Full spoilers for the Wheel of Time, the show up to season 1 and all books.

Hello, everyone. You stumbled upon one of my wordy texts, thoughts I put down instead of letting them run around endlessly in my head. This time, I'm looking into Nynaeve, primarily from how she appears early in the Wheel of Time, with the show's first season and the Eye of the World book. This is all subjective, interpretation and often lengthy discussion beyond the explicit scope of whatever fiction I am exploring. Enjoy reading and please share your thoughts afterward. Cheers.

Foreword

Context for the article, feel free to skip to the next section.

After a reread of the Eye of the World (see my article on that) and a full rewatch of the show, I am ready to start writing a bunch about the Wheel of Time. The choice for the next topic landed on Nynaeve, a little by chance, a little because I did not talk about her in the EotW article, and finally a lot because I loved her in the show, where she is expertly portrayed by Zoë Robins. Just so you know, the next three articles are likely to be about Min (I'm only half joking).

I want to stress every time that this is primarily streams of thoughts, opinions and personal interpretations. In particular, I don't wish this to be seen as strictly a review or an argument, even if I obviously make statements and turns of phrase that can lean in that direction. As always, I would love any kind of feedback and discussion, whether to agree or to disagree or to go further. Please keep it respectful and constructive.

Until not so long ago, I may have hastily described Nynaeve with what I would consider a surface level comprehension, even though she has been in my favorite characters for a while. This is because when you read about Nynaeve over the books, she relays an image of an immature adult, unrefined and who throws tantrums, with loud requests for respect and prideful displays of authority.

Now, I would consider Nynaeve to be quite the complex character, and I shall delve into several different points about her. I focus on fresh memory from EotW and from the show, as well as on glimpses from what I can recall from the rest of the books. To my surprise, this quickly turned out to be very long, and I even removed parts that went way too deep into later events and later character development. As it turns out, even writing about one character at one stage in a huge fiction like the Wheel of Time can be quite the endeavor.

Introduction

Nynaeve, the Wisdom of Emond's Field, is a bit of a force of nature and an exceptional woman. She wades between outward fury and covered up insecurity, she wields authority and confidence, armed with great abilities and powers, she dispenses help and love without being prompted to and with no expectation of reward. She has a bad temper, is nosy and hasty, but also afraid and lonely. Behind her stern front, she is a young adult with something to prove and fulfillment to find, armed with a kind heart, a sense of duty, great abilities and powers, and her trusty braid. Nynaeve leaves the Two Rivers with an already set personality, as well as a good foundation for her identity and her principles.

While talking about Nynaeve, I am going to showcase and explain the various impressions she gives off. Nynaeve can be described as an authority figure, a bad-tempered woman who is always after you, almost something of a lord over her subjects. But her truer nature might be a mother figure, a stern and caring woman who values protecting her loved ones above all. Intertwined between her heart and the face she wears, there is her insecurity and her loneliness, her fight with herself and her struggle with power. In the end, Nynaeve is a benevolent person who uses her voice and abilities to do what is right and to defend those she cares about, rather than abusing her powers and dismissing those below her. I believe it's important to highlight this difference in perception, as it emerges of thoughts from Nynaeve herself, from people around her and maybe even from the audience.

A figure of authority

Nynaeve is introduced as an authority figure in the Two Rivers. The show depicts her as leader of the Women's Circle, as she is handling Egwene ceremony for reaching adulthood. Nynaeve meddles in other person's business when talking to Perrin, assumes position at the front when Lan and Moiraine arrive, and opposes Moiraine when she comes to interrogate her. During the attack and after, as she looking to find the kids and bring them back home, she displays courage, confidence, skill and a dutiful attitude. EotW includes similar events and the same Nynaeve, perhaps adding leadership more clearly as one of her traits.

