Following the unveiling of the identity of the Dragon Reborn in “The Wheel of Time’s” episode 7, actor Josha Stradowski has hinted at what awaits his character in the show’s second season. Since its November streaming premiere, Amazon’s “Wheel of Time” has garnered a whole new legion of admirers, based on the epic fantasy trilogy authored by the late Robert Jordan and later finished by Brandon Sanderson. The series debut was the most-watched series premiere on Amazon Prime in 2021, and it was also one of the most-watched premieres on the streaming site since its start.
With only one episode remaining in the first season, the seventh episode, “The Dark Along the Ways,” eventually revealed Stradowski’s character Rand al’Thor as the Dragon Reborn, the prophesized figure who would either save or destroy the world. Rand was born to his Aiel mother on the slopes of Dragonmount in the most recent episode, which also saw him channeling the One Power for the first time. Rand later disclosed himself to Rosamund Pike’s Moraine after realizing what this meant, and the two characters set forth alone into the Blight and toward the Eye of the World, leaving their companion’s safe behind in Fal Dara.
Stradowski recently spoke with Collider on the show’s most recent bombshell and what it means for his character’s future. While the actor was tight-lipped about specifics, he did hint that the show’s second season will be “the beginning of a tremendous identity transformation for him.” Check out the rest of his comments below:
I think Season 2 is really about [him] becoming the Dragon Reborn and all the difficulty that comes with that. He is now cut off from his roots, and it really just means the start of a huge identity shift for him in Season 2. (laughs) I think that’s all I can say.
The consequences of Rand’s channeling on him as he learns how to use Saidin, the male half of the One Power, will be something viewers will be interested to observe during the sophomore season. Men who can channel are inevitably afflicted by the Dark One’s taint and descend into lunacy, as the show has already proved with the False Dragon Logain Albar. Rand will not only have to confront the truth of his new persona, but he will also have to fight for his own sanity.
Beyond the Dark One, Rand will confront other threats, such as the Aes Sedai’s violent Red Ajah, who hunt down men who can channel. When Rand’s true identity is disclosed to the world at large, Moraine’s opponent Liandrin, who already suspects her fellow Aes Sedai of covert machinations, will have a lot to say. While the season 1 finale of “The Wheel of Time“ will definitely have fans riveted to their televisions, Stradowski’s Dragon Reborn still has a long way to go.