The Wheel of Time TV series has announced new members joining the season 3 cast, and it should benefit Rand al’Thor’s narrative going forward. Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time book series is one of the most beloved titles in fantasy, celebrated as a work that expanded on the tropes established in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, particularly in the sense of a more complex main protagonist. For all intents and purposes, Rand al’Thor is the Dragon Reborn; he fulfills the “chosen one” archetype, making it strange that Prime Video’s TV adaptation hasn’t given him the spotlight.
Amazon Prime Video began its adaptation of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series back in 2021, and The Wheel of Time season 3 is set to return in March 2025. This season will combine story elements from The Shadow Rising, which is generally perceived as one of the best in the series, with the subsequent book, The Fires of Heaven. While the show has received mixed reviews so far, season 2 showed genuine strides of improvement, and recent announcements suggest season 3 will do the same.
The Wheel Of Time Season 3’s Tardaad Aiel Casting Is Great News For Rand’s Story
The Wheel Of Time Adaptation Hasn’t Utilized Its Main Character Enough
A recent announcement saw new faces join The Wheel of Time cast, with the new stars and their characters shown in the chart below. The members of the Tardaad Aiel clan are among Rand’s most devoted supporters in the novels, with The Shadow Rising focusing primarily on Rand’s introduction to their culture. Given that Rand hasn’t had as much time to prosper in the TV adaptation, the addition of several fresh actors who are primarily attached to his narrative is a strong sign that the series is rectifying this major narrative aspect.
The Latest Wheel of Time Cast Additions | ||
---|---|---|
Actor | Wheel of Time Character | Previous Credits |
Isabella Bucceri | Faile Bashere | Finally Me, Everything in Between |
Nukรขka Coster-Waldau | Bair | Thin Ice, Anori |
Salรณme Gunnarsdรณttir | Melanie | The Lazarus Project |
Bjรถrn Landberg | Rhuac | Galileo Mystery, Unter uns |
Synnรธve Macody Lund | Melindhra | Saw X, Ragnarok |
Rand al’Thor spends The Shadow Rising traveling to the Aiel Waste, where he is recognized as “He Who Comes With the Dawn,” a prophesied savior in Aiel culture. Rand still hasn’t acquired Callandor in the TV series, and his battle with Ba’alzamon wasn’t as well-received as the version in The Eye of the World novel, so nailing this narrative in season 3 is crucial to getting his character back on track.
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The Wheel Of Time Needs A Bigger Focus On Rand & Season 3 Is Poised To Give It To Us
Season 3 Could Offer What Book Fans Are Hoping For
The complaints about Rand not being prominent enough in the show seem to have been heard, as the season 3 trailer also features him more significantly than in the past. Aside from his character having longer hair in the new footage, there are also several shots that suggest material coming straight from The Shadow Rising. The Wheel of Time show got off to a rocky start, but it’s begun to show flashes of greatness with season 2. If season 3 continues to explore material from the books and focus more on Rand, it could evolve into a great fantasy series.