198]

@@NaeBlis awesome! Great work man, love your videos, keep it up!

[@twig8523]

Hmmm theoretical question struck me during your recap. If a compulsion were placed on Mat & he put his foxhead on after the fact... Would the weaves melt away from his mind **harmlessly?** I imagine it'd be much like Nynaeve's healing, but would it be done in a perfect magical way that didn't damage the brain? Or is the brain already damaged by the weave, & the compulsion fills the gaps? 🤔 Something else? 🤷

[@mcina001]

Egwene is fascinating. I feel like she is the epitome of the gender role reversals RJ set up in his world. I’ve long held that women in the WOT have taken on most of the flaws men have in our real world. This is a consequence of the flip in the gender power dynamic that the taint on saidin has created. Women are in most of the positions of power in the world, the default gender of authority. I think Egwene catches a lot of flack because we the readers view her with our Earthen lens of harshness. Egwene is the Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren of the WOT. She’s smart and gets shit done, but there’s just something untrustworthy about her. She’s apparently too cold and calculating, valuing her relationships too little, exhibiting too much greed for knowledge and power. Yes, Egwene is dismissive of Rand and pretty much every other man in the world. She womansplains stuff all the time. She is hardworking and soaks up knowledge whenever she can, but she is often inflexible in the surety of her knowledge. These are traits that we more readily excuse in our male leaders in our world. It’s jarring to see a woman take on these traits. A fascinating exercise would be to imagine how we would view her if she were a dude. What if Egwin is a 16-year-old boy in the Two Rivers, destined to marry Randi, a girl about his age, and to train to be the town healer. But Egwin finds out Randi and some other friends are leaving town, and he tags along. Soon after, the Aes Sedai Merlin tells him he is able to channel saidin, and Egwin starts to train a little under Merlin’s tutelage. His ex-fiancee, Randi, mad that he’s seemingly destined to go to the Black Tower where all the Aes Sedai are, grows jealous and calls him out for seemingly wanting to abandon her and the Two Rivers. But Egwin knows he’s destined for bigger things. On their travels, Egwin and Pearl are separated from the group. Egwin, a 16-year-old boy full of testosterone, flirts a little with a beautiful Tinker girl named Aram, but Pearl points out that Egwin is to be betrothed to Randi. Later, Egwin finds out Randi is able to channel tainted saidar, and she is destined to go mad like all female channelers. Worse, Randi is the Dragon Reborn, the woman who will save and destroy the world. Despite this, he keeps Randi’s secret from her friends Pearl and Mattie. Egwin goes on to the Black Tower to train to be an Aes Sedai, but he is tricked into a foolish quest by the Black Ajah Aes Sedai Lindin, and he is imprisoned by the Seanchan. Enslaved by the a’dam, he learns the meaning of pain and suffers PTSD. He is rescued by his friends Nyne and Eli. Later, back in the Black Tower, Egwin, Nyne, and Eli are sent off on a quest to hunt down the Black Ajah. They hire a local thief catcher in Tear, a woman named Julia, but Julia is Compulsed by Lindin, and she leads the three of them into a trap. While imprisoned, Egwin manages to use his talent as a Dream Walker to almost free the three of them from their trap, but he requires a little help from Mattie. Mattie expects effusive praise, but Egwin knows he did most of the heavy lifting himself, and he stubbornly refuses to acknowledge Mattie’s role. Egwin realizes by now he’s no longer in love with Randi, and he tells her this gently, and he sets up Randi with Eli, because Eli actually is falling in love with her. When Randi leaves the Stone and heads for the Waste, Egwin follows. He meets Aiel Channelers and, hungry for new knowledge, inserts himself under their tutelage. These Wise Ones assume he is a fully trained Aes Sedai, and Egwin does nothing to disavow them of this. Etc. etc.

[@pikachuuudothethunderstorm1516]

This is epic in so many ways! I got nothing more to add

[@timpeterjensen2364]

The role reversal has always been pretty evident to me, though it is not 100% all the time. Egwene is one of the best written people in the series and she is also a pretty shitty person.

