10 The Wheel Of Time Characters Whose Stories Are Changed Most From The Books

Summary Prime Video's The Wheel of Time makes significant changes to 10 characters, aiming to adapt the series faithfully. Season 3 continues this.

Adapting a massive series presents challenges, leading to big decisions on cuts and character/story changes. The show's characters differ from the books.

Characters like Liandrin, Agelmar, and Abel undergo drastic changes in The Wheel of Time adaptation compared to the original novels.

Prime Video's The Wheel of Time adapts Robert Jordan's 14-volume novel series of the same name, significantly changing the stories of 10 characters along the way. The Wheel of Time has largely been a success for Prime Video, thanks in large part to the rich source material it has to draw on. Accordingly, The Wheel of Time season 3 will look to continue adapting the series as faithfully as possible.

Unfortunately, as The Wheel of Time season 2's ending demonstrates, adapting such a massive series presents a host of difficulties. It's impossible for the show to include every character and every storyline, so big decisions have to be made about cuts and character/story changes that can condense the narrative. With that in mind, The Wheel of Time's characters are often a bit different from their book counterparts, especially 10 characters whose stories are drastically changed from the novels.

Related Because Of Wheel Of Time's Season 3 Plan, I'm Worried This Major Character Won't Be In The Show The direction Wheel of Time looks to be taking for season 3 creates concerns that a major ally to the main characters will be left out of the show.

10 Liandrin Guirale — Aes Sedai Of The Red Ajah

Has More Redeeming Qualities In The Wheel Of Time

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Liandrin, who looks set to be one of the major villains in The Wheel of Time's future, is one character whose story is drastically changed from the book series. One key difference is the storyline in The Wheel of Time season 2 that sees Liandrin desperately trying to become Nynaeve's personal tutor at the White Tower. In the books, Liandrin sees teaching as below her, and spends most of the one lesson she gives Nynaeve trying to pry information on Rand, Mat, and Perrin from her.

The Wheel of Time seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

The next major departure in Liandrin's story is the son she hides in the White Tower in The Wheel of Time season 2. Nothing remotely like this happens in the book series, and it seems to be part of a larger effort to make Liandrin a more sympathetic character, rather than the purely villainous one she is in The Wheel of Time book series. With that in mind, The Wheel of Time show clearly has different ideas about how to use Liandrin's character, so it's safe to expect more story changes for her character in the future.

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9 Agelmar Jagad — Lord Of Fal Dara

Killed In The Wheel Of Time Season 1

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Also among the book changes in The Wheel of Time is the premature death of Lord Agelmar Jagad in season 1. Lord Agelmar ends up being killed during the Battle of Tarwin's gap when a trolloc throws a spear through his chest, but this is far from the fate his character meets in the novels. In the books, Lord Agelmar is one of the most respected military commanders on the continent, and he is quickly chosen as one of the leading commanders at Tarmon Gai'don in the final book.

The show depicts him as a prickly man with a distrust of Aes Sedai, but he is the opposite in Jordan's novels.

Agelmar's character is also changed from a personality and attitude perspective. The show depicts him as a prickly man with a distrust of Aes Sedai, but he is the opposite in Jordan's novels. The people of Fal Dara, Agelmar included, have a deep respect for Aes Sedai, and they treat anyone from the White Tower as an honored guest. Between his extremely premature death and the personality differences, Agelmar is one of the most drastically changed characters in The Wheel of Time.

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8 Abel Cauthon — Mat's Father

Depicted As A Drunk In The Wheel Of Time

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Abel Cauthon is debatably the character that The Wheel of Time changes the most from the book series. In Jordan's novels, Abel is a good man, known for his skill with horses and a quarterstaff. He is one of the most respected members of the Two Rivers community, and he plays a huge role in protecting the village from trollocs in The Shadow Rising, the fourth Wheel of Time book. Mat often remembers his father's wisdom and perceptiveness, calling on it in his times of need.

Mat clearly despises his father in the show, making it difficult to reconcile the character with his book counterpart.

The Abel Cauthon depicted in Prime Video's The Wheel of Time could not be further away from this character. Prime Video's Abel is a cowardly drunk who hides in a shack while his children run for their lives from a host of angry trollocs. Mat clearly despises his father in the show, making it difficult to reconcile the character with his book counterpart. Still, it's possible The Wheel of Time will provide Abel with some sort of redemption and nudge him closer to the man he is in the books.

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7 Amalisa Jagad — Lady Of Fal Dara

Sister To Lord Agelmar Jagad

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Amalisa Jagad is a character who plays an extremely minor role in Jordan's novels but was given a much more important part to play in The Wheel of Time. At the end of The Wheel of Time season 1, Lady Amalisa creates a circle with Nynaeve and Egwene, drawing on their power to rain lightning on the trolloc army moving through Tarwin's Gap. Amalisa draws so much of the One Power into her body that it burns her to a crisp, but the trollocs are defeated.

Amalisa has no training, which means she wouldn't know how to form those weaves, even with the requisite power.

In Jordan's novels, Lady Amalisa has little to no talent with channeling, and would be entirely incapable of weaving lightning, even if she were drawing on the power of others. Amalisa has no training, which means she wouldn't know how to form those weaves, even with the requisite power. In the books, Amalisa's only relevant involvement in the story is being Compulsed by Liandrin to find Rand and his friends, so her story is easily one of the most changed from books to show.

