Wheel of Time Explained The Seanchan

Season one of The Wheel of Time may be over, but it introduced elements that gave rise to a number of questions for non book readers! So I've decided to revamp my explained series and take elements of The Wheel of Time books and try to explain things we are seeing in the Sony and Amazon production. So join me as I take the Seanchan from page to screen with this new entry into my explained series. I talk bout the Seanchans history, military, government and what they are expected to do once they make landfall in the Westlands! Its a while before we see Wheel of Time season 2 so dive into some little tidbits about the series with me and see if we can't figure out how it all fits together!

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[vidhyasnair]

I am so excited to see Seanchan in the series. I think the muzzle will add to the mental and physical servitude implied. It's going to be so tough for certain channelers to be under this kind of stress.

[KingsandGenerals]

Viking? They look like Chinese/Korean/Japanese ships. The sabertooth imagery was not present in East Asia, but the design of the ship and the sails are very much in line.

[MariW]

Before I start the video, just want to say, as a non-book reader, I’m super excited for this video and to learn more… I’m super super curious about this group 🤩 thanks in advance!

[leescience]

Great summary! ... The mouth pieces used in the show remind me of the scold's bridle or iron bit torture devices

[ciaranmcsavvy]

Great break down, Personally I'd have much preferred the book collar and leash over what we saw at the end of Season 1 for a few reasons. I think the scariest thing about the Damane in the books is the psychological torture and the resulting stockholm syndrome that's embedded in them, I don't know that you can do that as well with them gagged, we need to hear Damane voices through various stages in their training, Seanchan Damane vs captured Aes Sedai. I think the symbolism of the leash would play far better for how the Seanchan view channelers. There's also numerous instances in the books of women being collared unawares and I can't see how that would be possible with the size of the collars on the show Damane.

[shamancarmichael]

Nicely done! So much wasn't explained in Season 1, these will help a lot of viewers! More please!

[stephaniespain]

New to the series so thank you for helping to clear this up. I’ve really enjoyed your videos since starting WOT. Thank you!

[craigkirich]

You're doing a great job laying out back history. The detail of "everything" in the books could never be represented on screen. The show would need 20 years to get half way through. Trying to explain background to those who haven't read the books is near impossible IMO. The one thing that may help a little, especially in this video would be to "pointer" the map to give a better feel of the worlds complexity. Keep up the great work!

[RachaelTheFirboldDruid]

I'm currently reading The Great Hunt, just got to chapter 2 today. And I can not wait to see these guys in action both in the books and on the show.

[fedonciadale]

Excited to see the Seanchan next season. I love to hate them. I hope that the show will address some of the problems that were not solved in the books - if they ever reach the story at the end!
Great explanations!

[andrewberenson]

Another explain video. Cool.

I wish you had explained that the women who could channel initially in Seanchan may have called themselves Aes Sedai, but they had no affiliation to the White Tower and Aes Sedai we meet in Season 1. These women were analogous to Shoguns in feudal Japan. Each woman a power in her separate geographical area (perhaps a city and surrounding villages; but probably not an entire kingdom). As I book reader, I know this. Non book readers would not know this.

[CJEdmunds]

Thank for this explanation. Quite helpful. Loving the show so far and the direction it has taken. Catching up on the books too. Light be with You!

[benhuether]

I always saw Tuon as being directly inspired by Emperor Hirohito/Showa of Imperial Japan 🇯🇵, the only Axis leader to remain in power for 64 years without facing the war crimes he committed in WW2. I'm pretty sure Robert Jordan was thinking of UNIT 731 when writing scenes with the Damane and the scene were Rand contemplated destroying the entire Seanchan empire with Balefire is a reference to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

[Valandhir]

I am sorry to have to complain about your video, but you forgot to mention something: when Luthair arrived at the Seanchan continent he found Aes Sedai there, who openly ruled the land, feuded amongst each other and very nothing like the Aes Sedai he knew from home. Those Aes Sedai and their armies, are remembered in Historie as "the Armies of the Night". This is a fact, that becomes interesting, when you compare to the foundation of the White Tower. When the White Tower was founded, the Aes Sedai were fairly ruthless, in culling women "pretending to be Aes Sedai" by that they created a unified form of the aes Sedai in the Westlands, and maybe even prevented from happening what happened in Seanchan: Aes Sedai rulers, and fiefdoms and wars. There is a high likelyhood that Luthair was seen as a bringer of freedom by those supressed under the armies of the night.

[HuMaNiTaRiAn]

Would love to see more of these explainer videos.

[chriszorander]

Only nitpicks, read if interested.
The armies of night weren't actually aes sedai, they were more like feudal warlord style female channelers who were abusive to the general populace. Also there's still Shadowspawn in Seanchan in small numbers, just not trolloc and myrddraal. The Blood aren't actually blood related to the imperial family in any way. The royals are High Blood, but most high blood aren't related to them. Raising commoners to the Low Blood is a reward for great service, so several Low Blood are former commoners. Those ships don't look viking at all, more like east asia I'd say.

[joshshepherd]

Great job! I'm thinking they didn't use collars in the women due to it being viewed badly in our current woke culture. Not trying to say right or wrong, just stating a fact. I'm listening to the books on Audiobook, it is really different then when I read them. Please keep up the good work! And once again, just for one episode, please! Please! Use Thom's song from the show for just one episode and let us vote which we like better!

[joshshepherd]

Also could you do an explanation video on the forsaken maybe cover 1 or 2 an episode, talking about their histories and current situation.

[suepedie]

Well done. Quick & concise. This will be very helpful for new viewers wondering WTH????

[MichaelKloepfer]

I read all these books as they came out....hardcovers are expensive 😁