Why The Witcher Season 4 Will Have To Breakup Radovid And Jaskier's Relationship

In a world full of monsters, prophecies, and civil war, "The Witcher" Season 3 has become the most romantic outing yet. Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) has always held a torch for the headstrong and powerful mage, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra). After episodes of their tumultuous attempts at a relationship, the two finally confessed their romantic feelings for one another. Fans of the games and books have been waiting for this couple to start an official romance, but there is one pairing in "The Witcher" that fans likely didn't see coming.

Since their first meeting, Jaskier (Joey Batey) and Prince Radovid (Hugh Skinner) have displayed an obvious connection. The two bond over the bard's emotionally mature music while Jaskier tries to save Ciri (Freya Allan) from the coming conflict. The lovers share their feelings — and much more — in an abandoned cabin away from prying eyes. However, there is one fly in the honey of this partnership. Radovid isn't meant to be a prince forever. In the books and the games, Radovid is the King of Redania: He rules the territory with fear and prejudice. He hates magic and spearheads the burning of anyone different than him. This is not the sensitive character we have come to know, suggesting that Jaskier will most likely turn bitter from heartbreak.

"The Witcher" Season 4 is primed to separate Jaskier fans. Radovid has a particular legacy in the books and games that don't match the heartfelt relationship he has stricken up with Geralt's best friend. If the show is to stay as true to the source material as its showrunner claims, Radovid's future is bleak and twisted. We've already seen Radovid betraying Jaskier by trying to kidnap Ciri, but we haven't seen the worst he's capable of just yet. Though the series has played fast and loose with some characters in the past, his legacy is too large to squander or alter.

Unlike Eskel's (Basil Eidenbenz) character, who had fans fuming during "The Witcher" Season 2, there is no point in introducing Radovid if we're not going to follow his villainous origin story. This is the man behind hateful anti-magic rhetoric that propels this universe to fight for magic users' safety. But one question remains: How does the sweet character turn from Jaskier's lover to the most reprehensible one in "The Witcher" lore? Vol. 2 of Season 3 gave us some insight into his arc's trajectory in the Netflix series. Like the books, Philippa (Cassie Clare) will most likely be the catalyst to his downfall. Assassinating Vizimir is the first step to putting Radovid on the throne and bringing him closer to his dark purpose.

As it stands now, there is some distance between Netflix's Radovid and the one fans are familiar with from the source material. When Geralt encounters King Radovid in "Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt," it is for a nefarious plot. Blind and on the run, Philippa is a target for the King of Redania. He demands that Geralt bring the sorceress to him in the city responsible for burning her kind at the stake. This difference between the two Radovid versions is so severe that becoming evil seems vastly far into his future.

Radovid has put on a good show of being shocked by Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) killing Queen Hedwig (Tracy Ann Oberman) and endearing himself to Jaskier. But people don't usually change that much. Also, it could stand to reason that Radovid is already the villain fans know him as but we just aren't shown that side of him on-screen yet. Like any good "Game of Thrones" character knows, you have to play the game to win the seat of power. Is Radovid already playing the game to win the throne? If he is, he's playing a long con. Plus, it seems unlikely that anyone could pull a fast one on Philippa. But that doesn't mean he's a complete force for good. Radovid's turn is almost confirmed at this point and he could have seeds of evil lurking in his soul already.

Netflix's "The Witcher" would be foolish to stray too far here from Andrzej Sapkowski's books. Judging from Radovid's position to Philippa (Cassie Clare) and her role in his brother's death, it's safe to assume that their relationship will resemble the source material where it counts. In the book, the death of his father, King Vizimir, is the prince's path to the throne of Redania. The show already seems on the same trajectory as Philippa has killed Vizimir and shoved Radovid towards the thrown.

Philippa is and has always been Radovid's canon event for evil. The books feature Philippa as the architect behind Vizimir's death and the reason Radovid hates mages. Philippa treats him cruelly, which makes him hate all magic-wielding people so much that he gouges out her eyes. So far, Philippa's influence over Radovid has been shown in Season 3. Killing his brother is just the first step into turning Radovid against Philippa — and by extension, all the mages in Redania.

Even those closest to Ciri, don't truly understand the mysterious princess of Cintra. Demonstrating immeasurable power from a young age, many consider her to be fulfilling an apocalyptic prophecy. Ciri continues to manifest her powers in new and odd ways to a degree where even Yennefer struggles to teach her. Ciri is an anomaly in this world, meaning she would be a prime target for prejudice. If there is one thing that Jaskier puts before anything else, it's Ciri's safety. Radovid attempting to take Ciri was the first mark against him. Although Jaskier and Radovid make amends and even try running away together, this isn't Radovid's fate.

While the two separate by the end of Season 3, it doesn't seem like a clean break for the couple yet. Radovid is only toeing the line between making mistakes and becoming a true villain. Still, he has a long way to go to become the monster we know him to be so they might reconcile down the road. Surely, Jaskier and Radovid will meet again in Season 4 with dire circumstances attached to their meeting. But the more time Radovid spends with Philippa, the closer Radovid gets to learning the truth about his brother's death. Once he discovers her role in it, all bets are off. Jaskier is a beautiful character, but even he can't save a man from his ill-fated destiny.