It is one of the worst failings of fantasy that it is peppered with villains who are suave, sensible and yet unspeakably evil.

It makes no sense to ask for a villain who has no blinders, no idiocies, no weaknesses yet makes the monumentally idiotic decision to support a deity who is out to destroy the world.

Ishamael, Graendal, Lanfear, Semirhage, Demandred, ec. might have been the foremost brains of their Age, but their obsession with themselves and their own opinions (which drove them to the Shadow) has got to have an effect on the way they act, which is going to have an effect on their success.

More, given that they are working in a civilization that is vastly different from the one they operated in, I don't see how much cooler one can expect them to be.

Jordan did the "unforgivable" mistake of making his villains realistic and more "everyday" rather than leaving them untouched as the awesome legends they were thought to be. I think that is one of the greatest strengths of the series.

As for measuring their success by their survivial in unfair physical contests... I can assure you that two moderately strong people could have killed Hitler without any difficulty. Especially if he were magically transported back to 1000 B.C. or something. Doesn't affect the fact that he is one of the most evil villains known to humanity. Doesn't change the fact that he was a self absorbed moron either.