Summary
A major theory regardingThe Wheel of Timeseason 3 changes how Rand acquires his most iconic weapon. InThe Dragon Reborn, the third installment inRobert Jordan’sWheel of Timeseries, Rand al’Thor gets his hands on a powerful tool called Callandor. Known as “the sword that is not a sword,” Callandor is one of the most powerful artifacts inThe Wheel of Time’sworld. According to an ancient prophecy, it’s the weapon Rand is destined to fight the Dark One with in The Last Battle, thus making it a building block towardThe Wheel of Time’sending.
If the timeline is any indication, the show is approaching the point where Rand should acquire Callandor. However, the current direction of the story and the setup forThe Wheel of Timeseason 3creates some interesting complications for that scenario. His book counterpart’s next move after the battle at Falme was to find Callandor, but the show hasn’t put its take on the character in the same position. For that reason, it’s been speculated that the series will make a significant change to the story to accommodate its plan for Rand and his allies.
Why Wheel Of Time’s Season 3 Plan Is A Problem For The Books' Stone Of Tear Story
Wheel Of Time Season 3 Would Struggle To Send Rand To Both Tear & The Aiel Waste
Ultimately what’s standing in the way ofWheel of Timetelling a book-accurate version of Rand’s search and acquisition of Callandor is the source material for season 3. Rather than simply adaptThe Dragon Rebornnext,The Wheel of Timeis jumping straight into the fourth book,The Shadow Rising,which deals with what happens after Rand claims Callandor. That raises important questions about where exactly Callandor fits into the picture. Of course, there’s every expectation for season 3 to visit multiple places on theWheel of Timemap, butCallandor will be far-removed from Rand’s journey.
Callandor is at the Stone of Tear, a place that Rand spends nearly a whole book traveling to in the series. His destination inThe Shadow Rising- Rhuidean - is nowhere near that, as it’s deep into the Aiel Waste. Andthere’s no question that the Aiel Waste is where Rand will go in season 3; Aviendha identifying him as the Car’a’carn (the hero of the Aiel prophecies) set him up to head there next, plusRhuidean is a confirmedWheel of Timeseason 3 location. But while it’s apparent that Rand will indeed have some version of his arcThe Shadow Risingadapted to the small screen, the same amount of certainty can’t be applied toThe Dragon Reborn’sclimactic ending.
This leavesThe Wheel of Timewith a few options as to how it can handle the events at Tear. One possibility is that it letsRand take the Stone of Tearin a shocking season premiere twist, thus avoiding the long wait in getting there. That’s plausible, but such a development would be without setup. An alternative solution is that it could save Rand getting Callandor later on in the timeline. But that too could pose challenges, especially since it would negate the impact of this memorable moment. Acquiring Callandor is how he’s supposed to initially prove himself to the Aiel, meaning it’s what makesThe Shadow Rising’sstory possible in the first place.
The Wheel Of Time Season 3 Could See Rand Claim Callandor While Still In The Aiel Waste
Rand Could Find Callandor Somewhere Else
As controversial a choice as it may be, perhaps the easiest avenue for the show to navigate would be to move Callandor from Tear to the Aiel Waste. Admittedly, merging his narratives fromThe Dragon RebornandThe Shadow Risingwould be highly consequential in terms of the changes this would force. But, taking this route would be more appealing than foregoing Callandor altogether, rushing the story, or saving it until it no longer matters.
As for how this could work,The Wheel of Timecould incorporate Callandor into an existing part of the lore andThe Shadow Rising’sstory - the access keys. The book established the existence of three ter’angreal - referred to as access keys - which are needed to use the much more powerful ser’angreal called the Choeden Kal. Acquiring them was integral toThe Shadow Rising’soverarching plot. But since Callandor is arguably more significant in the long run than the access keys or the Choeden Kal, there’s a chance the show will replace the access keys (or at least one of them) with Callandor.
Rand Could Fight Asmodean For Callandor (Not Be’lal)
The Wheel Of Time Can Combine Two Massive Fights Into One
IfThe Wheel of Timeseason 3 tasks Rand with finding Callandor instead of one of the Choeden Kal access keys during his adventure in the Aiel Waste, the series would also have a way to combine the finales of both books. InThe Dragon Reborn, Rand battled Be’al, a member of the Forsaken who essentially staked out the Stone of Tear for centuries in preparation for the Dragon Reborn’s arrival.The Shadow Rising, on the other hand, concluded withRand battling Asmodean in Rhuideanover possession of an access key. Since Be’lal looks like he’s going to be cut fromThe Wheel of Timeanyway,it would make sense for these fights to be combined, particularly if there isn’t room for a proper book 3 adaptation.
It could be that in the TV version of these events, it’s Asmodean - and not Be’lal - who will use Callandor to lure Rand to him. When their fight ends, it can pave the way for Rand to unite the Aiel. Once he seizes Callandor for himself, representatives of the various Aiel tribes can recognize Rand as the Car’a’carn, which would be similar - at least tonally - to howThe Dragon Rebornwrapped up at the Stone of Tear.
The Biggest Problem With Wheel Of Time Taking Callandor Out Of Tear
Rand Claiming Callandor Won’t Be As Epic If It Doesn’t Happen At The Stone Of Tear
The prospect of Callandor being relocated for the TV series seems like a doable plan, but that’s not to say that it wouldn’t come without viable criticism. Callandor isn’t just an artifactWheel of Timecan move from one place on the map to another without consequence;a key part of what makes this moment so special for Rand is the Arthurian element of the story. In the book, Rand pulled Callandor out of the Stone of Tear, proving his status as the Dragon Reborn in epic fashion. Having this happen anywhere other than the Stone of Tear would cost the show one of the best parts ofThe Dragon Reborn’sending.
