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In the series: The Shannara Chronicles evil starts rising again. So the druid, Allanon wakes up after a long deep sleep. His new journey is to find Wil and train him to become the most powerful druid. He doesn't know he's a druid yet so he has a lot of work to do. They talk about him fighting the Dagda Mor because Allanon isn't strong enough?

Yet in the end, Wil only casts 1 spell against the Dagda Mor and he isn't really winning since the Dagda Mor counters his spell by shooting a massive red spell back and his is way more powerful then Wil's. Then Allanon comes in the play again, after being knocked out on the floor, and decapitates the Dagda Mor with a sword.

Q: So what was all the fuss about Wil being the chosen druid since Allanon is the one who killed the Dagda Mor in the end?

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I'll be honest, I don't remember Allanon ever explicitly telling Wil he planned to make him a Druid, but for sake of argument I'll assume you're right and I just missed it. If so, I would have to chalk it up to some sloppy writing by the people who adapted Elfstones of Shannara for TV, because that plot element isn't anywhere in the source material, and it doesn't fit Allanon's actions throughout the season.

As a Druid, Allanon always knows it's going to be his destiny to face the Dagda Mor. The reason he seeks out Wil is because he knows Wil will have inherited the magic of the Elfstones from Shea. (We hear almost nothing about Shea Ohmsford in the show, but he's the main protagonist of the first novel, Sword of Shannara, so perhaps we'll get more about him in future seasons.) Allanon knows that he's going to need help to save the Elcrys, and he knows about the Ohmsfords and the Elfstones, so he decides to track down Wil and recruit him.

Apart from some brief training in using magic, the role Allanon seems to push Wil into isn't learning to be a Druid, it's protecting Amberle. If anything, Allanon seems to be focusing on Bandon as the next Druid, not Wil. He never gives Wil any kind of combat training, or a weapon to use, and doesn't send him out to the Demon's henge to fight. In fact he seems to send Wil as far from the fighting as possible.

So, I don't think Allanon ever planned to make Wil a Druid or expected Wil to defeat the Dagda Mor. I think he hoped Wil's magic and the Elfstones would tip the balance in his favor against the Demon, but Wil's purpose was always to make sure the Elcrys seed got where it needed to be.

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  • At some point Allanons master tells him there is a new druid in the play 'Brandon' and he has to train him since Wil wasn't planning to train as much with Allanon I believe. But I'll go with your answer, it is maybe as you say that he's training Wil to increase the odds against the Dagda Mor.
    – Decypher
    Mar 16, 2016 at 8:50

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