Uncategorized
https://blackgirlnerds.com/the-wheel-of-time-all-the-ajahs-explained-even-the-unofficial-one/
The good times keep spinning forward for The Wheel of Time series on Prime Video. WoT Season 2 is being released on September 1, 2023, and Season 3 has already been approved and is finishing up. What better time to dive deeper into the story?
This writer, with a deep appreciation for the books, decided to explain a few things about the world that Robert Jordan’s books have created to better understand the characters and the show.
After the breaking of the world, the women channelers who survived (those who could wield the magical One Power) created the White Tower to serve as a beacon against the chaos of the world’s breaking. The White Tower created seven factions within itself, known as Ajahs, with different purposes.
Going forward, when a woman was discovered who could channel, she would be brought into the tower at the rank of novice. Upon completing sufficient training, novices would be raised to the rank of Accepted. Upon even further and more rigorous training, the Accepted would have to face their final trials and, if successful, would be raised to the full rank of Aes Sedai.
At this point, the new Aes Sedai finally would have to choose a faction color aligned with her personal goals and ambitions that she wants to be a part of for the rest of her life. There are seven Ajahs that are recognized by the White Tower.
So, here are the Ajahs, explained.
Blue Ajah
The Blue Ajah is one of the most recognizable ones in the series. The Blues are involved in causes of social and political world affairs, often referred to as the seekers of justice by some. While many of the other Ajahs are content to remain in the White Tower and focus on inward goals, the Blue Ajah seek to be actively involved in the affairs of the world. If there are wars brewing or trollocs are attacking a city, the Blue network of eyes and ears are quick to let any sister know of the trouble that is occurring and where. Think of them as spies. Their Ajah is ruled as an autocratic system of sisters.
Brown Ajah
The Brown Ajah’s concentrations lie in the acquisition and maintenance of knowledge for the world, sometimes referred to as keepers of the past. They might be better understood as librarians, historians, and natural historians. They don’t deal in the physical sciences or even take on any engineering aspects of knowledge. These sisters are ruled by a council of sisters. There is no one method of system that they follow, so all sisters in this Ajah govern themselves.
Gray Ajah
The Gray Ajah deal with mediation, diplomacy, and negotiation. They are skilled in these areas and make for helpful sisters between the White Tower and other kingdoms. The idea behind this Ajah is to train sisters to be focused on negotiation and on becoming law-focused diplomats.
Green Ajah
The Green Ajah is known by many as the battle warriors. These Aes Sedai train extensively in the use of the One Power as a weapon to change the course of battles and even entire wars. It comes as no surprise that this group of women have a military hierarchy, with a head Captain General. The focus of these sisters is to prepare for Tarmon Gai’don, commonly known as the last battle, the prophesied battle that will decide the fate of the world. These sisters must be ready and trained.
Red Ajah
The Red Ajah have been given a mighty task. They are charged with preventing those who would wrongfully use the One Power. This of course means stopping and, at times, killing the men who can channel, who have been doomed to a fate of eventual madness in order to prevent the world from breaking again. However, this responsibility also allows them to prevent women from abusing the One Power, if it becomes necessary. The head of the Red Ajah is considered by most Reds to be equal to the Amyrlin Seat.
White Ajah
The White Ajah are known as the pursuers of truth and reason. They stay away from dealings with the world and worldly knowledge and instead focus on philosophy. The head of the White Ajah is known as the First Reasoner, and there is no internal structure that guides the sisters.
Yellow Ajah
The Yellow Ajah are known as seekers and studiers of healing. Many who are sick and injured go to these sisters for help to obtain cures that often would be impossible without the help of the One Power. They are among the most skilled when it comes to healing illness.
Amyrlin Seat (The Amyrlin)
While this is not an Ajah, the Amyrlin is selected by the tower of sisters. The Amyrlin is the leader of the Aes Sedai. The Amyrlin Seat is of no Ajah and belongs to all Ajahs. Her main purpose is to protect the sisters and the world from harm and govern them as wisely as possible.
Keeper of the Chronicles (The Keeper)
While not an Ajah itself, the Keeper does come from an established Ajah. She is often known as the second in command in the absence of the Amyrlin Seat.
… Another Ajah
The Black Ajah are not an officially recognized Ajah in the White Tower. Rumors have come out to say that the so-called “Black Ajah” are dark friends and have sisters of all colors of the Ajahs. There is no evidence of this, and the Amyrlin Seat has announced no sister is known to have turned to the dark side. There is no reason to believe these rumors.
The good times keep spinning forward for The Wheel of Time series on Prime Video. WoT Season 2 is being released on September 1, 2023, and Season 3 has already been approved and is finishing up. What better time to dive deeper into the story?
This writer, with a deep appreciation for the books, decided to explain a few things about the world that Robert Jordan’s books have created to better understand the characters and the show.
After the breaking of the world, the women channelers who survived (those who could wield the magical One Power) created the White Tower to serve as a beacon against the chaos of the world’s breaking. The White Tower created seven factions within itself, known as Ajahs, with different purposes.
