The Wheel of Time season 2: release date, trailer, cast, plot, and more

The countdown is on for The Wheel of Time season 2. The hit Prime Video fantasy show will be back on our screens in September, so it’s high time you caught up on everything worth knowing about the series’ next installment.

In our view, The Wheel of Time is one of the best Prime Video shows in recent memory. Its return, then, is one of five big Prime Video projects we’re most excited for in late 2023. Indeed, alongside other big hitters coming to the service soon, it might convince you to cancel your Netflix membership and switch to Prime Video instead.

But we’re getting off-track. You’re here to learn more about The Wheel of Time‘s second season on one of the world’s best streaming services. Below, we’ve rounded up everything we know about The Wheel of Time 2, including its Prime Video release date, trailers, cast list, story specifics, and the series’ future.

Full spoilers follow for The Wheel of Time season 1. Potential spoilers are also discussed for The Wheel of Time season 2, as well as Robert Jordan’s high fantasy books that the series is based on.

The Wheel of Time season 2 release date

The Wheel of Time season 2 will spin its way onto Prime Video on Friday, September 1. Amazon Studios confirmed the second season’s launch date in mid-May. We previously speculated that it would arrive in August, so we weren’t far off with our guess.

The Wheel of Time season 2 trailer

The Wheel of Time season 2’s official trailer was released on July 19 – and, just like its predecessor, this season looks like it’s the epic fantasy show we’ve been waiting for. That’s doubly true when you consider the reception that Netflix’s The Witcher season 3 has received.

There’s plenty to unpack from the second season’s main teaser. In fact, there’s so much going on that it would be difficult to sum it all up here. In short: watch the trailer above, and then read our cast and plot sections for more details.

Missed season 2’s first teaser earlier this year? Watch it below:

And, if you missed its release in July 2022, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at The Wheel of Time season 2’s development:

The Wheel of Time season 2 cast

Here’s the The Wheel of Time season 2’s confirmed cast so far:

• Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred 
• Daniel Henney as Lan Mandragoran 
• Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor 
• Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al’Meara 
• Madeleine Madden as Egwene al’Vere 
• Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara 
• Dónal Finn as Mat Cauthon 
• Fares Fares as The Dark One 
• Ceara Coveney as Elayne Trakand
• Sophie Okonedo as Siuan Sanche
• Johann Myers as Padan Fain
• Meera Syal as Verin
• Maja Simonsen as Chiad
• Ragga Ragnars as Bain
• Jay Duffy as Dain Bornhald
• Rima Te Wiata as Sheriam Bayanar

Nine of the first 10 actors reprise their respective roles from season 1. Dónal Finn (Cursed) has replaced Mat Cauthon as Barney Harris. In September 2021, we reported Harris was no longer part of the cast, but no reason has given for his departure. Alexandre Willaume’s Thom Merrilin has also confirmed he isn’t returning (per The Mighty Dragon podcast). 

Ceara Coveney – in her first major acting role – will portray a hugely significant character in Elayne Trakand. In the novels, Elayne is the eventual Queen of Andor and Cairhien, and one of the most powerful Aes Sedai. 

Meera Syal (Paddington 2, Doctor Who) will play Verin Mathwin, an Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah (per Nerdist) who has a big part to play in The Great Hunt. Ayoola Smart (Killing Eve, Cocaine Bear) has been cast as Aviendha, a Wise One from the Nine Valleys sept and one of Rand’s love interests. 

Four other cast announcements were also made at JordanCon 2023. Per Deadline, Maja Simonsen (The King’s Man) will portray Chiad, a Maiden of the Spear of the Stones River sept of the Goshien Aiel. She’ll be bonded as a first-sister to Bain, the other half of the fan-favorite sibling duo, who’ll be played by Ragga Ragnars (Vikings).

Jay Duffy (Derry Girls) has been cast as Dain Bornhald, a high-ranking officer of the Children of the Light, aka the Whitecloaks we saw in season 1. Lastly, Rima Te Wiata (Joyride) plays Sheriam Bayanar, an high-ranking Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah.

