View source for The Wheel of Time

{{Short description|Series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan}}
{{About|the series of books|other uses|Wheel of time (disambiguation)}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox media franchise
| color           = #FFDB58
| title           = The Wheel of Time
| image           = WoT01_TheEyeOfTheWorld.jpg
| caption         = Cover of ''[[The Eye of the World]]'' (1990)
| creator         = [[Robert Jordan]]
| origin          = ''[[The Eye of the World]]'' (1990)
| years           = 1990–present
| owner           = [[Tor Books]] ([[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]])
| books           = {{plainlist|
* ''[[The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time]]'' (1997)
* ''[[The Wheel of Time Companion]]'' (2015)
* ''Origins of The Wheel of Time'' (2022)
}}
| novels          = {{plainlist|
* ''[[The Eye of the World]]'' (1990)
* ''[[The Great Hunt]]'' (1990)
* ''[[The Dragon Reborn]]'' (1991)
* ''[[The Shadow Rising]]'' (1992)
* ''[[The Fires of Heaven]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Lord of Chaos]]'' (1994)
* ''[[A Crown of Swords]]'' (1996)
* ''[[The Path of Daggers]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Winter's Heart]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Crossroads of Twilight]]'' (2003)
* ''[[New Spring]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Knife of Dreams]]'' (2005)
* ''[[The Gathering Storm (novel)|The Gathering Storm]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Towers of Midnight]]'' (2010)
* ''[[A Memory of Light]]'' (2013)
}}
| short_stories   = {{plainlist|
* "The Strike at Shayol Ghul" (1996)
* "[[New Spring (short story)|New Spring]]" (1998)
* "River of Souls" (2013)
* "A Fire Within the Ways" (2019)
}}
| comics          = {{plainlist|
* ''New Spring'' (2005, 2009–2010)
* ''The Eye of the World'' (2010–2013)
* ''The Great Hunt'' (2023–present)
}}
| tv_series       = ''[[The Wheel of Time (TV series)|The Wheel of Time]]'' (2021–2025)
| games           = ''[[The Wheel of Time Collectible Card Game]]'' (1999)
| rpgs            = ''[[The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game]]'' (2001)
| video_games     = ''[[The Wheel of Time (video game)|The Wheel of Time]]'' (1999)
| podcasts        =
| soundtracks     = ''A Soundtrack for the Wheel of Time'' (1999)
| music           =
| toys            =
}}

'''''The Wheel of Time''''' is a series of [[high fantasy]] novels by the American author [[Robert Jordan]], with American author [[Brandon Sanderson]] as co-writer of the final three installments. Originally planned as a trilogy, ''The Wheel of Time'' came to span 14 volumes, in addition to a [[New Spring|prequel novel]] and [[#Companion books|three companion books]]. Jordan died in 2007 while working on what was planned to be the twelfth and final volume in the series. He prepared extensive notes, enabling Sanderson to complete the final book, which grew into three volumes: ''[[The Gathering Storm (novel)|The Gathering Storm]]'' (2009), ''[[Towers of Midnight]]'' (2010), and ''[[A Memory of Light]]'' (2013).

The series draws on numerous elements of both [[European mythology|European]] and [[Asian mythology|Asian mythologies]], most notably the [[Wheel of time|cyclical nature of time]] found in [[Buddhism]] and [[Hinduism]]; the metaphysical concepts of [[Balance (metaphysics)|balance]], [[Dualistic cosmology|duality]] and a respect for nature found in [[Taoism]]; and the [[Dualism in cosmology#Theistic dualism|dualistic]] concepts of [[God]] and [[Satan]] which is the foundation of [[Zoroastrianism]].

''The Wheel of Time'' is known for its length, detailed [[Fictional universe|imaginary world]], [[Magic (fantasy)|magic]] system, and large [[List of The Wheel of Time characters|cast of characters]]. The eighth through fourteenth books each reached number&nbsp;one on the [[New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller list]]. After its completion, the series was nominated for a [[Hugo Award for Best Novel]]. {{As of|2021}}, the series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling epic fantasy series since ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Its popularity has spawned [[#Comic books|comic book adaptations]], [[The Wheel of Time Collectible Card Game|a collectible card game]], [[The Wheel of Time (video game)|a video game]], [[The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game|a roleplaying game]], and a [[soundtrack album]]. A television adaptation, ''[[The Wheel of Time (TV series)|The Wheel of Time]]'', aired for three seasons on [[Amazon Prime Video]], from 2021 to 2025.

== Setting ==
{{Redirect|Damane (The Wheel of Time)|the TV episode|Damane (The Wheel of Time episode)}}

=== The One Power and the Aes Sedai ===
The series is set in the Third Age of a fantasy world in which the pattern of human existence is determined and maintained by the Wheel of Time, a cosmic embodiment of [[eternal return]]. The Wheel spins the Pattern of the Ages, manifest in both the physical world and human destiny, using the lives of men and women as its threads. Individuals with the power to influence and change the Pattern are called ''ta'veren''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-taveren-dragon-reborn-candidates-meaning-explained/|title=What Being ''Ta'veren'' Means in ''Wheel of Time''{{'s}} World|first=Charles Nicholas|last=Raymond|date=29 January 2022|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=23 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023084050/https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-taveren-dragon-reborn-candidates-meaning-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Wheel is rotated by a magical force called the One Power. The ability to access and wield the One Power is known as channeling, and only women can do this safely.<ref name="sr origin">{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-aes-sedai-origins-powers-explained/|title=''Wheel of Time'': Aes Sedai Explained (History, Origin, Powers & Members)|first=Faefyx|last=Collington|date=28 October 2021|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=18 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218024331/https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-aes-sedai-origins-powers-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref> Artifacts called ''angreal'' amplify the One Power, with ''sa'angreal'' being the most potent, and ''ter'angreal'' limited to specific functions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-terangreal/|title=What Is a ''Ter'angreal'' in ''The Wheel of Time''?|first=Kendall|last=Myers|date=27 September 2023|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=29 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929115228/https://collider.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-terangreal/|url-status=live}}</ref>

