'The Wheel of Time' Season 2: Everything You Need to Know

Last year, Amazon Prime brought to life The Wheel of Time, the beloved fantasy novel series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. Originally planned as a six-book series at its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time came to span 14 volumes, in addition to a prequel and two companion books. As of 2021, over 90 million novels had been sold worldwide, making it one of the bestselling epic fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings. Naturally, fans rejoiced when the streaming adaptation stayed fairly close to the original story, and have been looking forward to seeing how the characters evolve in The Wheel of Time season 2 and how well it follows the second book.

What we do know is that The Wheel of Time season 2 is guaranteed to conjure up a whole lot of drama, romance and magic. Here, we take you through what you might have missed in season 1, who you can expect to see in season 2 and what to look forward to most.

*Beware of spoilers ahead*

Wheel of Time Cast season 2 — Amazon Studios

What is Wheel of Time about?

Rosamund Pike plays the role of Moiraine, a member of Aes Sedai, which is a powerful, entirely female group. Moiraine takes interest in a group of young men and women, for she believes one of them is the reincarnation of a powerful being who has the ability to either save or destroy humanity against the Dark One, an evil force in this fictional universe.

Who is in the cast of Wheel of Time?

You probably recognize Golden Globe–winning actress Rosamund Pike among this cast, but you’ll want to keep these other actors and actresses on your radar once you deep dive into the fantasy world of The Wheel of Time.

Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred

Moiraine, The Wheel of Time, Season 1, 2021

Rosumund Pike is known for roles in blockbusters like Gone Girl, Jack Reacher, Pride & Prejudice and I Care a Lot, for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. In The Wheel of Time, she plays Moiraine Damodred, who sets out to find the Dragon Reborn, the one person who has the power to either save or destroy the world.

“It’s not that I was particularly looking to go into a television series, but when a character is compelling, it draws you in — whatever the format. There was just something undeniable about the material and the fan base,” Pike told Entertainment Weekly. “I explored the world deeper and saw that it was written with this very strong element of a female power structure, which I thought was very interesting.”

Josha Stradowski as Rand Al’Thor

Rand Al’Thor is played by Dutch newcomer Josha Stradowski. He’s enjoyed success in various Dutch film and television projects, including the series Spangas, and films like Caged, I Can Fly and Just Friends. In 2021, he broke out into the world of American television in the first season of The Wheel of Time. His character of Rand Al’Thor was a shepherd prior to leaving with Moiraine. During season 1, it is revealed that he is the Dragon Reborn.

“I feel there’s a little bit of me in Rand and also the other way around. That exploration just keeps on going, even now while we’re shooting season 3,” Stradowksi told Lifestyle Asia. “Because of Rand, I keep discovering things about myself. And because of the journey I have in my own life, I also keep discovering things about Rand and The Wheel of Time.”

Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara

Perrin, The Wheel of Time, Season 1, 2021

Perrin Aybara is portrayed by English actor Marcus Rutherford. His character, who is an apprentice to a blacksmith, is extremely strong physically, but has a very gentle demeanor and is extremely mindful of his strength.

In conversation with GQ, Rutherford said, “The characters are a bit more mature, they know the world and are not as naive as they were in season 1.” We can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Barney Harris as Matrim Cauthon

Barney Harris plays Matrim Cuathon, or Mat. Mat is a bit less responsible than his group of friends, seeming to always find himself in a bit of trouble — and you can imagine what that could bring upon him in a world of mystic and magic such as this one. “Mat is probably seen as the sort of light relief of the books and of the series, but he’s much more complicated,” Harris told IGN in an interview.

In season 2, however, the character of Mat has been recast and is to be played by Dónal Finn.

Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al’Meara

Nynaeve, The Wheel of Time, Season 1, 2021

Zoë Robins plays Nynaeve al’Meara, who acts as a leader within her village for her great wisdom and healing abilities.

“At first, when I was reading her, I was a little bit intimidated by the prospect of playing her because she’s so headstrong and fierce and stubborn,” Robins told People. “I’m from New Zealand and we’re not really known to be like that at all. Sometimes we can be quite passive and agreeable and just nice, which are not bad things. But I was like, at the beginning, how could I find that route into playing someone like that?”

Madeleine Madden as Egwene Al’Vere

Egwene, The Wheel of Time, Season 1, 2021

Egwene is the innkeeper’s daughter, curious about the world around her and eager to see more outside of her individual life. For that reason, she wasn’t as apprehensive as the others when it came time to leaving with Moiraine.

“One of the things that stood out about Egwene the most when I auditioned were the three scenes I received. They were all so different and showed a real versatility to this character, and I just thought, Wow, whoever gets to play her will have an amazing journey going through these emotions with her,” Madden told Who What Wear.

Daniel Henney as Lan Mandragoran

You may recognize Daniel Henney from shows like Criminal Minds, but his role as Lan Mandragoran has taken him on a different path. Lan is Moiraine’s loyal protector and close ally. He is extremely loyal to her; however, their relationship isn’t romantic.

“First of all, growing up in the States in a very small town, being Asian-American, I grew up watching fantasy shows with certain people cast in certain roles,” Henney told Collider. “I just never thought that, as I got older and got into acting, I’d have the chance to play something like Lan, to play a king, or an uncrowned king, to speak in an English accent, to protect someone as amazing as Rosamund and to have this incredible role of strength and honor and loyalty, with an amazing backstory. I didn’t know that it was ever gonna be possible for me to be in a role like this, so when it came true, it was very surreal.”

What can we expect from season 2?

Fans are in for a wild ride in The Wheel of Time season 2. The second season will be based on the second book in the series by Robert Jordan, and we find our beloved cast of characters scattered about the world. Some of the biggest plot points of the first season were Rand being the Dragon Reborn and Moiraine losing her powers. That being said, there’s just no saying what the future holds, with new threats lurking ahead.