The Witcher season 3 is better if you remember all this from season 2

The Witcher season Three is lastly (virtually) right here, and you’ll be forgiven for questioning the place life on the Continent will choose up — or the place it left off. In any case, it’s been a yr and a half since The Witcher final dropped, and the hefty little bit of political intrigue it left off on. Between Geralt and Ciri coming along with Yen, the politics of Nilfgaard and Redania, basic Witcher lore, and a few mage chicanery, there’s lots to recollect.

Season Three will carry viewers on top of things on what the forged of characters have been as much as within the time between seasons. However we’ve put collectively this refresher on the place we left off with Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, Roach, Rience, and the opposite characters by the tip of season 2, and what you’ll want to recollect to maintain up with the primary a part of season 3.

[Ed. note: As you might have guessed, this post fully spoils season 2 of The Witcher. You should really only be here if you want to know what happens in the show.]

All people needs Ciri — right here’s why

Photograph: Susie Allnut/Netflix

Picture: Netflix

Photograph: Susie Allutt/Netflix

High to backside: The elves, White Flame, Rience the fireplace mage, and Redanian spymaster Dijkstra, all of whom try to get Ciri for their very own (nefarious) functions

Photograph: Susie Allnutt/Netflix

No, like truly: All people and their mums are lookin’ out for the Princess of Cintra. Let’s take a look at the board:

Emhyr, aka The White Flame, aka the emperor of Nilfgaard, needs Ciri to shore up his declare to the Cintran throne, which he’s already taken management of. There are additionally extra private causes, like the truth that season 2’s finale revealed Emhyr is definitely Ciri’s lengthy misplaced father Duny.
After her child was murdered, elf chief Francesca (Mecia Simson) learns of Ciri’s Elder blood and believes Ciri is the elves’ solely hope for rebuilding their society. So she and her clan additionally be part of the hunt for Ciri.

The Wild Hunt need Ciri as a result of she has Elder Blood. Up to now their motive past that’s considerably opaque, however suffice it to say they’re unhealthy information.
The Redanians — and particularly their spymaster Sigismund Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) — wish to marry Ciri to their king, Vizimir, to allow them to shore up their declare to Cintra.
The opposite Northern monarchs put a bounty on Ciri and anybody who protects her, as a result of merely “Princess Crilla created far much less bother for us when she was lifeless.”
Fireplace mage Rience (Chris Fulton) was on the lookout for Ciri all all through the second season, working for fellow mage Lydia van Bredevoort (Aisha Fabienne Ross) to take action — who in flip is working for a mysterious lord who we don’t find out about but. Rience crosses paths with Geralt, Yen, and Ciri as soon as, however all of them escape (and Yen manages to make use of hearth magic to burn his face). In looking for her, Lydia makes an attempt to make use of a blood tracing spell on the Witcher mutagen constructed from Ciri’s blood, and the spell leaves her horribly disfigured.

However Ciri is secure (and coaching) with Geralt and Yen

After the occasions of the second season finale carry them collectively (extra on that beneath), Geralt, Ciri, and Yen come collectively to helm Ciri’s schooling. Geralt will proceed educating her within the methods of the Witcher and how one can defend herself, whereas Yen handles Cirilla’s magic schooling and the honing of her slightly important magical presents.

Most pointedly, Geralt spent a variety of season 2 attempting to assist Ciri perceive what her abilities have been good for. Whereas she was unhappy that her skills and place on the planet had value her a lot — together with the lives of family members — Geralt inspired her to comply with his credo of staying out of issues as a lot as she may (and telling her she couldn’t flip herself right into a Witcher utilizing a particular serum, even when it was constructed from her blood; dads, amirite?).

Yennefer is taken into account “a traitor” by the Brotherhood

Picture: Netflix

After the Battle of Sodden, when Yen used her hearth magic to carry again the Nilfgaardian forces from invading the North, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers started to suspect Yen was a traitor (as a result of she was [checks notes] lacking after the battle, the place she used up all her magic attempting to save lots of all people. Neat!). The council decrees she will be able to show her loyalty by executing Cahir, the White Flame’s most trusted basic who had been chasing Ciri. As an alternative, she releases Cahir and the 2 go on the run.

Although they’d half methods when Cahir heads to Cintra to return to serving the White Flame (extra on that later), Yen would proceed to be seen as a traitor within the eyes of the Brotherhood, and significantly its governing council.

Tissaia, Yen’s mentor on the mage faculty Aretuza, stays loyal and sympathetic to Yen, and asks her romantic paramour Vilgefortz to do the identical. Even nonetheless, Tissaia was the one overseeing the assembly of the Northern monarchs placing out a bounty on Ciri and people related together with her, so issues appear probably unhealthy.

Yennefer additionally kidnapped Ciri and virtually gave her over to the Deathless Mom

In a determined act to get her magic again, Yen makes a cope with the Deathless Mom — also called Voleth Meir — to carry Ciri to a location outdoors Cintra. In return, Voleth Meir will give Yen her chaos magic again.

The plan doesn’t go as supposed: Ciri and Geralt individually uncover the deception, main Geralt to attract his sword on Yennefer. Sadly Voleth Meir breaks freed from her hut, possessing Ciri and killing a number of Witchers at Kaer Morhen earlier than utilizing a monolith to get transported to her homeworld. The excellent news: by transporting between worlds, Yen was in a position to get her magic again.

The Wild Hunt is chasing Ciri

The Wild Hunt, as seen in season 2 (and as they usually are: using by the clouds)

Picture: Netflix

These spooky wraiths are virtually a delusion on the planet of Netflix’s The Witcher, however we do know one factor: They noticed Ciri on the planet she was transported to within the season 2 finale, and took a shine to her. It in all probability has one thing to do together with her Elder blood, to not point out the prophecy she stumbled upon earlier in season 2 (stating she’d both save the world or destroy it).

Fringilla and Cahir obtained banished (or worse)

Photograph: Jay Maidment/Netflix

Cahir (L) and Fringilla (R), who have been Nilfgaard’s most loyal servants, till they goofed it with the White Flame

Photograph: Jay Maidment/Netflix

Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni), Nilfgaard’s mage, and Cahir (Eamon Farren), ended the season on a nasty be aware. After spending all of season 2 attempting to work with the elves in opposition to the remainder of the Continent, Fringilla and Cahir panicked when the White Flame stated he was coming residence and so they didn’t have a lot to point out for his or her alliance. They claimed credit score for the loss of life of Francesca’s child as a approach to make their emperor belief that they have been in cost.

Sadly, it was truly the White Flame himself who ordered the homicide of the elf child, making Fringilla and Cahir seem like a few apparent posers. Within the closing moments of the season 2 finale, the White Flame has them dragged off as he stands triumphantly earlier than his court docket.

Dijkstra had an owl who was actually a lady named Philippa

Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and Philippa (Cassie Clare) sitting and doing Redanian spymaster issues

Photograph: Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Because the spymaster of Redania, it behooved him to gather intel even in rooms he wasn’t in. So as a substitute he despatched his owl, who turned out to be Philippa (Cassie Clare), a mage who can remodel right into a fowl.

Within the second season finale, she tells him that phrase is out that Cirilla is alive. So he instructs her to usher in Jaskier to assist them discover Ciri.

Now you’re caught up with what it is advisable keep in mind earlier than The Witcher Season 3, the ultimate season with Henry Cavill. Half 1 debuts on Netflix June 29, with Half 2 following July 27.