The November 19th premiere of Amazon’s The Wheel of Time series is nigh. The epic fantasy brings with it a myriad of expectations. Some folks, along with Amazon, hope this fills their deep Game of Thrones show hole. While others are devout fans of the universe that author Robert Jordan created and have been waiting to see the saga come to life for a long time.
The social media marketing campaign has been successful at letting readers know that their favorite book series is in good hands all the while reaching out to prospective new fans. But a fact remains for newcomers to The Wheel of Time: the story and mythology, while beautiful and exciting, are incredibly dense. It’s high fantasy with hundreds of characters, numerous races and lands, and countless terms.
Showrunner Rafe Judkins has talked extensively about his vision for the series and having to let some aspects of the book go for the sake of doing a one-hour drama. He’s right in doing so. A wonderful thing about the books is the sheer amount of female characters. They are smart and powerful. However, sometimes Jordan’s portrayals of them can be a bit sexist. Also, it’s a difficult task to bring to life a single fact that needed multiple pages in the book to explain. Most likely, a “show, don’t tell” approach will be taken with these while some may be omitted entirely. That being said, I’m looking forward to the secret nods and Easter eggs for die-hard fans.
RELATED: Read our The Wheel of Time recaps, here.
With a series as complex as this, it may take a bit for newcomers to Amazon’s The Wheel of Time to ingest the world. Also, readers may need to refresh their memories. That’s why I’ve put together a “What you need to know” Wheel of Time guide in preparation for the premiere.
The first season (the show has already been renewed for a second season) is based on the first book, The Eye of the World. This Wheel of Time Guide is based on what we’ve seen in the trailers which is a lot and on various Judkins interviews. I’ve taken special care not to give away any spoilers. Enjoy!
The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills
What Is This “Wheel of Time?”
The “Wheel of Time” is a central belief in this universe.
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose above the great mountainous island of Tremalking. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.
You can infer from this book quote that the Wheel is the history of this world. The Wheel spins and history comes, goes, then comes again. The Wheel has seven spokes and each represents one of the Seven Ages. The Amazon series takes place towards the end of the Third Age.
Made by this universe’s Creator, the Wheel weaves the “Pattern” using “threads,” aka the lives of people. We are sure to hear this common phrase in the series, “The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.” (Fun fact – I have a shirt with this quote on it). The One Power turns the Wheel. This is the magic system in the book. Some characters can draw power from the “source” and “channel” it into magic. The True Source is divided into male and female halves called saidin and saidar. More on that below.
The opposing force to the Creator is called the Dark One. This evil wants nothing more than to break the Wheel and is an existential threat of the series.
Terms
The Dark One
The Dark One is the evil entity in this world and he wants to make people’s lives miserable while forcing them to follow him. He’s pretty crabby because the Creator imprisoned him outside the Wheel long ago.
During the Second Age, called the Age of Legends, the Dark One’s prison was mistakenly opened by some Aes Sedai (wielders of magic, we’ll get to that next) and his influence escaped. A battle against him ensued. Some Aes Sedai became servants of the Dark One. In the end, the good Aes Sedai were able to imprison the Dark One and his Forsaken. His prison was sealed by seven discs that were created by Aes Sedai. Unfortunately, the Dark One dealt the last blow. He “tainted” the male half of the source, saidin. This caused the men with the ability to channel to go insane.
The Dark One is known by many names including Ba’alzamon, sightblinder, and a name never to be said aloud, Shai’tan. The Forsaken are his most powerful servants. There are 13 of them.
Aes Sedai
Aes Sedai means “Servants of All” in the Old Tongue. It’s an organization magic users. During the Second Age, both men and women were able to access the One Power and did wondrous things for humanity. Men used saidin and women used saidar. When they use magic it’s called “channeling” or “weaving.” Think of it as casting a spell.
As mentioned earlier, the Dark One tainted the male half of the Source, saidin, when he was imprisoned causing men to go insane. This caused upheaval and destruction and is called the Breaking of the World. Male Aes Sedai were then hunted and killed at this time and have mostly been bred out of existence. In the Third Age, only female Aes Sedai can channel the One Power. Many of them know that they are not as powerful as they were during the Age of Legends but they are still formidable. Rarely a man is born with the ability to channel. It’s a dangerous thing, as the One Power makes men go insane.
Aes Sedai are trained in the White Tower in the city of Tar Valon. The leader of the White Tower is called the Amyrlin Seat and you do not want to mess with her.
The Aes Sedai are broken into seven groups called Ajahs. Each of these is represented by a color and are powerful in specific areas. The Blue Ajah specializes in equity and justice. The Yellow Ajah specializes in healing, the Green are battle-ready, the Gray focuses on diplomacy, the Brown specializes in knowledge, the White studies philosophy and reason, and finally, there’s the Red.
