Netflix's The Witcher returns with Season 2, showing the next chapter of Ciri's life unfolding. After Season 1's fraught challenges -- including power-hungry Nilfgaardians, ruffians, and monsters coming at her -- the Cintran princess finally united with Geralt of Rivia. The duo trek to Kaer Morhen, where Ciri and the witcher will wait until Geralt figures out how best to protect his Child Surprise and unravels the dangers determined to find them both.
The Witcher star Freya Allan spoke with CBR about everything audiences can expect to see from Ciri in Season 2. Allan teased some of the choices the young Child of the Elder Blood makes -- now that she is more familiar with witchers. In Season 2, Ciri will encounter old friends, new enemies, flee from threats, and fight monsters. It's more than any child should have to face. But as Allan says, Ciri has the strength to fight it and emerges all the better for it.
CBR: You've said in the past that the fighting was one aspect of Season 2 you were looking forward to. How did the combat, and perhaps that obstacle course, shape your view and approach to Ciri, if at all?
Freya Allan: I think that it's always been within her. That's how she got everything she got through in Season 1. She's had this determination, this stubbornness to succeed, to get what she wants. In that obstacle course, she wants to be able to complete it and prove Lambert and Coën wrong. That spirit, that's always been upheld within her, is definitely shown.
But also, I think, something that was interesting to explore with regards to her training and wanting to become a witcher is that it really does become [about] -- apart from the fact she also does want to fit in with the witchers -- genuinely wanting to be a fighter. She's always had that within her because of her grandmother. She also sees that as an escape, in a way, from all these lies she's uncovering about her past and her family. And so there is that intensity to it as well, which is why it makes it even more important to her than it already is.
How do you feel Ciri views the witcher profession and lifestyle? And how does that compare to your own views of it?
I think it's just what's around her, you know? I think she's become used to it now that she's gone to Kaer Morhen and she's seen Geralt. She's seen all these figures who are like her brother, or Vesemir. I think she recognizes the danger, but she also knows that she has this strength, that not other people have, within her. I think she thinks if anyone is going to be able to be the first female witcher, it's her. I think she thinks, "I might as well." If everyone is saying, "I'm so powerful, I'm so strong," then surely it can be put to use, which is going to make me happier. Like I said, it's an escape for her from these-- everything she's uncovering. So I think that's how she's viewing it.
What is the most important aspect of Ciri you want audiences to see in Season 2?
That is a hard question... There are so many elements to her and so much she's going through and shifts and everything. I think I do like the journey she goes on in one of the episodes where she's trying to also embrace her femininity at the same time as being this fighter. I think there's a lot of emphasis within this industry, immediately with my character, she's strong because she fights and she's gonna kill people and blah, blah, blah, -- which is obviously, more typically within this world, associated with men.
So it's almost like it's described as being strong because it's to do with men. But actually, I think there's a really nice strength that she takes from Triss, which is something more gentle and kind and soft. I think she sees that in Triss. I think that's a really nice thing to see and also what she's always held in her, which is this value she has for her choice and value she holds for using her voice, which I also think is such an important message and really the biggest strength you can have.
The Witcher Season 2 is set to be released on Netflix on Dec. 17.