When Amazon first announced that Isabella Bucceri would be joining the cast of The Wheel of Time, the fandom basically held its breath. If you’ve read Robert Jordan’s sprawling 14-book epic, you know why. She isn't just playing some random background noble; she is Faile Bashere, a character so divisive she makes Reddit threads look like a war zone. Honestly, for years, book readers have argued about whether Faile is a toxic partner or a misunderstood girlboss.
Enter Isabella Bucceri.
She stepped into the role during Season 3, which premiered on March 13, 2025. By the time Episode 7, "Goldeneyes," rolled around, she hadn't just joined the show—she’d completely recontextualized one of the most controversial romances in fantasy history. If you're wondering how an Australian actress with only a few credits to her name managed to win over a grumpy fandom, it comes down to a mix of knife skills, a specific accent, and some seriously intense chemistry with Marcus Rutherford.
Why Isabella Bucceri is the Faile We Actually Needed
For the longest time, the "book version" of Faile was synonymous with jealousy and slapping. It’s a bit of a meme. But Bucceri brings something more grounded to the screen. She portrays Faile (born Zarine Bashere) not as a caricature, but as a high-stakes Hunter of the Horn who is running away from the suffocating expectations of Saldaean royalty.
You’ve probably noticed the height difference. It's impossible to miss.
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Bucceri is noticeably smaller than Marcus Rutherford, who plays Perrin Aybara. In interviews with Collider and Winter Is Coming, she’s mentioned how the production leaned into this. They called her a "pocket rocket" next to his "gentle giant." It works. It visually reinforces that Faile doesn't need to be physically imposing to command a room. She does it with a look—and usually a hidden blade.
The Training Behind the Two Rivers Battle
One thing that really separates Isabella Bucceri’s performance from the "damsel" trope is the sheer amount of physicality she put into Season 3. She wasn't just wearing pretty dresses in a palace. She was in the dirt.
To prepare for the Battle of the Two Rivers, Bucceri spent hours every day with the stunt team. Since Faile doesn't have the One Power—she can't channel like Egwene or Nynaeve—she has to rely on pure martial skill. Bucceri specifically focused on:
- Knife Proficiency: Faile is famous for her throwing knives. Bucceri worked on "the flick" until it looked like muscle memory.
- Horseback Riding: Much of her early arc involves traveling across the countryside.
- Military Discipline: Coming from a family of "Great Captains," her movement had to look tactical, not just athletic.
Basically, she wanted to prove that you don't need magic to be the most dangerous person in the room. In Episode 7, when she’s clearing out Shadowspawn while Perrin is leading the defense, you finally see the "Falcon" the books always promised.
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That Accent: A Choice That Changed Everything
If you listen closely to Bucceri’s performance, she doesn't sound like the rest of the cast. That was an intentional choice. In the world of The Wheel of Time, Saldaeans are known for being bold, fiery, and distinct.
Bucceri actually auditioned twice—once with her natural Australian accent and once with the "Faile accent." She told Winter Is Coming that her natural voice just didn't feel right for the character’s intensity. She worked with dialect coaches to create a speech pattern that is slow, deliberate, and a little bit sharp. It makes her feel like an outsider in the Two Rivers, which is exactly what the story needs.
Healing the "Perrin Problem"
Let's be real: Season 1 made a massive change to Perrin’s story by giving him a wife, Laila, and then having him accidentally kill her. Fans were worried. How could he ever move on to Faile without it feeling cheap or rushed?
This is where the chemistry comes in. Bucceri and Rutherford have this "yin and yang" vibe that feels earned rather than forced. Because the showrunners (led by Rafe Judkins) allowed their relationship to build through shared trauma and mutual respect in Season 3, the transition felt natural. She isn't a replacement for Laila; she’s the person who finally pushes Perrin to stop moping and start leading.
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What’s Next for Isabella Bucceri?
Now that Season 3 has wrapped, the focus shifts to the future of the series. If the show stays true to the books, Faile’s role only gets bigger. We’re talking about political maneuvering, kidnapping arcs (hopefully shorter than the books!), and eventually leading armies.
If you want to follow her journey, here is the best way to stay updated:
- Watch the Interviews: Check out her sit-downs with Dragonmount and WoTUp! on YouTube. She goes deep into the lore and her personal headcanon for the character.
- Follow the Source: If you haven't read The Shadow Rising (Book 4), do it. It’s the primary source material for her current arc and explains why she’s so obsessed with the Horn of Valere.
- Check her Filmography: Before she was Faile, she starred in Finally Me (2023) and Everything in Between (2022). Seeing her in those smaller Australian projects shows just how much she transformed for this role.
Isabella Bucceri didn't just join a cast; she saved a character that many fans had written off decades ago. Whether you love or hate Faile, you can't deny that Bucceri has made her impossible to ignore.
Next Steps for Fans: To see the specific scenes where Bucceri’s fight training pays off, re-watch Episode 7 of Season 3, specifically the sequence where she uses the terrain of the Two Rivers to outmaneuver the Whitecloaks. You can also track her upcoming projects on IMDb to see if she takes on more action-heavy roles following her success in the fantasy genre.