Potential season 2 cast spoilers follow.

Kate Fleetwood and Kae Alexander are expected to return as Liandrin Guirale and Min Farshaw respectively. Meanwhile, Natasha O’Keeffe (Peaky Blinders) has reportedly been cast as Lanfear (per The Wheel of Time fansite (WoTseries.com)), a secondary antagonist – one of the 13 most powerful Forsaken, no less – in the novels. She hunts for Rand at the Dark One’s request.

The same fan website suggests Jessica Boone (Vinland Saga) is portraying Alwhin, the Seanchan spokesperson for the vicious kingdom’s ruler Lady Suroth, who is supposedly being played by Karima McAdams (Deep State). Gary Beadle (Andor) is also said to be playing Elyas Machera, a Warder and wolfbrother, who notices Perrin has the same ability (per WoTseries.com).

Elsewhere, Deadline claims Guy Roberts (Hanna), Arnas Fedaravicius (The Last Kingdom), and Gregg Chillingirian (A Discovery of Witches) will play supporting roles. Roberts will reportedly portray Uno Nomesta, a one-eyed soldier who served Lord Agelmar before the latter’s death in the season 1 finale. Fedaravicius will play Masema, another of Agelmar’s former charges. Finally, Chillingirian portrays Ingtar Shinowa, a warrior from war-torn lands.

In an interview with The Press and Journal, Stewart Kenneth Moore (Carnival Row) confirmed he has a bit-part role. Moore refused to reveal his character’s identity, but hinted that he’ll turn up in episode 5 for a “fairly memorable scene.”

Finally, The Witcher fansite Redandian Intelligence claims four other actors have been joined the party, including Laura Crowhurst (The Last Bus) and newcomer Natasha J. Murley. Game of Thrones‘ Will Tudor will also allegedly play Barthanes Damodred, a relative of Moiraine’s, while Haruka Kuroda (Killing Eve) is set to portray one of Min Farshaw’s aunts.

The Wheel of Time season 2 plot

Spoilers follow for The Wheel of Time season 1.

Here’s the official plot synopsis for The Wheel of Time season 2: “The Wheel of Time turns, and the Last Battle approaches. Though Rand thought he destroyed the Dark One, evil is not gone from the world. In season two, threats new and very old seek out the young friends from the Two Rivers, now scattered over the world. The woman who found and guided them is now powerless to help, and so they must find other sources of strength. In each other, or themselves. In the Light … or the Dark.”

For those wanting to know which of Jordan’s books this season draws from, that’ll be novels two and three, aka The Great Hunt and The Dragon Reborn. On the decision to pull from multiple novels, showrunner Rafe Judkins said: “[Audiences] will see that some characters are diving more into their book two story in season 2, and some of them are diving more into their book three story. We have a big round-up point at the end of season 2 that reconnects everything and pushes us off in a new direction where we’ve completed all the stories we need to get through.”

Additionally, the first episode is called ‘A Taste of Solitude’ and, per Prime Video’s Fanology Twitter account, that title sets up the season’s overall theme of loneliness.

Per Entertainment Weekly (EW), Rand – aka the Dragon Reborn – has gone into hiding after temporarily defeating The Dark One. The Dragon Reborn is a prophesied, all-powerful channeler of the One Power fated to save or destroy the world. Rand considers himself dangerous to everyone so, in the season 1 finale, he asks Moiraine to tell his friends that he perished while fighting The Dark One so they don’t come looking for him. Josha Stradowski, who plays Rand, says the character’s season 2 arc will be built around redefining his identity (via The Wrap).

As for Moiraine, The Dark One destroyed her connection to the Source, which is where Aes Sedai draw the One Power from. Unable to channel her powers, the dynamic of Moiraine and Lan’s relationship will shift significantly and lead Moiraine to return to her hometown of Cairhien.

