I think it would be a bit disappointing if someone as seemingly unimportant as Enoch turned out to be the Destroyer. Generally this huge roles go to someone we either love or hate because we care...but Enoch? I guess the final book is huge and who knows what might happen before the end. I'd say the person who is the Destroyer is someone who wants power or revenge or is obsessed with technology, like a technoguilder.
But apparently no one has ever guessed it and I can't think of a major male character who appeared in Obernewtyn who hasn't already been suggested
Mystic Ward
8 years ago
Mystic Ward
Twentyfamilies Gypsy
I think it has been guessed many a time, but Isobelle will just say no to everyone's guesses.
There's a show I follow called Pretty Little Liars, which is a mystery-drama kind of thing and it has a fan base that is really into theorising and the head writer frequently lies to the audience to keep them guessing. It has made everyone turn against them, but it is a possibility that IC has had to say no to correct guesses to preserve the mystery.
Don't forget that when IC stated that nobody had guessed who the Destroyer is, it was a number of years ago and she would be referring to people who she had seen/heard make a guess. It's likely that by now there will be people who have guessed correctly, especially if it's true that the Destroyer was in book 1.
This has probably been said somewhere before, but could Elspeth be the destroyer?
i don't think it will be, but has anyone guessed Maruman yet? they probably have but i kind of like the idea of it being him. not really sure how that would work, but imagine if all this secrecy and planning and giving maruman the info to make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands, imagine if it backfired.
it's very unlikely but hey, anything could happen
But isn't the Destroyer supposed to be looking for her on the Dreamtrails? That is what Atthis told her and it's a big part of why Elspeth thinks Arial must be the Destroyer.
What if the Destroyer is disguising himself to look like Arial in the dreams? Hmm...
Lol, no way to Maruman! I simply wouldn't accept it :p
I doubt very much it's Maruman, but his creepy behaviour in TS definitely gave me goosebumps. There are loads of other theories though to explain his cold strangeness so I prefer to subscribe to those!
Atthis says in TF 'there is another funaga whose path intersects yours...' so I don't think it can be Elspeth or Maraman
I've always kind of wondered if Elspeth is the destroyer and someone else is the Seeker. It's just really interesting that she is called the Seeker but must destroy the weaponmachines. Although of course using the weaponmachines would destroy the earth so that would make one a destroyer too. I dunno. I just kind of like the idea that she has maybe been manipulated into it the entire time and perhaps she is not really the hero at all. does that make sense?
That being said i kind of hope it's not true. I also hope it's not Matthew or Daffyd. That would create too many emotions. Man, this book is gonna be the end of me.
Elspeth keeps getting told that the Hy'raka is seeking her on the dreamtrails, which is 'one who brings destruction', that could be the Destroyer's equivalent of Maruman
Taril i really like that idea!! i've always been suspicious of the Agyllians. It would make for an interesting twist if all this time they've been manipulating everyone into destroying the world. but why would they? perhaps they only mean to destroy humans and free the beasts. it would make sense given that the beforetimers experimented on them. it would also fit with elspeth being the innle of beast legend. and i guess in a way if there were no more humans, there would be no more risk of the great white happening again...
What about Elii? He was in the first book, has regularly appeared in others, we don't know much about him but there was a specific mention of him in the sending wasnt there about him heading to Obernewtyn. I don't really think it's him, I'm just speculating.
Hi Jessa,
Elii has come to mind for me as well as a possibility. There's definitely potential, although we're not given enough information so far to make a solid theory about him
I really hope it isn't a random background character (which is why I've waned in the Jes theory) cause it'd be so unsatisfying, while yes it's a shock, you wouldn't get the full character development that would be much more satisfying with someone like Daemon or Matthew.
I love all these last minute ideas and the way you've broken down all of the signs at the start of the thread is great!
I have one of my own last minute pondering...after championing the Matthew is the Destroyer theory for MANY years, with a couple of days go to I'm starting to think it's Rushton. Someone mentioned recently that Rushton has all the knowledge of Elspeth's quest locked away in his mind - and if Ariel came to know of this, he would stop at nothing to get to it. Last time he used Domick to get into Rushton's mind - this time he could use someone else close to them (eg, Dameon), or perhaps Ariel would no longer need someone close to Rushton to get into Rushton's mind.
However it happened...and it it DID happen...I don't think Elspeth would be able to kill Rushton to save the world. So I think she'd have no choice but to wipe his mind. We've heard of people at Obernewtyn being able to wipe each other's minds but nobody's had to do it yet - this might be the time we see it happen.
