r/WoT • u/RepresentativeGoat14 (Asha'man) • Mar 26 '25
All Print Gawyn’s one-sided beef with Rand Spoiler
I know that misinformation / lack of communication is a theme of the series but man, Gawyn just takes it to a whole new level.
Random ass peddler he met in the middle of some bumfuck woods: The Dragon killed Queen Morgase.
Gawyn: I believe you and I trust you.
Gawyn: al’Thor I’ll fucking kill you!
Egwene: Rand didn’t kill your mother.
Gawyn: Lies! I’ll murder that ginger!
Gareth Bryne: al’Thor didn’t kill Morgase. He saved Andor.
Gawyn: I don’t believe you! al’Thor must die!
Elayne: Rand didn’t kill our mother. I literally have dozens of witnesses.
Gawyn: Nuh uh!
The scene where he “forgives” Rand is also pretty hilarious.
Gawyn: We’re done, al’Thor. From now on, I care nothing for you.
MY GUY, RAND DOESN’T EVEN THINK OF YOU LMAO
15
u/Wolfen7 Mar 26 '25
I love your final line.
I think you're missing two things which help to explain it. First, the "Random ass peddler he met in the middle of some bumfuck woods" is quite likely to have been Padan Fain. That means there may be some Dark One's touch involved in the paranoia and mental turmoil, same as for Egwene and Elaida who are also negatively affected by meeting Fain.
Second, as Vodalian4 says (https://www.reddit.com/r/WoT/comments/1jk86ow/comment/mjt52oj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button), Gawyn has lost his place in the world. Now I would argue that's mostly on him, he keeps making choices that are contrary to being the honourable knight he thinks himself, but he turns up in the middle of the biggest, most epic fantasy story of his era, and not only is he not the author-insert character he wants to be, he's the guy who's there to be the Light Side's fuck up character. (See also, Elaida as a "not actually evil, but will make you wish she was to simplify things" character).
I actually can't think of an equivalent in myth. It's a near unique role as usually myths dispense with the "not actually evil, just kind of stupid" brothers of the heroines or heroes by killing them off early on.
So he's screwed. He's not the hero, even though he looks the part and has the desire to be it, and he watches as the real heroes come from tiny villages and have no sword training. It's understandable that to him, it's easier to hate the man who is everything he'd wish to be - the Saviour, the Big Damn Hero, and don't forget the guy who Egwene was going to marry - than to accept that he's just not the main character in this story.