1
Tamyrlin: 2003-04-24
I guess the main problem would be the prophecy and poetic verse we have from the Fourth Age concerning Rand in the Third Age...which suggests that the world didn't fall apart and that the Wheel continued as normal.
2
Korell: 2003-04-24
This is speaking purly theoretical Rand would actually have to kill the DO if that happend then the constants would no longer hold. Thefore profecy would not hold...i truly dont think this is how it will end but i thought it was definatly a interesting concept that is where my theory is coming from
3
solomonrex: 2003-04-24
I had some thoughts of this earlier, though I can't recall what triggered them. RJ has set this up to appear as if the wheel of time rolls on forever- but what if it didn't? The DO could stop the wheel of time (don't you think that the wheel is powered by OP? Was the back blast on saidin a direct attempt to stop the wheel?) but the pattern would still win. Then, he has lost forever and history becomes linear and unpredictable, like our world. Ishy was a deep philosopher and is probably aware that this is possible (stopping the wheel), but I feel like the point of this series is to show how the pattern can thwart the DO even though the DO knows what is going to happen every time.
So the danger is real, but the outcome is certain.
4
Weird Harold: 2003-04-24
IIRC, Ishmael says at one point that the DO will "end time" when (sic) he wins. Tht's a fairly clear implication that if the DO ever wins, the WoT will be destroyed along with the Pattern, the Lace of Ages, and everything else.
The DO's goal is to break the Wheel and Pattern so he is completely free.
Rand's task is to prevent the destruction of the Wheel, Pattern, et al.
Each age seems to have a "Last Battle" of some sort that people believe will "fix everything, forever." Tarmon Gai'don is just the Third Age's "Last Battle" and it will only be the true Last Battle if the DO wins.
5
Callandor: 2003-04-24
The reason its always the Last Battle is because its people who have no idea if they will live after it and have been told it will occur for a long time. They are just terrified of it.
And the DO cant be killed. He lives outside the pattern so then he has no soul to destroy, so he has no physical form to attack, so there is no way to destroy him.
6
araqyl: 2003-04-24
Loial (iirc) talks to Rand about this very matter - his theory is that the Wheel turns, and there have been many Last Battles - one for each complete turning. Thus, what Rand will achieve by his victory will be completely sealing the DO away - so that people have time to forget him before somebody creates the Bore (again) leading to another War of Power, another Age where the Shadow has great power (if not dominion), then a new champion rising to seal the DO away again...
Moridin (iirc) muses on this as well, when examining the Fisher from that ancient game - and comparing the similarities to Rand (wound in side, blindfolded, both sides trying to control him).
7
Darren: 2003-04-26
It's a funny thing about that phrase "the last battle," two weeks after a fight, you can talk about it as the "last battle," as long as there's another still to come.
I know it's cheap to bust out the semantics, and really I only do it to point out a fact. Most of you who post on this site are too literal. You take single words ENTIRELY too seriously, and ignore the heart of the matter.
The "Last Battle," is what it is called euphemistically. By that, I mean, it's a term used within the books by those not in the know. Neither the Dark One nor, obviously, the Creator ever refer to the event by that name. Nor does the Karaethon Cycle. Sorry, but it doesn't. Look up all the citations.
It was the same when everyone thought Ba'alzamon was the Dark One. Anyone can name a thing, that does not make it true.
8
Mashiara: 2003-04-29
"No... Every Age is repeated, there is nothing that makes this Age any different from any other turnings of the Wheel. The Wheel is endless."
--Robert Jordan
Period. ;-)
Found at: http://www.wotmania.com/interviewmarcon36.asp
9
Korell: 2003-05-04
Here is a little theory to add on to my original....The dark one could never have won the repeated battles otherwise everything would cease to exist the way it has been existing over and over perhaps great power but the DO has never actually won....my question is why would he continue to battle if there were never any hope of him winning ...an eternity of failure boy he must have some patients if he can continue on and on and on and on...this leads me to conclude that it has to be possable otherwise if he KNEW it was impossible then he would just quit anyway just another thought on the situation but i think it has to have some value to it
10
Korell: 2003-05-04
i forgot to add that the DO lives outside of time so if the wheel goes over and over he will still not forget each time and as i said he must think or know he has some chance of winning or he would go on for eternity
11
heronblade: 2003-06-05
what makes you think he has a choice? it could be he either fights or stops existing. you could say life always ends, does that mean we should kill ourselves now?
12
sandz69: 2003-11-11
I believe that this will be a different "last battle" even though everything is ment to happen again and again as the ages come again this time will be different. I draw this from the first paragraph of the first chapter in every book.
"the Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Ledgend fades to myth, and myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one age, the Third Age by some, an age yet to come, an age long past, a wind rose above the great mountainous island of Tremalking. The wind was not the brginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning."
This last sentance shows that some thing different can happen. Also it says there are no beginnings nor ends and if a beginning has happened then there must be an end coming. I can't see why else RJ would continue to put this opening paragraph in. Besides what sort of ending would it be if he did only what was expected?
13
Balwer: 2004-04-15
Just to add a little extra to the arguments: Maybe this is what Fel was killed for? He once told Rand that he didn't think that this would be the actual LAST Battle, but maybe he found something to change his mind, and comments by Ishamael would certainly seem to indicate the same. I'm a little short on both justification for this, but I still think it's valid. Which raises the question: If Fel had told this to Rand, what difference would it have made? Why did they want to prevent it? Looking forward to some responses.
14
Brendan Reborn: 2004-04-17
The last battle is a name given to the battle between the dragon reborn and the dark one. This doesn't mean that it is the LAST battle, just that the people of the third age don't know that other battles of this kind have occured. They would refer to it as the last battle because they don't know it will be fought over and over again.
It seems illogical to me to write a book about a specific "last battle" without something significant happening during it. He could have chose any turning of the wheel, but he chose this specific one. It also says that it was A BEGINNING, and that is also quite significant, it's the first thing you read in chapter one in EOTW.
I have heard that robert jordan said the last word of the series would be "turn" or something like that, but interveiws can't be too reliable in my opinion.
15
Anubis: 2004-04-18
its gonna be the last battle of the third age bro.