I want to stress the word "figure" because in her mind and in the eyes of some, Nynaeve has only the silhouette of being the one in control. There are some who consider her to be too young to be a Wisdom and to be particularly meddlesome. The show's scene where Lan and Moiraine enters the inn in the Two Rivers, however cheesy it is, does communicate about Nynaeve's haste to appear in command, only for her to be dismissed without a word. As far as we know, Nynaeve is fairly respected and does have power, with a reputation of a capable Wisdom, possibly even an unmatched Wisdom in her ability to heal. Nynaeve tries her best, and does very well, but has some insecurity about her being fit to be the responsible person, the one who makes decisions. She is not doubting her legitimacy or her skills in themselves, but her ability to succeed, when in dire situation or under scrutiny.

If nothing happened, Nynaeve would most likely have been on her way to become a revered Wisdom, as she already has the foundation and environment for it. But of course, Moiraine arrives, the village is attacked and Nynaeve herself becomes aware of being a channeler. The events that ensue, the changes to Nynaeve's status and environment, those will reinforce her self-doubt and find her semblance of authority challenged for real, first by Moiraine and Lan, then by Aes Sedai, then even by Egwene and the boys. Nynaeve is thrown into a world she has no control on and with people who will try to harm and manipulate her.

A mother

Now, we should scratch that first impression, for we need to dig deeper and to describe Nynaeve anew. Her wielding power and authority, with anger and fragility, is her public image. The more I think about Nynaeve's character, the more I want to describe her simply as a mother. A stern and proud woman, yet very caring and ferociously protective of her loved ones. At the same time, she is lonely and insecure, young and under pressure from the responsibilities she assumes.

Once the story begins, as our heroes leave Emond's Field, the first interaction we have with Nynaeve is her tracking down the group and demanding from Lan and Moiraine that they return the kids to their home. While her introduction had been of a severe and hot-tempered authority figure, she very quickly shows bravery, unexpected ability and great determination, in defending the village, then catching up with the others, before being pulled into their trip while trying to keep her loved ones safe.

In EotW, Nynaeve appears disapproving and meddles with the Village Council, speaks sternly to Rand and Mat notably, then does all she can to handle the disaster resulting from the Trolloc attack. When the main group flees, she tracks them, reaches Baerlon and confronts Moiraine, then when they escape the town, she has to come along, until she gets separated from the others at Shadar Logoth and can only find Lan and Moiraine. They travel together, free Perrin and Egwene from the Whitecloaks and gather with everyone in Caemlyn. During those events, Nynaeve displays tracking skills, stealth and self-control, both in following them on her own, then in infiltrating the Whitecloak camp. She asks after the boys and Egwene repeatedly, eager to rescue them and to bring them home.

Nynaeve's caring attitude is highlighted when Rand and her talk in Baerlon. Rand wants to be reassured that Nynaeve told the Aes Sedai that they were all Emond's Field born, which she says she did. Rand notices a heartbeat's pause before her answer, he breaks down and tells her about his father's fever dream, Nynaeve comforts him and tells him about the truth she knows, that Tam and Kari came back with a child they loved. This shows that Rand is unafraid of her and goes to her for help and support, despite her reputation, and that she cares very deeply about the kids, if running after them on her own had not been proof enough.

In the show, the events differ but Nynaeve's core character remains the same. She poses as an authority figure in the village, looking after everyone, then putting herself in front when Lan appears. During the attack, she stands strong, protects and heals who she can, then defeats the Trolloc who captures her, before rushing after the kids. A notable difference is how Nynaeve does not meet back with everyone before reaching Tar Valon, but there she has a similar motherly demeanor when she finds Rand and Mat, by looking after them, hiding them and reassuring Rand about Egwene's fate.

Every time, in the show and the books, Nynaeve behaves with a caring, understanding and protective attitude for her loved ones, notably Egwene and Rand, but also Perrin and Mat, and soon Lan as well. From later events, I will mention how she heals Rand again and again, most notably when he loses his hand and she is sadder about it than him or Min, as well as her trying to heal his madness as soon as she discovers how to, and being again unable to fully heal him. The relation between Nynaeve and Rand is particularly fascinating to me, and really feels like a mother and son relationship, especially with Rand having barely known his own mother Kari (without even needing to mention Tigraine) and Nynaeve being orphaned at a young age.

