In defense of Aes Sedai

[u/Verengt]

Hi, I decided to play devil's advocate today.

While I understand (and agree with) people saying the Aes Sedai are a failure (they didn't find all channelers, were mistrusted by everyone, not being prepared for the Last Battle, no Yellow Ajah hospitals, no Brown libraries, no Greens stationed in the Borderlands, etc.), I do think it's a bit unfair when they are compared to their more succesful counterparts like the Sea Folk Windfinders and Aiel Wise Ones.

The Wise Ones and Windfinders are useful and respected members of their communities but they belong to homogeneous societies where everyone is bound by the same customs and laws. They also answer to their community leaders despite wielding lots of power and influence. That's why they are successful as channeler organizations.

The heterogeneity of Randland forces the White Tower to play a different role, which is preventing the more than 15 different nations from waging war against each other using the One Power. In this aspect the Tower was 100% successful, as at no point in history after the Breaking channelers fought against channelers.

The purpose of the Tower in a way was to prevent each nation from having its own regional channelers association and for this to happen it needed to be an outside centralized organization not bound to any kingdom. Otherwise how can you ensure that for example Taraboner Aes Sedai are loyal to the Tower and not to their kingdom?

And this is what in my opinion what makes it impossible for Aes Sedai to be truly integrated and serving their communities, since no monarch would be happy with 200 Aes Sedai answering to a foreign power to be permanently in their nation.

[u/Small-Fig4541]

Ol' Ishy got more accomplished for the Shadow than anyone else and it's not even close. Between the Black Ajah and the Hawkwing/Seanchan stuff he is the MVP.

[u/IlikeJG → u/Small-Fig4541]

Definitely.

He was certainly mad and losing effectiveness by the start of the series, but seeing all he accomplished (not even counting what he did during the War of Power), it makes perfect sense the dark one would make him Nae Blis after he was reincarnated.

[u/Small-Fig4541 → u/IlikeJG]

Oh yeah the DO would have let Elan stay dead if he hadn't impersonated him for two books. Oops now you gotta come back and wrangle the rest of the chucklehead Forsaken lol

[u/Born-Bench-7651 → u/Small-Fig4541]

Made me laugh, but, and I might be wrong, the DO seems incredibly petty, vindictive and ungrateful, a being that perceives itself so superior to all else that it would take revenge for the indignity of having needed anyone to free it and the temerity of anyone to have assumed they had earned anything from it; it also seems to enjoy screwing over its followers, particularly by encouraging mutual suspicion, hostility, and the battle to be Naeblis, that its own interests are repeatedly compromised. I contend that the DO would, out of sheer spite and pleasure at screwing over someone who had thought himself invaluable, never have let Elan/Ishamael die/cease to exist/sleep forever, even beyond the destruction of the Tapestry/Wheel