How Rand Can Be Both The Dragon Reborn & The Car’a’carn In The Wheel Of Time

This article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 4. The Wheel of Time

season 3 has confirmed Rand al’Thor is not only the Dragon Reborn – he is also the Car’a’carn. Prophecies swirl around Rand al’Thor, foretelling his crucial role in the Last Battle. Because history is cyclical in The Wheel of Time, he is the reincarnation of Lewis Therin, the Dragon who opposed the Dark One at the Breaking of the world.

So far, The Wheel of Time has focused mainly on Rand’s destiny as the Dragon Reborn. But there’s another side to this as well, one hinted at in the prophecies of Rhuidean; not only is he the Dragon Reborn, he is also the Car’a’carn of the Aiel. The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 4 sees Rand step into that destiny, sealed for it after he walks through the glass columns of Rhuidean.

Rand Is The Dragon Reborn And The Car’a’carn, But They’re Not The Same

One Is A Matter Of Identity, The Other Of Role

There are a lot of prophecies in play in The Wheel of Time, and it’s easy to get them confused. The Dragon Reborn may be important, but this is more of a case of identity, Rand is the Dragon Reborn because he is the reincarnation of Lews Therin (which explains why Lanfear, who loved Lews Therin, cares so much for Rand). In contrast, the Car’a’carn is a role – one that is sacred to the Aiel.

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Everything Wheel Of Time Season 3 Just Revealed About The Aiel

The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 4 strips back the curtain of history, revealing the true origins of the Aiel and the People of the Dragon.

Would-be Aiel chieftains enter the city of Rhuidean to walk between its glass columns, where they experience the shame of the Aiel’s origin. Should they survive the experience, they are branded with a single dragon tattoo on one arm as a mark. Rand, in contrast, emerges from Rhuidean with two; this is because he is also the Car’a’carn, the prophesied Chief of Chiefs who will unite the various Aiel clans. Doing so will force the Aiel to confront their past shame, and ultimately lead them to redemption.

Why The Aiel Are Called The People Of The Dragon

The Ancient People Of Lews Therin

Identity and role are linked, of course. As Rand learned through his visions in Rhuidean, the Aiel are called the People of the Dragon because they followed Lews Therin millennia ago. Given that is the case, it is fitting that the Car’a’carn is also the Dragon Reborn – the one they followed long ago, returned by The Wheel of Time to defeat the Dark One at last.