The Black Tower Podcast: A Wheel of Time Podcast

Black Tower Podcast
  • 4.2 (53)
  • FICTION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Making mostly full spoiler content since October 2018, the Black Tower Podcast focuses on topics ranging from cultures to characters to metaphysics across the entirety of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time. Born out of a love for the books and an appreciation for its nuance, these folks get together weekly to discuss all of the things that make us love this series.

  1. 2H AGO

    Rhuidean: Where the Pattern Speaks (Pt. 3) | S7 Ep. 17

    Rhuidean is not just a lost city—it may be the most important place in all of Randland. In Part 3 of our Rhuidean Explained series, we explore how Rhuidean shapes Aiel politics, leadership, and identity—and why its purpose extends far beyond the Aiel Waste. From enforced truth and cultural memory to Pattern-level intervention, Rhuidean may function as a deliberate mechanism built to prepare the world for the Last Battle. We examine: • Rhuidean’s role in Aiel political power and succession • How the city enforces truth through suffering and memory • The Pattern’s direct intervention in human choice • The mystery of Nakomi and what she represents • Whether Rhuidean acts as a massive ter’angreal—or something even stranger • Why Rhuidean’s existence may be essential to the turning of the Wheel itself By connecting prophecy, free will, metaphysics, and the end of an Age, we argue that Rhuidean is not merely symbolic—it is structural. A place where the Pattern speaks, and where destiny is shaped long before the Last Battle is fought. This episode concludes our three-part deep dive: Part 1: What Rhuidean is, who built it, and the Jenn Aiel P art 2: The city’s structures, fog, glass columns, and mysteries Part 3: Politics, metaphysics, Nakomi, and Rhuidean’s true purpose 📚 Follow the Black Tower Podcast for more Wheel of Time deep dives! https://linktr.ee/blacktowerpodcast 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more: https://blacktowerpod.podbean.com 📺 Subscribe for weekly WoT content: @blacktowerpod Get 10% off of Dubby Energy by using code BTP or this link: https://www.dubby.gg/discount/BTP New Creations by Jen: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com Intro Music - Black Tower Podcast by Slylock https://soundcloud.com/theslylock Outro Music - The Black Tower by Androl-Bard of Time https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrolBardoftime

    52 min

  2. FEB 13

    Til Shadow Do Us Part: The Dark Side of Devotion | S7 Ep. 16

    Bonds in the Wheel of Time are meant to be unbreakable—but love, power, and the Shadow have a way of testing that promise. In this Friday the 13th episode of the Black Tower Podcast, we explore the bonds that bind people together… and the devastating cost when they fracture or fail. From Warder bonds to darker, more dangerous attachments, we examine how devotion becomes dependency, how love turns into control, and why breaking a bond can be just as deadly as forging one. Releasing just before Valentine’s Day, this episode asks a simple but unsettling question: When the bond breaks, who pays the price—and does the Shadow always collect first? 📚 Follow the Black Tower Podcast for more Wheel of Time deep dives! https://linktr.ee/blacktowerpodcast 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more: https://blacktowerpod.podbean.com 📺 Subscribe for weekly WoT content: @blacktowerpod Get 10% off of Dubby Energy by using code BTP or this link: https://www.dubby.gg/discount/BTP New Creations by Jen: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com Intro Music - Black Tower Podcast by Slylock https://soundcloud.com/theslylock Outro Music - The Black Tower by Androl-Bard of Time https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrolBardoftime

    1h 10m

  3. FEB 6

    The Forsaken’s Darkest Sins: Greed, Lust, Gluttony & Sloth (Pt. 2) | S7 Ep. 16

    If the Forsaken are more than villains—if they embody human vice—what sins define them? In Part 2 of our Seven Deadly Sins series, the Black Tower Podcast assigns Greed, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth to the Forsaken using book canon evidence, core motivations, and the choices that lead to their downfall. We break down Graendal, Rahvin, Aginor, and Bel’al, explore Forsaken who don’t fit cleanly, and debate where figures like Ishamael and Lanfear truly belong. 📚 Follow the Black Tower Podcast for more Wheel of Time deep dives! https://linktr.ee/blacktowerpodcast 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more: https://blacktowerpod.podbean.com 📺 Subscribe for weekly WoT content: @blacktowerpod Get 10% off of Dubby Energy by using code BTP or this link: https://www.dubby.gg/discount/BTP New Creations by Jen: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com Intro Music - Black Tower Podcast by Slylock https://soundcloud.com/theslylock Outro Music - The Black Tower by Androl-Bard of Time https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrolBardoftime

