Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Sword of Truth: Legend of the Seeker

The Sword of Truth is a series of eleven epic fantasy novels written by Terry Goodkind. The books follow the protagonists Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell and Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander on their quest to defeat oppressors who seek to control the world and those who wish to unleash evil upon the world of the living. Legend of the Seeker is a live-action weekly television series based on The Sword of Truth novels.

This is a great show, the best fantasy series I've ever seen I think compared to the crap out there. It actually got criticized because it was not as "fun" as Hercules or Xena, I guess I'm not as braindead as anyone who could even watch these retarded shows, let alone call them fun. I nearly had a heart attack when I found out Sam Raimi is partly responsible for all these shows. The show uses 300-style slow-mo action that works really well, and is storywise way better than anything I've seen on a weekly basis, being based on the novels.
This is gonna be a basic post cause in the first minute spent on wikipedia I had a major spoiler explode in my face, damn you demons who update this wikihell of spoilers! Whatever happened to spoiler alert, not necessary on the most popular encyclopedia of the world? Call me the Seeker, of Spoiler Alerts!

The main character is a young man named Richard Cypher (seen here, cutting flying apples courtesy of Zedd, like Luke Skywalker in the Millenium Falcon), a Westland woods guide whose simple life is forever changed after he becomes the Seeker of Truth, fulfilling the prophecy of saving the world.

Richard Cypher, Cypher: a message written in a secret code (can be a good or bad msg, in the matrix, it's bad hehe), an obscure woods guide who would never amount to anything. In other words, obscure li'l you. Anyone can be the Seeker and take up the Hero's Journey. A sort of alchemical metaphorical story for the path of any real Seeker. Check out the Radical Myth podcasts at Radical Change Group.
This is more from the books than the series:
Richard learned to channel his rage using the Sword of Truth, given to him by the wizard Zedd. The Sword of Truth channels Richard's anger into great strength and power, but he can only use the blade to harm those he believes to be truly evil. He also learns to channel love into the Sword. When he does, he can kill anyone, innocent or not - he hates that fact more than the anger.
The Sword of Truth, a great metaphor for "Reason". So Reason can channel Anger into great strength and motivation. And basically the Sword of the good guys is only used in defense. A more interesting metaphor is that we may hurt who we believe we don't like, but usually end up hurting the ones we love much more, so tread wisely on life's path Seeker.

Westland is separated from the Midlands by a magical boundary, which was created to prevent any magic from entering Westland (Also see Merlin). But of course, the Seeker can cross it, somehow, someway along with his accompagnying magic. Representing any barrier a Seeker may have, barriers are temporary no matter how they seem, repeat after me Seeker "barriers are temporary."

Meet Zedd, the wizard. In the character description on Wikipedia: He rarely panics and always looks ahead to what has to be done. That's not a description of a wizard, it's a description of a sane person who isn't brainwashed and programmed to be an idiot. Consolidating the Hero's Journey, a Truth Seeker/Wizard doesn't panic and always looks ahead to what has to be done.

Zedd: "Young people! Everything is black and white, either or!" (Catmas!)

Zedd: Where there is no way, the Seeker will find a path! Lesson number four.
Richard: You said the last one was number four.
Zedd: Number five then!
Richard: ... Are you just making these up?

Meet Kahlan Amnell, a Confessor, she has a gift for knowing and reading people and realizing why they do what they do even if the person himself does not know why. Confessors are a sisterhood that take care of disputes in any village, she listens to both sides who may not lie to a confessor, and then the confessor decides what will be done and that's final. A confessor can also touch anyone and use their power to permanently obliterate the free will of a victim and replacing it with love and subservience to the confessor until either one dies. The power is always present and the confessor has to hold it in at all times. A rather harsh way of good getting rid of evil in the world, maybe a metaphor for any movement trying to rid the world of their perceived evil by their own wrongdoing.

Darken Rahl (Dark Ra? Black Sun? See Secret Sun today: Dark Sun Rising) is the emperor of D'Hara. He is an evil tyrant who wants to capture the Midlands and Westland into his empire by enslaving the people living there. While he has at his disposal wizards and legions of soldiers to help him achieve his goal, he seeks the Book of Counted Shadows, which will give him ultimate power. (A silly spell book? ;p The Wicca 'bible' is called the Book of Shadows) Rahl is aware of the prophecy of the Seeker and has ordered his minions to kill him.

