The Shannara Chronicles Season 3 Is Not Renewed Yet [2023 Updates]

The Shannara Chronicles was one of the most popular and eagerly awaited fantasy TV series. It was the first telecast on MTV back in January 2016.

The show was a big hit with the young adult audience. After the successful run of season 1 of The Shannara Chronicles, MTV gave the green light for season 2.

By the time the second season came around, the show was picked up by Spike (now it is called Paramount Network).

Are you wondering what I am talking about? Have you not got a chance to catch up on The Shannara Chronicles?

If so, let me give you a brief rundown of the show. This will help you get up to date on all the latest news, a bit of gossip, discussion topics, and story info.

Everything we know about The Shannara Chronicles so far

In the magical world of Shannara, there are four lands. Living here, we have supernatural and regular humans like elves, half-elves, seers, druids, humans, and more.

Their magical world is protected from harmful demons by a magical tree. This mythical grand tree is called Ellcrys.

It works as a portal to the world of Forbidding. This world of Forbidding is where all the demons were banished to.

The demons stay out of this world, but they are constantly trying to infiltrate it.

A group of people comes together to save it from demons that are slowly trickling in.

Wil Ohmsford is the last half-human, half-elven member of his bloodline. They are an ancient and powerful family that holds three powerful elf stones.

Amberle Elessedil is the daughter of the elven king, and she has been chosen to protect the great tree of Ellcrys.

She has a vision of hundreds of elves laying dead at the foot of the barren Ellcrys, so she is determined to stop it at all costs.

To help them in their quest is another member, Eritrea. She is a human and a thief.

To guide this group of misfits is a druid Allanon who has been awoken from his 300 years of sleep.

He mentors the group and mentors them through the trials that require many sacrifices of self and family.

In the first season, the tree appears to be dying, and a powerful evil druid known as Dagda Mor escapes from it.

He immediately starts to raise his army of demons, trolls, and evil-doers. It is time for the good elves, humans, and gnomes to come together to fight.

As their fight comes to a climax, Amberle realizes something important. She is the seed of the ancient tree.

She has to sacrifice herself to become the Tree of Ellcrys. This will banish the demons back to being Forbidden again.

In the second season, everyone is trying to get their life back in order. There are many minor skirmishes between the four lands.

Apart from this, the seer Bandon has gone over to the dark side. He plans to resurrect the evil lord known as Warlock Lord.

Once he is back, the Warlock Lord battles with the druid Allanon and all his forces.

Wil Ohmsford, Gareth Jax, and Mareth also fight alongside Allanon in what seems to be a losing war.

The Shannara Chronicles Ending Explained

The whole of season two has been a series of fights and skirmishes between the remaining trolls, humans, elves, and warlocks.

We see power struggles between the elven King Elessidil and Queen Tamlin of Leah. There is another fight between the magical and non-magical communities headed by a mercenary group called Crimson.

All this while, the seer Bandon is working to resurrect the Warlock Lord. Once he is back, he targets the druid Allanon, Wil Ohmsford, and his group of fighters.

Warlock Lord plans to poison the Heavenly Well, which supplies water across the four lands.

He almost manages to be successful in poisoning the river and waterfall in Leah with his poisonous blood.

However, in the end, Wil sacrifices himself to kill the evil lord. With the Warlock dead, the poison is nullified.

Everyone who is working under his command is released from it. Despite the fall of most of their leaders, all elves and humans go back to building their lives again.

Official Announcements and Release Date of The Shannara Chronicles Season 3

The first season of The Shannara Chronicles was released back in 2016, on the 5th of January.

The show ran 10 episodes on MTV, and it was very successful. The young audience lapped up the plot of a heroic princess who sacrifices herself to become the tree of Ellcrys to save her homeland.

Despite confessing his love for the Elven princess Amberle, Wil Ohmsford understands the sacrifice and grieves in silence for his lost love.

With the success of the first season, MTV greenlit the second season in April 2016.

The production for the show began straight away. However, in May 2017, a surprise announcement was made, moving the show from MTV to Spike.

MTV wanted to change the flow of content and started focusing more on reality TV, dropping a lot of scripted shows from their network. And that is why The Shannara Chronicles Season 2 moved to Spike.

On Spike, The Shannara Chronicles season 2 began on the 11th of October, 2017. It ran till the 22nd of November, 2017.

This time, the show did not receive the same kind of appreciation from the audience. The show tanked severely and the best numbers they ever did were 310,000 views.

This is really low for the show and even though moving to Spike provided the show with the opportunity to get more darker and explore more intense plots, nothing helped much.

Paramount Network took over Spike, and in January 2018, they decided not to renew the contract for season 3.

They declared that the season 2 ending was the final episode. It’s been more than 5 years since we got any concrete update from the producers or broadcasters. Even in 2023, the possibility of renewal seems futile.

