The Hottest Characters in the Wheel of Time (Based on Book Canon)
By: Preston Simmons
The Wheel of Time is notorious for the series’s incredible and massive cast of characters. One aspect that fans love the most about the books is how detail-oriented Robert Jordan was in describing the characters’ physical characteristics in the story.
With almost every character that makes an appearance, you can be sure to know exactly how they look, what they are wearing, and the description of their facial expressions by the end of the page. Sometimes, you might even get a description of a character’s “well-turned calves” (or full bosom).
With the extreme lengths that Robert Jordan went through to describe each character, it is possible to rank the top 10 hottest characters in the Wheel of Time strictly in the series lore and descriptions.
Though almost all characters are described as attractive or beautiful (except Olver, poor guy), some characters in Randland go beyond pretty. Some characters are considered in-universe as the most attractive people to have ever lived. These are the characters that have attractiveness that reaches almost supernatural levels.
Simply put, these are the hottest characters in the Wheel of Time.
RELATED: The Wheel of Time Books RANKED!
*Warning: Some minor spoilers ahead concerning character descriptions and affiliations in the Wheel of Time series*
#10 – Sevanna
Coming in at number 10 for the hottest characters in the Wheel of Time is Sevanna, the Shaido Aiel Wise One, and clan chief. There are multiple times throughout the series when other characters highlight Sevanna’s beauty. Sevanna’s attractiveness is so strong that she knowingly uses it to achieve her goals in her attempt to control the entire Aiel Clan.
#9 – Rand al’Thor
Rand al’Thor is a man of many names. Some call him the Dragon Reborn; others call him the Car’a’carn, the Coramoor, Shadowkiller, He Who Comes With the Dawn, and the Lord of the Morning. Another title that you can add to the already long list is the 9th most attractive character in the Wheel of Time.
Though Rand doesn’t have the unnaturally good looks that some of the later characters will have on this list, he is leagues beyond the average male character in terms of looks in the series. There are a few ways to determine his placement on the ranking list. The first is constant descriptive comparison to the Forsaken Moridin.
In the series, Moridin is described as being extremely good-looking. So good looking that Moghedien stated that if it weren’t for his strong jaw, Moridin would be someone Graendal would want as a compulsed enslaved person. Notoriously, Graendal only kept the most attractive humans as enslaved people.
Moridin was always considered a step below Rand in physical appearance.
The second way to determine Rand’s attractiveness is through the people that have fallen in love with him. Min, Avienda, Elayne, and Lanfear are considered extraordinarily beautiful (one being considered the perfect image of a human woman) and are head over heels in love/obsessed with him. If these women have fallen in love with Rand, regardless of his power level, his looks must be one of the best in Randland.
#8 – Elayne Trakand
Elayne Trakand can easily be considered the 8th hottest character in the Wheel of Time. Throughout the series, Elayne is constantly remarked upon about her looks. Morgase, her mother, is widely considered one of the most attractive women in the world when the series starts, and Elayne is regarded as the spitting image of her mother, except younger.
Even though Mat has issues with nobility, he constantly takes notice of her beauty, even going as far as saying that she had a “face to make any man stare.”
Nynaeve, although incredibly beautiful herself, always comments on Elayne’s attractiveness, often asking herself how Elayne stays gorgeous all the time. She even said that Elayne’s natural beauty was a secret that the Aes Sedai should investigate.
Not many characters in the series have their appearance constantly commented upon positively, as Elayne Trakand does.
#7 – Aran’gar
Aran’gar, formally known as Balthamel, is the first on the list which can be considered to have supernatural beauty that surpasses the usual standard of attractiveness.
Aran’gar beauty is unique because it was crafted as a joke by the Dark One himself. When Balthamel, a known womanizer, was killed, the Dark One, with his twisted sense of humor, resurrected Balthamel as an unnaturally beautiful woman.
Egwene describes Aran’gar as “the sort of woman dreamed up by a lascivious man.” She has a perfect face with big green eyes and shiny black hair. She has what was considered a “strikingly beautiful” body with a full, firm, and ample bosom in the books.
She would attempt to bed the most beautiful men and women she could find, and more often than not, they would be willing.
#6 – Sarene Nemdahl
Number 6 of the hottest characters in the Wheel of Time is someone you may not remember. Sarene Nemdahl is probably the least essential character on the list but is nevertheless one of the most canonically attractive people in the entire series.
All the women consider Sarene in the White Tower the most stunningly attractive Aes Sedai in the Tower. Still, ironically, she is oblivious to her beauty.
The Aes Sedai are notorious for their ageless appearance and enhanced beauty, so the most beautiful woman is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women in all of Randland.
