From characters that we thought were dead to monsters that even Geralt of Rivia
hasn't seen before, Season 2 of "The Witcher" raises even more questions than it answers.
Perhaps one of the biggest plot threads hanging in the balance at the end of Season 2
is that of the Wild Hunt. These wraiths were mentioned multiple times throughout the season,
and Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri caught a frighteningly up-close glimpse of the death riders
during the final moments of the season when they were transported to another "sphere" by
Ciri's magic. But the question remains — who are these omens of death, and why do they want Ciri?
Well, Ciri's Elder blood is apparently important to many factions by the time the climactic finale
rolls its credits, and that's why the Wild Hunt are in pursuit. But more importantly,
who are the members of this ghastly crew? While they might seem mysterious to us,
Geralt understands their nature to a degree, as he tells Vesemir that
he's taking Ciri away from Kaer Morhen to stay ahead of these otherworldly enemies.
Ciri's power is eldritch and arcane, stemming from her elven lineage.
Of course, she has little understanding of her abilities, and her grandmother,
Queen Calanthe , did nothing to enlighten her. She's referred to as a "source" — one
with magnitudes of power beyond mere mages but has no control over it.
As a result, Ciri has mistakenly drawn creatures through mysterious monoliths,
like the one she fractured in the first season when confronted by Cahir outside of Cintra. Even
with his encyclopedic knowledge of countless species, their anatomy, and their weakness,
Geralt has no knowledge of the new creatures that have emerged from these monoliths.
"Gods! What is it?"
"I've never seen anything like it."
But Geralt has stated that the Wild Hunt and the Deathless Mother were from other spheres,
with the implication that these are alternate worlds or universes.
At the battle of Sodden Hill, we see Vilgefortz's treachery when we witness him sink a mace
into a Northern colleague. Instantly, this makes the conniving mage a traitor, but to what end?
Well, in the second season, Vigelfortz is vying for a seat on the Council in Aretuza.
Together with Tissaia, the two make a compelling team, and it's revealed that they now share an
intimate relationship. Triss returns to Aretuza and tells Tissaia of Ciri's significance,and
then Tissaia betrays her confidence, sharing this info with Vilgefortz.
Upon learning of Ciri, Vilgefortz is adamant that she is pursued.
Ultimately, the Brotherhood puts a bounty on her head and on anyone attempting to protect her.
Vilgefortz clearly has a hidden allegiance or agenda, but it remains to be seen what the full
scope of his intentions are as he seemingly manipulates his colleagues to his own ends.
For a time, Ciri was so in awe of Geralt's prowess in the realm of rooting out and defeating monsters
that she became hellbent on becoming a Witcher herself. The only problem with that idea
is that the formula for creating the Witcher mutagen had been destroyed long ago, rendering
them incapable of making more Witchers. However, when Triss reveals that Ciri has Elder blood,
Vesemir's hope is renewed. He asks Ciri's permission to begin
creating the mutagen once again. Ciri agrees on one condition — she gets the first taste.
While becoming a Witcher requires vigorous training, the most crucial element is the
mutation they undergo that refines their senses, reflexes, and strength. Unfortunately, most
Witcher candidates die during the Trial of the Grasses — the process of receiving the alchemical
concoction to undergo the necessary changes. Ciri is willing to take the risk, but Geralt is
not. He stops her from making, perhaps, one of the greatest mistakes she could possibly make.
However, the question remains ... what would've happened had Ciri
actually taken the mutagen? It's clear that there are no female
Witchers that occupy Kaer Morhen. Would Ciri have become the first?
While at Kaer Morhen, Triss uses her magic to take Ciri on a trip through a dreamscape that
Triss is seemingly in control of. By the end, however, Triss begins to fear as the visages
of people within the dreamscape actually see her — something that isn't supposed to occur.
Furthermore, Ciri gets her first view of the Wild Hunt,
a pack of wraiths who appear as ghostly specters of death upon horses.
When the two emerge from the dreamscape, Triss fears Ciri and claims that she'll
destroy everything and flees. All throughout Season 2, many people are telling Ciri who she
is and what she can become. Triss' view was the only one that stemmed from fear of the Cintran
princess possibly bringing about the apocalypse.
Will Ciri fulfill Triss' fears of death and destruction? Only time will tell.