A matriarchal order called the Aes Sedai, made up of female channelers, are both respected and feared across the world. Their stated goal is to use their skills to serve and protect humanity, but they are also preparing for the inevitable, prophesized return of a malevolent entity they call the [[Dark One (The Wheel of Time)|Dark One]].<ref name="sr origin"/><ref name="nerdist origin">{{Cite web|url=https://nerdist.com/article/wheel-of-time-magic-who-are-the-aes-sedai/|title=''The Wheel of Time''{{'s}} Aes Sedai, Explained|first=Amy|last=Ratcliffe|website=[[Nerdist]]|date=29 September 2023|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=2 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102162636/https://nerdist.com/article/wheel-of-time-magic-who-are-the-aes-sedai/|url-status=live}}</ref> The leader of the Aes Sedai, known as the Amyrlin Seat, rules from the White Tower in the city of Tar Valon. The order is divided into seven disciplines, or Ajahs: the Blue Ajah are dedicated to the pursuit of justice and inevitably intrigue, possessing extensive spy networks; the Brown Ajah are dedicated to the preservation of knowledge and history; the Gray Ajah are dedicated to mediation and politics; the Green Ajah are warriors trained in battle and strategy; the Red Ajah monitor the use of the One Power by outsiders; the White Ajah are concerned with logic and truth; the Yellow Ajah are mistresses of healing; and a secret eighth faction, the Black Ajah, pose as members of other Ajahs but serve the Dark One. The few men born with the ability to channel ultimately go mad, so the Red Ajah hunt male channelers and "gentle" them, or cut them off permanently from the One Power, ever aware of the danger they represent. With the exception of the Red Ajah, an Aes Sedai may choose to bond magically with a Warder, a male protector. The link bestows the Warder with heightened senses, strength, stamina and resistance to injury.<ref name="sr origin"/><ref name="nerdist origin"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-wheel-of-time-aes-sedai/|title=''The Wheel of Time'': Who Are the Aes Sedai?|first=Michael|last=Ahr|date=28 September 2021|website=[[Den of Geek]]|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=2 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102213347/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-wheel-of-time-aes-sedai/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-aes-sedai-colors-robes-roles-differences/|title=''Wheel of Time''{{'s}} Aes Sedai Colors & Different Roles Explained|first1=Shawn S.|last1=Lealos|first2=Charles Nicholas|last2=Raymond|date=26 November 2021|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=27 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927013328/https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-aes-sedai-colors-robes-roles-differences/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Geography and cultures ===
The primary continent depicted in the series consists of three regions: the Westlands, Shara far to the east, and the Aiel Waste in between. The Aiel Waste is separated from the Westlands by a vast mountain range known as the Spine of the World. Connecting these three areas in the north is the eastern part of the Great Blight, a once-verdant land mass that has been corrupted by the Dark One's influence. It stretches far west across the Aryth Ocean and borders the north of the continent of Seanchan. South of the Westlands is the Sea of Storms, and the small continent known as the Land of the Madmen.<ref name="world">{{cite book |title=[[The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time]] |first1=Robert |last1=Jordan |authorlink=Robert Jordan |first2=Teresa |last2=Patterson |publisher=[[Tor Books]] |date=1997 |isbn=978-0-312-86936-6}}</ref> The Westlands contain 14 nations, including Andor, Cairhien, Illian, Shienar and [[Tear (The Wheel of Time)|Tear]],<ref name="sr omit">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/the-wheel-of-time-episode-5-omits-caemlyn/|title=''The Wheel of Time'': Episode 5 Omits the City of Caemlyn But Loses Nothing|first=Mark|last=Millien|date=12 December 2021|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|access-date=20 December 2023|archive-date=31 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831091229/https://www.cbr.com/the-wheel-of-time-episode-5-omits-caemlyn/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/tv/moiraines-family-drama-intensifies-wheel-of-time-clip/ |title=Moiraine's family drama intensifies in exclusive ''The Wheel of Time'' clip |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |first=Christian |last=Holub |date=20 September 2023 |access-date=20 December 2023 |archive-date=20 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220194212/https://ew.com/tv/moiraines-family-drama-intensifies-wheel-of-time-clip/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="sr shienar">{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/where-is-rand-going-in-wheel-of-time-season-2/|title=Where Is Rand Going in ''Wheel of Time'' Season 2? S1 Finale Hint Explained|first=Charles Nicholas|last=Raymond|date=27 May 2023|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=20 December 2023|archive-date=19 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719223850/https://screenrant.com/where-is-rand-going-in-wheel-of-time-season-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as four major city-states: Falme, Far Madding, Mayene and Tar Valon.<ref name="sr omit"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-ending-explained/|title=''Wheel of Time'' Season 2 Ending Explained (In Detail)|first=Charles Nicholas|last=Raymond|date=6 October 2023|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=20 December 2023|archive-date=14 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014032249/https://screenrant.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-ending-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref> Other notable cities include Caemlyn, the capital of Andor,<ref name="sr omit"/> and Fal Dara, the northernmost city in Shienar.<ref name="sr shienar"/> Two Rivers is a region in Andor which includes the village Emond's Field, home of five of the series' main characters.<ref name="world"/> Shara, which extends much further south than either the Westlands or the Aiel Waste, is separated from the rest of the continent by the Cliffs of the Dawn and the Great Rift. Shara remains mysterious to outsiders, who are only allowed to enter walled-off towns to trade.<ref name="world"/> The world in which the series is set is sometimes called "Randland" by fans, referring to lead character [[Rand al'Thor]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tor.com/2020/04/30/why-doesnt-randland-have-an-actual-name/|title=Why Doesn't Randland Have an Actual Name?|website=[[Tor.com]]|first=Sylas K.|last=Barrett|date=30 April 2020|access-date=20 December 2023|archive-date=20 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220034457/https://www.tor.com/2020/04/30/why-doesnt-randland-have-an-actual-name/|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:The World of the Wheel map.jpg|thumb|left|Map of the fictional world of ''The Wheel of Time'']]
The {{visible anchor|Seanchan}} are a vast and powerful empire whose civilization has developed at a distance from the primary continent of the series. Their culture enslaves female channelers, who they believe are too dangerous to be free. Such channelers, known as ''damane'', are collared with a ''ter'angreal'' called an ''a'dam'', which allows women known as ''sul'dam'' to harness and control their channeling power. As the Seanchan invade, they use the ''a'dam'' to enslave any Aes Sedai they can.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/the-wheel-of-time-season-2-seanchan-explained/|title=Who Are the Seanchan in ''The Wheel of Time'' Season 2?|first=Brandon|last=Moreno|date=1 September 2023|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=29 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929045304/https://collider.com/the-wheel-of-time-season-2-seanchan-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nerdist.com/article/the-wheel-of-time-who-are-the-seanchan-season-2-villains-explained/|title=Who Are ''The Wheel of Time''{{'s}} Seanchan?|first=Amy|last=Ratcliffe|website=[[Nerdist]]|date=6 October 2023|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=17 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117155519/https://nerdist.com/article/the-wheel-of-time-who-are-the-seanchan-season-2-villains-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/the-wheel-of-time-seanchan/|title=Who Are the Seanchan on ''The Wheel of Time''?|first=Jamie|last=Parker|date=27 May 2023|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=17 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117134130/https://www.cbr.com/the-wheel-of-time-seanchan/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-season-2-villains-seanchan-far-western-shore/|title=''Wheel of Time'' Season 2 Villains Revealed & Explained: Who Are the Seanchan?|first=Thomas|last=Bacon|date=26 December 2021|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=20 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920163718/https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-season-2-villains-seanchan-far-western-shore/|url-status=live}}</ref> Also opposing the Aes Sedai are the Children of the Light, or Whitecloaks, a quasi-religious, militarized order bent on destroying anyone who channels the One Power, believing they are servants of the Shadow.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-children-light-aes-sedai-hate-reason/|title=Why The White Cloaks Hate & Hunt Aes Sedai in ''Wheel of Time''|first=Graeme|last=Guttmann|date=24 November 2021|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=21 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121095347/https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-children-light-aes-sedai-hate-reason/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-whitecloaks/|title=Who Are the Whitecloaks in ''The Wheel of Time''?|first=Maria|last=D'Amico|date=20 September 2023|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=17 November 2023|archive-date=29 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929180525/https://collider.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-whitecloaks/|url-status=live}}</ref> In Shara, channelers are known as Ayyad, and isolate themselves in special communities. The females, who secretly control the monarchy, cultivate a bloodline of channelers by using male Ayyad as uneducated breeding stock and executing them by age 21.<ref name="tor chaos 6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tor.com/2022/01/25/reading-the-wheel-of-time-graendal-and-semirhage-treat-their-patients-in-robert-jordans-lord-of-chaos-part-6/|title=Reading ''The Wheel of Time'': Graendal and Semirhage Treat Their Patients in Robert Jordan's ''Lord of Chaos'' (Part 6)|website=[[Tor.com]]|first=Sylas K.|last=Barrett|date=25 January 2022|access-date=3 January 2023|archive-date=29 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929132333/https://www.tor.com/2022/01/25/reading-the-wheel-of-time-graendal-and-semirhage-treat-their-patients-in-robert-jordans-lord-of-chaos-part-6/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The {{visible anchor|Aiel}} are a fierce warrior race who live in the Three-fold Land, called the Aiel Waste by outsiders, an inhospitable desert region located between the Westlands and Shara. They are tall, with characteristic pale eyes, and red or blond hair. There are 12 Aiel clans, plus the extinct Jenn Aiel, who built the city of Rhuidean, a repository of Aiel history and culture. The Maidens of the Spear are an all-female warrior society among the Aiel. Female Aiel who can channel the One Power or navigate ''Tel'aran'rhiod'', the World of Dreams, do not join the Aes Sedai, instead becoming known as Wise Ones. The Aiel await a prophesied "Chief of Chiefs", whom they call the ''Car'a'carn'', who will unite and rule all the clans.<ref name="world"/>

The {{visible anchor|Ogier}} are a hirsute, wide-featured and immensely tall and strong species of humanoid known for their proficiency in woodwork and masonry. Though physically intimidating, they are peaceful, intelligent and interested in historical and genealogical study. The Ogier also possess a unique ability called treesinging, whereby they stimulate the growth and healing of trees and plants by singing to them.<ref name="sr loial">{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wheel-of-time-loial-ogier-race-powers-origin/|title=Who Is Loial: ''Wheel of Time''{{'s}} New Main Character (Powers & Race Explained)|first=Charles Nicholas|last=Raymond|date=9 December 2021|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=25 November 2023|archive-date=16 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516133555/https://screenrant.com/wheel-of-time-loial-ogier-race-powers-origin/|url-status=live}}</ref> They live in sanctuaries called ''steddings'', in which the One Power is inaccessible. After the Breaking of the World, male channelers who sought sanctuary with the Ogier thanked them by creating the Ways, a series of paths through an alternate dimension that connected Ogier communities. Stone doorways called Waygates, placed outside each ''stedding'', were used to travel long distances quickly. In the millennia that followed, however, the Ways were corrupted by a malevolent force known as the Machin Shin, or Black Wind, which attacks travelers.<ref name="world"/>

The {{visible anchor|Tinkers}}, or ''Tuatha'an'', are a nomadic group of people who travel continuously and widely in brightly colored wagons, believing this is the only way to remain safe. They follow the pacifistic Way of the Leaf, which eschews violence. The Tuatha'an's main purpose has evolved to searching for "The Song", lost during the Breaking of the World, which they claim they will know when they find it.<ref name="world"/> The Sea Folk, or ''Atha'an Miere'', are dark-skinned people with complex customs who live on ships and on islands in the Sea of Storms. They only appear on the mainland to trade goods, and Sea Folk porcelain sculptures, delicate and graceful objects of art, are highly prized by mainlanders. Unknown to any but the ''Atha'an Miere'', the fabled porcelain is created by the Amayar, a group of island dwelling people protected by the Sea Folk as a solemn duty since the Breaking of the World. The Amayar adhere to the Water Way, a pacifistic way of life akin to the Way of the Leaf practiced by the Tuatha'an.<ref name="world"/>

=== The Dark One ===
Humans seduced by promises of power and immortality to serve the Dark One are known as Darkfriends.<ref name="mythology">{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-world-mythology-story-characters-magic-explained/|title=''Wheel of Time''{{'s}} World & Mythology Explained: Magic, Characters & Story|first=Charles Nicholas|last=Raymond|date=2 September 2021|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=27 November 2023|archive-date=29 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929164008/https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-world-mythology-story-characters-magic-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref> The increasing influence of the Dark One has also introduced an array of creatures called Shadowspawn. Trollocs are brutal, humanoid monsters with animal senses who kill with pleasure and eat all meat, including humans. They are led by the Myrddraal, or Fades, terrifying and deadly creatures without eyes who can disappear in shadow but will not cross running water. Appearing human and designed to target channelers, ''gholam'' are constructs which possess superhuman strength, are impervious to harm and immune to the One Power, and feed on blood. Gray Men, or the Soulless, are humans who have sacrificed their souls to become drab assassins with the ability to pass completely unnoticed. Draghkar are flying, vampiric creatures that devour the souls of their prey. Darkhounds are otherworldly, doglike beasts the size of small horses, with acidic, poison saliva. They regenerate when wounded or dismembered, and can only be destroyed by balefire, a weapon of the One Power which erases the target from existence, retroactively through time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://comicyears.com/tv-shows/wheel-of-time-shadowspawn/|title=A Guide to the World of ''Wheel of Time'': What Are Shadowspawn?|website=Comic Years|date=8 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208213010/https://comicyears.com/tv-shows/wheel-of-time-shadowspawn/|archive-date=8 December 2021|access-date=1 December 2023|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The most significant minions of the Shadow are the Forsaken, a group of male and female channelers from  the Second Age, or the Age of Legends, who are among the most powerful to have ever lived. Calling themselves "Those Chosen to Rule the World Forever", they pledged their loyalty to the Dark One in exchange for power and immortality. In turn, the Dark One granted them access to the [[True Power (The Wheel of Time)|True Power]], his exclusive equivalent of the One Power which is not divided by gender, and is more chaotic. Use of the True Power manifests as ''saa'', black flecks moving across the eyes of the channeler, increasing in number in tandem with increased channeling. The more powerful among the Forsaken vie to be raised above the others to the position of ''nae'blis'', the Dark One's second-in-command. The thirteen Forsaken—[[Aginor]], [[Asmodean]], [[Balthamel]], [[Be'lal]], [[Demandred]], [[Graendal]], [[Ishamael]], [[Lanfear]], [[Mesaana]], [[Moghedien]], [[Rahvin]], [[Sammael (The Wheel of Time)|Sammael]] and [[Semirhage]]—were imprisoned with the Dark One at Shayol Ghul at the end of the Second Age.<ref name="collider forsaken">{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-forsaken-explained/|title=Who Are the Forsaken in ''The Wheel of Time'' Season 2?|first=Kendall|last=Myers|date=13 September 2023|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=26 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926013923/https://collider.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-forsaken-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="sr forsaken">{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wheel-of-time-13-forsaken-explained/|title=The Forsaken in ''The Wheel of Time'' Explained: All 13 Major Villains|first=Henry|last=Ladd|date=10 September 2023|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016184144/https://screenrant.com/wheel-of-time-13-forsaken-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref> Three thousand years later near the end of the Third Age, the Aes Sedai learn that the prophesied channeler known as the [[Dragon (The Wheel of Time)|Dragon]] has been reborn, signaling that a final battle with the Dark One is coming.<ref name="sr origin"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nerdist.com/article/the-wheel-of-time-what-is-the-dragon-reborn-explainer/|title=Who Is ''The Wheel of Time''{{'s}} Dragon Reborn?|website=[[Nerdist]]|first=Amy|last=Ratcliffe|date=6 October 2023|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=17 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117175828/https://nerdist.com/article/the-wheel-of-time-what-is-the-dragon-reborn-explainer/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Seven Seals of the Dark One's prison have weakened, and the Forsaken begin to reenter the world, presenting a new threat and paving the way for their master.<ref name="collider forsaken"/><ref name="sr forsaken"/>