The producers of the show were selling it to other channels and broadcasters. During this time, Netflix bought both seasons of The Shannara Chronicles.

It was telecast on Netflix, and it found a new worldwide audience. Hope for a third season was renewed with the audience’s response to the first two seasons.

Netflix is still deciding on the contract for season 3 of the show.

The Inspiration for The Shannara Chronicles

The TV rights to the Shannara trilogy were bought way back in 2012. Farah Films and Sonar Entertainment were keen to bring the book to the screen.

In 2013, MTV also showed interest in the show about books. This led to Alfred Gough and Miles Millar creating the show called The Shannara Chronicles.

Jon Favreau, Terry Brooks, Dan Farah, Jonathan Liebesman, Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar produced the show.

The book Swords of Shannara is a trilogy with three books, The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, and The Wishsong of Shannara.

For the introduction to the TV series, the show’s creators chose to start with the second book, The Elfstones Of Shannara.

It follows the story of Wil Ohmsford, who is the grandson of Shea Ohmsford from the first book.

Gough and Millar adapted the second book with the help of Terry Brooks, the author of the series.

They made a few changes to bring the show to the TV audience. Terry Brooks was particularly inspired by the success of the TV adaptation of the book, A Song Of Fire and Ice.

Popularity Details Of The Shannara Chronicles Season 3

The show was faddish when it was first telecast on MTV. The show premiere was a two-hour special that aired in the United States on the 5th of January.

It was simulcasted in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand on different sister networks.

The series premiere got a viewership of over one million and maintained figures close to a million viewers all through the season.

You can get a sense of the show’s popularity through online communities on various social media platforms.

Twitter account

On Twitter, the show has an official Twitter handle called @Shannara. You can get all the latest updates on The Shannara Chronicles books, games, cast information, and any news on the next season.

With the strong followership of over 80K fans, you can be sure to have many fun comments, desperate rants for the next season, memes, and behind-the-scenes tidbits.

If you are looking for fellow chroniclers of the Shannara world, this is the place to be.

Reddit community

On Reddit, the Shannara community is active with chats and discussions. Most of the topics dwell on the latest book in the series from the author, Terry Brooks.

You can also find helpful hints in understanding the gaps in the stories, character backstories, and more.

You can also find possible plotlines for the next season, fan discussions, funny memes, and more.

Google Trends

Season 3 of The Shannara Chronicles has been a trending topic on most social media sites.

You can see from the Google Trends results that the popularity of the show has reached far and wide due to its run on Netflix. But now that there are not a lot of updates from the creators, even the hardcore fans are losing interest in it.

But there are still a lot of fans all over the globe who are still searching for the third season and hopeful that it will be back. The fan base has built steadily in countries like Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa, and more.

If we keep up this amount of interest in the show, Netflix might also take notice.

Google Search

By checking out the Google search results, you can get a pretty good idea about the continued interest and craze for The Shannara Chronicles TV series.

Since it’s been more than 6 years since season 2 aired, fans have abandoned the idea of its renewal. It has now close to 11K monthly searches for season 3 which in reality is not a great number.

Expected Plot of The Shannara Chronicles Season 3

One might ask, even if the show is renewed, what would the plot be? The last episode of season 2 ended with most of the main characters killed.

There has been quite a lot of discussion on the possible storyline for the next season.

So, I would like to make a few points to support my case without sounding too optimistic.

If we observe the books by the author, Terry Brooks, the series started with the second book, Elfstones of Shannara.

We can still create the show around the third book. The story of the third book, Wishsong of Shannara, tells the story of the children of Wil Ohmsford and Eretria.

Moreover, at the end of the last season, Ohmsford sacrifices himself to kill the Warlock Lord.

Yet, in the end-credits scene, we are shown a clip of him waking up on the battlefield, surrounded by the Furies.

Even Mereth says that she can still sense the presence of Ohmsford and that he has not died.

Moreover, Terry Brooks has written many more books based on the world of Shannara called the Landover series.

You will not run out of materials for more seasons of the series.

Why watch The Shannara Chronicles Season 3?

As discussed, we can see that there are many avenues to take the story forward.

We have the scope to bring back a few old characters. We can also hope to take the plot along new lines.

Since we have not received any official word on the production for the new season, we are going purely on the latest gossip online.

So, here is a tiny tidbit of news that ENTOIN has come across. At the end of season two, Mereth is shown to have sensed the presence of Wil Ohmsford, and the end credits scene also shows him waking up on a battlefield.

He is surrounded by the Furies. Historically speaking, the Furies are the creators of destiny for all beings.

This scene shows the Furies come down to converse with Ohmsford. This could mean that he will be sent back with a purpose or duty.

He could also be sent back to fulfil an imminent prophecy simply because his time has not come yet.

