The Wheel of Time Showrunner Reveals Fate of Fan-Favorite Character

The Wheel of Time's showrunner has confirmed the fate of one fan-favorite character from the first season. Last week, Prime Video posted the finale of The Wheel of Time's first season, which saw several big moments and more than a few big questions about the fate of several characters. One such character was Loial, the helpful and talkative Ogier who guided Rand, Moiraine, and their friends through the dangerous Ways. In the finale, Loial and Perrin helped uncover the fabled Horn of Valere, a powerful artifact capable of summoning heroes from the past for the Final Battle against the Dark One. However, Padan Fain (a peddler and Darkfriend who had followed Perrin and his friends throughout the first season, appearing mostly in background shots) escaped from his cell at Tar Dara and attacked Loial and several others with a dagger from the cursed city of Shadar Logath before departing dramatically with the Horn of Valere in tow. 

Loial's fate was uncertain in the finale, as he was last seen being stabbed by Fain, but The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins confirmed that the fan-favorite character survived the attack. "I didn't kill Loial," Judkins said during a ComicBook.com interview about The Wheel of Time's finale. "Everyone is worried about it. I can say that he is safe, alive and currently shooting for season 2." Judkins also noted that Hammed Animashaun, the actor who plays Loial is "amazing" and that he was the "best guy."

Judkins also noted that several other characters who looked to be dead in the finale might have actually survived. "There are a couple people who are at death's door at the end of the finale who are not dead and a couple people who are in fact dead," Judkins said. 

While Loial survived the first season, Judkins noted that other characters who survive in the books might not be so lucky. "Hopefully, the finale will prepare people emotionally for the deaths that will come," Judkins noted. "Because one thing The Wheel of Time books do so beautifully is they maintain a massive cast of characters for 14 books. And we can't do that in a television show. So, there will be shocking deaths to come, but I can confirm that this is not the end of Loial."

Are you happy to hear that Loial survived the first season? Are you worried that future characters might be subjected to shocking deaths once they've fulfilled their role in the story? Let us know in the comments section!