The Witcher: Blood Origin debuted its four episodes on Christmas Day. The show is a spin-off and origin story for The Witcher, cementing Netflix’s commitment to turn Andrzej Sapkowski’s celebrated fantasy works into a massive franchise. It follows a group of seven strangers who unite to take down a despotic empire.
Blood Origin features many major events connected to the series’ larger lore, including the Conjunction of the Spheres, a pivotal incident in the Continent’s history. However, the miniseries also provides some long-delayed answers to many of the series’ lingering questions and features several major revelations that will have major repercussions for the franchise’s future.
The Conjunction Of The Spheres
The Conjunction of the Spheres is a major event in Witcher lore. It was a cataclysmic event that tore down the divide between realms, causing them to clash with each other and fuse. The Conjunction is why there are humans and monsters on the Continent, a world previously ruled by the elves.
Blood Origin portrays the events that lead to the Conjunction. Syndril uses Balor’s chaos magic to destroy the monolith that acts as a gateway to other worlds, thinking it will prevent the Continent’s inhabitants from traveling to other realms. However, the monolith’s destruction has the opposite result, destroying the veil between realms and causing them to collide. It’s a nifty way to tie loose ends since the reasons behind the Conjunction remain vague in the novels.
The First Witcher
Fjall is Blood Origin‘s male lead character, a member of the recently-extinct dog clan out for revenge. He volunteers to endure the process to bind himself to a beast and acquire the abilities necessary to destroy the monsters conjured by Balor. Thus, Fjall becomes the first witcher.
The show’s explanation for the first witcher is suitable, although it also leaves some questions unanswered. Fjall dies following his climactic battle with the monster, and Syndril — that mage behind the turning process — also perishes during his fight with Balor. Zacaré, Syndril’s sister, survives the battle, but she previously shows open disdain for the process, meaning she probably doesn’t jump at the chance to repeat it. Still, considering the Continent becomes populated with monsters following the Conjunction, she might not have had a choice.
The Fall Of The Mighty Elven Empire
Blood Origin portrays the Continent as ruled by the elves, who have been fighting a thousand-year war for control. Following a coup by Merwyn and Balor, the three previous kingdoms join in a single empire, the first step that will ultimately lead to the elf’s decline.
Interestingly, Blood Origin suggests the elves were responsible for their demise. The Witcher presents them as tragic figures who suffered under human torture, but Blood Origin hints that they would’ve still destroyed themselves even if humans had never arrived on the Continent. Merwyn and Balor’s obsession with reaching other realms led them to neglect the people in their world, resulting in a revolt that claimed Merwyn’s life. It’s a daring suggestion, one with severe repercussions in the universe’s mythology.
The Monoliths
One of Netflix’s biggest changes to The Witcher‘s lore is the introduction of the monoliths as the portals between realms. Although monoliths are a huge part of the games, they aren’t portals to other dimensions; furthermore, they are completely missing from the novels.
Blood Origin puts even more emphasis on the monoliths, portraying them as the main reason for the Conjunction of the Spheres and suggesting the dwarves are their original creators. Meldof claims the dwarves venerated the monoliths and were the ones who originally hid them. So while Blood Origin cements the monoliths as objects of massive magical power, it doesn’t answer their origin or purpose. If anything, it only introduces more questions.
The Lark’s Seed
Before the final attack on Xin’trea, Éile and a now-converted Fjall share one last night of passion that results in a baby. Following the fight and the Conjunction of the Spheres, Éile settles on a small island, where she receives a prophecy about her child. The prophecy reveals the baby will begin a long line that will ultimately culminate in someone who will be a crucial player in the Continent’s end.
Although fans are already posing several theories on who this child might be, the most likely answer is Ciri. Éile’s child was “marked by magic and beast,” the product of the union between the first witcher and an elf. Ciri’s role in the larger Witcher universe is still vague at best, but she possesses powers beyond belief.
Avallac’h
Avallac’h is an infamous character in The Witcher world. He is a time and space-traveling elf once betrothed to Lara Dorren. He has a vast knowledge of Elder Blood and possesses considerable power, making him a wild card in The Witcher‘s lore. Avallac’h plays a pivotal role in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, so fans expected to see him on the show sooner or later.
Blood Origin features an adaptation of Avallac’h, introducing him as an inexperienced but promising elf mage in Merwyn’s court. He survives the attack on Xin’trea and seemingly uses Syndril’s book to unlock the secrets of time travel via the monoliths. A post-credit scene shows him looking over/stalking Ciri as she plays on Cintra’s streets before Nilfgaard’s attack. Avallac’h’s interest in Ciri will surely play a major role in The Witcher season 3; he can be friend or foe, but he will surely make his presence known to her before revealing his ultimate goal.
The Wild Hunt
Eredin begins the show as Xin’trea’s captain, who plays a key role in the coup that puts Merwyn in power. He is one of Balor’s main allies until Merwyn convinces/blackmails him into shifting sides. Like Merwyn and Balor, Eredin wants to explore other worlds and conquer them, thinking the Continent’s elven empire can spread beyond the known world and into other realms.
Fans of the novels and video games will instantly recognize the name Eredin. Also known as the King of the Wild Hunt, Eredin acts as the main antagonist in CD Projekt’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, leading the eponymous otherworldly cavalry in search of Ciri. Season 2 of The Witcher already introduced the Wild Hunt, hinting at a larger role in season 3. However, Blood Origin reveals Eredin’s background and gives him a tragic love story with a male character named Brían. It’s an interesting choice to portray him as a fallen figure, and his quest to conquer other realms will surely make him a massive threat to Geralt and Ciri.