=== Backstory ===
In the [[backstory]] of the series, the Wheel of Time and the universe were forged at the dawn of time by a deity known as the Creator, simultaneously imprisoning its antithesis, the Dark One. The One Power itself is divided into both male (''saidin'') and female (''saidar'') halves, and originally both genders could wield it. In the Age of Legends, the Aes Sedai was made up of both men and women who could channel. An Aes Sedai experiment inadvertently drilled what would become known as the Bore into the Dark One's prison, and his influence began to seep out into the world. In response to the threat of his eventual release, the Wheel produced the Dragon, [[Lews Therin Telamon]], a channeler of immense power. Lews eventually rose to command the Aes Sedai and their allies in the struggle against the Dark One's forces. Seven Seals were created, made of an unbreakable substance called ''cuendillar'', to be used as focus points to reseal the Dark One's prison for good. Lews and a host of 113 male channelers managed to imprison the Forsaken with their master, but at the moment of victory, the Dark One was able to taint ''saidin'', driving male channelers insane. Lews killed his friends and family, and then himself. Other male channelers devastated the world with earthquakes and tidal waves, an event called the Breaking of the World, before destroying themselves. The female Aes Sedai guided humanity out of this dark time, living in the shadow of a prophecy that the Dark One would break free from his prison and the Dragon would be reborn to fight him once more. And though the [[Rand al'Thor|Dragon Reborn]] is humanity's only hope against the Dark One, he would break the world a second time in the process.<ref name="sr origin"/><ref name="nerdist origin"/><ref name="time butler">{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/6121275/wheel-of-time-books-explained/|title=What to Know About ''The Wheel of Time'' Books|date=18 November 2021|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|first=Leigh|last=Butler|access-date=7 November 2023|archive-date=7 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107234516/https://time.com/6121275/wheel-of-time-books-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Plot==
{{further|List of The Wheel of Time characters}}
In ''[[The Eye of the World]]'' (1990), the arrival of a mysterious noblewoman to the remote village of Emond's Field in the Two Rivers precedes an attack on the town by a force of humanoid monsters called Trollocs. The woman reveals herself to be [[Moiraine Damodred]], one of the Aes Sedai, and warns that the servants of the Dark One are seeking one of three young men from the village: [[Rand al'Thor]], [[Perrin Aybara]] and [[Matrim Cauthon]]. They leave with Moiraine and her companion, the Warder [[Lan Mandragoran]], and are joined by [[Egwene al'Vere]], in whom Moiraine sees a potential Aes Sedai; the [[itinerant poet|gleeman]] [[Thom Merrilin]]; and later the Wisdom [[Nynaeve al'Meara]], a healer who learns she can also channel the One Power. They are pursued by increasing numbers of Trollocs, led by deadly, eyeless Fades, and are separated fleeing the cursed, abandoned city of [[Shadar Logoth]]. At the Eye of the World, a sacred pool of untainted ''saidin'', Rand's defeat of the Forsaken Aginor and Ba'alzamon convinces Moiraine that he is the prophesied Dragon Reborn.<ref name="time butler"/>

From then, the story expands and protagonist Rand, as well as the other characters, are frequently split into different groups, pursuing different missions or agendas aimed at furthering the cause of the Dragon Reborn, sometimes thousands of miles apart. Broadly speaking, the original group of characters from the Two Rivers make new allies, gain experience, and become figures of some influence and authority. As they struggle to unite the western kingdoms against the Dark One's forces, their task is complicated by rulers of the nations who refuse to give up their authority and by factions such as the Children of the Light, who do not believe in the prophecies, and the Seanchan, the people of a long-lost colony of Artur Hawkwing's empire across the western ocean who have returned, believing it is their destiny to conquer the world. The Aes Sedai also become divided between those who believe the Dragon Reborn should be strictly controlled and those who believe he must lead them into battle as he did in the earlier war. As the story expands, new characters representing different factions are introduced; although this expansion of the narrative allows the sheer scale of the growing struggle to be effectively depicted, it has been criticized for slowing the pace of the novels and sometimes reducing the appearances of the original or main cast to extended cameos.

By the sixth novel, ''[[Lord of Chaos]]'' (1994), it has become clear that the Last Battle, triggered when the Dark One is able to exert its influence directly on the world once more, is imminent, as only three Seals (keys to the Dark One's prison) are intact. Once the remaining Seals break, the Dark One will be free to touch the world. The Last Battle, ''Tarmon Gai'don'', is depicted in the fourteenth and final novel in the series, ''[[A Memory of Light]]'' (2013).

== Novels ==
{{Book table |background=#FFDB58 |book_number= |title= |author=Author(s) |publish_date=Release date |aux1=Pages (1st edition) |aux2=Word count |aux3=Audio length |isbn= |books=

