Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Book 4, The Shadow Rising.
The Wheel of Timegained popularity with its recent second season, and more of the show is on the way. However,Season 3is still far away, and little information about it has been released. The series follows an ensemble cast as they grow in power and influence and begin to shape the world. As one ofPrime Video’s many fantasy shows,The Wheel of Timeintroduces a unique world with different cultures, various kingdoms, and an expansive history as Rand (Josha Stradowski) and his friends become major players in the battle against the Dark One.Season 2 endswith Rand recognized as the Dragon and reunited with his friends in Falme. It is a happy conclusion for the characters, but there are still dangers for them to face. Though the official Season 3 plot is unknown, the series is based onRobert Jordan’s books, giving fans a good idea ofthe next step in the story. Season 3 will jump forward in the plot, adapting the fourth book rather than the third — but that information alone helps fans predict what will happen.
Among the many strange things about this fantasy world is the world’s view of time. As the title suggests, the nature of time in the series is cyclical. Vague references to the distant past hint at the story’s futuristic setting, though it isn’t immediately obvious.In the world’s ancient history, there was technology that would be out of place in the fantasy setting, but it was all lost in Breaking of the World, forcing civilizations to start anew.Time passed until even the existence of such technology was lost. But with the magic of theOne Power, it may not be totally gone. Only a few plots are confirmed for Season 3, butcreatorRafe Judkinshas promised a trip to Rhuidean, where the books provide an opportunity to explore the long-forgotten past through visions. This storyline gives the show a perfect chance to provide a glimpse of the technologies of the ancient past — or, as Robert Jordan wrote, our world’s near-present.
The Wheel of Time
Set in a high fantasy world where magic exists, but only some can access it, a woman named Moiraine crosses paths with five young men and women. This sparks a dangerous, world-spanning journey. Based on the book series by Robert Jordan.
How Is ‘The Wheel of Time’ Set in the Future?
What may be confusing aboutThe Wheel of Time’s setting is that it is both the future and the past.The concept of time in the world follows the Pattern dictated by the Wheel of Time. One popular saying in the universe describes it as, “The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.” This makes events a never-ending loop, as people are reborn and destined to follow the same path. The most prevalent rebirth in the series is Rand, often referred to asthe Dragon Rebornor even Lews Therin Telamon – the name of his past life. But theHeroes of the Hornare another prime example. The exact history of the world is mysterious, even to the characters, but with the vague discussions, it’s clear that the ancient world looked very different than what the show portrays.
The books, in particular, reference legends based on real figures or common stories. There has been fan speculation thatThe Wheel of Time’s legend of Elsbet, the Queen of All, is a fractured memory of Queen Elizabeth II, and Jaem the Giant-Slayer is reminiscent of the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.Other such references include “Mosk the Giant, with his Lance of fire that could reach around the world,” which has been theorized to connect to Moscow, Russia, which owns missiles that can be fired around the world. In Book 4,The Shadow Rising,a character finds an object “like a three-pointed star inside a circle” made from an old and mysterious substance softer than metal that gives off a sense of “pride and vanity.” Interestingly, this description fits the Mercedes-Benz logo, yet it is an ancient artifact.This implies the existence of modern technology in the past that is not available to the characters inThe Wheel of Time’s present.
Though that seems impossible, there is a simple answer. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, where only a spotty memory of modern times remains. When a fan asked Jordan if the series was set before or after the modern world inan online chat, Jordan responded by saying,“Both. The characters in the books are the source of many of our myths and legends, and we are the source of many of theirs. You can look two ways along a wheel.“Because of the infamous Breaking of the World, much about the past is lost. During the cataclysmic event, the landscape of the world was transformed, resulting in a loss of technology and knowledge. This effectively reset civilization in many ways, allowing for a fantasy setting in a post-modern world.
‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Has a Chance to Explore Its Futuristic Setting
The setting isn’t clear without a deep dive into the lore, but Season 3 has a chance to change that as the characters journey to Rhuidean.Confirmed to appear in the third season, this plotline takes a deeper look at history and provides the perfect opportunity to clarify this confusing element of the setting. Rhuidean is an ancient city in the Aiel Waste, where the leaders of theAiel peopleundergo certain rites of passage. The place is not inhabited, and only the prospective Wies Ones or Cheifs can enter the sacred place. Yet, when the city appears in the books, it is a turning point for the entire Aiel civilization. Believing Rand to be the prophesied Car’a’carn, which means their chief of chiefs, the Aiel introduce Rand to their culture and send him to Rhuidean, as all of their chiefs must.Told to go to the heart of the city, Rand finds an archway that is ater’angreal. Entering the mysterious device, he receives visions through his ancestors' eyes, exploring the Aiel’s past.
In these visions, Rand sees thousands of years in the past, learning the Aiel’s history before the Breaking of the World that has been long forgotten. Once the servants of the Aes Sedai, the Da’shain Aiel followed the Way of the Leaf, meaning they used no weapons and caused no harm to others. Yet that changed in the years following the Breaking as they became the war-like people Rand meets. In Rand’s earliest vision, the Aiel are still serving the Aes Sedai during the Age of Legends, and as such, the world looks very different.
During these flashback scenes, the show can incorporate some of the futuristic technology described in the Age of Legends, as the Da’shain Aiel are with the Aes Sedai and in the very center of things. Though the One Power was certainly used, not everyone had it, and technology was developed to help all. The devices described include anti-gravity transportation and communication tools that allow one person to call the other and appear in front of them (not unlike a description of video chatting).The show can use these visions to show the lost technology and give more specific references to things that were forgotten.These visions are set in the Age of Legends, which is still after the modern world (or before, depending on how you look at it). Yet it is thousands of years closer, and memories are likely clearer.
The show has proven itself unafraid to make changes from Jordan’s books, but this moment is significant. These visions are the perfect opportunity to solidifyThe Wheel of Time’s niche piece of lore by making a simple, easily recognizable inclusion of technology that the audience knows and is unavailable in the show’s present timeline.
The Wheel of Timeis available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.
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