The Wheel of Time Season 3: Does Moiraine Die in the Books?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Season 3, Episode 4, “The Road to the Spear.”

The Wheel of Time Season 3, Episode 4’s striking 360-degree montage sequence strongly suggests that Moiraine Damodred’s days are numbered! So, does Moiraine die in the Wheel of Time books, and if so, will she meet a similar fate in the show?

Does Moiraine Die in the Wheel of Time Books?

No, Moiraine doesn’t die in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time novels. That said, (almost) everyone thinks she’s dead for a really long time! Late in the series’ fifth volume, The Fires of Heaven, Moiraine seemingly gives her life defeating Lanfear. The Forsaken is putting the hurt on Rand, so – knowing she’s no match for her opponent’s raw power – Moiraine tackles her into a ter’angreal doorway. Both parties vanish, the doorway goes up in flames, and Moiraine’s bond with Lan breaks (which always happens with a Warder outlives his Aes Sedai).

Related: The Wheel of Time Season 3: What Do Rand and Moiraine’s Rhuidean Visions Mean?

So, all the evidence points to Moiraine kicking the bucket – and that’s before Rand reads a letter she left him confirming her demise! But here’s the thing: Moiraine was kinda lying. Yes, Moiraine received a vision of her showdown with Lanfear (among other possible futures) while she and Rand were in Rhuidean. And yes, she knew said showdown would take her off the board. But six books later, in Knife of Dreams, we find out that Moiraine also knew she’d survive. Her “death”? More of an extended vacation – albeit one in an extra-dimensional jail cell she needs rescuing from!

Will Moiraine Die in The Wheel of Time TV Show?

It’s impossible to say for certain, however, we really doubt The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins and his team will bump off Moiraine. Heck, they may not even bother recreating Moiraine’s fake-out “death” from the books. After all, doing so would side-line The Wheel of Time‘s biggest star, Rosamund Pike, for one or more seasons, and who wants that? Certainly not the folks at Amazon MGM Studios!

The Wheel of Time Season 3 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.