Netflix’s adaptation of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s renowned book series, The Witcher, has captivated audiences with its dark, gothic atmosphere and outstanding performances by actors such as Freya Allan (Ciri), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Henry Cavill (Geralt). The first season that was premiered in 2019, followed by Season 2 in 2021, garnered a huge and devoted fanbase. In 2022, a prequel series titled Blood Origin was released, introducing several changes from the source material while still maintaining a connection to the events in the Witcher timeline. However, the upcoming season, which will sadly be the final time Geralt is portrayed by Henry Cavil, will follow the series’ protagonist Geralt, his true love Yennefer, and his destiny child Ciri as they confront numerous challenges and strive to save the world as prophesied in their destinies.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did Ciri Become Geralt’s Destiny?
Geralt of Rivia was among the last surviving witchers in the world. Like his fellow witchers, Geralt underwent an alchemical procedure and genetic mutation to become a formidable monster hunter. He received his training in Kaer Morhen, where Vesemir, the witchers’ mentor, resided along with the remaining members of their order. Possessing superhuman strength and the ability to hunt down monsters, Geralt was sought after by kings and mages, who offered him substantial bounties for his services.
At a ball held by Queen Calanthe of Cintra to celebrate her daughter Pavetta, an unexpected event occurred. The queen was aware of her daughter’s affair with a mysterious man and invited Geralt to ensure her protection. However, when Pavetta’s lover, Duny, arrived, the queen was shocked to see his beastly appearance. She ordered Geralt to kill the “beast,” but Geralt realized that Duny was not a monster but rather under a curse that had transformed him. After saving Duny’s life, Geralt wass offered a reward by Duny, who insisted Geralt ask for something in return. However, Geralt demanded the “Law of Surprise” as his reward, unaware of its significance. The Law of Surprise was a tradition invoked when one person came to the aid of another without any material payment. Instead, the latter would offer the former the Law of Surprise, which meant that whatever the latter possessed but was unaware of would become the former’s destiny. Consequently, Duny and Pavetta’s unborn offspring became Geralt’s destiny child.
As Geralt continued on his path, fulfilling various contracts, he encountered a bard named Jaskier, who became his close friend. However, Geralt could not shake his responsibility regarding his Child of Surprise. He returned to Cintra but could not find Ciri, as Queen Calanthe had presented him with a counterfeit. However, Geralt had already noticed Ciri, under the guise of an ordinary boy, playing with other children. During this time, when the Nilfgaardian forces attacked Cintra to capture Ciri, Calanthe told Ciri to escape the palace. Geralt, in the meantime, breaking free from his captivity, set out to find her. On his journey, he was attacked by a monster but was saved and healed by a magical entity resembling his mother. Finally, destiny brought Geralt and Ciri together in a dense forest, where they met and embraced each other.
Who Was Yennefer?
Yennefer of Vengerberg was born into an earlier timeline, which was the furthest in the show’s chronology. Initially, she was a young woman with a hunchback and facial paralysis. However, after receiving guidance from Tissaia de Vries at Aretuza, she underwent a transformative journey to become a great sorceress. Through a painful procedure performed by an enchanter, Yennefer gained her beauty and emerged as a stunning mage. Nonetheless, the enchanter warned her about the sacrifices she would have to make, including her inability to bear children. Though she initially accepted this condition, her desire for motherhood resurfaced after thirty years. While working in a village as a healer, Yennefer had her first encounter with Geralt. He sought her help to free Jaskier from a djinn’s influence. In an attempt to heal herself and regain her reproductive ability, Yennefer tried to trap the Djinn within her own body. However, Geralt’s final wish to release the Djinn saved her from disastrous consequences. Later, during her pursuit of a dragon, Yennefer reunited with Geralt but parted ways with him due to a misunderstanding. Returning to Aretuza, Yennefer discovered that Nilfgaard had attacked Cintra and that the mages needed to protect the kingdom at all costs. In the Battle of Sodden Hill, where Fringilla, a powerful mage from Nilfgaard, turned out to be a formidable enemy, most of the mages grew weak in her presence. Under Tissaia’s command, Yennefer harnessed the power of chaos and unleashed a devastating inferno, resulting in a major loss of lives for the Nilfgaardian army. However, Fringilla captured Yennefer, and both were subsequently abducted by the Elven army, led by Francesca.
Within Elven captivity, Yennefer, Fringilla, and Francesca all experienced nightmares involving hooded figures. Francesca believed her white-hooded entity to be Ithlinne, while Fringilla revealed her black-hooded entity to be Emhyr, the emperor of Nilfgaard. Yennefer discovered Elder Speech inscriptions beneath the dust on an altar, leading them to a hidden passageway and the hut of the Deathless Mother, aka Voleth Meir. After using the immense power of chaos, Yennefer was devoid of her magical abilities. The Deathless Mother offered to restore her powers in exchange for Ciri. Yennefer tracked Ciri near the Temple of Melitele, but a mage named Reince, tasked with finding Ciri by a mysterious figure named Lydia, was also pursuing her. In an attempt to protect Ciri, Geralt ordered Yennefer to take her away, unaware that Yennefer intended to hand Ciri over to the Deathless Mother. However, Ciri read Yennefer’s thoughts and escaped, unleashing a powerful scream that caused a huge rift in the ground. Feeling betrayed, Geralt held Yennefer at knifepoint. Recognizing her mistake, Yennefer attempted to atone for her actions. At Kaer Morhen, as Ciri became possessed by the Deathless Mother, killing witchers in their sleep one by one, Yennefer slit her hand and used her blood to draw out the Deathless Mother from Ciri’s body. With the aid of a monolith, Yennefer, Ciri, and Geralt escaped to another universe, where the Deathless Mother left Ciri’s body. Yennefer was known as one of the most powerful and brilliant mages in the world of the Witchers. With her elven lineage due to her parents being of half-elven heritage, she possessed immense magical abilities. However, her relationship with Geralt remained complicated throughout the two seasons due to a lack of trust between them.
