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Season 3 of The Wheel of Time jumped ahead to the events of The Shadow Rising and skipped over everything from The Dragon Reborn. That shift might have helped with pacing, but it came at a cost. A full book’s worth of development got pushed aside.
Characters who should have shown up did not. Others who already existed got no time to grow. Some arcs now feel like they started in the middle with no buildup. The show moved forward but something got lost in that leap.
Book 3 was never just filler. It introduced people who matter later. It gave weight to turning points for Rand and Mat and Moiraine. It set up future rivalries and relationships. Skipping it didn’t just remove scenes. It removed a stage in the journey.
Fans who know the books saw the missing pieces right away. New viewers might not notice yet, but they will once the gaps grow wider. Season 3 still had strong moments, but the absence of Book 3 left certain characters hanging. Their stories either stalled or never got started. These are the ten characters who felt the impact the most after the show left that entire part of the saga behind.
10 characters who paid the price after The Wheel of Time Season 3 skipped a whole book
1. Juilin Sandar
Juilin Sandar enters the books during The Dragon Reborn as a thief-catcher from Tear who works with Nynaeve and Elayne while they chase the Black Ajah. He knows the streets and works with precision. His blunt way of speaking adds friction but also earns respect. His dynamic with Thom Merrilin adds another layer to the group’s journey.
When The Wheel of Time Season 3 skipped Book 3 and moved straight to The Shadow Rising, Juilin was left behind. Mat now fills his space in Tanchico. This change cuts a key part of the original mission. It also removes a grounded character who brought real-world practicality to the hunt for dark forces.
2. Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron
Berelain first appears when Rand takes the Stone of Tear. She’s the ruler of Mayene and is known for her direct advances toward powerful men. Her flirtation with Rand sparks tension with Elayne. Later, her pursuit of Perrin stirs problems with Faile. She uses seduction as a political tool, but is smarter than most give her credit for.
The show never reached Tear and left her out. Without Berelain, the show loses a complicated woman who walks the line between ally and disruption. Her absence weakens Perrin’s storyline and takes away a key political figure from a region that now has no voice.
3. Be’lal
Be’lal waits in the Stone of Tear in Book 3. He’s a Forsaken known as the Netweaver and sets a trap for Rand near Callandor. Rand is the target, but it’s Moiraine who strikes first. She kills Be’lal with balefire. That moment becomes one of her biggest wins. It also marks the first use of balefire in the series.
Skipping Book 3 means Be’lal never appears. Moiraine never gets that win, and Rand never faces him. The whole Callandor sequence is missing. This changes how Rand claims the sword and how Moiraine proves her strength. It’s a huge shift in both arcs.
4. Gaul
In the books, Perrin frees Gaul from a cage in Tear. That starts a quiet but strong friendship. Gaul joins Perrin and helps him across key battles. He doesn’t say much, but when he does speak, it counts. He also helps show how the Aiel respect those who earn it rather than demand it.
The show swaps him for Aviendha. Perrin frees her instead. That likely means Gaul is gone. Aviendha matters too, but Gaul was part of Perrin’s identity shift. Without him, Perrin’s journey feels different. It also limits the Aiel’s role in the Two Rivers fight that’s coming.
5. Tam al’Thor
Tam is Rand’s adoptive father. He’s a calm man who fought in wars and later raised Rand in the Two Rivers. In Book 3, Rand meets Tam again for a short but emotional moment. That scene matters because Rand is changing fast. Tam is one of the last things that reminds him of home.
The show skips that return. Tam does not appear in Season 3. In the books, he helps defend the Two Rivers alongside Perrin. Without him, the Two Rivers plot feels thin. It also breaks the thread between Rand’s past and present, making him feel more disconnected than he should.
6. Lanfear’s Alias (Selene)
In The Dragon Reborn, Lanfear follows Rand under the name Selene and uses charm and subtle pressure to push him toward power. She appears suddenly and disappears just as fast which keeps Rand on edge. Her disguise builds tension across multiple chapters and shapes how he views temptation and trust.
The show reveals her identity early in Season 2 and skips the Selene phase entirely. This removes the slow-burn manipulation that made Lanfear unpredictable. Her open presence feels less layered and loses the effect of someone playing both sides. Without Selene, the psychological groundwork behind her obsession with Rand never forms.
7. Mat Cauthon’s Transformation
Mat enters a redstone ter’angreal in The Dragon Reborn and meets the Aelfinn, who answer three of his questions. That visit changes him. He gains strange memories and a new way of thinking. He also receives the ashandarei and begins showing signs of unnatural luck, which becomes a key part of his identity.
The show skips this moment and moves forward without showing how Mat got these traits. By doing that, season 3 gives him powers, but not the steps that lead to them. His arc feels rushed, and the audience loses one of the strangest and most fascinating parts of his journey.
8. Moiraine Damodred
Moiraine faces Be’lal at the Stone of Tear and kills him using balefire, which marks a major shift in how far she is willing to go. That decision breaks taboo and shows she understands the risks, but does it anyway. Her use of balefire also changes how the One Power is viewed.
Without that fight, Moiraine’s arc in season 3 skips a critical show of strength. Her role still feels central, but the boldness is not the same. She loses a moment when she steps forward without waiting for Rand. The absence of Be’lal means she never gets that defining choice.
9. Thom Merrilin
Thom rejoins the main plot in The Dragon Reborn when he helps Nynaeve and Elayne pursue the Black Ajah. He becomes their trusted ally and forms a strong connection with Elayne that continues throughout the series. His skills in espionage and his loyalty to justice begin to stand out more clearly.
The show brings him back in Season 3 but skips his work with the women entirely. That weakens his presence and makes him feel less tied to the larger mission. Without the Black Ajah arc, Thom feels stuck in his earlier role and misses the chance to grow beyond it.
10. The Stone of Tear
In the books, Rand takes the Stone of Tear and claims Callandor, which fulfills prophecy and shows the world he is the Dragon Reborn. The moment is dramatic and public and marks a turning point where the world sees him as more than rumor.
The Wheel of Time skips this event completely and moves past it without showing Rand’s claim. That removes a key moment of recognition where prophecy and power come together. Without the Stone, the world would not witness Rand’s rise. The momentum behind his identity as the Dragon feels smaller and less earned because no one sees it happen.
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