Strength in the One Power among the Wise Ones

This article is about the distribution of One Power strength among the Aiel Wise Ones and their apprentices. For a list of all strength rankings, see One Power strength rankings.

Numbers of channelers among the Wise Ones

Amys, Bar and Melaine by Ariel Burgess.

Wise Ones do not have to channel to be Wise ones, although it seems that all women who have the spark inborn become Wise Ones.

[The Wise Ones] managed to find every girl who had the inborn ability to channel, although they did not actively test girls for the ability unless the girls wished to become Wise Ones. Those born with the inborn ability typically felt fated and duty-bound to become Wise Ones.

It would be reasonable to assume that dreamwalkers would also feel similarly duty-bound to become Wise Ones, whether they can channel or not.

According to Egwene al'Vere, only one third cannot channel: Two-thirds of the women there could wield saidar... the proportions were about the same for Wise Ones as a whole.

Since those with the Spark are relatively few, we can assume that most women come voluntarily to the Wise Ones. It would be pragmatic to assume that those with a realtively strong ability, but without the spark inborn, are encouraged, but not forced, to become Wise Ones. There are too high a proportion of channelers to non-channelers for this to not be the case.

Given that there is no mandatory requirement to channel, many women who would be rejected by the White Tower for being too weak to pass the tests to make it to full Aes Sedai are acceptable as Wise Ones.

As for how many Wise Ones exist among the Aiel in total we are told the following:

[Sevanna] is a harsh woman, and many of her Wise Ones can channel, nearly four hundred of them, all willing to use the Power to do violence...

"That's because all (the Wise Ones) the Shaido have are with Sevanna," Perrin replied. "At least three hundred and maybe four. The Wise Ones with me are sure of it."

This is for only one clan out of twelve, and some of the Shaido number may have been killed during Dumai's Wells. Assuming the Shaido are a typical clan, that would mean there are roughly 3600-4800 Aiel Wise Ones in total, with two-thirds (2400-3200) of them being able to channel, even to a small degree. This is several times the number of channelers there were in the White Tower at the beginning of the series.

List of Aiel Strengths

The following table gives a full list of strengths of Wise Ones and their apprentices according to their entries in The Wheel of Time Companion. If there are no channelers at a given level, it is not included the table. Those marked * are only apprenticed to Wise Ones.

Strength Level	Channelers	Notes
4(+9)	Someryn, Mora (approx.)	This is the same strength as the weakest of the Forsaken, Moghedien, who still has considerable strength, even in her own time. Mora is around this strength (see note).
5(+8)	Tamela	See note.
8(+5)	Aviendha (potential)	The same strength as Elayne Trakand and Egwene al'Vere.
10(+3)	Viendre	The books state that Viendre's strength stronger than that of Elayne. Like Aviendha, however, Elayne may not have reached her full potential at this point.
11(+2)	Aviendha (current)	The Companion gives this as her current strength. As per the books, Aviendha, Elayne and Egwene have equal potential.
12(+1)	Edarra, Therava
13(1)	Colinda	Formerly the established maximum strength level among Aes Sedai. Also the minimum needed to survive using the Choedan Kal.
14(2)	Cosain
15(3)	Dorailla, Amys	See note on Amys.
17(5)	Dailin, Delora, Melaine
18(6)	Belinde, Carelle, Tialin	Median strength of all known Aes Sedai.
19(7)	Chaelin, Nadere, Rhiale	According to the Companion, the level of strength needed for to Travel with an average level of Talent.
21(9)		Mean strength of all known Aes Sedai.
22(10)	Emerys, Losaine	The minimum strength observed to be able to Travel.
23(11)	Janina, Nevarin
24(12)	Meira
27(15)	Micara	Micara is the weakest of eighty Wise Ones with Therava.
28(16)	Marline
30(18)	Daviena
45(33)	Monaelle	There is a large gap between Monaelle and Daviena. This is the minimum strength required to become Aes Sedai.
57(45)	Sorilea	There is a large gap between Monaelle and Sorilea. Sorilea is substantially weaker than the minimum level for becoming Accepted, 46(34).
Unknown strength	Alarys (strong), Feraighin (weak), Jesain, Leyn (strong), Norlea (strong), Surandha (average), Tion (strong)	Can channel, but are of unknown strength.
Non-channelers	Aeron, Bair, Corelna, Ladalin, Masalin, Seana, Sevanna	Listed as not being able to channel. Sevanna was not an apprentice, nor visited Rhuidean, so is not a true Wise One.
Unknown ability	Alsera, Baellin, Coedelin, Desaine, Dosera, Elenar*, Estair*, Estalaine, Hayde, Kymer, Malindhe, Merale, Megana, Morena,Narendhra, Nosinda, Sammana, Sarinde, Sealdre, Seralin, Shanni, Shyanda, Sotarin	These are Aiel Wise Ones/apprentices who we don't know can channel or not.

