If raw strength in the power is considered, then Aginor is second to Ishamael. But as you've pointed out, Aginor was a sniveling little weasle with no skill. Without skill, Aginor's superior strength means little which is why that loser grovels before Demandred and many of the rest.
Aginor knows he has less skill as a weaver than the other chosen and he lacks the combat instincts that are crucial (see Demandred's ability to immediately ascertain what he is up against at the end of Winter's Heart compared to the other chosen's reactions) to one power duel. Aginor can channel more of the power than anyone except Ishamael, but Aginor's below average skill and battle prowess make him less of a threat than others like Demandred who might be able to channel slightly less power, but more than make up for it with superior skill and instincts.
It looks to me like you've defined powerful as a mixture of raw one power channeling ability, plus skill/dexterity, plus battle instincts. With that many factors to look at, Robert Jordan hasn't given enough information to make certain conclusions.
But just between you and me, Sidious, I'm the second most powerful!
Aginor knows he has less skill as a weaver than the other chosen and he lacks the combat instincts that are crucial (see Demandred's ability to immediately ascertain what he is up against at the end of Winter's Heart compared to the other chosen's reactions) to one power duel. Aginor can channel more of the power than anyone except Ishamael, but Aginor's below average skill and battle prowess make him less of a threat than others like Demandred who might be able to channel slightly less power, but more than make up for it with superior skill and instincts.
It looks to me like you've defined powerful as a mixture of raw one power channeling ability, plus skill/dexterity, plus battle instincts. With that many factors to look at, Robert Jordan hasn't given enough information to make certain conclusions.
But just between you and me, Sidious, I'm the second most powerful!
You're totally right that Aginor was probably second in strength. However, when RJ made his point about strength vs skill by using Alivia and Cyndane, and directly telling us about it in his blog, it was convincing evidence that a channeler's skills and knowledge can bridge vast gaps in strength. RJ went as far to say that Alivia was 'much stronger' than Cyndane in that battle, but that skill and knowledge evened it out. Thus when channelers like Graendal or Semirhage duel, it is likely that they can bridge almost any strength gap, if there is one. It's not like there's much to bridge... any of the Forsaken are close to the highest strength possible in saidin or saidar.
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Fan of Lanfear
Fan of Lanfear
The top 6 Forsaken - similar in the One Power
- 12/09/2009 09:27:20 PM
1913 Views
The Big White Book says...
- 12/09/2009 11:46:43 PM
1140 Views
Not Aginor
- 13/09/2009 08:36:37 AM
1139 Views
Re: Not Aginor
- 13/09/2009 03:16:13 PM
1046 Views
Re: Not Aginor
- 13/09/2009 05:47:14 PM
1092 Views
Fact is, the bwb is untrustworthy
- 13/09/2009 05:54:28 PM
1005 Views
But, RJ himself said that the BWB was written from the standpoint of a scholar
- 14/09/2009 04:42:59 PM
1031 Views
It all depends on how you define "powerful"
- 14/09/2009 02:30:31 AM
1062 Views
I think power is much more than raw strength
- 14/09/2009 05:00:10 AM
969 Views
So is graendal similar to lanfear then?
- 13/09/2009 05:41:42 PM
925 Views
Graendal could fight Lanfear and win
- 13/09/2009 06:01:57 PM
1502 Views
Graendal herself says...
- 13/09/2009 09:08:46 PM
954 Views
Lanfear was more powerful than Graendal, but Cyndane has less power
- 13/09/2009 10:19:35 PM
945 Views
Re: So is graendal similar to lanfear then?
- 13/09/2009 06:05:11 PM
1109 Views
Compulsion=any other deadly weave. Doesn't really change matters
- 13/09/2009 10:23:40 PM
982 Views
But it did give her an edge, and against two forsaken. *NM*
- 13/09/2009 11:12:09 PM
507 Views
Not at all
- 14/09/2009 04:51:48 AM
1028 Views
But Graendal confronted her... twice! *NM*
- 13/09/2009 07:48:29 PM
458 Views
Apparently only the third time counts
*NM*
- 13/09/2009 08:00:37 PM
504 Views
But the third time's supposed to be lucky. So that won't count either. *NM*
- 13/09/2009 11:26:18 PM
521 Views
*NM*
- 13/09/2009 08:00:37 PM
504 Views
But the third time's supposed to be lucky. So that won't count either. *NM*
- 13/09/2009 11:26:18 PM
521 Views
Really?
- 13/09/2009 08:36:33 PM
954 Views
No falsely...
- 13/09/2009 11:25:40 PM
1167 Views
- 13/09/2009 11:25:40 PM
1167 Views
And, of course, the male and female OP strength ranks might not even correlate that much
- 14/09/2009 04:41:58 PM
888 Views
They correlate on some critical points
- 14/09/2009 06:57:43 PM
1092 Views
That's not exactly what I'm referring to.
- 15/09/2009 04:36:29 PM
838 Views
But then we are discussing the same thing
- 15/09/2009 06:59:04 PM
985 Views
I think, outside of semantics, our main disagreement doesn't lie amid the higher tiers
- 16/09/2009 03:53:09 PM
850 Views
Probably
- 16/09/2009 06:31:27 PM
997 Views
I only disagree on one point, I think they are all rather equal in potential, incl. Ishamael
- 14/09/2009 04:28:12 PM
991 Views
I do think Ishamel is special
- 14/09/2009 07:04:03 PM
1060 Views
He's special the same way any individual is special.
- 14/09/2009 11:36:42 PM
1017 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special.
- 15/09/2009 08:36:20 AM
979 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special.
- 15/09/2009 03:48:34 PM
965 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special.
- 15/09/2009 04:39:39 PM
949 Views
The more interesting question is...
- 14/09/2009 06:34:11 PM
879 Views
Hmmm
- 14/09/2009 07:04:34 PM
972 Views
I think we'll see Graendal vs. Aran'gar.
- 14/09/2009 07:31:16 PM
1006 Views
Ah yes, that makes sense, and would be great! *NM*
- 14/09/2009 07:40:29 PM
820 Views
Yeah. Though I think its no competition. Graendal has got to be better than a walking tree!
- 14/09/2009 07:50:09 PM
879 Views
They do imply that Graendal is a lot more dangerous than she looks
- 14/09/2009 09:08:43 PM
905 Views
I've never underestimated Graendal
- 14/09/2009 09:42:49 PM
959 Views
Yeah... her frivolity was always a red flag for me too.
- 14/09/2009 10:18:40 PM
1002 Views
To me, she is the most lethal.
- 15/09/2009 05:18:10 PM
747 Views
I still like Lanfear more
- 15/09/2009 06:51:03 PM
887 Views
- 15/09/2009 06:51:03 PM
887 Views
Graendal did not beat me and Moghedien
- 15/09/2009 05:59:39 PM
991 Views
Agreed
- 15/09/2009 06:36:48 PM
878 Views
Ummm... how do we know?
- 15/09/2009 06:40:57 PM
1016 Views

only in love *NM*