The Ending of ‘The Witcher’ Season 1 Explained

Ending Explained is a recurring series in which we explore the finales, secrets, and themes of interesting movies and shows, both new and old. In this entry, we explore the ending of The Witcher Season 1.

The first season of The Witcher ends on a heartwarming note, with Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) and Ciri (Freya Allan) finally united. As Gerald realizes in those closing moments of the episode, the pair are linked by destiny, and they were always meant to find each other. Now that their paths have finally converged, what’s next for them?

Before speculating about the future, it’s worth exploring how Geralt and Ciri are linked to each other. Essentially, Ciri is Geralt’s Child of Surprise, and he inherited her after saving Duny (Bart Edwards) in the fourth episode and — jokingly — requesting that the debt be repaid at a later date.

In Witcher lore, there is a custom as old as humanity itself known as the Law of Surprise. It’s briefly mentioned in the Netflix series, though the show doesn’t go into great detail explaining it. The Law basically dictates that a man saved by another is expected to offer to his savior a reward, which is often unknown to either party. In most cases, the reward is a child.

Geralt saving Duny meant Ciri automatically became the witcher’s ward from the moment she was born. Geralt and Ciri are magically bound to each other through the Law, which is why they don’t view each other as strangers when they finally cross paths.

Meeting Ciri is also a big moment for Geralt, as it represents the moment when he finally starts believing in destiny, having spent the majority of the season as a monster-hunting naysayer hell-bent on running from his rightful path.

As Season 1 shows, destiny is the series’ main theme. Anyone who refuses to adhere to the universe’s plan for them gets severely punished. Geralt learned this lesson the hard way, but he was lucky enough to be given a second chance.

The ending also sees Ciri asking Gerald who Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) is. However, the big question going into Season 2 is: what happened to Yennefer after the finale’s big battle? The mage using her powers to defeat the Nilfgaardian army will boast serious repercussions for her, as it’s impossible to wield that much magic without paying a hefty price.

The final episode leaves Yennefer’s fate up to interpretation. All the signs point toward her being dead after sacrificing herself to the beat enemy forces, but her body is never shown. However, the character plays a big part in the novels, so her journey is really just beginning in the live-action adaptation. Furthermore, Season 1 dropped enough red herrings — such as her desire to have a child — to suggest that the next installment will honor the source material.

The final episode mines Andrzej Sapkowski‘s “Something More” short story for inspiration, which is the last story in the Sword of Destiny collection. The first season largely adapts that collection and its predecessor The Last Wish, so it’s likely that Season 2 will turn to the events that take place in the timeline of the main novel series.

With this in mind, the next chapter will likely center around Geralt and other witchers teaching Ciri how to harness her magic and fight monsters, all the while protecting her from the forces that hunt her. Geralt will also be forced to find Yennefer so that his ex can help Ciri master her magical gifts.

Season 1 of The Witcher does a great job of establishing this world and the origins of the three protagonists. Now that all of that stuff is out of the way, the real adventure that makes the books so compelling can begin.