Egwene is Worst Ever upon reread- I think the first time I read her stuff, it was all "Oh, she's the plucky girl who has magic and spunk, awesome!"
And upon reread, I just get annoyed at how much of a bitch she is to her friends.
Honestly, I'd take Egwene in a fight over any of the other women in the series ... she may have had her flaws as a person, but she was relentless in her focus and kicked anyone's ass who stood in the way. #Respect
I've never really seen why people think she's such a bitch, especially given how horrible other women light-side characters are in the series:
Tuon, bow to me or die
Faile, Perrin is my personal possession
Elaida, straight up crazy
Alanna, force-bond even though everyone thinks that rape
Siuan, straight up control freak
Cadsuane, haggard, nasty bully
Romanda, vindictive and pretty stupid
Lelaine, manipulative as hell
All of these women are WAY bigger bitches for WAY less reason than Egwene. Elayne is an entitled brat who I believe the only reason everyone gives the "pass" to about her bitchiness is because she's a fairytale princess ... Egwene isn't 1/10 as bitchy but because she's a village girl she gets heaps of shit for having ambition. She literally sacrificed her life while Elayne was fretting about how much respect she should be getting from Perrin. Min, Aviendha, Nynaeve, and Moiraine weren't exactly sweet little ladies either ... you know all those bitches would shank you if you crossed them!
In all fairness I doubt I would be friends with Egwene in real life, but I know many women who are driven in similar ways and I respect them even if I don't always like them a lot.
... No, they're not particularly. Most of them anyway.
Tuon... Is a Seanchan noble. They don't exactly raise them to be "cuddly". More like "order minded Sith" then anything. The mere fact that she is capable of expressing compassion and some level friendship lends most to give her something of a pass.
Faile... Is a bitch. Some of it is her culture, but a lot of it is just... She is a bitch. But not nearly as big a one as Egwene.
Elaida is Elaida... Only better then Egwene in the sense that the narrative and the people around her don't just ignore it.
Alanna... Why is she even on this list? Who in the world likes Alanna?
Siuan... And yet, not even within miles of as bad as Egwene.
Cadsuane, Romanda, Lelaine... Again, you keep listing women who own their bitchiness. Who understand the concept of it. Who see it as something that needs be regardless. Egwene... Doesn't even GET it half the time.
Elayne. Elayne is again a noble. She was brought up as one. It doesn't just erase her every wrong, but it does give context to the reader. Context that lets them look past it to she the kind and caring person that she is.
Egwene... Egwene isn't a "kind and caring person". That alone might not amount to much, but... She is from the Two Rivers. A land seemly made up of 70% moral paragons and heroic types. She... She barely even seems to understand the concept of "friend". She THINKS she does, but... She doesn't. She really, really doesn't. The woman is a bit messed up in the head, and worse of all... Almost no one, herself included naturally, ever freaking notices it!
Off the top of my head only Rand... Who doesn't care. Just thanks his lucky stars they aren't a couple anymore, and plans his entire save the world plan around it, and yet... Still doesn't actually CARE that she is as she is.
It would indeed be as if half of the good guys saw freaking Elaida as one of their closest personal friends, and got sad that she died at the end.
