With Season Three of The Wheel of Time mere weeks away, Prime Video has released a full-length trailer for the show’s long-awaited third installment. Based on Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy series, Season Three will primarily adapt storylines from the fourth book in the series, fan favorite The Shadow Rising. The new season premieres on Prime Video on March 13, 2025, with the first three episodes available at launch, followed by weekly episodes until the season finale on April 17, 2025.

The Dragon Rising

In new key art released along the trailer, Rand is prominently featured at the forefront, with 17 other characters behind him. The trailer is also packed with new Rand scenes, centered on his journey into the Aiel Waste and through the glass columns of Rhuidean where he sees, quite literally, through the eyes of his ancestors. We also get our first detailed look at the iconic dragon tattoos — although they may or may not be Rand’s — and an intriguing shot of Rand in his red coat as he’s seemingly succumbed to the madness. There are also a number of scenes of Rand with Lanfear, including a shot of them sitting on the same rock Rand and Egwene shared before leaving the Two Rivers on Winternight, and an emotional scene between Rand and Egwene that is sure to crush our hearts.

It is also not lost on us that while the trailers for the first two seasons featured Rosamund Pike as Moiraine in their opening shots, the trailer for season three starts with Rand in the distance, walking along the crest of a sand dune followed by what seems to be Aiel. Rand leading in the first shot sets the tone for what to expect from this new season.

Moiraine’s Choices

All signs point towards Moiraine’s path this season arriving at a fork in the road. She journeys with Rand to the Aiel Waste and is tested at Rhuidean, stepping through the three rings ter’angreal where she likely sees “a thousand, thousand futures”. The trailer gives us a stunning sequence of Moiraine-centered shots using spinning camerawork to evoke a turning wheel, as we’re presented with what appear to be Moiraine’s visions of the future. It’s clear Moiraine is faced with a choice — will she believe the visions and allow Rand to own his destiny, possibly giving her own life in the process? Or will she try and fight back against the visions and the inevitability of fate, in order to protect and guide Rand as long as she can?

The Three-fold Land

Although most of the shots in the Aiel Waste center around the various character journeys to Rhuidean, there are still plenty of additional glimpses: beautiful desert vistas, an Aiel sweat tent, Bair the Wise One, and Aviendha channeling.

Rand walking up to the Glass Columns

Many Battles Ahead

As Alanna says, battles will not be won by politics or prophecies, but by armies. Perrin returns to the Two Rivers to find Whitecloaks in residence, and hoards of Trollocs about to descend on his village. There are numerous quick shots of the Two Rivers in flames (again), and Perrin in full armor as he tries to lead his people against the Shadow. And even in Tar Valon, what should be a shining beacon of the Light, the Black Ajah is rising, and Elaida returns to present a serious threat to Siuan’s leadership. The Tower is tearing itself apart from the inside, Egwene points out. Will there be anything left of the White Tower to support Rand against the Shadow?

Cool Moments

The trailer offers up quite a few “Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme” moments for hardcore book fans. Rand about to enter the majestic glass columns of Rhuidean. Moiraine and Aviendha seemingly frozen-in-time at the rings. Bair in (we assume) Tel’aran’rhiod. Elaida at the White Tower. Perrin Goldeneyes, Faile at his side, and the battle of the Two Rivers. And while there’s not much of Tanchico, one shot in particular is enough to bring the fandom to its feet: at long last, a face-to-face meeting between Nynaeve and her nemesis, the Forsaken Moghedien.

Wait, There’s More!

A common refrain about “The Shadow Rising” is its narrative density, how Jordan managed to fit so many epic storylines into a single book. This trailer suggests Season Three will mirror that ambitious feat, raising the question: how much story can one season of television contain? What the trailer omitted tells us just as much as what it showed when it comes to how big of a season we should expect. Most notably, the Tanchico storyline was missing, save for a scene or two. This plotline that follows Elayne, Nynaeve, Min, Thom (yes, he is back) and Mat on the hunt for the Black Ajah could easily fit into its own season.

As far as characters, hidden from view were other forsaken we have yet to meet in the series; this is the Shadow Rising after all and the Shadow needs its puppet masters.

Additionally, in an easter egg from the wide-format poster accompanying the press release for the trailer, we can clearly see Mat Cauthon wearing what looks to be a fox-head medallion. Are we to also meet the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn in Season 3?

The Shadow Rising was the longest book in the series (and one of its most beloved) because it successfully weaved the various major storylines so well. The challenge now falls to the show: can it pack the same rich storylines of Tar Valon, The Aiel Waste, Tanchico, and The Two Rivers into just 8 episodes? If the show can pull this off as skillfully as the book did, Season 3 could potentially render The Wheel of Time as the next big fantasy series that has eluded studios since Game of Thrones. It could also secure a renewal for a fourth season (and beyond), which as of this article has yet to be announced.

Season 3

The series stars Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Zoë Robins, Madeleine Madden, Josha Stradowski, Marcus Rutherford, Dónal Finn, Ceara Coveney, Kate Fleetwood, Natasha O’Keeffe, Sophie Okonedo, Priyanka Bose, Taylor Napier, Ayoola Smart, Hammed Animashaun, Laia Costa, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Isabella Bucceri, Olivia Williams, Jennifer Cheon Garcia, Meera Syal, Kae Alexander, Johann Myers, and Jay Duffy.

The first three episodes of Season three of The Wheel of Time will premier on Prime Video at midnight Pacific Time on March 13, 2025 (07:00 AM GMT/UTC March 13, 2025). Additional new episodes will stream weekly until we reach the season finale on April 17, 2025.

What was your favorite scene in this trailer? Let us know in the comments!

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I am a long-time fantasy fan. Also a technology generalist with a knack for research. A mix of Brown, Blue, and Yellow Ajah.

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I'm a longtime SFF fan but Wheel of Time will always be my first love. I want to call myself Green Ajah, but--let's be real--I'm probably a Brown. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, writing, and getting lost in the wilderness.