The Wheel of Time season 1: release date, trailer, cast, plot and more

The Wheel of Time is ready to launch on Amazon Prime Video. After a two-year wait, the streamer’s potentially next big hit arrives this week: that’s November 19, 2021 if you weren’t aware of its exact launch date.

With Amazon’s adaptation of Robert Jordan’s iconic high fantasy book series just days away from being released, it’s time to start getting giddy for its arrival. We’ll be publishing a feature with the show’s cast and crew in the lead-up to release, while our spoiler-free review will be going live in the near future, too. So there’ll be plenty for you to read before the show lands later this week.

While you wait, though, what do you need to know about The Wheel of Time? Below, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about The Wheel of Time season 1. You’ll find out who is portraying the series’ main characters, what season 1’s plot may entail, other adaptations based on Robert Jordan’s beloved world that are in the works, and more.

We’re entering spoiler territory for The Wheel of Time’s book series from this point on. If you want to go in with little to no knowledge of the series, turn back now. If you’re happy to proceed, though, let’s dive in.

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The Wheel of Time season 1 release date

The Wheel of Time season 1 release date: November 19

The Wheel of Time season 1 has a release date. As we mentioned above, Amazon’s adaptation will premiere on Prime Video on November 19. We predicted that Amazon would release The Wheel of Time season 1 in the final three months of 2021, so we’re glad to see that we were on the mark in that respect.

The first three episodes will arrive on the streaming platform on November 19, too, so you won’t be made to wait for new instalments. Well, that is until you finish that batch of episodes. The others, which we detail below, will arrive weekly after that point.

The Wheel of Time season 1 trailer

The Wheel of Time season 1 trailer: check out the latest teaser

Amazon Studios released a new teaser trailer on Wednesday, October 27. The latest footage takes a deeper dive into what the show’s plot will be about, Moiraine’s origins story, a better glimpse at its combat, and comes packed with some horror infused moments. That won’t surprise fans of the novels but, suffice to say, The Wheel of Time is looking very good indeed.

Check out the series’ official trailer above, and then read on to view the first teaser that landed in September:

Before September, we’d only been treated to some official images and a couple of very brief character teaser trailers. Now that we’ve seen two trailers, though, we have a much better idea of what the show’s style is.

Additionally, a 90-second bonus video, which explains the mission undertaken by Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) in more detail, was released on the Amazon Prime Video YouTube channel ahead of the second trailer’s arrival. You can view that below if you want more information on the series:

And, if that wasn’t enough, Amazon released a video of one of episode 1’s scenes to whet our appetite at New York Comic-Con, too. Here, we see Moiraine and Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney) rock up at the Two Rivers’ Whispering Inn, which leads to a tense stand-off between the duo and the village’s population:

The Wheel of Time season 1 story

The Wheel of Time season 1 plot: what’s it about? 

Spoilers for The Wheel of Time book series follow.

The Wheel of Time is a convoluted story. The book series, which was completed by fellow fantasy author and Wheel of Time fan Brandon Sanderson after Jordan’s death in 2007, comprises 14 novels. Much like Game of Thrones, it also has a stacked list of characters and locations, as well as multiple plot threads to follow.

If its story is a fantasy epic that will span multiple seasons (more on this later), then, what can we try and work out about season 1’s plot?

When Amazon announced that it was adapting Jordan’s literary works back in 2018, a report from Deadline provided a brief synopsis of what we can expect from The Wheel of Time season 1.

Set in an unnamed world (fans call it The Randlands or The World of the Wheel), The Wheel of Time follows Rand al’Thor, a humble boy who lives in a small village known as the Two Rivers.

After Rand’s home is attacked by the forces of the Dark One, an evil entity who wants to destroy the world, he’s rescued by Moiraine, a powerful magician and member of a secret all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, and her Warder Lan Mandragoran.

Believing that the Dark One was seeking out the Dragon Reborn – a prophesied champion who can defeat the lord of evil – Moiraine leads Rand on a dangerous, continent-spanning journey that will decide the fate of the world.