Nynaeve being a Wisdom and a healer, and later an Aes Sedai, fits right in with her having a motherly nature. She treats everyone as a child, acts with authority and protectiveness, and works hard to keep everyone safe and healthy. Considering Nynaeve's age compared to the Emond's Field kids she follow, it could be said to be an elder sibling assuming a parenting role instead, but I would argue Nynaeve goes above and beyond that to be the mother figure, and notably does so regardless of who you are and how old you are.

Loneliness and insecurity

The mother and authority role Nynaeve assumes, as a Wisdom and as a person in general, is unexpected of a young and hot-tempered woman like her, and she often gets criticized or dismissed, despite her prodigious abilities. Nynaeve is locked in a lonely position, being a Wisdom and without family of her own, unlikely to wed and to have children. While she holds family and issues of the heart in high regard, she distances herself and acts with seriousness befitting to her role and responsibilities, even imposing on herself more than she should or could, as she tries to be there for everyone and to maintain the bonds between people.

Nynaeve, as far as we know, lacks a close supportive cast around her, unlike most other people in Emond's Field. Everyone seems to have at least some family and friends, even if they can be awful, as the show decided to lean into. Rand has his father, Mat has his sisters, Perrin has his wife, Egwene has her parents, and all of them have close relationships between each other. Nynaeve, while easily integrated in the group later on, first appears as outside any sphere, by choice or by obligation. As far as I can tell, the one closest to her would be Egwene, who is subservient to the Wisdom and eager to learn rather than to help or to be friendly. We don't get that many details about Nynaeve's life to be definitive about that, however the show does depict her as solitary: when Lan and Moiraine arrive, when she is cleaning the sacred pool, when laying down the lanterns.

Nynaeve gets pushed into the position of Wisdom very early in her life, and even though she has the trust of the women and some respect from the men, she has trouble affirming her authority, or even convincing herself of being worthy of wielding that authority. Nynaeve may also fit into a frequent issue with gifted individuals: she achieves miracles while young and impressionable and looking for recognition, but she also sets precedents and a bar for expectation, meaning she has to keep doing just as well or better each time, or she will get brushed off. She is unlikely to experience this problem in the Two Rivers, where she has support and an unmatched reputation. But once Nynaeve goes off into the world and gets confronted with actual opposition, notably with Aes Sedai as she joins the White Tower, suddenly she is even more alone, far from home and surrounded with rivals and opponents, bearing more experience and comparable skill.

Anger and lack of control

To cover up her insecurity, and to hide away her feelings, Nynaeve puts up the face of authority, with a fiery and uncompromising personality, who demands respect and has a huge magical power at her disposal. Nynaeve is constantly described as being furious, as yelling, as making various displays of impatience and barely held temper. The Wheel of Time is guilty of overusing some gestures to express emotion, but Nynaeve's trademark is tugging her braid in anger and frustration.

You may have notice that bad temper is not a characteristic I have highlighted particularly so far, because before more importantly than being prone to anger, Nynaeve is authoritative, dutiful, proud, caring, protective, skilled, fierce, insecure, confident. However, several of those traits are susceptible to get her to resort to aggression and in general to appear with a mix of disapproval, hostility and arrogance. The Two Rivers people, specifically, have faith in Nynaeve and respect her to an extent, but also are afraid or uncomfortable around her, and will badmouth her if only to raise their own voices to her level.

Nynaeve struggles with issues of presumably non-existent relationships, friendly or more, and the resulting loneliness and lack of love, while she also exhibits a very strong sense of family, the need to care for others and to be cared for. Consequently, Nynaeve comes off too strongly and too meddlesome. The episode 7 drama, while imperfect and possibly deserving a better topic of conversation, has its purpose. It notably portrays Nynaeve as acting on instinct and being nosy, then visibly shaking in distress from realizing her blunder: she wants to do good but is terrified of screwing things up, and completely unable to hide her emotions. Her line about Rand and Perrin fighting over Egwene is honestly pretty bad, and I would switch up some of the dialogue and the issues being discussed to be less cringe. However, taking this scene non-literally, and thinking about the following scenes around Egwene, Rand and Nynaeve, I think it does convey the mental states and personalities decently, with all the characters being on various scales of young and kind and dutiful, while also being under extreme pressure. Nynaeve in particular must feel like she has irremediably damaged her relationships with the ones closest to her, and this leads to her being foolhardy in following Lan in the city and then imposing on him in his room.

