This week, Prime Video will premiere the third season of The Wheel of Time, its epic fantasy saga based on the beloved book series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. While the show has only gotten better and better as time has gone on, this season stands to be extra special for fans because it adapts The Shadow Rising, the fourth book in the series and a major turning point for the saga. It's one of the most highly regarded books in the series...as well as a bloody new chapter for many of its characters, and where The Wheel of Time truly finds its footing.
Robert Jordan wrote 11 Wheel of Time books (and a prequel) before his passing in 2007. Mistborn author Brandon Sanderson then signed on to pen three more, finishing out the tale. Provided it's renewed for its entire run, the television show will span around eight seasons. As such, it should go without saying that changes are necessary in order to fit this huge story into that condensed amount of screentime.
"Each season is not an adaptation of each book," showrunner Rafe Judkins told SFX Magazine. "Each season is a piece of the adaptation of The Wheel of Time series as a whole. This season, we're doing quite a close adaptation of four, and it's much closer than season one or two was to the books."
Judkins' comments line up with what we've heard from actors like Madeleine Madden (Egwene), who similarly called season 3 the "closest season to the books that we've done so far."
"Live are on the line" in The Wheel of Time season 3
But that doesn't mean there won't still be changes. And here's a big one: according to Judkins, we will see some characters die this season. "Right from the first episode, the stakes are raised. Lives are on the line," he said. "We are going to lose a few people we love, some that will be unexpected, and that is weighing on our characters the whole way through the season."
The Wheel of Time books are no stranger to character deaths; we're talking about a literal apocalyptic clash between the forces of good and evil here, and many characters don't live to see what's on the other side. At the same time, this isn't Game of Thrones, where main characters drop like flies and you never know who's going to end up with a knife between their ribs next. Plenty of Wheel of Time characters stick around until late in the book series, and when they finally meet their end, it's a big deal.
Obviously, things are more complicated on television shows, where actors' schedules and contracts and such come into play. From where I'm sitting, it feels like all bets are off. Judkins could just be teasing supporting cast deaths — there are a lot of characters in this TV show — but when he says "we are going to lose a few people we love," I'm inclined to think he's talking about more than bit players. After all, the trailer heavily foreshadowed a difficult road ahead for Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike), where she has to grapple with visions which reveal that for Rand to survive and succeed in his goals, Moiraine must die. Could this be the end of the road for our favorite Aes Sedai?
Your guess is as good as mine. Fortunately, we won't have to wait much longer to find out. The first three episodes of The Wheel of Time season 3 premiere March 13 on Prime Video.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.