{{Book list
 | book_number   = 1
 | title         = [[The Eye of the World]]
 | author        = [[Robert Jordan]]
 | publish_date  = {{start date|1990|1|15|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 688<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Eye of the World''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312850098-the-eye-of-the-world-the-wheel-of-time-book-1-wheel-of-time-|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182025/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312850098-the-eye-of-the-world-the-wheel-of-time-book-1-wheel-of-time-|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 310,874<ref name="AR 1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=32815&l=EN&slid=607040469|title=Book Details: ''The Eye of the World''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=1990|isbn=978-0-312-85009-8|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129181906/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d32815%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607040469|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 29h 57m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Eye-of-the-World-Audiobook/B0036NHZ10|title=''The Eye of the World''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116193308/https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Eye-of-the-World-Audiobook/B0036NHZ10|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-85009-8
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 2
 | title         = [[The Great Hunt]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|1990|11|15|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 624<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Great Hunt''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312851408-the-great-hunt-the-wheel-of-time-book-2-wheel-of-time-2|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182016/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312851408-the-great-hunt-the-wheel-of-time-book-2-wheel-of-time-2|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 258,203<ref name="AR 2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=32812&l=EN&slid=607744228|title=Book Details: ''The Great Hunt''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=1990|isbn=978-0-312-85140-8|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129181907/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d32812%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607744228|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 26h 34m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Great-Hunt-Audiobook/B002UP1LXS|title=''The Great Hunt''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116193308/https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Great-Hunt-Audiobook/B002UP1LXS|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-85140-8
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 3
 | title         = [[The Dragon Reborn]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|1991|10|15|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 624<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Dragon Reborn''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312852481-dragon-reborn-the-wheel-of-time-book-3|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182019/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312852481-dragon-reborn-the-wheel-of-time-book-3|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 242,016<ref name="AR 3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=32818&l=EN&slid=607746446|title=Book Details: ''The Dragon Reborn''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=1991|isbn=978-0-312-85248-1|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129181907/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d32818%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607746446|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 24h 48m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Dragon-Reborn-Audiobook/B002V1OIM2|title=''The Dragon Reborn''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116193310/https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Dragon-Reborn-Audiobook/B002V1OIM2|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-85248-1
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 4
 | title         = [[The Shadow Rising]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|1992|9|15|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 704<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Shadow Rising''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312854317-the-shadow-rising-the-wheel-of-time-book-4-wheel-of-time-4|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129181939/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312854317-the-shadow-rising-the-wheel-of-time-book-4-wheel-of-time-4|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 341,730<ref name="AR 4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=32816&l=EN&slid=607793591|title=Book Details: ''The Shadow Rising''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=1992|isbn=978-0-312-85431-7|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129181948/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d32816%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607793591|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 41h 13m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Shadow-Rising-Audiobook/B002UZML5K|title=''The Shadow Rising''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195404/https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Shadow-Rising-Audiobook/B002UZML5K|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-85431-7
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 5
 | title         = [[The Fires of Heaven]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|1993|10|15|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 704<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Fires of Heaven''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312854270-the-fires-of-heaven-the-wheel-of-time-book-5-wheel-of-time-5|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182520/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312854270-the-fires-of-heaven-the-wheel-of-time-book-5-wheel-of-time-5|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 342,005<ref name="AR 5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=32819&l=EN&slid=607795217|title=Book Details: ''The Fires of Heaven''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=1993|isbn=978-0-312-85427-0|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182450/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d32819%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607795217|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 36h 27m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Fires-of-Heaven-Audiobook/B002V0JU3U|title=''The Fires of Heaven''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195407/https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Fires-of-Heaven-Audiobook/B002V0JU3U|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-85427-0
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 6
 | title         = [[Lord of Chaos]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|1994|10|15|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 720<ref>{{cite web|title=''Lord of Chaos''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312854287-lord-of-chaos|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182524/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312854287-lord-of-chaos|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 391,159<ref name="AR 6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=32817&l=EN&slid=607797425|title=Book Details: ''Lord of Chaos''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=1994|isbn=978-0-312-85428-7|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182524/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d32817%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607797425|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 41h 32m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/Lord-of-Chaos-Audiobook/B002V5BDOE|title=''Lord of Chaos''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195408/https://www.audible.com/pd/Lord-of-Chaos-Audiobook/B002V5BDOE|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-85428-7
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 7
 | title         = [[A Crown of Swords]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|1996|5|15|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 720<ref>{{cite web|title=''A Crown of Swords''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312857677-a-crown-of-swords-the-wheel-of-time-book-7-wheel-of-time-7|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182521/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312857677-a-crown-of-swords-the-wheel-of-time-book-7-wheel-of-time-7|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 285,958<ref name="AR 7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=32813&l=EN&slid=607815719|title=Book Details: ''A Crown of Swords''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=1996|isbn=978-0-312-85767-7|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182510/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d32813%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607815719|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 30h 24m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Crown-of-Swords-Audiobook/B002V0118W|title=''A Crown of Swords''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195404/https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Crown-of-Swords-Audiobook/B002V0118W|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-85767-7
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 8
 | title         = [[The Path of Daggers]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|1998|10|20|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 528<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Path of Daggers''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312857691-the-path-of-daggers-the-wheel-of-time-book-8-wheel-of-time-8|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182521/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312857691-the-path-of-daggers-the-wheel-of-time-book-8-wheel-of-time-8|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 222,185<ref name="AR 8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=32814&l=EN&slid=607818315|title=Book Details: ''The Path of Daggers''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=1998|isbn=978-0-312-85769-1|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129182443/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d32814%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607818315|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 23h 25m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/Path-of-Daggers-Audiobook/B002V1AJEI|title=''The Path of Daggers''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195412/https://www.audible.com/pd/Path-of-Daggers-Audiobook/B002V1AJEI|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-85769-1
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 9
 | title         = [[Winter's Heart]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|2000|11|7|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 625<ref>{{cite web|title=''Winter's Heart''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312864255-winter-s-heart-the-wheel-of-time-book-9-wheel-of-time-9|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 238,423<ref name="AR 9">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=59264&l=EN&slid=607820396|title=Book Details: ''Winter's Heart''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=2000|isbn=978-0-312-86425-5|access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 24h 12m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/Winters-Heart-Audiobook/B004NQKRVE|title=''Winter's Heart''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195403/https://www.audible.com/pd/Winters-Heart-Audiobook/B004NQKRVE|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-86425-5
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 10
 | title         = [[Crossroads of Twilight]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|2003|1|7|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 624<ref>{{cite web|title=''Crossroads of Twilight''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312864590-crossroads-of-twilight-the-wheel-of-time-book-10-wheel-of-ti|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 264,200<ref name="AR 10">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=69267&l=EN&slid=607822085|title=Book Details: ''Crossroads of Twilight''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=2003|isbn=978-0-312-86459-0|access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 26h 04m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/Crossroads-of-Twilight-Audiobook/B0036N9G8K|title=''Crossroads of Twilight''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195401/https://www.audible.com/pd/Crossroads-of-Twilight-Audiobook/B0036N9G8K|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-86459-0
 | short_summary =
 | line_color    = #FFDB58
}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = Prequel
 | title         = [[New Spring]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|2004|1|6|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 336<ref>{{cite web|title=''New Spring''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780765306296-new-spring-the-novel-wheel-of-time-15|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 121,816<ref name="AR pre">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=103040&l=EN&slid=607058088|title=Book Details: ''New Spring''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=2004|isbn=978-0-7653-0629-6|access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 12h 38m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/New-Spring-Audiobook/B002UUFOSG|title=''New Spring''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195409/https://www.audible.com/pd/New-Spring-Audiobook/B002UUFOSG|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-7653-0629-6
 | short_summary =
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}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 11
 | title         = [[Knife of Dreams]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan
 | publish_date  = {{start date|2005|10|11|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 783<ref>{{cite web|title=''Knife of Dreams''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780312873073-knife-of-dreams-the-wheel-of-time-book-11-wheel-of-time-11|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 313,674<ref name="AR 11">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=103039&l=EN&slid=607757205|title=Book Details: ''Knife of Dreams''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=2005|isbn=978-0-312-87307-3|access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 32h 19m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/Knife-of-Dreams-Audiobook/B002V0K6BA|title=''Knife of Dreams''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195406/https://www.audible.com/pd/Knife-of-Dreams-Audiobook/B002V0K6BA|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-312-87307-3
 | short_summary =
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}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 12
 | title         = [[The Gathering Storm (novel)|The Gathering Storm]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan and [[Brandon Sanderson]]
 | publish_date  = {{start date|2009|10|27|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 784<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Gathering Storm''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780765302304-the-gathering-storm-wheel-of-time-book-12|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=12 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212160706/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780765302304-the-gathering-storm-wheel-of-time-book-12|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 294,492<ref name="AR 12">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=134808&l=EN&slid=607756082|title=Book Details: ''The Gathering Storm''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=2009|isbn=978-0-7653-0230-4|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=12 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212160645/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d134808%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607756082|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 32h 58m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Gathering-Storm-Audiobook/B002UZN0PA|title=''The Gathering Storm''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195405/https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Gathering-Storm-Audiobook/B002UZN0PA|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-7653-0230-4
 | short_summary =
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}}
{{Book list
 | book_number   = 13
 | title         = [[Towers of Midnight]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
 | publish_date  = {{start date|2010|11|2|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 861<ref>{{cite web|title=''Towers of Midnight''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780765325945-towers-of-midnight-wheel-of-time-book-thirteen|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=12 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212160645/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780765325945-towers-of-midnight-wheel-of-time-book-thirteen|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 325,636<ref name="AR 13">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=141084&l=EN&slid=607754454|title=Book Details: ''Towers of Midnight''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=2010|isbn=978-0-7653-2594-5|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=12 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212160646/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d141084%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607754454|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 38h 23m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/Towers-of-Midnight-Audiobook/B00494LMV4|title=''Towers of Midnight''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195406/https://www.audible.com/pd/Towers-of-Midnight-Audiobook/B00494LMV4|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-7653-2594-5
 | short_summary =
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{{Book list
 | book_number   = 14
 | title         = [[A Memory of Light]]
 | author        = Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
 | publish_date  = {{start date|2013|1|8|df=y}}
 | aux1          = 912<ref>{{cite web|title=''A Memory of Light''|url=https://bookscouter.com/book/9780765325952-a-memory-of-light-wheel-of-time-book-14-wheel-of-time-14|website=[[BookScouter]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=12 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212160645/https://bookscouter.com/book/9780765325952-a-memory-of-light-wheel-of-time-book-14-wheel-of-time-14|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux2          = 352,686<ref name="AR 14">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=158237&l=EN&slid=607752162|title=Book Details: ''A Memory of Light''|website=Accelerated Reader Bookfinder|date=2013|isbn=978-0-7653-2595-2|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=12 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212160645/https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fbookdetail.aspx%3fq%3d158237%26l%3dEN%26slid%3d607752162|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | aux3          = 41h 47m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Memory-of-Light-Audiobook/B009OJXEOW|title=''A Memory of Light''|website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]|access-date=16 November 2023|archive-date=16 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116195409/https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Memory-of-Light-Audiobook/B009OJXEOW|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | isbn          = 978-0-7653-2595-2
 | short_summary =
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}}

In 2002, ''The Eye of the World'' was repackaged as two volumes with new illustrations for younger readers: ''From the Two Rivers'',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jordan |first=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/eyeofworldwheelo00robe |title=From The Two Rivers (The Eye of the World, Book 1) |date=7 January 2002 |publisher=[[Starscape (publisher)|Starscape]] |isbn=978-0-7653-4184-6}}</ref> including an extra chapter (''Ravens'') before the existing prologue; and ''To the Blight''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jordan |first=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/toblightparttwoo00jord |title=To the Blight (The Eye of the World, Book 2) |date=7 January 2002 |publisher=[[Starscape (publisher)|Starscape]] |isbn=978-0-7653-4221-8 |access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref> with an expanded [[glossary]]. In 2004, the same was done with ''The Great Hunt'', with the two parts being ''The Hunt Begins''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jordan |first=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/huntbegins00robe |title=The Hunt Begins (The Great Hunt, Book 1) |date=5 January 2004 |publisher=[[Starscape (publisher)|Starscape]] |isbn=978-0-7653-4843-2 |access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref> and ''New Threads in the Pattern''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jordan |first=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/newthreadsinpatt0000jord |title=New Threads in the Pattern (The Great Hunt, Book 2) |date=5 January 2004 |publisher=[[Starscape (publisher)|Starscape]] |isbn=978-0-7653-4844-9 |access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref>

== Development ==
=== Writing and conception ===
Jordan started writing ''The Eye of the World'' in 1984 and did not finish it until late 1988 or early 1989, with characters and storylines changing considerably during the writing process. One early version of the story centered on an older man who discovered relatively late in life that he was the 'chosen one' who had to save the world. However, Jordan deliberately decided to move closer to the tone and style of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' and made the characters younger and less experienced.<ref name="thewertzone">{{Cite web |website=The Byte News |date=7 January 2018 |first=Adam |last=Whitehead |title=The Genesis of ''The Wheel of Time'' |url=https://thebytenews.com/the-genesis-of-the-wheel-of-time/ |access-date=8 January 2018 |archive-date=16 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516191309/https://thebytenews.com/the-genesis-of-the-wheel-of-time/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Once this decision had been made, writing proceeded much more easily and Jordan completed the second volume, ''[[The Great Hunt]]'', at roughly the same time the first book was published.<ref>Foreword dated February 1990, ''The Great Hunt'' by Robert Jordan, published by Tor Books</ref> According to fantasy author [[Brandon Sanderson]], Jordan originally planned the series as a trilogy.<ref>Interview with Brandon Sanderson, end of the audio version of ''The Gathering Storm'' (2009)</ref>{{request quotation|date=November 2025}}

Jordan wrote full-time at breakneck speed for the next several years until he completed the seventh volume, ''[[A Crown of Swords]]'', at which point he slowed down, delivering a book every two years. Fans objected when he took some time off to expand a short story into a prequel novel called ''New Spring'', so he decided to shelve his plans for additional prequels in favor of finishing off the last two volumes in the series. He rejected criticisms of the later volumes of the series slowing down in pace in order to concentrate on minor secondary characters at the expense of the main characters from the opening volumes but acknowledged that his structure for the tenth volume, ''[[Crossroads of Twilight]]'' (where he showed a major scene from the prior book, ''[[Winter's Heart]]'', from the perspective of the main characters that were not involved in the scene), had not worked out as he had planned.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} ''[[Knife of Dreams]]'', the eleventh volume, had a much more positive reception from critics and fans alike and Jordan announced the twelfth volume, which he had previously announced would have the working title ''A Memory of Light'', would conclude the series. According to ''[[Forbes]]'', Jordan had intended for it to be the final book "even if it reaches 2,000 pages."<ref name="Forbes">{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Hannah |date=1 December 2006 |title=My Author, My Life |url=https://www.forbes.com/2006/11/30/robert-jordan-illness-tech-media_cx_hc_books06_1201jordan.html?sh=1479377b780d |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909043115/http://www.forbes.com/2006/11/30/robert-jordan-illness-tech-media_cx_hc_books06_1201jordan.html |archive-date=9 September 2007 |access-date=23 November 2021 |website=Forbes}}</ref>

===Jordan's death and completion by Sanderson===
Jordan was diagnosed with the terminal heart disease [[Amyloidosis#Alternative|primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy]] in December 2005,<ref name="charleston">{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Bill |date=17 September 2007 |title=Robert Jordan dies at age 58 |url=http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/sep/17/robert_jordan_dies_at_age16247/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028040103/http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/sep/17/robert_jordan_dies_at_age16247/ |archive-date=28 October 2008 |access-date=17 April 2009 |website=[[The Post and Courier]]}}</ref> and while he intended to finish at least ''A Memory of Light'' even if the "worse comes to worst",<ref name="worst">{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Jordan |date=24 March 2006 |title=Sorry About the Premature Announcement |url=http://www.dragonmount.com/RobertJordan/?p=38 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116042356/http://www.dragonmount.com/RobertJordan/?p=38 |archive-date=16 January 2009 |access-date=11 April 2009 |website=Robert Jordan's Blog |publisher=Dragonmount |quote=Worse comes to worst, I will finish A Memory of Light, so the main story arc, at least, will be completed}}</ref> he made preparations in case he was not able to complete the book: "I'm getting out notes, so if the worst actually happens, someone could finish ''A Memory of Light'' and have it end the way I want it to end."<ref name="Forbes" />