The Red look for abuse of the One Power. They believe all female channelers must become Aes Sedai. They look for the rare male who can channel then “gentle” him which takes away his ability to channel. Being gentled leaves men empty and broken. It may sound like the Red are doing a good thing but many of them hate and distrust men. They can be quite cruel and dripping with zeal.
Warders
These are warriors who protect and fight for Aes Sedai. A warder “bonds” to a single Aes Sedai. This creates a link between them. (NOTE – These are overwhelmingly men in the book and I hope that in the series that female warders are a thing). A bonded Warder and Aes Sedai can feel each other’s presence and know when something has happened to the other. Through this link, Warders gain abilities such as increased strength and intuition. A true level up!
Since the Red Ajah don’t care for men, they never bond with Warders. Members of the Green Ajah are known to bond with more than one.
The Dragon
The Dragon is a prophecy. It’s a name bestowed on a male channeler who will defeat the Dark One. Over the Seven Ages, he reincarnates and is called the Dragon Reborn. The prophecy states the Dragon will both save and destroy the world. The most famous Dragon was Lews Therin Telamon from the Age Of Legends. He was one of the most powerful Aes Sedai and there are numerous stories and legends told about him.
False Dragon
In the Third Age, very rarely, some men are born with the ability to channel. These men usually go crazy and die from the taint or are hunted by the Red Ajah and gentled. But occasionally, one of them believes he is the Dragon Reborn. They are labeled a False Dragon. These False Dragons are charismatic and gather followers. Battles are fought and they eventually fall.
Ta’veren
The Wheel weaves its Pattern. Very rarely, a special person causes the Wheel to weave the Pattern around them and they create change. The Wheel is actually using these unique individuals to keep the Pattern on track. While it may sound wonderful to be a person that creates change, the fact is the Wheel affects and controls their lives more than the average person.
Shadowspawn
Shadowspawn is an umbrella term to describe the terrifying baddies who follow, and will do anything for, The Dark One. There are many kinds of Shadowspawn.
Trollocs are massive, horrendous creatures that are the Dark One’s soldiers. They are big and have the faces and feet of animals and the bodies of humans. They will murder you, then murder you again and murder you some more. Think Tolkien’s Orcs.
Myrddrall/Fades are terrifying. Full stop. They lead the armies of Trollocs although sometimes they work on their own. Whatever they are doing, you don’t want to be there as it’s usually a death sentence. They are very pale and have no eyes. But don’t let the latter fool you. They can see just fine. They are sometimes also called “Eyeless” or “Half Men.” Usually, only Aes Sedai can defeat them.
Dark Friends are humans that the Dark One has recruited. Darkfriends have been promised immortality, power and/or riches. They continually do his bidding in hopes of cashing in on these empty promises.
White Cloaks
This is a slang term for the Children of the Light, an independent army of religious zealots. Their paranoid fervor to root out evil and darkfriends often ends in violence. They are Crusaders who kill without trials. They see the Aes Sedai as evil witches. They are known for their all-white uniforms.
Main Characters
Moiraine Damodred
Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) is an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah. She thinks the Dragon has been reborn and moreover, has been reborn in the Two Rivers region. She’s been searching for the Dragon Reborn for many years. Those she watches do not know her intentions. She wants to do what’s best for the world and often says that the Wheel is dictating events.
Lan Mandragoran
Lan (Daniel Henney) is Moiraine’s warder from Shienar. He’s quiet and always studying the people and land around him. He suffers no fools and doesn’t make small talk. A skilled warrior, he will protect Moiraine and her mission at all costs.
Rand al’Thor
Rand (Josha Stradowski) is a shepherd from Emonds’s Field in the Two Rivers. For Moiraine, he is a candidate for the Dragon Reborn. He is a skinny, tall teenager with grayish eyes and red hair. The latter is unusual for Two Rivers folk. His mother died when he was young and he’s close to his father, Tam al’Thor (Michael McElhatton). His best friends are Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara. He’s also close to Egwene al’Vere and many think they will marry.
Egwene al’Vere
Egwene (Madeleine Madden) is the daughter of Bran and Marin al’Vere. Her parents own the Winespring Inn (famous for their brandy) and Bran is the mayor of Emond’s Field. Egwene is smart and adventurous. She and Rand have crushes on each other. Unlike Rand thought, she has wanderlust.
Nynaeve al’Meara
Nynaeve (Zoe Robin) is the Wisdom (or healer) in Emond’s Field. She is very young for this vocation but incredibly talented. As the town’s Wisdom, she sits on the Women’s Council. She is headstrong and prone to anger which makes her tug at her braid, a lot. Seriously, in the books, it’s a “thing” and I hope in the series’ she won’t be tugging on it too much because it’s kind of weird.
Mat Cauthon
Mat (Barney Harris) is another option for the Dragon Reborn. Mat is a prankster and just about everything he does gets him in trouble. His roguish and lazy qualities annoy many Emond’s Fielders. Despite this reputation, he is extremely loyal to those that are close to him. His best friends are Rand and Perrin.
