Fade

A **Fade**, sometimes called a **Myrddraal** or the **Eyeless**, is an intelligent and dangerous type of Shadowspawn. Fades lead armies of Trollocs and can travel through shadows.

## Overview

Fades lead the Dark One's armies of Trollocs. Fades can also travel quietly between shadows and are skilled swordfighters.

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> They are known by many names across the land, yet these creatures strike fear in equal measure no matter where you may encounter them. Lightning quick, ferociously strong, and murderously cunning. They wield blades forged at Thakan'dar, so deadly even a scratch can take a life — with only an Aes Sedai capable of preventing death. To gaze upon their face is to know true fear.
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Fades are often tied to large hordes of Trollocs as a leader for the more animalistic types of Shadowspawn. They have the ability to command Trollocs to obey their orders.

## Appearance

Fades have pale white skin. Where their eyes would be is covered with smooth skin. They have rows of needle teeth. Fades wear all black clothes with large hoods that conceal their faces to hide what they are from onlookers. They each carry a Thakan’dar-forged sword.

## History

### Season 1

A Fade on horseback investigates the Two Rivers the night before the Trolloc attack. The next morning, Lan Mandragoran suspects there's a Fade nearby and investigates. That evening he informs Moiraine that there's a Fade with dozens of Trollocs with it, and he advises her that they need to leave. After Moiraine and Lan leave the Two Rivers with Egwene al'Vere, Perrin Aybara, Rand al'Thor, and Mat Cauthon, a Fade pursues them with an army of Trollocs. They are setback at the Taren Ferry crossing of the Taren River, which the Trollocs will not cross. The Trollocs eventually catch up, and one night Egwene wakes and sees a Fade watching them from a distance. With Moiraine unconscious from Trolloc poison, Lan leads the group into Shadar Logoth where the Trollocs will not follow them.

In Breen's Spring, the darkfriend Dana tells Rand and Mat that she's called a Fade to get them. The Fade later catches up to Rand and Mat at the Grinwell Farm. Thom Merrilin tells the boys to run while he fights it, and the boys get away.

When the Dark One sends armies to Tarwin's Gap, Lord Yakota reports that their men have spotted at least sixty Fades, estimating that this means there must be 5,000 to 10,000 Trollocs with them. During the attack, two Fades accompany Padan Fain into the palace and help steal the Horn of Valere.

### Season 2

Moiraine learns that Fades have been following Bayle Domon, although he doesn't realize what they are. Moiraine advises him to take his ship out to sea and sail as far as he can. Moiraine tries to leave that night but is attacked by Fades. She injures or kills one, and she is injured by another. Lan arrives and beheads one, but he is injured by two more. Adeleas, Verin, and Tomas arrive, and they kill one with the One Power, and Tomas uses a blade enhanced with weaves of fire to fill another.

While tracking Padan Fain and the Horn of Valere, the Shienarans find a Fade nailed to a door. It's unclear who or what could have done this to a Fade.

Rand and Selene stay at a cabin on Kinslayer's Dagger to get away together for a while. Rand wakes in the night, and Selene alerts him to a Fade about to attack him. Rand fights it with his sword but the Fade disarms him, so he channels fire and kills it.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Enhanced speed:** Fades have above-average human speed.
* **Enhanced strength:** Fades have above-average human strength.
* **Swordfighting:** Fades are skilled swordfighters.
* **Trolloc leaders:** Fades lead armies of Trollocs in battle and in pursuit of a target. A Fade can force a Trolloc to do most things with some limitations, such as crossing a deep river or entering Shadar Logoth. A single Fade can presumably lead up to about 150 Trollocs.
* **Vision:** Despite being eyeless, Fades have a visual perception of the world around them. A Fade's 'gaze' causes an autonomic fear response in whoever they're looking at.
* **Shadow walking:** Fades can travel from one area of darkness to another.

## Weaknesses

* ***Steddings***: Fades will not enter an Ogier *stedding*.
* **Beheading:** Beheading a Fade will kill it.
* **Channelers:** Fades can be killed with the One Power.
* **Head injury:** It's unconfirmed if a head injury will kill it, but it will at least injure it.

## Blades

These black-bladed swords, wielded by Fades, are forged at Thakan’dar. The final step in the forging of a blade involves the execution of a living human. Even small scratches from these tainted weapons usually prove to be lethal, unless the wound can be healed by an Aes Sedai.

## Quotes

> **Rand**We're gonna leave now.**Dana**Are you? I called one of them. It's already on its way.**Mat**What?**Rand**One of what?**Mat**One of what?**Dana**One of the Eyeless. And you can't outrun a Fade.— Season 1 episode 3 *A Place of Safety*

## Gallery

### Promotional stills

Episode 101: Fade on horsebackEpisode 102: A Fade with its mouth wide open, showing rows of needle teethEpisode 102: A Fade leading Trollocs at Taren FerryEpisode 108: Padan Fain and two Fades attack in the Fal Dara palace throne room
### Behind the scenes

Episode 101 behind the scenes: Fade on horsebackEpisode 101 behind the scenes: Fade on horsebackEpisode 201 behind the scenes: A Fade raises its sword to kill Moiraine, and behind it Lan leaps to attack
### Other official images

Season 1 poster with a Fade (top center)Season 1 poster with a Fade on horseback (top center)The season 1 poster re-done for The Wheel Of Time Virtual WorldA Fade representing the Shadowspawn in The Wheel Of Time Virtual WorldOfficial Fade emoji used for hashtags on Twitter, first released on October 26, 2021.A thumbnail card featuring a Fade, used in the Prime Video app to select *The Wheel of Time*
## Changes from the book series

Fades are based on the creatures of the same name  (*book spoilers!*) from the book series.

* Appearance - In the books, the Fades presumably have human-like teeth and noses, with only their eyes missing. In the TV series, the appearance of the Fades is more inhuman, with rows or many thin needle-like teeth, and with less-defined noses.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 1: *Leavetaking*.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Official summary from Amazon Prime Video
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 2: *Shadow's Waiting*.
4. ↑ *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 3: *A Place of Safety*.
5. ↑ *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 4: *The Dragon Reborn*.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 *The Wheel of Time*, season 1 episode 8: *The Eye of the World*.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 *The Wheel of Time*, season 2 episode 1: *A Taste of Solitude*.
8. ↑ *The Wheel of Time*, season 2 episode 2: *Strangers and Friends*.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 *The Wheel of Time*, season 2 episode 4: *Daughter of the Night*.
10. ↑ In episode 108, Lord Yakota reports there are "at least 60 Fades," and estimates up to 10,000 Trollocs with them. This averages to about 167 Trollocs per Fade if there are just 60, but there are more than 60; so rounding to about 150 Trollocs per Fade.
11. ↑ *The Wheel of Time Origins*, episode 6: *An Ogier's Longing*.
12. ↑ In episode 201, Moiraine stabs a Fade up through it's jaw with a dagger, which at least injures it. The Fade might have gotten away or returned to the fight, because Verin says there were three Fades after Moiraine, instead of four.
13. ↑ As written by Prime Video in their artifacts hub.