Besides being necessary for Rand to win, he ensures that his wife's family will support Rand, he can communicate with the wolves (who make wonderful scouts and are tremendous fighters), he has formed an army out of the Two Rivers people and they all but worship him (much more than they do Rand), he is easily the most level-headed of the three, and despite the distractions he faces (Faile and Berelain), the clearest-thinking man in the whole Story (except maybe for Thom. He also has more personality than either Rand or Mat, though it is not Rand's fault - he has much on his mind. Mat is a jokester and a ne'r-do-well, despite being the best general in the world. Perrin is solid, steady, and the only one of the original Emond's Fielders who supports Rand just because he is Rand. All the others are either scared to death of him or still see him as a little boy who needs to be watched over. To Perrin, Rand is the Dragon Reborn, but what is more important is that Rand is his friend.