Either way, there are clear positive implications to it. This scene will lead to the return of the main character.

Another reason for this belief is that in the third book, Wishsong of Shannara, we see that the progeny of Wil Ohmsford and Eretria is again called forth to fight and subdue another future dark force.

For this to happen, we need him to come back. So in the next season, we can expect the return of Ohmsford and possible marriage with Eretria to pave the path.

Online Reaction to The Shannara Chronicles Season 3

The audience’s support and love for the show have been evident since the show was first aired in 2016.

The move to Spike TV hit a tiny snag in the road, but with Netflix taking over the show, The Shannara Chronicles came back strong as ever.

Quora reaction

The show has a strong following on Quora, with many fans discussing the reasons for its discontinuation, the possible release date of season 3, general reviews of the show, etc.

The most common question I have encountered about the show is the reason why the show was cancelled.

These reasons for the cancellation vary between humorous, and analytical to downright desperate rants.

Reddit Reaction

As with Quora, the same is the case with reactions and comments on Reddit. Multiple threads are discussing the chances of a season 3.

Many are not very optimistic about watching the new season after such a long gap.

Many people are discussing the similarities and differences between books and TV series. Some have been introduced to the trilogy of Swords of Shannara after watching the show.

Twitter reaction

When you search on Twitter using #Shannara, you can read many hilarious and fun comments.

There are, of course, memes that are inspired by the TV series. But, the comment that attracted and caught my attention was the online petition to have the show renewed.

Many fans and viewers from all over the world have been tweeting a particular comment.

This comment generates buzz and interest in the show, hoping that Netflix will renew The Shannara Chronicles season 3.

Ratings and Reviews of The Shannara Chronicles

The show has been popular with the audience since its premiere. It garnered a viewership of close to a million viewers all through the first season.

However, during the second season, the viewership dipped to an average of 0.25 million viewers in the US.

Ratings

The Shannara Chronicles has a good rating from viewers. On IMDb, the combined rating for both seasons is a solid 7.2.

Rotten Tomatoes rated the show 54% in the first season, but the second season got a 100% fresh rating.

Metacritic also rated the show 52 out of 100 with mixed reviews.

Reviews

The show received mixed reviews on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes. The critical consensus about it says that the show is very obviously influenced by the genre of fantasy drama.

It needs to come out of this influence and become more sure-footed to reach its full potential.

Rotten Tomatoes appreciated the second season more than the first season and said that the show could become a teen-friendly version of Game Of Thrones.

The New York Times appreciated the show for being fast-paced. They do it while interweaving the different storylines of an Elvin world that is crumbling.

Even Variety magazine felt that they hark back to the golden age of fantasy movies with elves, trolls, mages, and more.

Top 5 Best-Rated Episodes

Episode Name and Number	Ratings (IMDb)
Chosen: Part 2 (Episode 2, Season 1)	7.9/10
Changeling (Episode 4, Season 1)	7.8/10
Safehold (Episode 9, Season 1)	7.8/10
Ellcrys (Episode 10, Season 1)	7.8/10
Graymark (Episode 3, Season 2)	7.8/10

Awards and Recognitions of the Show

The audiences received The Shannara Chronicles positively, and it was considered kindly by the critics as well.

The show has had three nominations in the past three years. Here is a list of award nominations the show received.

Saturn Awards – Best Fantasy Television series for The Shannara Chronicles in 2016.
Directors Guild Of Canada – Best Sound Editing – Television Series in 2018.
Motion Picture Sound Editors the USA – Best Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television in 2017.

Production and Success of The Shannara Chronicles

The show is based on the second book of the Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks.

When Sonar Entertainment and Farah Films acquired the filming rights of the book, they set to work on perfecting the script along with the author of the book, Terry Brooks.

In December 2013, MTV showed interest in the production of the series. They gave the order for a 10-episode series.

After seeing the success of the first season, the second season was given the green light.

They got the go-ahead in April 2016.

Production Cost

The Auckland Film Studio in New Zealand took up the responsibility of filming the 10 episodes of the first season.

They created and released the debut trailer in 2015. They used the song Up In Flames, an EP performed by Ruelle in the theme song.

It was called Until We Go Down. After initial success, the second season was also filmed in the Auckland Film Studio.

They also included songs like Midnight from Coldplay in the first season. The first trailer release happened at the 2015 San Diego ComicCon International.

During the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, the TV trailer was released as well.

Popular The Shannara Chronicles Characters

The Shannara Chronicles had diverse characters in both seasons. Some important characters died in season 1 while in season 2, we saw Allanon’s death.

So, if the series gets renewed we will have some new faces. Since the ending was a cliffhanger it will be exciting how the new story is going to turn out.

Wil Ohmsford is played by Austin Butler

Wil Ohmsford is the main lead. He is half-human and half-elf and also the last surviving member of his bloodline.

