Those who haven’t paid much attention to The Witcher might be confused as to what a Doppler actually is. Worry not, as we have summarised Dopplers, their nature, their appearance in The Witcher Netflix Original, and the recently popularized fan theory about Ciri being a Doppler in The Witcher season 2.

What is a Doppler in The Witcher?

A Doppler, as the name clearly suggests, is a shapeshifter. They can take on the form of any creature they encounter. While Dopplers used to inhabit a plateau in Redania, many moved to the city as it offered them employment opportunities.

In the books, Dopplers look like midgets with a bald head, a long nose, and horrifying yellow eyes. But, in the Netflix live-action series, they look like a human with blue skin and an appearance similar to that of The Night King from Game of Thrones. While Dopplers are usually gentle, the one we see in The Witcher Netflix Original was terrifying and violent.

Yes, we’re talking about the Doppler that took the form of Mousesack while pursuing Ciri. We never learn the name of this Doppler. Fans of the series call it The Adonis. This was the name of the actor whose form it had taken when it Cahir and hence fans meet it for the first time.

Is Ciri a Doppler?

Among the many Reddit discussions and Twitter threads theorizing whether Ciri is a Doppler in season 2 of The Witcher, fans are constantly looking for more content that could prove this theory right. They suspect Geralt hasn’t met the actual Ciri yet. The Ciri that runs into him in the forest is actually the Doppler that had taken the form of The Adonis.

Those arose out of the Doppler’s rather extensive collection of body parts. He was also constantly touching Ciri’s hair, something Mousesack never did. Ciri is known for her distinctive blonde hair and a single strand could allow the Doppler to take her form. This shows that his loyalty might not exactly lie with Cahir and he has plans of his own involving the Lion Cub of Cintra.

The only way to tell for sure whether or not someone is a Doppler is by bringing them in contact with the metal silver. Even the smallest amount of silver can limit a Doppler’s shape-shifting abilities. Hence, fans would know for sure that Ciri isn’t a Doppler if she has come in contact with the metal at any point in season 2. Unfortunately, there is no way to confirm this. Even the Witcher’s medallions are incapable of detecting Dopplers.

One thing that only slightly disproves this theory is that Ciri is utterly powerful. In fact, the reason The White Flame is chasing her so ardently is that her lineage and power are impossible to replicate. She had Elder Blood and possesses powers that easily overshadow the likes of Yennefer, one of the most powerful mages in the series. These aren’t the kind of traits and attributes anyone can replicate, especially for such a long time.

What else do you think everyone is missing?