To the risk of being controversial, I would say the show may actually do a better job at showcasing some of the character struggles than EotW does, in the sense that it visibly includes Egwene and Nynaeve into the issues, both with the Dragon identity mystery and with them having clear struggles and personalities rather than dry animosity, while the book restricts the reader mostly to Rand's point of view, and to a lesser amount to Perrin's.

Nynaeve reacts with aggressiveness and anger when confronting Moiraine, as well as with all Aes Sedai, and with Lan at first. She is opposed with control and dismissal and manipulation, except from Lan who is rather impressed, friendly and welcoming with her. For Nynaeve, the start of the story is her being thrown into a difficult situation to which she is not prepared and where she lacks any measure of control. Her ingrained solution of getting angry and making a show of authority and strength is not enough to get what she wants, on the contrary, she is closer to being played with than respected. Only her impressive display of channeling gets others interested in her, and not for her own benefit.

In my opinion, Nynaeve's temperament and demeanor is her way to mark her authority, which she believes gets challenged or ignored because of her youth and inexperience, and to overcome her feeling of unworthiness, in order to present a confident front, appearing as reassuring through strength rather than control. Over time, she attempts to improve herself in that aspect, or maybe to replace that facade with actual control, but without much success. Her anger issues, and thus actually insecurity issues, materialize notably in blocking her from using the One Power whenever she wants. Rather than providing a motivation, this block likely pushes her to lock herself further into the trap of needing anger to express herself freely.

Funnily, I would not even consider Nynaeve to have something to fix in her personality, I would not want her to become meek and friendly all the time. Compared to the Emond's Field kids, she is a person who grows, solidifies herself and matures, but her core stays pretty much unchanged. All five are impressionable and unprepared, but Nynaeve is the one with an already set personality and vision of the world. Her growth is about mastering her power and emotions, and finding true confidence in herself.

Relationship with Rand and Egwene

While Nynaeve acts as a mother figure for everyone and notably for the Two Rivers kids, she maintains a special bond with Rand as well as a closeness with Egwene.

Rand, as mistrustful as he already is and as he grows over the story, always has complete and unwavering trust in Nynaeve, regardless of his own status of being the Dragon Reborn and regardless of her being an Aes Sedai. While the show is obviously far from having reached the relevant events, we get a glimpse of the comfort and trust that exist between Rand and Nynaeve, when they reunite in Tar Valon, and Rand shares his worries with her. At the same time, I do regret that we are missing equivalents to Nynaeve being unable to heal Tam, and Nynaeve and Rand talking in Baerlon. I would not complain, as there are other stories eating up time and this can get developed in the future, but something I continuously ask myself is how much I am filling in the blanks with my own knowledge from the books.

As for Egwene, while the two women are close and look out for each other, their relationship will be strained by their different views and involvements with Aes Sedai, the oaths and politics. I would probably expand this relationship while writing about Egwene herself, as I also appreciated her portrayal, different from early Egwene but more likable while keeping her original identity. Egwene begins as an eager girl, who looks up to Nynaeve and imitates her manners. Egwene being Nynaeve's apprentice and close to her, we see Nynaeve regularly watch over her and guide her, more than the three boys. As Egwene becomes more independent and switches to following Moiraine rather than Nynaeve, the Wisdom probably feels betrayed and more isolated, even though Egwene stays friendly with her and tries to reason with her rather than confronting her. This is illustrated by Egwene being deferent to Nynaeve at the start, but reversing their role once in Fal Dara, when she tells Nynaeve about her bias against Moiraine. In the last episode, the two of them act more as equals than as a master and an apprentice.

Relationship with Moiraine

To Nynaeve, Moiraine is probably a mirror that sends her back an image she is not happy with. Moiraine is similar to Nynaeve in that she is an authority figure with noble goals, toward which she works selflessly and tirelessly. Yet, while Nynaeve continuously displays anger and frustration, Moiraine is a picture of self-control and calm. Moiraine tries to guide Nynaeve, in her own way of stating dangers rather than inspiring trust, but Nynaeve only grows more confrontational and mistrustful as time goes on, irritated by the Aes Sedai's attitude, the danger the Two Rivers folks are in and by Moiraine taking Egwene away from her.

