what has he done so far? his forsaken keep getting killed and captured. His soldiers are getting killed or surrounded. his orders are generally mindless. kill rand no dont kill him. make him join us no kill him again actually dont kill him.

 

 

All he has are few worthless pawns. The only thing he has really done that warrants something is when he tainted saidin and caused the breaking. Pretty poor i think.

 

 

The last battle will be quick and clean. the dark one has no chance.

They have infected every army and organization. RJ himself says the Shadow are winning. How can you not see that? The Dark One is doing his job just fine.

 

The order changing has already been explained to you

I think what's Sheikh is referring to are the monumentally bad decisions made by the forsaken.  They could have killed Rand repeatedly and didn't, which means if Rand wins Tarmon Gaidon they cost themselves the war.  Moridin in Shadar Logoth saving Rand's life for example.  This has long been a sticking point for me, because I like intelligent villians and the forsaken well, aren't.

 

However, I do have a theory on why the DO acts the way he does.  For him the Wheel of Time is endless.  Simply breaking free isn't his true goal.  For him to win the struggle he must convert the Light's Champion to his side.  He's trying desperately to do that with Rand.  If he succeeds he wins!  If he fails he gets locked up again, but that hardly matters to the DO.

 

When you are immortal waiting another three thousand years for the next shot isn't that big of deal.  Especially since time has been repeating for forever.  For him creation is like an infinite game of Donkey Kong he can never quite win.  Individual battles don't interest him nor does proceding with an orderly and effective war.  What does is getting Rand to put on his DO jersey and play for team Shayol Gul.

actually if the dark one breaks free he wins. game over. which is why it's so dumb seeing moridin not kill rand in shador lagoth/ rand dies. no one saves them in the last battle. the dark one breaks free eventually and that is it

his orders are generally mindless. kill rand no dont kill him. make him join us no kill him again actually dont kill him.

 

Mindless or chaotic? "Let the Lord of chaos rule." I don't think he particularly cares if his pawns end up dying or killing each other. In fact he revels in it (as long as it doesn't happen too soon before he can use them). Sure there's a flaw in that... but then I think such an entity would likely be insane anyway.

 

As for Rand, he'd like to use him alive if he can, but if one of his henchmen were to kill him, I doubt he would care that much. He'd probably just consider Rand unworthy since he could be killed. Besides, they say the grave is his although I'm curious as to how far that extends. Does he have power over the dead that didn't sell their souls to him? What about those dead heroes in Tel'eran'rhiod (possibly misspelt and with 's in the wrong place. ;) )

It's the world versus the dark one and the dark one has the world fighting itself instead of him

The forces of the light are in disarray with to much infighting between themselves.  The Dragon Reborn has taken some serious hits and is a physical wreck while his mental health is being pushed to its limits.  A limit which I think Brandon Sanderson will trounce all over in his attempt to show the desperation of the light. 

 

All that being said; there are outriggers.  The shadow winning the day is not going to happen. 

I think what's Sheikh is referring to are the monumentally bad decisions made by the forsaken.  They could have killed Rand repeatedly and didn't, which means if Rand wins Tarmon Gaidon they cost themselves the war.  Moridin in Shadar Logoth saving Rand's life for example.  This has long been a sticking point for me, because I like intelligent villians and the forsaken well, aren't.

 

Way I see it, the Dark One is sick of losing this war, he's been through it enough times to realize that the Dragon is the only thing in the world that can save the Light; its him every single time that seals the Dark One away. If the Shadow kill him, he will be reborn for next time. The Dark One as a timeless being will know that next time he will be stopped again by the same bloke as last time, and the time before. So rather than have Ishamael rip Rand Mat AND Perrins mind from their bodies in TAR to save everyone all the hassle, he decides the best thing in the super-long run is to get the Dragon on side and keep him alive. That way, no prophecied rebirth, no Dragon Ta'veren, and not even a small chance of the Lights victory, because not only is their only hope working against them, they wont even know when the Dark Ones about to break free.

The dark one is pretty clueless and weak

 

Pfft...kick your ass.

All that being said; there are outriggers.  The shadow winning the day is not going to happen.

Actually the Shadow can win in some form.  A number of Light-sided people surviving does not guarantee a victory for the Light.

Robert Jordan told that the Pattern would still exist after Tarmon Gaidon.  The Pattern I take needs both Light and Dark in order to remain; which would mean that there would still be a Shadow.  Still being a Shadow could be considered a form of winning for the Dark side.

 

The last battle will be quick and clean. the dark one has no chance.

The Dark One to me has some chance.  His miasma can do considerable damage.  He has been able to like shift corridors within buildings.  He has been able to affect weather over all of Randland.  Making ghosts appear has freaked out Light-sided people.

His abilities when he comes out might be greater than those.

 

 

Actually the Shadow can win in some form.  A number of Light-sided people surviving does not guarantee a victory for the Light.

Robert Jordan told that the Pattern would still exist after Tarmon Gaidon.  The Pattern I take needs both Light and Dark in order to remain; which would mean that there would still be a Shadow.  Still being a Shadow could be considered a form of winning for the Dark side.

 

 

 

The Shadow can not win the day.  It will probably survive to some extent, but overall it can't win. 

If it was to win the day, that would be that, end of story, no possibility for outriggers.

 

 

I have three theories about the dark one:

 

1) the dark one is actually the creator. Every seven ages he pretends to be the dark one and "break free" to see who is corruptible. Then when he is "defeated" he throws away the useless souls so that in the next cycle humanity will be better.

 

2) the dark one and Mashadar are both the rivals of the creator. Every seven ages the one who is currently the stronger try to take over creation only to be defeated by its reawakened "brother". That is why the dark one(s) never seem to learn. They lose their memory when they become the mindless Mashadar.

 

3) there is no rival to the creator. The dark one actually is an unusual form of the OP who became sentient when it was imprinted by the subconscious of the first person who tapped into it (I assume it was ishy, the nihilistic philosopher)