The visual approach to the One Power in Amazon’s Wheel of Time show has been sharply criticized by some of the fans. The One Power, which is seen by many as the Wheel of Time equivalent to the Force in the Star Wars franchise, is a core element of Robert Jordan’s books and the source of the abilities used by the main characters.
Since Wheel of Time is a series of novels, and what it looks like when characters like Moiraine and the Aes Sedai use the One Power has been a major point of interest to readers. While the books do describe it in detail, its appearance is to an extent open to interpretation, since the books alone obviously can’t paint a clear picture of the One Power. So for a while, there were many questions regarding how it would translate to the small screen in Amazon’s Wheel of Time adaptation. At least a few answers were finally provided when Amazon released the long-awaited trailer for the upcoming fantasy series. Both Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and Logain (Álvaro Morte) could be spotted using it in the footage.
The public reaction to the One Power has been mixed. Arguably the biggest complaint is the lack of color. The trailer shows multiple white weaves, even though the One Power is known for being quite varied in terms of its look. Color is very important when it comes to the One Power in the Wheel of Time books, because each one represents something different. Weaving the One Power involves five threads, which are earth, fire, air, spirit, and water. Each of the five threads looks visually distinct from the others, so when these threads are combined to form a weave, it’s expected to create a spectacular, colorful visual. With that in mind, the simple, colorless weaves in the Wheel of Time trailer are being called plain in comparison to how the books describe the channeling process.
These criticisms may not be fair, because very little has been seen thus far. Plus, it’s important to keep in mind that how the One Power is depicted onscreen is going to be determined primarily by perspective. This was confirmed by Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins [via World of the Wheel]. In the books, use of saidar (the female half of the One Power) and saidin (the male half) don’t look the same, and how they appear differs depending on who’s looking at it. From the perspective of a female channeler like Egwene for example, weaving of the One Power will most likely be full of colors across the visual spectrum, while a person who can't tap into the One Power, like Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris), won’t see the weaves of saidin or saidar at all. So to him, it’s understandable that the One Power would come off as a bit bland.
The colorless style of the One Power in the Wheel of Time trailer could just be one of many takes on its design. Just as it is in the books, there may be multiple ways of seeing it, and all sorts of different weaves that the characters can channel. So despite the criticism, Wheel of Time still has an opportunity to deliver dozens of visual spectacles with the One Power when it premieres in November.