The Wheel of Time season 2 recap: What you need to remember before season 3

However, star and executive producer Rosamund Pike reassured fans (in an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com) that the Stone of Tear hasn't been neglected, saying, "We've just rearranged the order."

Showrunner Rafe Judkins has also promised us that this will be the "closest" book adaptation yet, so it looks like everything is right on track still.

But one of the reasons why Prime Video's adaptation works so well is that you don't actually need to read Jordan's source material to appreciate The Wheel of Time on screen.

What you do need, though, is to remember what actually happened in season 2 if you have any hope of enjoying what's in store for season 3.

Around 18 months have passed since we last visited the Westlands and time is fickle, so join us as we take you back through everything you need to remember before season 3 kicks off.

The Wheel of Time season 2 recap: What you need to remember before season 3

Season 2 scattered all our faves across various lands in the wake of season 1's showdown with the Dark One. Rand went into hiding, afraid that access to the One Power could drive him mad and force him to kill his friends.

Unfortunately, the innkeeper he fell for turned out to be Lanfear, a Forsaken who was obsessed with the last Dragon three millennia prior.

Moiraine thankfully showed up in Cairhien and the pair escaped just as Siuan Sanche tried to capture him to use his power as a weapon for the Aes Sedai.

Meanwhile, Nynaeve, Egwene and Elayne Trakand abandoned their Aes Sedai training at the White Tower to rescue their friend Perrin. Things didn't go to plan, though, when Liandrin, a secretly evil Aes Sedai, betrayed them and handed all three over to the Seanchan.

That was far from ideal because this powerful invading force had a nasty habit of enslaving women who can channel the One Power, using them as weapons named "damane".

Nynaeve and Elayne escaped, thankfully, but Egwene continued to be tortured by her handler, Renna, who was determined to break her entirely.

Perrin encountered the Seanchan earlier during his quest to find the Horn of Valere, a powerful artefact that could aid his friends in the coming final battle.

On the plus side, he did also come to realise that he's a Wolfbrother, giving Perrin unique abilities that manifest through his connection with wolves.

Mat was having a tough time, too, as you might expect, because he was stuck in prison at the White Tower, waiting to shake off the effects of a cursed dagger he used back in season 1.

But danger followed him still when a fellow prisoner named Min warned Mat of a vision she saw where he goes on to kill his best bud Rand.

It wasn't just the kids who were struggling, either. After Moraine's connection to the One Power was severed at the end of season 1, she spent most of the second chapter entirely powerless.

The resultant ban from the White Tower complicated things with her lover Siuan Sanche, as well as Lan, Moiraine's warder and companion.

It wasn't until towards the end of the season that Rand helped her realise power was still within her grasp, restoring her connection to channelling right before the finale when it was needed most.

What happened in The Wheel of Time season 2 finale?

All spokes on the wheel converged at Falme in the season 2 finale, where everyone gathered for a climactic battle at the end.

Lanfear betrayed Moiraine, because of course she did, abducting Rand as she pushed the others out of the Waygate.

With Rand by her side, Lanfear visited Ishamael (the right hand of the Dark One) to set their plan in motion and bring the Dragon over to their side.

Lan asked to re-bond with Moiraine after this, and the two made up just in time before the Seanchan began invading Falme. The invaders met resistance from the Children of the Light battalion, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.

Nynaeve and Elayne prepared to save Egwene who resisted Renna's control in the battle, much to her handler's anger and dismay. In this same fight, Perrin and his allies, including Loial , Ingtar, and Mesema, fought to protect the Horn of Valere with help from Rand, but not before Ingtar lost his life.

While this all went on, Mat successfully escaped his prison cell after the Forsaken tried and failed to sway him over to their side. In doing so, he carefully avoided touching the dagger that cursed him previously by attaching it to the end of a broad staff he wielded as a weapon.

With the wider battle in full swing, Egwene was forced to attack the Whitecloaks under Renna's command. But when an explosion took them by surprise, Egwene turned the tables on her captor, hanging her by the very same device that she was controlled by earlier.

The others drew closer as Mat reunited with Perrin and his group, who suffered a casualty when Perrin's wolf, Hopper, was killed.

Before they could reach Rand, Mat was forced to use the Horn of Valere himself in desperation, which summoned ancient heroes who battled to defeat the Seanchan forces with their otherworldly might.

That just left Ishamael to deal with. After he tried to sway Rand over to the Dark One's side again, the Dragon refused, sticking with the good guys.

Mat showed up to help, but threw the dagger through an illusion of Ishamael, accidentally hitting Rand instead (just as the vision foretold).

Egwene confronted the Forsaken at that point with help from Perrin, Nynaeve and Elayne, as Moiraine took out ships advancing from the sea. In doing so, she freed Rand of shielding constraints, just in time for him to kill Ishamael using a combination of the One Power and his sword.

With the battle over, Moiraine used her gifts to conjure a dragon made of fire in the sky, officially proclaiming Rand to be the Dragon Reborn.

Everyone celebrated in the streets, overjoyed at their victory and the fulfilment of the prophecy too, but the wheel keeps spinning for the forces of darkness just as much as it does the forces of light.

That's why season 2 ended with the news that Ishamael had already released the rest of the Forsaken before his death, introducing countless new enemies to the Westlands for our heroes to face.

This means season 3 will hit the ground running with the show's most brutal, action-packed season yet. We won't spoil too much, though. Instead, we'll just leave you with this official synopsis for season 3, which teases what's to come.

"In season 3, as threats against the Light are multiplying, Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike) and Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) embark on a perilous journey to the Aiel Waste to uncover the true fate of the Dragon Reborn.

"With the Forsaken in hot pursuit and Rand’s corrupted power growing stronger, Moraine must prevent the Dragon from turning Dark… no matter the cost."

The Wheel of Time season 3 will begin on 13th March on Prime Video.

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