Protagonists more powerful than Rand

[TypicalShard]

Lindon from the Cradle series is more powerful but Rand's power varies depending on which version of him you use. For instance, end of series Rand is heavily implied to no longer be Ta'veren, so he'd no longer have probability manipulation, and cannot touch any of the powers. Which means he probably cant use weaves like Balefire. Not to mention that his one feat of lighting a pipe by bending reality is so incredibly vague as to be meaningless when discussing his power. 

If we're allowed side characters than any Judge for the Willverse would crush Rand instantly. 

Edited October 24, 2024 by TypicalShard

[aneonfoxtribute]

Depending on how his power would interact with being hit by Balefire, Natsuki Subaru from ReZero. No he can't beat Rand in a fight, but that doesn't matter when you effectively get infinity lives. Subaru's ability is as follows: When he dies, he gets sent back in time to basically a checkpoint. He is the only one who knows what happened. This allows him to learn literally anything and everything he could want to know just through repeated trial and error. And when Subaru snaps, he SNAPS!

There's a what-if story (it's entirely non-canon so no spoilers here, but I'll tag anyway)

Spoiler

where the Subaru literally ruins the life of the strongest living man in the world by looping so many times that he just knows everything, and despite being unable to defeat him in a straight up battle, he instead destroys everything that strongest man swore to protect. He loops way more times than he does in the main series, for the sole purpose of causing as much chaos and destruction as he can for the sake of his own ego. When Subaru's portrayed as a villain, he's a TERRIFYING threat

 

[SPECTRE120]

Chuck Norris.

[Use the Falchion]

Wei Shi Lindon from Cradle could beat Rand, at least by the end of in Book 8, Wintersteel. (Lindon could arguably beat Rand starting from Book 5, Ghostwater, but not consistently before that.) Yerin would beat Rand starting from Book 3, Blackflame, so long as she can get a solid hit in. Eithan would start the series being able to beat Rand. 

[ThroughTheLivingIlliterate He/Him]

On 4/19/2024 at 7:04 PM, WhyEverNot_8 said:

Keras Selyrian. His magic (which stems from his sword) literally annihilates anything it hits. When he hits something it’s simply… gone, no dust, no blood, nothing. I don’t think he’s a god? (It hasn’t been revealed yet)

Sounds a lot like balefire doesn't it. Except you don't have to get as close for balefire to work.

[Argenti he/him]

On 5/28/2025 at 2:58 PM, IlliterateDragon said:

Sounds a lot like balefire doesn't it. Except you don't have to get as close for balefire to work.

I mean there are ways around balefire. If you can warp space, you can dodge it. Perrin does so in the dream world.

[WhyEverNot_8 he/him]

On 5/28/2025 at 1:58 PM, IlliterateDragon said:

Sounds a lot like balefire doesn't it. Except you don't have to get as close for balefire to work.

It does, except that balefire goes in a straight line and Keras can make his an AOE. Also he can make chain explosions that can theoretically chain forever.

[aetherbound he/him]

stick.

[ThroughTheLivingIlliterate He/Him]

On 6/21/2025 at 4:51 PM, aetherbound said:

stick.

But if the stick never existed to claim he was a stick, would he be able to resist the change. Also at that point he would have to change to become a stick again. Quite the paradox.

[Beholder He/him]

Personally I think that, say in a swordfighting setting, Galad and maybe Lan could probably take Rand with no Saidin

[NameIess]

On 6/27/2026 at 10:15 AM, Beholder said:

Personally I think that, say in a swordfighting setting, Galad and maybe Lan could probably take Rand with no Saidin

Galad and maybe Lan? Lan is a superior swordsman to Galad.

[Beholder He/him]

31 minutes ago, NameIess said:

Galad and maybe Lan? Lan is a superior swordsman to Galad.

(Forgot to mention in post) But Gawyn trumps both. That scene in ToM

Quote

Where he kills three Bloodknives in fighting together.

But what I meant is that Rand has actually beaten Lan before in a fight I think book 2 with the training.

[NameIess]

Just now, Beholder said:

(Forgot to mention in post) But Gawyn trumps both. That scene in ToM

But what I meant is that Rand has actually beaten Lan before in a fight I think book 2 with the training.

Gawyn does not trump both. Lan is a superior swordsman to both Gawyn and Galad.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Wasn't it explicitly confirmed that Lan is the best swordsman in the world? Gawyn>Galad I can believe. Definitely not Lan. Lan is top 2, unquestionably

 

[Beholder He/him]

But Rand did beat Lan once, I swear.

Edited July 1 by Beholder

[NameIess]

7 minutes ago, Beholder said:

But Rand did beat Lan once, I swear.

That’s possible even if Lan is better than Gawyn and Galad. Rand is an exceptional swordsman, and beating Lan once out of many sparring duels is, while impressive, not an unheard-of feat. Based on the Demandred duels, I would rank Lan, Galad and Gawyn in the order of: Gawyn<Galad<Lan.