With Jordan's death on 16 September 2007, the conclusion of the series was in question. On 7 December of that year, the publisher [[Tor Books]] announced that Sanderson was to finish ''A Memory of Light''.<ref name="Publishers Weekly">{{Cite web |last=Andriani |first=Lynn |date=10 December 2007 |title=Sanderson to Complete Final Novel in Jordan Fantasy Series |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6511045.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212191439/http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6511045.html |archive-date=12 December 2007 |access-date=10 December 2007 |website=Publishers Weekly}}</ref> Sanderson, a longtime fan of the series,<ref name="euology">{{Cite web |last=Sanderson |first=Brandon |author-link=Brandon Sanderson |date=19 September 2007 |title=EUOLogy: Goodbye Mr. Jordan |url=https://brandonsanderson.com/euology-goodbye-mr-jordan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829214308/https://brandonsanderson.com/euology-goodbye-mr-jordan/ |archive-date=29 August 2019 |access-date=2 October 2019 |website=Brandon Sanderson's Blog}}</ref> was chosen by Jordan's widow Harriet McDougal partly because she liked Sanderson's novels and partly because of a eulogy he had written for Jordan.<ref name="FAQ">{{Cite web |last=Sanderson |first=Brandon |author-link=Brandon Sanderson |title=Wheel Of Time FAQ |url=http://www.brandonsanderson.com/faq/section/3/Wheel-Of-Time-FAQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216235446/http://brandonsanderson.com/faq/section/3/Wheel-Of-Time-FAQ |archive-date=16 February 2009 |access-date=11 April 2009 |website=Brandon Sanderson official site |publisher=Dragonsteel Ent.}}</ref><ref name="close">{{Cite news |last=Wilcox |first=Brad |date=3 December 2008 |title=Bringing Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' to a close |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-dec-03-et-wheel3-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=11 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502181259/http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/03/entertainment/et-wheel3 |archive-date=2 May 2009}}</ref> Jordan had prepared extensive notes, which enabled Sanderson to complete the final book.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyhPRIokTSM |title=Brandon Sanderson Interview |date=11 November 2009 |publisher=[[YouTube]] |access-date=7 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405161302/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyhPRIokTSM |archive-date=5 April 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 30 March 2009, Tor Books announced that ''A Memory of Light'' would be split into three volumes, with Brandon Sanderson citing timing and continuity reasons. By his estimate in early 2009, the book would have taken several years to write and would have reached 800,000 words. McDougal doubted that Jordan could have concluded it in a single volume.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 October 2018 |title=Why Did You Split a Memory of Light? &#124; Brandon Sanderson |url=https://faq.brandonsanderson.com/knowledge-base/why-did-you-split-a-memory-of-light/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225005023/https://faq.brandonsanderson.com/knowledge-base/why-did-you-split-a-memory-of-light/ |archive-date=25 February 2021 |access-date=18 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tor announces The Gathering Storm, Book Twelve of Robert Jordan's legendary Wheel of Time fantasy series |url=http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=19734 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402121731/http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=19734 |archive-date=2 April 2009 |access-date=30 March 2009 |website=[[Tor Books]]}}</ref><ref name="dragonmount">{{Cite web |date=11 August 2009 |title=New Gathering Storm Release Date |url=http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/blog/2/entry-239-new-gathering-storm-release-date/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714224212/http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/blog/2/entry-239-new-gathering-storm-release-date/ |archive-date=14 July 2014 |access-date=4 August 2012 |website=dragonmount.com }}</ref> The three volumes were published from 2009 to 2013,  as ''[[The Gathering Storm (novel)|The Gathering Storm]]'', ''[[Towers of Midnight]]'', and ''[[A Memory of Light]]'', with the last book using Jordan's title.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 February 2012 |title=The Release Date for A Memory of Light Has Been Set |url=http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/02/the-release-date-for-a-memory-of-light-has-been-set |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409054848/http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/02/the-release-date-for-a-memory-of-light-has-been-set |archive-date=9 April 2015 |access-date=7 March 2017 |website=Tor.com}}</ref>

=== After ''A Memory of Light'' ===
Prior to his death, Jordan had often discussed adding an additional two prequels and an 'outrigger' sequel trilogy. In a Q&A following the release of ''A Memory of Light'', Sanderson ruled out the completion of these works; Jordan had left very little in the way of notes for these additional novels – only two sentences in the case of the sequel trilogy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2013 |title=It's finally out. |url=http://brandonsanderson.com/its-finally-out/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025064133/http://brandonsanderson.com/its-finally-out/ |archive-date=25 October 2015 |access-date=29 October 2015 |website=Brandonsanderson.com}}</ref> Sanderson addressed the subject again in a 2023 blog post, and stated that writing additional ''Wheel of Time'' works would have gone against the wishes of Robert Jordan.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sanderson |first1=Brandon |title=State of the Sanderson 2023 |url=https://www.brandonsanderson.com/state-of-the-sanderson-2023/ |website=Brandon Sanderson |date=19 December 2023}}</ref>

Two cut portions of ''A Memory of Light'' were released as short stories in the years following the release of the main book. These were published in [[Unfettered (anthology)|''Unfettered'' anthologies]], part of a charitable endeavour to support authors and artists with [[medical debt]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 November 2009 |title=The Wheel of Time® Series |url=https://www.brandonsanderson.com/the-wheel-of-time-series/#AFIREINTHEWAYS |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615203010/https://www.brandonsanderson.com/the-wheel-of-time-series/#AFIREINTHEWAYS |archive-date=15 June 2020 |access-date=15 June 2020}}</ref> ''River of Souls'', a canonical segment removed from the published book due to pacing, was released in the first volume in 2013. ''A Fire in the Ways'', a non-canon alternate sequence of events around the climax of the final book, was included in the third volume in 2019. A glossary to the series, ''[[The Wheel of Time Companion]]'', was released in 2015.

==Themes and influences==
''The Wheel of Time'' is a novel from the modern [[fantasy]] genre, specifically [[high fantasy]]. The book is set in a world that is simultaneously the distant past and distant future of the real world, as a result of time being cyclical rather than linear. The opening of the first book establishes the concept:
: The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose...

Jordan acknowledged the influence of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], including deliberately modelling the setting of the first chapters on [[the Shire]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.<ref name="Glimmers-Interview">{{Cite book |title=An Interview with Robert Jordan (from Crossroads of Twilight Prologue) |publisher=Tor Books |year=2002 |isbn=0-7432-4493-1 |pages=134}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Westfahl |first=Gary |title=The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works, and Wonders, Volume 3 |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-313-32952-4 |location=Westport |pages=1026}}</ref> Concepts drawn from [[monotheism|monotheistic religions]] include the [[Dualism in cosmology|duality]] between [[good and evil]] and between "Creator" ([[Let there be light|Light]]) and Shai'tan, "The Dark One" ([[Shaitan]] is an Arabic word that, in [[Islam]]ic contexts, is used as a name for the [[Devil]] or [[Satan]]). Other influences include [[King Arthur|Arthurian legends]], [[Norse mythology]] and [[Irish mythology]], as well as real life history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Announcing Origins of the Wheel of Time |url=https://www.tor.com/2022/02/15/book-announcements-origins-of-the-wheel-of-time-the-legends-and-mythologies-that-inspired-robert-jordan/ |publisher=Tor.com |date=2022-02-15 |access-date=2022-04-27 |archive-date=8 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608050452/https://www.tor.com/2022/02/15/book-announcements-origins-of-the-wheel-of-time-the-legends-and-mythologies-that-inspired-robert-jordan/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/the-wheel-of-time-is-the-latest-fantasy-to-plunder-irish-culture-are-we-okay-with-that-1.4733224#:~:text=and%20historical%20eras-,The%20Wheel%20of%20Time%20is%20adapted%20from%20the%20sprawling%20fantasy,are%20modelled%20on%20Irish%20Travellers.|title=The Wheel of Time is the latest fantasy to plunder Irish culture. Are we okay with that?|publisher=The Irish Times|date=2021-11-22|access-date=2022-04-27|archive-date=30 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211230204205/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/the-wheel-of-time-is-the-latest-fantasy-to-plunder-irish-culture-are-we-okay-with-that-1.4733224#:~:text=and%20historical%20eras-,The%20Wheel%20of%20Time%20is%20adapted%20from%20the%20sprawling%20fantasy,are%20modelled%20on%20Irish%20Travellers.|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, Jordan also drew influences from Eastern mythology, which was rare for a Western fantasy series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/the-wheel-of-time-eastern-philosophies-mythology/|title=The Wheel of Time: How Eastern Philosophies Influence the Series' Mythology|date=2021-10-15|access-date=2022-04-27|publisher=CBR|archive-date=7 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607104604/https://www.cbr.com/the-wheel-of-time-eastern-philosophies-mythology/|url-status=live}}</ref> The concept of a [[wheel of time]] was drawn from [[Hinduism]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Jordan chats about his 'Wheel of Time' series |url=http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/12/12/jordan/ |access-date=14 June 2017 |website=CNN |archive-date=26 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026151137/http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/12/12/jordan/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Versions of the concept include the [[Yuga Cycle|''Yuga'' cycle]] in Hinduism and ''[[Kalachakra]]'' in [[Buddhism]]. The series was also influenced by the concepts of [[reincarnation]] and [[Balance (metaphysics)|balance]], and the symbol of the Aes Sedai resembles the [[yin and yang]]. The series also draws inspiration from [[Leo Tolstoy]]'s ''[[War and Peace]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 1996 |title=Interview with Robert Jordan |work=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]] |issue=16}}</ref>

[[Destiny|Fate]] is an important theme to the series. The series explores in great detail the implications of a common fantasy premise, in which an ordinary boy on the verge of adulthood discovers he is fated to lead a major struggle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why You Should Read Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World |url=https://www.tor.com/2018/10/17/why-you-should-read-robert-jordans-the-eye-of-the-world/ |website=Tor.com |date=2018-10-17 |access-date=2022-04-25 |archive-date=25 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425221132/https://www.tor.com/2018/10/17/why-you-should-read-robert-jordans-the-eye-of-the-world/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It also deals with the divide between fate and [[free will]]. Some major characters are ''ta'veren'', who have exceptional abilities to influence the course of history in a tumultuous period, but even they can only go so far as permitted by "The Pattern" that is being set by the Wheel of Time.

