The Wheel of Time Season 3

Unconsciously, The Wheel of Time (hereafter WOT) Season 3 has come to an end. This article aims to analyze the season’s plot, characters, and settings in relation to the corresponding original novels. Due to personal limitations, there may be errors or omissions—criticism and corrections are welcome.

This article uses the Li Lei translation for names and terms; the first time a proper noun appears, the English original is included in parentheses where possible.

Brief recap of WOT Season 2 plot:

Egwene and Nynaeve become White Tower novices through trials; the trio is betrayed by Liandrin of the Seanchan, with Egwene captured as a Damane (slave channeler). Nynaeve and Elayne rescue her. Perrin rescues Maiden of the Spear Aviendha and later allies with Bain and Chiad for adventures. Mat sounds the Horn of Valere, summoning ancient heroes to repel the Seanchan invasion at Falme. Rand defeats the Forsaken Ishamael with help, confirming his identity as the Dragon Reborn. Lanfear reveals herself as a Forsaken to Rand, and Moghedien, another Forsaken, appears near season’s end. Season 2’s TV plot merges parts of books 2 and 3, with some character merges and omissions. Season 3 covers material from book 3 (The Dragon Reborn) and book 4 (The Shadow Rising). Although WOT’s narrative is epic in scale, it is straightforward: protagonists regroup each book for separate adventures and storylines. Let’s organize Season 3’s plot and settings accordingly:

Rand, Egwene, Aviendha, Moiraine, and Amys journey to Rhuidean for trials. Perrin, Faile, Royal, Gaul, Bain, Chiad, and Aviendha return to Emond’s Field to defend against Trolloc invasions. Nynaeve, Elayne, Mat, Min, and Thom travel to Tanchico to investigate the Black Ajah and seek the A’dam. 01 White Tower Turmoil Season 3 corresponds to plotlines in books 3 (The Dragon Reborn) and 4 (The Shadow Rising), focusing on far-reaching political upheaval in Tar Valon and the White Tower.

The season opens with a major event: the Black Ajah’s defection. Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat, publicly exposes Liandrin’s identity as Black Ajah during a council meeting. The Black Ajah, who have infiltrated the White Tower, attack fellow Aes Sedai and steal Angreal and Ter’angreal before fleeing. This occurs in book 3.

Let’s briefly revisit the Aes Sedai factions, seven Ajahs (orders) within the female channelers’ organization:

Blue Ajah: Justice, curiosity, reconnaissance; currently in power. Key figures: Siuan, Moiraine, Leane (Keeper of the Chronicles). Red Ajah: Maintain purity of the One Power; hunt and "gentle" male channelers. No Warders. Key figures: Liandrin, Elaida. Green Ajah: Combat skills and tactics; can bond multiple Warders. Key figure: Alanna. Brown Ajah: History and knowledge preservation; discovered the Black Ajah in Season 2. Key figures: Verin, Nyomi, and Yasicca (a Season 2 original character). Grey Ajah: Meditation and politics. White Ajah: Logic and pursuit of truth. Yellow Ajah: Healing. Additionally, there is the hidden eighth Ajah: the Black Ajah, channelers who serve the Dark One. In Season 3, confirmed Black Ajah members include Liandrin and Nyomi.

The Black Ajah’s defection triggers a chain of political turmoil, leading Nynaeve and Elayne to be sent by the Amyrlin Seat to Tanchico to investigate and find the A’dam.

Another major White Tower event is Elaida’s coup. Elaida accuses Siuan of betraying the Dragon Reborn and being a friend to darkness, deposes her, and becomes Amyrlin herself. Elaida also “stills” Siuan and Leane, severing their ability to channel. This marks a dramatic shift of power within the Tower and signals the arrival of a new generation and new rules.

In the TV adaptation, Siuan is executed, a significant change possibly achieved through montage mixing various scenes involving Siuan’s fate, Moiraine’s desert encounter with Lanfear, and Rand’s assertion of being a Channeler. The show hints Siuan’s death might be a nightmare or a dream manipulation, given Lanfear’s dream mastery.

Elaida, introduced in Season 2, takes the lead this season. She served Queen Morgase of Andor as a counselor, and is the first Red Ajah Amyrlin in a thousand years. Although she orchestrates the coup, there is no indication she is Black Ajah, but her character is complex.

Elaida’s successor as Morgase’s advisor is Gaebril, revealed this season to be the Forsaken Rahvin, who manipulates the queen and plots against Elayne.