[Beholder He/him]

On 7/1/2026 at 9:59 PM, NameIess said:

That’s possible even if Lan is better than Gawyn and Galad. Rand is an exceptional swordsman, and beating Lan once out of many sparring duels is, while impressive, not an unheard-of feat. Based on the Demandred duels, I would rank Lan, Galad and Gawyn in the order of: Gawyn<Galad<Lan.

Can you not talk about a Memory of Light I just started it

Edit: I've read it now and I get what you mean.

Edited July 6 by Beholder

[The White Drake]

On 6/3/2021 at 9:20 PM, Mason Wheeler said:

The question came up in today's livestream about fantasy protagonists more powerful than Rand al'Thor.  Brandon mentioned that he couldn't think of any at the moment.  A few ideas were put forth, and others shared in the chat that never got read out loud on the stream, but none he could really unequivocally agree on.

I recall that question. I was surprised, as it's not a particularly high bar to clear. Rand is powerful, but he's powerful in his category. Subplanetary. Fiction tends to jump between power tiers. There's characters that fight in one world, characters that destroy solar systems, others who wreck galaxies and yet more who can destroy the entire universe. Or Multiverse.

If I limit myself down to subplanetary characters, it becomes a lot harder, but there are still options. Saro-Rebas is the only one I can think of offhand. He made the demon race extinct by massacring their entire planet's population and killed a goddess with ease. He only qualifies as subplanetary because he can't destroy the worlds themselves; he's still capable of performing planet-wide lifewipe campaigns. Think the Breaking, but with only one man behind it.

Edited July 11 by The White Drake
Responded to a really old post

[Schizoposting]

3 hours ago, The White Drake said:

I recall that question. I was surprised, as it's not a particularly high bar to clear. Rand is powerful, but he's powerful in his category. Subplanetary. Fiction tends to jump between power tiers. There's characters that fight in one world, characters that destroy solar systems, others who wreck galaxies and yet more who can destroy the entire universe. Or Multiverse.

If I limit myself down to subplanetary characters, it becomes a lot harder, but there are still options. Saro-Rebas is the only one I can think of offhand. He made the demon race extinct by massacring their entire planet's population and killed a goddess with ease. He only qualifies as subplanetary because he can't destroy the worlds themselves; he's still capable of performing planet-wide lifewipe campaigns. Think the Breaking, but with only one man behind it.

Yes, Rand is highly overrated; at the beginning of AMoL he has the strength of a strong Forsaken, which certainly makes him powerful, but as we all know, far from invincible. There are plenty characters in the Cosmere who can defeat him in that state. Things get trickier later on, because he seemingly gets the ability to directly influence the Pattern, but we never learn the limits of this ability, so trying to extrapolate anything from it is pointless. 

[Beholder He/him]

8 hours ago, Schizoposting said:

Yes, Rand is highly overrated; at the beginning of AMoL he has the strength of a strong Forsaken, which certainly makes him powerful, but as we all know, far from invincible. There are plenty characters in the Cosmere who can defeat him in that state. Things get trickier later on, because he seemingly gets the ability to directly influence the Pattern, but we never learn the limits of this ability, so trying to extrapolate anything from it is pointless. 

For example Taln, who especially in WaT 

Spoiler

Absolutely cooks, even with no Honorblade or even a shardblade.

[The White Drake]

1 hour ago, Beholder said:

For example Taln, who especially in WaT 

  Reveal hidden contents

Well, he wins a 1v1 on speedblitzing. But that doesn't make him more 'powerful' than Rand. Rand killed an entire Trolloc army, so I'd still say he's got more power, even if he loses a 1v1.

[Beholder He/him]

1 hour ago, The White Drake said:

Well, he wins a 1v1 on speedblitzing. But that doesn't make him more 'powerful' than Rand. Rand killed an entire Trolloc army, so I'd still say he's got more power, even if he loses a 1v1.

Ishar though might be more powerful. I mean, who knows what you can do with Connection.

[aneonfoxtribute]

3 minutes ago, Beholder said:

Ishar though might be more powerful. I mean, who knows what you can do with Connection.

I am of the opinion that if the One Power and Investiture could theoretically meld, Connection could absolutely sever someone from the One Power in a similar way to a shield. That feels like a no brainer interaction, because they're explicitly connecting to the Source.

[Beholder He/him]

1 minute ago, aneonfoxtribute said:

I am of the opinion that if the One Power and Investiture could theoretically meld, Connection could absolutely sever someone from the One Power in a similar way to a shield. That feels like a no brainer interaction, because they're explicitly connecting to the Source.

And with Ishar very nearly being a literal God of Connection...

[The White Drake]

2 hours ago, aneonfoxtribute said:

I am of the opinion that if the One Power and Investiture could theoretically meld, Connection could absolutely sever someone from the One Power in a similar way to a shield. That feels like a no brainer interaction, because they're explicitly connecting to the Source.

More scarily, could he connect someone who isn't a channeler to the Source?