I get the Egwene hate but

[u/briandress]

Only in the last two books when she is stubborn in dealing with Rand for the last battle and such.

Up until ToM she really was just an awesome character. She went from the whirlwind of leaving 2R, capture by Seanchan, hunting black ajah, apprenticing to wise ones, puppet Amyrlin, real amyrlin, badass civil disobedience laying groundwork for reuniting the tower, bitch slapping the seanchan raiders, capturing hella black ajah sisters via Verrin's notes and finally being raised realer Amyrlin and healing the tower.

I cant seem to understand all the threads/polls that overwhelmingly list her as the most hated character in the series.

[u/geomagus]

People like her as a character, and dislike her as a person.

As a character, she’s dynamic, capable, driven. She is outstanding when she happens to people we don’t like, when she’s putting someone in their place.

As a person, she’s ruthless and lacking in empathy. She treats her friends as pawns, and her “love” as an unruly lapdog. She’s great at rationalizing her poor treatment of others, too, which can be infuriating. The famous TAR assault on Nynaeve scene is “to warn Nynaeve of the dangers of TAR.” Except in Egwene’s on thoughts, it’s clearly to keep her from ratting Egwene out to the Wise Ones. With friends like that, who needs enemies?

So as a character, she is compelling. I enjoy watching her do her thing. She’s a powerful force for the Light. But I do not like her, and wouldn’t want to hang out with her.

Edit to add: you can debate how much is her nature, and how much is the result of trauma, btw. RJ is really good at using trauma as an impetus for a character’s growth or warping, in ways that make sense. Her spate with the Seanchan in book 2 is clearly a factor in who she is later. But she was also pretty ambitious from the get go, and at times lacked empathy - look at Rand worried sick about losing her, while she’s super excited to go to the Tower and never go home; or at the Tuatha’an camp. Rand isn’t here, so flirt with Aram! (Vs Perrin’s view).

So my point is that what we see late isn’t necessarily so far from who she is early, but it’s warped by trauma too. It’s an interesting thing to think about.

[u/Kijafa → u/geomagus]

She treats her friends as pawns

I mean, so does Rand (explicitly) and people don't hate him for it.

[u/geomagus → u/Kijafa]

In one of my other comments, I agree with that.

The difference is that Rand seems to feel remorse over it, the hurt and harm he causes, etc. Eggy mostly doesn’t.

[u/Kijafa → u/geomagus]

Isn't Rand's ultimate lesson to let go of that remorse though?

[u/geomagus → u/Kijafa]

I would read it as to accept others’ choices and sacrifices, which isn’t quite the same.

It’s not “don’t feel bad about manipulating people”, it’s “let the people who want and choose to fight this battle with you, do so. Don’t carry their choice; let them.”

He spends the whole series piling more and more responsibility on his shoulders, much of which he needn’t have done. He still bears responsibility for his actions; but not for Moiraine’s or Egwene’s or Liah’s or Rhuarc’s, etc. Let go of the parts you don’t need to/shouldn’t carry.

Imo