Notes and errata

Sorilea's strength is listed in the Companion as 57(35), but the two scales don't agree as there should be a difference of 12 between the two. 57(45) is the correct level as we know that Sorilea "was weak enough to make Daigian look at least moderately strong". If she were 47(35), Daigian Moseneillin's level of 45(33) would be too close to make such a comparison.

Amys' strength comes from a few places:

• "Two-thirds of the women there could wield saidar, some not much more than Sorilea, others equaling Amys, who was as strong as most Aes Sedai Egwene had yet met."
• "In the One Power, Amys and Melaine were no stronger than Theodrin and Faolain—far from weak. Indeed, stronger than most Aes Sedai."
• "Theodrin was clearly the stronger of [Theodrin and Faolain] in the One Power."

Melaine's strength is given as the same as Faolain Orande, which would place Amys at the same strength as Theodrin Dabei.

Tamela is described as "stronger in the Power than she, stronger than any sister she had met save Nynaeve". The Companion lists her as "the equal of Cadsuane, with a strength level of 5(+8)". Cadsuane Melaidhrin, however, cannot be that strength. We choose to fix this by accepting the higher strength over Cadsuane's actual strength, since it agrees with what is said in the books themselves.

Mora's strength comes from the following: "It was said [Mora] was approaching her three hundredth year when she died from a bloodsnake's bite, yet she looked as young as either of [Amys or Melaine]. I was only a girl, but I remember her well. She knew many things, and could channel strongly." Given she looked the same age as Melaine, who is 84-110 years old and looks "no older than thirty", she must have slowed considerably more and therefore been much stronger. A lifespan of 700-800 years seems reasonable, putting her at the same strength as one of the Forsaken.

Although we don't have an exact strength level for some women, we have some very rough estimations. Quotes supporting the estimations are as follows:

• Alarys: "chosen from the strongest of the Shaido Wise Ones who could wield the One Power" Sevanna took a large number of women with her, though this would represent the top 25% of Shaido Wise Ones. The named Wise Ones in this group have a strength range of 24(12) (Meira) to 4(+9) (Someryn), all of which are above average for an Aes Sedai.
• Leyn: "[Leyn and Edarra] could channel, and quite strongly; they might have risen high had they gone to the Tower as girls."
• Norlea: See Alarys.
• Surandha: "Some five years older than Egwene, [Surandha] could channel as strongly as many Aes Sedai."
• Tion: See Alarys.

A number of women are listed in the Companion as taking part in, or at least was present at, the murder of Desaine. Sevanna witnesses her accomplices taking apart Desaine as a group. Alarys, Belinde, Dailin, Emerys, Meira, Modarra, Norlea, Rhiale, Someryn, Therava and Tion are all known to be able to channel, whereas, besides Sevanna herself, none are listed as not being able to channel. The remaining three (Narendhra, Nosinda, Seralin) seem likely to be channelers too. These three, however, also do not appear anywhere in the books and are only named in the Companion. They are are the only three out of the group to whom this applies.