The Witcher season 3 ended the show’s adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Time of Contempt and prepared the ground for the next chapter in the stories of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri.
The final season of Henry Cavill’s The Witcher was divided into two parts. The second part covered the battle of Thanedd coup and its consequences, focusing on how it affected the main characters and the Continent.
The second part of The Witcher season 3 separated Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri. Each of them is now on their own journey, and they have all undergone some significant changes.
1. Ciri’s Future After Season 3 Explained
The Witcher season 3, episode 7 focused on Ciri’s journey through the Korath desert, a crucial moment in the character’s story.
Ciri’s story in the second part of The Witcher season 3 followed closely the events in Time of Contempt, with Ciri vanishing from the Gulls’ Tower during the duel between Geralt and Vilgefortz.
The episode depicted Ciri’s struggle to survive the desert alone, facing heat, cold, hunger, and her inner demons. The boundary between reality and imagination became unclear, especially regarding the unicorn Little Horse and her visions of Falka.
Ciri used fire magic in The Witcher season 3, which, as Yennefer’s story in The Witcher season 2 shows, has repercussions. Her use of fire magic and the visions she had, narrated by Falka, traumatized the Princess of Cintra. She faced the idea that her family and friends weakened her and that her actions could harm others.
This is why Ciri gave up her powers in The Witcher season 3, episode 7. The finale of The Witcher season 3 showed Ciri being captured by Nilfgaard bounty hunters after she woke up in the desert.
Ciri’s captivity was short-lived, as she was rescued by a group called the Rats. She refrained from using her powers but used her sword skills to defeat the bounty hunters at the bar. Ciri’s skills impressed the Rats, who invited her to join them.
Ciri’s story after Time of Contempt, which The Witcher season 3 covered, involves her joining the Rats’ missions across the continent before she is captured by Leo Bonhart. She will now embark on a solo journey before she reunites with Geralt at a later point.
2. Ciri’s Connection to The Rats Explained
The Rats are a band of outlaws from the region of Geso, who had six original members when Ciri met them. The Rats in season 3 are portrayed as young characters who are similar in age to Ciri, as in the books.
The Rats target the wealthy, but they are not altruistic, as they steal for themselves. They also kill anyone who opposes them, which means that Ciri’s involvement with them could be one of the most controversial aspects of The Witcher. Interestingly, Netflix is currently developing a spinoff series about The Witcher Rats.
3. Why does Ciri call herself Falka?
Ciri has not only given up her powers, but also hidden her true identity. At the start of The Witcher season 3, Ciri wanted to be the ruler she was destined to be, someone who could unite the Elves and the humans as a descendant of both races.
However, after the events of The Witcher season 3 – especially her fiery vision of Jaskier, Geralt, and Yennefer dying because of her – Ciri no longer wants to follow her destiny. To fit in with the Rats and live a “normal” life, Ciri chose a different name, Falka, based on the experience she had in the desert.
Falka may or may not be related to Ciri. According to The Witcher’s lore, Fiona, who Ciri is a descendant of, was the daughter of Riannon. However, Fiona may actually have been Falka’s daughter, which would make Ciri related to Falka.
This creates a paradox for The Witcher’s Ciri prophecy, as Ciri could be either the child of Elder Blood who will save the world or the child of the curse cast by Falka that will destroy the world. Based on what happens in Baptism of Fire, season 4 will likely see Ciri separated from Geralt and Yennefer for most of the episodes, if not the entire season.
4. Why does The Witcher give away Renfri’s brooch?
The Witcher season 3 explored Geralt’s neutrality. Geralt has tried to avoid major political conflicts since the beginning of the show. The White Wolf followed simple rules, which he announced in The Witcher season 1.
Geralt was there to fight monsters, and only if they posed a threat to others. However, since Geralt found his Child of Destiny, his neutrality has been challenged several times. This was especially true in season 3, as another war between the North and Nilfgaard was looming. After the finale of season 3, it seems that Geralt’s neutrality is over.
