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

Rosamund Pike has confirmed that The Wheel of Time Season 3 will make some changes to the book’s storyline, specifically delaying Rand al’Thor’s journey to the Stone of Tear. The new season, set to premiere on March 13, 2025, will follow Rand (Josha Stradowski) as he travels to the Aiel Waste before retrieving Callandor.

Pike explained that this adjustment was made to better translate Rand’s internal struggles to the screen. Instead of heading straight to the Stone of Tear, the show will send Rand into the Aiel Waste first, allowing him to discover his heritage and identity before obtaining the powerful sa’angreal. While the Stone of Tear remains an important part of the story, its placement has been shifted to better fit the TV adaptation.

“We haven’t neglected the Stone of Tear, we’ve just rearranged the order. 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,” Pike said.

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.“

This decision isn’t surprising, considering the scale of The Wheel of Time book series. With fifteen novels filled with complex character development and multiple perspectives, adapting them directly for television comes with challenges. Showrunner Rafe Judkins reassured fans that the series is staying true to the essence of the books while making necessary adjustments.

“So many people who love the books love different things about them,” Judkins told RadioTimes.com. “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.”

He also praised the actors bringing these characters to life, saying, “I love Rand and Perrin just as much as they do and 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.”

Season 3 will introduce new cast members, including Olivia Williams as Queen Morgase Trakand, along with Luke Fetherston, Callum Kerr, and Nuno Lopes as other members of Andor’s Royal Family. Shohreh Aghdashloo joins the cast as Elaida, while Isabella Bucceri will play Faile. Fans can also look forward to seeing iconic locations from the books brought to life, including the coastal city of Tanchico.

With the White Tower facing growing tensions and Rand struggling with his destiny, The Wheel of Time Season 3 is shaping up to be one of the most intense chapters yet.

What do you think about the changes to Rand’s journey? Share your thoughts in the comments below!