A second trailer for The Witcher season 2 has been released, and here are the biggest story reveals and the new monsters shown in it. The fantasy genre is home to some of the most extensive, rich, and beloved universes in literature, film, and more, and among those is that of The Witcher, a series of novels and short stories created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The Witcher became widely popular when it branched out to video games, and after being adapted into a movie and a TV series in Poland in 2001 and 2002, an English adaptation arrived in December 2019 thanks to Netflix.
The Witcher season 1 became an instant hit, and the streaming giant renewed the series for a second season ahead of the release of the first one. Through a non-linear narrative, jumping from one point in time to the other, The Witcher introduced the audience to the title witcher, Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill); Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), a powerful sorceress with a tragic past; and Ciri (Freya Allan), the crown princess of Cintra who has powers of her own. The Witcher season 1 ended on a major cliffhanger with the disappearance of Yennefer during the Battle of Sodden Hill and Geralt and Ciri finally finding each other, as they are bound by the Law of Surprise.
The Witcher season 2, then, will continue the stories of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer, but with a much easier to follow timeline. Geralt and Ciri will travel to Kaer Morhen, the old keep where the witchers of the School of the Wolf used to train, and there she will be trained by Geralt and some of his childhood friends, along with his mentor Vesemir (Kim Bodnia). Meanwhile, Yennefer will be captured by the Nilfgaardian army and later by other enemy forces, making her reunion with Geralt a bit more difficult. The Witcher season 2 is scheduled for a December 17, 2021 release on Netflix, and the streaming giant has revealed a second trailer for it – and here are the biggest reveals about the story, characters, and the new monsters featured in The Witcher season 2.
23. “The World’s Acting Strange These Days”
The second trailer for The Witcher season 2 opens with a voiceover from Nivellen (Kristofer Hivju) telling Geralt that “something has changed” and “the world’s acting strange”, all this while Geralt is shown in the middle of a lake, with a strange creature (quite possibly a bruxa) flying towards him. Following the Battle of Sodden Hill, Yennefer’s disappearance, the fall of Cintra, Queen Calanthe’s death, Jaskier’s departure, and his encounter with Ciri, the world surely isn’t the same anymore for Geralt, and this foreshadows the big threats that are to come for Geralt and company in season 2.
22. Geralt’s Eyes Turn Black Again
The first time viewers saw Henry Cavill’s version of Geralt of Rivia in action, he was fighting a Kikimore and his eyes were completely black, with the veins around them painted the same color. Witchers like Geralt have access to a number of potions and elixirs that enhance different senses and abilities, depending on what they need. When taking these, their pupils completely dilate, turning their eyes black, which in turn helps them see better in the dark, and potions can also enhance speed, endurance, healing, and more. Geralt didn’t use these potions again in season 1, so he must be facing some very dangerous creatures in season 2 to have to drink these potions again.
21. Ciri and Geralt arrive at Nivellen’s Manor
One of the new characters in The Witcher season 2 is Nivellen, who made his debut in the short story “A Grain of Truth”, part of the book The Last Wish. Nivellen and Geralt met when the witcher was investigating the deaths of a merchant and his companion near Nivellen’s manor and he invited Geralt over. Nivellen opened up to him, and even though at first he believed Geralt had been sent to kill him, he realized that was not the case and he could actually help him break his curse – but more on that later.
20. Geralt Meets Vereena
Another new character to be introduced in season 2, and one closely linked to Nivellen, is Vereena (Agnes Bjorn), a powerful bruxa who falls in love with Nivellen, but their relationship is far from healthy. Vereena was actually using Nivellen for her personal benefit, as even though she looked human, she wasn’t one at all. Given that she represents a threat not only to Nivellen but to anyone near her, Geralt will confront her, and the trailer shows Vereena defending herself through her powerful scream, but as shown later on, this will not be her only defense mechanism against the witcher.
19. The Witchers’ Medallions?
The trailer includes a brief look at a rock with a bunch of necklaces and medallions hanging from it, and they are all shaking. These look like the medallions worn by witchers, which (as seen mostly in the animated prequel The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf) react to the presence of magical auras, so they allow the wearer to become aware of the presence of magical creatures, illusions, and spells. This scenario also looks like one briefly teased in a Halloween video released by Netflix in 2020, which showed three skeletons wearing fancy clothes and jewelry. Fans theorized these could be the banshees from the Witcher videogames, who are female spirits who cry on Saovine night, wailing warning of those who will die, or the crones or Ladies of the Woods, who are three witches who live in a cabin in the swamps of Velen, and they communicate through an enchanted tapestry and a medium.
