Don't Be Surprised If Wheel Of Time Season 3's Villain Doesn't Even Fight Rand

Summary Moghedien may not face Rand in The Wheel of Time season 3, with Nynaeve potentially being her primary opponent.

Nynaeve's strength with the One Power sets her up as Moghedien's biggest enemy, potentially resolving her character flaw.

While Rand could face two other villains in season 3, like Couladin and Asmodean, Nynaeve is poised for a showdown with Moghedien.

Despite being the center of the show's story, Rand is unlikely to square off against the character set up to be The Wheel of Time season 3's main villain. As the Dragon Reborn, it would normally make sense that the villain of each season is due for a showdown with him, but an exception to that formula may come with the release of The Wheel of Time season 3. If the setup provided by Wheel of Time season 2's ending and additional details are any indication, a different character may be that villain's primary opponent.

Ishamael's death seemingly laid the groundwork for the series to move on to a new antagonist. Who that person could be was heavily teased by the final scene, which unveiled the show's take on Moghedien, a member of the 13 Forsaken in The Wheel of Time books. Given the sinister feel of her cameo and the way in which she appeared to intimidate even Lanfear herself, the episode is able to end with a strong sense that Moghedien is the next challenge Wheel of Time's main characters will overcome. However, it may not be the Dragon Reborn who ultimately stands against her.

Wheel Of Time's Tanchico Plan Hints Moghedien's Story Will Be Separate From Rand's

Moghedien May Be Targeting Rand, But Someone May Get In Her Way

In Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books, it's Nynaeve, Elayne, Thom, and Juilin Sandar who have to contend with Moghedien in her first story, not Rand. Rand had other concerns on his plate in The Shadow Rising, the book season 3 is poised to adapt. Of course, there's no reason why the show can't change that, as it could technically still pit them against each other to streamline the stories, but chances of that happening are rather low, considering that Tanchico is confirmed for The Wheel of Time season 3. Tanchico is where Nynaeve and the others face Moghedien in The Shadow Rising.

In the book, Rand spends the bulk of the story in the Aiel Waste pursuing his own goals while both Nynaeve and Elayne are busy looking for the Black Ajah in Tanchico. And based on how things were left, there's good reason to believe the same will be the case for both groups in season 3. The Black Ajah's existence has been exposed, plus the girls were sold to the Seanchan by a Black Sister (Liandrin) in season 2. This raises the likelihood of them being on a different trajectory from Rand, who was just identified as the Car'a'carn by Aviendha, clearly setting him to go recruit the Aiel to his side.

Why Moghedien is Really Nynaeve's Villain In The Wheel Of Time, Not Rand's

Nynaeve Earned Moghedien's Animosity In The Shadow Rising

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A lack of conflict between The Wheel of Time season 3's villain and Rand is hardly a problem for the series, especially since she'll have her hands full with or without the Dragon Reborn in her sights. Her exploits in Tanchico, depicted in The Shadow Rising, turned Nynaeve into a fitting adversary for the character. Of the "good" characters featured in the series, Nynaeve is the second strongest among them, behind only Rand and above even Moiraine. Her raw potential with the One Power makes her someone who could be perceived as a legitimate threat to a member of the Forsaken.

This aspect of Nynaeve's character has a lot to do with why she's the biggest thorn in Moghedien's side in the books. Because of her amazing strength with the One Power in Wheel of Time, Nynaeve pulled off a shocking feat when she managed to beat Moghedien in a one-on-fight in The Shadow Rising, solidifying her status as Moghedien's greatest enemy and setting the stage for future encounters between the two.

The importance of this battle to Nynaeve's character and overall reputation is further evidence that the show won't make Moghedien the final villain that Rand will face in season 3. To do so, and deny Nynaeve her big victory from The Shadow Rising in the process, would undermine her arc. Not only that, but it would be contrary to the show's history; the preceding season finales have seen Nynaeve and Egwene receive key roles in the action, even when it didn't line up with the books. With that in mind, it's hard to imagine the TV series handling this fight any differently.

Nynaeve's Moghedien Fight Could Finally Resolve Her Biggest Problem

In addition to using Mogheiden to fully showcase what Nynaeve is capable of in The Wheel of Time, her role could also serve the purpose of fixing the heroine's biggest problem. As season 2 demonstrated, Nynaeve's greatest flaw as a channeler is that she can't access the True Source on command. She has a "block" that keeps her from naturally channeling and has to rely on anger to unleash her abilities. Unfortunately, this makes Nynaeve someone who's a bit unreliable in some situations. But not unlike what happens in the books, her rivalry with Moghedien could be what pushes her past the block.

In the books, nearly drowning as a result of Moghedien's actions was the moment Nynaeve surrendered to the One Power and beat the block for good. Granted, this didn't happen until the seventh book, A Crown of Swords, but with the show on track to condense Jordan's narrative, there's a good chance the show will want to speed things along, and perhaps not keep its villains around for several seasons at a time. With that in mind, it won't be a shock if the show takes the Tanchico plotline as an opportunity to get Nynaeve past her greatest hurdle.

Who Rand Could Fight In Wheel Of Time (If Not Moghedien)

Both Couladin and Asmodean could be villains for Rand

Looking at what The Shadow Rising's plot promises the TV version of Rand's story in season 3, not letting him fight Moghedien won't be detrimental to his arc in the least. Moghedien justifiably gets more attention than the other Shadow Rising villains, but isn't the story's only antagonist. In fact, Rand has two he has to deal with over the course of the book. The first is Couladin, an Aiel warrior and a false Car'a'carn. Believing himself to be the true hero of the prophecies, Couladin rivals Rand for the title and goes to great lengths to ensure that the latter doesn't end up with that recognition in The Shadow Rising.

As a non-channeler, Couladin isn't threatening enough to be Rand's toughest obstacle in The Wheel of Time season 3, hence why it's Asmodean who gets that role in the book over him, But in contrast to Moghedien, whose presence is felt throughout Nynaeve and Elayne's story, Asmodean only rears his head at the end of the story. However, he does wind up offering the book a satisfying showdown to conclude The Shadow Rising. If the show follows the books, it may employ a combination of Couladin and Asmodean to keep Rand busy.