Perrin Aybarra
Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) is the third option for the Dragon Reborn. To me, Perrin is the least understood. He’s an interesting, brooding character. He is an apprentice to the Emond’s Field blacksmith. Because of this, he is huge. But he’s quiet. Think of a gentle giant. His best friends are Rand and Mat.
Thom Merrilin
Thom (Alexandre Willaume) is a gleeman, a traveling entertainer. Gleemen wear cloaks made of patches to announce their vocation. Whenever a village or city hears a gleeman is near, they pretty much freak out. A good gleeman is a seasoned storyteller, a master at building suspense and turning a phrase, a musician, and some even are spry tumblers. Thom Merrilin has all of these skills in spades. He knows all the legends of the world as well as the history of cities, countries and leaders. He’s very confident which sometimes comes across as condescending.
Logain
Logain (Alvaro Morte) isn’t a main character in The Eye of the World but he’s been featured heavily in the promos for the Amazon series. I believe the series is going to use him more prominently for “show, don’t tell” purposes. Logain will show what it means for a man to channel. Logain is charismatic, incredibly strong in his skill, and he’s raised an army of followers. He believes he is the Dragon Reborn, the Aes Sedai do not, and they are hunting him.
Liandrin
Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) is an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah. She’s no fan of men. She also isn’t a main character in The Eye of the World but has been featured in the promos. Through her, we’ll see how the Red Ajah tracks and deals with men who can channel.
The characters above are ones that we have seen in Amazon’s The Wheel of Time teasers and trailers. There are other important characters that we will meet throughout the first season however, if I describe them here, I would be introducing spoilers and taking away the fun of discovering these characters from those who haven’t read the books (yet).
Places and Cultures
Emond’s Field
Emond’s Field is an idyllic village located in the Two Rivers region of the Westlands. This is where our main group of young characters are from. Emond’s Fielders are shepherds, craftsmen, farmers, top-quality tobac (tobacco) producers, and the makers of fine brandy. They are known to be quite stubborn. The country of Andor considers the Two Rivers within their border but Two Rivers’ folk do not. They rarely hear from the Queendom.
Emond’s Field is in an area long ago known as Monetheren. Most folks don’t even know that a grand city was once located there. In the trailer, when we hear Moiraine say “The old blood sings,” or “The old blood runs deep” in Emond’s Field, she is referring to Monetheren.
Tar Valon
The headquarters of the Aes Sedai are in the stunning city of Tar Valon. Their main campus is called the White Tower. This is where novices are trained and Aes Sedai work. There is always political intrigue afoot in Tar Valon. Next to Tar Valon is Dragonmount where the Prophecy says the Dragon will be reborn.
Camlyn
Camlyn is the country of Andor’s bustling capital. The ruler is always a queen. At this time, the leader in Queen Morgase.
Fal Dara
Fal Dara is a city in the region of Shienar that sits near the border of The Blight, an evil place. Moiraine’s Warder, Lan, is from this region. Fal Dara is considered a final defense against the forces of evil and shadowspawn. Because of this, there are many warriors in Fal Dara. These warriors are known for their “topknot” hairstyle. Citizens of Fal Dara hold Aes Sedai in high regard.
Tuatha’an
Tuatha’an are known to others as tinkers (I know. The term is in the books, but some people find this word offensive. Maybe the series isn’t using it?) or “Traveling People.” They travel in brightly covered wagons and wear brightly colored clothing which to others seem garish. They are pacifists and refuse to pick up any kind of weapon, even in self-defense. This philosophy is called the “Way of the Leaf.” They live their lives “searching for the song.” Unfortunately, because they are nomadic and solitary, others accuse them of thievery and of stealing children.
Aiel
The Aiel live in a desert region which they call the Three-fold Land. Other races call this area the Aiel Waste because it is so inhospitable. The Aiel dislike other races and have no problem killing anyone that enters their Three-fold Land. They call outsiders “wetlanders.” Their people are generally tall and are exceptional warriors. They dislike swords and fight with their hands, spears or bows. Female warriors are called Far Dareis Mai meaning Maidens of the Spear.
Shayol Ghul
Shayol Ghul is a mountain in the Blasted Lands. This is where the War of Power was fought in the Age of Legends. The Blasted Lands is a lifeless and evil place that bears the touch of the Dark One. This is because the Bore can be found in Shayol Ghul which is the Dark One’s prison. This is where the Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends accidentally let loose the Dark One’s influence by boring a hole into the prison. At the end of the War of Power, the prison was sealed by Lews Therin Telamon with seven seals/discs. The Dark One’s Forsaken are also imprisoned there.
Are you excited now? After reading the above it’s obvious that this is not Game of Thrones. It’s its own story with an incredibly unique universe. If you need further research, check out Fandom’s The Wheel of Time wiki. It’s comprehensive but major spoilers abound so proceed at your own peril.
The Wheel of Time premieres on November 19th on Amazon Prime.
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