Why Wheel Of Time Failed Its Dragon Reborn Mystery
The identity of the Dragon Reborn in Amazon Prime's Wheel of Time is an interesting mystery that the show failed to fully capitalize on. The show sets up four characters to potentially be the Dragon Reborn, with Nynaeve al'Meara becoming the fifth potential candidate after she channels the One Power in the fourth episode. Wheel of Time ultimately did not change the identity of the Dragon Reborn because of how important it is to the main story of the series, but its half-hearted commitment to the mystery is full of unrealized potential.
In the very first episode of Wheel of Time, «Leavetaking,» Moraine Damodred's (Rosamund Pike) search for the Dragon Reborn brings her to Emond's Field where she singles out five villagers who she believes could be the Dragon Reborn. This is already a change from The Wheel of Time books where there are only three possibilities, none of which are Nynaeve. Expanding the roster of candidates lays the groundwork for a more extensive and intriguing mystery, but it ended up being wasted due to the show failing to deliver an exciting payoff.
Related: How Wheel of Time's Love Triangle Cheapens A Relationship From The Book
Wheel of Time needed a stronger commitment to the Dragon Reborn mystery, especially when it has so many options. The scenes with Zoë Robbins' Nynaeve channeling the One Power are great Dragon Reborn fakeout twists, and other characters could have had similar highlights had the show leaned into its mystery premise more. Egwene al'Vere (Madeleine Madden), Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), and Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris) each had small moments of distinction, but none to rival Nynaeve's show accomplishments. Josha Stradowski's Rand al'Thor as the true Dragon Reborn should have been
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