What Book Will The Wheel Of Time Season 4 Be About?
Includes SPOILERS for The Wheel of Time season 3 finale and spoilers from the book series.
The Wheel of Time season 3 primarily covered events from The Shadow Rising, leaving an unclear direction forward for season 4. As of 4/18/25, it’s unclear whether Amazon Prime Video is going to renew The Wheel of Time for a fourth season, though, with the amount of resources they’ve put into the series, it seems doubtful they’d give up after their best work yet. Season 3 set the show’s records for its best-reviewed episodes, even scoring a vastly improved 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 82% score from audiences, demonstrating a desire to see this story continued.
Amazon’s first two seasons offered adaptations of Robert Jordan’s first two Wheel of Time books, but season 3 skipped ahead to the fourth. The Shadow Rising is one of the most beloved books in Jordan’s saga, and the manner in which it was adapted creates an unclear sequence of events to follow. For example, Perrin isn’t a part of book five, but they aren’t going to write his character off for a season, so changes were made to accommodate. It seems like season 4 will be an amalgamation of several other novels, making it difficult to predict.
The Wheel Of Time Looks Set To Cover The Biggest Part Of The Dragon Reborn
Rand Needs To Take The Stone Of Tear And Retrieve Callandor
Rand al’Thor is the Dragon Reborn, and he was confirmed to be the Car’a’carn of the Aiel in The Wheel of Time’s season 3 ending. However, there’s one critical step for him to achieve to fulfill his arc as the hero of the Light in the Last Battle: he needs his sword. The Dragon Reborn prophecy, also known as the Karaethon Cycle, tells of several steps Rand will have to take in order to fulfill his purpose. Earning the loyalty of the People of the Dragon, the Aiel, was one of them; now he needs to retrieve the blade Callandor.
This is the central plot of The Dragon Reborn, the third novel in the series, and likely the only part of the book the show will return to.
Callandor is a powerful sa’angreal, much like Sakarnen, which Moiraine used to defeat Lanfear in season 3’s finale. To retrieve it, Rand must travel to the Stone of Tear, a fortress constructed by the Aes Sedai using the One Power. This is the central plot of The Dragon Reborn, the third novel in the series, and likely the only part of the book the show will return to. Moiraine even mentioned they now have an army to capture it with. Aside from that, Prime Video’s Wheel of Time adaptation will likely continue moving forward to other novels.
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Rand al’Thor plays a crucial role in The Fires of Heaven, so while they’ll have to bring him to Tear, there are other things he’ll have to do in the season. Tear could be just an episode or two at the start, because book five’s material has other Aiel narratives and a Forsaken for Rand to do battle with. This is where changing the order of events gets messy.
The Fires Of Heaven Is Set Up To Be The Main Focus Of Season 4
Carrying On To Book Five Seems Like The Right Path
Image via Prime Video
Following The Shadow Rising, the bulk of season 4 will likely be focused on The Fires of Heaven. With the introduction of Queen Morgase Trakand at the start of The Wheel of Time season 3, audiences also met the Forsaken, Rahvin, though he was disguised as a man named Lord Gaebril. Season 4’s plotline will follow up on the events in the Aiel Waste, then bring Rand back to the Wetlands, where Rahvin will likely be the season’s main villain, taking over from Lanfear. Events in the Aiel Waste could wrap up in the season premiere.
The Fires of Heaven also includes follow-ups to the Breaking of the White Tower and the events in Tanchico. With Siuan Sanche’s death, some of the subsequent narrative involving the Aes Sedai will be stripped from the show, but a rebel Aes Sedai faction will still form in defiance of Elaida. Moghedien survived the Tanchico plotline, which could directly tie to The Fires of Heaven’s events, with Nynaeve continuing to pursue her, and the Domination Bands could mean setup for some stories from Lord of Chaos.
The Wheel Of Time Season 4 May Include A Major Lord Of Chaos Storyline
The Red & Black Ajah Will Pursue Rand al’Thor To Gentle Or Control Him
Image via Prime Video
Lord of Chaos is the sixth book in the Wheel of Time series, and for the most part, the novel’s events will likely be saved for season 5. However, the Breaking of the White Tower storyline in The Wheel of Time season 3’s finale established precedent for a critical moment in Lord of Chaos, which is Rand being pursued by the Red Ajah. Elaida isn’t a Darkfriend, but she believes the Dragon Reborn must be gentled for the good of the Light, and that anyone who disagrees with her is working for the Dark One.
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Now that Elaida is in control of the White Tower, more resources will be at her disposal to dispose of Rand. The season finale noted a change from the books, which is that it only requires eight Aes Sedai to gentle a man, as opposed to thirteen from the novels. This will make it a bit easier for Rand to defend himself against the Red Ajah, but he needs to be cautious anytime he’s surrounded by eight or more female channelers. With so much occurring among the Aes Sedai, this could be a factor in season 4.
Perrin’s Season 3 Ending Hints His Next Story Will Be A Towers Of Midnight Adaptation
Perrin’s Story Could Skip Ahead To Book Thirteen
Image via Prime Video
Perrin wasn’t in The Wheel of Time season 3’s finale, but his story covered the entirety of the season’s penultimate episode. His story ended with a significant plot twist from the books, with him surrendering himself to the Children of the Light. In The Shadow Rising, the White Cloaks break their agreement to help battle the Trollocs, so Perrin decides not to go with them to face justice, leaving the confrontation between him and Dain Bornhald for later in the saga.
His story ended with a significant plot twist from the books, with him surrendering himself to the Children of the Light.
With Perrin agreeing to go with the White Cloaks, the plan for season 4 is likely going to bring that plotline to a climax, which would mean skipping all the way ahead to Towers of Midnight, the thirteenth book in the series. There are still matters in the Two Rivers Perrin needs to attend to, now that he’s been unofficially declared as its lord, but for now, he’ll be going wherever Dain Bornhald and his followers tell him to go. Perrin will be judged by “the Light” in The Wheel of Time season 4.
6/10
- Release Date
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November 18, 2021
- Network
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Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Rafe Judkins
- Directors
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Sanaa Hamri, Ciaran Donnelly, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Thomas Napper, Maja Vrvilo, Wayne Che Yip
- Writers
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Amanda Kate Shuman, Dave Hill, Rohit Kumar, Justine Juel Gillmer, Celine Song, Rammy Park, The Clarksons Twins, Katherine B. McKenna
