History Characters / TheWheelOfTime

** Doubles as a slight bit of DeadPersonImpersonation. Leilwin was the name of a woman who was mistakenly kidnapped by the thugs she hired in her search for the missing Sul'dam, as she [[HeKnowsTooMuch could be released]] and Egeanin did not want to murder her she chose to send her back to Seander as a slave.

!'''Tam al'Thor'''

Rand's adoptive father, Tamlin al'Thor remains in the Two Rivers after his son and his friends leave, hearing tales of adventure. However, his [[CoolSword heron-marked blade]] and a fever dream tell there's more than meets the eye...

* TheArcher: One of the best the Two Rivers has to offer, and their archers are assumed to be some of the best around due to the quality of the bows.
* BadassNormal: A blademaster and one of the best archers in the Two Rivers.
* ColonelBadass: As of leaving the Two Rivers again, he is Perrin's First Captain and presumably his executive officer in military matters.
* CoolOldGuy
* DarkAndTroubledPast
* GoodParents: Despite not even being Rand's actual father, he still qualifies.
* MasterSwordsman
* OldSoldier
* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:Lays one on Cadsuane after Rand nearly balefires him, wanting to know what happened to his son that he can't even mention Cadsuane without being nearly killed, and not being ''told this was an issue''.]]

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Birgitte Silverbow is the heroine of many hundreds of gleeman's tales and legends. Like many of the great heroes of the Wheel of Time, she has been "spun out" into the Pattern many times, taking a different name but always following the same pattern: an archer, sometimes a soldier, who is linked to a lump-faced man who fights with two swords (most famously known as Gaidal Cain), whom she at first hates but eventually falls for.

[[folder: The Shadow & Darkfriends]]

'''The Dark One''' aka '''Shai'tan'''

The ultimate evil, equal and opposite of [[{{God}} the Creator]], imprisoned by him at the beginning of time. Partially released during the War of Power and resealed by mortals, his ultimate goal is complete freedom and the annihilation of reality.

* BigBad
* {{Chessmaster}}
* GodOfEvil
* IHaveManyNames: Or at least many epithets. Father of Lies, Sightblinder, Leafblighter, Lord of the Grave, Grassburner...
* NamesTheSame: There are many fictional characters called The Dark One
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Shai'tan.
* OmnicidalManiac
* TheScottishTrope: His followers don't say his name out of reverence, his enemies don't out of fear. One of the only two who ''have'' said it at any point thus far is Rand, who's used it twice. The first time, fifteen seconds later, an invasion of TheUsualAdversaries happened, and the second time he suffered PowerIncontinence so bad it wiped out a good chunk of his own army. The other person who's said it is Ishamael, who uses the name regularly- apparently being the Dark One's [[TheDragon favorite human]] gives you certain priveleges in that area.
* SealedEvilInACan
* UltimateEvil

** BadPowersBadPeople: The True Power, which is like the One Power but derives from The Dark One, and is much more dangerous and addictive.

** DarkMessiah: Sees himself as this, representing The Dark One as a counterpart to The Dragon, who is TheMessiah for The Pattern. [[spoiler: He's right]]

** DiscOneFinalBoss: In the first three books, everyone thought he actually ''was'' the Dark One (Moiraine figured out his true identity after [[spoiler: his death]]), and that when Rand killed him it was all over. Boy were they wrong...

* {{Chickification}}: When presented with her LoveInterest ([[spoiler:Gareth Bryne]]), especially after [[spooiler:showing that she is only half as strong a channeler post un-severing]].

Rand's adoptive father, Tamlin al'Thor remains in the Two Rivers after his son and his friends leave, hearing tales of adventure. However, his [[CooSword heron-marked blade]] and a fever dream tell there's more than meets the eye...

Rand's horse at the beginning of the series, she gets passed around to different characters and has ended up seeing quite a bit of the world. Like Narg, below, she has become something of a literal EnsembleDarkhorse. Joking {{Fanon}} holds that Rand is a DecoyProtagonist, and Bela will destroy the Dark One with her [[IncrediblyLamePun Belafire]].

One of the first Trollocs in the series and the only one given a distinctive name. Despite his early and ignominious death, he still fascinates the fandom on a level surpassed only by Bela, leading to his inclusion in lists where he really doesn't belong. For more information about the fandom's reaction to him, head over to [[YMMV/WheelOfTime YMMV]].

* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: Perrin is a "wolfbrother" and can communicate telepathically with wolves. He also has "wolf dreams" in which he ''is'' a wolf, Young Bull, and has met other wolfbrothers who have become [[ShapeshifterModeLock Mode Locked]] in wolf-think, which only increases his fears of BecomingTheMask. Finally, he has the aforementioned EyesOfGold, not to mention enhanced senses.[[spoiler:Eventually he learns that the risk of BecomingTheMask was never really a threat, and strikes a balance with his wolf side]]

** [[spoiler: In book 13, Rand goes out on the battlefield against enough Trollocs, Fades, Dragkhar, to overrun the Borderlands in a few days, even if ''every'' Borderlander goes to fight against them. '''''[[OneManArmy Alone]]''''' Not only does he completely [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] every single one of them, but the sheer amount of power he used drove every Darkfriend within a few miles radius completely insane.]]

** Hell even the wolves have a name for him: Shadowkiller.

* FisherKing: Particularly apparent in ''Towers of Midnight''.

** [[spoiler:[[TookALevelInKindness Subverted]] as of Towers of Midnight.]]

* HeroicBSOD: An epic version.

* HowDoIShotWeb: All the channelers experience this to a large degree, but Rand especially: despite being the {{reincarnation}} of the most powerful magician ever, he still does half of everything by instinct, sometimes learning ''from himself'' by MegaManning a spell he didn't know existed until he saw himself cast it; and sometimes he can't even touch the Power at all. He finally manages to [[TookALevelInBadass Take A Level In Badass]] during the fifth book, when he gets a teacher.
* HurtingHero: He's a DestructiveSavior. He's the Dragon Reborn in a world where the Dragon's Fang is a symbol for evil. He's fully aware that his magic is tainted and will drive him mad. [[spoiler: Fain sends Trollocs to ravage his hometown just to hurt him. People who should really be on his side lock him in a box, taking him out only to beat him. Semirhage nearly forces him to kill his lover.]]

* TheComicallySerious: According to his family. "I do have a sense of humor, Gawyn. You only think I do not because I do not care to mock people".

* MeaningfulName: After her [[spoiler:defection from the Seanchan]], Tuon renames her.

!'''Egeanin Tamarath / Egeanin Sama / [[spoiler:Leilwin Shipless]]'''

!'''Egeanin'''

* BlueEyes: Of the piercing cold variety

* MeaningfulName: After her [[spoiler: defection from the Seanchan]], Tuon gives her a new one.

Almost a thousand years before events in the book, the legendary king Artur Hawkwing (the KingArthur of the [=WoT=] universe) united the Westlands under his empire. He sent his son with a huge contingent of troops across the Aryth Ocean to the west to discover new lands for his kingdom. They never returned and were thought to be lost at sea. Hawkwing's empire eventually crumbled after his death, resulting in the independent nations of the series' present. However, the expedition survived the journey and set up a new empire in the continent they discovered. Utilizing the strange creatures native to the land as well as [[EmpireWithADarkSecret mystical and fearsome devices for controling channelers]], they conquered the indigenous peoples. Now, they are returning to the Westlands, determined to retake their homelands which they believe is their birthright and will stop at nothing to see the Hawkwing Empire restored.

Almost a thousand years before events in the book, the legendary king Artur Hawkwing (the KingArthur of the [=WoT=] universe) united the Westlands under his empire. He sent his son with a huge contingent of troops across the Aryth Ocean to the west to discover new lands for his kingdom. They never returned and were thought to be lost at sea. Hawkwing's empire eventually crumbled after his death, resulting in the independent nations of the series' present. However, the expedition survived the journey and set up a new empire in the continent they discovered. Utilizing the strange creatures native to the land as well as [[EmpireWithADarkSecret fearsome devices for controling channelers]], they conquered the indigenous peoples. Now, they are returning to the Westlands, determined to retake their homelands which they believe is their birthright and will stop at nothing to see the Hawkwing Empire restored.

* MagicKnight: They are all trained in both swordsmanship and the Power.
* MarsVenusGenderContrast: Their use of the power is so alien to Aes Sedai that it is impossible to teach one gender how the other uses it effectively.