Rand, though, isn’t the only character who could be the so-called Dragon Reborn. His male and female friends – Matrim ‘Mat’ Cauthon, Perrin Aybara, Nynaeve al’Meara and Egwene al’Vere – may also be the ancient hero that Moiraine seeks.

Together, the group hope to defeat the Dark One for good, but their journey will be far from straightforward. The Dragon Reborn also has the ability to destroy humanity instead of liberating it, so the fate of the world rests on their shoulders. No pressure, then.

That synopsis aside, most Wheel of Time viewers won’t know anything about its plot. Diehard fans of the novels will, but the show does diverge from the source material in some instances. Those who adore Jordan’s works, then, will have some new things to look out for when Amazon’s adaptation arrives.

Season 1 won’t only focus on the series’ first book – The Eye of the World – either. Responding to fans during an Instagram Live Q&A, showrunner Rafe Judkins revealed that season 1 is “adapting the whole series, not just Eye of the World”, which suggests that we’ll be seeing plot points from other books in season 1.

The decision to incorporate more books into a single season came down to the fact that Jordan’s novels were, according to season 1 writer Amanda Kate Shuman (per GQ), about “a lot of characters go for a lot of walks to a lot of inns.” So it appears that some of this unnecessary fluff has been cut for the TV adaptation.

Elaborating on what was cut from the TV show, Judkins told Den of Geek: “We’ll never be able to achieve everything that’s in the books. What are the iconic places that we need to do, and do we need to shift things around in physical space in order to hit them? … I don’t want to waste all my production money putting town after town on screen.”

One element (from The Eye of the World) that is included in season 1 is the ruby-hilted dagger. In the novels, this is an artefact of Shadar Logoth, an ancient city that fell to ruin after its citizens locked themselves away during a past war that was decimating the world.

The dagger is possessed by evil forces and manipulates whoever comes into its possession, which spells danger for one of the series’ most prominent characters. In February, Amazon released a teaser trailer that showed one individual coming across the dagger. We won’t reveal which character that is due to spoilers but, if you want to find out who it’ll be, check out the tweet below:

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Judkins explained that the city of Shadar Logoth was “built from scratch for just 15 minutes of airtime”, such is its importance to the plot. That might sound excessive, but it’s necessary to provide genuine authenticity to the show.

Shadar Logoth wasn’t the only giant set that was built for the series. In a lengthy GQ piece that explores how Amazon adapted The Wheel of Time, it’s revealed that the series’ Two Rivers set was erected, used for its filming purposes, and then burned to the ground for another sequence. So Amazon Studios has gone full out in order to make The Wheel of Time as epic as possible.

We’ll also see the Heron Mark Blade included in season 1. In the book series, blademasters may decorate their swords with a heron mark, particularly if they have mastered the art of sword-to-sword combat.

Again, this weapon has a fairly prominent role in proceedings (no spoilers again), so its inclusion isn’t a surprise. In December 2020, Amazon released a teaser of how its creative team had crafted the blade for the show:

The Wheel of Time season 1 episodes

The Wheel of Time season 1 episodes: how many are there? 

Initially, we thought that season 1 would comprise six episodes. This was seemingly confirmed on the Writers’ Guild of America West website in December 2020, alongside the titles for each entry.

However, we’ve received word that The Wheel of Time season 1 will have eight episodes. The first six entries’ titles have been released, which you can view below, but the other two are being kept under wraps for now. Regardless, the show won’t end until December 24, which is just in time for the Holiday season.

• Episode 1 – Leavetaking
• Episode 2 – Shadow’s Waiting
• Episode 3 – A Place of Safety
• Episode 4 – The Dragon Reborn
• Episode 5 – Blood Calls Blood
• Episode 6 – The Flame of Tar Valon
• Episode 7 – TBA
• Episode 8 – TBA

In a separate social media post, Judkins also revealed that season 1’s entries will clock in between 50 and 65 minutes.