Austin Butler played the role of Ohmsford during both seasons. After the end of the show in 2018, Butler went on to play Don Parritt in a Broadway show called The Iceman Cometh.

He also played the role of Charles ‘Tex’ Watson in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino.

Eretria by Ivana Baquero

Eretria is a human, and she was raised by Rovers among a band of thieves.

She has romantic feelings towards Ohmsford. Her character was played by the Spanish actress Ivana Baquero, who also played Ofelia in Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.

After the show, she went on to play Eva Villanueva in the Netflix show High Seas.

Allanon by Manu Bennett

Allanon is the last druid in the four lands. He is a human and lived a long life of 300 years using druid sleep.

He is a prominent figure in the series as he teaches and trains the Chosen Elves and humans to take care of the Ellcrys.

Bennett is well known for his roles in The Hobbit as Azog The Defiler, Slade Wilson In The Arrow, and Crixus from Spartacus.

Amberle Elessedil by Poppy Drayton

Poppy Drayton plays Amberle Elessedil, the elven princess. She is the first woman to participate in and contest for a place among the Chosen.

Amberle has visions and premonitions about the upcoming war. In the end, she sacrifices herself to become the Ellcrys and protect the Four Lands from demons.

Poppy is a British actress who played the part of Abigail in the CW fantasy drama, Charmed.

Ander Elessedil by Aaron Jakubenko

Ander Elessedil is the youngest son of the Elven king. After the death of his father and both his elder brothers, he quits his irresponsible lifestyle and takes over the throne.

This Australian actor is known for his role as Augie McTeer in The Tidelands.

Bandon by Marcus Vanco

Bandon is an elven boy who starts as a Seer, and he can see into the future when he touches someone.

However, later he turns over to the evil side and resurrects the evil druid, Warlock Lord.

He is an Australian actor who worked in We Were Tomorrow and Day of the Dead: Bloodline.

Mareth Ravenlock by Malese Jow

Mareth Ravenlock is another half-human and half-elven member of the group. She claims to be the daughter of Allanon and seeks him out at the start of the second season.

She also has romantic feelings toward Wil Ohmsford. Malese Jow, who plays Mareth, is famous for her role as Anna in Vampire Diaries.

Lyria is played by Vanessa Morgan

Lyria is the daughter of the Queen of Leah. She was supposed to marry Prince Ander Elessedil as part of a political move.

She escapes and joins the group, eventually developing feelings for Eretria. Vanessa Morgan plays the role of Lyria.

She also played Toni Topaz in Riverdale and Beatrix Castro in the MTV teen drama Finding Carter.

Garet Jax by Gentry White

Garet Jax is the bounty hunter who is sent by the queen of Leah. His responsibility is to locate Lyria although, he ends up along with the group to fight for the Four Lands.

Gentry White plays this part. He is famous for playing Charles Jr. in the TV series Jett and Romeo in the TV series UnREAL.

The supporting cast also includes:

Slanter is played by Glen Levy
Commander Diana Tilton is played by Emelia Burns
Catania is played by Brooke Williams
Arion Elessedil is played by Daniel MacPherson
Dagda Mor is played by Jed Brophy
Eventine Elessedil is played by John Rhys-Davies

Rumours and Trivia from The Shannara Chronicles

The show was an action-packed and fun-filled work environment that involved a lot of sword fighting and horse riding.

Ivana Baquero and Poppy Drayton both expressed their love for this aspect of filmmaking in a Clevver interview.

Most of the cast has already worked with one another in a few shows previously.

Manu Benett and Austin Butler worked in The Arrow earlier. Jonathan Rhys-Davis, Manu Bennett, and Jed Brophy were part of the JRR Tolkien world.

Bennett played Azog the Defiler, Jonathan Rhys-Davis played Gimli, son of Gloin, and Jed Brophy played Sharku/Snaga in LOTR and Nori in The Hobbit.

Terry Brooks himself was an ardent fan of the works of JRR Tolkien. He drew inspiration from the values and ethos of the Tolkien universe for the Shannara trilogy.

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The show stars Jake Manley, Sarah Grey, Adam DiMarco, and Louriza Tronco.

2. Shadowhunters (2016-2019)

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The show stars Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Alberto Rosende, and Matthew Daddario.

3. Fate: The Winx Saga (2021-2022)

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4. The Magicians (2015-2020)

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8. Shadow and Bone (2021- )

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Conclusion

I regret to inform you that the production companies and networks have not revised the contract for season three of the television series The Shannara Chronicles since I last gave you an update on it.

Series which have many years gap from the last season rarely get renewed since many cast members get busy with other projects. Collecting the original crew becomes a difficult task and with this possibility of renewal also drops.

Still, let’s stay positive for a new season.