Let's Talk About The Witcher Season 3, And Ciri's Biggest Choice Yet

This post contains spoilers for Netflix's "The Witcher."

In "The Witcher," Ciri (Freya Allan) has experienced a rocky, eventful journey so far, with every faction in the Continent hounding her for her Elder Blood. Things get more intense for Ciri in season 3, as she quickly realizes that her existence is only a gateway to chaos and bloodshed, leaving her feeling hopeless and devastated. However, Volume II has fresh horrors in store for her, as the final episodes will embrace her Korath desert arc, which is an experience that will fundamentally change Ciri for better or worse.

To provide brief and relevant context, Ciri ends up teleporting to Korath after the Thanedd coup and has no way to return to Geralt (Henry Cavill) and her loved ones. The desert is harsh and inhabitable, and hours of heat exposure and thirst leave Ciri weak and delirious. After she accidentally eats a poisoned lizard in a bout of hunger, Ciri experiences painful hallucinations that haunt her for days. These visions are personal in nature, as she sees her mother and grandmother taunting her for being weak and selfish, and telling her how everyone has abandoned her for good. These are intensely heavy feelings to grapple with when you're lost and dehydrated on a desert wasteland, and Ciri needs to push herself to better understand her worth and legacy.

Allan, who dove headfirst into this fresh, challenging chapter for Ciri, told TUDUM about the Korath arc and its importance, and the critical choice that her character has had to make by the end of her Korath journey. She also explained the repercussions inherent in this choice, and how it shapes Ciri's path ahead as a person, and the child of the Elder Blood. Let's dive in.

In the desert, Ciri has the choice to either give in to her fears or challenge them head-on, and this tussle creates terrible inner turmoil within her psyche. Allan spoke about the importance of sitting with one's grief instead of sidelining it, and in Ciri's case, she has to reckon with the loss of her loved ones while worrying about the lives of those who are still alive. Allan told TUDUM:

"It was very important to carry all of that into the episode because it's all linked to her feeling abandoned by Geralt and Yennefer, really."

The fear of abandonment is especially pointed for Ciri, as the rest of the world simply wants to use her for her abilities, while Geralt and Yen (Anya Chalotra) truly love her for who she is. This fear is pronounced in the desert after she meets Falka, who urges her to burn the world and take revenge on those who have wronged her. These frequent conversations with Falka allow Ciri to tap into forbidden fire magic, but instead of losing her humanity, she relinquishes her powers to prevent further pain and devastation.

Moreover, Allan believes that Ciri's powers are not completely gone and that it is "more of her choosing this new path" in order to "save [people] by relinquishing her power." However, Falka's rage still resides within her and will shape the choices she makes down the line, as Ciri is no longer the naive, wide-eyed princess who was terrified during the fall of Cintra. Now, she willingly nurtures Falka's rage, and despite making the choice to give up her powers, chooses a path of murder and destruction in the near future.

Volume II of "The Witcher" Season 3 premieres on July 27, 2023, on Netflix.