02 Trials of Rhuidean Rand’s storyline: After defeating Ishamael at Falme and confirming himself as the Dragon Reborn, Rand is to undergo trials in the Aiel city of Rhuidean to prove his identity as Car’a’carn (“He Who Comes With the Dawn”), the Aiel’s prophesied leader.

Geographically, the WOT continent is divided into Westlands (rich western regions including Cairhien, Andor, Tear, Tanchico), Shara (far east), and the central Aiel Waste desert.

Rhuidean is a mist-shrouded, forbidden city in the Aiel Waste. Aiel males can enter only once in their lifetime, females twice. Survival rates are about one-third for males; females survive at higher rates.

The trial involves entering Ter’angreal (magical artifacts) that test the candidates. Rand’s trial is the Mirror Forest; Moiraine’s is the Three Rings.

With Rand and Moiraine travel Egwene (who follows for dreamwalking training), Aviendha (formerly Maiden of the Spear, now a Wise One), and Amys. Mat, who also undergoes a trial in the books, is reassigned to Nynaeve’s storyline in the show.

After arrival, two Aiel tribes, Taardad and Shaido, escort them. The Aiel’s identity centers more on warrior societies (e.g., Maidens of the Spear, Stone Dogs) than tribes.

Rand’s trial scenes reveal Aiel history and culture, key to leadership:

Scene 1: A young Aiel man accidentally kills while protecting his sister and is banished. The Aiel once revered peace and honor (Way of the Leaf). This young man’s punishment reflects adherence to honor codes. Most Aiel later abandoned pacifism during the Breaking of the World. Scene 2: Aiel entrusted with guarding the powerful Angreal Sakarnen after the Breaking. In the books, the three greatest Angreal are Choedan Kal (two globes), Sakarnen (staff), and Callandor (sword). The show replaces Choedan Kal with a symbolic yin-yang of Sakarnen and Callandor. Scene 3: Lews Therin (Rand’s past life) interacts with the strongest female Aes Sedai/scientist Mierin, who researches and inadvertently releases the Dark One. Post-trial, Rand grows dragon scales on his arms, confirming him as Car’a’carn.

Moiraine’s trial shows grim futures where either she or Rand dies.

03 Tel’aran’rhiod (Dream World) Rand’s group undertakes trials in Rhuidean; Egwene studies Dreamwalking with the Wise Ones.

Tel’aran’rhiod is the dream world, where events are real and injuries or death in the dream can affect the waking world. This concept somewhat resembles Inception.

Dreamwalkers consciously enter this shared dreamscape, but novices should not bring non-dreamers, as it is dangerous. Egwene is learning these skills.

Notably, Forsaken Lanfear (“Daughter of the Night”) and Moghedien (“Master of Dreams”) are dream masters who manipulate Tel’aran’rhiod.

The group’s collective nightmare at the season’s start is due to Dark One’s corrupting influence leaking as his seal weakens, manifesting in Tel’aran’rhiod.

04 Investigation in Tanchico Nynaeve and Elayne, under the Amyrlin’s directive, travel undercover to Tanchico, the capital of Tarabon, ruled by the Panarch. The Panarch’s palace is the Panarch’s Palace. The Panarch at the time is Queen Amathera, a Black Ajah puppet (mentioned but not shown this season).

They are accompanied by Thom Merrilin (a Gleeman, former court bard and Morgase’s lover, and Elayne’s biological father hinted this season), Mat, and Min. Thom did not appear in Season 1, leading to speculation his role was cut.

Mat’s prophetic scene with a mysterious seer, originally in Rhuidean trial in the books, is shifted to Tanchico in the show.

The character Jiulin (a bounty hunter) from the books is cut.

The Amyrlin provides funds for their mission. They hire the Wave Dancer, a swift ship crewed by Sea Folk (Atha’an Miere), a dark-skinned seafaring people living on the Stormy Sea. The ship’s Windfinder (a female channeler) captains the vessel secretly to avoid White Tower conscription.

Nynaeve and Elayne discover the Black Ajah seeks the A’dam and collar that can control male channelers. Previously, the A’dam controlled female Damane slaves; now, they want to control male channelers to dominate the Dragon Reborn.

They encounter Forsaken Moghedien, a master manipulator and spy, rivaling Lanfear. Moghedien’s name means a venomous spider, matching her character. She charms and interrogates them.

Moghedien is weaker in the books but here merges traits with Forsaken Aginor, who creates Shadowspawn; in the show, Moghedien also turns victims into Grey Men (mindless assassins).

