Rosamund Pike Explains Why ‘Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Is Skipping a Book Storyline

Rosamund Pike, a key figure in The Wheel of Time, has revealed that Season 3 will shake up Rand al’Thor’s path from the books. The season, airing on March 13, 2025, will see Rand, played by Josha Stradowski, head to the Aiel Waste before chasing Callandor, delaying his trip to the Stone of Tear.

Pike shared that this switch aims to show Rand’s inner turmoil in a way that works for TV. The Aiel Waste becomes the place where he uncovers his roots and grapples with being the Dragon Reborn. The Stone of Tear is still in play, but it comes later to fit the show’s needs. “We haven’t neglected the Stone of Tear, we’ve just rearranged the order,” Pike explained.

“There’ll be debate about it, but instead of Rand, as you would expect, his next point on his journey would be to go and get Callandor from the Stone of Tear, we are going into the Aiel Waste first, because he needs to discover who he is.”

She added, “Obviously in the novels, there’s loads of opportunity for the internal battles of Rand, coming to terms with being the Dragon Reborn – but we need to make that active. We can’t do subjective thinking on film. So we need him to go and discover who he is by going to the land of where he comes from. So we’re going to the Aiel Waste first and I hope you’ll understand and appreciate why.”

Adapting a massive series like The Wheel of Time, with its fifteen books and deep character arcs, isn’t easy. Showrunner Rafe Judkins said the show keeps the heart of the story intact, even with changes. “So many people who love the books love different things about them,” he revealed.

“One of the reassurances I would give – there are some people who read the books and the only thing they love about it is Rand and his story in them. And there are some people who really love the Perrin story. For those people who have felt under-serviced in previous seasons, I can assure them that this season we’ve always been planning to and you really get to see these great characters serviced.”

Judkins also highlighted the cast’s efforts. “I love Rand and Perrin just as much as they do and this is the right time to really see those characters shine and you really get to. And Marcus [Rutherford] and Josha, who play them, are really up to the task of what we ask of them this season.”

New faces will join the show too. Olivia Williams steps in as Queen Morgase Trakand, with Luke Fetherston, Callum Kerr, and Nuno Lopes as part of Andor’s Royal Family. Shohreh Aghdashloo takes on Elaida, and Isabella Bucceri plays Faile.

Fans will also see Tanchico, a famous city from the books, on screen. With the White Tower under pressure and Rand facing his fate, Season 3 promises high stakes.

How do you like ‘Wheel of Time’ so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.