The series also featured alternative portrayals of the role of [[gender]] in society. The nature of magic in its world means that only women can safely use it. This disparity influences the power dynamics at multiple levels of its societies, including familial, communal and political levels; many of its societies are [[matriarchy|ruled by women]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://popculture.com/streaming/news/wheel-of-time-books-ep-gender-dynamics-date-updated-adaptation/|title=Wheel of Time EP Says Gender Dynamics Were Pretty Up To Date in Books, But Have Been Updated in Adaptation|date=2021|access-date=2022-04-28|publisher=PopCulture.com|archive-date=28 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428193717/https://popculture.com/streaming/news/wheel-of-time-books-ep-gender-dynamics-date-updated-adaptation/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Derivative works ==
=== Short stories ===
Jordan wrote two short stories within the franchise in the late 1990s. The first, "The Strike at Shayol Ghul", predates the main series by several thousand years. It was made available on the Internet and was later published in ''[[The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time]]''.<ref name="strike">{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Jordan |year=1996 |title=The Strike at Shayol Ghul |url=http://www.lobring.com/books/shayol.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903043237/https://www.lobring.com/books/shayol.php |archive-date=3 September 2021 |access-date=22 April 2009 |website=Lobring.com}}</ref> Jordan also wrote a short story entitled "[[New Spring (short story)|New Spring]]", for the 1998 anthology ''[[Legends (anthology)|Legends]]'' edited by [[Robert Silverberg]]. Jordan later expanded this into the stand-alone novel ''[[New Spring]]'' that was published in January 2004.

During Brandon Sanderson's work on ''A Memory of Light'', two sections of the book were cut and later published as short stories in anthologies. The first, "River of Souls", was published in ''[[Unfettered (anthology)|Unfettered: Tales by Masters of Fantasy]]'' (2013).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butler |first=Leigh |date=20 May 2013 |title=The Wheel of Time Unfettered: A Non-Spoiler Review of "River of Souls" |url=https://www.tor.com/2013/05/20/the-wheel-of-time-unfettered-river-of-souls/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323161536/https://www.tor.com/2013/05/20/the-wheel-of-time-unfettered-river-of-souls/ |archive-date=23 March 2019 |access-date=23 March 2019 |website=tor.com}}</ref> The second, "A Fire Within the Ways" was published in ''Unfettered III'' in 2019. Unlike "River of Souls", "A Fire Within the Ways" is not considered canon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanderson |first=Brandon |date=28 January 2019 |title=Read "A Fire Within the Ways," a Wheel of Time Deleted Novella Featured in Unfettered III |url=https://www.tor.com/2019/01/28/unfettered-iii-wheel-of-time-a-fire-within-the-ways/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404025100/https://www.tor.com/2019/01/28/unfettered-iii-wheel-of-time-a-fire-within-the-ways/ |archive-date=4 April 2019 |access-date=23 August 2019}}</ref>

=== Companion books ===
In November 1997, [[Tor Books]] published a companion book to the series, entitled ''[[The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time]]'', which contains much hitherto unrevealed background information about the series including the first maps of the entire world and the Seanchan home continent. Jordan co-authored the book with Teresa Patterson. Jordan ruled the book broadly canonical but stated that it was written from the perspective of an historian within ''The Wheel of Time'' universe and was prone to errors of bias and guesswork.{{r|dragonmount|r={{Cite web |date=2005 |title=Teresa Patterson at DragonCon 2005 |url=http://www.dragonmount.com/News/?p=213 |website=DragonMount |page=213 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}}}

On November 3, 2015, Tor published ''[[The Wheel of Time Companion]]: The People, Places, and History of the Bestselling Series'' was released in [[Hardcover|hardback]] format, written by Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons. Alan Romanczuk and Maria Simons were Robert Jordan's editorial assistants. The book is an encapsulating glossary of the entire series. The authors began compiling material for the volume as early as 2005, and the final book was released after the series' conclusion.{{r|Tor encyclopedia announcement|r={{Cite web |date=7 January 2015 |title=The Wheel of Time Companion Arrives in 2015 |url=http://www.tor.com/2015/01/07/wheel-of-time-companion-cover-release-date |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422065912/http://www.tor.com/2015/01/07/wheel-of-time-companion-cover-release-date/ |archive-date=22 April 2017 |access-date=7 March 2017 |website=Tor.com}}}}{{r|mystic|r={{Cite web |date=4 November 2015 |title=The Wheel of Time Companion and Mystic |url=https://www.brandonsanderson.com/the-wheel-of-time-companion-and-mystic/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613215033/https://www.brandonsanderson.com/the-wheel-of-time-companion-and-mystic/ |archive-date=13 June 2020 |access-date=13 June 2020}}}}

<span id="Origins of the Wheel of Time"></span>On November 8, 2022, Tor published ''[[Origins of the Wheel of Time]]: The Legends and Mythologies that Inspired Robert Jordan'' , written by [[Michael Livingston]].{{r|citadel|r={{Cite web | url=https://today.citadel.edu/what-led-a-citadel-professor-to-theorigins-of-the-wheel-of-time/ |title=What Led a Citadel Professor to the ''Origins of The Wheel of Time'' | first=Chelsea |last=Ellis |date=October 20, 2022 |website=The Citadel Today |access-date=August 6, 2025}}}}{{r|macmillan|r={{Cite web |title=Origins of The Wheel of Time |author= |date= |url=https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250860521/originsofthewheeloftime/ |website=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |location= |publisher=Macmillan |access-date=October 11, 2025}}}} The book contains a brief biography of [[Robert Jordan]] and gives an account of how he came to write ''The Wheel of Time''. It analyzes Jordan's influences, and how the real world and works of literature influenced or were referenced by the novels. In particular, it outlines the influences of ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]] by [[Sir Thomas Malory]], [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[Legendarium]], and ''[[The White Goddess]]'' by [[Robert Graves]].{{r|reactormag|r={{Cite web |url=https://reactormag.com/the-creator-and-his-creation-origins-of-the-wheel-of-time-by-michael-livingston/ |title=The Creator and His Creation: Origins of The Wheel of Time by Michael Livingston |first=Ryan |last=Van Loan |date=November 29, 2022 |website=[[Reactor (magazine)|Reactor]] |access-date=October 11, 2025}}}} One section lists various references to the real world contained within ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'',{{r|reactormag}} both confirmed and speculated.{{r|origins}} The book also contains a foreword written by [[Harriet McDougal|Harriet McDougal Rigney]] (Jordan's widow and editor{{r|citadel}}{{r|reactormag}}), a few excerpts from early drafts of the texts, a deleted scene from ''[[The Eye of the World]]'', and a revised map of the world based on Jordan's feedback on the map included in ''[[The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time]]''.{{r|citadel}} Many references are given linking assertions in the book to the collection of Jordan's personal notes contained at [[The Citadel]] in [[Charleston, South Carolina]].{{r|origins|r={{Citation |last=Livingston |first=Michael |year=2022 |title=The Origins of the Wheel of Time: The Legends and Mythologies that Inspired Robert Jordan |url=https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250860521/originsofthewheeloftime/ |publisher=Tom Doherty Associates |publication-place=[[New York, NY]] |pages=96, 114, 190, 216-229}}}}

=== Comic books ===
In 2004, Jordan sold the film, television, video game, and comic rights to the series to production company Red Eagle Entertainment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Peter |date=2 October 2018 |title=Amazon Orders Adaptation Of Fantasy Drama ''The Wheel of Time'' To Series |url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/amazon-robert-jordans-the-wheel-of-time-1202474485/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002121423/https://deadline.com/2018/10/amazon-robert-jordans-the-wheel-of-time-1202474485/ |archive-date=2 October 2018 |access-date=2 October 2018 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> Dabel Brothers began adapting the series in comic book form, starting with the prequel ''New Spring'' in July 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2004 |title=Fantasy and Fantasy Art Comics from the Dabel Brothers – The Hedge Knight series, Robert Jordan New Spring from The Wheel of Time, DragonLance Legend of Huma and Robert Silverberg's Seventh Shrine |url=http://www.decklinsdomain.com/books/DsDCstore.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313222645/http://www.decklinsdomain.com/books/dsdcstore.htm |archive-date=13 March 2013 |access-date=7 March 2013 |publisher=Decklinsdomain.com}}</ref> The series initially ran on a monthly schedule, but then went on a three-year hiatus after the fifth issue. Red Eagle cited delays and changes to the creative team on the DB Pro end.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 June 2006 |title='Dragonmount' – News |url=http://www.dragonmount.com/News/?cat=15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613183446/http://www.dragonmount.com/News/?cat=15 |archive-date=13 June 2006}}</ref> The final three issues were ultimately completed and published in 2009–10.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Spring (2005) comic books |url=https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=580501 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307204822/https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=580501 |archive-date=7 March 2017 |access-date=7 March 2017 |website=Mycomicshop.com}}</ref>
In 2009 Dabel moved on to their adaptation of the first book of the series proper, ''The Eye of the World''. On 17 March 2009, they showcased ten pages of art from the prelude to the series "The Wheel of Time: Eye of the World #0 – Dragonmount" on their website.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 March 2009 |title=Dabel Brothers Sneak Peek of "The Wheel of Time: Eye of the World #0 – |url=http://www.dabelbrothers.com/index.php?categoryid=16&p2_articleid=44 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321002408/http://www.dabelbrothers.com/index.php?categoryid=16&p2_articleid=44 |archive-date=21 March 2009 |website=Dragonmount}}</ref> [[Dynamite Entertainment]] published 35 issues of ''Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World'' comic book series, which concluded in March 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dynamite® Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time |url=http://www.dynamiteentertainment.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?CAT=DF-Wheel_of_Time |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710161806/http://www.dynamiteentertainment.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?CAT=DF-Wheel_of_Time |archive-date=10 July 2011 |access-date=7 March 2017 |website=Dynamiteentertainment.com}}</ref>

When asked in a 2013 interview about whether the comics would continue their run, Harriet McDougal replied "Well, eventually, [we'll] do the whole thing, unless it stops selling in a dreadful way. In other words, I don't really know."<ref>{{Cite web |title=AMOL Signing Report – Anna Hornbostel: Wheel of Time Interview Search: Theoryland of the Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan) |url=http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=938 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307204652/http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=938 |archive-date=7 March 2017 |access-date=7 March 2017 |website=Theoryland.com}}</ref> The 43 ''New Spring'' and ''Eye of the World'' comics were later collected together and released as a series of six graphic novels, the last of which was released in February 2015.