Season 3 features four Forsaken: Lanfear, Moghedien, Rahvin, and Sammael. Sammael merges traits with Asmodean, who, after defeat, is coerced by Lanfear to teach Rand to channel male Power (said to be captured by Moiraine in the show).

05 Two Rivers Defense Perrin’s storyline is simpler. Perrin and Royal, with Maidens of the Spear Bain and Chiad, return to Emond’s Field to prepare against Trolloc invasion. Darkfriend Padan Fain leads the Whitecloaks to cause trouble in the Two Rivers.

With support from Aes Sedai Green Ajah Alanna (and Brown Ajah Verin in the books), Perrin leads villagers in battle. Royal finds and closes a Waygate to stop Trolloc reinforcements (the book’s dream discovery of the Waygate is omitted in the show). Perrin’s heroism earns him the title “Goldeneyes.” The villagers reject the Whitecloaks’ attempts to seize Perrin, expelling the Justicar and his men.

Perrin meets Faile, a “Hunter for the Horn” seeking the Horn of Valere. Faile is the daughter of Marshal Davram Bashere and cousin to the Queen of Saldaea. The two fall in love and marry quickly.

After Game of Thrones, there have been relatively few fantasy series, especially in American TV where sci-fi dominates while pure fantasy is less common. Early sci-fi shows focused purely on technological speculation and alien civilizations, but later incorporated mystical and folkloric elements from human culture—such as witches, werewolves, vampires, etc. Once sci-fi and fantasy mix, it becomes harder to distinguish between them.

Science fiction, besides imagining near-future timelines and advanced technology, importantly relies on the framework of the real world. Even witches exist within the context of myths and human civilization’s intervention—they still need to dodge bullets. Pure fantasy, by contrast, invents a wholly fictional world with a retro or mythic style, somewhat like the Chinese xianxia genre. Examples include A Song of Ice and Fire and The Lord of the Rings. However, unlike Chinese xianxia where characters cultivate immortality or divine powers, Western fantasy typically features magic, such as in Harry Potter or The Wheel of Time.

Of course, in The Wheel of Time, magic isn’t called magic but “the One Power.” Those who can wield it are called Aes Sedai (often translated “Two Rivers people” in your text). Initially, only men wielded the One Power, confident they could oppose the Dark One, but they failed. In that catastrophic battle, the “True Dragon” shattered the world. Female channelers cleaned up the mess, and since then, only women can wield the One Power because men become tainted by the Dark One. Men can only be Warders—guardians bound closely to an Aes Sedai, linked in life and spirit.

This world is full of diverse races: besides humans, there are the Dark One’s servants such as Myrddraal (“Fade” or Faceless Men), savage beastmen, and intelligent tree-like creatures called Ogier. Among humans, factions are mixed: those who serve the Dark One called the Forsaken lurk and act secretly. The Aes Sedai gather in the White Tower, similar to a church, split into seven Ajahs (orders). Secular empires wage wars, opposing the Aes Sedai. The Whitecloaks, who follow the Light’s Way but are ruthless and violent, act as fanatical zealots. In the Two Rivers region, farmers live peacefully; in the Three-fold Land are the Aiel warriors who follow the Way of the Leaf (peaceful craftsmen who reject violence).

The story begins with the birth of the Dragon’s reincarnation. Both Aes Sedai and the Dark One seek this figure to continue the ancient conflict. An Aes Sedai named Moiraine finds five young people in the Two Rivers, all fated and of notable background, among whom is the True Dragon reincarnate. When attacked by beastmen, Moiraine leads four of them on a journey to fight the Dark One’s servants and grow stronger.

The youth are rebellious, stubborn, and reckless; all the protagonists have flaws. Without knowing who is the True Dragon, they often cause trouble. Moiraine complains this team is hard to manage.

Fortunately, efforts pay off. By the end of seasons 1 and 2, the girl Aviendha and the village elder both become Aes Sedai; Rand Al’Thor is believed to be the True Dragon reincarnate; Perrin Goldeneyes leads the valley folk defending their home against the beast army; Mat Cauthon becomes the chosen one who blows the Horn of Valere. Each has their destiny.

The romance fits Western tastes—casual hookups and messy relationships. Only Moiraine focuses seriously on opposing the Dark One, occasionally chatting philosophically with the throne. The show’s hallmark is that it doesn’t clearly distinguish between same-sex and opposite-sex romances; love is intertwined.

After Game of Thrones and before The Wheel of Time, there was another fantasy show, The Witcher. It features sorcerers, elves, and demons. Like Wheel of Time, its first season was average with scores around 7 on Douban; the second season was exciting, but the third unexpectedly declined with overall quality dropping.

