The Forsaken act just how villains in science fiction serials, comic books and video games typically act. That is why they lose.
The major complaint about them is that they pose no direct threat to the protagonists because the author has spent almost thirteen books showing and telling us that the main characters are too important to be destroyed.
This would be a very different series if Moiraine and Lan were destroyed with a wave of Aginor's hand, if Lanfear immediately Shielded Rand and took him away to be brainwashed or if Moghedien Compelled Nynaeve and Elayne, making them her servants.
The Forsaken make very stupid mistakes, because they were not meant to be more than boogeymen. I've found that trying to explain their failures make them look even more stupid - these are people who survived by being extremely cautious and quick to eliminate threats, yet every time they have one of the main characters in their power, they gloat or knock them unconscious.
They don't really serve a purpose beyond being a rogue's gallery that will ultimately be culled and defeated so RJ never really intended for them to have a chance of winning.
The major complaint about them is that they pose no direct threat to the protagonists because the author has spent almost thirteen books showing and telling us that the main characters are too important to be destroyed.
This would be a very different series if Moiraine and Lan were destroyed with a wave of Aginor's hand, if Lanfear immediately Shielded Rand and took him away to be brainwashed or if Moghedien Compelled Nynaeve and Elayne, making them her servants.
The Forsaken make very stupid mistakes, because they were not meant to be more than boogeymen. I've found that trying to explain their failures make them look even more stupid - these are people who survived by being extremely cautious and quick to eliminate threats, yet every time they have one of the main characters in their power, they gloat or knock them unconscious.
They don't really serve a purpose beyond being a rogue's gallery that will ultimately be culled and defeated so RJ never really intended for them to have a chance of winning.
I completely agree with you. We're made to believe that these people are so flawed that they can't do anything right. It's a total joke.
If I was one of the Forsaken and my worst enemy was on the Light, I assure you I would not be incompetent because of this fact. I'd perform well and still make time to kill him (or whatever). Suddenly because one Forsaken doesn't like Aes Sedai or Lews Therin or Academics - then everyone becomes hysterical and loses their minds, and can't even carry out the most mundane tasks.
If you're a highly educated and accomplished person with almost unparalleled gifts that allow you to kill with a thought, and an 18 year old farmer kills you.. then you suck, doesn't matter how you look at it. And Rand's the best of them - even his lesser minions get the better of the Forsaken. The best reason to be on the side of the Light in WoT is not because they're good, it's because the score is 100-0.
Wheel of Time board admin
Fan of Lanfear
Fan of Lanfear
Alll the incompetent Forsaken talk lately...
- 29/04/2010 07:09:22 AM
1648 Views
Sammael?
- 29/04/2010 08:07:24 AM
873 Views
Sincerest apologies, the post should've been a reply...
- 29/04/2010 06:52:23 PM
680 Views
Don't sweat it. It's not like we're overflowing with threads and need to cut down on the clutter. *NM*
- 30/04/2010 01:52:37 AM
319 Views
Posting a reply at the bottom of a long thread is a good way for your points to be overlooked. *NM*
- 30/04/2010 01:51:55 AM
345 Views
Nope, they deserve their bad rap for being Typical Villains of the Week including Gimmicks
- 29/04/2010 02:48:47 PM
673 Views
I agree
- 29/04/2010 02:56:55 PM
636 Views
Re: Nope, they deserve their bad rap for being Typical Villains of the Week including Gimmicks
- 29/04/2010 05:04:56 PM
790 Views
Re: Nope, they deserve their bad rap for being Typical Villains of the Week including Gimmicks
- 29/04/2010 06:05:40 PM
643 Views
Sorry - vanished-portal-deaths are like "Dead! His car fell in the river; we never found the body.." *NM*
- 29/04/2010 07:28:40 PM
333 Views
I was hoping the melting gateway meant they were burned out of existence at first. *NM*
- 29/04/2010 08:10:16 PM
277 Views
Jordan didn't care in a 4 book series!
- 29/04/2010 07:24:24 PM
749 Views
Name one bit of good nature to any of the AoL lives of the Forsaken.
- 30/04/2010 01:49:53 AM
641 Views
What about Demandred?
- 30/04/2010 05:12:55 AM
761 Views
D'oh! How come I didn't immediately think of a politician? Seriously?
- 30/04/2010 12:45:35 PM
802 Views
What is your argument?
- 30/04/2010 06:12:24 PM
662 Views
Indeed
- 01/05/2010 09:35:06 AM
697 Views
Except LTT DID do good. You know, saving the world from the Dark One and all. He was good. QED
- 01/05/2010 05:06:31 PM
633 Views
and Demandred fought the Shadow for half the war... what's the point?
- 01/05/2010 09:20:00 PM
697 Views
You can do good without being good. It's mostly the system's fault (credit? )
- 01/05/2010 11:30:16 PM
663 Views
How do you judge people, if not by their actions?
- 02/05/2010 06:29:16 AM
699 Views
The WoT does NOT feature a "small set of characters"
- 03/05/2010 12:06:56 AM
603 Views
I kinda thought most of those points were in what I already wrote
- 03/05/2010 02:53:04 AM
582 Views
Re: Alll the incompetent Forsaken talk lately...
- 30/04/2010 02:44:06 AM
632 Views
I agree with a few of your points
- 30/04/2010 07:24:59 AM
684 Views