This article contains spoilers for The Witcher: Blood Origin.The Witcher: Blood Origin serves as essential setup for The Witcher season 3. Netflix is keen to transform The Witcher into a vast, sprawling franchise, and the streaming giant is hoping to accomplish this through a series of spinoffs. But it’s important to understand that these are far more than just prequels; history is cyclical in the Continent. “What has happened will happen again,” Merwyn declares at the beginning of The Witcher: Blood Origin, and she’s absolutely right.
The danger of such a narrative approach, of course, is that viewers can figure out the patterns ahead of the characters and become bored. Jaskier’s cameo in The Witcher: Blood Origin circumvents that potential problem, however, because he’s told the same story viewers hear. What’s more, the end-credits confirm he’s followed the mysterious Storyteller’s guidance, transforming the tale of the first Witcher into what he calls “The Song of the Seven” – and it’s reasonable to assume Geralt and Ciri will come across it. That means (almost) all the revelations in The Witcher: Blood Origin will soon be known by the main characters as well, ensuring there’s a level playing field. Here are all the major twists and changes to the lore viewers need to know ahead of The Witcher season 3, in which Geralt and Ciri’s adventures continue.
7/7 The Witcher: Blood Origin Finally Explains The Conjunction Of The Spheres
The most important reveal, of course, is an explanation for the celestial event known as the Conjunction of the Spheres. The Witcher: Blood Origin builds on ideas established in The Witcher season 3, confirming the mysterious monoliths scattered across the Continent really can be used to travel through time and space. Elves discovered (or, perhaps, re-discovered) how to use monoliths in this way some 1,200 years ago, but the master monolith was broken during the uprising that brought down the last elven Golden Empire. The destruction of this monolith brought countless worlds and times together, and it seems to have inaugurated a new age where different planes are closer together than before – an age described by Ithlinne as “the time of the Spheres.” This presumably explains Ciri’s developing powers.
6/7 The Origin Of The First Witcher Has Finally Been Revealed
The Witcher: Blood Origin reveals the backstory of the Witchers, who are more closely connected to the Conjunction of the Spheres than has been previously known. Fjal was the first Witcher, undergoing a version of the Trial of the Grasses that incorporated the blood of a monster steeped in Chaos. The power seems to have been diluted over time, because Geralt is nowhere near as powerful as Fjal. He is also, thankfully, a lot less unstable. It’s unclear how significant this revelation will be to Geralt.
5/7 The Witcher: Blood Origin Reveals The Source Of Ciri’s Elder Blood
The Witcher: Blood Origin reveals the truth about the Elder Blood. Ciri is a direct descendant of Fjal and Éile, inheriting all the power of that first Chaos creature. The elves recognized the power of the Elder Blood, and attempted to capitalize on it to create a being who could be the fulfillment of Ithlinne’s prophecies. Their experiments in basic genetic engineering went wrong, however, when the elven sorceress Lara Doren fell in love with a Cintran royal and passed the Elder Blood on into the royal line. Ciri is the one whose coming was foretold so long ago.
4/7 Jaskier Has Learned A(nother) Dark Prophecy About Ciri
Ithlinne’s prophecies have already shaped so much of Ciri’s life, but Jaskier now knows another. “The time of the spheres is upon us,” Ithlinne declares. “Aen Seidhe lost across the skies. Cast adrift in time. Ever searching for love… Lost. And left behind. The Lark’s seed shall carry forth the first note of a song that ends all times, and one of her blood shall sing the last.” Ciri has long sensed she has the power to “burn the world,” and this new prophecy suggests her worst fears could be realized. But it’s important to note Ithlinne’s prophesies appear to guide history as much as to foretell it; Ciri’s bloodline would never have prospered without the elven experiments, after all. These words should not be trusted.
3/7 The Witcher: Blood Origin Reveals The Source Of Chaos Magic
The Witcher: Blood Origin confirms Chaos Magic, the most powerful magic seen on the Continent, originates from another world. This is important simply because it means The Witcher season 3 could potentially introduce sorceres who make Yennefer look like a novice; they have been on worlds where Chaos Magic is even more common, after all. This subtle detail could be particularly important for the franchise’s developing lore.
2/7 Avallac’h & Eredin’s Origin Has Been Revealed Ahead Of The Witcher Season 3
The Witcher: Blood Origin‘s post-credits scene confirms elves from 1,200 years ago are returning to focus on Ciri. Avallac’h and Eredin are important characters in the lore of The Witcher – Eredin in particular, because he’s leader of the Wild Hunt. Netflix has finally revealed the characters’ backstory; they were elves who were caught up in the Conjunction of the Spheres. Eredin became leader of the Wild Hunt, background antagonists in the book who are particularly important in the lore of the games. Avallac’h, meanwhile, is already pursuing Ciri – shown watching over her even while she’s at Cintra. He is no doubt plotting to use the power of the Elder Blood, just as he did in the books.
1/7 The Witcher: Blood Origin Sets Up Two Cosmic Forces
Finally, The Witcher: Blood Origin introduced two new cosmic forces who could be key going forward. Minnie Driver’s elven Storyteller claims to travel through time and space, and she clearly has an agenda of her own. Lauren S. Hissrich – showrunner of the main series – has confirmed the writers are actively talking how to reintroduce the enigmatic character, although it’s worth noting she seemed to imply it wouldn’t happen until season 4. Meanwhile, the elven sorcerer Balor was manipulated into wielding Chaos Magic by another cosmic force, who could well have intended something like the Conjunction of the Spheres to happen. The Witcher: Blood Origin sets up some major twists – and, because Geralt and Ciri will soon know this story, they are aware of them.
