The Wheel of Time hasn’t even started its adaptation of the second book, yet it’s already making changes to the Horn of Valere story. In Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time novels, finding the Horn of Valere after it was stolen from Fal Dara is the subject of the second installment in the series, hence why it was titled The Great Hunt. A handful of the books’ main characters were entrusted with finding Padan Fain, the villain who made off with the mystical Horn.
While Amazon’s Wheel of Time show isn’t forced to follow the exact same formula as the books, all signs point to The Great Hunt being the next material it adapts. The show set up this specific storyline in the season 1 finale when Padan Fain, like his book counterpart, stole the Horn and escaped from Fal Dara with both it and Mat’s ruby-hilted dagger in tow. Plus, he murdered a slew of Shienaran soldiers and nearly killed Loial in the process. It’s clear from this development that tracking him down and getting the Horn back will be one of their top priorities in The Wheel of Time season 2.
Wheel Of Time’s Horn of Valere Setup Excludes 2 Main Characters
One way in which Amazon’s take on the story is shaping up to be different from the books relates to the characters involved in the journey. In The Great Hunt, the core group tied to this plotline consisted of Rand, Perrin, Mat, Loial, Ingtar, Verin, Hurin, and Selene. Of those, two have already been positioned to go on other adventures. Mat made a shocking choice by not following his friends through the Waygate in episode 6’s ending. Meanwhile, Rand has gone off on his own, believing it’s for the best if everyone thinks he’s dead. These are huge deviations from the books, given that both characters were supposed to still be at Fal Dara at this juncture.
Altering the trajectories of their stories ahead of Wheel of Time season 2 risks removing two key players from its Horn of Valere story. Rand was the main protagonist of this arc, so any version of this story that happens without him is sure to differ considerably from what happened in the novels. As for Mat, it was who blew the Horn in the book’s ending, so not having him on hand for the climax would call for someone else to get this role in his place. Regardles of who it would be, this would be a striking and controversial change for the series, as it’s arguably one of Mat’s biggest moments in the books.
What Rand & Mat’s Wheel Of Time Season 2 Stories Could Be
As a 14-book series, it’s not surprising that The Wheel of Time is making these sorts of changes, especially since it should enable it to make some of its stories progress faster. It’s already known that The Wheel of Time season 2 is adapting the second and third novels, so it’s highly likely that the plan is for Rand to go to Tear, which happens in the latter book. If he were to take part in the search for Padan Fain, it would take that much longer for Rand to have the adventures he’s supposed to share in the third book.
A similar explanation could apply to Mat, as it may be that Wheel of Time put him in Tar Valon so that he can be fully cured of the dagger’s taint right away. Otherwise, the show would have to drag this story out for several more episodes. By having this happen now, The Wheel of Time can leave this period of Mat’s life behind and move on to his next chapter.
Perrin Can Be The Main Character In Wheel of Time's Horn Of Valere Story
The exclusion of Rand and Mat from this arc would likely lead to Perrin becoming the main character of The Great Hunt's biggest story. Going in this direction would elevate from him a member of the adventuring party to the central figure, thus drastically increasing Perrin's importance to season 2's overarching narrative. While this ittedly contrasts a bit with the books, this approach can go hand-in-hand with the stories season 2 is expected to give him. In the book, Perrin factored heavily into the efforts made by Ingtar's group to track down Padan Fain, so this can be emphasized even more in the show. In the book, Perrin's role grew after Rand disappeared in the latter part of the book, but the show may instead let Perrin maintain that role throughout the journey. For better or worse, Perrin being the driving force of the story could culminate in him - and not Mat - blowing the Horn at the end of the season.