The Wheel of Time Season 3 Turns Treehuggers Into Soldiers

This article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 3 episode 4.

There’s a foundational principle of narrative writing that is particularly important in television storytelling; that of “show, don’t tell.” Prime Video’s adaptation of The Wheel of Time has the huge burden of bringing pages and pages of the expansive Robert Jordan series to life, including the rich history of the world it inhabits and the cultures therein. With the Aiel people being so important to Rand’s part in the Last Battle, what better way to learn about their vast backstory than through a series of insightful flashbacks?

Rhuidean, we learn in the course of this week’s episode, is a place specifically created by the Aes Sedai of the last age to teach the Aiel chiefs and wise women about where they came from and why the Tree of Life is so sacred to them. The visions brought about by the magical glass columns of the city reveal one surprising fact more powerful than any exposition could have done: the fierce desert warriors have a pacifist origins!

We already met the Tuatha’an, or “Tinkers,” in season 1 of The Wheel of Time, and they evoke equal parts gypsy and medieval hippie. To call them “treehuggers” in the headline of this article is no exaggeration. Avendesora, the Tree of Life, literally radiates peace, and Rand (and later the ancestors we see in his visions) are seen actually embracing the trunk. The Way of the Leaf, the philosophy of non-violence, therefore makes direct reference to the tree that inspired their dedication to peace.

The word Tuatha’an means “Traveling People” in the Old Tongue, but they were not always wanderers. They were originally simple farmers known as the Da’shain Aiel, who sang a joyful harvest song now lost in the modern age. But somewhere along the way, it was the “oathbreakers” that took the Aiel name as their own and moved into the desert. The example Rand saw in his vision was that of a young man who stumbled into violence during a botched rescue attempt and was banished for his troubles.

The oath that they broke, as illustrated by this scene, was the promise to never use violence, even to save their own. The flashback revealed the reason swords are shunned in favor of the spear as well as the origins of the shrouded face during battle. Presumably, all Aiel chiefs must see this broken past to maintain their humility, understand their purpose, and protect the Aes Sedai artifacts entrusted to them. Not all warriors can accept what they see and perish among the glass columns.

Interestingly, the sa’angreal (basically a magic amplifier) that Moiraine removes from Avendesora is named as the Sekarnen in one of Rand’s flashbacks, a female counterpart to the sword Callandor, which Rand is supposed to wield in the Last Battle. However, readers will note that the orb shape is more reminiscent of the access keys for the Choedan Kal, and it remains to be seen if The Wheel of Time will conflate some of the powerful sa’angreal that show up in the books for simplicity’s sake.

Moiraine’s visions were of futures that might be or might have been, whereas Rand’s were of important moments of the past. Moiraine will have to navigate away from the many paths that leave her or Rand (but mostly her) at the mercy of the Forsaken, whereas Rand has been given a clearer idea of the scale of his mission and the role the Aiel must play.

Perhaps the flashbacks serve as a stark warning. The Aiel, who take great pride in their customs, were once pacifists who abandoned their original way of life due to desperation and survival. This revelation may force Rand to consider the dangers of rigidly clinging to tradition and prophecy, particularly when it conflicts with greater responsibilities. But one might argue that he’s already learned this lesson by not going where he’s expected to go this season. 

The episode effectively underscores the idea that history is cyclical. Just as the Aiel were forced to adapt, Rand himself must decide what parts of his past he will embrace and what he must leave behind. Will his experience in Rhidean give him the sense of belonging he so craves, or will it be yet another burden on his shoulders as he asks his newfound people to sacrifice everything for him? It will be interesting to see where The Wheel of Time goes from here.

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