'The Wheel of Time' Season 3 Will Introduce the Trakand Family

The Wheel of Time may turn on both the page and the screen, but while the small screen adaptation technically tells the same story as the novels, it takes a different route than Robert Jordan's fourteen doorstopper-sized tomes did. From the start, the series streamlined the introduction of significant story elements, like adding in the Aiel in Season 1 and the Seanchan in Season 2, both of which are plot developments that didn't arrive until far later in the series. However, that's also caused the show to delay introducing characters readers meet in the first novel, like the Royal Family of Andor, the Trakands.

In the novels, Rand first sees Logain when he's paraded through the streets of Andor, leading to an accidental meet-cute with Elaine Trakand, the Daughter-Heir of the Lion Throne. He also meets her brothers, Galad and Gawyn, her mother, Queen Morgase, and her mother's Aes Sedai, Elaida a'Roihan; Morgase dismisses him before Elaida can arrest him. Season 1 skipped all that, holding Elaine's (Ceara Coveney) introduction until Season 2. Moving her introduction to when she and Egwene meet and become besties at the White Tower made her character's arrival more about female live-long friendships than about pitting them against each other over Rand. 

Now, the series will introduce the rest of her family with Olivia Williams (Dune: Prophecy) as Elaine's mother, Morgase, Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand & Fog) as Elaida, Luke Fetherston (Big Mood) as Gawyn, Callum Kerr (Four Weddings & a Funeral) as Galad, and Nuno Lopes (White Lines) as Lord Gaebril, the Queen's consort.

Here is the Season 3 synopsis, which picks up at the beginning of Book 4, for those who know the novels:

At the end of Season 2, after defeating Ishamael, Rand reunites with his friends at Falme and is declared the Dragon Reborn. But in Season 3, the threats against the Light are multiplying: the White Tower stands divided, the Black Ajah runs free, old enemies return to the Two Rivers, and the remaining Forsaken are in hot pursuit of the Dragon… including Lanfear, whose relationship with Rand will mark a crucial choice between Light and Dark for them both. As the ties to his past begin to unravel, and his corrupted power grows stronger, Rand becomes increasingly unrecognizable to his closest allies, Moiraine and Egwene. These powerful women, who started the series as teachers and students, must now work together to prevent the Dragon from turning to the Dark…no matter the cost.

The Wheel of Time Season 3 returnees include U.K. actors Rosamund Pike (Saltburn) as Moiraine Damodred, Marcus Rutherford (Funny Woman) as Perrin Aybara, Dónal Finn (Rogue Heroes) as Mat Cauthon, Ceara Coveney (Hoard) as Elayne Trakand, Kate Fleetwood (Harlots) as Leandrin Guirale, Natasha O’Keefe (Peaky Blinders) as Lanfear, Ayoola Smart (Killing Eve) as Aviendha, and Kae Alexander (Game of Thrones) as Min Farshaw. The series also stars New Zealand actors Zoë Robins (The Brokenwood Mysteries) as Nynaeve al’Meara, Madeleine Madden (Jack Irish) as Egwene al’Vere, Dutch actor Josha Stradowski (Just Friends) as Rand al’Thor, and American actor Daniel Henney (Criminal Minds) as al’Lan Mandragoran.

The series was adapted for television by showrunner Judkins (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), who executive produces along with Pike, Mike Weber, Marigo Kehoe, Ciaran Donnelly, Justine Juel Gillmer, Dave Hill, Rick Selvage & Larry Mondragon for iwot productions, and Ted Field for Radar Pictures. The Wheel of Time is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television.

The Wheel of Time Season 3 will premiere globally on Prime Video on Thursday, March 13, 2025, and stream with one episode a week through the end of April.