Diksha Sundriyal
The penultimate episode of the third season of Prime Video’s ‘The Wheel of Time’ gives a major shock to the audience by killing off a major character. Titled ‘Goldeneyes,’ it focuses on the Battle of Two Rivers. The Trollocs and Darkfriends are making their way to the village, and it is on Perrin to lead his people, as heavily untrained and inexperienced as they might be, into the battle that will decide their fate for years to come. But fighting is not the only way to win a battle. They also have to make sure that the enemy does not get reinforcement, and the task of making sure of that is given to Loial, who accomplishes it by giving his own life for the cause. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Loial Sacrifices Himself for the Greater Good
Before the army of Trollocs attacks Two Rivers, Perrin surmises that it would be useless to keep fighting them if they are going to get reinforcements. With the presence of the Waygate close to Two Rivers and the Darkfriends taking it over, it is clear that no matter how many Trollocs they kill, the number will be easily replenished. The only way to stop that from happening is by closing the gate once and for all. Perrin entrusts the task of closing the gate to Loial, who is accompanied by the two Maidens of the Spear. The only way he can close the gate is by entering it, so he puts the Aiels on the gate to guard it and stop anyone from coming inside and interrupting him. Meanwhile, he crosses over and tries to destroy the gate. While Loial is pretty strong, his brute strength is no match against the magic that keeps the gate standing.
No matter how much he tries, he cannot make a single dent in the door. Meanwhile, a horde of Trollocs is seen making their way towards the gate. This increases the urgency to close the door, but Loial’s strikes have no impact on it. This is when he thinks of another way to get the job done. Instead of the door, he focuses on the bridge that connects the door to the rest of the Ways. Before the Trollocs can reach it, the bridge collapses, the Way falls into the abyss, and so does Loial. The last we see of him is the fall, and while there is no dead body to confirm it, it seems pretty clear that he is dead. The falling of the door causes an explosion, and that’s how everyone knows Loial is gone. To add to the emotional punch, Perrin reads from his book, which gives us Loial’s monologue, which not only fits the situation but also serves as a hopeful reminder that things are not as bleak as they seem and they will turn out just fine.
The Show Makes Significant Changes to Loial’s Story in the Books
There is a lot of bloodshed and death in The Wheel of Time, but when lovable characters like Loial die, one is forced to consider whether the deaths are permanent or just a ruse to shock the audience. In Loial’s case, the book is the biggest evidence that he has yet to play a significant part in the story. According to the books, Loial survives the events of the Battle of Two Rivers. He is sent to close the Waygate, but he does it without having to sacrifice himself for the part. He is helped in the act by an Aiel warrior named Gaul (who has yet to make an appearance on the TV show). From here, Loial’s journey takes him through many ups and downs, but a major thing he does is bring the Ogiers into the fight by convincing them to fight side by side with humans.
Loial survives long enough to appear in the Last Battle. However, his death in the third season of the show suggests that it is diverting from his storyline in the books. The show has already made enough changes in some major storylines and characters, which has added a sense of unexpectedness for the fans of the books. While Loial’s death seems pretty permanent, fans will note that this is not the first time his death has been faked. He ended up in some pretty extenuating circumstances in Season 1, and while it seemed he was dead and gone, he survived. One could hope for the same thing to happen this time as well, but the chances of that are pretty low, as faking his death again would drastically reduce the audience’s investment in him. This shows that the writers are pretty clear-minded about what they want for Loial, and all things considered, death it is.
Read More: The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 7 Recap: Goldeneyes
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