Steve

Steve is an alleged character name in The Wheel of Time television series, which has become a running joke and meme among fans. It began in June 2020 with an unofficial casting announcement that immediately became a joke among online fans, and it was picked up by crew of the show including showrunner Rafe Judkins and the show's official social media account.
== Casting report ==
On June 26, 2020, Redanian Intelligence reported that actor Phil Snowden would be portraying the character "Steve," saying that Steve "may be an original character created for the show or a codename."Redanian Intelligence: Amazon’s Wheel of Time adds five new cast members by Yslyven. June 26, 2020. The Dusty Wheel later confirmed that Phil Snowden's online CV listed his role in The Wheel of Time as being named Steve.
There is no character named Steve in the original book series, and Steve was likely a placeholder name used for a casting call or an audition. The Wheel of Time series often used placeholder names, such as Moiraine being "Myara" and Nynaeve being "Nadie" in audition tapes.Redanian Intelligence: Leaked audition scripts for Amazon’s Wheel Of Time reveal a glimpse at Aes Sedai rivalries by Yslyven. September 22, 2020.Winter is Coming: Leaked audition tapes for The Wheel of Time hint at season 1 events by Corey Smith. October 2020. 
On November 23, 2021, WoT Series reported that Phil Snowden's CV had been updated to remove the name of his character, but his involvement in the series remained listed.https://x.com/WotTVSeries/status/1463272242729656326 However, Phil Snowden was not credited or identified in any episodes in the first or second seasons, leaving the actual character and casting unconfirmed.
== Fan response ==
The day the casting was announced on June 26, 2020, fans on social media made various jokes about Steve's great relevance in the book series. Popular fan show The Dusty Wheel had an episode dedicated entirely to Steve, spotlighting some fan responses, and had viewers call in to discuss and speculate.The Dusty Wheel episode WHO IS STEVE?! WHEEL OF TIME CASTING NEWS & RUMORS!. June 26, 2020. Fan news site WoTSeries.com added "Steve" to its top navigation, leading to page that was just a picture of the actor Phil Snowden.WoTSeries.com: Steve. Retrieved January 11, 2020. Various fan accounts on Twitter changed their names to something including Steve, such as The Dusty Wheel becoming the The Dusty Steve Show, and Barside Chats becoming Steveside Chats. Matt Hatch of The Dusty Wheel reported that, "Everyone freaked out. The name Steve just caused people to start laughing and doing all sorts of fun stuff on Twitter of Time, at the very least, where I was watching most of the day." (Twitter of Time is The Wheel of Time fandom on Twitter.)
Various joke hashtags were used on Twitter, such as:
* #TwitterOfSteve,Search for #TwitterOfSteve on Twitter in 2020. Accessed July 19, 2024. which is a play on "Twitter of Time," the term used for The Wheel of Time fans on Twitter.
* #SteveOfTime,Search for #SteveOfTime on Twitter in 2020. Accessed July 19, 2024. which is a play on the show's title The Wheel of Time.
* #SteveSworn,Search for #SteveSworn on Twitter in 2020. Accessed July 19, 2024. which is a play on the term Dragonsworn, a term used for people who follow the Dragon Reborn.
* #SteveGate,Search for #SteveGate on Twitter in 2020. Accessed July 19, 2024. in which "gate" is used as a suffix to indicate a scandal.
A few weeks later, the podcast Barside Chats did a special episode "BONUS! The Great Steve Incident," discussing the fandom reaction.Barside Chats, BONUS! The Great Steve Incident, July 18, 2020.
== Responses from the show ==
On December 23, 2020, showrunner Rafe Judkins poked fun at it in an online Q&A, saying that no significant characters were invented for season 1 "other than STEVE. Obviously."Twitter event: Rafe Judkins answers more fan questions for The Wheel of Time. December 23, 2020.
On October 26, 2021, the official Twitter account for the series joked about Steve in a parody text message between Rand and a Myrddraal, saying, "He IS quite a mystery even to #myrddraal".Official Twitter account for The Wheel of Time: October 26, 2021. The exchange:
:Myrddraal: The look of the Eyeless is fear!!
:Rand: New phone, who dis?
:Myrddraal: It's... Dan. Dan the . Rand?
:Rand: Nah, wrong number, dude. This is Steve.
:Myrddraal: Steve? Who the 🔥 is STEVE?
:Rand: Bloody good question...
During an AMA on Reddit on November 24, 2021, when asked if we'd learn the identity of the "beloved" Steve, Rafe Judkin responded, "THIS IS ALL I CARE ABOUT AND I WISH I COULD TELL YOU THE TRUTH".I’m Rafe Judkins, showrunner and executive producer of the new Amazon Original series, The Wheel of Time, here to answer your questions. AMA. November 24, 2021.
During a Twitter Q&A on July 21, 2022, a fan asked, "Will we finally see Steve?" and Rafe Judkins responded, "How does this only have one like. Most important question".Twitter Q&A on Twitter, July 21, 2022.
During a Twitter/X Q&A on September 27, 2023, a fan said to Rafe Judkins "*waves lighter in the air in memory of Steve*", and Rafe Judkins responded "Still makes me laugh every time I think about it". Research consultant Sarah Nakamura also responded with "#SteveLives".Q&A on Twitter/X, September 27, 2023.
== Gallery ==
=== Images ===
Steve and Dan Twitter Oct 26 2021.jpg|Rand (Steve) and a Fade (Dan) talk on Twitter, from the show's official Twitter account, October 26, 2021
Steve Twitter September 27 2023.png|Showrunner Rafe Judkins and research consultant Sarah Nakamura on Steve, Twitter, September 27, 2023
=== Videos ===
== Navigation ==
== References ==
Category:Characters
Category:The Wheel of Time Wiki