Several clues sprinkled throughout The Wheel of Time season 1 foreshadowed the reveal that Rand al’Thor is the Dragon Reborn. In both Robert Jordan’s books and Amazon’s small-screen adaptation, Rand eventually stood revealed as the prophesied reincarnation of Lews Therin “Kinslayer” Telamon. While the show made the mystery last until the season’s penultimate episode, the big twist didn’t come without a proper setup.
For those with any familiarity with the books, the identity of the Dragon Reborn wasn’t much of a secret. However, The Wheel of Time made enough changes to the source material to plant some seeds of doubt while simultaneously tricking viewers who weren’t fans of Jordan’s novels. In the series premiere, Wheel of Time expanded the list of candidates from three to five with a major alternation to the Dragon Reborn prophecy. It was explained early on that the Dragon Reborn could be female, thus making it theoretically possible for Nynaeve or Egwene to be the one Moiraine was looking for. Fakeouts in the show allowed the series to cast suspicion on characters that weren’t Rand. Nynaeve was an early suspect because of her shocking capabilities with the One Power, and Mat’s odd behavior was a major misdirect.
Through most of the series, Mat and Nynaeve’s stories served as distractions from the real Dragon Reborn, who actually seemed less relevant to the main plot than the other main characters. It wasn’t until Rand recalled the voices he heard in the Ways and revisited a previously unseen talk with Tam that his purpose in the show stopped being a mystery. At that moment, he finally put it all together and came to the game-changing realization that he was the Dragon Reborn all along. But before Rand’s big discovery, the pieces of the puzzle were already in place. Here’s every hint in Wheel of Time season 1 that Rand was the true Dragon Reborn.
Rand’s Strength
Wheel of Time dropped its first real clue in episode 3 when Rand was locked in a room by a scheming Darkfriend. She told Rand that breaking down the iron door was impossible. Refusing to listen, Rand tried anyway and successfully rammed it off its hinges. Rand pulling off a supposedly “impossible” task implied that the Darkfriend simply underestimated Rand’s strength – but that was never the case at all. While life on a farm may have made Rand stronger than the average man, he doesn’t possess strength on a superhuman level. How he knocked the door down can be attributed to the One Power, which he used to create a powerful gust of wind. A flashback to this moment in episode 7 confirmed the One Power’s role in Rand’s escape.
Dragonmount
Wheel of Time’s second clue came in episode 5 when Rand and Mat gazed at Dragonmount. Rand said he felt like he had seen it before, even though this was obviously his first visit to this particular location in Wheel of Time’s world. This comment from Rand was a tease about his past life as the Dragon. Not only was Rand born on the mountain, but he actually died there thousands of years ago. Lews Therin infamously formed Dragonmount when he killed himself with a tremendous release of the One Power. This act is what the characters now refer to as the Breaking of the World.
Rand’s Aiel Heritage
Not long after passing by the place of his birth, Rand was offered another hint about his origins, although he didn’t recognize it for what it was. When he met Loial in the Tar Valon library, the Ogier noted that he was a member of the Aiel, a race of desert-dwelling, red-haired people known for their warlike culture. To Loial, Rand’s red hair was proof of his Aiel heritage. In the books, his link to the Aiel is an important aspect of his secret backstory. Rand’s mother was Tigraine, an Andorian nobleman who joined an Aiel clan and fell in love with their leader and the man who would become his father, Janduin. She was present at the Battle of Dragonmount, where she gave birth to Rand. It was foretold by the ancient prophecy that the Dragon would be reborn on the slopes of Dragonmount.
Logain’s Laugh
Wheel of Time episode 5 followed up its two Dragon Reborn hints with one more, which it carefully disguised as a misdirect. When Rand and Mat were watching the Aes Sedai parade Logain through the streets of Tar Valon, Logain looked in their direction and was instantly startled by what he saw. His look of genuine surprise was immediately followed up by a long laugh. The show framed this scene to make it look like Logain’s attention was on Mat, but the books indicate that something far different was going on here. In the book version of this scene, it was Rand – and not Mat – that Logain was looking at it. Later on, it was explained that Logain was laughing because he sensed the incredible amount of power that Rand possessed. He seemingly found humor in the fact that he was the one being kept in a cage while Rand was running loose in the city.
The Battle of Dragonmount
The opening sequence of Wheel of Time episode 7 foreshadowed the Dragon Reborn reveal in a big way by actually showing the Battle of Dragonmount and Rand’s mother giving birth on the mountain. Since the series had already set up an accurate retelling of Rand’s backstory with its Aiel and Dragonmount hints, it wasn’t too difficult for book readers to connect the dots and see where the show was headed with this tease. It ultimately served as one more step toward the entire truth being exposed at the end of the episode.
Rand Protected Egwene In The Ways
Nynaeve wasn’t the only one using the One Power when they fought for their lives in the Ways. A One Power weave was spotted near Rand’s arm when he shielded her from an attacking Trolloc. When it happened, this could have been passed off as Egwene instinctively used the One Power to keep herself out of harm’s way. The Wheel of Time episode 7’s ending proved that instead, this was really Rand channeling for the second time in the series. The scene where Rand finally figured it out provided a better look at Rand using the One Power to save Egwene’s life.
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