Despite the engaging narrative and emotionally nuanced execution, it was Henry Cavill who drove The Witcher to the top 10 list on Netflix. The abrupt departure of Cavill from the fan-loved series broke many hearts and also negatively affected the viewership. However, the last few episodes of the third season repaired the damage and fans started to place their confidence in the franchise again. This response painted the upcoming spin-off of this fantasy drama series in a positive light. 

The Witcher: Riff Raff will be focusing on the journey of the teenage thieves, The Rats, whom fans saw towards the end of the third season of the show. While it is still a mystery if Freya Allan will be in the spin-off, the face behind a supporting lead character in The Rat’s prequel has been revealed.

The Witcher: Riff Raff adds this supporting lead character 

Spin-off is not a foreign concept for The Witcher fans. The anime adaptation and Blood Origin are already making waves, and things look good for the upcoming venture as well. Despite facing production issues and a disappointing shortened duration, The Rats’ prequel has brought in more seasoned actors to its ensemble. Recently, Redanian Intelligence posted a casting update on Twitter (now X). According to the post, Deoudoné Van der Merwe will be a part of the upcoming fantasy spinoff.

The actress, popular for her roles in Troukoors and Horisonne, will be playing Juniper in the spinoff. An original character from the books, less is known about the character and fans will have to wait for the prequel to drop to know more. Apart from her, fans will see the same Rats from The Witcher season 3 in the upcoming spin-off as well. This includes Ben Radcliffe (Giselher), Christelle Elwin (Mistle), Aggy K. Adams (Iskra), Fabian McCallum (Kayleigh), Juliette Alexandra (Reef), and Connor Crawford (Asse).

The Rats were an integral part of the fantasy series owing to Ciri’s association with them. Fans are eagerly anticipating how this partnership will unfold in the next installment. 

How The Rats will transform Ciri

The second volume of The Witcher’s third season garnered a lot of appreciation from fans. This could be mainly attributed to the makers’ attempt to bring the series closer to its original source. However, what made the audience tap their feet for season 4 is Ciri’s transformation towards the season’s conclusion. Fans saw Ciri calling herself “Falka” and joining hands with the mischievous group of thieves, The Rats. This teenage group of thieves has faced a lot of adversities owing to the ravages of Nilfgaard’s war.

Ciri, who has had a similar journey, found herself on the same wavelength as them and became the seventh member of the group. The Rats will give Ciri’s character a whole new dimension where she will lose her moral compass, something Geralt and Yennefer instilled in her. Even though the spin-off will have fewer episodes, it will hopefully give the audience a comprehensive back story of the misfits. The prequel will help the audience to dive deeper into the motives of the rebellious group and how Ciri will contribute to their overall plot.

Let us know your thoughts about Deoudoné Van der Merwe joining The Witcher‘s spin-off in the comments below!