After teasing the audience with reasons that any of The Wheel of Time’s five ta’veren characters could be the Dragon Reborn, season 1 of revealed that Rand al’Thor is the Dragon Reborn, leaving the other characters’ future roles in the story unclear. By definition, ta’veren are central individuals to main events in the Pattern according to the metaphysics of the world of The Wheel of Time, so Egwene, Mat, Nynaeve, and Perrin must also have critical roles to play in the story and the future of the world. Fortunately, the Wheel of Time book series, other events in season 1, and the hints released about season 2 give some insight as to what the other ta’veren characters’ futures will look like in Amazon’s adaptation of The Wheel of Time.
The answer to the question of what futures lie ahead for the other Two Rivers characters that leave with Moiraine at the start of The Wheel of Time is that they are each essential to making sure Rand al’Thor has a chance to win The Last Battle against the Dark One. In the book series, only Mat and Perrin are identified as ta’veren, and at multiple points, prophecies indicate that while Rand may be the Dragon Reborn, without the two of them supporting him he will fail. Now that Nynaeve and Egwene are canonically also ta’veren in the show, they are likely to be similarly essential for Rand and the side of the Light to have a fighting chance. While both women were similarly critical to the plots of the books as Mat and Perrin, they were not ta’veren. Egwene, Mat, Nynaeve, and Perrin each have unique destinies in the future of The Wheel of Time that ultimately support the fight against the Dark One.
Egwene
By the end of The Wheel of Time season 1, the most significant part of Egwene’s future had already been revealed. One of the visions the character Min describes around Egwene is a “white flame,” a symbol that may seem vague to some viewers. This vision also happens in the books and foreshadows the fact that Egwene will be the leader of the Aes Sedai during the Last Battle. The Aes Sedai leader’s title is called the Amyrlin in both Amazon’s The Wheel of Time and the book series, but her full title is “Watcher of the Seals. The Flame of Tar Valon. The Amyrlin Seat.” The symbol for the Flame of Tar Valon is a stylized white flame, which can also refer to the Aes Sedai as a whole, explaining why in the books Min indicates that the vision means Egwene will become Aes Sedai.
In the shorter term, this arc requires Egwene to spend some time training in the White Tower, something likely to happen in Season 2. Behind-the-scenes footage of The Wheel of Time season 2 indicates that at least some of season 2 takes place in the desert Aiel Waste, which could also affect Egwene’s future in the show. In the book series, Egwene gains valuable training in the Aiel Waste under the Wise Ones that helps prepare her to be Amyrlin. This could mean skipping the part of Egwene’s arc in the book where she is enslaved by the Seanchan, whose ships appear at the end of The Wheel of Time season 1. However, the Seanchan appear to be important antagonists for season 2, so Egwene’s capture could still take place. All of these parts of Egwene’s future arc will most likely need to span multiple seasons if included.
Mat
Because of the need to recast Mat Cauthon for The Wheel of Time season 2, his arc will have to deviate from the book series. Unless some major changes from the source material are made, however, Mat should ultimately end up blowing the Horn of Valere, bringing back dead heroes to fight for the Light. His rallying of the dead heroes ties into his larger future as the general over all the forces of the Light during the Last Battle, even bringing the Seanchan army to the field. More immediately, Mat still needs to deal with his connection to the corrupting dagger from Shadar Logoth and rejoin the group, as he does not go with them to the Blight at the end of The Wheel of Time season 1. A major turning point for his abilities in the books happens in the Aiel Waste, so Mat’s plot on the show may reconnect to the books in season 2.
Perrin
While Perrin’s connection to wolves might imply that his future role and ta’veren-ness are centered on his supernatural powers, if his arc in The Wheel of Time follows the book series his ability to bring people together will be much more important. In Robert Jordan’s books, Perrin forges critical diplomatic compacts, bringing rulers and their armies under Rand’s banners. He even manages to convince the Children of the Light to fight on his side, despite their wanting him dead for most of the series, a plotline Amazon’s The Wheel of Time kept. This part of his future doesn’t come into play in the books until he returns to the Two Rivers, so The Wheel of Time season 2 is likely to focus more on his earlier internal conflicts around the role of violence and his relationship to it.
Nynaeve
Even though she is not considered ta’veren in the Wheel of Time book series, Nynaeve’s future in The Wheel of Time will change what Aes Sedai believes to be possible. As demonstrations of her immense ability with the One Power have already foreshadowed, Nynaeve accomplishes feats with the One Power that Aes Sedai and even the Forsaken, believe to be impossible. Nynaeve not only Heals severing, the cutting off of a channeler from the One Power, she also eventually figures out a way to heal the madness that afflicts channelers of saidin. As if that were not enough, she also rediscovers the more effective healing weaves of the Age of Legends and helps Rand cleanse saidin, preventing men who channel from suffering from it and paving the way to reintegrate male channelers into society. As Rand becomes increasingly distrustful of Aes Sedai in the books, he always trusts and relies on Nynaeve, whose healing often saves his life. The fact that one of Nynaeve’s most impressive feats with the One Power shown in The Wheel of Time season 1 is mass healing indicates that this future path from the books is likely to appear in the show as well.
Fans of the burgeoning relationship between Nynaeve and Lan will be happy to know that in the books, this romance also plays a role in Nynaeve’s support of Rand and the Light during the Last Battle. As Lan’s eventual wife and uncrowned queen of Malkier, she sets the conditions for Lan to rally the Malkieri diaspora to join the Last Battle. She also single-handedly defeats the Forsaken Moghedien more than once, eventually capturing her. The Forsaken, veterans of the Age of Legends sworn to the Dark One, are expected to play a bigger role in season 2, which could be an opening for this part of her story.
While Rand turned out to be the Dragon Reborn, each of these ta’veren characters is an indispensable part of the larger battle against the Shadow and the Dark One in The Wheel of Time. In their unique ways, Egwene, Mat, Perrin, and Nynaeve are all formidable forces who bring together the amassed support necessary to win a war over the fate of the world. Their central positions tie into a larger message that major events are never down to the actions of just one person, but rather that the most impressive acts of humanity are accomplished when people work together toward a collective impact.