The Witcher Book Plotline Anya Chalotra Is Most Excited To See In Season 4
This post contains spoilers for "The Witcher" book series.
Ciri is nowhere to be found. At least, that what the princess' parent figures Geralt (Henry Cavill) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) thought when fans of "The Witcher" last saw them recovering from the battle of Tor Lara. Season 3 of the popular Netflix series ends with the pair poised to head in different directions on a mission to save Ciri. Sorceress Yen takes on the task of rebuilding Aretuza after her mentor's death, while Geralt (soon to be recast with Liam Hemsworth taking over for Cavill) plans to track down The White Flame (Bart Edwards), AKA Ciri's long lost father.
That's all well and good, but it turns out Ciri (Freya Allan) actually ended up somewhere unexpected. After portalling to the desert and lizard-bashing her way out of there with the help of some creepy ghosts (or hallucinations), she ended up kidnapped by bounty hunters. She's rescued at the last minute by a mysterious group of young fighters, and gets her hands dirty in the captor-killing fight that ensues. In the finale's last moments, Ciri takes on the name of the powerful but dangerous (and long-dead) princess Falka, signifying that she's set to enter a new, badass phase.
Rats!
According to Chalotra, it's not a Ciri reunion scene she's most looking forward to seeing in season 4, but the intense plotline that comes beforehand. Speaking to Digital Spy, Chalotra confirmed that "Ciri and the Rats" are at the top of her wishlist for season 4. Though we haven't gotten a proper introduction to them yet, the ragtag group of people who fight alongside Ciri in the finale are a gang of young people called The Rats. In Andrzej Sapkowski's novel series, Ciri's time with the Rats is formative — though not exactly in the best way. The criminal group initially seems to be acting out a sort of Witcher-verse Robin Hood plot with themselves in the part of the poor, but it soon becomes clear that their ransacking can get disturbingly violent.
Still, Ciri's time with the Rats is a clear inflection point for the young hero, who to this point has been trained by both Geralt and Yen. "I'm excited to see that [plot] for her, for Ciri, for Freya," Chalotra said. "I know she is, too." The actress says she's already met the cast members playing the Rats — Ben Radcliffe, Christelle Elwin, Aggy K. Adams, Fabian McCallum, Juliette Alexandra, and Connor Crawford. "They're brilliant and what they're going to bring to 'The Witcher,' I can't wait for the fans to see," Chalotra said.
This is Ciri's story through and through
The Rats are rumored to be the subject of their own Netflix spinoff, but it seems likely that they'll appear in the flagship series again as well. "I just think they're going to take it to new levels with the relationship they have with Ciri, and the journey that she goes on," Chalotra told Digital Spy. She also noted that the show "does feel like Ciri's story," as she's the character everyone else is always searching for. "She is very powerful, and she grows up a lot," she said. "You know, she goes into a different frequency." If her storyline follows the one laid out on Sapkowski's books, that frequency will — at least for a while — be a surprisingly bloodthirsty one.
Without getting into book spoilers, Chalotra noted that when Yen sees her again, she "might not be that person to pull her out of that, because, ultimately, you can only pull yourself out of that." Still, the actress thinks Yen's maternal love for Ciri will continue, even if her would-be daughter goes on some murderous side quests. "Knowing Ciri's strength, and how dangerous that is as well — and knowing that [Yen's] been there, truly — I think all she can do is make the world a better place for Ciri."
"The Witcher" seasons 1-3 are available on Netflix. Season 4 and the potential Rats spinoff do not yet have set release dates.