As for who is directing the episodes, Uta Briesewitz (Stranger Things, Westworld) helmed the first two entries. Wayne Yip (Hunter, Lord of the Rings) has directed episodes three and four, while Salli Richardson-Whitfield (NCIS, Altered Carbon) has overseen episodes five and six.

Judkins has written the script for the pilot, while episodes two through five have been penned by Amanda Kate Shuman (The Blacklist), Mike and Paul Clarkson (The Haunting of Bly Manor), Dave Hill (Game of Thrones), Celine Song (in her TV writer’s debut) and Justine Juel Gillmer (The 100) respectively.

There’s no word on who has written or directed the final two episodes, but we imagine that Judkins will have written the season 1 finale, at the very least.

The Wheel of Time season 1 cast

The Wheel of Time season 1 cast: who is playing who? 

As we mentioned, there are lots of characters in The Wheel of Time. It’s unsurprising, then, that season 1’s cast is a sizable one.

Below, we’ve listed the main (and most prominent supporting) characters who will appear in season 1:

• Rosamund Pike as Moiraine
• Daniel Henney as Lan Mandragoran 
• Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor 
• Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al’Meara 
• Madeleine Madden as Egwene al’Vere 
• Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara 
• Barney Harris as Matrim ‘Mat’ Cauthon 
• Sophie Okonedo as Siuan Sanche 
• Alvaro Morte as Logain Ablar 
• Alexandre Willaume as Thom Merrilin 
• Johann Myers as Padan Fain 

Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, I Care a Lot) is the biggest name attached to the series. The actress will play Moiraine, the Aes Sedai who leads Rand and his friends on their journey. She’s also known as “Alys” in the book series, while her surname (we won’t spoil it here for story reasons) alludes to ehr past.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Pike reveals that Rand and his companions are initially distrustful of Moiraine, adding: “Moiraine is the guide figure in this world, the mysterious stranger who comes to town and changes their lives forever. They leave with her on a journey that will either save or destroy humanity.”

Josha Stradowski (Gewoon Vrienden) will portray Rand in his first major TV role. The Dutch actor is joined by Marcus Rutherford (Bulletproof), Zoë Robins (Black Christmas), Barney Harris (The Hollow Crown) and Madeleine Madden (Picnic at Hanging Rock) as Perrin, Nynaeve, Mat and Egwene respectively.

Daniel Henney (Criminal Minds) will play Lan Mandragoran, the uncrowned king (and sole survivor) of Malkier and Moiraine’s Warder. In the books, Warders are bonded to Aes Sedai through saidar – the female component of the One Power, the source of the Aes Sedai’s magic – to be their bodyguards.

Sophie Okonedo (His Dark Materials, Ratched) will play another Aes Sedai in Siuan Sanche, who also goes by pseudonyms “Suki” and “Mara” in the novels. Siuan doesn’t appear in the books until the second instalment – The Great Hunt – which means that season 1 will adapt multiple novels, as we discussed earlier on this page. Her role in proceedings is, however, significant, particularly at the White Tower i.e. the headquarters of the Aes Sedai.

Finally, Alvaro Morte (Money Heist) plays called Logain Albar. In the novels, Logain is an Asha’man of the Black Tower, the stronghold of men who can wield the One Power. He also claims to be the Dragon Reborn (a False Dragon, as the Aes Sedai call him), and plots to destroy them so he can be the savior of the world.

There are plenty of other cast members in The Wheel of Time season 1. However, we’ve listed the biggest supporting cast members below, based on what we know from the books.

Alexandre Willaume (Deep State) has been cast as Thom Merrilin, a bard who accompanies Moiraine’s group in the novels. Expect his role to change slightly in the TV adaptation. Meanwhile, Johann Myers (Snatch) will feature as Padan Fain, a secondary antagonist in the books.

