3 Ways The Wheel Of Time Has Set Up This Book For Season 4's Story

Warning: Spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 8

All indications point to The Fires of Heaven serving as the primary inspiration for The Wheel of Time’s fourth season. The fifth installment in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time book series, The Fires of Heaven is the sequel to the book that Prime Video’s live-action adaptation just wrapped up, The Shadow Rising. However, that fact on its own doesn’t mean it’s the next book in the sequence. After all, it shouldn’t be forgotten that the show skipped book 3, The Dragon Reborn, going from the second book, The Great Hunt, straight into the fourth entry.

With 14 books to cover over the course of a run that most likely won’t exceed eight seasons, it’s difficult to predict with accuracy which books will get full-season adaptations, which will get shelved, and which will get merged with others. From the looks of things so far, The Wheel of Time season 4 may combine storylines from multiple books, such as Towers of Midnight, The Dragon Reborn, and Lords of Chaos, into its fourth season, but the book that appears to have the most influence on it is none other than The Fires of Heaven.

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Couladin Left With The Shaido

Couladin May Be A Secondary Antagonist In Season 4

A major plotline from The Fires of Heaven was set up for season 4 when Couladin and the Shaido departed from Alcar Dal, refusing to accept Rand al’Thor as the Car’a’carn. In the book, Couladin led the Shaido over the Dragonwall and to Cairhein, which he attempted to conquer. Looking to stop him, Rand led his new armies out of the Aiel Waste and to Cairhein for a showdown with the Shaido. Surprisingly, the conflict with the Shaido didn’t culminate in a faceoff between Rand and Couladin. Rather, it was Mat that dueled and killed Couladin. Afterward, Cairhein was placed in Rand’s control.

While Couladin is shaping up to be a season 4 villain, Mat may not get to fight him, considering that the show currently has him as part of the group involved in the Moghedien arc.

Same as it was in the books, the TV versions of Rand and Couladin look to be on a collision course. As The Fires of Heaven suggests, The Wheel of Time season 3 finale is unlikely to be the last viewers see of Couladin, who is likely to take out his frustration on a “Wetlander” city. Cairhein would make sense as a destination, considering that the city has already been introduced as a major location in the show.

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Rand Is On Track To Fight Rahvin Next

Rahvin Is Likely To Be One Of Season 4’s Main Villains

Lord Gaebril (Nuno Lopes) smiling at Siuan in The Wheel of Time Season 3 Ep 2 — Image via Prime Video

Interestingly, the show has set up not one, but both of Rand’s main antagonists from The Fires of Heaven to go against him in the forthcoming season. In the book, Rand went up against Couladin first before proceeding to Caemlyn for the grand finale where he did battle with Rahvin, one of the 13 Forsaken in The Wheel of Time. His pursuit of Rahvin was a response to the latter overthrowing Queen Morgase Trakand, who was presumed dead after her deposition.

The Wheel Of Time s3 - Elayne and Rahvin

Wheel Of Time Season 3’s Death Twist Sets Up A Whole New Story For One Of Its Missing Heroes

Earlier in season 3, The Wheel of Time set up a major missing character to appear, but the big death in the finale just changed his story completely.

Much of what has happened in season 3 signals that a similar sequence of events will play out soon. Firstly, it’s already been confirmed that Rahvin – as “Lord Gaebril” – is following in the footsteps of his book counterpart by using Compulsion to manipulate Morgase and gain power in the kingdom of Andor. What’s more, Rahvin has seemingly set his sights on Rand, with Lanfear suggesting that he intercept him at the Stone of Tear. If Rahvin does lay a trap for him, that could set the stage for Rand to challenge him in Caemlyn in season 4’s ending.

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Moghedien Is On The Loose, With Part Of The Domination Bands

Moghedien Will Probably Be Nynaeve’s Next Opponent

In the books, The Shadow Rising and The Fires of Heaven are essentially two halves of a story when it comes to Elayne and Nynaeve. The Shadow Rising sent the pair to Tanchico on the hunt for the Black Ajah, where they clashed with Moghedien over the Domination Bands, a male a’dam. The conflict with Moghedien continued into The Fires of Heaven, with Nynaeve and Elayne using Tel’aran’rhiod a.k.a. the World of Dreams to chase down Moghedien.

With Liandrin now an ally to Moghedien, who has a piece of the Domination Bands, it stands to reason that Nynaeve and her friends will be going toe-to-toe with one of the deadliest Forsaken when the series returns.

With Elayne now knowing that her mother is in danger thanks to Thom Merrilin’s warning about Rahvin, she may not head down this road, but Nynaeve – at the very least – is all but guaranteed to be on that path in The Wheel of Time’s fourth season. She just beat her channeling block, and has unfinished business with Liandrin, who failed to drown her. With Liandrin now an ally to Moghedien, who has a piece of the Domination Bands, it stands to reason that Nynaeve and her friends will be going toe-to-toe with one of the deadliest Forsaken when the series returns.