Wheel of Time’s Forsaken, Ranked by PowerWho truly wielded the most strength among the Dark One’s chosen?
The Forsaken, once among the greatest of the Age of Legends, chose to serve the Dark One in exchange for power, immortality, and forbidden knowledge. Each retained vast command over the One Power, but their skills and ambitions varied wildly. Some were brilliant manipulators, others terrifying warriors or masters of forbidden weaves. While all were dangerous, only a few could truly dominate.
This ranking considers combat ability, influence, mastery of the One Power (both saidin and saidar), Talents, and feats shown in the books.
13. Be’lal
The Envious One
Be’lal, also called the Netweaver, was a skilled manipulator who excelled in Daes Dae’mar. Despite his intellect and talent in swordplay, his brief reappearance in the Third Age was cut short when Moiraine destroyed him in the Stone of Tear. His power level was high by most standards, but he lacked the menace or impact of the others.
12. Sammael
The Warlord
Sammael was a formidable military commander, nearly the equal of Lews Therin on the battlefield. However, he relied too heavily on brute strength and conventional tactics. He met his end in Shadar Logoth, undone more by cunning than raw might. His paranoia dulled his edge, and he struggled to evolve beyond warfare.
11. Asmodean
The Musician
Asmodean was a middling Forsaken in terms of raw strength, known more for his artistry and finesse than destructive capability. His brief stint as Rand’s unwilling teacher made him unique, but his inability to compete with stronger Forsaken left him vulnerable. He was never truly feared by his peers.
10. Mesaana
The Hidden Scholar
A mistress of manipulation and control, Mesaana entrenched herself within the White Tower under the name Danelle. Her strength lay in subtlety, not combat. Although powerful in saidar, her final confrontation in Tel’aran’rhiod showed her limitations when faced with a more imaginative opponent like Egwene.
9. Rahvin
The Politician
Rahvin specialised in Compulsion and politics. His manipulation of Queen Morgase and control of Andor showed his strategic thinking, and his strength in saidin was considerable. However, like Be’lal, he was outclassed in battle by a ta’veren wielding Callandor and destroyed before achieving much lasting influence.
8. Aran’gar (Balthamel)
Reborn in Fire
Originally Balthamel, reborn as Aran’gar, this Forsaken wielded saidin in a female body. Though Aran’gar possessed a deep understanding of the Power, she was driven more by desire and resentment than purpose. She caused havoc behind the scenes, but lacked the strategic acumen or force of personality to rise higher.
7. Osan’gar (Aginor)
Master of Creation
Aginor was one of the greatest scientists of the Age of Legends and helped create the Shadowspawn. His knowledge of the One Power’s mechanics was unmatched. Reborn as Osan’gar, his role was limited, but his raw strength and intellect kept him high in this ranking. He fell at the battle of Shadar Logoth in a moment of overconfidence.
6. Graendal
The Enslaver
A master of Compulsion and subtle influence, Graendal manipulated entire courts and armies to do her bidding. Her cruelty masked a formidable intellect. Even after repeated setbacks, she remained a threat until nearly the very end. She was not the strongest in the Power, but her ability to survive and adapt elevated her.
5. Moghedien
The Spider
What Moghedien lacked in brute strength, she made up for with stealth, cunning, and mastery of Tel’aran’rhiod. She struck from the shadows, favouring manipulation over confrontation. Despite multiple defeats, she always returned. Her ability to hide, adapt, and manipulate events from the background made her a long-term danger.
4. Demandred
The Shadow’s Champion
Demandred rivalled Lews Therin in strength and skill. His absence for most of the series concealed his growing power, which he revealed in spectacular fashion at the Last Battle, leading the Sharan armies. His combat ability was exceptional, second only to Lews Therin or Rand, and his demise came only after a brutal duel with Lan.
3. Semirhage
The Torturer
Semirhage was feared even among the Forsaken. Her knowledge of pain, medicine, and Compulsion made her both a healer and a monster. She held entire nations hostage with a single weave and was one of the most powerful women in the series. It took Rand using the Choedan Kal to defeat her.
2. Ishamael (Moridin)
The Betrayer of Hope
Ishamael, later reborn as Moridin, was the Dark One’s true second-in-command. He shaped much of the Third Age from behind the curtain, pulling the strings of kings, wars, and Forsaken alike. His philosophical nihilism gave him clarity others lacked. While not the strongest channeler, his knowledge of the Pattern, and later, his use of the True Power, put him near the top.
1. Lanfear
Daughter of the Night
Lanfear was not only one of the most powerful channelers of saidar ever, she was also wildly ambitious. Once the lover of Lews Therin, she was obsessed with surpassing him. She matched Rand in the early books and fought equally with Moiraine while holding back. Her downfall came not from lack of strength, but from hubris. Even the Dark One considered her unstable, but few ever rivalled her in potential.
Conclusion
The Forsaken each embodied a different facet of power: brute force, political manipulation, forbidden knowledge, or psychological control. Some fell quickly, others endured through cunning and reinvention. While Rand, Egwene, and others overcame them, the long shadow they cast shaped the world almost as much as the Light.
Their legacy, like the Pattern itself, continues to ripple through the turning of the Wheel.
