This article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 6.The Wheel of Time’s Moghedien may be terrifyingly powerful, but she’s actually the weakest ofthe Forsaken. Sworn servants of the Dark One, the Forsaken are channelers who were locked away before the Breaking of the World - and who have now been released. They’re the Dark One’s lieutenants, wielding immense power, and they’ve already shown just how dangerous they truly are.
The Wheel of Timeseason 3, episode 6 reveals the power of another of the Forsaken- Moghedien, who has infiltrated the Black Ajah. We’ve seen how powerful Nynaeve and Elayne are in previous episodes, and yet the two women fall under Moghedien’s control, and she is able to coax them into telling her all about their mission. It’s incredible to see such powerful characters humbled in what appeared to be an effortless way - and it’s all the more staggering given the fact Moghedien is the weakest of the Forsaken.
Moghedien’s Strength In The One Power Is Lower Than All Other Forsaken
In 2015, Harriet McDougal - Robert Jordan’s widow and editor - publishedThe Wheel of Time Companion, and it confirmed that Moghedien is the weakest of all the Forsaken. Based on Jordan’s notes, it gave a ranking of all channelers, using an admittedly complex scale.Here’s how the Forsaken and some other characters were ranked:
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Moghedien, Someryn
You’ll immediately notice that Nynaeve is ranked higher than Moghedien. She is, however, less experienced and well-trained than the Forsaken at this point. In any case,Moghedien was playing to her strengths - and Nynaeve was clearly vulnerable to them.
How Moghedien Can Be So Dangerous Despite Her Weak Power Level
It’s important to remember that the Forsaken were the 13 most powerful Channelers of their day; Moghedien may be the weakest of them, but she’s still a veritable powerhouse.Moghedien specializes in mental manipulation; she’s a powerfulDreamwalker, and is said to be able to manipulate Tel’aran’rhiod more skillfully than even Lanfear. She’s subtle enough to be able to operate without even other members of the Forsaken detecting her presence, even spying upon them.
It’s always tempting to assume raw power is everything, but skill and experience are vital. Moghedien proves that inThe Wheel of Time, because she’s a terrifying threat to even those who are far more powerful than she is. It will be thrilling to see what the rest of the Forsaken can do as well.
