The Wheel of Time has announced that Ayoola Smart will play the Aiel warrior Aviendha. The announcement was officially made at JordanCon 2022, an annual convention celebrating The Wheel of Time series and the works of Robert R.R. Jordan. In the books, Aviendha is an Aiel warrior and Wise One who can wield the One Power (similar to the Aes Sedai). Notably, she eventually becomes one of Rand’s three lovers, along with Min (played by Kae Alexander) and Elayne (who will be played by Ceara Coveney in the upcoming second season.)ย
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The announcement that Aviendha will appear in the second season seems to strengthen theories that the next season will combine storylines from multiple books. While the first season of The Wheel of Time mostly adapted The Eye of the World, the first book from The Wheel of Time season, it ended on a cliffhanger that strongly suggested the show would merge plotlines and split some of the action away from Rand, thus reflecting the more ensemble nature of the TV show. Aviendha doesn’t appear until the end of the third book The Dragon Reborn.
The official series description forย The Wheel of Timeย reads: “The Wheel of Timeย is one of the most popular and enduring fantasy series of all time, with more than 90 million books sold. Set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, the story follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.
Based on Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy novels,ย The Wheel of Timeย was adapted for television by executive producer/showrunner Rafe Judkins. Larry Mondragon and Rick Selvage of iwot productions, Mike Weber and Ted Field of Radar Pictures, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, and Uta Briesewitz will also serve as executive producers. Rosamund Pike will serve as producer and Harriet McDougal and Brandon Sanderson as consulting producers.ย The Wheel of Timeย is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television.”