Trollocs From The Wheel Of Time Explained

Similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," there was once a time when Robert Jordan's acclaimed epic fantasy saga "The Wheel of Time" seemed impossible to bring to life on the big screen. And yet, that's exactly what Amazon has done –- bringing the fantasy epic to audiences around the world in their new television series of the same name.

The story (told over no less than 14 novels) has been a favorite in the fantasy genre ever since "The Eye of the World" was released back in 1990, and it features a sprawling narrative that takes place across both past and future. Alongside its epic scale, it features plenty of complex magical elements and a veritable menagerie of fantastical beasts and monsters.

The Trollocs were among the first creatures that were introduced to viewers on "The Wheel of Time," and while it's apparent very quickly just how dangerous they are, the history behind these monsters is actually very important in understanding why they act the way they do.

The Trollocs are introduced in the very first episode of Amazon's "The Wheel of Time," and interrupt the festival of Bel Tine to begin massacring the innocent townsfolk, though we don't get a whole lot of information about them in these early scenes.

They appear as huge, shaggy humanoids with animalistic features, hoofed feet, and enormous horns on their heads. As with humans, no two Trollocs are exactly alike; some may swap their fur for feathers, or their animal fangs for beaks, though each one is between eight to 10 feet tall.

They are capable of crude speech and have a sadistic sense of humor, and while they are far less intelligent than humans, they are brutal in battle and known to eat the people they kill. Their animalistic nature makes them very dangerous in large groups, but easy to defeat one-on-one.

The Trollocs are essentially the main strength in the army of the Dark One, and as Amazon's series continues we're sure to see plenty of them along the way. On the other hand, perhaps our heroes won't have as much trouble with them as they do in these early episodes.

The Trollocs were created during the War of the Shadow when the armies of the Dark One attempted to breed a super-soldier more powerful than regular humans. The Forsaken, known as Aginor, combined human genetic material with that of hyper-aggressive animals like boars, bears, and eagles, and thus, the Trollocs were born. Oddly, the Trollocs became social creatures, and aligned themselves across several distinct tribes, something that harkens back to their human roots.

The process also spawned a creature known as the Myrddraal -– an intelligent form of Trolloc which is more human in appearance than the others, and which serves as commander over groups of Trollocs in battle. A Myrddraal is actually featured in the attack on Bel Tine, leading the Trollocs against the townsfolk.

The more human aspects of the Trollocs are incredibly important to their evil nature, and perhaps the next time they appear on-screen, viewers might have a greater appreciation for how and why they act the way they do.