Balefire: How It Erases People From Existence in The Wheel of Time

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Warning: Spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 8

Thanks to the climax of season 3, the strongest power in the world of The Wheel of Time has now been introduced in live-action for the first time. It’s likely that this will be just one of many instances where balefire is utilized in Amazon Prime Video’s portrayal of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time novels. Introduced in book 3, The Dragon Reborn, balefire has been a recurring tool, though it’s usually only used in the most extreme situations. After all, there’s a significant risk associated with this particular spell.

Throughout the series, The Wheel of Time has introduced several significant abilities tied to the One Power, including Healing, Traveling, and shielding. More recently, it delved into Dreamwalking and Compulsion, a power favored by villains like Rahvin and Moghedien among the Forsaken. In the season 3 finale of The Wheel of Time, a much-anticipated confrontation between Elayne Trakand, Nynaeve al’Meara, Mat Cauthon, Min Farshaw, and Thom Merrilin took place against Liandrin and her Black Ajah followers, marking the addition of another key power from the books to the show’s interpretation of its lore.

Balefire Erases People From Existence

Balefire Is A Fate Worse Than Death

At the start of the episode, a ter’angreal staff was revealed among the items the Black Ajah had taken from the White Tower. Liandrin stated that this artifact could produce “balefire.” Although its specific functions weren’t explained in the series, its destructive power became evident when Elayne used it to save Thom. The Black Ajah member who was hit by the balefire blast appeared to be vaporized and killed instantly. However, as the books reveal, the effects of balefire extend beyond death – it actually eliminates the victim from existence altogether.

In the realm of “The Wheel of Time,” Balefire serves as an extraordinary and devastating power, for it not only takes life but also eliminates the affected individual entirely from the cosmic design known as the Pattern. This is more than mere death; it means they no longer have any part in the Pattern whatsoever. When something is obliterated by Balefire, it’s as if it never existed at all in the grand scheme of things. However, it’s important to note that while Balefire can influence the timeline significantly, its impact is limited. Anything a person did before being consumed by Balefire is also erased from the Pattern, effectively wiping out their past actions as if they were never part of the history.

Essentially, this means that if someone were to die and then be dismissed (balefired) shortly afterward, the deceased person could be resurrected, unaware of their initial demise in the Pattern. However, the longer ago the event occurred, the less likely it is to be undone, as occurrences eventually become fixed within the Pattern.

How The TV Version Of Balefire Compares To The Wheel Of Time Books

Balefire Is Very Similar To The Ability From The Books

According to its portrayal in the final episode of The Wheel of Time season 3, it appears that the show’s representation of Balefire aligns with the original source material, particularly concerning its effects. In the series, the black silhouette of the Black Ajah struck by Balefire signified her removal from the Pattern. The show’s depiction of the character seemingly reversing her last uses of the One Power supports the side-effect in the books where a balefire victim’s past actions are annulled.

One small distinction lies in its appearance, which might be due to the unique presentation of the series when it was initially presented. The books depict Balefire as brilliant, white flames, whereas the show portrays it more like a laser beam. Nevertheless, it retains its distinctive white hue. It’s plausible that future applications of the weave might resemble real fire more, since the ter’angreal rod shown in the series might concentrate the Balefire into narrow, intense bursts, resulting in its laser-like appearance.

Only Certain Channelers Can Use Balefire

Both Rand & Moiraine Can Use Balefire

It’s no wonder that balefire, known as the most potent weave in Jordan’s world, is also highly intricate and difficult to manipulate. Given its immense power, it’s hardly simple to master. In fact, balefire is a weave seldom understood and even less frequently utilized, limited to only a select group of individuals. This rarity arises from the age-old tradition that balefire has not been systematically taught by the Aes Sedai. The White Tower strictly prohibits the teaching and application of balefire due to the potential havoc it could wreak on the intricate fabric of the world, a policy that has persisted for centuries. This longstanding policy regarding balefire is an unwritten rule of sorts.

While it’s not always a requirement to learn it explicitly, top-ranking channelers can intuitively grasp how to generate balefire, sometimes even unintentionally. Notably, characters like Rand and Nynaeve in the source material have demonstrated the ability to use balefire instinctively. In unique scenarios, they both employed balefire to vanquish foes without fully comprehending its nature.

As a dedicated movie reviewer diving into the magical world of “The Wheel of Time,” I must express my admiration for the character of Moiraine. Unlike our protagonists Rand and Nynaeve, she possesses an uncanny ability to wield Balefire – a power so potent it’s often shrouded in mystery.

However, unlike these two prodigious channelers, Moiraine’s prowess with Balefire appears to be a result of deliberate study rather than serendipity. The books leave us pondering how she managed to unravel the complexities of this forgotten weave – a secret that seems to have eluded even skilled channelers like Alanna Mosvani and Siuan Sanche.

It’s this exceptional access to Balefire that sets Moiraine apart, making her journey through the world of “The Wheel of Time” all the more captivating.

Since Balefire is an ancient technique, it is also associated with the Forsaken in “The Wheel of Time” series. Although Demandred, a character not yet confirmed as one of its Forsaken members in the TV show, employed Balefire in the books, any Forsaken might know this technique. Therefore, it could potentially be included in the repertoire of Rahvin, Graendal, Lanfear, and Semirhage in future seasons of “The Wheel of Time”.

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2025-04-19 02:59