Rafe Judkins, the showrunner of Amazon’s hit series “The Wheel of Time”, has assuaged fans’ anxieties that Loial the Ogier, a fan favorite, will not be killed off in season one finale. “Wheel of Time’s” first season recently concluded with a stunning episode that provided fans multiple surprising reveals, quickly establishing itself as one of Amazon Prime’s most successful series to date. The show’s eighth episode, The Eye of the World, was titled after the first book in Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series, and it saw events come to a head when the Dark One’s legions attacked the borderland city of Fal Dara, while Rand and Moiraine traveled to the Dark One’s prison in the heart of the Blight.
Fans were horrified when Loial’s character was reportedly struck down behind the gates of Fal Dara by Padan Fain and his other Darkfriends, which included the entrance of the Dragon himself, Lews Therin Telamon. Loial is a member of a non-human species noted for their intimidating size and strong love of knowledge and peace, as portrayed by Hammed Animashaun. Loial’s apparent death in the “Wheel of Time” season 1 finale was a shock, especially given his prominent role in the source material. He was first presented in the sixth episode of the show.
Thankfully for both longtime and new fans, it appears that Loial will survive the incident that left him unconscious and bleeding, with Judkins stating that the character will live to see another day. When asked about Loial’s destiny and the show’s deviation from the books, Judkins told CBR that worried fans could “rest easy.” Take a look at what he has to say below:
I can’t wait to kill surprising people that are going to really pain book fans in their deepest heart of hearts, but Loial is not dead in the finale of Season 1.
The attack on Loial wasn’t the only unexpected departure from the source material, with readers perplexed by the decision to cut Rosamund Pike’s Moiraine off from the One Power, as well as the decision to eliminate all references to the Green Man who guarded the Eye of the World in the original novel. Of course, given the original story’s length and intricacy, it’s unavoidable that adjustments would be made in the process of translating it for the screen. Aficionados should also expect a lot more changes in the coming seasons, based on Judkins’ comments about his intention to “truly harm book fans in their deepest heart of hearts.”
Thankfully, it does not appear that Loial will be killed off anytime soon, and his beloved persona will continue to document the exploits of his new ta’veren pals. Given that Egwene’s ability to heal and save Nynaeve from the grips of death was revealed in the finale, the beloved Ogier may not have to go through a lengthy and natural healing process, and maybe back on his feet in no time. Meanwhile, fans of “The Wheel of Time“ will have to wait until season 2 to find out what more Judkins has planned for them.