Warning: This feature contains spoilers forThe Shadow Risingand the followingThe Wheel of Timenovels.
InThe Wheel of Timenovels, Rand al’Thor is one of the few known male channelers alive. Many of them are in hiding or tainted to the point of madness. A couple have risen and proclaimed themselves the Dragon Reborn, making them targets forthe Aes Sedai inThe Wheel of Time.One of these men is known as Mazrim Taim, who was mentioned in passing in season 2. It is not yet known what his role will be going forward, but he will likely play a major part in Rand’s journey to becoming the strongest male channeler.
At the end of the fourth book,The Shadow Rising, and Lanfear shields him just enough so he can teach Rand some control in Channeling. Considering thatThe Wheel of Timeseason 3seems to be skipping the third book, it appears as though the TV series ismoving straight into Rand’s adventure in the Aiel Waste.However, with so many changes from the novels and the reduction in characters, someone like Mazrim Taim could fulfill multiple roles, including Rand’s mentor, and allow the TV show to continue its charge through the books' plots as quickly as they seem to be doing.
Asmodean, Rand’s Teacher In The Books, Was Set Up In Season 1
Who Better To Teach Rand Than A Channeler From The Past
The eight statues of the Forsaken in season 1 heavily implied thatAsmodean would be included in future seasons. This is due to one of the statues holding a musical instrument, representing Asmodean’s affinity with music, a skill not many of the other Forsaken have. Not all the Forsaken bring important story arcs to the books, but Asmodean has a role as an unenthusiastic teacher to Rand, even if what he can teach is very minimal due to some restrictions. His main purpose in the story is to give Rand the basics.
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A casting update for The Wheel of Time season 3 has given me an idea for how the series will bring Callandor into The Shadow Rising’s story.
Considering how quickly the TV show is expected to progress and their limited time, they may need Rand’s lessons to happen much faster, if he needs them at all. A Forsaken teaching Rand the ways of weaving saidin may sound like a dream come true due to their excessive power, but with so little time, the TV show may not want one of the few antagonists to be used in the same way as the books. After all,the Forsaken may be mergedwith the absent ones like Be’lal and Agnior, covering other storylines in the novel.
Wheel Of Time May Have Teased An Alternative To Asmodean In Season 2
A False Dragon Can Teach The True Dragon
With the reduced number of Forsaken intended for the TV series and the short amount of time the show has to tell all their stories, there is a chance that the writers may incorporate a more prominent character into the role of Rand’s mentor.Mazrim Taim is first mentioned inWheel of Timeseason 2as a man claiming to be the Dragon Reborn, currently burning his way through Saldaea. Like Logain Albar,Mazrim is a strong male Channeler and False Dragonwho eventually ends up serving under Rand in the books.
Mazrim Taim does not appear until the sixthThe Wheel of Timenovel,Lord of Chaosbut is mentioned in the first book, The Eye of the World.
What Rand needs to grow stronger is a male channeler who has a grip on how to use saidin. He has already asked Logain, a False Dragon, to teach him, butLogain has been Gentled and incapableof showing Rand what he needs, or is willing. This little nod to Rand asking a False Dragon for assistance could be foreshadowing that a second channeler who is not Gentled by the Aes Sedai could be the mentor he needs. It would give him an understanding ally and possible rival as the TV show progresses.
Which Character Is Most Likely To Become Rand’s Mentor In Wheel of Time’s Show?
For The Speed Of The Story, Someone More Important Serves As A Better Mentor
The Wheel of Timehas so many branching character arcs that the show cannot explore them all. Since Mazrim has been mentioned in season 2, he will soon make an appearance in either season 3 or beyond.His role in the books is to act as a constant foil to Rand, so becoming the one who teaches him may sound counterproductive to Mazrim’s overall goal. However, the altering of arcs and merging of characters could set him up to teach Rand everything, match him for power in later seasons, and be his overall enemy at the end of the series.
WithIshamael’s apparent death inThe Wheel of Time, a spot is open for a Forsaken to face Rand in the Last Battle ofThe Wheel of TimeTV series. Mazrim is the perfect candidate to merge multiple characters into one to maintain an engaging story. In place of Asmodean, he would streamline Rand’s knowledge of the One Power. He could remain as a rival to challenge Rand’s authority, and as a Forsaken in his own right by the end of the series,he could be the last obstacle in the Last Battle in place of Moridin.
The Wheel of Time
Cast
The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the powerful all-female organization Aes Sedai, as she leads a perilous quest with five young individuals. Moiraine suspects one among them could be the prophesized reincarnation of a mighty figure destined to either save or doom humanity.
