Summary
- The Aes Sedai in Wheel of Time are divided into different factions represented by different colors of clothing they wear. The Gray Ajah focuses on political matters and brokering treaties.
- The Blue Ajah is known for their morally upright behavior and taking up righteous causes. Moiraine, a member of the Blue Ajah, is searching for the Dragon Reborn to defeat the Dark One.
- The Red Ajah opposes male channelers and leads searches for False Dragons. They are among the most brutal and have antagonistic roles in the story. The Black Ajah is a rogue group of Aes Sedai who serve the Dark One while hiding their true allegiances.
There are seven official Wheel of Time Aes Sedai colors. While the Aes Sedai are essentially one organization, they’re divided up into different factions. Which one each Aes Sedai belongs to is represented by the color of the clothing they wear. Every group differs from the rest in a fundamental way. The Aes Sedai – an all-female organization of women trained in the use of the One Power – is based in a place called the White Tower, which is located in the city of Tar Valon. In Wheel of Time's first season, Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) touched on the divisions of the Aes Sedai and how they function.
Every woman in the group belongs to a specific Ajah, which is distinguished by its color. After going through training at the White Tower, women get to choose which Ajah they wish to join. This decision is based on their specialties with the One Power, their personal viewpoints, and goals. Wheel of Time hasn’t introduced all the Ajahs yet, but some have representatives already in the series. As the show progresses, more Aes Sedai are sure to join the fray. Some may seek to help Moiraine and Lan, while others may prove to be hindrances. Their roles in the story and respective motivations will be hinted at by the Wheel of Time Aes Sedai colors of their clothes.
Gray Ajah
The branch of the Aes Sedai responsible for handling political matters is the Gray Ajah. As experts in diplomacy, they’re the ones who are entrusted with brokering treaties and acting as ambassadors to other nations and parties. The Gray Ajah may not make the best warriors, but they are instrumental in ending conflicts. This group has, in the past, tried to bring nations together and create unity in the world. They also are always learning and studying the legal systems of different nations and can help design laws for them. They have not been developed much on the show outside of a minor appearance in the White Tower.
Blue Ajah
The Blie Ajah is the most famous of the Wheel of Time Aes Sedai colors for the TV show. Moiraine is a member of the Blue Ajah, who regularly takes up causes and is well-known for their morally upright behavior. As people who have a strong interest in justice and doing the right thing, it’s typically the Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah who volunteer for dangerous missions, often in an effort to save the world. For this reason, it’s no surprise that Moiraine is a Blue Sister.
The cause she’s chosen to fight for in Wheel of Time is finding the Dragon Reborn and helping this person defeat the Dark One. As indicated by some of Moiraine’s interactions with the other Aes Sedai, many regard Blue Sisters like Moiraine as self-righteous and don’t completely trust them. That can be attributed at least partially to their scheming ways. Even Moiraine has been guilty in the past of skirting around their no-lying rule. The show has referred to them as a "network of spies" and the head of the Aes Sedai, the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche was once a Blue Ajah.
Brown Ajah
The Brown Ajah are devoted to a purpose that makes them polar opposites of the Blue Ajah. Whereas Blue Sisters fight for righteous causes, the Brown Sisters are scholars who care little about getting involved in the outside world and instead spend most of their time expanding their knowledge. Their studies greatly benefit the White Tower and the Aes Sedai in general, as it’s normally them who make significant discoveries about the various Talents of the One Power. One Brown Sister – Verin Mathwin – is counted as a key Wheel of Time character, and made her first appearance in season 2, played by Meera Syal.
White Ajah
Similar to the Brown Ajah, Aes Sedai of the White Ajah isn’t interested in the affairs of the world. However, they don’t have much use for knowledge either, which is what distinguishes them from the Brown Sisters. Instead, what they care about is logic, philosophy, and seeking truth. These qualities allow them to come off as impartial and emotionally unattached. That being said, there’s a great deal of bad blood between them and the Red Ajah, who have traditionally been on opposing sides on most issues for centuries in Wheel of Time’s world.
Green Ajah
The Green Ajah is one of the Wheel of Time Aes Sedai colors referred to in the books and Amazon’s Wheel of Time show as the Battle Ajah. As this title implies, the Green Ajah fight on the frontline in wars and are the White Tower’s greatest weapons whenever they find themselves in military conflicts. As explained by Alanna Mosvani (Priyanka Bose) in Wheel of Time's first season, their ultimate goal is to protect humanity and participate in the fight against the Dark One in the Last Battle.
Because they focus so much on fighting, the Green Ajah follow different rules when it comes to bonding Warders. The Blue Ajah's Moiraine, for instance, is bonded only with Lan, but an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah can have as many Warders as she wants. That’s why Alanna has two traveling alongside her in the show. For someone like her, one just isn’t enough.
Yellow Ajah
The unknown Aes Sedai who was burned to death by the Children of the Light in Wheel of Time season 1, episode 2 was a member of the Yellow Ajah. The show has yet to feature these Wheel of Time Aes Sedai colors as an important character, but the books shed light on who they are and what makes them stand out. Yellow Sisters specialize in the Healing Talent and using the One Power to cure sicknesses, which was also shown when a Yellow Aes Sedai healed Perrin of his wounds. As Moiraine said, there aren't any greater healers than the Yellow Ajah. In the White Tower, they have a reputation for arrogance and are often at odds with the Blue Ajah.
Red Ajah
Unlike most of the other Wheel of Time Aes Sedai colors, Red Sisters like Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) don’t have any Warders, which can be explained by their defining characteristic – their dislike of men. Since the original Wheel of Time Dragon – a man named Lews Therin – caused the Breaking of the World, their primary goal in Wheel of Time is to root out male channelers, who they see as humanity’s greatest threat.
It’s the Red Ajah who leads the searches for False Dragons like Logain (Álvaro Morte) and other men who can channel. When they find them, they bring them back to the White Tower to be gentled. Due to their strong opposition to male channelers and fears about the Dragon Reborn prophecy, Red Sisters tend to have antagonistic roles in the Wheel of Time books. They are also among the most brutal of the Aes Sedai in fulfilling their missions.
Black Ajah
Unofficially, there’s an eighth color of the Aes Sedai. Calling themselves the Black Ajah, this rogue group of Aes Sedai are Darkfriends sworn to fighting on the side of Dark One. Each member is formally tied to one of the seven Ajahs of the White Tower, but turned their backs on their duties at some point in their lifetimes to serve the Dark One. However, they continue to wear the colors of the other Ajahs in order to hide their true allegiances. This tactic allows them to act as spies for the villains.
Maintaining their secrecy and quietly working against the other factions in the White Tower are their highest priorities in Wheel of Time. They finally made their official appearance in the opening scene of season 2 when they met with Ishamael (Fares Fares). A member also showed up wearing a serpent ring with a black stone. While most Aes Sedai can't lie, make weapons, or use the One Power as a weapon, the Sisters of the Black Ajah who renounced the Three Oaths can be the most dangerous antagonists on the TV series.