Summary
With the end ofThe Wheel of TimeSeason 3, viewers got to see a tragic conclusion to Moiraine and Siuan’s story. From the very beginning of the show, Siuan and Moiraine were two of the most popular characters on the show, and fans wanted to see their relationship blossom into something beautiful. However, it wasn’t meant to be, and with the introduction of the Dragon Reborn in the narrative, their relationship began to crumble. But the makers of the TV series took a different approach to the story and killed Siuan way earlier than her death in the book series.
Game Rant caught up with the showrunner of thePrime Videoseries,Rafe Judkins,to talk about the tragic Siuan-Moiraine moment in the finale of Season 3 and how both characters were destined to feel that moment at the same time.
Judkins on Siuan’s death and how Moiraine felt about her demise while battling Lanfear
While discussing Siuan’s death and Moiraine’s near-death experience, Judkins noted that they aimed to portray Moiraine and Siuan’s relationship as deeply tragic, defined by their shared sense of duty rather than personal desire. Though both characters would prefer to escape together and live a quiet life, they make the painful, heroic choice to prioritize the greater good over their own happiness. Moreover, their story reflects not only a doomed romance but also the profound cost of devotion to a cause greater than oneself.
Judkins: Yeah, you know, we really wanted to show Moiraine and Siuan have such a tragic relationship. You know, that they are pulled apart by duty, really—that they have a duty to do something greater than themselves. That each of them, individually, personally, would rather just run away and live in a little hut together. And that both of them are making this heroic choice—to give up the life that they want for the world, and to do good in it. So I think, to see both of them have this moment, we sort of wanted it to feel like, you know, people who, when their soulmate dies, often talk about this feeling of like, they felt them die. That they felt them go. That there’s something spiritual happening there.
And so this was our fantasy metaphor version of it—by seeing, you know, the oath that they swore… when Siuan dies, Moiraine feels that release from her. So she, you know, it’s like she’s truly feeling her soulmate die. They know that their relationship is doomed and that they have to face duty together. But the two of them, I think, are both hugely heroic in the way that they are willing to sacrifice—not just their lives, but also their love and their happiness, too—for the greater good.
Although Siuan’s death sequence inThe Wheel of Timeserieswas deeply tragic, it was way different from what actually happened in the novel series written by Robert Jordan. In the books, Siuan actually died in the last battle while trying to save Mat from the Grey Men assassins. Meanwhile, in the final episode of Season 3, Siuan died in the White Tower at the hands of an Aes Sedai. This change significantly alters the context and impact of Siuan’s death. In the books, her sacrifice is tied directly to the Last Battle, reinforcing her role as a battlefield strategist and protector. In contrast, the show’s version reimagines her ending as a more intimate and politically charged moment, emphasizing the tragedy of internal conflict within the White Tower. It shifts the focus from war heroism to the emotional cost of fractured alliances.
What happened to Siuan?
From the beginning ofThe Wheel of TimeSeason 3,Siuan was challenged by her fellow Aes Sedaifor not telling them about the Dragon Reborn’s whereabouts. However, things started changing once Elaida, a Red Ajah, made her way to the White Tower. As soon as she entered the building, she made it clear that she was here to dethrone Siuan from the Amyrlin Seat and take her place. She called in for a vote and tried to garner the support of the other Ajahs to accomplish her mission. However, initially, no one supported her, and she was desperate for support. In the meantime, Siuan had her doubts about Elaida and believed that she might be a Black Ajah, but she was wrong.
As the season progressed, the problems escalated for Siuan. Moiraine met Siuan while dreamwalking and told her that she needed to bow down to the Dragon Reborn so that they could help him during the Last Battle. Siuan doesn’t waste any time in announcing that the White Tower supports the Dragon Reborn. However, there seems to be a difference of opinion among the Aes Sedai, and Elaida takes advantage of that moment. She keeps Siuan’s partners out of the White Tower and holds a vote to dethrone Siuan and punish her for allegedly being a darkfriend. Meanwhile, at the same time, Moiraine was fighting Lanfear and trying to dominate her. When Siuan tells Elaida that she will never tell anything about Moiraine and Dragon Reborn to anyone, Elaida’s keeper announces that Siuan is sentenced to “death” and kills her. As soon as she kills her, Moiraine gets to feel what happened to her partner and starts going berserk. She was very close to killing Lanfear, but she got away.
This is how Siuan’s story ended in thePrime Video series, which is very different from how it concluded in the books. However, the sequence with Siuan and Moiraine was shot masterfully and resonated with viewers.
The Wheel of TimeSeason 3 is streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
