Warning: Spoilers for Wheel of Time season 3's first three episodes
Prime Video's Wheel of Time season 3's story.
The show offered a glimpse into Andor's culture and history in the third season's second episode when it revealed how its current monarch - Queen Morgase Trakand - seized control of the nation. Though the show has evidently made some additions to the lore, it's apparent that Wheel of Time's depiction of Andor is indeed drawing heavily from what Jordan established in the source material regarding its customs, royal bloodline, politics, and the various characters associated with it.
Andor Can Only Be Ruled By Women In The Wheel Of Time
Queen Morgase Is Andor's Current Ruler
As indicated by the red and white lion banner seen in season 3, the Lion Throne is the name of the coveted position of Andor's ruler. In the books, centuries of Andorian tradition dictate that the Lion Throne can only belong to a woman. In other words, the male children of a queen are ineligible for the title, hence why Elayne is the only child of Morgase's that can inherit her power and is therefore referred to as Andor's "daughter-heir."
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The queen's eldest son, on the other hand, is groomed to become the First Prince of the Sword. When the daughter-heir becomes queen, he assumes this title and subsequently becomes the leader of Andor's military forces. In the books, this role was originally meant for Gawyn Trakand at the time of his introduction to the story. Galad is technically older, but by blood, wasn't in line for the title because he's not Morgase's biological son.
How Morgase Became The Queen Of Andor
The Previous Ruler Had No Eligible Female Heir
The way in which the Lion Throne is inherited was the source of a bloody conflict that took place some years before the timeframe of the series. The previous ruler of Andor was a woman named Mordrellan Mantear of House Mantear, one of the many noble bloodlines in the kingdom. Naturally, House Mantear would have maintained the Lion Throne upon Modrellan's ing, but she had no eligible female children after her only daughter - Tigraine - fled the kingdom unexpectedly.
Because of this, there was no clear choice of who should lead Andor. The other noble houses wouldn't stand for House Mantear to break Andorian custom and let a man claim the Lion Throne, so a war - the Third Succession War - was waged, with each house fighting for control. Consistent with what the show revealed, the book version of House Trakand won the war, paving the way for Morgase to become queen. The show added its own twist to this moment by showing that Morgase ruthlessly obtained the submission of the other families.
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What the series didn't show was one of the steps Morgase took to appease the other houses. She married Taringail Damodred of Wheel of Time's House Damodred, another important noble family in Andor. House Damodred may not have won the Lion Throne, but having one of their own become the father of the queen's children was most likely a welcome consolation prize.
How Andor And The Dragon Reborn Are Connected
Rand al'Thor Shares An Important Link To The Lion Throne's History
At the beginning of The Wheel of Time season 3, Elayne curiously mentioned that Andor would always side with the Dragon Reborn. Later on, it was stated that Elaida of the Red Ajah had a Foretelling about Andor being crucial to the Last Battle, which is the prophesized final faceoff between the Dragon Reborn (Rand al'Thor) and the Dark One. These lines suggest an important connection between Andor and the Dragon Reborn, and the show has alluded to, there is indeed a significant link between them in the form of Tigraine Mantear.
Before marrying Morgase, Taringail had a previous marriage to Tigraine Mantear, with whom he fathered a son, Galad. This makes Galad and Rand half-brothers.
Morgase correctly pointed out in the show that the fight over the Lion Throne was started by Tigraine Mantear not being around. In fact, this detail is related directly to Rand al'Thor; Tigraine is the red-haired woman seen giving birth to him in The Wheel of Time season 1's penultimate episode.
In the books, it's established that Tigraine left Andor and ed the Aiel, where she met the man who would become Rand's father, Janduin. Although there were other factors at play, the noble blood of the former ruling family of Andor running through Rand's veins helps explain why the kingdom was considered important to the Last Battle and the Dragon Reborn's crusade. After all, Tigraine's son and the Dragon Reborn are one and the same.
The Kingdom Of Andor Hosts Several Major Characters From The Wheel Of Time Books
Wheel Of Time Still Needs To Introduce Martyn Tallanvor & Gareth Bryne
A big part of Andor's significance to the plot stems from the number of characters it contributes to the narrative. First and foremost among them is, of course, Elayne Trakand, who is already one of the show's principal characters. Thanks to season 3, a few more were brought into the fold as well, with Queen Morgase, Gawyn Trakand, and Galad Damodred all making their respective debuts. Also on hand was Elaida, who served as Morgase's chief advisor at the start of books.
Martyn Tallavor was one of the queen's most trusted guards and Gareth Bryne was her top military advisor
These names for a significant portion of what Andor brings to the table in of The Wheel of Time's character roster, but it's not everyone. It has yet to introduce Martyn Tallanvor and Gareth Bryne. In the books, Martyn Tallavor was one of the queen's most trusted guards and Gareth Bryne was her top military advisor, with his official title being Captain-General of the Queen's Guard. Both became ing characters and allies of the main heroes.
- Morgase Trakand
- Gawyn Trakand
- Elaida
- Martyn Tallanvor
- Gareth Bryne
- Galad Trakand
For the time being, it's unclear if Martyn Tallanvor has a place in the show. He hasn't appeared yet, but it's possible that he simply wasn't assigned to the company that escorted Morgase to the White Tower. He could appear later on down the line, specifically when Morgase's story grows more relevant to the main plot. In the case of Gareth Bryne, an appearance is much more likely, considering that he was referenced directly. As Lord Gaebril aka Rahvin confirmed, Bryne was dismissed from his post, which is a book-accurate reveal.
The Wheel of Time
- Release Date
- November 18, 2021
- Network
- Prime Video
- Showrunner
- Rafe Judkins
Cast
Moiraine Damodred
al'Lan Mandragoran
WHERE TO WATCH
The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the powerful all-female organization Aes Sedai, as she leads a perilous quest with five young individuals. Moiraine suspects one among them could be the prophesized reincarnation of a mighty figure destined to either save or doom humanity.
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
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