Who Was Ciri?
Ciri, aka Cirilla, the sole princess of Cintra, was the daughter of Princess Pavetta and Duny. Raised by her grandmother, Queen Calanthe, after her mother’s death, Ciri’s path to meeting Geralt of Rivia, her destined guardian, was filled with challenges. When Nilfgaard attacked Cintra to capture Ciri, Calanthe ordered her granddaughter to flee. With the help of Mousesack and Lazlo, Ciri escaped through a tunnel but encountered a Nilfgaardian soldier, Cahir. Using her powerful scream, Ciri managed to evade capture, causing a rift in the ground. However, unbeknownst to Ciri, she had also unleashed monsters from different realms into their world with her powerful scream, which had the ability to cause schisms in the monoliths. Finally reunited with Geralt in the woods of Brakolin, Ciri showed her interest in becoming a witcher for her own protection. Geralt took her to Kaer Mohren, where she began her training. However, when mage Triss arrived, it was revealed that Ciri possessed Elder blood, a significant and rare lineage required for making witchers. Vesemir proposed using Ciri’s blood to restart the witcher-making process, starting the experiment with Ciri, but Geralt objected to the idea.
Subsequently, as Voleth Meir took possession of Ciri’s body, Ciri’s consciousness was trapped in her parents’ memories while the demonic spirit orchestrated the murders of the witchers in Kaer Morhen. Voleth Meir sought to use Ciri’s Elder blood and her ability to portal through monoliths to return to her own realm. But as we have seen in season 2, Yennefer and Geralt managed to weaken Voleth Meir’s power through love and sacrifice.
What Was Elder Blood And Ithilyn’s Prophecy?
Ciri’s Elder blood, inherited from her ancestor Lara Dorren, made her a target for various factions and otherworldly creatures. Centuries ago, an Elven mage initiated the Elder Blood in order to create a child with extraordinary power that would surpass the capabilities of the Elves. According to the ancient Elven diviner Ithiline, Lara’s descendant, Ciri, the child with Elder blood, would one day save the world of Elves. As almost all of Ithiline’s prophecies turned out to be true, the entire Witcher universe chased after Ciri to harness her power to gain control over and conquer the world.
Why Were Wild Hunt And Nifgaard After Ciri?
In the conclusion of Season 2, when Ciri, Yennefer, and Geralt were transported to a desolate dimension where they encountered the Wild Hunt, horsemen wearing skeleton masks. The Wild Hunt, also chased after Ciri due to her Elder blood, sought to use her power to create offspring and expand their own race’s heritage. Ciri’s ability to manipulate chaos (the reason she was called the “daughter of chaos”) and open portals made her a valuable target for the Wild Hunt, as they aimed to travel across multiple universes and conquer them all.
Emperor Emhyr var Emreis, also known as Duny, held the title of Emperor of Nilfgaard, as revealed in the ending of Season 2 of The Witcher. From the beginning, his wife, Pavetta, was aware of Duny’s hidden agenda. When Emhyr discovered this, a conflict ensued, resulting in Pavetta falling overboard and losing her life during a boat trip. Upon seizing the throne in Nilfgaard, Emhyr contemplated Ithiline’s prophecy, which stated that the world would face destruction during an ice age and that a child with Elder blood would alter the world’s fate. Emhyr believed that by fathering a child with his own daughter, Ciri, their offspring would become the ultimate conqueror of the world. Consequently, the relentless pursuit of Ciri by Nilfgaardian soldiers was driven by Emhyr’s incestuous desires and his aspiration to become the world’s conqueror. However, the upcoming Season 3 of The Witcher will delve deeper into Emhyr’s motivations behind his pursuit of Ciri.
What To Expect From Season 3?
In the recently released Season 3 trailer of The Witcher, fans can finally look forward to witnessing moments of romance between Geralt and Yennefer. Throughout previous seasons, Geralt and Yennefer have experienced more separation than togetherness, but Season 3 hints at a shift towards family time involving Yennefer, Geralt, and their daughter figure, Ciri. The trailer reveals a grown-up Ciri who possesses impressive warrior skills, showcasing her proficiency with both swords and control over her magical abilities. It is evident that she has undergone extensive training to become a formidable witcher. As for the antagonistic elements, the trailer provides a glimpse of Reince returning to his villainous nature, with a little hint that Stregobor plays a significant role behind the scenes. The Wild Hunt’s pursuit of Ciri is also hinted at, with their riders emerging from the mist. The character of Vilgefortz may also be further explored, showcasing his rise as one of the show’s antagonists. Additionally, the season might include a heroic tribute to Henry Cavill, as many fans consider him an integral part of The Witcher and cannot imagine the show without his presence. However, the show will continue regardless of whether our beloved witcher, played by Henry Cavill, appears or not. Overall, season 3 of The Witcher holds the promise of romantic reunions, intense battles, and the emergence of fierce antagonists. Fans eagerly await the next chapter, ready to immerse themselves in the rich fantasy world of The Witcher.