Dynamite began publishing the comic adaptation ''Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt'' in November 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513033602601011|title=Dynamite® The Wheel Of Time: The Great Hunt #1|website=www.dynamite.com|access-date=15 November 2023|archive-date=24 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024061722/https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513033602601011|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Games ===
There is a ''Wheel of Time'' [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]], identified as such or by the [[initialism]] ''[https://wotmud.info WoTMUD]'', which is based on a world like that of the Wheel of Time but set in a time frame around 30 world years prior.  It has been in operation almost continuously since 1993. Notably, the ''WoTMUD'' had gained written permission from the author to use his creation including all but major characters.<ref>{{cite web | website=WoTMUD | title=Authorization from Robert Jordan | url=https://wotmud.info/authorization-from-robert-jordan/ | access-date=7 April 2022 | archive-date=22 April 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422083154/https://wotmud.info/authorization-from-robert-jordan/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

A computer game named ''[[The Wheel of Time (video game)|The Wheel of Time]]'' was released in 1999. Over the course of the game, Aes Sedai must track down a robber following an assault on the White Tower, and prevent the Dark One from being released prematurely. She eventually learns of and executes a long-forgotten ritual at Shayol Ghul to ensure the Dark Lord remains sealed within the prison. While Jordan was consulted in the creation of the game, he did not write the storyline himself.

Starting in 1999, Precedence Entertainment released three sets of ''[[The Wheel of Time Collectible Card Game]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Miller |first=John Jackson |title=Scrye Collectible Card Game Checklist & Price Guide, Second Edition | year=2003 |pages=634–637}}</ref>

''[[The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game]]'' was released in 2001 from [[Wizards of the Coast]] using the [[d20 system|d20]] rules developed for the third edition of the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' game. The game had a single adventure module published in 2002, ''Prophecies of the Dragon''. Shortly after the release of the adventure book Wizards of the Coast announced they would not be releasing any further products for the game. Robert Jordan cited some problems with the roleplaying game, such as storyline details in the adventure module that contradicted the books.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

In early 2009 [[Electronic Arts|EA Games]] announced that they had bought the rights for a MMORPG, with the plan to publish it through the EA Partners-Program. The following year [[Obsidian Entertainment]] announced that they would be working on the project, for a [[PlayStation 3]], Xbox 360, and PC release.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kollar |first=Phil |title=Game Informer News Article |url=https://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/02/12/news-obsidian-recruited-to-help-make-a-wheel-of-time-game.aspx |url-status=live |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214063627/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/02/12/news-obsidian-recruited-to-help-make-a-wheel-of-time-game.aspx |archive-date=14 February 2010 |access-date=12 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chester |first=Nick |title=Destructoid-Obsidian helping to bring Wheel Of Time to games Article |url=http://www.destructoid.com/obsidian-helping-to-bring-wheel-of-time-to-games-163466.phtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216064545/http://www.destructoid.com/obsidian-helping-to-bring-wheel-of-time-to-games-163466.phtml |archive-date=16 February 2010 |access-date=12 February 2010}}</ref> However, the project was seemingly dropped around 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pereira |first=Chris |date=25 April 2014 |title=South Park, KOTOR dev outlines its future; Wheel of Time not included |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-kotor-dev-outlines-its-future-wheel-of-time-not-included/1100-6419219/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330113343/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-kotor-dev-outlines-its-future-wheel-of-time-not-included/1100-6419219/ |archive-date=30 March 2016 |access-date=19 June 2016 |website=GameSpot}}</ref>

=== Television and film ===
==== Early attempts ====
In a 2000 chat on CNN.com, Robert Jordan mentioned that [[NBC]] had purchased an option to do a [[miniseries]] of ''The Eye of the World''.<ref name="chat">{{Cite news |date=12 December 2000 |title=Robert Jordan chats about his ''Wheel of Time'' series |work=[[CNN]] |url=http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/12/12/jordan/ |url-status=live |access-date=22 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026151137/http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/12/12/jordan/ |archive-date=26 October 2014}}</ref> But he expressed doubts that the series would be made stating "key people involved in getting that contract together have left NBC."<ref name="last">{{Cite news |last=Baum |first=Michele |date=7 December 2000 |title=Robert Jordan's ''The Wheel of Time'': Fantasy, epic-style |work=[[CNN]] |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2000/books/news/12/07/robert.jordan/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=22 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211093317/http://edition.cnn.com/2000/books/news/12/07/robert.jordan/index.html |archive-date=11 December 2007}}</ref> The series was optioned by [[Universal Pictures]] in 2008 for film adaptations, with plans to adapt ''The Eye of the World'' as the first film.<ref name="uni">{{Cite news |last=Thielma |first=Sam |date=12 August 2008 |title=Universal spinning ''Wheel of Time'' |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/features/universal-spinning-wheel-of-time-1117990464/ |url-status=live |access-date=22 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220065219/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990464.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 |archive-date=20 February 2009}}</ref> Neither project ultimately emerged.

In February 2015, Red Eagle Entertainment paid air time to cable network FXX to air ''Winter Dragon'', a  low-budget 22-minute pilot for a potential ''The Wheel of Time'' series that allowed Red Eagle to hold on to the rights to the series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=9 February 2015 |title=A ''Wheel of Time'' pilot was produced and aired when no one was looking |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/2/9/8008387/wheel-of-time-pilot-fxx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003013756/https://www.theverge.com/2015/2/9/8008387/wheel-of-time-pilot-fxx |archive-date=3 October 2018 |access-date=2 October 2018 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> The pilot, based on the prologue to ''The Eye of the World'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Secret ''Wheel of Time'' Pilot Tonight? |url=http://observationdeck.io9.com/secret-wheel-of-time-pilot-tonight-1684599708 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423205428/http://observationdeck.io9.com/secret-wheel-of-time-pilot-tonight-1684599708 |archive-date=23 April 2015 |access-date=7 March 2017 |website=[[io9]]}}</ref> starred [[Max Ryan]] as Lews Therin Thelamon and [[Billy Zane]] as Ishamael and aired after midnight with no announcements or publicity. Harriet McDougal initially stated she was unaware of the show ahead of time, and that the film rights to ''The Wheel of Time'' were set to revert to the Bandersnatch Group, her company, a few days later on 11 February 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Winter Dragon: The Wheel of Time'' Pilot. Maybe? |url=http://observationdeck.io9.com/the-wheel-of-time-secret-pilot-1684685865 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708001628/http://observationdeck.kinja.com/the-wheel-of-time-secret-pilot-1684685865 |archive-date=8 July 2015 |access-date=7 March 2017 |website=[[io9]]}}</ref> Her comments triggered a slander lawsuit with Red Eagle, which was ultimately dismissed during settlement talks that July.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Husband |first=Andrew |date=13 February 2015 |title=Harriet McDougal Allegedly Lied About Not Knowing Anything About The ''Wheel of Time'' Pilot |url=http://uproxx.com/gammasquad/wheel-of-time-pilot-lawsuit/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504023322/http://uproxx.com/gammasquad/wheel-of-time-pilot-lawsuit/ |archive-date=4 May 2016 |access-date=19 June 2016 |website=Uproxx}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Eriq |date=7 July 2015 |title=''Wheel of Time'' Lawsuit Withdrawn Amid Settlement Discussions |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/wheel-time-lawsuit-withdrawn-settlement-807079 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326204628/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/wheel-time-lawsuit-withdrawn-settlement-807079 |archive-date=26 March 2016 |access-date=19 June 2016 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[io9]]'', Red Eagle Entertainment's CEO Rick Selvage stated "it was more of an [issue of] getting it on the air."  A spokesman for FXX stated that the channel was paid to air the show, but Selvage hinted that it was indeed produced with a future series in mind. "We think there's huge demand for the television series internationally, and we're looking forward to producing it and getting it out in the marketplace."<ref name="io9-wotshow">{{Cite web |last=Anders |first=Charlie Jane |title=The Real Story about that ''Wheel of Time'' Pilot that Aired Last Night |url=https://gizmodo.com/the-real-story-about-that-wheel-of-time-pilot-that-aire-1684773094 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210010127/http://io9.com/the-real-story-about-that-wheel-of-time-pilot-that-aire-1684773094 |archive-date=10 February 2015 |access-date=23 November 2021 |website=[[Gizmodo]] |date=9 February 2015 |publisher=Gawker Media}}</ref> On 29 April 2016, Harriet McDougal confirmed that the legal issues had been resolved and that a television series was in development.<ref name="uk.ign">{{Cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Terri |date=28 April 2016 |title=''The Wheel of Time'' will be adapted as a TV series |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/29/the-wheel-of-time-will-be-adapted-as-a-tv-series |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930193636/https://uk.ign.com/articles/2016/04/29/the-wheel-of-time-will-be-adapted-as-a-tv-series |archive-date=30 September 2019 |access-date=23 November 2021 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref>

