Now thatThe Wheel of Timeis over, I can’t stop thinking about the great moments from the book series that we won’t get to see on-screen.Amazon canceledThe Wheel of Timeafter three seasons, bringing the fantasy epic to a premature end. The show has so far primarily covered events fromThe Eye of the World,The Great Hunt, andThe Shadow Rising, books one, two, and four ofRobert Jordan’sWheel of Timebook series, barely scratching the surface of the immense world in his fifteen-novel saga.
There are thousands of characters in these novels, and so many great scenes that range from epic to shocking to poignant. That variety and level of vast complexity is part of what makes the books so phenomenal. My point is,there are countlessWheel of Timemoments that carry immense meaning from reader to reader, and I’m sure mine will differ from other fans'. AfterThe Wheel of Timeseason 3’s ending, those who enjoyed the show are likely craving more of Robert Jordan’s profound fantasy world, just as much as I am.
6Rand al’Thor Claims Callandor From The Stone Of Tear
From The Dragon Reborn
“I am Rand al’Thor! I am the Dragon Reborn!” This is a set of words etched in my mind forever, asthe moment thatThe Wheel of Timetransformed Rand from a shepherd’s son from the Two Rivers to a young man ready to fulfill his destiny. He proclaimed himself as the Dragon inThe Great Hunt, butThe Dragon Rebornis the novel where he completes that initial hero’s journey, shifting the scope of Jordan’s series going forward. Amazon’s adaptation ofThe Wheel of Timeskipped overThe Dragon Reborn, but they would have had to return to this.
The Dragon Rebornis the novel where he completes that initial hero’s journey, shifting the scope of Jordan’s series going forward.
Callandor, the sa’angreal sword prophesied to be used by the Dragon, is in a fortress called the Stone of Tear. Moiraine spoke in season 3 about bringing Rand to retrieve the blade. In the book, however, he runs off to do so on his own and ultimately defeats the Forsaken Ishamael to do so. Ishamael is already gone in the show, so the circumstances surrounding this event would have been changed, butseeing Rand retrieve the sword and lift it into the air would have been one of the most epic moments in all fantasy television.
5Egwene Reclaims The White Tower For Her Aes Sedai
From The Gathering Storm
Season 3’s ending saw Elaida’s coup of the Aes Sedai, which is undoubtedly my favorite plotline inThe Wheel of Timebooks and the highlight ofThe Shadow Rising. However, one of the best parts of it is what comes after: a total division and civil war among the Aes Sedai. After Elaida takes over the White Tower,a faction forms in defiance of her, who eventually make Egwene the Amyrlin Seat. Egwene is taken captive by Elaida in this novel, withstanding brutalities that parallel those in season 2.
During an attack against the White Tower by the Seanchan, Egwene manages to use a sa’angreal called the White Rod to defend the Aes Sedai.Elaida is taken captive and made damane by the Seanchan, providing the reader a satisfying ending for one of the book series' most unnerving villains, several books after her rise to power. Aside from seeing Elaida finally fall, this is a decisive moment for Egwene that solidifies her as an incredibly strong channeler and the rightful Amyrlin Seat.
4The Golden Crane
From Knife Of Dreams
There’s nothing in fantasy that compares to a moment where a hero rallies the troops, be it inThe Lord of the Rings,The Stormlight Archive, or Robert Jordan’s books.Knife of Dreamshas that moment, withNynaeve assembling men to follow her husband, Lan, into the Last Battle. We know from the show and the early books that Lan is from a line of kings in a fallen kingdom called Malkier. But as Lan says, “Malkier lives so long as one man wears the hadori in pledge that he will fight the Shadow.”
“My name is Nynaeve ti al’Meara Mandragoran. The message I want sent is this.My husband rides from World’s End toward Tarwin’s Gap, toward Tarmon Gai’don. Will he ride alone?”
This is a vital step in the arcs of both Nynaeve and Lan, as their leadership rekindles an entire culture of people, allowing the Golden Crane banner to fly in the Last Battle. After they join forces with the Light, helping to defeat the Dark One, the pair return to the Borderlands and begin to rebuild Malkier,fulfilling an enduring romance that was promised from the first novel.
3Mat’s Journey To The Tower Of Ghenjei
From Towers Of Midnight
Moiraine’s fate onThe Wheel of Timewas hard to determine, as, in the books, she actually “dies” inThe Fires of Heavenand isn’t brought back until much later in the series. I doubt that the showrunners would have been willing to kill off Moiraine, as Rosamund Pike was the series' top-billed actor, marquee attraction to non-fantasy fans, and a producer on the show. Still, I’m going to write about the Tower of Ghenjei, as it’sone of the most fantastic Mat sequences in the book series, and I hope they would have found a way to incorporate it.
Season 3’s ending provided us with a first look at the Aelfinn and their connection to Mat, so following through on this arc seasons later with him would have been fascinating. Even if Moiraine is just imprisoned briefly, this is a moment that shows Mat’s worth as a hero, even sacrificing an eye in the rescue mission. It also dips into one of the most compelling corners of Robert Jordan’s world, exploring the realm of the Finn in more detail than what we saw in Tanchico.
2Nynaeve Restores Logain’s Power
From Lord Of Chaos
Nynaeve al’Meara is one of the most powerful channelers inThe Wheel of Time’sworld, and one of the moments where she demonstrates this is inLord of Chaos. Logain was a False Dragon, with the extent of his power on full display in season 1, challenging several Aes Sedai on his own.He was eventually captured and gentled, but Nynaeve actually managed to reverse this, healing the missing hole in him, bringing another male channeler to the side of the Light for the eventual Last Battle.
Amazon’s adaptation ofThe Wheel of Timeeven established a circular moment for this arc, with Nynaeve being the one to shut him down during his fight with the Aes Sedai in season 1. It would have been a perfect opportunity to show how far Nynaeve had come throughout the show, especially after breaking her channeling barrier in season 3’s ending. This could have happened as soon as season 4 or 5, so it wouldn’t have been very far from where we left off inThe Wheel of Time.
1Rand Fulfills His Destiny
Yes, another Rand moment. Rand is my favorite character, as I think his arc is not only a profound subversion of the Hero’s Journey, but possibly the most beautiful example in fiction. The retrieval of Callandor is a pivotal moment for Rand, but another occurs atop Dragonmount, whenRand finally breaks free from the constant strain of his power, which has caused him to teeter on the edge of evilor to close himself off from emotions and friendships.
InThe Gathering Storm, Rand nearly destroys an entire city before traveling to the top of Dragonmount to determine his place in the world. It doesn’t get more epic than traveling to the top of a location called “Dragonmount” to do literally anything, butthis moment shows an internal decision that separates Rand from destroying the world and saving it. This is the moment Rand proves he’s the hero ofThe Wheel of Time, and it would have been the most epic moment in the TV show.
