The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich tweets a photo from the upcoming season 2, featuring series protagonist Geralt of Rivia handing Ciri a wooden sword, saying it's one of her favorite moments from the new season. The Witcher follows Geralt, a monster hunter, and sellsword as he deals with the many political events on the Continent, including mentoring Ciri, the crown princess of Cintra who possesses magical powers. The Witcher is based on a series of books of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.
The Witcher premiered on Netflix in December 2019 and featured Henry Cavill as Geralt and Freya Allen as Ciri. The first season featured formative events surrounding the characters, culminating at the Battle of Sodden Hill against the invaders of Nilfgaard. Season 2 seems to be drawing inspiration from The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt video game through its imagery, with posters and the trailer invoking memories of the hit game, with Geralt's fighting style taking direct influence from the games.
Hissrich's photo (@LHissrich) shows further proof that season 2 will take more inspiration from the game. Geralt hands Ciri a wooden sword, similar to the tutorial for Wild Hunt, hinting that the characters will be spending time at Kaer Morhen, the witcher stronghold, in the new season. With Hissrich emphasizing the moment on her Twitter, its importance will likely be significant in Ciri's arc to eventually become a witcher herself.
The moment featured in the photo is also in the new season's trailer, further signifying its importance. Hissrich had spoken before on using Kaer Morhen as an important location for the new season, citing Geralt's brotherhood with the other Witchers as a motivation for the character in season 2. The trailer also features the return of fan-favorite characters Jaskier the bard, and Yennefer of Vengerberg, played by Joey Batey and Anya Chalotra.
Fans of the series are hopeful that the new season will fix the problems of season 1, with many finding faults in the half-cooked world-building and wonky pacing. The hope is that The Witcher season 2 will instead focus on the show's strengths, such as Cavill's charismatic performance, the subversive fantasy elements, and dark humor. The addition of unique monsters and creatures will help taper down the Game of Thrones comparisons plaguing the series from the beginning. If The Witcher can land season 2 with the confidence and bravado of Geralt himself, it's sure to be a strong offering for fantasy fans. The Witcher season 2 premieres on Netflix on December 17, 2021.
Source: @LHissrich