See old friends and new faces in The Wheel of Time season 2 first-look photos

It’s been almost two years since the first season of The Wheel of Time ended on Amazon Prime Video. If you didn’t know better, you might think that the Dark One was really defeated in the final battle with Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) and Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike). But evil is stronger than that, and the wheel keeps turning.

The second season of The Wheel of Time will start on September 1. You can get a sneak peek at what’s to come in the exclusive first-look pictures below. In season 1, our heroes traveled together from the village of Two Rivers to the northern country of Fal Dara. Now, they are spread out and have their own experiences.

Rand has gone into hiding since he found out he is the Dragon Reborn. He doesn’t want to hurt his friends if he goes crazy like other Dragons have in the past. Moiraine, his teacher, has now lost her link to One Power and, with it, her emotional tie to Lan (Daniel Henney). Moiraine goes back to her hometown of Cairhien, and Egwene (Madeleine Madden) and Nynaeve (Zo Robins) start their Aes Sedai training to learn how to handle their own access to the One Power.

In season 2, there are also new people to meet. Barney Harris’s part as Mat Cauthon has been taken over by Dónal Finn. And, as hinted at the end of season 1, troops from the Seanchan Empire have come from across the sea to take over their ancestral home.

Season 1 focused on the first book in Robert Jordan’s series, The Eye of the World. Season 2 will mostly focus on the next book, The Great Hunt, but you might also see parts from other books since each season only has eight episodes to tell this huge story.

Last year at New York Comic Con, showrunner Rafe Judkins said, “This season has a lot of screaming, crying, fighting, and two people talking in a room.” “We did lay those foundations. You already know who these people are, and now you get to see where they go. Robert Jordan made trips that are amazing. People who have read the books will find it helpful to watch the show because each character shows them the way forward. We’re on that road in season 2. After eight shows, it’s huge by the end of the season. I’m looking forward to people seeing it.”