In the show and in the books, Nynaeve positions herself repeatedly in opposition to Moiraine, when arguing about returning home, when arguing about which path to take, when arguing about being a channeler and needing to learn, when arguing about withholding information, when arguing about their mission. Nynaeve, despite being set to become a channeler and an Aes Sedai herself, holds Moiraine and the sisters in low regard, from preconceptions built on their reputation outside Tar Valon, from Moiraine's shady behavior, and from herself directly interacting with Aes Sedai who prove themselves to be manipulative, power-hungry and arrogant.

As for Nynaeve's personal feelings toward Lan, his bond to Moiraine makes the relationship complicated, and Nynaeve feels like Lan is out of her reach. In reality, it probably turns out to be a strong motivation for Nynaeve, as she does not admit defeat easily. She will not stop trying to surpass Moiraine, and she will not stop pursuing Lan, even with her own reluctance and lack of self-assurance in the romance.

Relationship with Lan

Nynaeve acts protective with the kids to prove herself worthy and because she loves them. Lan provides her with praise and love, and, although that may sound cliché, makes her feel safe. Him and the kids make her feel loved and valued, and especially for being herself rather than just for being a powerful Aes Sedai or the Wisdom. Lan and Nynaeve are very similar, they lean on each other as much as they hurt each other, they give meaning to their lives. In particular for Lan, and despite himself, Nynaeve is basically set to become his reason to live, which he has entrusted to Moiraine so far.

Lan is a tortured soul. Sworn to fight the Dark One alongside Moiraine, sworn to avenge Malkier, sworn to never sheathe the sword. He carries himself head held high regardless, and he says how he can tolerate a lot, yet he has hints of vulnerability. His humanity, his heart of gold, is hidden behind his stoicism and permanent wariness, but it emerges for Nynaeve, noticeably in the show but also in the books. In EotW, when Nynaeve is late from reuniting with them after infiltrating the Whitecloaks camp, Lan catches her by the arm, in a rare display of worry. In the show, he is constantly affable toward her, praises her, respects her and protects her, ending up quickly falling in love despite himself.

Like Nynaeve, Lan bears a heavy sense of duty and responsibilities, to an extent self-imposed, in having to revive Malkier, or rather avenge it, a task which he believes he has to do on his own, so as to only sacrifice his own life. This mission is just as impossible as the kind of stuff Nynaeve tries to pull off, and both of them apply themselves alone. Lan and Nynaeve bond quickly over their kindred hearts, as literally secondary characters, Lan in being a Warder to Moiraine, and Nynaeve in being the self-assigned protector to the Emond's Field kids. They are in the background often if not always, regardless of their actual importance, their skill and their determination, and in truth they don't care at all. They have their duty and life mission, and they set on accomplishing it, ready to sacrifice themselves without hesitation.

Along with the sense of duty, Lan and Nynaeve share having a sad and lonely backstory, emphasized in the show, with her losing her parents and becoming a Wisdom, and him losing his family and his kingdom, and becoming Aan'allein, the One Man. While Nynaeve acts quite insecure early, despite her outward confidence, Lan radiates total control, of himself and of his surroundings. He acts stoic and strong, often lacking care for his own life to the profit of others. It's likely that Nynaeve sees herself in Lan, or something she would like for herself. In the dangerous times they live, they become both the protector and the protected. Obviously, they have and will repeatedly have issues with the other acting recklessly and putting themselves in mortal danger.

I actually have no idea when Lan and Nynaeve consummate their love in the books, but I don't mind that they did early in the show. It makes sense and bring some climax into the end of season 1, and EotW, which mostly does setup, despite the event in itself being little more than people admitting their love and having sex right before what they expect to be their death. The scenes around them sleeping together are powerful, between Nynaeve following Lan and being invited to eat with him and his foster family, and Lan revealing his heritage. For that matter, even Nynaeve coming back to Lan's room is meaningful for readers, knowing how Nynaeve admonishes others, and herself, for acting foolish and lovesick. And she acts like this herself, but precisely because she is Nynaeve and knows what she wants. I find her series of actions perfect: her waiting for Lan to say something, her leaving, her coming back right away and entering without an invitation, her asking directly if Lan wants her to leave, and even her trying to slip away after the deed. Nynaeve is constantly struggling between doing what is proper and right, and getting what she wants.

