Rand al’Thor grows up believing he’s a simple shepherd in the Two Rivers. When the dark forces of the Shadow attack his village, he learns the truth: he can channel the One Power, and prophecy marks him as the Dragon Reborn, destined to face the Dark One at the end of time.
The Wheel of Time follows Rand’s transformation from farm boy to king to something stranger. Over 14 books and more than 4 million words, he gathers armies, conquers nations, and slowly goes mad from the taint on the male half of the One Power. Jordan wrote the series over 17 years, and Rand ages from teenager to adult across the story.
Unlike many fantasy protagonists, Rand doesn’t simply become more powerful and confident. The weight of prophecy and politics crushes him. By Knife of Dreams, he’s hard, cold, and barely human. His arc in the final books is about regaining his humanity before facing the Last Battle.
Robert Jordan died before finishing the series. Brandon Sanderson completed the final three books from Jordan’s notes, bringing Rand’s story to its conclusion in A Memory of Light.
Reading Order
See the complete Wheel of Time reading order for all books featuring Rand al’Thor.