Wheel Of Time's Huge Mat Twist Makes A Moiraine Theory Even More Likely

Summary Moiraine's fate in The Wheel of Time series may deviate from the books due to changes in the TV show's storyline.

Mat's new twist with unlocked memories could replace key elements from the books, suggesting a major change in the TV adaptation.

Excluding the Aelfinn and Eelfinn from the TV show may alter Moiraine's journey, hinting at a different path for her character.

Warning: The article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time books

A major twist with Mat Cauthon's story in The Wheel of Time supports a theory about Moiraine's future in the series. With most of the characters in the show, their arcs are expected to follow Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books (at least in some degree). One character commonly seen as an exception to that is Rosamund Pike's Moiraine Damodred, mostly due to the greater presence she's taken on in the TV version of the story.

In the source material, Moiraine begins the narrative as a key player in the Dragon Reborn's journey, as she's the one who ultimately sets Rand al'Thor on his course. She continues to be relevant for a while, but things take a turn in the fifth book, The Fires of Heaven, when she is presumed dead after an encounter with Lanfear. It's been unclear how this will play out in the show, with one argument being that it'll be changed considerably.

Why Wheel Of Time May Change Moiraine's Disappearance In The Wheel Of Time

Wheel Of Time Is Gradually Approaching The Story Where Moiraine Vanishes

Of course, Moiraine did not truly die in The Fires of Heaven. But, that was believed to be the case for quite a while. On account of this, Moiraine missed out on seven straight books. The show's final number of seasons is highly unlikely to correspond with the 14-book Wheel of Time series, but adhering to the story would still call for Moiraine to be absent from the main cast for two or three seasons, possibly more. What complicates that is that Moiraine's heightened role in the story and Pike's status as the lead actor in the cast.

With that in mind, it's long been speculated that when The Wheel of Time's show reaches the point in the narrative when Moiraine fights Lanfear in Cairhien, her "death" scene will be avoided. If Moiraine neutralizes Lanfear without making a sacrifice, the show won't have to part with her for such a long time. This theory makes sense, considering that Moiraine feels too important to the TV version to just be written out of the story and not appear again for years. Interestingly, a development in Mat's storyline reinforces that notion.

Mat's Unlocked Memories Suggest The Aelfinn & Eelfinn Aren't In The Wheel Of Time TV Show

Central Figures In Moiraine's Disappaerance May Not Be In The Books

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In season 2's penultimate episode, Mat consumed a tea given to him by Ishamael, which sparked strange "memories." According to Ishamael, the visions he saw stem from his "past lives." This refers to The Wheel of Time's interpretation of reincarnation, which sees people "spun" back into the Wheel as a new person sometime after their last death. This led to the memories being triggered in The Wheel of Time season 2 finale when Mat blew the Horn of Valere. He recognized the Heroes of the Horn as past allies and could suddenly speak the Old Tongue.

This twist seems to serve as a replacement for what happened to Mat in the fourth book, The Shadow Rising. In the novel, Mat encountered two mysterious races called the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn after accidently entering their realms during his time in the Aiel Waste. Due to memory loss issues brought upon by the ruby-hilted dagger, he asked them to have the gaps in his memory filled, unaware that they would fulfill this wish by giving him the memories of long-dead military leaders.

Since this allowed Mat access to centuries of tactical knowledge and the Old Tongue, it seems reasonable to argue that he won't be crossing paths with the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn in the Prime Video series. As for why the show would write them out of Mat's story (but still incorporate his added memories), perhaps the reason is that The Wheel of Time has elected to remove the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn altogether. That would be a huge change to the books, especially since they influence several stories, including Moiraine's fate in The Fires of Heaven.

Excluding The Aelfinn & Eelfinn Would Completely Change Moiraine's Return

It Supports The Idea That Moiraine Won't "Die"

Leaving out the Eelfinn and the Aelfinn would force changes to Moiraine's story. In The Fires of Heaven, she pushes Lanfear through a ter'angreal gateway amidst a heated battle. Afterward, both characters are considered dead for quite some time, with Lan's bond being passed on to another Aes Sedai. This perception lasts until the 13th book, Towers of Midnight. In a surprise twist, it's learned that Moiraine is in a place called the Tower of Ghenjei, a place that acts as a nexus point between the realms of the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn.

Apparently, their dimension is where Moiraine wound up after stepping through the ter'angreal door with Lanfear. This culminated in a complex rescue mission in which Thom and Mat had to work out how to save her. This drove their arc in Towers of Midnight, making it a major part of the book. Whether that happens in the show is now in question, given that it's now unclear if the Tower of Ghenjei exists at all. That being the case would mean that Wheel of Time would have to come up with a different explanation for where Moiraine went and why she was missing for so many books.

How The Wheel Of Time Can Keep Moiraine's "Death" Without Removing Her From The Story

Moiraine Is Unlikely Disappear As Long As She Did In The Books

Arguably the least problematic scenario when it comes to handling The Fires of Heaven's Moiraine-Lanfear twist is to keep her "death" but change how long it lasts. If the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn have indeed been removed and Moiraine doesn't get stuck in the Tower of Ghenjei for seasons on end, The Wheel of Time can craft a new story for Moiraine. Eliminating the impact her disappearance had on Lan, not to mention the other characters, would amount to massive changes, hence why the show may make it an event with only short-term repercussions.

In other words, a later season could see Moiraine go a solo adventure elsewhere in The Wheel of Time's world, with many of the characters falsely believing that she died alongside Lanfear. That would allow the show to use several key moments that arose out of Moiraine's "death," but not prevent her from being a factor in the wider narrative. If the show heads in this direction, it can reunite Moiraine with the rest of the characters within a season, enabling her to be relevant to stories she never was in the books.