Going forward, when a woman was discovered who could channel, she would be brought into the tower at the rank of novice. Upon completing sufficient training, novices would be raised to the rank of Accepted. Upon even further and more rigorous training, the Accepted would have to face their final trials and, if successful, would be raised to the full rank of Aes Sedai.
At this point, the new Aes Sedai finally would have to choose a faction color aligned with her personal goals and ambitions that she wants to be a part of for the rest of her life. There are seven Ajahs that are recognized by the White Tower.
So, here are the Ajahs, explained.
Blue Ajah
The Blue Ajah is one of the most recognizable ones in the series. The Blues are involved in causes of social and political world affairs, often referred to as the seekers of justice by some. While many of the other Ajahs are content to remain in the White Tower and focus on inward goals, the Blue Ajah seek to be actively involved in the affairs of the world. If there are wars brewing or trollocs are attacking a city, the Blue network of eyes and ears are quick to let any sister know of the trouble that is occurring and where. Think of them as spies. Their Ajah is ruled as an autocratic system of sisters.
Brown Ajah
The Brown Ajah’s concentrations lie in the acquisition and maintenance of knowledge for the world, sometimes referred to as keepers of the past. They might be better understood as librarians, historians, and natural historians. They don’t deal in the physical sciences or even take on any engineering aspects of knowledge. These sisters are ruled by a council of sisters. There is no one method of system that they follow, so all sisters in this Ajah govern themselves.
Gray Ajah
The Gray Ajah deal with mediation, diplomacy, and negotiation. They are skilled in these areas and make for helpful sisters between the White Tower and other kingdoms. The idea behind this Ajah is to train sisters to be focused on negotiation and on becoming law-focused diplomats.
Green Ajah
The Green Ajah is known by many as the battle warriors. These Aes Sedai train extensively in the use of the One Power as a weapon to change the course of battles and even entire wars. It comes as no surprise that this group of women have a military hierarchy, with a head Captain General. The focus of these sisters is to prepare for Tarmon Gai’don, commonly known as the last battle, the prophesied battle that will decide the fate of the world. These sisters must be ready and trained.
Red Ajah
The Red Ajah have been given a mighty task. They are charged with preventing those who would wrongfully use the One Power. This of course means stopping and, at times, killing the men who can channel, who have been doomed to a fate of eventual madness in order to prevent the world from breaking again. However, this responsibility also allows them to prevent women from abusing the One Power, if it becomes necessary. The head of the Red Ajah is considered by most Reds to be equal to the Amyrlin Seat.
White Ajah
The White Ajah are known as the pursuers of truth and reason. They stay away from dealings with the world and worldly knowledge and instead focus on philosophy. The head of the White Ajah is known as the First Reasoner, and there is no internal structure that guides the sisters.
Yellow Ajah
The Yellow Ajah are known as seekers and studiers of healing. Many who are sick and injured go to these sisters for help to obtain cures that often would be impossible without the help of the One Power. They are among the most skilled when it comes to healing illness.
Amyrlin Seat (The Amyrlin)
While this is not an Ajah, the Amyrlin is selected by the tower of sisters. The Amyrlin is the leader of the Aes Sedai. The Amyrlin Seat is of no Ajah and belongs to all Ajahs. Her main purpose is to protect the sisters and the world from harm and govern them as wisely as possible.
Keeper of the Chronicles (The Keeper)
While not an Ajah itself, the Keeper does come from an established Ajah. She is often known as the second in command in the absence of the Amyrlin Seat.
… Another Ajah
The Black Ajah are not an officially recognized Ajah in the White Tower. Rumors have come out to say that the so-called “Black Ajah” are dark friends and have sisters of all colors of the Ajahs. There is no evidence of this, and the Amyrlin Seat has announced no sister is known to have turned to the dark side. There is no reason to believe these rumors.
The Star Trek franchise is currently flourishing on Paramount+, with shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. But Paramount+ recently canceled one of the very best Treks, the animated Star Trek: Prodigy, after only one season. Even with its second season almost completed. They even unceremoniously pulled the Prodigy season off the streamer in a cost-cutting move, much to the anger of Trek fandom. Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, those fans are making their voices heard. Via a plane flying a “Save Star Trek: Prodigy” banner near the offices of every major streaming service.
All of this began when Star Trek fans galvanized and gathered 33,000 signatures in a petition on Change.org, along with raising money via GoFundMe. From there, loyal Trekkers contracted a plane to fly a “Save Star Trek Prodigy” banner over the Los Angeles offices Amazon, Hulu, and Apple. But most notably, they circled for ten minutes over the Netflix offices on Sunset Blvd. Given that before Paramount+ became the sole home of the franchise, it was found on Netflix for many years. So that streamer makes the most sense to become Star Trek: Prodigy’s new home. Certainly, the crew of the Protostar and Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) deserve another shot.
