Netflix's The Witcher season 2 promises to double down on a fearsome array of opponents for Geralt, including the tree monster known as the Leshen. Based on the eponymous book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher sees Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) roam The Continent to find and protect princess Cirilla (Freya Allan), who he believes is linked to him by destiny. Many of the creatures utilized in The Witcher to date are ported directly from Sapkowski's books and the successful Witcher videogame series, with The Witcher season 2's Leshen reveal the latest example.
The official Netflix trailer for The Witcher season 2 sees Geralt and Ciri finally reunited as they put plans in motion to take back the kingdom of Cintra for its rightful heir. One of the most striking trailer scenes shows Geralt and Ciri come face to face with a sinister and towering creature woven from branches in the woods. The creature commands the very roots of the forest, sending their tendrils rapidly towards Ciri while Geralt tries to cut them down.
This fearsome tree monster featured in The Witcher season 2 is the Leshen, a highly intelligent forest spirit that devours humans whole. Both Sapkowki's original Witcher books and the videogame series agree that the Leshen, or Leshy, is a dangerous creature that can also shapeshift into the form of other forest animals to disguise itself. While Geralt's encounters with Leshens in the book series are minimal, there is a trove of information on these ancient spirits in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt videogame.
The Leshen is canonically used in The Witcher book series as a piece of Continent folklore designed by Sapkowski to add a pervading sense of dread to the novel The Witcher: A Game of Imagination. In A Game of Imagination, the Leshy is a forest-dwelling, iron-resistant, and cunning monster. For unknown reasons, many peasants consider them to be spirits that protect the forest, even going as far as to send sacrificial offerings into the grove they are said to reside in. In reality, however, The Witcher season 2's monster is a little-explained, shadow-dwelling creature that hunts lone wanderers in surprise attacks by taking the form of either a tree or seemingly harmless animals as they ensnare their prey, although Geralt never comes face to face with a real Leshen in this particular Witcher timeline.
Yet despite the fascinating Leshen lore contained in The Witcher book series, it looks as though the Leshy featured in The Witcher season 2 will be more akin to the version Geralt actually fights in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt videogame. In this game, Geralt is transported to a new world, where he discovers a Leshen trying to take over an ancient forest. While the area's residents work tirelessly to protect their community from monster attacks, the powerful Geralt of Rivia resolves to uncover the Leshen's presence and defeat it.
Once killed in-game, the Leshen's Wild Hunt's bestiary entry reads: "Leshens dwell in dense, primeval woods. Fiercely territorial creatures, they hunt with stealth and cunning as their only companions. They use their inborn magic to control the plants and animals within their territory – and so, when stalking them, half the battle is merely getting near enough to strike." This description closely mirrors the potent forest spirit Geralt and Ciri fight in The Witcher season 2 trailer, meaning both protagonists will certainly have their work cut out to defeat this ancient evil.
The Witcher season 2 will be released on Netflix on December 17, 2021.