We are about a month away from the return of Netflix’s The Witcher and now is the perfect time to get up to date on what is happening on The Continent. Season one followed the adventures of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), Ciri (Freya Allan) and Jaskier (Joey Batey) over what feels like hundreds of years all wrapped neatly into a nice bow. We are here to get you up to date on the significant events of season one and introduce you to some characters you will want to know before diving in.
Keep in mind we are just going over the must-know information before season two returns. So if you want a full recap, we suggest checking out our episode recaps for season one. If you haven’t seen the first season at all, then go watch it! This recap will contain more spoilers than Geralt grunts.
RELATED: 5 Questions We Need to be Answered in The Witcher season two!
Important Events to Remember from Season One
The Witcher season one. Image courtesy of Netflix.
Fall of Cintra
The fall of Cintra appears in the first episode and later on in the series. It is the catalyst that sends The Continent into war and Ciri on the run. Niflgaard sets its sights on Cintra and seemingly wipes everyone out. But it becomes clear that their real intention is to kidnap Ciri and take her back. This is what kicks off the campaign across the continent in pursuit of the Lion cub. They are willing to kill anyone and everyone who stands in their way. It’s unclear why they are so set on her, but it might have something to do with the power that has awakened in her.
Law of Surprise
Much of the first season of The Witcher is how the destinies of our characters intertwine. One of the most significant events comes in episode four, “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials.” Geralt joins Jaskier at a banquet in Cintra, hoping for some peace. Unfortunately, he finds himself defending Princess Pavetta’s (Gaia Mondadori) true love Urcheon of Erlenwald (Bart Edwards), who is claiming her through the Law of Surprise. In return for standing by his side, Erlenwald grants Geralt the Law of Surprise as well. But the biggest surprise to come was the Pavetta was already pregnant with the future Princess Ciri. This comes back into play as Geralt comes to claim Ciri before the attack on Cintra by Nilfgaard.
The Witcher season one. Image courtesy of Netflix.
The Djinn’s Wish
As Geralt and Yennefer’s timeline finally falls into place, they find themselves at odds when it comes to dealing with a Djinn. Yennefer wants to control the magical creature in order to grant her the ability to produce children, but Geralt knows that the beast will kill her. Yennefer thinks that Jaskier is the one in control of the Djinn but is surprised when she learns it’s actually Geralt. He uses his final wish and while we don’t know exactly what it was, we can guess that it has to do with being bound to Yennefer forever. When Yennefer finds out later, this causes quite the fight between the two and sends them in separate directions.
Battle of Sodden Hill
Season one of The Witcher comes to a close with the Battle of Sodden Hill. The mages of Aretuza decide to hold a line against the Nilfgaard army. It is a long and bloody battle, but in the end, it looks as if both sides have come to a stalemate. However, it is where we have one of the biggest cliffhangers of the season. In an attempt to swing the battle in their direction, Yennefer uses all of her power to set fire to the field. When the smoke has passed, she is nowhere to be found. Near the battle, we finally see Geralt and Ciri come face to face and in the final moments of season one, Ciri questions who Yennefer is. Talk about a lead into season two.
What We Know About Season Two
The Witcher season two. Image courtesy of Netflix.
Kaer Morhen
We have seen quite a bit about what we can expect from the journey in season two of The Witcher. Most notably, Geralt takes Ciri to Kaer Morhen. The tagline tells us that he believes Yennefer to be dead and in an attempt to protect his new ward, he heads home. There we are introduced to a plethora of Witchers, including his mentor Vesemir (Kim Bodnia). We imagine that Geralt just thought of this as a safe place to stay, but Ciri saw something else. We see throughout the trailers that she begins to train and learns to defend herself from all matters of horrors. And I am sure we will see Geralt and her face off against monsters soon.
Yennefer’s Journey
Unknowning to Geralt, Yennefer is very much alive and very much a prisoner of the Nilfgaard army. While we don’t see much of what is happening with her in the trailers, we do see her interacting with her fellow Aretuza student Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni). Our theory is that Yennefer will do and say anything to get Fringilla on her side in an attempt to escape. But will Cahir (Eamon Farren) allow her the opportunity? And what other horrors will the Nilfgaard army face outside of a very angry Geralt? Her journey may very well explain why Nilfgaard is so set on finding Ciri and what they have planned for her.
The Witcher season two. Image courtesy of Netflix.
Monsters, Monsters and More Monsters
Now season one of The Witcher was packed with monsters, but it seems like season two is looking to double down on gruesome and terrifying creatures. And we will need more now that Geralt is heading back to Kaer Morhen. All those witchers need some monsters to face off against. From the trailers, we can see how far the special effects team has come since season one and we are expecting some pretty exciting battles. Ciri needs all the experience she can during her journey. Plus, I imagine that Geralt and her will need to make some money during the season and I can’t wait to see what jobs they take.
Who Will Be Making an Appearance
Finally, the cast is the last thing we are sure about for season two of The Witcher. Of course, we will see Cavill, Chalotra, Allan, Batey and many others reprise their roles from season one, but the fun comes in who will be joining us in season two! We know that Bodina will be leading the witchers of Kaer Morhen, who will include Lambert (Paul Bullion), Eskel (Thue Ersted Rasmussen) and Coën (Yasen Atour). We also got the chance to spot Kristofer Hivju as Nivellen. A few more we know are Bridgerton‘s Adjoa Andoh will be joining the cast as the priestess Nenneke; Cassie Clare as Phillippa Eilhart; Lizz Carr as Jacob Fenn and Simon Callow as Fenn’s accomplice Codringher. And most excitingly to me, Graham McTavish will be appearing as Dijkstra.
Season two of The Witcher drops onto Netflix starting December 17, 2021. What are your theories for Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer and the others? Let us know in the comments below and on social media!
What I Do: I'm the Hermione Granger of GGA. I oversee operations where needed most across many different spaces including news, video games, board games, interviews. You name it I have a foot in it.
Who I Am: A nerd by the strictest definition. I enjoy diving straight into my favorite fandoms without a care in the world. I live on video/board games, fantasy movies and TV, and all things geeky.
- Tavern Talk Thursday: RILEY SILVERMAN - June 1, 2023
- June’s Most Anticipated Video Games - May 31, 2023
- Saturday Morning Webtoons: ACURSIAN and APOCALYPTIC HORSEPLAY - May 27, 2023