18. Geralt Chats With Nivellen
The second trailer for The Witcher season 2 includes a proper look at Nivellen, and he’s no ordinary man. Nivellen was the leader of a gang of highwaymen and cutthroats, and during the robbery of a temple in Gelibol, the gang coerced Nivellen into raping the young priestess that was there. Little did they know, the woman was a priestess of Coram Agh Tera, the Cult of the Lionhead Spider, and before she killed herself, she spat on Nivellen’s face and cursed him to become a “monster in a monster’s skin” as he was already a “monster in a man’s skin.” A few days later, Nivellen’s body began to change, but his mind and personality remained the same, and while the priestess told him a way to lift the curse, he didn’t understand it and was unable to free himself from it, so he lived as a beast for years.
17. Thanedd Island?
Thanedd Island is located in the bay northwest of Gors Velen in Temeria, to which it’s connected by a bridge. Thanedd is divided into three main areas: Aretuza, Garstand, and Loxia. The island was built by the elves and can be accessed either by bridge or from the sea via underground passages. As seen in the next scene, Yennefer and Fringilla are taken prisoners, and they could be heading to Thanedd Island, though not exactly to Aretuza (or not for now, at least).
16. Yennefer & Fringilla Are Taken Prisoners
Yennefer and Fringilla were both trained in Aretuza at the same time, but they ended up becoming enemies when Fringilla was assigned to Nilfgaard, and she was an important player in the invasion of Cintra in The Witcher season 1. The first trailer for The Witcher season 2 showed Fringilla finding Yennefer in the woods, but it was later revealed in a special teaser that the two sorceresses will be captured by other forces – and they appear to be elves.
15. Return To Aretuza
Following the line of Yennefer and Fringilla being captured by elves and the possible tease of Thanedd Island, the trailer for The Witcher season 2 also shows a quick look at Aretuza. This is the magical academy for young ladies where Yennefer and Fringilla were trained under Tissaia de Vries’ (MyAnna Buring) leadership. Aretuza is far from a happy place, as Yennefer tried to kill herself when she arrived and she later witnessed her colleagues being turned into eels, but it’s still an important setting in The Witcher, and season 2 will take viewers back to it.
14. Tissaia de Vries Reunites With Yennefer
Right after that quick look at Aretuza, the trailer shows a distressed Yennefer and her mentor Tissaia de Vries standing right behind her. This could hint at Tissaia rescuing her from the elves and taking her back to Aretuza, or Tissaia could have been captured too and they reunited in one of the worst possible scenarios.
13. Geralt vs A Bruxa
Geralt is next seen fighting a new monster: a bruxa, and as mentioned above, Vereena is one. The bruxae are the vampires of the universe of The Witcher, and their natural form is that of a large, black bat with sharp fangs and claws, but in order to blend in, they take on the appearance of dark-haired, young women. Bruxae are very agile in their bat form, which is how Vereena managed to dodge many of Geralt’s attacks, and they can only be hurt (and killed) by silver swords – and at the beginning of the trailer and right before this scene, Geralt can be seen holding one.
12. Ciri Begins Her Training
Geralt will take Ciri to Kaer Morhen to protect her from the Nilfgaardian army, but once there, she will also be trained (though she won’t become a witcher). Thanks to Geralt’s childhood friends and fellow witchers, as well as his mentor Vesemir, who is still around at Kaer Morhen, Ciri will be trained in combat and more, and she will be ready to fight almost any threat that crosses her way, and she will be able to defend her home when needed.
11. Lambert, Ciri, & Coën
As mentioned above, Ciri will be trained not only by Geralt and Vesemir but also by other witchers Geralt has known since he was a kid: Lambert (Paul Bullion), Eskel (Basil Eidenbenz), and Coën (Yasen Atour). Every one of them will have a role in Ciri’s training, but official images and now the trailer have teased a special bond between Ciri and Lambert. A quick scene shows Lambert, Ciri, and Coën at the top of a snowy mountain, ready to join an unknown fight. It’s worth noting that Eskel is not present, and there are many rumors suggesting Eskel will not make it to the end of season 2.
10. Rience’s First Appearance
The Witcher season 2 has many first looks at new characters, and among those is Rience (Chris Fulton). Rience is a mage who in the books is instructed to find Ciri after the slaughter of Cintra, and during that mission, he captured and tortured none other than Dandelion/Jaskier as he heard his ballad about the Lion Cub of Cintra being in a witcher’s care. The trailer briefly shows Rience confronting Geralt, and it looks like they are fighting in Kaer Morhen.
