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
1669 Views
Sammael?
- 29/04/2010 08:07:24 AM
893 Views
Sincerest apologies, the post should've been a reply...
- 29/04/2010 06:52:23 PM
701 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
329 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
351 Views
Nope, they deserve their bad rap for being Typical Villains of the Week including Gimmicks
- 29/04/2010 02:48:47 PM
695 Views
I agree
- 29/04/2010 02:56:55 PM
659 Views
Re: Nope, they deserve their bad rap for being Typical Villains of the Week including Gimmicks
- 29/04/2010 05:04:56 PM
814 Views
Re: Nope, they deserve their bad rap for being Typical Villains of the Week including Gimmicks
- 29/04/2010 06:05:40 PM
664 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
343 Views
I was hoping the melting gateway meant they were burned out of existence at first. *NM*
- 29/04/2010 08:10:16 PM
286 Views
Jordan didn't care in a 4 book series!
- 29/04/2010 07:24:24 PM
768 Views
Name one bit of good nature to any of the AoL lives of the Forsaken.
- 30/04/2010 01:49:53 AM
663 Views
What about Demandred?
- 30/04/2010 05:12:55 AM
783 Views
D'oh! How come I didn't immediately think of a politician? Seriously?
- 30/04/2010 12:45:35 PM
821 Views
What is your argument?
- 30/04/2010 06:12:24 PM
685 Views
Indeed
- 01/05/2010 09:35:06 AM
719 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
654 Views
and Demandred fought the Shadow for half the war... what's the point?
- 01/05/2010 09:20:00 PM
720 Views
You can do good without being good. It's mostly the system's fault (credit? )
- 01/05/2010 11:30:16 PM
684 Views
How do you judge people, if not by their actions?
- 02/05/2010 06:29:16 AM
720 Views
The WoT does NOT feature a "small set of characters"
- 03/05/2010 12:06:56 AM
621 Views
I kinda thought most of those points were in what I already wrote
- 03/05/2010 02:53:04 AM
600 Views
Re: Alll the incompetent Forsaken talk lately...
- 30/04/2010 02:44:06 AM
652 Views
I agree with a few of your points
- 30/04/2010 07:24:59 AM
705 Views