The Witcher Season 3's Ending Will Force Ciri Into The Spotlight

For quite some time, "The Witcher" fans have been bracing themselves for the imminent change in the series. In a devastating blow, Henry Cavill announced he would retire as Geralt of Rivia and hand the reins over to Liam Hemsworth. This development has encouraged heated discourse, including theories Hemsworth will begin a multiverse full of Geralt variants. But no one should dismiss the opportunity that this will afford the rest of the cast. 

Young Ciri (Freya Allan) in particular has been coming into her own in Season 3. Taking after her surrogate father in the ways of the sword, she has also been looking to Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) to school her in the mystical arts. Executive producers have shared that this is an exciting time for the young princess. Now that Geralt has taught her his specific skillset, she is ready to come into her own. 

Tomek Baginski teased that Ciri will be taking center stage — which makes sense in light of casting shakeups. "I think this was very exciting to do, but especially for Freya," the executive producer told Yahoo News. "This is also the book where Ciri — let's be blunt about this — becomes the main character of the saga, because this is how it was done in the books, and watching Ciri evolve, and watching Freya evolve as an actress in this season, was incredible, just incredible."

Season 3 has already started sowing the seeds of leadership for the young princess. Her royal lineage means Ciri will become queen in "The Witcher," and the young princess maintains that she will be a different ruler than those who have come before. This storyline lines up with her character arc in the fantasy series. While Ciri progresses in her teachings, her role in the books becomes more complex and expanded. 

Producers have teased that the main story for Ciri will come from one of the more harrowing entries in the series, "The Time of Contempt." Here, Ciri learns how to access her power and, in turn, what a double-edged sword it can be. The departure of Geralt is only one component of the upcoming episodes. Ciri will also have a fleshed-out arc of her own. "It's very rich in the character arc and the events, which then influence the future of the franchise, the future of the universe, the stories of almost all characters, basically," Tomek Baginski said. "It's the book where the future of the whole Continent changes, and changes dramatically." 

Ciri aging into an adult has the benefit of allowing her to be a force to be reckoned with, but will also invite more mature adversaries. Emhyr (Bart Edwards) is a consistent threat, though he hasn't made his plans explicitly known. If his goal to propagate his royal line is anything like in the books, then Ciri should be on guard for what her vile father has in store.