I thought he was "all dead" the first time, so, maybe....

I'm getting a little tired of authors deliberately killing off the most noble, beloved but EXPENDABLE characters just to yank an emotional reaction out of fans though. Hoppers death was utterly unnecessary except insofar as it justifies Perrin hating Slayer even more and makes us do the same. *shrugs* Maybe it's an excuse to deal with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, a set up for a spiritual Randland where people aren't OBLIGATED to be reborn, but can go to a final joyful rest. Maybe that's just my bias though; honestly, the idea of an infinite cycle of reincarnation has always struck me as very tedious and tiring.