The Wheel of Time has quickly become one of the most popular and influential fantasy series on television, and it manages to capture and explore so much of what makes that genre so enduringly popular. Obviously, the epic quest to destroy the Dark One is a key element, but the many characters that appear are just as important.
They display different levels of intelligence as they contend with the world that is rapidly changing around them, and so it is useful to consider just which ones of them show the greatest amount of mental skill.
Mat
Mat is one of the most ambiguous and morally questionable characters, but he is also a deeply comionate one, as his devotion to his sisters shows. While he’s not a stupid character, he is still the type of person who is far too willing to do things simply because he can, rather than giving them due consideration. His choice to pick up the dagger in Shadar Logoth is the most egregious example of his inability to restrain his impulses and do the rational and smart thing.
Perrin
Of all of the youths from the Two Rivers, Perrin is arguably the most sensitive, the one most in tune with his feelings. He thus has a particular type of emotional intelligence that allows him to endure quite a few things that are thrown in his way as a result of the rise of the Dark One. At the same time, he has an intellectual sort of stubbornness that keeps him from really coping with the challenges that he faces, whether that’s his accidental killing of his wife or his strange connection to the wolves.
Rand
A unique burden has fallen onto the shoulders of Rand, who has had to cope with the fact that, as the Dragon Reborn, he has the ability to channel the One Power. While he might not have Mat’s cleverness or Perrin’s emotional intelligence, he does have a dutiful sort of intelligence that leads him to be a source of for Egwene and his other friends. And, most importantly, he also has the intelligence to realize that, as the Dragon Reborn, he has an obligation to fulfill his destiny, however deadly it may be. In that sense, he is very much like Frodo from The Lord of the Rings.
Thom
Though he only appears in a few episodes, Thom Merrilin shows that he is a very intelligent person. For one thing, he has an entire culture’s worth of stories and legends stored in his brain, a necessary component of his profession as a gleeman.
Even more importantly, he also recognizes that both Mat and Rand are going to face many dangers, and his fierce intelligence allows him to take them under his wing and even to go so far as to sacrifice his life for them.
Egwene
Egwene has the type of intelligence that means that she will always be restless. From the moment that she appears in the first episode, she makes it clear that she has a fierce wit and a sensible nature that makes her a good fit for a future Wisdom of the Two Rivers.
What’s more, she also shows that she has the type of intelligence that will prove important to her should she choose to undertake training among the Aes Sedai.
Nynaeve
There are few Wheel Of Time characters that are quite as much a fan favorite as Nynaeve. She is stubborn and proud and at times infuriating, but she is also one of the most intelligent characters to have emerged from the Two Rivers. She understands, more than any of the others, that Moiraine isn’t telling them everything and that, in fact, the Aes Sedai always have purposes of their own that they’re not always very forthcoming about with those that they take under their wing.
Loial
The appearance of Loial in Tar Valon marked a turning point in the series, and he has proven to be an invaluable part of the company and their efforts to make it to the Eye of the World. Though he moves at a slower pace than his human counterparts, she shows that he has a rich and deep intelligence, the kind that allows him to have a long perspective on humans and their fast-paced approach to their lives. What’s more, his intelligence when it comes to navigating the Ways proves very important to their eventual success.
Liandrin
Even though she is one of the most villainous fantasy characters to have yet appeared in the show, Liandrin still has a fierce and shrewd sort of intelligence. This allows her to not only be one of the key of the Aes Sedai sent to apprehend Logain, but also to navigate the dangerous and turbulent politics of the White Tower. While her motivations remain unclear, it’s nevertheless obvious that she has ambitions of her own and that her intelligence is going to allow her to succeed where other, less ambitious or intelligent, people might fail.
Siuan
From the moment that she makes her appearance, Siuan Sanche shows that she is one of the series’ most intelligent characters. For one thing, she managed to ascend to the position of Amyrlin Seat, something that could not have been accomplished if she didn’t have the type of intelligence that would allow her to navigate the fraught politics associated with the Aes Sedai. What’s more, she also has a clear-eyed approach to life that allows her to pursue the mission associated with the Dragon Reborn without being entangled with too many emotions.
Moiraine
Moiraine is sure to be seen as one of Rosamund Pike’s best roles, and she demonstrates a steely determination in all of her dealings with the people from Two Rivers. Her intelligence allows her to know how the politics of the White Tower work, which is why she makes such a skilled conspirator with Siuan (who has ed with her on her mission to find out the Dragon Reborn). Given her intellect, it’s a very good thing that she is the one who is in charge of leading the young people on this perilous mission.