Summary

• The Wheel of Time TV series has dropped hints that there are only 8 Forsaken instead of the 13 from the books, indicated by the number of statues and broken seals.
• Rand has already defeated Ishamael among the Forsaken, leaving 7 more for him to defeat, which stands as a significant obstacle on his path to defeating the Dark One.
• Ishamael and Lanfear are the two Forsaken introduced in the TV series so far, while Sammael and Graendal are mentioned, leaving 3 more yet to be revealed. The identities of the remaining Forsaken remain a mystery.

Amazon Prime Video's Wheel of Time has planted many mysteries over its first two seasons, some of which cannot always be answered via the books its based on, including the question of how many Forsaken remain in the series and who they are. The Wheel of Time is a high fantasy television series adapted from a set of fourteen novels written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. It tells the story of the search for an individual called the Dragon Reborn, who is the reincarnate of the all-powerful Dragon. When found, this person could either save the world or utterly destroy it.

Much of The Wheel of Time focuses on the fight between good and evil, and one significant portion of the evil side is the Forsaken. According to Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time books, the Forsaken are 13 individuals that fought for the Shadow side during the War of Power. They are the Dark One's most loyal and powerful followers. Though they were said to be imprisoned with the Dark One after the war, the Forsaken eventually escape and run amok in the world. One such Forsaken is Ishamael, who appears frequently in The Wheel of Time television series, and is key in figuring out how many Forsaken are left for Rand to fight.

Wheel Of Time Season 1's 8 Forsaken Theory Explained

Although The Wheel of Time books included 13 Forsaken, the television series has dropped hints that, in this adaptation, there are only 8. The biggest hint about this comes during The Wheel of Time season 1, episode 5 when Steppin and Lan are discussing the Forsaken and the possibility of their escape. Around them are statues of each Forsaken, and curiously, there are 8 statues rather than 13. This was the first and most significant sign that The Wheel of Time cut huge villains from the books. The end of The Wheel of Time season 1 also confirms this when Rand does not run into the Forsaken, Balthamel and Aginor.

Another aspect of The Wheel of Time TV adaptation that s this 8 Forsaken theory is the seals at the end of The Wheel of Time season 2. When the Forsaken and the Dark One were imprisoned after the war, there were seals that were left behind, denoting how many individuals were actually stowed away. In the season 2 finale, there were only 6 seals apparent. Ishamael and Lanfear had already been released, so adding their broken seals to the 6 makes for 8. All in all, these small clues put together confirms that The Wheel of Time has 8 Forsaken rather than 13.

Wheel of Time's 6 Seals Suggests Rand Only Has 7 Forsaken Left To Defeat

The next mystery to solve when it comes to The Wheel of Time's Forsaken villains is figuring out how many are left for Rand to defeat. In The Wheel of Time television series, Rand has already come across two Forsaken characters, Ishamael and Lanfear, and by the season 2 finale, Ishamael has been killed. Therefore, if there are 8 Forsaken in total and Rand has already defeated one in Ishamael, that would leave 7 Forsaken that he needs to take down. Though not all the Forsaken have been introduced yet, many of their names have been mentioned, and they will undoubtedly appear as the series goes on.

In general, it is important to know how many Forsaken are left for Rand to defeat because the Forsaken stand in the way of the Dark One. It is clear from early on that defeating the Dark One is Rand's ultimate goal, but he cannot get there without dealing with the Forsaken first. They are consistent and particularly dangerous hurdles. This has already been proven by the fact that Lanfear seduced Rand as Selene in The Wheel of Time season 2. Ultimately, Rand killing Ishamael is just the beginning of a much bigger task that will lead to defeating the Dark One.

Wheel Of Time Has Already Confirmed 2 Of The Missing Forsaken

The Wheel of Time has 8 Forsaken characters, and thus far, only two have been truly introduced. First and foremost, Ishamael is introduced at the very start of The Wheel of Time season 2. After Rand has been officially named the Dragon Reborn, Ishamael watches over him and enters a long-running scheme to kill Rand by manipulating his peers. Ishamael poses a major threat, not just because is Forsaken, but because he was the Dark One's right-hand man. He is incredibly powerful and sneaky, which makes it all the better that Rand kills him at the end of season 2. However, Ishamael isn't the only threat to Rand's life.

The second Forsaken introduced to The Wheel of Time also appears in season 2 and is named Lanfear. At first, Lanfear's identity is a mystery, as she poses as an innkeeper named Selene. Though Lanfear is not the Dark One's right hand, she does make her incredible powers known by forming a romantic relationship with Rand. This strategic movie makes it difficult for him to stand against her, even when he discovers that she is Forsaken. At the end of The Wheel of Time season 2, Lanfear is still alive to cause trouble. Furthermore, two more Forsaken, Sammael and Graendal, are namedropped.

Who Are The Last 3 Forsaken?

Considering that The Wheel of Time has introduced Ishamael and Lanfear and mentioned Sammael and Graendel, that means that there are 3 Forsaken left for the series to bring in. Because the television series includes only 8 Forsaken rather than 13, there are several possibilities as to who they could be, including Asmodean, Balthamel, Aginor, Rahvin, Moghedien, Semirhage, Messana, Be'lal, and Demandred. It is likely not Asmodean, because his role in the books looks like it will be taken by Logain, and Balthamel and Aginor are also probably out because the moment where they would have faced Rand in the books never occurred in the series.

Furthermore, Moghedien actually does appear at the very end of The Wheel of Time season 2. Though it isn't entirely clear to audiences who she is, she confronts Lanfear in the final moments of the finale and reveals that the other Forsaken have been released. That leaves two spots remaining. The last two Forsaken that could potentially show up in The Wheel of Time season 3 are Rahvin, Semirhage, Messana, Be'lal, or Demandred. Until the next The Wheel of Time season is released, the question the Forsaken will remain a mystery.