Includes SPOILERS for The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 4.
Moiraine has obtained a new weapon inThe Wheel of Timeseason 3, noting a significant change from the source material.Robert Jordan’s fourteenWheel of Timebooksare rich with detailed, expansive lore, making the fantasy world of his novels feel truly lived-in. Aside from vibrant locations and cultures,there are numerous objects within this universe that provide boons or serve other purposes. Sa’angreal are objects that allow those who can channel, such as the Aes Sedai orthe Dragon Reborn, to access more of the One Power, enhancing their capabilities.
InThe Wheel of Timeseason 3, episode 4, Rand al’Thor and Moiraine both entered Rhuidean, a mystical city, allowing them to access special visions. At this point in the timeline, sa’angreal are quite rare, though they were more prominent in the Age of Legends. As shown by Rand’s visions of the past, during the Breaking of the World, members ofthe Aes Sedaientrusted the Aiel with the safety of remaining sa’angreal, including Sakarnen.We see Rand’s ancestor taking Sakarnen in the past, only for Moiraine to discover it in the present day, likely changing how her storyline will look.
Sakarnen Is A Male Sa’angreal In The Wheel Of Time Books
Sakarnen Has Been Changed From The Source Material
Notably, sa’angreal are either attuned to saidar or saidin, the female and male halves of the One Power, meaning these objects are also gendered.In the books, Sakarnen is described as a scepter made of gold, and it’s a male sa’angreal. In the TV adaptation, however, it’s described as the female counterpart to Callandor, the male sa’angreal known as the Dragon Reborn’s sword. This marks an interesting choice, as there are female sa’angreal in the books, such as the white rod, which is held at the White Tower and used by Aes Sedai characters like Siuan Sanche.
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The Wheel of TimeTV series is known for its various departures from the books' contents. Even in season 3, episode 4, one of the most book-accurate episodes we’ve seen, with Rand’s visions being ripped straight out ofThe Shadow Rising, there are still variations.The purpose of giving Moiraine a sa’angreal could be a temporary development to help her combat Lanfear, which the season has been foreshadowing with their tentative alliance and their ultimate disagreement about how best to utilize Rand.
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Moiraine never possesses Sakarnen in any of the fourteenWheel of Timebooks. In fact,Moiraine is not associated with any sa’angreal objects in the books, aside from helping Rand retrieve Callandor. In the books, Sakarnen is pursued by one of the Forsaken, named Demandred, who’s one of the most dangerous and who plays a climactic role in the series. The Amazon Prime Video adaptation has revealed seven of the Forsaken so far, but there’s apparentlyone more in hiding on screen. Given Demandred’s link to Sakarnen, he could be the last one.
In the books, Sakarnen is pursued by one of the Forsaken, named Demandred, who’s one of the most dangerous and who plays a climactic role in the series.
Of course, there are thirteen Forsaken in total, and given Demandred’s role being in the later books, it may be too soon to introduce him. Given that Sakarnen has been turned into a female sa’angreal, it could end up being Lanfear who wields it, shifting her into Demandred’s role as one of the final bosses in the TV show. Alternatively, Demandred could end up finding another sa’angreal later on, either one of the others mentioned in the books or one entirely original to the show.
Interestingly, the TV show’sdepiction of Sakarnen as an orb actually resembles a different sa’angreal from the books: the Choeden Kal. In the novels, there are two versions of the Choden Kal, one male and one female, and they’re believed to be the most powerful sa’angreal in existence. They’re also giant, rather than the TV show’s Sakarnen, which is handheld. With this in mind, the TV show’s version of Sakarnen could have a male counterpart, explaining the Demandred question.
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One of the most common critiques ofThe Wheel of Timebooks is that they’re rather dense and tend to have their lulls. So, the process of developing the TV adaptation has been one of distillation in an effort to not have fourteen seasons. Some of these choices aren’t going to work out, but others will effectively simplify matters that might otherwise require too much time.Merging the storylines of two sa’angreal will have complicated implications, but we’ll have to see howThe Wheel of Timeshow pans out.
