The Witcherverse is moving ahead in the works of its fourth installment to introduce several new characters in an attempt to ensure a smooth transition from Henry Cavill to Liam Hemsworth. This season is also supposed to pick up the story of Ciri, whose role in the fourth season takes a pivotal turn with fresh avenues of dark hooks. While the third season already teased how Geralt and Yennefer’s fate dissects to track Ciri and reestablish Aretuza respectively, Ciri’s portrayal in the upcoming season poses a natural threat of repeating the most controversial trope of every fantasy genre. 

In fact, this trope is even more vulnerable for The Witcher makers since their disloyalty to the source has been a recurrent concern.

What threat poses Ciri’s showcase in The Witcher 4? 

From the third installment of The Witcher, Ciri’s character development took a riotous turn as she reintroduced herself as Falka and joined hands with the Rats. Freya Allan even teased her character arc for the forthcoming to be a “very pivotal moment” for Ciri’s character evolution. However, keeping in mind how Ciri had been edging on the dark turn of her role, a possible repetitive factor that could hinder the storyline is the risk of turning her into a villain.

The third season already marked the beginning of this controversial trope as Ciri’s journey with the Rats. However, their fidgety management of dealing with source materials evokes the concern that such a shift could turn Ciri into a malevolent force in an attempt to carve a “dark turn”. This had already been the case for Yennefer in season 2. Hence, its recurrent comeback in the fantasy genre, especially for female characters, also makes the season more vulnerable.

While on the topic of repeating the conflicting trope, let’s take a look at how it affected Yennefer’s characteristic fate in The Witcher. 

Yennefer’s role in The Witcher 2

In the books, Yennefer’s role had been crucial as a mother figure to Ciri. However, in the second season itself, the makers ensured such was not the path Yennefer takes on. Instead, the creators left Yennefer inadequate in her skills of sorcery, ultimately making her powerless. As a result, Yennefer was only miles away from stepping onto the villainous path.

Yennefer almost gave up Ciri to Voleth Meir to regain her powers in the series. Yennefer redeemed herself by the end. However, this momentary slip-up could have been dire if not given the eye of focus, leading to an altogether change in Yennefer’s character. Since the next season might be doing the same with Ciri, the concerns are whether they would be able to fix the mistake like they could with Yennefer. If not, a turnaround moment from hero to anti-hero might emerge in witness. 

What do you think of the threat Ciri’s character poses for The Witcher 4? Let us know in the comments below!