The Witcher season 2 is copying a Game of Thrones character trick. Season 2 of the popular Netflix series, which stars Henry Cavill as the titular character, will pick up shortly following the events of the season 1 finale. Yennefer of Vengerberg was taken by the Nilfgaardian army while Geralt of Rivia brought Ciri, whom Geralt was responsible for under the Law of Surprise, to the Witchers’ fortress of Kaer Morhen to train. The Witcher season 2 will also introduce a plethora of new characters, including Nivellen, whose relationship with Geralt seems similar to a certain friendship from the HBO series.
In a first look clip at The Witcher season 2 — which was released as a part of Netflix’s Tudum fan event — Geralt has a chat with Nivellen, a beast-like creature who is old friends with the witcher. It’s clear Nivellen has a sense of humor; he is also a bit weird (in a good way). Nivellen is unruffled by Geralt’s demeanor and knows him well enough to realize he isn’t telling Ciri the full truth and to call him out on it. With all that in mind, their friendship is very much reminiscent of Tormund Giantsbane and Jon Snow’s dynamic from Game of Thrones.
Tormund, a warrior with the Free Folk, always spoke his mind and had no qualms about doing so. He befriended Jon Snow, but the pair couldn’t be more opposite from each other. Whereas Jon was serious and stoic, Tormund was more carefree and funny. He loved telling jokes and laughing. While he knew when to get serious, Tormund wasn’t all doom and gloom all the time, which perfectly complemented Jon’s character traits. And although Tormund once saw Jon as his enemy, he became fiercely loyal to him as their relationship evolved. Their dynamic from Game of Thrones is seemingly being replicated in The Witcher season 2. Nivellen is the complete opposite of Geralt, who doesn’t say much, doesn’t like being around others in general, and is often very guarded and serious about everything.
Nivellen doesn’t seem to mind, though, and there’s a trust between them that seems to withstand these differences much like Tormund and Jon Snow’s unlikely friendship. Though fans have yet to see much of Nivellen past the clip from The Witcher, it seems rather obvious that Nivellen respects Geralt, who doesn’t see the former as a monster at all. Interestingly, both Nivellen and Tormund are played by the same actor, Kristofer Hivju. In some ways, this makes the similarities between the two relationships stand out even more because of Hivju’s involvement in both series. Similarly, Nivellen could steal the show following the season 2 release of The Witcher.
The clip alone suggests he will be quite a memorable character and Hivju’s performance certainly adds to that. And while it’s unclear how long Nivellen will be around in the show’s sophomore season, fans should expect Nivellen and Geralt’s dynamic to be a highlight, with Nivellen possibly showing another, perhaps more laidback, side to Geralt in The Witcher season 2, much like Tormund was able to break through some of Jon Snow’s walls in Game of Thrones.