Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Season 3 finale.
The Wheel of Time Season 3 puts the Aes Sedai of the White Tower through a lot. The season begins with an attack from enemies within their sisterhood as the Black Ajah reveals itself and splits from the rest. This event amplifies their mistrust of each other, culminating in the Season 3 finale, where Elaida (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and the Red Ajah depose Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo) from her role as Amyrlin Seat. The event itself is not exactly a surprise, at least not for fans of the book series, who have expected as much since Elaida was introduced. However, the finale includes a shocking moment where Siuan is not just cut off from the One Power but killed by order of the new Amyrlin, Elaida, marking a major change to the character’s story.
Fans went into the finale anticipating the death of a major character (after all, it is a finale), but Siuan wasn’t a likely choice. Beyond the sheer shock factor, Siuan’s death marks the end of a fascinating character. Her relationship with Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and attempts to control the conflicted White Tower made her a complex addition to the series. However, her death raises the stakes for a potential Season 4, proving that no one is safe and setting up yet another dangerous enemy. The impact of Siuan’s death will undoubtedly be felt now that the story and characters must carry on without her.
‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Foreshadows Moiraine’s Death, Not Siuan’s
The Wheel of Time is not the kind of fantasy story where the good guys never face loss, so the fact that a central character dies in the finale isn’t a surprise. What makes Siuan’s death surprising is the fact that Moiraine is foreshadowed as the major death of the season. In the wake of her trip to Rhuidean, Moiraine expects to die after learning that her demise is the only way Rand (Josha Stradowski) can endure until the Last Battle, which is imperative for the Light. In the Season 3 finale, she expects to sacrifice herself fighting Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe), but she survives, while Siuan pays the ultimate sacrifice for their shared mission. The couple had previously been given the chance to say goodbye in a prior episode, giving an unexpected and far too early conclusion to their tragic romance.
However, the choice to kill off Siuan sends a dramatic message that no character is safe, regardless of how their story ends in the books. Siuan isn’t the first character to die in the series long before their original storyline is complete. Just one episode prior, Loial (Hammed Animashaun) sacrificed himself as he destroyed the Waygate near the Two Rivers. Now, Siuan’s death reinforces the idea that the survival of long-standing book characters is not guaranteed in the show, raising the stakes as fan favorites are put at risk.
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Siuan’s Death Sets Up a New Villain in ‘The Wheel of Time’
One of the many reasons Siuan’s death is so surprising is because of how The Wheel of Time presents her. From her humble beginnings to her rise to power, Siuan has shown determination, intelligence, and considerable skill at the political games within the world, rising to the highest status among the Aes Sedai. As the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan was in a position of power within the White Tower, commanding respect even when people disagreed with her. Siuan becomes even more impressive when the series reveals that she and Moiraine worked together for 20 years, secretly planning to prepare the White Tower for the Dragon Reborn, proving that as she rose to power, Siuan had a hidden agenda that no one suspected. With so much to recommend her as a skilled and powerful leader, watching Siuan Sanche be taken down so quickly and so completely is enough to prove that Elaida is a more dangerous enemy than we expected.
Elaida has some political prowess of her own, having served as an advisor to Queen Morgase Trakand (Olivia Williams) for many years, but her victory over Siuan is what really shows her capabilities. Since her return, Elaida has gathered information and worked behind Siuan’s back, but for a long time, Siuan managed to keep up with her. Yet, when Elaida makes her play to become the Amyrlin, Siuan is caught off guard, swiftly losing to her opponent. This speaks to the force that is now running the White Tower. The loss of the Aes Sedai’s support is a blow to the heroes, but beyond that, Elaida has shown herself to be a dangerous and ruthless opponent. Killing Siuan was a brutal part of her plan that prevented any hope of the former Amyrlin fighting back. As the surviving heroes face Elaida, they cannot underestimate her, because anyone who can take down Siuan Sanche is a terrifying foe.
Why Did ‘The Wheel of Time’ Kill Off Siuan?
Siuan’s death will have far-reaching consequences in addition to setting up a new villain because it removes a major storyline from the books. While the Prime Video series has made several changes in the past, this is an especially drastic one. Throughout the book series, Siuan goes on a journey as she is removed from her position of power and stilled. However, she escapes from the White Tower, going into hiding as she figures out what to do next. The storyline puts Siuan way out of her depth as she rebuilds her life. Without the One Power, Siuan must find a new purpose, but she must also learn to use other methods to accomplish her goals.
While the storyline of Siuan’s escape and stilling is significant enough to make it a strange choice to remove from the series, the general idea would feel repetitive to Moiraine’s Season 2 plot, in which she believes herself stilled when she is really shielded. Throughout the season, Moiraine struggles to cope with the loss of her abilities, which would overlap with Siuan’s story. Another factor in making this change is likely that significant aspects of Siuan’s journey would be difficult to show on screen. For one thing, upon losing her connection to the One Power, Siuan suddenly looks younger, to the point that she is unrecognizable. This allows her to hide more effectively as she only somewhat resembles the former Amyrlin that everyone is looking for. Whatever the story reasoning behind it, killing Siuan will have lasting repercussions as the series explores the aftermath for Moiraine and the rest of the heroes and continues to develop Elaida as a threat.
The Wheel of Time is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.