The scene that does not work so great, in my opinion, is the one in the episode 8, where Lan paints their couple as a tragic and doomed romance, which is true but it is weird to have it acknowledged, especially because the doomed part is forced by Lan himself. In the books, the romance being in the background makes the same dialogue feel powerful because we are lacking information and actual viewpoints, so we can fill in the blanks with whatever. In the show, the scene feels a little forced and clashes with them having had sex and basically confessing love, with Lan rejecting that Moiraine owns him.

Perhaps, at some point Nynaeve would have asked herself, after she left her village and life behind to save the kids, with the hope of coming home quickly, why would she have become involved with Lan of all people, someone who would never simply follow her back home.

Wielding the One Power

I kept the One Power for the end, because it is both the most important and the least important notion for Nynaeve as a person.

Nynaeve always wielded the One Power, only instinctively at first, and gets acclaimed as an extremely powerful channeler. After learning she can channel, and despite fearing the One Power and what it means to how people will see her, Nynaeve immediately takes it as hers and adds it to her arsenal, motivated notably by being raised to the same level as Moiraine and by her innate pride.

Nynaeve starts relying on the One Power but stumbles on the block preventing her from using it at will. The meaning of being an Aes Sedai and the block feed her insecurities, probably making the block a self-fulfilling prophecy rather than misfortune. Nynaeve wants that power, but also hates it. Her needing to be angry is not about simply equating rage and power, it's her forgetting, discarding, overpowering her insecurity, to do what she intends to.

Interestingly, in the show and in EotW, her block's existence has not been stated yet, and there is some room to discuss her early usages of the One Power as her not being angry. In particular, she is not angry when listening to the wind in the Two Rivers, but later cannot do it. Even leading to her healing bomb, she seems to be more in grief than in the fury she is described to require. It's possible her block begins after she acknowledges herself as a channeler. From what I recall of the books, she even has to premeditate her anger to build it up, and trying to summon it on demand is difficult.

Nynaeve uses her prodigious power as a crutch, to become stronger than she sees herself as. But in reality, she does not even need it at all. Nynaeve exhibits qualities and skills to such a degree that the One Power is almost just a nice plus. Nynaeve is defined by her determination and courage, her imperfection and changing self-assurance, her loyalty and her love, and finally her power and abilities. These qualities and strengths help those around her stay steady and alive.

Conclusion

Nynaeve's character as she is depicted in the show is exactly as I see her. At the same time, I see her primarily as the person she becomes by the end of the story. In reality, Nynaeve does not exactly change but simply matures, so it's unsurprising to recognize her easily in her early form. Importantly, her main core is well represented, with her meddlesome yet caring attitude, her insecurity and her haste to anger and to fight, her relation with Rand and Egwene and Mat and Perrin, her romance with Lan, her animosity toward Moiraine and Aes Sedai.

Leaving the Two Rivers could be said to be an opportunity for Nynaeve: she pursues a love interest in Lan, grows tighter bonds with the kids, and gets to display and hone her powerful skills in front of people would look down on her only to be squashed.

It's quite difficult to force yourself to see someone as they were before, and even with a fictional character, while you can go back and reread, you will be omniscient and it will affect your judgement. Several characters in the Wheel of Time have received some changes to their backstory and early personality: the Emond's Field kids have been aged up, Mat and Perrin got very different family situations, Mat is not a brat. Nynaeve's story has changed too, perhaps not drastically, but her character is very much on display and I love her. The show's changes are expected to serve to make some internal considerations and implicit events more obvious, and to quicken some character progression. Rather than expanding on if these changes are needed or well done or disappointing, I want to raise a question: do you feel like the characters, here Nynaeve, were noticeably moved forward compared to what personality and traits they should exhibit at the start of the adventure?

Thanks for reading. Cheers.