#5 – Graendal
Number 5 on the list for the hottest characters in the Wheel of Time is the personification of sexual indulgence, Graendal. Graendal is considered the second most attractive woman among the Forsaken. Although Robert Jordan only described her as “plumply pretty” compared to the most beautiful woman among the Forsaken, her descriptors paint an entirely different picture.
Graendal entire persona revolves around beauty and attractiveness in herself and others. One of her favorite past times is to collect “pets.” These “pets” are humans that she considers the most beautiful creatures in existence, as she likes to surround herself with only the most attractive servants.
If it weren’t for the following few people to appear on the list, Graendal could have easily have placed number one. Alas, Randland is filled with attractive people, and these next few are the closest to physical perfection that there is. But more concrete evidence is that Graendal is said to be one of the most physically beautiful women to have ever walked the earth.
#4 – Berelain Sur Paendrag Paeron
Known as the First of Mayene, Berelain Sur Paendrag Paeron defines beauty, intelligence, and cunning. Virtually everyone who comes across Berelain is immediately struck by how gorgeous she is, usually remarking upon her voluptuousness in appearance and personality. Simply put, Berelain is considered the most physically attractive woman in Randland at the current age.
Berelain also is perfectly aware of how attractive she is, as she is not afraid to use her beautiful appearance to benefit her country. She is not used to not getting what she wants, as evidenced by her interactions with Perrin and Rand.
When Min Farshaw had a viewing regarding Berelain, Min foretold that the two most beautiful people in the world would fall in love and that the man would be dressed in white.
In addition, Berelain’s attractiveness is natural. The One Power does not enhance her beauty, and the Dark One doesn’t gift her beauty. Berelain is just an ordinary human woman in Randland. She is the peak of what a “common” woman can achieve in physical attractiveness.
In other words, canonically, Berelain is one of the hottest characters in the Wheel of Time.
#3 – Rahvin
Widely considered one of the most attractive men ever to live, Rahvin is canonically the third hottest character in the Wheel of Time. Described as being “as handsome as Lanfear was beautiful,” which, if that’s an indication, should theoretically make him the most attractive man of all time.
He was described as taller than Rand, who was 6’6, with shoulders as broad as Perrin’s, and youthful seeming even though he had white streaked temples. However, he wasn’t the most attractive man to ever live.
Specifically, Rahvin is also described as “a handsome man, almost as good looking as Galad…” Almost as good looking automatically makes someone not as good looking as the person they are compared to. So, although Rahvin is considered almost the most physically good-looking man in the series, that title belongs to someone else.
#2 – Galad Damodred
And the second hottest character in the Wheel of Time goes to Galad Damodred. The half brother to Elayne Trakand and Gawyn Trankand and the half brother to Rand al’Thor, Galad is the personification of the perfect male in terms of physical appearance.
Described “almost too handsome for masculinity,” Galad somehow transcends what a typical human male is capable of looking like in appearance. When a man like Rahvin, who is called “as handsome as Lanfear was beautiful,” is also called almost as attractive a Galad, Galad himself must be as close to perfection as a man can be.
Why? Because all consider the number one person on the list to be the most attractive human to have ever lived, and only Galad is said to even remotely rival the number one hottest character in the Wheel of Time.
#1 – Lanfear
Unquestionably, without any debate, the hottest character in the Wheel of Time is the Daughter of the Night, Lanfear. Not only is Lanfear considered the most potent female channeler of all time, canonically, but she is also regarded as the most beautiful woman to have ever walked the earth.
As Lanfear is called beauty incarnate, Rahvin described Graendal, who outclasses virtually all women in beauty, as being only “plumply pretty” compared to Lanfear. Rand, when seeing Lanfear, compared her to the three women who loved him (Min, Aviendha, and Elayne) as looking “almost ordinary” compared to her. That says a lot because Min, Aviendha, and Elayne are considered extraordinarily beautiful women by many different people throughout the series.
Loial, an Ogier, describes Selene (Lanfear in her purposefully, less attractive disguise) as “the perfect human beauty.” Lanfear also uses the One Power to disguise her true face and age to make her look younger at around Nynaeve’s age. When Lanfear shows Rand her true self, he states that she is even more beautiful than before!
Canonically, Lanfear is the hottest character in the Wheel of Time. But evidently, outwards appearances aren’t everything.
If there is one thing to take away from this list, Robert Jordan did not discriminate regarding attractive people. Gorgeous individuals appeared on both the Light and on the Dark One’s side. Beauty isn’t everything, according to Robert Jordan. Just because you might be the most attractive person in the world, attractiveness will amount to nothing if your soul isn’t pure.
Unless your Galad, where attractiveness and purity of soul are combined in equal measure.