Editor’s Note: Spoilers for Season 3 of The Witcher follow.
The latest installment of The Witcher took fans by surprise with the introduction of a fake Ciri in Nilfgaard. Disguising herself as Emhyr’s daughter, this imposter spells disaster for the Continent. Vilgefortz, the rogue mage determined to capture Ciri, created the duplicate by kidnapping half-Elf apprentices. Although Geralt uncovered the truth and attempted to put a stop to it, one of the apprentices named Teryn managed to escape. Vilgefortz needs the fake Ciri to deceive Nilfgaard, convincing them to abandon the search for the real Ciri so that he can claim her for himself. Additionally, the presence of the fake Ciri strengthens the Emperor’s political power.
With Season 3’s conclusion, the entire Continent’s status quo is shaken. Political alliances shift, villains are exposed, and even Geralt himself (played by Henry Cavill) decides to abandon his cherished neutrality in order to rescue Ciri (played by Freya Allan). There is a wealth of information to analyze in the Season 3 finale of The Witcher, particularly the enigmatic scene featuring Ciri’s arrival in Nilfgaard. Instead of Geralt’s daughter, it is Teryn (played by Frances Pooley) who appears at court. But who exactly is this fake Ciri, and how does her presence spell doom?
In the first volume of Season 3, Geralt realizes that he can no longer keep Ciri hidden from the rogue mage. Determined to confront the villain, Geralt embarks on a quest that leads him to an abandoned castle in the kingdom of Redania, which serves as a base for the mage. Little does he know, he will encounter horrifying atrocities within the castle walls. Vilgefortz, the mastermind behind the pursuit of Ciri, has been experimenting on the students of Aretuza, manipulating their bodies and minds to create a doppelganger. Given his position of authority at Aretuza, Vilgefortz had access to the backgrounds of all the students. Thus, he kidnapped half-Elf apprentices and brought them to the castle where he transformed them into grotesque flesh monstrosities to guard the dungeon. Only Teryn survives these experiments, convinced that she is Ciri due to Vilgefortz scrambling her memories. In the first volume, Geralt rescues Teryn and takes her to Anika, a druid who was a friend of his mother. After discovering Teryn’s origins, Geralt journeys to Aretuza, leaving the girl behind. However, in the finale of the second volume, it is revealed that Vilgefortz tracked Teryn, completed the manipulation of her mind, and brought her to Nilfgaard. This shocking revelation also suggests that Anika has met her demise. Furthermore, the introduction of the fake Ciri to Nilfgaard is likely to sow chaos across the Continent.
The motivations behind Vilgefortz’s use of a fake Ciri become clearer in Season 3. We learn that Vilgefortz plans to utilize Ciri’s Elder Blood and her ability to traverse space and time using Monoliths. Additionally, Vilgefortz desires to reshape the Continent according to his own desires. Despite initially appearing as an ally to Emperor Emhyr, Vilgefortz does not genuinely support Nilfgaard’s conquest campaign. Instead, he pretends to be on their side in order to achieve his own goals. As Emhyr is seeking to locate his daughter, Ciri, it makes sense for Vilgefortz to create a decoy. By doing so, he can persuade Nilfgaard to end their search for the real Ciri, effectively clearing the path for himself. This audacious plan may backfire, however, as Emhyr is a ruthless man lacking in forgiveness. It remains uncertain whether Emhyr is aware of Vilgefortz’s ruse, but with the fake Ciri by his side, both villains gain more power.
It’s worth noting that while Teryn does not appear in Andrzej Sapkowski’s original Witcher novels, there is a doppelganger storyline that may provide insights into Season 4 of Netflix’s adaptation. In the books, the doppelganger is not the result of an evil experiment but rather a war orphan who bears a striking resemblance to the real Ciri. Vilgefortz brings the imposter to Nilfgaard so he can claim the genuine Ciri for himself. However, the Emperor is aware of the deception throughout. Vilgefortz remains unaware of the Emperor’s true identity as Ciri’s father, as the White Flame conceals it from everyone. Nevertheless, the Emperor recognizes his daughter and knows he is being deceived by Vilgefortz. Despite this knowledge, Emhyr plays along and presents the imposter as Ciri to maintain the political stability of Nilfgaard. In fact, Emhyr even arranges a marriage between the fake Ciri and himself to solidify his claim over Cintra, ensuring that the North Kingdoms won’t question his authority. Since nobody is aware of the blood relation between the Emperor and the real Ciri, accusations of incest can’t be made, thereby inadvertently benefiting Vilgefortz’s plans.
The Witcher TV series has a reputation for making significant departures from the source material, so it remains uncertain whether the show will faithfully follow the books in every aspect. Nonetheless, the fake Ciri storyline has remained mostly intact thus far. With Season 4 already underway, we eagerly anticipate discovering if the unexpected marriage between the Emperor and the fake Ciri will also feature in the series. The Witcher Season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
