Elaida Sedai, whose full name is Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan, is one of the most powerful Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah, both in her power as a channeler but also as an advisor to Morgase Trakand, the Queen of Andor. Elaida, played by Shohreh Aghdashloo with ample gravitas and shrewdness, is a key figure in The Wheel of Time season three with a book history that’s important to what’s coming next.
Here’s what you need to know about Elaida and how she will likely fit into The Wheel of Time TV series.
Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan’s Wheel of Time Book History, Explained
“She had to be Elaida, the Aes Sedai. Suddenly he was glad he had not come to her for help, no matter what her Ajah. A sternness far beyond Moiraine’s radiated from her. He had sometimes thought of Moiraine as steel covered with velvet; with Elaida the velvet was only an illusion.” -Rand al Thor, The Eye of the World
This is how Rand describes Elaida when he first sees her. He is stranded in Caemlyn, the capital of Andor, and ends up (literally) falling into the palace grounds. He is brought before Queen Morgase, her family (including Elayne), and her advisors to make his case.
In this same encounter, Elaida’s power of Foretelling is also introduced. She says, “This I Foretell… and swear under the Light that I can say no clearer. From this day Andor marches toward pain and division. The Shadow has yet to darken to its blackest, and I cannot see if the Light will come after. Where the world has wept one tear, it will weep thousands. This I Foretell… This, too, I Foretell. Pain and division come to the whole world, and this man stands at the heart of it.”
This rather ominous prophecy from Elaida is an accurate foreshadowing of what is to come for Rand. He struggles with madness from his tainted power for the rest of the series, hoping to fight the Dark One in the Last Battle. Elaida’s brief introduction in the first book of the series is followed by a much more important role in the third book, The Dragon Reborn, and onwards, upon her return to the White Tower, after serving as Morgase’s advisor for decades.
Elaida sought to be close to Queen Morgase and the Andoran royal family because she believes the family will be important in the Last Battle through her own foretelling. She also wants to be a well-respected and powerful Aes Sedai. Elaida believed she could have grown in status and power had she stayed in the Tower, and will try to do so upon her return too.
In the books, Morgase distrusts the Aes Sedai, due to the lack of explanation from the White Tower regarding her daughter Elayne’s mysterious disappearance (and subsequent sudden reappearance). When Moiraine and Siuan were both novices, Elaida was known to be one of the hardest on them as a teacher, so much so that another more senior Aes Sedai had to put her in her place. The reasons for this hatred are unclear. But it will definitely play a major role in Elaida’s actions in the show, too.
Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan’s in The Wheel of Time TV Series
Creator Rafe Lee Judkins said season adapts the fourth book of The Wheel of Time series, The Shadow Rising. In this book, Elaida returns to the White Tower after spending several years as the closest advisor to the Queen of Andor, Morgase Trakand. In the show, Elaida appears to be in the White Tower to keep a close eye on Elayne. She also gets to know more about what exactly the Amyrlin Seat is planning with Moiraine.
As a member of the Red Ajah, Elaida is focused on capturing the Dragon Reborn, Rand al’Thor, after he declares himself in Falme. She is suspicious of how reluctant the Amyrlin Seat is to take action and find the Dragon. Elaida suspects that Siuan and Moiraine are concocting a plan of their own. As one of the most senior and powerful Aes Sedai, Elaida also has designs on the Amyrlin Seat. She has made as many alliances as enemies in the Tower and outside of it. All of this will all come to a head in this season.
The Amyrlin Seat’s power and support among the Aes Sedai is wavering. This is especially true with everyone on edge after the reveal of the Black Ajah being in their midst. This makes for the perfect storm for Elaida to swoop in and gain some more allies.
A major point of conflict between Elaida and Siuan and her allies is what to do about the Dragon Reborn. Many Aes Sedai, especially those of the Red Ajah, believe that when the Dragon Reborn earns his title, they should use him as a weapon against the Dark One in the Last Battle. Elaida believes that the Dragon Reborn should be chained and controlled entirely by the Aes Sedai. It was the Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon who broke the world, after all. Siuan is more inclined to let Rand find his own way. However, her trust in Moiraine’s plan does waver briefly towards the end of the second season.
While Elaida is returning to the White Tower ostensibly to keep a closer eye on Elayne and her brothers Gawyn and Galad, her true motivations are as of yet not completely clear. Elaida saw through her Foretelling that she would play an important role as advisor to the Queen of Andor. However, she did regret not staying in the Tower, as she believed she could have been a powerful Amyrlin Seat. This regret will spur some of the chaos that will result from her return to the Tower this time too. She has scores to settle with Siuan and with Moiraine. This could mean trouble for their plot to keep Rand away from the Tower.
What Elaida will do after accumulating power through her alliances with fellow Aes Sedai remains to be seen. But it will certainly have major consequences for the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche, Moiraine, and the Dragon himself, Rand al’Thor, whom Elaida wants to find very soon.
Content shared from nerdist.com.