Yennefer’s letter to Geralt, which brought season 3 to full circle, said: “neutrality be damned.” This was not a minor moment for Henry Cavill’s final episode as The Witcher, as Geralt’s decision to return and help a family of strangers against the Nilfgaardian soldiers showed his new attitude towards the world.
Geralt’s neutrality, which originated from the tragedy of Renfri in The Witcher season 1, episode 1, is no more. This is why Geralt gave away Renfri’s brooch in the season 3 finale.
Geralt carried Renfri’s brooch for years as a reminder of the last time he emotionally involved himself in a situation, which ended in disaster. Geralt found himself in a difficult position where he had to either kill Renfri or let dozens of innocent people die. The events that led to Geralt becoming the “Butcher of Blaviken” only reinforced Geralt’s belief that he should never get too involved with others.
However, now that Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri are a family, the White Wolf must change his approach. Giving away Renfri’s brooch is a significant moment for Geralt that sets up his journey in The Witcher season 4.
5. Henry Cavill’s Recasting Remains Unexplained
The Witcher season 3 ends with Geralt, Jaskier, and Milva heading to Nilfgaard to find Ciri before the war breaks out. This is the last time viewers will see Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, as the character will be played by Liam Hemsworth in season 4.
The Witcher producer Tomek Baginski hinted that Henry Cavill’s replacement by Liam Hemsworth would be explained in the show. However, the season 3 finale did not offer any explanation for why Geralt will be recast in season 4.
One popular theory was that Geralt’s duel with Vilgefortz, which book readers already knew would end with the Witcher losing badly, would leave him with permanent scars. This would then be used to explain Geralt’s different look in season 4.
However, while Geralt was indeed injured, his face had no scars at all. There was also no indication of a The Witcher multiverse storyline that could justify a recast, although this would probably not be a good choice. It remains unclear whether season 4 will offer any in-universe explanation for why Geralt suddenly looks different.
6. Yennefer’s Future in Season 3 Explained
The second part of season 3 began with the Thanedd coup, where Tissaia faced the consequences of Vilgefortz’s plan. Tissaia’s regret over aligning herself with Vilgefortz, which indirectly caused the death of dozens of people, shattered her.
After Tissaia’s death, Yennefer and the other sorceresses who had studied under Tissaia realized that they had to protect magic. As Yennefer said, the Continent’s most powerful sorcerer had joined forces with Nilfgaard, and they had to stop him. In her letter to Geralt, Yennefer asked the Witcher to find Ciri while she created a better world for the child.
Yennefer’s story in The Witcher season 3 has diverged significantly from the books, including her ending. Between Time of Contempt and Baptism of Fire, Yennefer, who was captured after the coup started, was presumed dead by many people and only learned about what happened to Ciri and Geralt several days after the battle ended.
Many of Yennefer’s colleagues also believed that she was working with Vilgefortz, which the show did not include. However, if season 4 follows Yennefer’s story in the books, it will take a long time before she reunites with Geralt – this only happens much later at the Stygga Castle.
7. Predictions for The Witcher Season 4
The Witcher season 4 will likely cover the events of Baptism of Fire. In fact, some parts of this book, such as Geralt’s recovery and Milva’s introduction, have already been shown in the season 3 finale.
Season 4, which will see Liam Hemsworth replace Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, will likely follow Geralt’s journey to Nilfgaard as he tries to find Ciri. Season 4 should also show the Continent’s reaction to Emhyr’s marriage to Cirila, who is actually Fake Ciri. Both Ciri and Yennefer will have solo journeys based on what happens in Time of Contempt.
Season 4 will probably have three separate storylines. Geralt will try to find Ciri, not knowing that Nilfgaard does not have the real one. Yennefer and the other sorceresses will try to rebuild Aretuza and fight Vilgefortz’s influence. Finally, Ciri will embark on a long journey that starts with the Rats, away from both Geralt and Yennefer.
8. About The Witcher
The Witcher is a fantasy drama streaming television series created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich for Netflix. It is based on the book series of the same name by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
Set on a fictional, medieval-inspired landmass known as the Continent, The Witcher explores the legend of Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Princess Ciri.
The show stars Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, and Freya Allan. The show has been renewed for seasons 3 and 4.
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