The Wheel of Time: Who Are The Whitecloaks? Why Kill The Aes Sedai? Explained
The Wheel of Time is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video one episode weekly! The series is based on a fantasy novel written by Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time takes place in a vast and complex world where different factions with different motivations and powers interact on a huge magical tapestry. This high fantasy series is populated by multi-faceted characters, most of whom have gray morals, which makes the tale all the more interesting.
While we’ve only seen a few glimpses of them, the White Mantles, or Children of the Light, stand out as a particularly disturbing group, despite their self-righteous title. We’ve seen them burn an Aes Sedai, and even the valiant Moiraine seems apprehensive to face them. So who are the Whitecloaks? And why do they seem to have such a brutal enmity towards the Aes Sedai?
Who Are The Whitecloaks In The Wheel Of Time?
The way the Whitecloaks are portrayed in Robert Jordan’s books, as well as the series, sheds light on where the Whitecloaks stand on the moral spectrum and why they hate the Aes Sedai so much. Although it is the Aes Sedai who seem to pose a problem to them, they consider their real enemies to be the Dark One and his minions.
In white coats mind the Unique Power of The Wheel of Time is a weapon of the Dark One, that means that if anyone who can use this ability is his pawns. As the Whitecloaks wholeheartedly adhere to this doctrine, they have no qualms about killing anyone they believe to be a channel of the One Power. In short, the Whitecloaks are arrogant, self-righteous fanatics, but most aren’t exactly bad.
It’s true that the Whitecloaks share a common opponent with the main characters, but what ultimately keeps them on opposing sides is their blind devotion to their ideals. The Children of Light are so convinced that they are in their right that they think those who stand in their way are human servants of the Dark One. Although the Whitecloaks believe themselves to be on the side of the Light, they generally bring more problems than solutions in the world of the Wheel of Time.
