The question of how much more powerful Geralt could become looms large over The Witcher season 2, given the Netflix series' faithfulness to its source materials. Andrzej Sapkowski's original 8-book series The Witcher was adapted by CD Projekt Red into a videogame of the same name in 2007, marking the start of a vastly popular trilogy following the eponymous Witcher, Geralt of Rivia. The hotly anticipated The Witcher season 2, thanks to episode titles, is slated for a Christmas 2021 release, marking almost two years to the day since the first season premiered.
It is clear from the offset that Geralt is capable of impressive feats even by Witcher standards within The Continent, killing a vociferous Strzyga in season 1. Geralt is shown to possess enhanced strength and reflexes derived from his origins as a Witcher, which makes him a potent force alongside his incredible skill as a warrior. Geralt also frequently employs a magic spell, Aard, in The Witcher season 1, an invisible force that can throw enemies aside and break the ground around Geralt.
Yet despite being already portrayed as a class apart from his brethren, Geralt has the potential to become even more powerful in The Witcher season 2 story. In both the original books and videogame series, Geralt wields a vast array of spells that are yet to be translated into the Netflix adaptation, which increases his power level exponentially. Geralt also has access to an advanced trove of potions in later Witcher installments (both book and videogame), further augmenting his skills as a monster slayer.
Geralt's continued use of the Aard spell in season 1 foreshadows his expanded lores of magic that many fans have come to expect from The Witcher season 2. As his character evolves alongside a decidedly more linear narrative in season 2, Geralt will gain access to other spells, making him a much more powerful proposition as he continues to defend Princess Cirilla. Geralt's other powers in The Witcher books and videogames consist of Igni, a stream of fire that shoots from his palms; Yrden, a curious spell that sets up a magical trap on the ground that immobilizes enemies; Quen, a spell that creates an impenetrable shield around Geralt; Axii, a trick of the mind that soothes beasts and turns foes into friends; and Somne, which lulls a target into a temporary sleep. While Geralt's magical powers still pale in comparison compared to a powerful mage like Yennefer, his range of short-term magic will diversify Geralt's attacks and make him capable of taking on even more powerful foes in The Witcher season 2.
Something barely explored thus far in Netflix's The Witcher canon is Geralt's ability to craft and ingest potions that grant him temporarily powerful boons. One of the core components of The Witcher videogame series is the crafting system. In the games, Geralt must collect and combine items to make potions capable of healing himself or providing useful effects for battle. Some of these include miraculously healing all damage from Geralt even at the point of death; granting Geralt superhuman strength capable of killing a bear with a single punch; or imbibing the innate qualities of powerful creatures, such as Werewolves' unlimited stamina and the damage immunity of Chorts. Therefore, Geralt adding these skills to his repertoire will undoubtedly make him a more powerful character than the one seen in season 1. With season 2 set to pit Geralt against increasingly daunting enemies, such as the Nilfgaardian hunting Ciri: Cahir, Geralt will need his power level to scale accordingly to survive in The Witcher season 2.
The Witcher season 2 premiers Friday, December 17th on Netflix.