A surprising development in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books only dealt with a few of them.

Clearly, sa'angreal will be vital to The Wheel of Time season 3's story. After all, the show has already discussed two of them. Sakarnen made its live-action debut in the fourth episode, and repeated mentions of Callandor indicate it too is on the horizon. As for the Choedan Kal, a sa'angreal with power that surprasses both Sakarnen and Callandor, it may not have a place in the TV show. If that turns out to be true, that could have significant implications on its interpretation of The Shadow Rising, and perhaps what comes next as well.

The Wheel Of Time Season 3, Episode 4 Changes The Power Structure Of The Sa'angreal

The Choeden Kal Is Supposed To Be The Strongest Sa'angreal

In the Stone of Tear. And for a woman, that would be Sakarnen, which is said to be the most powerful of them all. According to Latra, Callandor and Sakarnen are the two most powerful sa'angreal around.

There were originally two versions of the Choedan Kal in the books, one for men and one for women. But the female Choeden Kal was destroyed at the end of the Age of Legends.

Interestingly, what the show just explained about Sakarnen and Callandor doesn't match the lore laid out by Robert Jordan in the source material. In the books, it's understood that neither Callandor nor Sakarnen is the supreme sa'angreal. Rather, this distinction belongs to the Choedan Kal. Another fact it changed is Sakarnen's status as a "female counterpart" to Callandor. The book version of Sakarnen is actually a male sa'angreal, just like Callandor.

Latra's line about Sakarnen and Callandor being the strongest sa'angreal demonstrates that at best, the Choeden Kal is the third strongest sa'angreal in The Wheel of Time.

Oddly, the show doesn't mention Choeden Kal at all, which indicates that - at the very least - it's been drastically weakened. Latra's line about Sakarnen and Callandor being the strongest sa'angreal demonstrates that at best, the Choeden Kal is the third strongest sa'angreal in The Wheel of Time. However, even that shouldn't be taken for granted, especially since the show hasn't shied away from significant lore changes in the past.

The Wheel Of Time May Have Merged Sakarnen With The Choedan Kal

With the show declining to include any reference to the Choedan Kal in the discussion of sa'angreal, it's worth wondering if the series has removed it entirely. That would make sense of the series taking the other two to the top of the power structure when it comes to sa'angreal. What's more, it would help explain why the series is using Sakarnen here in the first place. It's important to note that the book version of Sakarnen has no relevance to the history of the Aiel or Avendesora, nor was it included in The Shadow Rising's narrative.

The Wheel of Time season 3 is pulling from multiple entries in the series, but the season is primarily an adaptation of the fourth book, The Shadow Rising.

In fact, Sakarnen wasn't introduced until the series' final installment, A Memory of Light. It was sought out by Demandred, one of the 13 Forsaken in The Wheel of Time. Demandred gave it to Mazrim Taim to advance his goal of killing Egwene al'Vere. Obviously, that story doesn't relate at all to what's currently transpiring in the show. Moiraine Damodred, who obtained it in episode 4, never had possession of Sakarnen in The Wheel of Time books. That demonstrates that the series is completely reworking Sakarnen's purpose in the story.

There's also the matter of Sakarnen's design in the TV show. The book version of Sakarnen resembled a scepter, whereas the one from Prime Video's adaptation is a crystal ball. That could signal the show's intention to merge elements of the Choedan Kal with Sakarnen, as the former was described as a statue of a man clutching a crystal ball.

What The Wheel Of Time's Changes To The Choedan Kal Could Mean For Season 3's Story

The Wheel Of Time May Not Include Rand & Asmodean's Rhuidean Fight

The Wheel of Time's changes to the Sakarnen and possible omission of the Choedan Kal would naturally have a massive impact on season 3's story going forward. The Shadow Rising focused heavily on the search for the access keys to Choedan Kal, which would allow channelers to control the sa'angreal remotely. This culminated in a fight between Rand and Asmodean over the access key in Rhuidean at the end of the novel.

There's still some confusion over the sudden introduction of Sakarnen, but on one hand, cutting out Choedan Kal does feel like a logical move, in that it would streamline the narratives. Since season 3 skipped over The Dragon Reborn, the show may be tasked with covering both its ending and The Shadow Rising's. After all, it's been strongly implied that Rand's acquisition of Callandor has been moved, not cut. If so, season 3 may need room for that development.

With that in mind, it's possible that instead of ending season 3 with a fight over the access keys in Rhuidean, The Wheel of Time may bring Rand to Tear. In such a scenario, Callandor could be the prize that Rand winds up fighting over. That could explain why Asmodean has been absent from season 3's story thus far.