But in the show, Rand left without ever undertaking these training sessions. In the books, Lan trained Rand in using Tam’s heron-marked sword while they were still in Fal Dara. Thanks to a great deal of one-on-one time spent with Lan, Rand is also an accomplished swordsman.

Rand’s greatest asset in the books is the One Power, but it’s not the only thing he brings to the table when it comes to combat.

The latter may be a problem for Perrin to handle. It’s possible that the show has elected to tell these stories right away, rather than distract him with Padan Fain first. After all, it’s hard to imagine The Wheel of Time not covering Rand’s time with Selene or his trip through the alternate world. Much of what happened to Rand after he, Hurin, and Loial were separated from Ingtar’s group may still happen, albeit not as a result of his efforts to find Fain. Of course, none of this is to say that all of Rand’s Great Hunt story has been retconned. If that’s the case, many of the characters involved in that storyline, such as Ingtar and Hurin, may be interacting primarily with Loial and Perrin. With Rand traveling solo for the time being, it’s unlikely he’ll be sharing an adventure with Perrin, Loial, and Mat. The season 1 finale set this mission in motion by having Fain make off with the horn and Mat’s cursed dagger, although it looks like Rand won’t be a part of it. He, along with Perrin, Mat, Loial, and a few others embark on a long quest to retrieve the Horn. In The Great Hunt, Rand plays a key role in the search for Padan Fain and the Horn of Valere.

The dragon reborn book