9. First Look At Francesca Findabair
Another first look at a new character comes right after Rience’s introduction, and it’s none other than Francesca Findabair (Mecia Simson). Enid an Gleanna, also known as Francesca Findabair, is an elven sorceress and queen of the elves of Dol Blathanna. She is a founding member of a secret organization of female mages called Lodge of Sorceresses and is considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world. The Witcher will have a strong elven presence in season 2.
8. Kaer Morhen's Witchers Assemble
A quick montage of action scenes from The Witcher season 2 plays during the second part of the trailer, and in it is a brief look at the witchers from Kaer Morhen joining forces to face an unknown but very dangerous threat, as their eyes are black and they are ready for combat. In this scene, Coën, Vesemir, Lambert, and two other young witchers are shown, and once more, the big absentee is Eskel, fueling theories on his demise at some point in The Witcher season 2.
7. Istredd Returns
Istredd (Royce Pierreson) is back in The Witcher season 2. Istredd is a sorcerer and historian who was romantically involved with Yennefer at the beginning of season 1. Yennefer was betrayed by Istredd before her initiation at Aretuza, and they parted ways, reuniting many years later while Istreed worked on a Nilfgaardian excavation. It’s unknown where Istredd’s loyalty will lie in season 2, and if he will be an enemy or an ally to Yennefer and the rest.
6. Yennefer & Ciri Join Forces
Yennefer and Ciri didn’t meet in The Witcher season 1, but that will change in season 2. The trailer for The Witcher season 2 includes a quick look at Yennefer and Ciri riding their horses together, most likely on their way to help Geralt. In the source material, after a lot of hesitation, Geralt finally asked Yennefer for help when the young princess started going into trances and having nightmares. Yennefer ended up training Ciri and teaching her about magic, chaos, and how to control it, and the two created a mother-daughter-like bond. Of course, it’s to be seen how they will meet in season 2 and if Yennefer will also serve as a mentor to Ciri or if her role will be changed.
5. Cahir Is Back
The Witcher season 1 saw many enemies – humans and monsters – and one of the scariest ones is Cahir (Eamon Farren), a knight from the Nilfgaardian Empire who led the search for Ciri. Cahir came close to capturing Ciri in season 1, but it turned out that a doppler was taking her place, which allowed her to escape and hide. Cahir’s mission and war are far from over, and he was last seen watching from a distance as the Nilfgaardian army went up into flames thanks to Yennefer, and the trailer for season 2 has now confirmed his return.
4. Stregobor Returns
Another character from The Witcher season 1 who is back is Stregobor (Lars Mikkelsen), a wizard and master illusionist, and also the mentor of Istredd. Stregobor was the one who lured Geralt to Blaviken to kill Renfri, and he later used Istredd to get information on Yennefer, most notably all about her elvish heritage. Along with Artorius, he pushed for letting Cintra fend for themselves against Nilfgaard, becoming one of many antagonists in The Witcher. The trailer briefly shows him conjuring a woman made of fire.
3. First Look At Nenneke
The Witcher season 2 will introduce viewers to Nenneke (Adjoa Andoh), a priestess of Melitele and head of the Temple of Melitele in Ellander. In the source material, Nenneke met Geralt when he was young when he arrived at the temple to recover after nearly being killed by a striga, and Nenneke cared for him. Years later, Geralt took Ciri to the Temple of Melitele for her to be trained under the watchful eye of the priestess. Nenneke is shown warning Geralt about the power of Ciri, and if it’s as strong as he says, he will need a lot more help to train her.
2. Geralt vs a Leshen
The final monster shown in the trailer for The Witcher season 2 is a Leshen (or Leshy). These are forest monsters who are said to live to kill, and when they do, they don’t leave much of their victim for carrion eaters, making them some of the scariest creatures in this universe. Leshens are a big presence in the Witcher videogames, so fans will surely be delighted to see them now as part of the Netflix adaptation.
1. Jaskier Is Imprisoned – & Geralt Will Save Him Again
One of the biggest questions fans of The Witcher had was what happened to Jaskier (Joey Batey), the bard responsible for the catchy hit “Toss A Coin To Your Witcher”. The last time viewers saw Jaskier, he was being blamed by Geralt for everything bad that had happened to him – the Child of Surprise (Ciri), a problem with a djinn, and losing Yennefer – and so the bard left the witcher. Official images from The Witcher season 2 confirmed Jaskier’s return, but he hadn’t been shown in teasers until now. Right at the end of The Witcher season 2 trailer, it’s revealed that Jaskier has been imprisoned and even made friends with the rats, but Geralt, once more, came to his rescue and asked him to help him.