After a whirlwind of excitement in Season 3, The Wheel of Time has yet to officially lock in its Season 4 renewal. But don’t worry, the vibe is looking positive. The reception has been even better than previous seasons, and with several key cast members sounding hopeful about what’s to come, the future seems bright. Plus, with all those juicy cliffhangers and unresolved questions in the finale, fans are chomping at the bit for more!
The last episode left us with some serious drama, Aes Sedai splitting apart, Rand (Josha Stradowski) stuck in the Aiel Waste, and Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and Elayne (Ceara Coveney) still chasing down Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) and Moghedien (Laia Costa). Clearly, Season 4 is ready to pick up right where things left off.
Assuming Prime Video pulls the trigger on a renewal, we might still have a bit of a wait, but here’s the silver lining: there are 14 books in the series, so we’ve got plenty of material to work with! That’s a lot of magic, mystery, and drama to keep us entertained while we wait.
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Now, don’t expect The Wheel of Time to be a page-by-page recreation of the books. With that many novels, adapting them all exactly would be impossible, and honestly, a little overwhelming. Seasons 1 and 2 stuck pretty close to the first two books, but by Season 3, things started to take a more adventurous turn. It’s like the show decided to do its own little dance, pulling in elements from Book 4, The Shadow Rising, while sprinkling in some moments from Book 3, The Dragon Reborn. So, fans might think that Season 4 will dive right into Book 5, but hold your horses, things might not be that straightforward.
In a recent interview with EW, showrunner Rafe Judkins teased that they’ve “put a lot of pieces in place” at the end of Season 3 to cover some of the juiciest, most iconic moments from Book 6, which is a biggie in the series, while also touching on some key stuff from Book 5. This means Season 4 will still be moving faster than the books, but it’s also giving us a roadmap to the epic moments coming up. Looks like we’re in for a wild ride!
‘The Wheel of Time’ season 3 has set up its storylines from ‘The Fires of Heaven’
Season 3 of The Wheel of Time has already laid the groundwork for some key plotlines from The Fires of Heaven, the fifth book in the series, which is a good indication that these story arcs are headed our way in a potential Season 4. One of the big moments at the end of Season 3 is Rand’s declaration as the Car’a’carn, the prophesied leader of the Aiel. However, not everyone is on board with Rand’s newfound leadership, especially the Shaido Aiel, led by the fiery Couladin (Set Sjöstrand). I
n The Fires of Heaven, Couladin takes charge of the Shaido, leading them down a chaotic and destructive path. Meanwhile, Rand gains the support of other Aiel clans, making him a powerful force in the “wetlands,” just as the prophecy foretold. This is the natural next step in Rand’s journey, and it’s clear that the show is gearing up to delve deeper into his role as the leader of the Aiel in the upcoming season.
But Rand’s storyline isn’t the only one drawing inspiration from The Fires of Heaven, Nynaeve and Elayne’s plot is also set to pick up some major threads from the book. At the end of Season 3, the Seanchan collar falls into the hands of Moghedien and Liandrin, setting the stage for Nynaeve and Elayne to confront them in a dramatic showdown.
While their battle unfolds a little differently in the books, it’s clear that a major confrontation is on the horizon, especially when Nynaeve and Moghedien face off in the mysterious dream world of Tel’aran’rhiod. This confrontation not only strengthens their bond but also helps them make an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, Nynaeve and Elayne also find themselves on the receiving end of danger from the White Tower, with Elaida (Shohreh Aghdashloo) hunting Elayne.
The drama doesn’t stop there. The Fires of Heaven dives deeper into Elayne’s mother, Queen Morgase (Olivia Williams), and her struggle to hold onto her throne. Season 3 introduced Morgase and her shady consort, Lord Gaebril (Nuno Lopes), who is actually the Forsaken Rahvin in disguise.
The show has already hinted at Rahvin’s manipulative hold over Morgase, using compulsion to control her, and in the finale, Thom Merrilin (Alexandre Willaume) encourages Elayne to investigate further. In the book, this storyline takes a darker turn as Morgase faces mounting threats to her crown and considers fleeing Caemlyn to protect herself. Expect this plot to become a major point of tension as Season 4 progresses, with Elayne caught in the political and personal turmoil surrounding her mother’s fate.