[act]shrugs[/act] just a last minute thing that I hope isn't true :(
I have also thought about that possibility. Because of having the knowledge locked away in his mind and because of what Maryon says about keystones being drawn together. Also I think it's in TKP Elspeth is musing over the destroyer and she says something about how strange it is to think that he is a real person who could be sitting having a drink at an inn and then Rushton is described as stopping for a drink at an inn, when he is on his way to the lowlands and is fishing for information. ALTHOUGH if that is the case I wonder why the agyllians waited until she had placed the knowledge in his mind before summoning her.
8 years ago
Mon Nov 09 2015, 08:24pmAshalinde
That would definitely be a bittersweet ending :( I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's not Rushton lol, but didn't Elspeth fortify his mind somehow so that Ariel could never do that again? no one can break through her shield (except maruman) so if she essentially made a block in his mind Ariel would not be able to access it at all, unless he got dragon on side...
But knowing all about her quest would probably also help him if he became the new elder, cause he would have both the agyllians knowledge and Elspeth's understanding of it and could realise that she's had something wrong all along (like the identity of the destroyer not being Ariel, lol) and have to tell her before it's too late, it would definitely be a unique point of view as no one else would truly understand her thoughts (as even the people that went with her have only heard her "summary" of what she understands her quest to be). But even this scenario could end with a bittersweet mind wipe (please no...)
I'm still a bit undecided on the actually identity of the destroyer though, I can see the evidence for hot-headed Matthew and his (likely) influence in inciting the rebellion, and for angry-revenge seeking Daffyd, especially if gilaine or even his brother are injured/sacrificed, or even power-hungry Druid (if he's even still alive... Cause he's kinda disappeared and is only mentioned in memory, so less likely), but I don't think Elspeth would be as upset letting the Druid die if that was the alternative to destroying the world, she would definitely feel regret for Daffyd, and be devastated to lose Matthew all over again...
So I'm torn between thinking it's either Daffyd or Matthew (though I stand by my theory that it's technically INES that would destroy the world as all the "destroyer" does is reactivate her and the fate of the world would still rest in the "hands" of a machine ;) hehe)
Rushton would be a great Destroyer for drama purposes. Any idea how he fits into the 'equal opposite' description?
8 years ago
Mon Nov 09 2015, 08:58pmMin
The equal-opposites description - remind me, is that something Atthis says? Because I thought it was just something Elspeth assumes - and we know that what Elspeth assumes isn't necessarily correct.
But even so, Rushton is most definitely Elspeth's equal, just as I consider my partner my equal. The opposites portion could be the nature of his talent; he has a cavern of a talent that he can't consciously access, and she has every talent (*insert theory that her spirit force is really super-charged empathy here*).
Good point about the drink at an inn parallel, Iriny! That is nice and subtle.
Following on from the awesome points you guys made, I wonder if Ariel didn't do something else with Rushton's mind when he was captive. Kidnapping him and Domick and torturing them for weeks while the rebellion was happening seems like such an extreme length to go to just to torment Elspeth. I wonder if there's any remaining connection between Ariel and Rushton's minds. Maybe something that requires Rushton's mind to be near the midstream or flying really high above the Dreamtrails (like while sick) so that Elspeth didn't see it while they were mind merging.
I reckon Ariel really is just that messed up in the head, and he hates Elspeth and would do anything to hurt/weaken her. Almost everything he does revolves around her somehow, or in gathering to himself the power/influence he needs to beat her and succeed in whatever he thinks his own destiny is.
TSK/TS both say that she cleansed Ariel's presence from every layer of Rushton's mind and I don't think she would risk letting him know her secret if she wasn't able to make sure it was safe in his mind. But Ariel also intended Rushton to die that day so it's seems unlikely that he had any other premeditated plans for him, but that doesn't rule out the possibility that he would use him against her if he had the chance once he realises Rushton is still alive, although I think that it'd be more in the spirit of "do what I say or I'll kill him" cause that would make her hesitate.
Hi Min, I honestly can't remember where the Equal Opposite thing comes from. It's been too long since I read the later books but I'm at the beginning of TSK now. Maybe I'll come across that part soon. I thought that maybe IC also mentioned it a long time ago but I really can't remember now.
8 years ago
Tue Nov 10 2015, 11:39ammcrossing
Theory:
Matthew is the destroyer and has been seeking Elspeth on the Dreamtrails, because she keeps having dreams about him.
It's a pretty weak theory, and I think it's far more likely that the Destroyer just hasn't found her or that he is using strategy.