Fringilla, Francesca, and Yennefer all encountered the woman in the hut — who manipulated them and
fed off their pain and despair. Known as Voleth Meir, she bargained with Yennefer to bring her
Ciri in exchange for the restoration of her chaos (aka her magic). Yennefer came to her
senses as she bonded with Ciri and understood her importance. However, it was too late as Voleth
Meir fed off the pain and anguish that Francesca felt over the loss of her murdered child,
which released her from the hut that the first Witchers had previously banished her to.
Ultimately, it was revealed that she wanted Ciri because the princess was the only one who
could return her home to her own sphere, where she shares a home with the Wild Hunt. While we're sure
to see more of the Wild Hunt in the future, will we be seeing more Voleth Meir as well?
The big reveal at the end of Season 2 is that the leader of Nilfgaard, Emperor Emhyr
Var Emreis, is actually Ciri's father, Duny, who supposedly died years ago while fleeing Cintra.
The Netflix series hasn't made clear what really happened to Ciri's parents,
but we do know that Duny is actually Emperor Emhyr. Emhyr states his intent of finding Ciri,
but why did he leave her in the first place? What really happened to Princess Pavetta? It's
likely that the next season will shed more light on Emhyr and his history between the
time that he was protected by Geralt and his present status as ruler of Nilfgaard.
There are several questions that now emerge with the reveal of Emperor Emhyr. Sure, he seemingly
abandoned his daughter for many years, but why is he a sworn enemy of Cintra and the Northern
Kingdoms? What does his conquest truly afford him? Cintra was the home of his beloved Princess
Pavetta, who he fell madly in love with. He risked his life for her hand in marriage,
and they, of course, had a daughter. After managing to claim leadership over Nilfgaard,
why then would he destroy Cintra, resulting in the deaths of his mother-in-law,
Queen Calanthe, and potentially cause harm to his daughter, Ciri?
In the first season, Duny seemed timid yet honorable. He claimed to have once saved the
life of the king of Cintra, which granted him the Law of Surprise. Nothing in Duny's nature ever
indicated he was a bloodthirsty tyrant willing to kill babies to sow chaos. What exactly happened
to Duny after all these years that turned him into the dreaded emperor of Nilfgaard?
Ciri's Elder blood offered Vesemir a chance at restoring the Witcher order.
"Destiny has given us a gift, the key to making more Witchers."
He created his first batch of mutagens with her help and was prepared to put Ciri
through the Trial of the Grasses in order to fulfill her wish of becoming a Witcher,
even if it could've potentially killed her.
However, if Ciri ever decided to donate blood again to the Witcher cause, they could potentially
create even more. Will Vesemir and his Witcher brothers at Kaer Morhen begin training and finding
new potential candidates for Witchers once again? It seems that it's now within their capability to
do so. But it may not be within Ciri's destiny to participate in the Witcher resurgence.
We'll have to wait and see what the future holds for the Witcher order in the next season.
In the climactic moments of Season 2, a silent assassin kills Filavandrel and Francesca's child.
And in a horrifying act of vengeance, the elves go on a quest to Redania where they repay the crimes
committed toward them a hundredfold. Francesca uses magic to slaughter the babies of Redania
in a vile act that could threaten the standing of the elves in the world order even further.
The birth of Francesca's child ultimately swayed the elves to rebuild instead of
going to war for Nilfgaard. Because of this, their child was murdered,
so that once again they'd become pawns in Nilfgaard's game of conquest. But now,
they threaten everything they've worked for by sullying their name with the actions
committed in Redania, and we wonder what kind of consequences they're going to face in Season 3.
Geralt and Yennefer are two of the most prominent characters in the entire series,
and they're known for their passionate romance and feelings toward one another – something
Geralt never exhibited previously. But now, Geralt is faced with Yennefer's betrayal as
she'd planned to offer Ciri up to the Deathless Mother in exchange for restoring her magic. While
Yennefer didn't go through with her plan in the end, the moment still cut Geralt rather deeply.
"I know I've hurt you, yet I can't help but wish it could begin again."
In the end, he tells Yennefer that he can't forgive her. However,
he needs her to train Ciri and help her hone her abilities. Can Geralt find it in his heart
to move past a moment of bad judgment? After all, he knows what it's like to feel empty
inside and without purpose. If the history of these two characters has taught us anything,
it's that they'll surely find their way back to each other once again.
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