The Wheel of Time’s second season remained conventional, with too much setup and “spell-casting prelude” that dragged on. But in the recently released third season, the plot became tight and thrilling. The very first episode depicts a White Tower battle. The red Ajah leader, having lost family, defected to the Dark One and became a Forsaken. By then, the White Tower was already infiltrated, and during the battle, they stole its most powerful artifact. Secular empires shift power, but Aes Sedai and Forsaken continue their conflict over the Dragon’s reincarnation.

The third season’s special effects are significantly improved. It’s said the producers spent $150 million, filming many scenes on location. The visuals are exquisite, showcasing a grand and mysterious magical world. At this level, it’s arguably the best fantasy series since Game of Thrones.

The eighth and final episode of season 3 airs this week. Hopefully, it will close this chapter well. We also look forward to a fourth season with even more exciting developments.

The very first episode of this season is a brutal bloodbath—everyone fighting to the death, with the White Tower nearly reduced to ashes.

Highlight 1: The various mysterious powers, the One Power, and magical effects are incredibly realistic and stunning. That spell in episode 4 that makes you forget everything—so amazing! And the Dreamwalkers, such imaginative magic concepts. This season carries the combined vibe of Game of Thrones and Dune.

Highlight 2: On the surface, the great houses are battling each other, but everyone is actually searching for their own path. As the Dragon said, “This is my way, not necessarily yours, so you don’t have to follow me.” The four companions are each on their own journey, destined to face unique adventures. I’m looking forward to the day they reunite.

Highlight 3: The location choices this season are excellent—from the meticulously crafted White Tower to the majestic Aiel desert, every setting is eye-catching and satisfying.

Downside: Too many storylines, too many characters, and complicated names make it really hard to keep track of their relationships—it can be a bit mind-bending.

Will there be a third season of The Wheel of Time?

Yes! Even before the premiere of Season 2, Prime Video had already renewed the show for a third season. The only question now is how long fans will have to wait.

When will Season 3 of The Wheel of Time be released?

Season 1 premiered in 2021, and Season 2 came out in 2023, though production was briefly delayed due to the pandemic. Given the scale of the series, Season 3 will likely take another couple of years. It’s expected that The Wheel of Time Season 3 won’t return until 2025.

What will Season 3 of The Wheel of Time be about?

Season 3 will probably continue adapting the series’ fourth book, The Shadow Rising. Season 1 covered the first book, while Season 2 covered the second and third books. According to Cosmo, here’s the official summary (spoilers ahead!):

“The legendary, impregnable fortress—the Stone of Tear—has fallen. The Dragon Reborn answers the prophecy’s call and steps forward to aid the Light. Callandor, the Sword That Is Not a Sword, is wielded by Rand al’Thor, the man claiming to be the Dragon Reborn. But the shadows lengthen, and the power of the Forsaken grows. If Rand is to defeat them, he must master the male half of the True Source—a power corrupted by darkness, a power that can drive men mad, a power that can save or destroy the world.” Who will star in Season 3 of The Wheel of Time?

The main cast is expected to return, including Seo Yea-ji . Notably, the actor playing Mat Cauthon changed significantly in Season 2; Donal Finn, the new actor for Mat, will continue in the role for Season 3.

3.9 Episode 1 is just a nonstop blast, super exciting. Episodes 2 and 3 start to slow down a bit, but I don't think it’s a case of a high start and low follow-up. The storylines begin to branch out, still like the previous two seasons — different main characters form separate teams and tackle their own quests, multiple lines running in parallel. Looking forward to how it develops later and how it all converges in the end.

2.20 Episode 4 is good, a journey tracing back the past. At first, technology was very advanced — floating spheres, tin carriages.

4.3 Episode 6 had a small climax at the last part. The male lead’s acting was a bit awkward. The first two-thirds of the timeline proceed slowly, then the small village gets attacked by Darkfriends, and there’s a flashy special effects scene.

4.18 The finale — this season feels like it’s left me wanting more. Maybe because after three seasons, the cast feels familiar, and I no longer find the acting awkward. All characters have grown to some extent. Swan got her head chopped off — the White Tower’s full rebellion is tragic. Nynaeve still can’t channel, which makes me anxious watching. Rand commands the army with rain; Episode 9 is all about Perrin, which was okay. Mark’s fate is good — not hanged, so he can keep talking. Anyway, once the next season comes out, I’ll keep watching. I still really enjoy watching fantasy series.