With all these tantalizing threads already in motion, it’s clear that The Fires of Heaven will provide some key inspiration for the show’s next chapter, delivering even more action, intrigue, and unexpected alliances. Fans of the books and the show alike can look forward to seeing how these complex storylines unfold on screen.
‘Lord of Chaos’ will also come into play in ‘The Wheel of Time’ season 4
While The Fires of Heaven lays the foundation for much of what’s to come in The Wheel of Time, showrunner Rafe Judkins has hinted that the series will also weave in some of the “iconic stories” from Lord of Chaos, the sixth book in Robert Jordan’s epic series. This raises some intriguing possibilities, and one key sign that Lord of Chaos storylines are heading our way is the growing division within the White Tower.
In Season 3, we saw Elaida deposing and even killing Siuan (Sophie Okonedo), ultimately taking the position of Amyrlin Seat. Elaida’s ruthless rise to power, paired with her obsessive desire to track down and control Rand, is a central theme in Lord of Chaos, and it looks like this plot thread is about to ramp up.
Now that Elaida has resources at her disposal, her pursuit of Rand will undoubtedly be one of her top priorities, setting the stage for some major drama in the next season. And what better way to bring all this tension to a head than by setting up the epic showdown known as Dumai’s Wells, which could be a climactic moment in the upcoming season.
But Elaida’s path to dominance isn’t as smooth as she might hope. Her aggressive tactics have made her a polarizing figure among the Aes Sedai, and not all of them are on board with her leadership. In Lord of Chaos, a group of rebel Aes Sedai begins to form in Salidar, rejecting Elaida’s rule and ultimately electing their own Amyrlin.
While this group is first introduced in The Fires of Heaven, it’s in Lord of Chaos that their story really takes off, with their politics and leadership struggles becoming a major focus. The Wheel of Time has already established a certain level of distrust among the Aes Sedai, and with Elaida’s iron-fisted approach to leadership, it’s clear she’s alienated some members of the White Tower. Expect the Salidar storyline to play a key role in Season 4, though it may unfold a little differently on screen, thanks to some notable character exits.
All in all, Lord of Chaos seems to be gearing up to be a big influence on the next season, with the White Tower’s division and Elaida’s rise to power driving much of the drama. If the show stays true to its roots, we’re in for a season full of political intrigue, rebellion, and some seriously tense confrontations. Bring on the chaos!
‘The Wheel of Time’ season 4 might also be influenced from other books
Season 4 of The Wheel of Time will likely pull from a blend of Books 5 and 6, but fans can expect elements from across the series to make their way into the show. One key setup from Season 3 that seems to be laying the groundwork for a big moment is the iconic sword Callandor. Although Season 3 skipped over Rand’s journey to Tear, the legendary sword was carefully introduced, and it’s clear the show’s gearing up to explore its significance.
Callandor isn’t just a sword, it’s a powerful ter’angreal, a crucial artifact that Rand must wield to fulfill part of the Dragon Reborn prophecy. In the books, Rand’s path to claiming it happens before his journey to the Aiel Waste, so the show may need to backtrack a bit to make this vital plot point come to life on screen.
On the flip side, Perrin’s storyline is a bit trickier. In Season 3, Perrin (played by Marcus Rutherford) is captured by the Whitecloaks, with Dain Bornhald (Jay Duffy) taking him to face justice. However, in The Shadow Rising (the fourth book), Perrin isn’t captured by the Whitecloaks at this point, since they don’t fight alongside the people of the Two Rivers. Interestingly, Perrin does end up in Whitecloak custody much later in the series, specifically in Towers of Midnight, the thirteenth book. If the show decides to pull from this later event, it could jump ahead in the timeline, which could lead to some interesting shifts in the narrative structure.
With so many stories already set up and an abundance of material from the books to choose from, The Wheel of Time is poised to cover a lot of ground in Season 4. And if the show continues to follow the success of its previous seasons, we could be in for many more seasons of epic world-building and complex character arcs. It’s clear that there’s still plenty of magic (and danger) left to unfold. Let’s hope Prime Video gives it the green light for future seasons!