So any obscure person from the most unlikely upbringing, can take up the role of a Seeker, through synchronicity find a few Wizards to learn from (but don't confuse a wizard with a salesman...), be honest (confessor) and face the darkness and lies (Darken Rahl) to find the Truth. See Joseph Campbell's work for more on the Hero's Journey, like the Hero with a Thousand Faces. Check out the Radical Myth podcasts at Radical Change Group. Journey well on your own path Seeker!

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

the camera man needs help during the fight scenes, too wobbley

yes, yes, much better than Xena or Hercules. I can actually withstand watching the show, which says alot; great CGI and attractive cast

Are you digging Sam Raimi because of his work with Bruce Campbell?

Dedroidify said...

Too wobbley... it's fighting man! I'm not digging Sam Raimi generally. I do like Army of Darkness, that's it.

Anonymous said...

oh, I somehow was thinking of the Crusoe camera man, I just realized

this show's camera guys is just fine

Unknown said...

I think the guy who plays Zed is great.

Did you read Song of Ice and Fire? My favorite fantasy series, and they are making it into an HBO series! I will be interested if you ever do a post on that.

Dedroidify said...

Zed is my favorite!

No haven't read that yet, nor this saga actually. I've only read everything by Tolkien, and the Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore fantasy wise. Tried Wheel of Time but the beginning is so boring. What would you recommend as a great fantasy saga to read?

Unknown said...

You have to read Song of Ice and Fire. The author is George RR Martin. I won't try to review it; there are many good reviews on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553381687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233177169&sr=1-1

The first got
"1,482 of 1,541 people found the following review helpful" haha

The beginning might be a little slow- it is a long series. But I don't think so. I think I was hooked from the prologue.

Also Robin Hobb is good: http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X/ref=pd_sim_b_3

But you have to read Song of Ice and Fire.

skrambo said...

Zedd: "Young people! Everything is black and white, either or!"

Ugh. Some "Wizard".

Evil Dead 1 and 2 are actually quite good, Army of Darkness was basically Evil Dead 3.

I had the same problem with Wheel of Time, sooo slow.

Dedroidify said...

Thanks Angelo.

Sounds like something perfectly logical a wizard would say to me tommy, wtf? And Evil dead 1 and 2 are just not for me, I can't watch horror, it's the dumbest movie genre along romantic comedies.

Dedroidify said...

Saw the movie of Fire and Ice, absolutely terrible. The "tree people" were ridiculous. The dragons were ok though. Guess I won't be reading it either after having most major plots spoiled heh.

JJ said...

"The Sword of Truth, a great metaphor for "Reason". So Reason can channel Anger into great strength and motivation. And basically the Sword of the good guys is only used in defense. A more interesting metaphor is that we may hurt who we believe we don't like, but usually end up hurting the ones we love much more, so tread wisely on life's path Seeker."

Every group marches to the tune of Darth Vader, because it is obviously the better sounding one.

Haha...

So, when in power and everything is going your way _and_ it feels fucking awesome, you're evil. At least you better every now and then give the power away to make sure.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/23/opinion/reuters.12c.jpg

Dedroidify said...

I swear sometimes I think you guys are inventing your own posts to respond to. Wtf just happened lol.

JJ said...

Don't know for others but I at least needed venting some plasma...

Had an awful day where two sides were fighting over control as usual and I inserted a perfect argument from the side that solved the whole thing for both of them. It was perfect. It tied the hands of both equally and gave them all the freedom that they could ever want, equally. There was no way to miss all the overstatements each had made to insult the other and the table was cleared.

They threw me out.

Dedroidify said...

See what I mean :p

Unknown said...

lol

Maybe we all need some venting some plasma :P

And

I have never heard of the movie Fire and Ice but it has nothing to do with the series I was recommending, if that is what you are thinking.

skrambo said...

In my deranged little world, a real wizard would just say "Have fun creating realities!" and then leave me alone. I can see how in this world a wizard could get away with saying everything is "black and white", even though there is a whole spectrum of colors inbetween.

I have grown less fond of horror movies over time but when you are young they are effective.

Dedroidify said...

It may not be, but the movie was still based on it and sucked :p.

Tommy, that's exactly what the wizard was insinuating with the youngsters seeing it differently... He's not saying it's black and white, he's just saying the youngsters see it that way...

Now, let's keep the posts on topic and go vent somewhere else. Don't make me put up another useless comments disclaimer.

Dedroidify said...

Oh it wasn't based on it at all! Excellent, the HBO pilot is underway!

Btw in that Fire and Ice I saw, they had "tree people", which were people in green suits with some foliage about them, waving branches at people. And they were supposed to be terrifying, that alone may be worth the watch for the unintentional funnay ;p