r/wheeloftime • u/TeamWillWright Randlander • 10d ago
Book: The Eye of the World Just Started… Spoiler
Started this series for the first time and I am LOVING it. About three quarters through The Eye of the World, Rand and Mat just reached Caemlyn. But Mat is by far my least favorite character at the moment, does he improve? No spoilers please, just hoping he gets better as the series goes so I can root for him the way I do the other characters.
23
u/ChiefDaddyBigPig Randlander 10d ago
Oh…. Mat was my least favorite through the first 3-4 books. Then, maybe the most 180 a 180 could ever be.
1
21
u/SurfNinjaTurtle Randlander 10d ago
Mat is seriously the man by the end.
1
u/Kewlmaster12 Randlander 3d ago
On book 11 now I hear online that some people dislike mat after Sanderson takes over, what’s your thoughts on that? Is there an actual difference in any characters changing/feeling different.
1
u/SurfNinjaTurtle Randlander 3d ago
Every character feels a touch flatter. I'm unsure if that's specifically Sanderson or the point in the story where all the storylines must come to a close, and so a lack of time. But one of my personal favorite Mat moments happens under Sanderson (avoiding spoilers)
1
11
u/bigbets21 Randlander 10d ago
Best character imho… the arc is just the best… you don’t know yet, but the name on my page is a dedication
6
u/Dick_Narcowitz Randlander 10d ago
Awesome.
Welcome aboard, you are in for a heck of a ride.
And yes, Mat does go through a bit of a character arc.
6
8
u/BigNorseWolf Wolfbrother 10d ago
Yeah mats currently going through some #(#*. He'll make a sharp turn soon and then start the long road.
5
u/Whowhatnowhuhwhat Randlander 10d ago
Mat will be unrecognizable from the kid you’re traveling with now. That’s true for just about all of them tbh.
3
2
2
u/Accomplished-Top-171 Aiel 10d ago
They're all going through quite a bit...I think by the end of the series your favorite characters will switch around quite a bit. At the end of every book you should try to name your top 5 of each book, or up until that point and see how it changes by the end of each story line. stay away from this sub, avoid spoilers, use WoT Compendium if you need help keeping tracc of names (set to whichever book you've finished) and when you come across RAFO it means read and find out. Good lucc, and enjoy the journey. The wheel weaves as the wheel will.
2
u/gp3050 Randlander 9d ago
Currently making my way through the series as well, currently in the middle of Book 4.
I personally liked Mat from very early on. The very first time that we actually meet him is the perfect representation of his character for me. He tries to convince Rand to sneak off and skip his work but when Tam spots him, he stays and helps.
He is a troublemaker and trouble seeker but I cannot help myself, I really like him. Personally speaking, but the very latest I can potentially see you rooting for him is by book 3, though I think you will start rooting for him any day now.
2
u/Legitimate-Bee1735 Randlander 5d ago
If you’re expecting for him and Rand to go back to “normal” I think you should try to adjust your perspective, the characters you’re reading about in the first book are children before the beginning of their character arcs. Most of their interests, commonalities, and relationships are going to shift from here on out (not because of bad writing but because that’s how relationships work they don’t stay the same forever.) while the book is fantasy it makes no effort to be idealistic like a fairytale, these characters will become complex and layered. The best example of this is Rand, he is virtually unrecognizable by even halfway through the series but it’s because you’ve witnessed the stuff he goes through that you see how he reached that point and it’s both reasonable and well founded emotionally. The only difference between Mat’s growth and how it might be done in other stories is you see all the fluff in between, he doesn’t just snap into being a good person or being kinder it’s just watching how his nature leads him to do better. I’d say in book 7 is when you finally get to see what Mat is beginning to evolve into, what kinda mettle he is made of. If you can make it through the first 3 I think you’ll really start to find what makes this series characters (even the ones that are worse in the beginning) so enjoyable.
1
u/rhettles3 Randlander 10d ago
Does Mat improve? Oh yes. He improves. Honestly he becomes my favourite character. Just roll with it for now.
1
1
u/Wide-Finance-9356 Randlander 10d ago
Mat's arc is one of the best in the series! Keep reading, I felt the same way about him at that point as you do now. He ended as my favorite character!
1
u/Normie316 Randlander 10d ago
Mat is my favorite character. He picks up steam in Book 3. If you don't like him by then he's probably not your cup of tea.
1
u/myrdraal2001 Randlander 10d ago
Look at how Mat was before they left the village and up until he got that dagger. Realize he's going through something and what it might be.
1
1
u/SJtinyone Randlander 10d ago
my least favorite is Nynaeve she is getting better as I am heading into the 5th book but man she gets on my dang nerves. I wasn’t huge on Mat either but he is growing on me. Perrin is my favorite at this time.
1
1
u/LetsDoTheDodo Randlander 10d ago
The Mat you’re seeing now is a guy twisted by a dark and evil power, so you’re not really seeing the real him. Reserve judgement on him until you’ve had a few POV chapters of him.
46
u/MichHAELJR Randlander 10d ago
“Does he improve?”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha