Perrin Aybara

**Perrin Aybara** is one of the main characters in *The Wheel of Time*, portrayed by Marcus Rutherford.

Perrin and his wife Laila are the blacksmiths of Emond's Field.

## History

### Early life

Perrin was born in the Two Rivers to Con and Joslyn Aybara, and is their eldest son. He has been close friends with Rand al'Thor and Mat Cauthon since childhood, and has also known Egwene al'Vere and Nynaeve al'Meara for a very long time. Growing up, Perrin showed an aptitude for the hard, yet careful labor of blacksmithing.

Perrin married his childhood sweetheart, Laila Dearn, proposing to her on the same day that Rand got together with Egwene. After they were wed, the couple took over as the blacksmiths for the Two Rivers.

## Activities

### Season 1

Perrin comes to the Winespring Inn on Winternight, where he plays a game of dice with Rand, Mat, and Danya. In the evening, he approaches Rand about Egwene's ceremony in being initiated to the Women's Circle, but he is unsure how to approach her. When two strangers enter the inn, Lan Mandragoran and the Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred, Perrin falls silent with the others. Nynaeve approaches Perrin and Rand, telling the former he ought to check on Laila. Perrin returns home to find Laila working hard, surprised she did not go to Egwene's ceremony, and holds her close, telling her that he loves her.

On Bel Tine, Perrin and Rand give some money to Rand to buy lanterns for his sisters, and he reluctantly accepts. He lights a lantern with Laila, and dances with her outside the Winespring Inn, when Trollocs begin to attack. Perrin and Laila return home and give shelter to others, and battle several Trollocs. Perrin manages to hack away at a Trolloc, and hears danger approaching from behind. When he strikes out, he realizes that he has accidentally attacked Laila instead of the Trollocs, and he stays with her as she bleeds to death. Perrin lays her out with the other dead in front of the inn, and is quietly comforted by Mat. It is believed that Laila has been directly killed by the Trollocs. With Nynaeve believed dead in the attack, Moiraine gathers the four remaining friends, and instructs them to come with her, warning them that if they do not, another great army of Shadowspawn will overwhelm the Two Rivers. Perrin and the others mount up, and leave Emond's Field for the White Tower. The party makes it to Taren Ferry and is able to make it across before Shadowspawn can catch up, though the ferryman drowns, fearing for the life of his son in town.

While on the road to Whitebridge, Perrin begins to develop an usually close relationship with wolves on the road. The animals approach Perrin and lick his wounds clean on the journey. As the group camps, Perrin cannot bring himself to truly admit the pain he feels over Laila's death. At night, Perrin receives strange dreams concerning a man with "eyes like embers", similar to his friends. The group also encounters a party of the Children of the Light, where Eamon Valda briefly interrogates Moiraine in his capacity as a Questioner, making sure to remember the faces of all in the party, though for the time being they are able to avoid suspicion. On the road, the four from the Two Rivers sing an old song, and Moiraine informs them of the ancient history of their home, when it was once a great nation known as Manetheren. At night, Shadowspawn begin to approach, but Moiraine does not wake because of her own injury, and Lan takes everyone into the ruined city of Shadar Logoth, where not even Shadowspawn will enter, and the Warder explains the fall of Aridhol to the group. Inside an abandoned building, Mat gives Perrin a dagger that Laila made, comforting him about his grief, and Perrin also tries to alleviate Mat's anxieties about what will happen to his sisters now he has left the Two Rivers. The group is separated when Mashadar encroaches on the city, and Perrin and Egwene are separated from the others, and are forced to jump from the city walls into the moat below after being completely surrounded by the lethal shadows.

Unable to find the others, Perrin and Egwene are forced past the northern borders of Andor due to the pursuit of wolves behind them, and eventually reach the Caralain Grass. They make camp under what little shelter they can find, and Perrin is plagued by a dream where he sees Laila's corpse, telling him that she "knows", and also sees the strange man with ember eyes once more. After he awakes, Perrin and Egwene journey on, with the wolves ending their pursuit after some time. They come across wagon tracks, and encounter a group of friendly *Tuatha'an*, who offer shelter to the pair. Perrin and Egwene grow close to the family of Aram, Ila, and Raen. Perrin learns about the pacifist philosophy of the Way of the Leaf from Ila, who manages to ascertain his guilt, and explains all forms of violence can only bring harm. When they make camp, Perrin helps the *Tuatha'an* make tools for their wagons, and asks Ila about the Way of the Leaf once more, and learns about her hope that nonviolent ways will spread across the world given enough time, and how she believes that peace is the ultimate form of vengeance towards those who perpetuate violence.

The group progresses to Tar Valon over the following month, and Perrin and Egwene become friends with Aram. When they are in sight of the White Tower, they are stopped by Eamon Valda, who wishes to question others about the False Dragon. The Tinkers refuse to give up the two outsiders, and Aram begins to lead them to a friendly village, but he is knocked unconscious and Perrin and Egwene are captured. Valda has Perrin brought to a tent bound and gagged while he interrogates Egwene, accusing her of being an Aes Sedai and Perrin of being her Warder. When Egwene denies his accusations, Valda begins to torture Perrin, cutting at his back with his blade, and Perrin's eyes begin to turn golden during the encounter. Valda gives the group an ultimatum, that Egwene can channel or die, or not channel and Perrin will die instead. After leaving the two alone, Perrin volunteers to die, and confesses how he killed Laila back in the Two Rivers, but Egwene tells him that it was simply a horrible accident. When Valda returns, Egwene chooses to channel, only summoning a small spark at first, but also beginning to break Perrin free of his bonds. Perrin approaches the Questioner in a rage enhanced by his mysterious abilities, giving Egwene the opportunity to stab Valda in the clavicle. When the pair flee, they find that the other Whitecloaks at camp have been mauled by a pack of wolves, who nevertheless let Perrin and Egwene go free.

Perrin and Egwene make it to Tar Valon after all their other friends and allies, and are brought to a safe location in the city where Perrin's physical wounds can be Healed by Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah, though he still suffers trauma from the encounter with the Whitecloaks. Perrin is resting when the group is finally found by Moiraine. The Aes Sedai is shocked to learn of Perrin's wolf-like abilities from Egwene, though does not confirm that it means he is the Dragon. After healing, the group is later brought to a Waygate outside Tar Valon, where Perrin reunites with Rand and Mat, discovers that Nynaeve is alive and has joined the group, and properly meets Loial for the first time.

Moiraine explains that the group must use the Ways to reach the Eye of the World as soon as possible to prevent the Dark One's victory, and Perrin follows her with the others, but Mat is left behind when the Waygate closes. The four others from the Two Rivers are shocked, but agree to press on, and Perrin's enhanced sight allows him to spot the Guiding Stone up ahead. The group makes camp for a while, but a Trolloc sighting forces Egwene (and Rand, unbeknownst to the others) to use the One Power to defeat it, attracting Machin Shin to them at once. Realizing that Shadowspawn have begun to navigate the Ways, the group rushes to the Fal Dara Waygate as soon as they can, but the Black Wind catches up to the party before they can exit the Ways. The entity tells Perrin that he wanted Laila dead, as he loved another woman more than his wife, but Nynaeve manages to hold off the swarm long enough for Moiraine to open the Waygate via channeling, and they arrive outside the Shienaran fortress-city of Fal Dara.

In the city, the party is welcomed by Lord Agelmar Jagad and his sister, Lady Amalisa, but Moiraine wants to bring them back into town after their welcome. Perrin spots Padan Fain in the streets, though Nynaeve tells him that Padan Fain died on Bel Tine. Moiraine takes the four friends to a bar, where Nynaeve notes that she is speaking to the barkeep, Min, for an unusually long amount of time. When they return to the keep, Moiraine confesses that Min has the ability to see glimpses of the Pattern, but was unable to tell her who the Dragon was. She thus tells them that she must bring all four to the Eye of the World, knowing that three will die. When she leaves, the group debates their course of action, and Perrin steps in after Rand and Egwene's argument turns personal. Rand bitterly accuses Perrin of having secretly loved Egwene, but Perrin firmly states that he only ever loved his wife, before Rand leaves. By morning, Perrin, Egwene, Nynaeve, and Lan realize that Rand has gone, and Lan informs him that Moiraine has masked their bond. They deduce that Rand must be the Dragon, and has gone into the Blight with Moiraine. Perrin comforts a distraught Egwene in their rooms, telling her that he loves and deeply cares for Rand.

The remaining Two Rivers friends and Loial go to Min's bar later that morning, demanding answers about Rand, but Min says she cannot share his secrets with the others. At that moment, bells begin to ring and warn the city of an impending Shadowspawn attack. Back at the keep, Perrin begins to bemoan how he cannot help, and expresses his doubt for the Way of the Leaf and having to watch his friends suffer, but Loial reassures him there are ways he can help other than violence. Perrin comes to the throne room, and helps Lord Yakota and Uno Nomesta unearth the buried Horn of Valere, which is destined to be blown at the Last Battle to call the Pattern's greatest heroes. However, Perrin returns to find that Padan Fain has infiltrated the keep, and has stabbed Loial, Uno, and Yakota with a dagger, and has stolen the Horn. Fain confesses to being a Darkfriend, and explains that he only came to the Two Rivers every year as Perrin and all four of his friends were *ta'veren*. Perrin moves to take an ax, but Fain claims that doing so is "[choosing] the Dark." With many Shadowspawn accompanying Fain, he is able to flee the keep and take the Horn of Valere.

### Season 2

Perrin and his friends believed Rand died at the Eye of the World. Egwene and Nynaeve returned to Tar Valon to enrol as novices, while Moiraine and Lan left for Tifan's Well. Meanwhile, Perrin joined up with Ingtar Shinowa, who started leading a party searching for Fain. Loial and Uno recovered from the attack, and also joined Ingtar's party.

Perrin is writing a letter to Egwene and Nynaeve when Loial approaches him, and they discuss losing Rand and the unknown whereabouts of Mat. Ingtar's party soon goes to meet a new tracker, Elyas Machera, who is known to have "sniffer" abilities. As the group reaches a the wreckage of a *Tuatha'an* caravan that was attacked by Darkfriends, Perrin is able to physically sense what happened. After finding the bodies, the group proceeds to bury them. Perrin asks Lord Ingtar how he cannot want revenge against a Shienaran Darkfriend they found amongst the dead, talking about how angry he has become due to Fain's betrayal. He says he does not know if he can control his rage, but Ingtar asks him to consider Fain may have had a reason to do what he did. He also celebrates Bel Tine alone in Arad Doman, fashioning a lantern as he mourns Laila and Rand.

## Personality

Perrin is a gentle giant, and to those closest to him, he is a man of strength and stability who approaches every decision with thoughtful consideration.

## Relationships

### Laila Dearn

Perrin loves and cares for his wife, and is extremely shocked when he accidentally kills her during the battle with Trollocs on Bel Tine. Following her death, Perrin feels an immense sense of guilt for his actions. While he begins to work through his emotions when he and Egwene are captured by the Whitecloaks, Mashadar is able to make him feel guilty once more for her death.

## Physical appearance

Perrin is a young man with dark skin and short, coiled hair. His eyes are usually dark brown, though they turn gold when he expresses his strange ability that allows him to connect with wolves.

## Abilities

Perrin has a rare and unusual connection with wolves, which turns his eyes gold and allows him to enter a feral state of unleashed strength. This appears to increase his eyesight, as well as his general perceptiveness. This is recognized as a distinct ability by Moiraine Damodred, but she is shocked to discover such a thing, and asks Egwene to tell no one about it. Perrin is also *ta'veren*, and is a focal point of the Wheel of Time.

## Appearances

Perrin appears in the following episodes:

## Trivia

* Rafe Judkins considered Perrin to be one of the hardest character to write for during Season 1, as his internal monologue is a very important part of the book series.

## Changes from the book series

Perrin is an adaptation of the character of the same name  (*book spoilers!*) from the book series.

* Background: Unlike in the novels, Perrin is married to Laila Dearn. In the book series, he starts the series unmarried, though was infatuated with Laila when he is younger. He does not suffer loss on Winternight or Bel Tine, though he does deal with heavy grief later in the book series. He is also not a full blacksmith, but is still apprenticed under Haral Luhhan  (*book spoilers!*).

### Promotional images

Perrin at the forge, November 10, 2021Perrin, *Nerdist*, November 9, 2021Perrin and wolves, November 10, 2021
## Navigation

Padan Fain •
Liandrin Guirale •
Alanna Mosvani •
Logain Ablar •
Maksim •
Ihvon •
Min Farshaw •
Loial •
Siuan Sanche •
Leane Sharif •
Ishamael •
Verin Mathwin •
Selene •
Anvaere Damodred •
Dain Bornhald •
Aviendha •
Gitara Moroso •
Moghedien •
Season 1 characters •
Season 2 characters •
***see all***

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 7: *The Dark Along the Ways*.
2. ↑ Official X-Ray for Prime Video: *The Wheel of Time*, under the "Characters" section (login required), section labeled "Perrin Aybara". Retrieved November 19, 2021.
3. ↑ *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 1: *Leavetaking*.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 2: *Shadow's Waiting*.
5. ↑ *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 3: *A Place of Safety*.
6. ↑ *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 4: *The Dragon Reborn*.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 5: *Blood Calls Blood*.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 6: *The Flame of Tar Valon*.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 8: *The Eye of the World*.
10. ↑ *The Wheel of Time*, season 2 episode 1: *A Taste of Solitude*.
11. ↑ Who is the Dragon Reborn? From Prime Video's official page for *The Wheel of Time*.
12. ↑ On the character who’s been hardest to adapt...