Co-showrunners Dan and Kevin Hageman took to social media to thank the fans for their support. Fans also joined co-executive producer Aaron Waltke and actress Bonnie Gordon outside Netflix. Truth is, the entire reason we have Star Trek as a franchise today is because of fan efforts. When cancellation loomed for the original Star Trek in its second season in 1968, fans sent thousands of letters to NBC. They guaranteed the series a third season, which gave it enough episodes for syndication. And that’s where Star Trek really took off in pop culture. So these fan efforts are not in vain. In the meantime, fans who want to watch the first season of Prodigy can purchase a Blu-ray of the series, which arrives on September 26.
The post “Save STAR TREK: PRODIGY” Banner Flies Above Netflix and Other Streamer’s Offices appeared first on Nerdist.
In the first two episodes of Star Wars: Ahsoka, we’re introduced to a new dark side Force user, a shrouded mercenary named Marrok. Given Marrok’s clothing and style of lightsaber, the suggestion from the show’s creators is that Marrok is a former Inquisitor. But it is our theory that this Marrok is also former Jedi Barriss Offee. The reasons for this are many. For starters, Barriss Offee has a long history with Ahsoka during the Clone Wars. But she also betrayed Ahsoka towards the end of that conflict, leading to a chain of events that caused Ahsoka to leave the Jedi Order for good. But first, a little explanation of just who Barriss Offee is, and her Star Wars history.
Who Is Star Wars’ Barriss Offee?
The character of Barris Offee was not created for animation, but actually debuted in live-action. Blink and you’ll miss her, but you can see Barriss (Nalini Krishan) in the battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones, igniting her blue lightsaber. George Lucas and Dave Filoni later brought her back in season two of The Clone Wars, voiced by Meredith Salenger. Ahsoka and Barriss were Padawans at the same time, and survived a harrowing ordeal together on the planet Geonosis. These events, which occurred during The Clone Wars season two were a significant milestone in both of their young lives.
But in season five of The Clone Wars, Barriss betrayed Ahsoka, and framed her for a crime she did not commit. Barriss became disillusioned with the Jedi’s role in the ongoing wars. She believed leading an army into battle was a betrayal of their principles. The Jedi’s role was as keepers of the peace, not soldiers. She succumbed to the dark side, and organized a bombing at the Jedi temple. This attack killed civilians and Jedi both. She then murdered the woman who helped her execute it. Barriss framed Ahsoka for this act, which led her to go on the run when the Jedi Order didn’t believe her innocence.
Ahsoka’s master, Anakin Skywalker, ultimately discovered that Barriss was the true culprit behind the attack. So he confronted her in a fierce lightsaber duel. Barriss, by tapping into the dark side, held her own against the Chosen One, but he ultimately defeated her. Ahsoka eventually proved her innocence, but left the Jedi Order without completing her training, betrayed by their lack of trust in her. Barriss admitted her guilt in front of the Republic Senate, and they presumably sent her to prison. Meaning, they incarcerated her when Order 66 went down. But did she die? Or did the Empire find another use for her, as they did with other Jedi who had dark side inclinations?
Why Barriss Offee Makes Sense as Ahsoka’s Marrok
So what happened to Barriss Offee after the Clone Wars? As we learned in both Star Wars Rebels and in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Empire took certain Jedi younglings and other survivors, and tortured and brainwashed them into becoming Inquisitors. The role of the Inquisitors was to hunt down and kill any remaining Jedi who survived Order 66. Barriss, who already hated the Jedi for what she perceived was their betrayal of the Republic, would have been a perfect candidate. And since she actually held her own against Anakin Skywalker in battle, Darth Vader might have seen her as an ideal choice to be an Inquisitor. By the time of A New Hope, the Inquisitors seemed extinct. But there’s nothing stating for certain that none survived the Galactic Civil War.
Dave Filoni Said Barriss’ Story Is Not Over
There is another reason we believe this Marrok is likely Barriss. This was due to a comment that Dave Filoni made about her back in 2015 at Star Wars Celebration. The character was originally supposed to kill herself at the end of that arc, but Filoni changed his mind. He said “I had plans for Barriss, and still do… Do [Ahsoka and Barriss] ever meet again? That’s a great question. It would make a great story, but not a story we’ll tell today.” He never told that story in Rebels. Wouldn’t Ahsoka be the perfect place to finally show the Barriss and Ahsoka reunion/confrontation?
If there’s one thing suggesting Marrok is not Barriss, it’s that the character is played by male performer Paul Darnell. But that could easily be a misdirect, so we don’t suspect that Merrok is a woman under that helmet. Remember when Black Widow had a man play Taskmaster for all the masked scenes, but in the reveal was actually a woman, played by Olga Kurylenko? We foresee something similar here. The confrontation between Barriss and Ahsoka is a long time coming, and we hope Star Wars: Ahsoka delivers on this plot twist.
The post Who Is AHSOKA’S Dark Side Warrior, Marrok? appeared first on Nerdist.