[@mcina001]

I agree that the role reversal doesn’t explain everything. I just see Egwene’s as a character to be taken from a traditionally male mold. I feel like RJ took a male character and infused it into a female role (same as he does for many things in this world, but I see her as the most extreme example). If Egwene were a man, he would be viewed as independent, ambitious, dedicated, uber-talented, a veritable genius. Because she’s a woman, I think many of us see her instead as unfaithful, greedy, hyper-focused, a Mary Sue, a know-it-all. I also think those of us who identify with Rand (myself included) will necessarily have a negative gut reaction to Egwene, because she spends the entire story opposing him (literally from their first meeting), and she’s only right some of the time but never acknowledges that she’s wrong (even in her own headspace). Rand and Egwene would have made a terrible couple, bickering until the end just as they did in the canonical story, and I’m so glad they didn’t get married (see: Portal Stone visions, TGH for Doctor Strange-level proof of that). I still don’t love Egwene as a human being, but I can excuse her flaws for what she is: a truly driven leader who does more good than harm for Randland. I think you can admire her talents and accomplishments without loving her character. She’s the Michael Jordan of their world. She doesn’t have just raw talent; she got to where she is through blood, sweat, and tears, including months of torture and enslavement, being sent as a half-trained teenager to hunt expert evil channelers, volunteering for and enduring gritty training among the harshest of desert folk, tolerating a puppet role of leadership and turning it into a true position of power by accepting wise advice when it’s offered, and putting together these skills to break down tyranny from the inside out. And Egwene sure as hell isn’t a teammate to get along with. She may make you feel like shit a bunch of the time, and she may think she always knows what’s best, but she will win, and you can’t doubt her commitment to winning. She’s Michael Jordan. It’s taken me multiple read-throughs to arrive at a place of peace in my view of her. It certainly doesn’t hurt that she’s likely the biggest martyr of the story, putting her money where her mouth is more than any other character. I will defend Egwene as a well-written character. And if you still think she’s terrible, there is one more potential Egwene-apologist tact I could take-that perhaps she was corrupted by the Shadow. First, was she influenced by Fain at least a little during her visits to the dungeons of Fal Dara in TGH (just as Pedron Niall and Elaida were later)? And later, was some of her personality the results of Compulsion by Halima? We’ll never know.

[@joeshafer2123]

Freshly rescued by Thom, Mat and Noal aka Jain freaking Farstrider!!!!! You tell him Jain Fastrider died clean!!

[@NaeBlis]

My bad. You are entirely correct

[@haplozetetic9519]

I've wondered how it is that different people like or dislike different characters while others have the opposite opinions. I think this reflects more on our own perspectives and less on what the characters are like. Egwene certainly has both some of the worst and best moments in the books, but all of the Emonds field 5 had both seriously idiotic and superbly brilliant moments through the series. By the time I finish another re-read, I may have a permanent hand print on my forehead.

[@Violetsoul6]

Nice Recappa plug! Def the Recappameter is the best ranking system,. Move over, Naebs!!! LMAO

[@TimFrie-GD]

I'm disappointed that you did not discuss Egwaine's relationship with Rand throughout the series.

[@mhail7673]

Yes, that was hilarious when they both thought the other was "putting on a brave face" for the break up. Both of them lost points in that. Made them much more human though.

[@NoorAhmed-nk2jq]

To me Egwene is a hard character to discuss, because I personally dislike her but she has really cool moments at least on paper, yet to me most of her big moments fall flat, like she would have this glorious political maneuver that I should love but I just feel everyone else was dumbed down for it, the Aes Sedai all act as idiots around her for some reason! there is also a lot of telling not showing, like Siuan will sing her praises to no end it's just annoying...and I know other characters have that issue too, but it doesn't fall flat the way it does with Egwene. I think some of it has to do with the way other characters react to her, like for Nyneave everyone calls her out on her anger, the boys pay for their mistakes dearly. But Wgwene doesn't get called out or pay for her mistakes. She does get some torture true, but it's never for her mistakes, it's always this unfair situation were some bad guys torture her, It annoys me that the wise ones continue to treat her as this honorary Aiel because she did some bad things for months but she accepted a beating so it's all good, I'm sorry that falls flat for me because it never works like this in the real world! I know the Aiel customs means they never talk about a Toh after it's been met but that kind of trust can't be just fixed! come on! So I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I dislike Egwene but don't always feel like debating it, because she does have a good arc and she does serve a purpose in the story, I just never buy it, but all powers to those who do! and I do hope the TV show can get me more on board with the character.

[@NaeBlis]

I don’t think you’re necessarily alone in those opinions. Like I said, I think she’s a very divisive character

[@andrewberenson5717]

My favorite Egwene scenes are her confrontation with Elaida at the second dinner; where she tells the Salidar Tower about the Black Ajah; where she maneuvers the Hall of Tower into giving her sole authority to deal with Rand; her final battle with Mesaana; her final sacrifice during the Last Battle; and her battling the Seanchan

[@muffitt1]

I was upset when someone said that the love affair in the two rivers was not portrayed very well In the books Egwene Al'Vere was never to marry Ran Egwene Al'Vere was to be a wise woman and as such, she would move away and never marry I also hird that one of the writers was saying that the village in two rivers was not like the villages of medal Europe The problem is that the villages of two rivers are like the medal Europe villages and without birth control, you would not have a way to stop babby being born and so you would have sex only in marriage

[@BelMarduksBizarreBazaar]

They were in a pre engagement situation that would have escalated once they were adults. She was 15 that winternight and would have moved no further than watch hill or devon ride.

[@Biscuitplease]

Im here because of the show but pretty get the grasp of the story through book fans. But I question that last argument about her abilities to accomplish so much was a questionthat answered itself. I thought the whole point of being ta'veren is that you are supposed experience legendary obstacles, accomplish great feats and blessed with great power beyond the normal pattern in the wheel? To question that is like not understanding the purpose of a ta'veren. Am I confused? Also, I think in many ways her story exemplifies her as a great weaver but also very strategically powerful one.

[@NaeBlis]

Ta’veren means that the pattern weaves events and obstacles around you. You can’t change things. The world will warp, no matter how improbable, to get what it wants to happen. Hard to explain quickly

[@BelMarduksBizarreBazaar]

They twist the rules of causality. Matt for example has an incident where a flipped coin lands on edge more than 100 times. A toddler may fall several stories and not get bruised.

[@Oscar-bx2no]

Egwene is my favorite character She was the only one who accepted her fate while the others were disoriented for a long time. She was never afraid of being an Aes Sedai, endured her captivity with the Seanchan, trained with the Aiel, became a dreamer, became an Amyrlin who was able to unify the White Tower, endured horrific beatings, implemented radical changes in form. to think of many Aes Sedai, headstrong women hundreds of years old. She was incredible and the only thing that weighs on me at the end is her death. Cadsuane represents the past of the Aes Sedai, but Egwene should have been the one to guide all channeling women to a better future.

[@dmc009]

21:53 egwene is stronger channeler than nynaeve?

[@EnigmaG1]

2:22 Don't you mean a non-fatal illness?

[@alaska4939]

There are times I cannot stand her! When she's talking down to Rand, constantly thinks she knows best, and just a general attitude problem. But after she becomes Amerlyn and goes up against the other Aei Sedei, I started really enjoying her POVs. Very similar I'd say to how I feel about Nyneve.

[@lexieve8673]

LOL! There's no way Gawyn is worse than Galad!

[@word90]

I honestly never had a problem with gawyn.

[@justingroth5152]

Gawyn was a good guy that made nearly every wrong decision for some understandable reasons.

[@michaelhowze8198]

I honestly forget about the dude all the time. He wasn't bad or good for me just meh.

[@Amanda-bj4eo]

I love you shouting out, Recappa and Wheel Talk! I just found Wheel Talk, and I'm loving the quality entertainment! You're awesome Nae'blis!

[@Gumblethebear]

My favorite character. That show better do her damn well. I like her relationship with Gawyn simply because it always felt like RJ saying “even someone who seems like she has it together can’t control who they are attracted to, even if it’s bad for them.” Gawyn is basically one of the ways to show she is fallible and not perfect. Most of the rest of her “too good” moments are because she constantly has people there to teach her faster than anyone normally can go.

[@ellenwhite1655]

I'm on my second read through and I'm finding her real irritating. Whenever I'm reading her sections, I find myself counting pages until I can get back to the store lines with Rand/Perrin/Mat.

[@StellaMarshal]

Couldn’t agree more. One of my least favorite things about the books is how unlikable the female characters are

[@mhail7673]

@@StellaMarshal one of my favorite thing is how strong they are. They NEVER wait to be saved. Generally, that messes things up, but they NEVER stop trying to be the hero of the story.

[@StellaMarshal]

M'hail that I can agree with, i just wish it was coupled with at least one female character that I didn’t wish would die so I didn’t have to read from their POV

[@CriticalxMiss]

@@StellaMarshal the nagging women trope that gets pressed into almost all the women characters at one point or another is annoying. I count it as poor writing, not a knock against the characters

[@CriticalxMiss]

@anonymous opinions if it is a habit of the writer to transform characters to fit the need of the perceived need of the main character- then it doesnt say much about that character. In my opinion, this happens to Egwene a decent amount early on

[@siriusb22]

Egwene is grand until chapter 43 tgs where she nosedives. She lacks self awareness. She is arrogant. She learns no lessons. She is strategically obtuse. She pisses and moans about suian and Co rescuing her. She thinks only about herself and what she believes to be right. Rand manipulates her into gathering the royalty to Merillor. Her death wasn't heroic it was selfish suicide and as a reader gawyns death and siuans deaths hit me harder.