Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time takes place in an ambitious fantasy world that incorporates a lot of hierarchies of power, social structures, and peculiar cultural phenomena into the narrative, and one of these complicated worldbuilding facets involves the Aes Sedai, female channelers of the One Power who influence the course of events from their shining city of Tar Valon to the north.
It takes more than just a few books in the lengthy 12,000-page story to completely break down Aes Sedai and the end goal they serve, but knowing about the seven different Ajahs might give you an inkling of what these powerful sorceresses are about every time they appear in the text. Even The Wheel of Time television adaptation on Prime Video features these different Ajahs and color-codes them in quite a distinctive manner, so knowing them might give you something of an insight into their movements.
Firstly, let’s talk about who the Aes Sedai are.
Who are Aes Sedai in The Wheel of Time?
The magic in The Wheel of Time world involves a source of energy called the One Power. Since male channelers go mad and ultimately die from the taint on their side of the energy source, the prominent group of channelers who have risen to power over millennia are the female channelers, known as Aes Sedai.
Aes Sedai (pronounced EYE-SE-DIE or EYES-SE-DIE and translating to: Servants of All) can tap into the One Power to perform miraculous feats, and that gives them power in the political landscape of the nations. Their seat is the White Tower, which is situated in the city of Tar Valon, and ruled by the Amyrlin Seat.
When potential candidates join the tower, they learn about the One Power as Novices. Upon going through their first trial, Novices become Accepted. After years of training — Novices take one final test and turn into Aes Sedai themselves. The channelers also swear binding oaths upon this final transition, compelling them to never use their powers to harm anyone, unless they’re Shadowspawn.
Lastly, you should know that the Aes Sedai and their Warders belong to seven different Ajahs, each tasked with a unique mission in the world. These are the Blue, Red, Brown, Green, White, Yellow, and Gray Ajahs.
The Blue Ajah
The Blues give up their personal life in pursuit of the greater good, and they work mostly through intrigue and direct intervention. One of the main protagonists in the series — Moiraine Damodred — is a member of the Blue Ajah, and she and his warder, Lan Mandragoran, the uncrowned king of Malkier, are the first to uncover the Dragon Reborn in the current age.
The Green Ajah
The Greens are known as the “Battle Ajah,” and they dedicate their entire life to preparing for the inevitable war between the forces of the Light and the armies of Shadowspawn. The Greens sometimes take several Warders due to this very reason, and they’re not opposed to even marrying them from time to time. They’re the first line of defense when the battle with the Shadow begins, which is why they mostly focus on destructive weaves of the One Power.
The Red Ajah
The Reds believe it’s their sole mission to seek out male channelers and “gentle” them, which is a term used when a person is cut off from the One Power forever. In their effort to neutralize these threats, Reds sometimes end up killing the male channeler, a side effect that has earned them a dangerous reputation. The Reds are fundamentally opposed to bonding a Warder, so when they’re not with their Sisters, they’re usually working alone.
The Yellow Ajah
The Yellows dedicate their lives to healing using the One Power. They pursue the knowledge of medicinal weaves with the ferocity of a scholar. Protecting and caring is all there is to the Yellow Ajah, so it’s no wonder that they end up mentally attracting Nynaeve al’Meara, one of the lead characters, to their ranks.
The Brown Ajah
Besides a brown shawl or even a dress embroidered with layers of brown wool, you can mostly recognize a member of this Ajah by noting the only person in the room who doesn’t seem to be quite there, always distracted by a thought. The Browns are scholars to the marrow of their being, and most of their life is spent pouring over books and scrolls in a dusty library somewhere in the great cities.
The Gray Ajah
A treaty is signed between two enemies, ending a war that had already extended a decade, saving countless lives. You can trace the mediation of such talks to the Gray Ajah, who specialize in diplomacy and negotiation. That’s practically all you need to know about Grays.
The White Ajah
Known as philosophers and great logical thinkers, the White Ajah isn’t all that different from the Brown, but where the latter always finds a new nugget of information, regardless of its nature, fascinating, the Whites try to focus on practical matters and muse on philosophical questions that can end up solving real-world problems.
The Black Ajah (undisclosed)
I know what you’re thinking. If there’s a Black Ajah, it will make eight. However, The Black Ajah isn’t something the Aes Sedai are even willing to acknowledge, despite the fact that they very much exist and influence White Tower politics on a large scale.
The Black Ajah are darkfriends who’ve forsaken the Light and joined the Shadow, working in secret to undermine the Aes Sedai and bring about the other side’s victory. They could be anyone, and from any Ajah, so recognizing them can be a bit of a tricky business.
So, there you have it, folks. That’s all you need to know about Aes Sedai before watching The Wheel of Time. You’d be wise to never forget the old saying; “An Aes Sedai never lies, but the truth she speaks may not be the truth you think you hear.”