The duo hardly feature in The Great Hunt, but showrunner Rafe Judkins told CBR.com that their upcoming arcs will comprise wholly original content created specifically for the TV adaptation, as “you can’t sideline Rosamund Pike and Daniel Henney in a season of television”. Meanwhile, Egwene and Nynaeve will begin formal training to tap into the One Power (via EW) after they temporarily did so in the final episode of the first season.

That episode also teased the arrival of the Seanchan – a villainous, seafaring empire that has ambitions on conquering The Wheel of Time’s main continent. Asked by Collider how they’ll make a *ahem* splash, Judkins said: “Everything’s following this traditional fantasy format coming out of the first book. In the second book, the Seanchan come out of nowhere and slap our characters, so we really wanted to have them function the same way in the show. We get this nod to them at the end of season 1 but, in season 2, the Seanchan arrive and they affect the story.”

Elaborating on their role, Judkins said at New York Comic-Con 2021 (via SyFy.com): “The Seanchan come in and sideswipe every story in the show. They sideswipe the show as much as they do the books and it’s a really cool storytelling device that Robert Jordan built and I think it’s so special and I’ve been so excited to bring it to the screen.”

There are many other branching narratives and subplots that the second season needs to continue exploring, too. Judkins confirmed to Nerdist that “we’ll certainly see” more of the backstory of Lews Therin, aka the first Dragon, as The Wheel of Time‘s TV adaptation progresses. Judkins also teased the potential introduction of Gawyn and Faile, who are important characters in Egwene and Perrin’s stories, and the possibility of Rand and Min interacting more (per CBR). As for Mat, Judkins revealed he was heading for the White Tower – the Aes Sedai’s stronghold – in the season 1 finale. Expect him to undergo some form of punishment and/or treatment for his possession of the evil ruby-hilted dagger.

We’re also expecting to learn more about Perrin’s wolfbrother powers and hope our heroes will get the Horn of Valere – a key item in the final battle with The Dark One – back after Padan Fain stole it in the season 1 finale. The love triangle between Moiraine, Lan, and Nynaeve is also set to be examined in more detail (via Inverse).

Additionally, we can expect blood – and lots of it, according to Daniel Henney (via ContentMode). Judkins also told TVLine: “More characters will die in the show than in the books, because we cannot carry a cast of 2,000 actors for seven seasons!” Prepare for your favorite characters to potentially perish at some point, then.

Finally, Judkins took to Twitter to answer fans’ season 2 questions during some post-production downtime. One key detail confirms the introduction of the Forsaken, i.e. channelers who serve the side of Shadow in the War of Power, of which Lanfear is one. Fans can expect to see more new locations, such as Tear and Falme in The Wheel of Time season 2, as well.

Will The Wheel of Time get more seasons?

The Wheel of Time season 2 isn’t the final entry in this live-action adaptation. Amazon renewed it for a third season for mid-2022. According to WoTseries.com, filming has already begun on the show’s next installment, but the actors strike and writers strike have halted production for now.

Interestingly, The Shadow Rising, which season 3 will be based on, is the fourth book in Jordan’s epic fantasy book series. Given The Wheel of Time season 2 will adapt elements of books one through three, it makes sense that the series’ third season will pick things up with book four.

As for future seasons, much will depend on audience interest and if Amazon feels it can fund its two big fantasy properties in The Wheel of Time and The Rings of Power. The latter’s premiere was the biggest Prime Video launch of all-time so, if only one show is continually greenlit, it’s likely to be its Lord of the Rings show, which is already returning for The Rings of Power season 2.

That said, we’d still expect Amazon to renew The Wheel of Time for more seasons. Judkins has eight seasons mapped out, so it would be silly for Amazon to cancel the series midway through its run (if a fourth season is also greenlit). Here’s hoping, then, that The Wheel of Time can keep turning on until it reaches its end point.

For more Prime Video TV content, check out everything we know about Invincible season 2, as well as our picks of the best Prime Video movies and all of the new Prime Video movies coming to the streamer.