    1h 23m

  4. JAN 23

    Brotherhood Forged in Fear: The Black Tower (Part 2) | S7 Ep. 13

    What happens when brotherhood is built not on faith—but on shared fear and inevitable trauma? In Part 2 of this Black Tower Podcast deep dive, we turn our focus to the Black Tower, examining how men who can channel are forced into a brotherhood defined by power, survival, and the constant threat of madness. Using character case studies like Androl Genhald, Damer Flinn, Narishma, and the rise of Mazrim Taim’s loyalists, we explore how the Black Tower creates deep bonds through shared experience—while failing to provide the tools needed to process fear, guilt, and loss. In this episode, we discuss: • Brotherhood formed through trauma rather than belief • Why strength is prized over emotional stability • How leadership and fear shape the Tower’s culture • Who survives the Black Tower—and at what cost This isn’t a story about villains or heroes—it’s about men doing their best to survive inside a system that was never built to heal them. 📚 Follow the Black Tower Podcast for more Wheel of Time deep dives! https://linktr.ee/blacktowerpodcast 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more: https://blacktowerpod.podbean.com 📺 Subscribe for weekly WoT content: @blacktowerpod Get 10% off of Dubby Energy by using code BTP or this link: https://www.dubby.gg/discount/BTP New Creations by Jen: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com Intro Music - Black Tower Podcast by Slylock https://soundcloud.com/theslylock Outro Music - The Black Tower by Androl-Bard of Time https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrolBardoftime

    1h 18m

  5. JAN 16

    Whitebridge Was a Trap (And We Never Talk About It) | S7 Ep. 12

    Whitebridge is more than just a stop along the Arinelle — it’s one of the quiet pivot points of The Wheel of Time that changes the direction of the story forever. In this episode of the Black Tower Podcast, we take a deep dive into Whitebridge: its history, geography, and why this seemingly unimportant town becomes the site of one of the earliest, most consequential moments in the series. We break down how Whitebridge functions as a narrative crossroads, what it reveals about the world Robert Jordan built, and why its impact echoes far beyond The Eye of the World. From subtle foreshadowing to long-term character consequences, Whitebridge proves that in The Wheel of Time, no place is ever truly small. Whether you’re a first-time reader or a veteran who’s walked the Pattern many times, this episode will make you see Whitebridge in a whole new light. 📚 Follow the Black Tower Podcast for more Wheel of Time deep dives! https://linktr.ee/blacktowerpodcast 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more: https://blacktowerpod.podbean.com 📺 Subscribe for weekly WoT content: @blacktowerpod Get 10% off of Dubby Energy by using code BTP or this link: https://www.dubby.gg/discount/BTP New Creations by Jen: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com Intro Music - Black Tower Podcast by Slylock https://soundcloud.com/theslylock Outro Music - The Black Tower by Androl-Bard of Time https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrolBardoftime

    1h 18m

  6. JAN 9

    Why Rhuidean Is Randland’s Most Important City (Pt. 2) | S7 Ep. 11

    Rhuidean is not just a ruin in the Aiel Waste—it is a mechanism of the Pattern. In Part 2 of our Black Tower Podcast series on Rhuidean, we break down why this mysterious city may be the most important city in all of Randland. This episode dives deep into the elements that make Rhuidean unique and irreplaceable: • The Glass Columns and how they preserve history, enforce truth, and shape leaders • The city’s impossible architecture, fog, and mist—and what they suggest about Age of Legends technology and ter’angreal design • Rhuidean’s role in Aiel politics, clan leadership, and the enforced cycle of revelation and obedience Unlike the White Tower or the great capitals of the Westlands, Rhuidean does not accumulate power. Instead, it filters it—breaking those who cannot bear the truth and reshaping those who must. Stay tuned for Part 3 coming mid February! 📚 Follow the Black Tower Podcast for more Wheel of Time deep dives! https://linktr.ee/blacktowerpodcast 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more: https://blacktowerpod.podbean.com 📺 Subscribe for weekly WoT content: @blacktowerpod Get 10% off of Dubby Energy by using code BTP or this link: https://www.dubby.gg/discount/BTP New Creations by Jen: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com Intro Music - Black Tower Podcast by Slylock https://soundcloud.com/theslylock Outro Music - The Black Tower by Androl-Bard of Time https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrolBardoftime

    1h 14m

  7. JAN 3

    Assigning the Forsaken to the 7 Deadly Sins Pt. 1 | S7 Ep. 10

    In Part 1 of this Black Tower Podcast series, we begin assigning the Seven Deadly Sins to the Forsaken of The Wheel of Time, focusing on the first three sins: Pride, Envy, and Wrath. Rather than ranking power or evil, we dig into motivation, psychology, and self-destruction—asking what truly drives the Forsaken, how their core flaws shape their decisions, and why those flaws ultimately lead to failure. ⚫ What does pride look like when filtered through immortality and power? ⚫ How does envy twist strategy and obsession? ⚫ When does cruelty stop being a tool and become an identity? This episode is designed to spark debate, disagreement, and theory-crafting—so bring your own assignments to the comments. 📚 Follow the Black Tower Podcast for more Wheel of Time deep dives! https://linktr.ee/blacktowerpodcast 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more: https://blacktowerpod.podbean.com 📺 Subscribe for weekly WoT content: @blacktowerpod Get 10% off of Dubby Energy by using code BTP or this link: https://www.dubby.gg/discount/BTP New Creations by Jen: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com Intro Music - Black Tower Podcast by Slylock https://soundcloud.com/theslylock Outro Music - The Black Tower by Androl-Bard of Time https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrolBardoftime

    1h 6m

  8. 12/26/2025

    Brotherhood and Belief: The Whitecloaks (Whitecloaks vs Black Tower – Part 1) | S7 Ep. 9

    What kind of brotherhood do the Children of the Light really offer the men who join them? In Part 1 of this two-part Black Tower Podcast series, we focus entirely on the Whitecloaks, examining how faith, certainty, and rigid structure shape their version of brotherhood—and what that means for men’s mental health in The Wheel of Time. Through in-world analysis and character case studies like Galad Damodred, Dain Bornhald, and Eamon Valda, we explore how the Whitecloaks provide belonging, identity, and purpose… while often suppressing doubt, grief, and vulnerability. In this episode, we discuss: • Why certainty and moral clarity can feel emotionally stabilizing • How grief and fear are redirected rather than processed • Which men thrive within the Whitecloaks—and which are broken by them • Whether obedience can ever substitute for genuine support This is not a “good vs evil” debate—it’s an examination of how ideology functions as emotional armor. ⚔️ Part 2 will shift to the Black Tower, exploring brotherhood forged through shared trauma, power, and fear—and asking which system ultimately serves men better. 👉 Which kind of brotherhood would you choose? Join the discussion in the comments. 📚 Follow the Black Tower Podcast for more Wheel of Time deep dives! https://linktr.ee/blacktowerpodcast 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more: https://blacktowerpod.podbean.com 📺 Subscribe for weekly WoT content: @blacktowerpod Get 10% off of Dubby Energy by using code BTP or this link: https://www.dubby.gg/discount/BTP New Creations by Jen: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com Intro Music - Black Tower Podcast by Slylock https://soundcloud.com/theslylock Outro Music - The Black Tower by Androl-Bard of Time https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrolBardoftime

    59 min
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4.2
out of 5
53 Ratings

About

Making mostly full spoiler content since October 2018, the Black Tower Podcast focuses on topics ranging from cultures to characters to metaphysics across the entirety of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time. Born out of a love for the books and an appreciation for its nuance, these folks get together weekly to discuss all of the things that make us love this series.

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