A Seemingly Cut Wheel Of Time Villain Sets Up A Different Answer To A Book Mystery

The absence of one of the Forsaken in The Wheel of Time’s TV show raises questions about its approach to one of the many mysteries from the books. Based on how things have turned out so far, it’s apparent that several characters from Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time novels didn’t make the jump from the page to the screen. Given the sheer size of its universe, it’s not surprising that some of the thousands of characters in Jordan’s book didn’t make it. However, it’s not just the tertiary players in the story that are getting removed; it appears that The Wheel of Time has also omitted a significant portion of its villain lineup.

In the source material, there are 13 members of the Forsaken, the immortal channelers that serve the Dark One. But judging by the broken seals in The Wheel of Time season 2 finale and the statues spotted in a season 1 episode, there are only eight Forsaken in the TV show. Five look to have been cut. There’s been no explicit confirmation on who those characters are, but the direction of the story gives the impression that Aginor is one of them. In terms of Rand’s narrative, Aginor being written out isn’t a great loss, but it does pave the way for some interesting changes to the lore.

The Origin Of The Trollocs In The Wheel Of Time’s Books & Show Explained

Aginor Created The Trollocs in The Books

Though not exactly crucial to the wider story, Aginor does hold some level of significance when it comes to the history of Wheel of Time’s world. In the books, it’s eventually understood that Aginor is behind the creation of the Trollocs, the monsters that comprise the Dark Ones’ armies and the most prominent form of Shadowspawn in the books. During the Age of Legends, Aginor used the One Power to warp parts of humans and animals together, thus giving way to the birth of these grotesque monsters that fight the Dark One’s battles for him.

The TV version of the story has confirmed a similar origin story for the Trollocs. The onscreen notes in the series premiere mentioned that “Shadowspawn are dark constructs developed by a man who served the Dark One during the Age of the First Dragon.” Because of their connection to Aginor, a human creating the Trollocs is consistent with the source material, but it’s hard to say if these notes are referencing Aginor specifically. Admittedly, there wouldn’t be a reason to doubt Aginor’s role if the show didn’t already cast severe doubts on him having a place in the show’s world.

Why Aginor Has Likely Been Cut From The Wheel Of Time’s Show

Aginor Is Probably One Of The Forsaken The Show Is Cutting

When it comes to identifying which five Forsaken the show has elected not to use, Aginor is one of the two easiest to settle on, with another being Balthamel. In the first book, The Eye of the World, Aginor and Balthamel appear at the Eye of the World and die in battle against Rand al’Thor and the Green Man. The show adapted this fight in the season 1 finale when it took Rand and Moiraine to the Eye of the World, but curiously, neither Aginor or Balthamel appeared. By skipping their most notable contribution to the story, the show effectively signaled the removal of both Aginor and Balthamel.

Considering how quickly they were introduced and disposed of in The Eye of the World in comparison to the much larger roles most of the other Forsaken had, both being cut does make sense. Granted, Aginor and Balthamel did return later after being reincarnated as Osan’gar and Aran’gar respectively. But given that the deaths that sparked these reincarnations didn’t happen, there isn’t much expectation for The Wheel of Time to utilize them in this way either. After all, the TV show will surely be a shorter version of the story, meaning that bringing back dead Forsaken via reincarnation may not be necessary to keep the narrative going.

What Aginor Being Cut Could Mean For The Origin Of The Trollocs

Did A Different Member Of The Forsaken Create The Trollocs For The Dark One?

With the Trollocs and the Age of Legends both being recurring pieces of the story, there’s a good chance the show does eventually address the creatures’ origins at length, just as the books did. It’s offered a few flashbacks to the Age of Legends already, and is sure to do so again as the show continues, allowing for plenty of opportunities to showcase the construction of the Dark One’s forces. If and when this happens, The Wheel of Time can delve into how they were manifested and exactly who made them. But with Aginor not likely to be among the eight Forsaken in the show, the answer to this question may be a different member of the group.

The show has revealed that the Trollocs’ creator was a man, but hasn’t gone any further than that. If it’s not Aginor, it could be any of the male Forsaken the show is prepared to use, such as Sammael, whose future role in the series was confirmed in season 2. It’s not abundantly clear yet if Demandred is in Wheel of Time or not, but his reputation as a military leader makes him a sensible option. As someone known for leading armies, Demandred may have come up with the idea of channeling their own legions into existence.

While The Wheel of Time may ultimately see this mystery as one that doesn’t need to be solved, providing a complete answer would be a great way of fleshing out its history. The show could achieve two goals at once if it reveals the Trollocs’ origin and ties it to a major villain. Doing so would demonstrate the power of this character – whether it’s Sammael, Demandred, or someone else entirely – and get across just how vital they are to the backstory of the show’s central conflict.

Theoretically, Aginor could still be the creator of the Trollocs, regardless of whether he’s one of the eight Forsaken the show is keeping. It’s at least possible that there really were 13 Forsaken, but only eight survived the War of Power. If that’s the case, creating the Trollocs may have been Aginor’s only major accomplishment before dying in service to the Dark One. If The Wheel of Time does indeed take that direction, Aginor’s efforts to make the Trollocs (and what motivated that decision) could be explored in detail in the Dark One prequel movie.