THAT Character’s Return In Wheel Of Time Season 2 Pays Off A Book Tease 33 Years Later

Warning: Spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 2, episode 8

The shocking return of Uno Nomesta in The Wheel of Time season 2 finale pays off a tease 33 years in the making. Uno was a key supporting player in the Horn of Valere arc both in the book storyline and the live-action take on in Amazon’s Wheel of Time show. In different ways, Uno was involved in the battle that saw the Heroes of the Horn take on the Seanchan.

In Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time books, Uno survived the journey to Falme and was among those in attendance when Mat blew the Horn of Valere, summoning the Heroes of the Horn to help win the battle. Interestingly, the TV show diverged from this path by having Uno meet an untimely death at the hands of Lady Suroth’s forces in the season’s third episode. Surprisingly, this didn’t mark the end of Uno’s story in The Wheel of Time. The season 2 finale brought him back as one of the many Heroes of the Horn, allowing him to take part in the final fight at Falme.

Uno’s Return Pays Off A Forgotten Tease From The Great Hunt

The decision to use Uno in this manner allowed the series to follow through on a hint that dates all the way back to 1990 when The Great Hunt was published. In the book, a character named Hurin was among the characters on hand for the big fight. At the end of the battle, Artur Hawkwing noted Hurin’s bravery and remarked that the latter had the potential to become a Hero of the Horn himself one day. This set up the possibility of Hurin – or perhaps another main character tied to the main story – dying and coming back when the Horn of Valere was sounded for the Last Battle. Unfortunately, this never came to pass.

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Hurin died in the Last Battle and was never revived as a Hero. Perhaps because of the timing of his death or simply the fact that his relevance had since tapered off, the books never headed in this direction. The closest it ever came to exploring this possibility was the Noel character. Introduced as the reincarnation of Jain Farstrider, an existing Hero, the character died and was summoned by the Horn during the Last Battle. That said, Noel’s return was a bit of a foregone conclusion, as Jain Farstrider was already a legend and a known Hero of the Horn.

The Wheel Of Time’s Uno Reveal Justified His Early Death

Taking a major character not rooted in The Wheel of Time’s mythology and allowing them to earn Hero status and return via the Horn of Valere would have been a truly great moment for the books. That’s a big part of what makes Uno’s role in the finale so special. In a sense, it justifies the decision to kill him off in the first place. Given the level of personality that Uno brought to the show, his death was a huge loss. However, it also paved the way for one of the show’s biggest surprises. Uno’s role, supported by his “I’m a bloody Hero of the Horn” line, presented Uno with a way to leave a mark on season 2’s story in a way that he never did in the books.

By using him in this manner, The Wheel of Time proved that through their actions, characters in Rand’s story have what it takes to become legends in their own right after they die. After all, that’s the way it should be, as not all Heroes necessarily need to be figures from the past. Plus, having a familiar face like Uno – someone who had already demonstrated his courage – standing amongst the Heroes of the Horn made their arrival an even more meaningful scene for the series.

The Wheel Of Time Sets Up Uno To Return For The Final Season

Not only did the show find a clever way to have Uno return, but it also set him up to appear one more time. As the prophecy says, the Horn of Valere is supposed to be blown again at the Last Battle, the final fight between the Light and the Shadow. The Last Battle is the story that unfolds in the 14th and final book, A Memory of Light. What that means is that the Heroes of the Horn should make a return in one of the show’s last episodes, if not the series finale. As a result, the stage is already set for Uno to have a cameo in The Wheel of Time’s ending, no matter how far away it may be.