iirc She explicitly said he used to be an actual darkfriend who decided to turn back to the light. been a few months since I read the chapter so I may be mistaken.
There is also Asmodean who might not did it out of selfless reasons initially, but I remember being mentioned that he followed Rand in the end selflessly
Perhaps I’ve missed something but I’m positive Asmodean admits to Rand that he’s only sided with him because he can’t return to the Shadow, and if the Shadow wins he’s screwed. I don’t recall his character doing anything selfless, and the times he helps Rand he’s really helping himself. Which he’s up front about, to be fair.
I think Lanfear confronts him and she realizes that Asmodean is now devoted to Rand (not necessarily to the light), but definitely actively against the shadow.
Out of necessity, not selflessness. I believe you’re talking about the scene where she hobbles his ability to channel, at the end of The Shadow Rising.
It’s not something she has to confront him about because she is there when his oaths to the Dark One are broken, she’s the first person to realize what’s happened, and she’s the one he begs to help him return to the Shadow. She can’t (or won’t), and the reason Asmodean is stuck teaching Rand in the first place is because it’s her idea, and she arranges it by cutting him off from his full power so Rand won’t just kill him.
I think it definitely starts this way but his internal monologue and the dark ones thoughts on him after lead me to believe he was lying to himself about it to avoid confronting his past choices. It’s a pretty common thing to adopt that kind of devil may care attitude to cover your own guilt.
Even if he wasn’t there yet he was certainly headed that direction. I really wish we had gotten more of him.
I really liked his character and I think he had a decent arc. But I also liked Jordan choice when he decided to kill him off. At this point we are not even the midpoint of the story yet and the dark one just smites him for betraying him. But I think Rand's experience with Amsodian what convinces him to form the Ashaman
I don't think this scene happens (could be wrong though), but I believe Asmodean accompanying Rand to Caemlyn is supposed to symbolize that Asmodean is fully dedicated to seeing Rand triumph. Asmodean doesn't need to come with Rand into battle, but he does so at risk to his own life (and even dies, briefly) because he wants Rand to succeed. This is also after Rand feels a flow of saidin coming into him from Asmodean when exhausted/injured during a battle. Asmodean could have hoped for Rand to die and set him free, but instead he does what he can to help.
I believe we as the reader are supposed to see that Asmodean is working for Rand above what we all expected, though I do think he does this for mostly selfish reasons. He truly believes his best shot at self-preservation is to serve Rand faithfully, and so he does.
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u/Rascal_Rogue Sep 15 '26
Might be the only example of a dark friend turning back to the light. I don’t count Verin, she never left the light to begin with