New posters for The Wheel of Time season 3 tease the Aiel Waste, Rhuidean and Dreamwalking

In a few short weeks, The Wheel of Time will premiere its third season on Prime Video. All signs indicate that this is going to be a landmark season for the fantasy TV series. It's adapting a beloved novel in Robert Jordan's book series, The Shadow Rising, and the production is bigger and better than previous seasons, with a wider aspect ratio to give viewers the most cinematic experience possible. Don't take my word for it; the first 11 minutes are out now, and they are absolutely thrilling:

If The Wheel of Time manages to pull off this season, it could elevate the show to a new level in the popular TV viewing discourse. I know I'm rooting for it; we've had a lot of fantasy shows in recent years, but few are adapting as beloved a work as The Wheel of Time (and pulling it off so well).

A large part of whether season 3 lands will hinge on how it treats Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski), the Dragon Reborn. The Wheel of Time has a sprawling cast, but there's no denying that Rand is the first among equals; he is the prophesied messiah, and many of the most pivotal events of the book series revolve around him. The show has often leaned more into the ensemble nature of its cast (which is also pretty true to the books), but at this particular juncture in the story, Rand needs to come front and center.

We'll see that play out when he and several of his closest allies journey to the homeland of the Aiel people, called the Three-Fold Land by the Aiel and the "Aiel Waste" by everyone else. Prime Video is keen to get us hyped for it, because today they released a slew of new posters highlighting some of the characters at the heart of the Aiel Waste storyline, starting with Rand himself:

In the season's fourth episode, Rand will go to Rhuidean, a mystical ruin where prospective Aiel chieftains undergo a trial of visions which peel back the history of this enigmatic desert culture, showing how they became the Aiel we know today. I think it's a pretty safe guess that this is what the tagline "in time, all things turn to dust" is referencing.

Next, we have Aviendha (Ayoola Smart) and Egwene (Madeleine Madden):

The Wheel of Time season 2 ended with Aviendha witnessing Rand standing on the top of the tower at Falme as a fiery dragon circled overhead. The Aiel have their own prophesies about the Dragon Reborn, who they call the car'a'carn ("chief of chiefs"). She will play a large role in Rand's journey to the Aiel Waste.

The second poster highlights Egwene, Rand's childhood sweetheart and a powerful magic channeler. Egwene had an intense journey last season, where she was taken prisoner and tortured by the Seanchan. This season will see her tackle a new magical discipline: navigating the dream realm of Tel'aran'rhiod, known by the Aiel as Dreamwalking. Egwene's poster is the only one with the black flower petal-style effect in addition to the dust around the edges of her figure; I'd guess that's related to Tel'aran'rhiod.

Last we have Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and her warder Lan (Daniel Henney). Like Egwene, Lan and Moiraine will also accompany Rand out into the Aiel Waste, where they'll each face their own challenges. Lan will train Rand in the way of the sword and have to face some existential questions about his homeland, Malkier. Moiraine, meanwhile, will go to Rhuidean with Rand to undergo her own trial of visions. From the trailers, it sounds like Moiraine's visions will be even more traumatizing than Rand's. Should be fun!

The Wheel of Time season 3 premieres its first three episodes on March 13, with new episodes following one a week after that until its finale on April 17. We've been interviewing cast members from the series and will be covering the show extensively, so make sure to check back if you're gearing up to head to the Aiel Waste along with Rand and company.

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