The Wheel of Time trailer indicates that it's changing Rand's relationship with Egwene in the books. What does this mean for their future?

The Wheel of Time trailer indicates that the show is making some big changes to the romance between Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowksi) and Egwene al’Vere (Madeleine Madden). Both are central characters in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books, with Rand being the main protagonist. In the first installment, The Eye of the World, Egwene was his primary love interest.

After a long wait, the trailer for one of Amazon’s most ambitious projects yet has finally been released. The trailer offers the first good look at how Jordan’s fantasy world will be brought to life on the small screen. It also previews a number of the books' main characters, including Rand, Egwene, Nynaeve (Zoë Robins), Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris), Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), and Lan (Daniel Henney) and the beginning of their story at Emond’s Field. Apart from some physical differences, it appears that as promised by showrunner Rafe Judkins, Wheel of Time is being faithful in most aspects to the characters and their journeys.

However, it looks like Wheel of Time is taking at least some liberties with the source material. A shot in the Wheel of Time trailer at the 1:08 mark hints that Rand and Egwene are involved in an intimate relationship. This is a key change, even though Rand and Egwene were in love when they first embarked on their adventure in The Eye of the World. Before the story even started, it was made clear that Rand and Egwene had an unspoken love for each other. It wasn’t a secret to the people in the town either, and it was understood by everyone around them (including Rand and Egwene themselves) that they would most likely get married when they came of age. They maintained their feelings for each other throughout the first book, but moved on as their paths continued to diverge. During their reunion in the fourth book, The Shadow Rising, the two  officially closed the door on any potential romance blossoming between them.

As for why Amazon's adaptaiton would make such a change, it's possible it ties into The Wheel of Time changing the characters’ ages. In The Eye of the World, Rand was around 19-years-old, with Egwene being approximately two-years younger than him. The TV show’s main characters, on the other hand, are mostly played by actors in their mid-20s. According to Judkins, he aged them up because he didn’t want Wheel of Time to feel like a Young Adult story. Making the characters feel older and more mature may be why the innocent element of Rand and Egwene’s relationship is being removed from Wheel of Time. Many disagree with this direction, because Rand’s innocence in the first book helps to highlight just how much growth he experiences over the course of the novels.

There’s also a question of what this decision means for Rand and Egwene in Amazon's The Wheel of Time. While the show does appear to be giving them a sexual relationship when the books didn’t, it may ultimately not have any impact on where their characters end up. Assuming that the show doesn’t make any major deviations from the story, chances are both will still find love with other people, regardless of what happens in season 1. It just means that Wheel of Time may actually have to break up Rand and Egwene, which wasn’t necessary in the books since they were never really an item.

More: Wheel Of Time's World & Mythology Explained: Magic, Characters & Story

Wheel of Time cover illustration by Michael R Whelan