Who Replaced Wil Willis As The New Host Of Forged In Fire?

Fans of the History Channel know legends are made during each season of "Forged in Fire." Every entry has a vast array of contestants trying to impress the judges, with a well-trained and expertly experienced host at the helm.

Wil Willis served as the host of "Forged in Fire" for the first seven seasons. Before becoming one of the most recognizable faces from the franchise, Willis served his country as an Army Ranger and later as a decorated Air Force pararescue specialist (via Variety). According to IMDb, before taking over hosting duties for the series, Willis' previous credits include "Special Ops Mission" and "Triggers: Weapons that Changed the World" on the now-defunct Military Channel.

Willis ended up leaving the show before Season 8 started, with several factors leading to his exit from the series. His family life and the difficulties surrounding a bloated production schedule indicated that the former host of "Forged in Fire" was ready to take his talents elsewhere and begin the next journey in his impressive career.

The absence of Willis and the legacy he cultivated during his tenure left a pretty big void to fill for the person taking over the hosting duties of such a beloved reality competition series. But the individual chosen to take over as the face of "Forged in Fire" for Season 8 — and the highly anticipated Season 9 – is a worthy successor with a similar military background and work history.

Grady Powell is a survival and weapons expert who served overseas and was also one of the youngest soldiers to earn the prestigious, highly coveted designation of "Green Beret" (via Camillus Knives). Before taking over hosting duties on "Forged in Fire," Powell had a robust amount of experience in reality television, including credits on shows such as "American Grit," "Ultimate Survival Alaska," "Dual Survival," and "Stars Earn Stripes" (via IMDb). Given his extensive background and unparalleled knowledge, it's no surprise Powell was the ideal candidate to take over "Forged in Fire" in Season 8. In an interview with OffGrid magazine, Powell talked about his drive for success, whether it's regarding a TV show or anything else, saying, "It's about finding in your heart and in your mind what reason you have to drive on."

When he's not hosting the intense reality competition series on the History Channel, the loving husband and devoted family man is an active outdoorsman who's posted several images of hunting and fishing to his tens of thousands of fans on Instagram. According to his biography on the History Channel website, his life motto is, "You only get one chance to write your story, make it one worth reading." It's safe to say that Powell's story is far from over, and so far, the first few chapters hint that there are still plenty of exciting narratives left to tell from the host of "Forged in Fire."