Rosamund Pike, from ‘The Wheel of Time,’ is proud many women find themselves represented in the Aes Sedai, expressing that power can be found in every one of us.

The release of The Wheel of Time Season 3 on Prime Video is set for Thursday, March 13, 2025. Despite the wait, Amazon treated fans to a thrilling sneak peek last week by unveiling the eleven-minute cold open of the upcoming season. The preview introduces us to the intense confrontation between Red Sister Liandrin and the Amyrlin Seat, as Liandrin faces consequences for her past actions as a Darkfriend. These actions include the heinous offense of selling Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne as slaves to the Seanchan invaders, leading to a chaotic battle within the White Tower.

Liandrin’s exposure as a member of the Black Ajah prompts her to seek help from her fellow sisters in the room, only to discover that the Black Ajah has infiltrated all Ajahs. This revelation sparks a fierce battle where women of various backgrounds unleash their powers against each other. The scene captivates viewers with its intense and enthralling portrayal of the Aes Sedai engaging in a brutal conflict.

This gripping sequence resonates with Wheel of Time enthusiasts as it offers a glimpse into the upcoming dramatic events within the White Tower in Season 3. Moreover, it showcases the Aes Sedai in their formidable essence, presenting a refreshing departure from the typical medieval battles dominated by male warriors. Instead, the scene features a diverse group of powerful women engaged in a visceral struggle, offering representation and empowerment to viewers who can see themselves reflected in these characters.

“I mean, it’s something I’m very proud of in the show,” Wheel of Time star and executive producer Rosamund Pike said. “Robert Jordan wrote this fantasy series that people, namely women, who had never previously been able to read themselves into fantasy so easily, suddenly had role models everywhere in this series.”

Of course, women exist all over the fantasy genre. What Pike is referring to is the fact that The Wheel of Time features many, many matriarchal societies, from Andor to the Aes Sedai, where traditional gender roles are reversed. After all, the whole plot of The Wheel of Time centers on the fact that the most powerful channeler of all time has been reborn in the body of a man, Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski), who is just as likely to save the world from evil as he is to succumb to darkness and insanity because his gender is afflicted by the “taint.”

“I mean, [Jordan] wrote a very, very modern tale, which we know,” Pike said. “But I think the way the show’s been cast and what we’ve looked for in the diversity and even, you know, on all fronts — whether it’s in terms of ability or neurodiversity or race — we’ve really wanted to be inclusive in the Aes Sedai because power is everywhere.”

“I think that’s the message we want to set forth. That power is — beauty, yes — but also power is another thing that isn’t governed by one particular look.”

Because Robert Jordan described all of the Aes Sedai as having an “ageless” look, that made them look forever beautiful, wise, or even glowing, some readers took umbrage with how Prime Video’s Wheel of Time interpreted this. Showrunner Rafe Judkins went out of his way to cast actresses of all ages, sizes, and ethnicities to play the Aes Sedai. Pike affirmed that she was all about this approach.

“I know what Robert Jordan describes as an ‘ageless-ness’ in an Aes Sedai face,” Pike said. “I mean, that’s always problematic when casting a show because in order to convey the depth of experience of these women, you can’t have an entire cast of twenty-something women playing the Aes Sedai. It it doesn’t work.”

“So we have to interpret ‘ageless’ as something to do with spirit, I think. Not to do with conventions of appearance.“

No one who watches the eleven-minute Wheel of Time Season 3 sneak peek of the Aes Sedai battling it out in the White Tower could possibly deny each and every woman’s indomitable and ageless spirit.

The Wheel of Time Season 3 premieres on March 13.