The Forsaken are the Dark One’s primary instruments for evil during the “Wheel of Time” series. There are 13 of them, and this unlucky crew operates both in the open and behind the scenes. The group is also called “The Chosen” and collectively goes by many other chilling, cult-like names — for instance, the Aiel (that is, the group living out in the desert that uses spears and veils their faces when they fight) call them the Shadowsouled.
As servants of the Dark One, the Forsaken are utterly sold out to their master’s ultimate victory. This isn’t anything new, either. Thousands of years before the Dragon was reborn as Rand al’Thor, the Forsaken were already busily conducting horrifying acts and atrocities. In these past turns of the Wheel, they were mighty warlords and leaders. They were so close to the center of the action that when their master was sucked into his prison, they were captured along with him.
In the source material, they begin to break out one by one early on. Two, Balthamel and Aginor, are quickly dispatched at the end of the first novel. Others, including Ishamael, Lanfear, and Moghedien, stick around a lot longer, playing recurring villainous roles. The rest of the blighted crew includes Sammael, Asmodean, Rahvin, Demandred, Be’lal, Semirhage, Graendal, and Mesaana. How many of these individuals will have fleshed-out parts to play in Amazon’s series isn’t certain. But we know from the final scene of Season 2 that they’re all free and running amok in the world again.
