Summary

• Takeaway 1: The show's version of the Wheel of Time most powerful characters differs from the books, with some characters being more powerful in the series.
• Takeaway 2: Siuan Sanche and Liandrin Guirale demonstrate that political power doesn't always correlate with power in the One Power.
• Takeaway 3: Nynaeve al'Meara proves to have miraculous powers in the show, making her one of the most powerful characters, possibly competing with the Dark One.

Since Amazon began adapting Robert Jordan's epic fantasy book series The Wheel of Time into a TV show of the same name, one of the changes that could have a major impact on the story is the issue of the Wheel of Time most powerful characters. While the One Power in the books is certainly powerful, the show has created its own version, and some characters may be far more powerful in the series than they ever were in the novels before. Amazon's version of The Wheel of Time addressed the matter in the show's second season, but the power ranking made the plot a bit of a mess.

The Wheel of Time most powerful characters start off with the Aes Sedai, the different groups of women who help keep the world under control. On top of this, there is the villain that everyone fears in the Dark One, the chosen one in the Dragon Reborn, and everyone else running around fighting for good or evil. With that said, having several overpowered characters could hurt the series down the line. With the second season shaking things up, the Wheel of Time most powerful characters is becoming more set in stone.

10 Siuan Sanche

Siuan’s placement is a clear sign that political power does not always play a role in the Wheel of Time most powerful characters. Arguably the most powerful woman in the Wheel of Time political world, Siuan actually doesn’t do much with the One Power in the show. Beyond the mysterious functionality of the portal used by her and Moiraine, Suian’s primary show of skill in the show is her use of the Oath Rod. Siuan isn’t a major channeler in the books, and the low-effort act of channeling power into the rod certainly doesn’t change that. Siuan became important in season 2, but more on her relationship with Moiraine and not her power.

9 Liandrin Guirale

Another Aes Sedai seen shielding Logain, Liadrin also doesn’t quite get enough time on screen to fully showcase her abilities. Her use of the One Power to cause a mini avalanche in the cold open of the first episode is flashy but requires relatively little skill or finesse, very different from more difficult skills, including shielding. It’s possible that Liandrin has other tricks up her sleeves, much as she does in The Wheel of Time books.

That played out in season 2 when Liandrin proved that she was playing both sides of the war. First, she proved that she was actually a Black Ajah - one of the secret villains inside the Aes Sedai who went back on their oaths. However, she also helped cast a spell that helped give Nynaeve a chance to escape. She still doesn't show the power of other of the Wheel of Time most powerful characters, but she is at least politically smart.

8 Rand al'Thor

Long-time fans of The Wheel of Time may be surprised that Rand is relatively low-powered in the series compared to what they might have expected, but that's only because the Dragon Reborn hasn’t gotten much of a chance to show off his skill with the One Power yet. The closest the show gets is the stand-off with the Dark One in the final episode of the season. Before that happened, Rand’s defense against a single Trolloc in the Ways was hardly a show of great strength. He hasn't shown his strength or power yet in season 2, living as a regular person while his friends believe he has died. However, eventually, he will become all-powerful.

7 Alanna Mosvani

Fan-favorite The Wheel of Time character Alanna Mosvani is another incredibly capable channeler in the show. During the battle scenes other than the cave where Logain was imprisoned, Alanna demonstrates her ability to defend against another massive force of Trollocs. Some fans have questioned the fact that the Trollocs presented such a challenge for the green Aes Sedai, but the fact is that Alanna was already worn out from her time shielding Logain before the fight began. The Battle Ajah should have another chance to shine in the seasons, with Alanna playing a major part in season 2.

6 Kerene Nagashi

Another member of the Battle Ajah, Kerene is the only Aes Sedai who dies in the battle to keep Logain out of the hands of the Trollocs. Like Moiraine and Alanna, Kerene also helps to maintain the shield on Logain. However, her more striking use of the One Power actually comes when she heals Moiraine’s wound. Healing is notoriously difficult for channelers who aren’t a part of the Yellow Ajah in The Wheel of Time, and healing a wound caused by a Shadowspawn’s weapon is even more significant and impressive.

5 Moiraine Damodred

Like Logain, by the end of season 1, Moiraine also lost her ability to channel, but her skill with the One Power is clearly shown before that point. Some of the strongest examples of Moiraine’s ability occur in the pilot during the battle with the Trollocs. Taking out an entire fist of Trollocs, practically single-handedly, is definitely impressive, and Moiraine’s battle for dominance against Logain during his shielding also shows that she is a force to be reckoned with. Regaining that power is likely to be a major plot point in The Wheel of Time's second season, although Moiraine opened the second season severely weakened.

4 Logain Ablar

Logain’s ranking among the Wheel of Time most powerful characters really comes down to the scenes of him being shielded. While shielding canonically does take special effort from the shielder, the fact that it takes teams of extremely powerful Aes Sedai to keep Logain from channeling is a clear sign that he has more power than the Aes Sedai individually. Of course, by the end of the season, Logain has been stilled, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he will never regain the same level of skill with the One Power.

3 Egwene al'Vere

Egwene’s big show of power is similar to Nynaeve’s in that it happens in a moment of uncontrolled emotion. Following the Trolloc assault on Fal Dara, Egwene heals Nynaeve from being burnt out, the term for drawing in too much of the One Power. Watchers of The Wheel of Time could hardly be blamed for thinking Egwene’s tears had actually brought Nynaeve back from the dead. Even if Nynaeve was just seriously injured, the amount of One Power it would have taken to heal such an injury would be immense. In season 2, Egwene mourned the loss of Rand al'Thor, but she continued to train with the Aes Sedai, and grew stronger by the day.

2 Nynaeve al'Meara

With Nynaeve, the show really dove into the deep end of the power scaling. Simply put, Nynaeve’s powers in the show are practically miraculous, and they certainly would not have been possible for her, or any other character, in The Wheel of Time books. Holding back Machin Shin in the Ways was far-fetched enough, but healing an entire room of nearly dead Aes Sedai and Warders makes Nynaeve far more powerful than any other character in the show, arguably putting her in competition with the Dark One himself. She went back to the White Tower in season 2 to train and continues to rise as one of the Wheel of Time most powerful characters.

1 The Dark One

There’s pretty much no denying that “The Dark One,” as the character is called in the show, is the Wheel of Time most powerful character in the world. Book fans will likely suspect that this character isn’t who he claims to be, but he clearly holds power far exceeding the other characters on this list. Some of his shows of power probably happened in Tel'aran'rhiod, but his effortless manipulation of Rand and shielding of Moiraine are proof enough of his skill with the One Power in the waking world. As season 2 proved, The Dark One was so powerful that not even the battle at the end of Wheel of Time season 1 could defeat him for good.