==== Amazon Prime Video series ====
{{Main|The Wheel of Time (TV series)}}
A new adaptation of the series was announced on 20 April 2017, produced by [[Sony Pictures Television]] in association with Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures, with [[Rafe Judkins]] as [[showrunner]] and executive producer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=20 April 2017 |title=''Wheel of Time'' TV Series Lands at Sony |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/wheel-of-time-tv-series-sony-1202390897/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924195916/https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/wheel-of-time-tv-series-sony-1202390897/ |archive-date=24 September 2018 |access-date=2 October 2018 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> In February 2018, [[Amazon Studios]] announced a deal with Sony Pictures Television to co-develop the series for distribution on its streaming service [[Amazon Prime Video]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raymond |first=Nicholas |date=23 February 2018 |title=''Dark Tower'' and ''Wheel of Time'' TV Series in Development at Amazon |url=https://screenrant.com/dark-tower-wheel-time-tv-series-amazon/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403174348/https://screenrant.com/dark-tower-wheel-time-tv-series-amazon/ |archive-date=3 April 2018 |access-date=3 April 2018 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=21 February 2018 |title=Culture Book ''Consider Phlebas'' Getting TV Series Adaptation at Amazon by Plan B and Dennis Kelly |url=https://deadline.com/2018/02/culture-book-series-consider-phlebas-tv-series-adaptation-amazon-by-plan-b-dennis-kelly-1202297416/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327183950/http://deadline.com/2018/02/culture-book-series-consider-phlebas-tv-series-adaptation-amazon-by-plan-b-dennis-kelly-1202297416/ |archive-date=27 March 2018 |access-date=3 April 2018 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> The series was formally greenlit in October 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Peter |date=2 October 2018 |title=Amazon Orders Adaptation of Fantasy Drama ''The Wheel of Time'' to Series |url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/amazon-robert-jordans-the-wheel-of-time-1202474485/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002121423/https://deadline.com/2018/10/amazon-robert-jordans-the-wheel-of-time-1202474485/ |archive-date=2 October 2018 |access-date=2 October 2018 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ritman |first=Alex |date=2 October 2018 |title=''Wheel of Time'' Fantasy Drama Nabs Amazon Series Order |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/wheel-time-fantasy-drama-nabs-amazon-series-order-1148488 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002140249/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/wheel-time-fantasy-drama-nabs-amazon-series-order-1148488 |archive-date=2 October 2018 |access-date=2 October 2018 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Keslassy |first=Elsa |date=2 October 2018 |title=Amazon Orders Female-Driven Fantasy Series ''The Wheel of Time'' |url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/amazon-studios-the-wheel-of-time-robert-jordan-1202964895/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002121108/https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/amazon-studios-the-wheel-of-time-robert-jordan-1202964895/ |archive-date=2 October 2018 |access-date=2 October 2018 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> [[Principal photography]] for the first season began on 16 September 2019,<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1173628070558875649 |user=WoTonPrime |title=Hey everyone, today is our first day of principal photography |date=16 September 2019 |access-date=20 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424205154/https://twitter.com/TheWheelOfTime/status/1173628070558875649 |archive-date=24 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> was halted in March 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vourlias |first=Christopher |date=13 March 2020 |title=Sony's ''Nightingale'', ''Wheel of Time'' Shoots Suspended in Europe Over Coronavirus Fears |url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/global/sony-halts-nightingale-wheel-of-time-over-coronavirus-1203533529/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314140108/https://variety.com/2020/digital/global/sony-halts-nightingale-wheel-of-time-over-coronavirus-1203533529/ |archive-date=14 March 2020 |access-date=15 March 2020 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> but had resumed by April 2021<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 April 2021 |title=Czech Republic Touts Production Return: ''Wheel Of Time'', ''Carnival Row'', ''Dangerous Liaisons'', ''The Gray Man'' Among Host Of Shoots |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/carnival-row-wheel-time-dangerous-liaisons-the-gray-man-czech-republic-filming-1234745781/ |url-status=live |access-date=21 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521115107/https://deadline.com/2021/04/carnival-row-wheel-time-dangerous-liaisons-the-gray-man-czech-republic-filming-1234745781/ |archive-date=21 May 2021}}</ref> and concluded in May 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Tara |date=23 July 2021 |title=Amazon Reveals ''Wheel Of Time'' Premiere Date, Teases Plans For ''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' Series |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/amazon-prime-wheel-of-time-panel-news-sdcc-2021/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801075852/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/amazon-prime-wheel-of-time-panel-news-sdcc-2021/ |archive-date=1 August 2021 |access-date=1 August 2021 |website=[[Syfy]]}}</ref> On 20 May 2021, Amazon renewed the series for a second season ahead of the series premiere.<ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Peter |date=20 May 2021 |title=''The Wheel of Time'' Renewed for Season 2 by Amazon Ahead of Launch |url=https://deadline.com/2021/05/the-wheel-of-time-renewed-season-2-amazon-1234761078/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520164542/https://deadline.com/2021/05/the-wheel-of-time-renewed-season-2-amazon-1234761078/ |archive-date=20 May 2021 |access-date=20 May 2021 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> ''The Wheel of Time'' premiered on 19 November 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mitovich |first=Matt Webb |date=2 September 2021 |title=''The Wheel of Time'' Trailer: Women With Powers Protect the World in Amazon Adaptation — Plus, Get Premiere Date |url=https://tvline.com/2021/09/02/the-wheel-of-time-trailer-amazon-premiere-date/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902172613/https://tvline.com/2021/09/02/the-wheel-of-time-trailer-amazon-premiere-date/ |archive-date=2 September 2021 |access-date=2 September 2021 |website=[[TVLine]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Skrebels |first=Joe |date=2 September 2021 |title=Amazon's ''Wheel of Time'' Series Gets November Release Date and First Trailer |url=https://nordic.ign.com/wheel-of-time/49348/news/amazons-wheel-of-time-series-gets-november-release-date-and-first-trailer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903043236/https://nordic.ign.com/wheel-of-time/49348/news/amazons-wheel-of-time-series-gets-november-release-date-and-first-trailer |archive-date=3 September 2021 |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]}}</ref> Filming for the second season began on 19 July 2021,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoffer |first=Christian |date=19 July 2021 |title=Amazon's ''Wheel of Time'' Starts Filming Season 2 |url=https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/wheel-of-time-season-2-filming-begins-trailer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719235039/https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/wheel-of-time-season-2-filming-begins-trailer/ |archive-date=19 July 2021 |access-date=19 July 2021 |website=[[ComicBook.com]] |publisher=[[ViacomCBS]]}}</ref> and concluded in February 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 August 2021 |title=''The Wheel of Time'' Season 2 Now Shooting in Prague through February 2022 |first=Jason |last=Pirodsky |website=The Prague Reporter |url=https://www.praguereporter.com/home/2021/7/22/the-wheel-of-time-season-2-now-shooting-in-prague-through-february-2022 |url-status=live |access-date=5 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205133616/https://www.praguereporter.com/home/2021/7/22/the-wheel-of-time-season-2-now-shooting-in-prague-through-february-2022 |archive-date=5 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=24 November 2021 |title=''The Wheel of Time'' Season 2 Is Halfway Finished with Principal Photography |first=Matt |last=Villei |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |url=https://collider.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-halfway-finished-filming/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205134041/https://collider.com/wheel-of-time-season-2-halfway-finished-filming/ |archive-date=5 December 2021}}</ref> On 21 July 2022, ahead of the second-season premiere, Amazon renewed the series for a third season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2022/07/the-wheel-of-time-renewed-season-3-amazon-1235074082/ |title=''The Wheel Of Time'' Renewed for Season 3 At Amazon |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |first=Peter |last=White |date=21 July 2022 |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=22 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722061634/https://deadline.com/2022/07/the-wheel-of-time-renewed-season-3-amazon-1235074082/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The second season premiered on 1 September 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://tvline.com/lists/the-wheel-of-time-season-2-photos-release-date/ |title=''Wheel of Time'' Season 2 Finally Gets Release Date, Plus 8 New Photos |work=[[TVLine]] |first=Matt Webb |last=Mitovich |date=24 May 2023 |access-date=24 May 2023 |archive-date=24 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524141136/https://tvline.com/lists/the-wheel-of-time-season-2-photos-release-date/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and combined elements from both ''[[The Great Hunt]]'' (1990) and ''[[The Dragon Reborn]]'' (1991), the second and third books in the series.<ref name="EW S3">{{Cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/tv/the-wheel-of-time-showrunner-forsaken-whats-coming-season-3/ |title=''The Wheel of Time'' showrunner on the Forsaken and season 3 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |first=Christian |last=Holub |date=24 October 2023 |access-date=7 November 2023 |archive-date=2 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102041522/https://ew.com/tv/the-wheel-of-time-showrunner-forsaken-whats-coming-season-3/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The third season premiered on 13 March 2025 and combined elements of the third and fourth books, ''[[The Dragon Reborn]]'' (1991) and ''[[The Shadow Rising]]'' (1992).<ref name="EW S3" /> On May 23, 2025, Amazon canceled the series after three seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/05/the-wheel-of-time-canceled-prime-video-1236409657/|title=''The Wheel of Time'' Canceled by Prime Video After 3 Seasons|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=May 23, 2025|access-date=May 23, 2025}}</ref>

== Reception ==
The eighth through fourteenth novels in the series each reached number&nbsp;one on the [[New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller list]]. After its completion, the series was nominated for a [[Hugo Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014 |title=2014 Hugo Awards |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2014-hugo-awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906210028/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2014-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=6 September 2014 |access-date=18 August 2014 |website=[[The Hugo Awards]]}}</ref> {{As of|2021}}, the series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling epic fantasy series since ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elfring |first=Mat |date=2 September 2021 |title=Amazon Prime Video's ''Wheel of Time'' Gets First Teaser Trailer |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/amazon-prime-videos-wheel-of-time-gets-first-teaser-trailer/1100-6495854/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903043234/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/amazon-prime-videos-wheel-of-time-gets-first-teaser-trailer/1100-6495854/ |archive-date=3 September 2021 |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[GameSpot]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Jordan |url=http://www.bragelonne.fr/auteurs/view/robert-jordan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507025941/http://www.bragelonne.fr/auteurs/View/robert-jordan |archive-date=7 May 2017 |access-date=14 May 2017 |website=Bragelonne}}</ref>

=== Fan culture ===
Many fans of ''The Wheel of Time'' attend [[Dragon Con]], which had an exclusive ''Wheel of Time'' content track from 2001 through 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fan Tracks |url=http://www.dragoncon.org/fan_tracks.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080628020032/http://www.dragoncon.org/fan_tracks.php|archive-date=28 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=3 September 2012 |title=Wheel of Time Fan Track |url=http://wheeloftime.dragoncon.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331001844/http://wheeloftime.dragoncon.org/ |archive-date=31 March 2017 |access-date=7 March 2017 |website=Wheeloftime.dragoncon.org}}</ref> ''The Wheel of Time'' now has its own annual convention, [[JordanCon]], which has been held annually in [[Atlanta]], Georgia, since 2009. The 2020 convention was cancelled due to the [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]] pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 March 2020 |title=JordanCon 2020 Cancellation FAQ |url=https://www.jordancon.org/2020/03/15/covid19faq/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305074515/https://www.jordancon.org/2020/03/15/covid19faq/ |archive-date=5 March 2021 |access-date=28 February 2021 |website=JordanCon |language=en-US}}</ref> Instead, it took place over the Internet, some aspects being held through the use of the Zoom platform. The 2023 convention in April was the 15th anniversary of the founding of JordanCon.

A new convention titled ''WoT''Con took place from 8–10 July 2022, in Dublin, OH. This convention was created to be dedicated to the world of ''The Wheel of Time'' in all media aspects: novels, social media, and the television series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dragonmount.com/news/events/weep-for-manetheren-reading-at-wotcon-2022-r1288/|title=Weep for Manetheren reading at ''WoT''Con 2022|date=15 July 2022|website=Dragonmount|access-date=15 November 2023|archive-date=11 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811111335/https://dragonmount.com/news/events/weep-for-manetheren-reading-at-wotcon-2022-r1288/|url-status=live}}</ref> The second convention took place 14–16 July 2023.<ref>{{cite tweet|title=''WoT''Con again, Lews Therin! Announcing #WoTCon2023, July 14-16 in Columbus, Ohio! |user=WoTConOfficial|number=1593067460814831616|date=16 November 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Notelist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://www.dragonmount.com/ ''Dragonmount'': ''The Wheel of Time'' fan community]

{{The Wheel of Time}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheel Of Time}}
[[Category:The Wheel of Time| ]]
[[Category:American novels adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Book franchises]]
[[Category:Book series introduced in 1990]]
[[Category:Epic novels]]
[[Category:Fantasy novel series]]
[[Category:High fantasy novels]]
[[Category:Novels about magic]]
[[Category:Novels about reincarnation]]
[[Category:Novels adapted into video games]]
[[Category:Sequel novels]]
[[Category:Tor Books books]]