How did The Wheel of Time season 1 end? Full recap

There will be new cast members to meet, including Donal Finn, who's taking over from Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon, and returning stars continuing their characters' journeys, including the likes of Rosamund Pike as Moiraine.

But, before all that, here's everything you need to know about how season 1 ended.

The Wheel of Time season 1 ending explained: Rand faces Ishmael

Season 1 saw Moiraine (Pike) escort five young people from their village in the belief that one of them is the Dragon Reborn - the one prophesied to defeat the Dark One and save the world.

Following various struggles, with our heroes torn apart, it's revealed that she was right and that Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski) is the Dragon Reborn. After that reveal, he heads out with Moiraine to face the Dark One head-on at the eye of the world.

As it turns out, the enemy he's set to face isn't actually the Dark One, but one of his right hand men – Ishamael. He attempts to get inside Rand's head by offering him everything he desires, including to rewrite the world as he would like it – but Rand proves himself by putting the needs of his loved ones, including Egwene (Madeleine Madden) before his own. He rejects the false reality, in which Egwene decides to settle down with him because he knows it's not what she wants, ultimately proving his love for her.

Following the battle, Rand asks Moraine to tell everyone that he died, wanting to spare them from his inevitable madness.

Moiraine is cut off from the One Power

Moiraine joins Rand at the final fight to take on Ishmael but while he attempts to get inside Rand's head, he also manages to cut Moiraine off from the One Power, stopping her from channeling.

By the end of the episode, it appears she's been cut off from the One Power all together, a process known as "stilling" and she's discovered in a distressed state by her warder, al'Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney). No doubt it'll be something she'll be forced to grapple with in season 2.

To make matters worse, Moiraine realises that the fight they've just faced isn't the final battle after all – in fact, it's only the first.

Egwene brings Nynaeve back from the brink of death

Nynaeve was essential in the final fight, joining forces with Egwene to defeat an army of Trollocs. Lady Amalisa taps into the power created by the pair of them and successfully defeats the creatures – proving just how powerful the two of them are.

Nynaeve seems close to death but Egwene is able to heal her, making it clear that the two of them will need to learn how to harness their powers on their own.

Rand's sacrifice also ties up a series-long conflict between Rand and Egwene, which began in episode 1 when she revealed her wishes to become a Wisdom.

In fact, it becomes clear that she's destined for much more than that and season 2 begins with her journey to become an Aes Sedai.

Mat is nowhere to be seen – but his dagger has a new owner

The final episodes of The Wheel of Time season 1 are light on Mat as actor Barney Harris departed the show following episode 6. Earlier in the season, Mat declined to join his friends in The Ways and we later see him returning to Tar Valon.

However, there is a small reference to Mat when we see Padan Fain in possession of his ruby dagger – and we're expecting more to be revealed there.

Finn has opened up about the experience of replacing Harris, telling TV Line: "I kind of put my head in the sand, because I knew that if I allowed myself some time to stop and think about it, I could get very overwhelmed.

"But ultimately, knowing how much the fans love this character motivated me to make sure that I was starting it in the right place, and that process involved kind of gathering up all of the written work of season 1 and taking all those scripts and mining them to create a backstory for Mat."

The Seanchan arrive

That's not all though – the episode ends with a view of the Western Shore with the sudden arrival of the Seanchan, a people from across the world who believe they have the right to rule.

In the final scene of the season, they arrive on warships, creating a giant wave to tower above an unsuspecting young girl on the shore.

As for what their fate will be in season 2, only time will tell...

Read more about The Wheel of Time season 2:

• The Wheel of Time season 2: Release date, cast and plot
• The Wheel of Time's Mat Cauthon recast explained: Who is new actor Donal Finn?
• The Wheel of Time cast: Full list of main characters and actors
• The Wheel of Time heroes torn apart in season 2 trailer

The Wheel of Time season 2 will be available to stream on Prime Video on 1st September – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days.

Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what to watch tonight.

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