Kate Fleetwood (Fate: The Winx Saga) plays another Aes Sedai called Liandrin, who acts as an antagonist to Moiraine in particular. Priyanka Bose (The Good Karma Hospital) plays Alanna Mosvani, another Aes Sedai and close ally of Moiraine’s. 

Abdul Salis (Eastenders) plays Eamon Valda, one of the more prominent Whitecloaks – a group who hunt the Aes Sedai – in the series,  Hammed Animashaun (Black Mirror) portrays Loial, an Ogier and apparent master builder. Finally, Kae Alexander (Fleabag, Infinite) has been cast Min Farshaw, a potential love interest of Rand.

There’s no word on who will star as the villainous Dark One yet but, given the series’ antagonist is a sentient, cosmic force, it’s likely that the show will only require a voice actor to portray them in Amazon’s adaptation.

The Wheel of Time season 1 spin-offs

The Wheel of Time season 1 sequels: will there be more seasons and potential movies?

Yes. In July, The Wheel of Time’s official social media channels revealed that filming had begun on season 2:

The first episode in season 2 will be titled “A Taste of Solitude”, with Shuman returning to pen the screenplay after she wrote season 1’s second entry.

We’ve also received word of which characters (or, rather actors) will be joining The Wheel of Time season 2.

Ceara Coveney will make her TV series debut as fan favorite Elayne Trakand, who is the Queen of Andor and Cairhien in the novels. Natasha O’Keeffe (Peaky Blinders) and Meera Syal (Yesterday, Goodness Gracious Me) have also joined the cast in undisclosed roles.

The trio join Danish actress Salle Salée, who has been brought on board in an unknown role. Start speculating on who she, Syal and O’Keeffe will play, then.

As for how many seasons there will be, there won’t be 14. Like we said earlier, Judkins confirmed that each season would combine books from Jordan’s literary works as, given how complicated the story is, it would takes a long time to finish the TV series: 

How many seasons could we see then? The Wheel of Time spans 14 volumes in total, but there’s also a prequel novel and two companion books to take into consideration.

With 17 books to draw from across this fantasy epic, we wouldn’t be surprised if two or three novels are used per season. If we’re right, Amazon’s Wheel of Time could take seven seasons to reach its conclusion.

That sounds about right, based on what Judkins told Deadline. Asked how long he could see the series running for, Judkins said it would be eight seasons, adding: “I think Wheel of Time lends itself better to a television series. That’s why I think now is the right moment for it to finally exist because people who know that books know it’s just a story about the characters and the journeys each of them is on. The amount you’d have to compress it to turn it into a series of movies is too much. It would take away the heart of what’s good about it.”

Next, as claimed by The Hollywood Reporter, a Wheel of Time movie trilogy is also in the works. According to THR’s July 13 article, Zack Stentz (X-Men: First Class, Thor) is penning a three-movie story based on Jordan’s ‘Age of Legends’ novels from his Wheel of Time series.

The Age of Legends trilogy will be set several millennia before the events of the TV show. Also dubbed the Second Age, it’ll follow the Aes Sedai (and their male counterparts) more closely and focus on the One Power, which is the source of all magic in the Wheel of Time universe.

When an unspeakable evil is unleashed across the land, male channelers (the Wheel of Time’s magic wielders) are driven insane and use the One Power to try and destroy the world. It’ll up to a small band of women, who unite under the White Tower, to stop them.

It’s unclear how Rosamund Pike’s Moiraine will factor into this (if at all) or whether Amazon will buy the rights to the movie trilogy. 

Right now, no studio partner or distributor is associated with the Age of Legends films, but they will complement Amazon’s TV adaptation and expand upon The Wheel of Time’s world. Once we learn more, we’ll update you.

Finally, Rosamund Pike will narrate an audiobook recording of The Wheel of Time’s first novel, i.e. The Eye of the World. The audiobook will be released on Audible on November 16, but pre-orders are available now. If you want to get a leg up on The Wheel of Time before its arrival on Amazon Prime, this may be the perfect way to do so.

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