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6 Anvaere Damodred — Cairhienin Noblewoman

Moiraine Damodred's Sister

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In Jordan's novel series, Anvaere Damodred is a character who is briefly mentioned during Moiraine's arc, but she never becomes a real character within the story. Moiraine describes her sister as fun-loving with little desire for any real responsibility, citing this as the reason the Throne of Cairhien passed to Galldrian Riatin. In The Wheel of Time show, however, Anvaere is a clever political player with much more ambition than her book character.

This encourages her to marry her son, Barthanes, to the Queen of Cairhien, demonstrating infinitely more ambition than her book counterpart.

The show's Anvaere resents Moiraine for leaving their family behind, and strives to become powerful enough to outdo her sister. This encourages her to marry her son, Barthanes, to the Queen of Cairhien, demonstrating infinitely more ambition than her book counterpart. Of course, Barthanes turns out to be a darkfriend, but the fact remains that Anvaere Damodred is a totally different character in Prime Video's Wheel of Time adaptation.

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5 Uno Nomesta — Shienaran Soldier

Killed In The Wheel Of Time Season 2

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Uno Nomesta is another character from Jordan's novels who dies prematurely in The Wheel of Time show, making it impossible to follow his book story. Up until Uno's death at the hands of the Seanchan in The Wheel of Time season 2, Uno's story largely followed his book arc, including joining the group hunting for the Horn of Valere. However, Uno lives far beyond the hunt for the Horn in Jordan's books.

Uno notably becomes a Hero of the Horn in The Wheel of Time season 2, marking another departure from the books.

Uno remains a character for the entire Wheel of Time book series, joining the rebel Aes Sedai in Salidar before fighting valiantly at the Last Battle. He also appears sporadically in other characters' stories, showing up when he's least expected. With that in mind, the remainder of Uno's story will have to be skipped in The Wheel of Time, and while his role is not all that important, it's a shame to lose such an intriguing character so early in the story.

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4 Logain Ablar — Ghealdanin False Dragon

Cut Off From The One Power In The Wheel Of Time Season 1

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Logain Ablar's story in Prime Video's The Wheel of Time includes several core aspects of his book story, but the rest of his arc is original to the show. His uprising in Ghealdan and subsequent capture by the Red Ajah happens according to the books, but virtually everything else is original to the show. Logain's convoy passing Rand in Tar Valon is similar to another scene from the books, but it happens in Caemlyn in the novels.

Still, the show has a chance to get Logain's arc back on track by Healing his connection to the One Power and integrating the Asha'man.

Other parts of Logain's story in The Wheel of Time, like killing Kerene Nagashi while trying to escape, do not come from the book series. His presence at an asylum in Cairhien is also contrary to book canon, as is Rand's meeting with him there. It seems possible that Logain could end up teaching Rand to channel, which would be another major departure from the books. Still, the show has a chance to get Logain's arc back on track by Healing his connection to the One Power and integrating the Asha'man.

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3 Kerene Nagashi — Aes Sedai Of The Green Ajah

Killed By Logain In The Wheel Of Time Season 1

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Kerene Nagashi is an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah who is murdered by the Black Ajah years before the main saga in Jordan's Wheel of Time novels. With that in mind, she obviously didn't have any sort of role to play in the main story, so her inclusion in Prime Video's adaptation of the series is totally original. In The Wheel of Time show, Kerene's only purpose seems to be getting killed by Logain, leading to his gentling.

Considering Kerene has been dead for years in the novels, The Wheel of Time's showrunners likely saw her as an expendable character they could bring in to facilitate Logain's premature gentling.

Considering Kerene has been dead for years in the novels, The Wheel of Time's showrunners likely saw her as an expendable character they could bring in to facilitate Logain's premature gentling. Regardless, considering she doesn't even appear directly in Jordan's Wheel of Time books, any involvement her character had with the show was always going to contradict book canon.

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2 Verin Mathwin — Aes Sedai Of The Brown Ajah

One Of The Most Intelligent Aes Sedai

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Although Verin's character is similar to her book counterpart in terms of personality and attitude, her story is almost entirely new in The Wheel of Time. Verin enters the show in season 2, being introduced as the sister of Adeleas, which is not the case in the books. She then helps Moiraine get back on her feet before returning to the White Tower to investigate the disappearance of Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne.

From there, Verin joins Perrin in his quest to free the Two Rivers from trollocs and abusive White Cloaks.

In the books, Verin first appears in Fal Dara before returning to the White Tower with Egwene and the others. Afterward, she joins the party hunting for the Horn of Valere, following them all the way to Falme. From there, Verin joins Perrin in his quest to free the Two Rivers from trollocs and abusive White Cloaks. While Verin could still join the fight for the Two Rivers in The Wheel of Time season 3, it seems unlikely that her show arc will match up with her book arc any time soon.

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1 Elyas Machera — Wolfbrother

Perrin's Mentor And Friend

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Elyas Machera's character is largely similar to his book counterpart, but his story in Prime Video's Wheel of Time adaptation is significantly different. In the books, Elyas meets Perrin and Egwene when they are lost in the wilderness after escaping Shadar Logoth, helping them find their way to civilization. He does not reappear until he joins Perrin's army in Ghealdan much later in the story.

Still, Elyas is likely to get back on track with his book story and become Perrin's wolfbrother mentor.

In the show, however, Elyas makes his first appearance while Perrin and the Shienarans are hunting for the Horn of Valere, showing up and offering to become their Sniffer. Essentially, nothing that Elyas does in The Wheel of Time season 2 happens in the books, and he is more or less used to take the place of another character, the Sniffer named Hurin. Still, Elyas is likely to get back on track with his book story and become Perrin's wolfbrother mentor.

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