The 7 best minor characters in The Wheel of Time

There are hundreds of characters in The Wheel of Time, too many to keep your straight in your head at all times. But they deserve celebration:

The Wheel of Time author Robert Jordan — and Brandon Sanderson, who finished the series —  created a memorable cast of characters to popular these 14 books. Beyond the main heroes, readers meet fascinating side characters both lovable and terrifying, all of whom help fill out the edges of this epic tale.

In celebration of Jordan and the world he created, here’re seven of the best minor characters from The Wheel of Time, arranged in no particular order. If your favorite isn’t on the list, they must be a main character.

Major spoilers for The Wheel of Time follow…

Demandred

This man’s entire arc plays out in a phenomenal endgame. The subtle clues Robert Jordan left about his plans are scattered everywhere, making him a fascinating character on a reread. He eventually got his own novella.

As one of the nefarious channelers known as Forsaken, Demandred pops in and out of their meetings, but no one really knew what he was doing. He hardly revealed anything about his schemes. For a long time, fans of The Wheel of Time had no clue what Demandred was up to, generating plenty of fan speculation before A Memory of Light revealed the truth.

After his release from the Bore, Demandred travels to Shara, lands far to the east, in search of a powerful artifact of power. Posing as a slave, he unknowingly begins to fulfill Sharan prophecies, like an evil counterpart to Rand. He leads rebellions, recruits warriors and channelers, and fitghts ancient guardians to receive the sa’angreal artifact he desired. It all comes to a head in The Gathering Storm prologue, where he reveals that his rule is secure and his armies are ready, and the rest is chaos.

Verin Mathwin

We were all suspicious of Verin Mathwin. Readers could never figure out which side this Aes Sedai truly served. A member of the Brown Ajah, her devotion to knowledge and penchant for drawn-out conversations masked her real intentions. Like Demandred, readers who followed the series from the early days had plenty of theories regarding Verin.

She always popped up where things were thickest. Verin accompanied Siuan Sanche to Fal Dara, helped Perrin fight Shadowspawn in Emond’s Field, and participates in the battle at Dumai’s Wells. All the while, fans were suspicious of her curious nature, and some were likely convinced she was a member of the Black Ajah. She didn’t help her case when she possibly lied and almost poisoned Cadsuane.

After a mysterious visit to Mat Cauthon, Verin next appears at the White Tower, where Egwene has become Amyrlin Seat, and all becomes clear. Verin explains that she joined the Black Ajah as a double agent. After getting wrapped up with Dark Friends, she secretly began to study them, and in the hour of her death she hands Egwene a book detailing everything she knows about them, which the Amyrlin Seat later uses to rid them from the White Tower.

"“…although the word Black may brand my name forever, my soul is Brown.”“I will tell, Verin”, Egwene promised. “But your soul is not Brown. I can see it. Your soul is pure white. Like the Light itself.”— Verin Mathwin and Egwene al’Vere, The Gathering Storm"

Cadsuane

She’s no Moiraine, but Cadsuane Sedai plays a similar role in the later half of The Wheel of Time. A mysterious and legendary Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah, she uses her intelligence and status as the order’s oldest living sister to become one of Rand al’Thor’s main advisors. Although they struggle to maintain a healthy relationship, she stands up to Rand when he desperately needs someone to, like the time she slapped him for using balefire.

Cadsuane is a confrontational character, so much that some may call her a bully, especially Tam al’Thor, but she’s effective and has the no-nonsense attitude readers were craving after losing Moiraine.

Cadsuane becomes one of Rand’s most loyal followers. Although he mistrusts her from the start, she stays until the bitter end, defending the path to the Pit of Dhoom and saluting him as he rides into the darkness.

Androl Genhald

Androl Genhald finds the spotlight late in the game. A character mentioned in passing by Robert Jordan, author Brandon Sanderson took this character and made him his own. As he wrote in 2013:

"I did want to add at least one character across the three books I was doing. I went to Team Jordan with the suggestion that I could fulfill both of these purposes by using one of the rank-and-file members of the Black Tower, preferably someone who wasn’t a full Asha’man and was something of a blank slate. They suggested Androl. The notes were silent regarding him, and while he had been around, he so far hadn’t had the spotlight on him. He seemed the perfect character to dig into.–BrandonSanderson.com"

Androl lacks strength in the One Power but does have the Talent to create gateways of gigantic size instantly and with ease. By the end of the series, he has transformed into a splendid character. In the Last Battle, his gateways are a force to be reckoned with, and his growing bond with Pevara Sedai makes for a touching side story. Androl developed from unconfident soldier in the Black Tower to one of its most respected leaders.

Talmanes

If Mat were Batman, Talmanes would be Robin. He’s Mat’s sidekick, and has a sense of humor dryer than the Aiel desert. Second-in-command at the Band of the Red Hand, Talmanes grows as the series goes on, and by the end becomes something more than just Mat’s traveling companion.

Talmanes kicks off A Memory of Light as we see the Fall of Camelyn through his eyes. When Trollocs come through a Waygate to invade the city in the night, Talmanes gathers up his soldiers and mercenaries to defend the gate, allowing thousands of civilians to escape. The man even defeats a Myddraal, taking a horrific wound that is later healed.

In the Last Battle, Talmanes and Aludra make effective use of the gateways and dragons to turn the tide of battle. Not bad for a supposed sidekick.

Lanfear

The Daughter of the Night ends up as the most complicated of the Forsaken, and as strong as a woman can be in the One Power. She’s known for her astonishing beauty, but often disguises her true face and age in her endless pursuit for power. Her desire leads her to such extremes as wanting to overthrow both the Dark One and the Creator with Rand al’Thor’s help. None can say she wasn’t ambitious, often betraying both her allies and her master in order to gain more power for herself.

We first meet her early in the series, when she’s going by the name Selene. Even then, readers can tell something is up with her. She later reveals herself to be Lanfear and continues to stalk our heroes. She’s a strange villain, with her love for Lews Therin outweighing her commitment to the Dark One. Lanfear remains proud, arrogant, presumptuous, and self-absorbed all the way until the end.

Tam al’Thor

A loving father to Rand, Tam al’Thor is everything a Two Rivers man should be. He’s one of those characters Wheel of Time readers hoped would reconnect with Rand towards the end. When that moment finally came, the result warmed the hearts of everyone reading. Well, maybe not the first reunion, but the second hits you right in the feels.

Tam has a great backstory as well. Growing up in the Two Rivers, he ran away and joined the Illianer army. Eventually he found himself fighting in the Aiel War. Rising to the status of blademaster, he continued the fight until he chanced upon a baby alone on the slopes of Dragonmount. Settling on a farm on the outskirts of Emond’s Field, Tam and his wife Kari al’Thor raised that baby who would later become the Dragon Reborn.

The Wheel of Time series connects with readers by offering them a brilliant and colorful cast of characters to fall in love with. These minor characters, much like the major heroes, have diverse personalities and goals that add depth to the series and flavor to the world. Let’s hope the upcoming Wheel of Time series on Amazon can cast them all!

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