Mashadar

Mashadar
Type	Evil entity
Series	The Wheel of Time (TV series)
Debut	1.02 Shadow's Waiting
Status	Active

Mashadar, or more generally the Shadows of Shadar Logoth, is an evil entity in the ruined city Shadar Logoth.

Overview

Mashadar is an evil shadow that corrupts or kills everything it touches. It is unseeing and unthinking, and moves through the city aimlessly.

Physical appearance

Mashadar appears as a black, creeping shadow. It moves over surfaces such as over floors, walls, and statues. It does not appear to have any physical height, and is just a shadow-like darkness over a surface.

History

Origin

Mashadar is an embodiment of the evil created in the walls of the City of Aridhol, and the evil within the hearts of its citizens. The citizens had locked themselves within the city, and by the time outsiders got into the walls, the city was destroyed and only the embodiment of evil remained.

Season 1

Lan leads the group into Shadar Logoth to keep away from the trollocs that are following them. While sheltering there, Mat explores and finds a dagger, and Mashadar begins to encroach on the party. It first reaches one of the horses, instantly killing it by turning the animal to dust. The group begins to flee from the evil entity; however, the group is forced to split into three as they are separated from one another by the darkness. Lan and Moiraine flee through a broken wall to the South, Mat and Rand escape via an underground pass to the East, and Perrin and Egwene are forced to jump from the city walls into the river surrounding the ruin on the North.

The darkness of Shadar Logoth corrupts Mat as he holds onto the dagger after leaving Shadar Logoth. One time he vomites, and the same form of darkness as Mashadar is on his chin, and it creeps back into his mouth in the same way that Mashadar moved, suggesting it's the same force.

Trivia

• The term Mashadar has not been used directly in the series. The name is provided in the trivia section on the second episode.
• The description of Mashadar in the trivia says it is a "mist", but this description is a remnant from the books and is not accurate for the television series.

Changes from the book series

Mashadar is an adaptation of the entity of the same name  (book spoilers!) from the book series. Changes:

• Form - In the book series, Mashadar takes the form of a silvery mist that moves through the air, rather than dark shadows that moves over surfaces.
• Corrupted dagger - The darkness that infects Mat from the dagger does not have a visible form in the books, and is separate from Mashadar. In the television series, this darkness appears in the same form as Mashadar. In the Prime Video bonus features for the television series, the "Shadows of Shadar Logoth" section describes Mashadar, perhaps indicating that the formless darkness that crept into Mat from the dagger is combined with Mashadar for the television series.