Ishamael
The most powerful of the Forsaken, who hunts the Dragon Reborn under the name Ba'alzamon.
Ishamael is the most powerful of the Forsaken and the only man known to equal Lews Therin Telamon and his reincarnation, Rand al'Thor, in strength. Born Elan Morin Tedronai, he joined the Shadow because he judged the Dark One's eventual triumph inevitable. Though bound to the Dark One's prison, he alone among the Forsaken could periodically walk the world.
Lore & Background
When Lews Therin went mad and killed his family, Ishamael healed his mind so he would understand what he had done, and was frustrated when Lews killed himself. Over the millennia he stoked conflicts to prepare the Dark One's rise. As Ba'alzamon he invades the dreams of Rand, Perrin and Mat in The Eye of the World, where Rand rebuffs him by channeling for the first time; he presides over a meeting of Forsaken, Darkfriends and two Aes Sedai in The Great Hunt and is gravely wounded by Rand at Falme; and in The Dragon Reborn Rand kills him with Callandor. The Dark One later brings him back as Moridin. He is played by Fares Fares in the television adaptation.
More in History & Mythos
Elsewhere in The Wheel of Time
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