Demandred

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Demandred (pronounced deh-MAN-drehd [1])is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. He is one of the Forsaken.

"Almost" is the story of Barid Bel Medar's life. He was born one day after Lews Therin Telamon, almost his age. He was almost handsome, other than his hawk nose. He was the second most acclaimed man of the Age of Legends, holding high offices and writing books, not quite as successful as Lews Therin. For this reason he hated Lews with every ounce of his soul, more so than Sammael, thinking him a lucky fool. He also once desired Ilyena.

Barid Bel Medar turned out to be a great general for the Light, a gambler he played the odds with strategic vision and tactical flare, which risks on the battlefield paid off. When Lews Therin Telamon became Commander of the forces of the Light, Demandred could no longer contain his hatred. He turned to the Shadow in the third year of the War of Power, becoming one of the Dark One's best generals.

Since escaping from the seal, he has been scheming with Mesaana and Semirhage. Other than ordering the death of Rand al'Thor at least once, his plans have yet to be revealed. A favorite theory among readers was that he disguises himself as Mazrim Taim, leader of the Black Tower. The theory intuitively fits: Taim knows weaves of the One Power that Rand does not; Taim is scornful of modern Aes Sedai (something all Forsaken are open about); both Demandred and Taim are second fiddle, are almost, to Rand; and both have been seen to scheme against him. However, author Robert Jordan has assured his fans that Demandred is not masquerading as Taim. This is supported by the fact that in Winter's Heart, while Rand and Nynaeve are cleansing saidin, Demandred and Damer Flinn (One of Taim's first Black Tower recruits) battle each other without recognizing each other. As of the series' final novel, A Memory of Light, he is the only Forsaken whose whereabouts and cover identity are totally unknown.