Rand's Shocking Decision In The Wheel Of Time Flips The Books' Original Order

This article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 2, episode 1. The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 1 opens with Rand making a shocking decision that turns Robert Jordan's original story on its head. Amazon's epic Wheel of Time has made a lot of changes to the books, but I admit I didn't quite expect anything on the scale of season 3 so far. It's already clear this season is combining the plots of books 3 and 4, The Dragon Reborn and The Shadow Rising, but nothing plays out in quite the same way as the novels.

This isn't necessarily a criticism, of course; any adaptation is always going to need to make changes. What's more, some - such as the romance between Elayne and Aviendha - actually feel like a marked improvement to me. Still, previous seasons have been highly controversial due to their deviations from the books, and season 3 is set to go further than most viewers would have guessed. Rand's decisions at the start of episode 1 set him on a very different path to the one Jordan charted.

By Going To The Aiel Waste, Rand Just Flipped Books 3 & 4

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Jordan's books see Rand al'Thor travel to the city of Tear in order to prove himself the Dragon Reborn - to himself as much as anyone. He achieved this by claiming the blade Callandor, a powerful sa'angreal that can only be claimed by the Dragon Reborn, which he used against the Forsaken in a climactic battle. It was only then that he traveled to the Aiel Waste, recognizing that he must be acknowledged as their true leader - for they are the prophesied People of the Dragon.

Related Wheel Of Time Season 3 Quietly Confirmed A Huge Missing Piece Of Rand's Backstory The Wheel of Time season 3's opening episodes introduced some integral Rand lore from the books, but you might have missed the subtle scene.

The Wheel of Time deliberately turns this on its head. It initially sets up the same plot as the books, with Moiraine insisting Rand must claim Callandor as quickly as possible; she believes he's a target, and needs Callandor in his hand to be safe from the Forsaken. Rand makes a different choice, though, deciding to go to the Aiel Waste first. This perfectly flips books three and four, taking the story in a very unexpected direction indeed.

Flipping The Books Likely Means More Changes To The Wheel Of Time

The Dragon Reborn is generally considered one of the weaker books in Jordan's series, and there's a simple reason; it has the least number of chapters from Rand's point of view, instead focusing on how others perceive him. This makes it rather hard to adapt, given it means the main protagonist doesn't have the strongest arc. By switching things up, The Wheel of Time avoids that problem in a rather smart manner; it gives Rand a journey of self-discovery as he truly embraces what it means to be the Dragon Reborn.

It's possible The Wheel of Time will also change Callandor's story. In the books, Rand claims the sword, and then puts it back - to fulfill a second prophecy, one saying the blade had to be claimed by someone else after he had wielded it. That's why he isn't using Callandor when he heads to the Aiel Waste. By switching things up like this, I think The Wheel of Time is preparing to drop this second prophecy altogether. That would be a sensible approach, compressing the narrative a little while ditching a plot that always felt more than a little superfluous.

Why Rand Is Going To The Aiel Waste, Not The Stone Of Tear

But why is Rand going to the Aiel Waste, rather than to the Stone of Tear? The show's version of Rand has accepted his role as the Dragon Reborn, and seems to be a lot more confident and self-assured. He doesn't have the same need to prove himself by using Callandor, meaning he can make different decisions. One of these appears to be tied to an ancient prophecy.

According to these prophecies, the "People of the Dragon" will be present with the Dragon Reborn when he travels to Tear to claim Callandor. As anyone familiar with the books knows, the "People of the Dragon" are the Aiel - meaning Rand does indeed need to travel to the Waste first, so he can lead an army to Tear. Presumably the dramatic battle at Tear will be part of the season finale.

The Wheel of Time's showrunners are clearly willing to depart from Robert Jordan's books where they feel it necessary. In this case, it feels like a sensible decision; we're looking at a streamlined arc, one that cuts plots that didn't quite work in the books themselves. I'll be fascinated to see how this plays out.