WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Witcher, Season 1, streaming now on Netflix.
With Season 1 of Netflix's The Witcher now done and dusted, production for Season 2 will soon be underway. Since its release, The Witcher has enjoyed a not insignificant measure of popularity, which is great for the franchise as a whole. Not only are audiences turning to the video games, but many of them are also exploring Andrzej Sapkowski's novel series, which is what the show is based on. By the time the next season hits screens, the audience will likely be much more aware of Sapkowski's fantasy world.
Fans of the novels -- those who enjoyed the adaptation -- all have some idea of what to expect from the next season, and there's a lot to be excited about, aside from more magic and monsters. Let's take a look at the story Sapkowski created with Blood of Elves and Time of Contempt to see what else audiences can expect in The Witcher Season 2.
SCOIA'TAEL
As the show established, the people of the Continent, at least in the Northern Realms, have a deep-seated resentment for elves, dwarves and other non-humans. This is true in the novels, and it's why many of them have banded together to form a guerrilla military force called the Scoia'tael, or the Squirrels (owing to the squirrel tails that adorn their head-wear).
Audiences can probably expect to see some kind of adaptation of the Scoia'tael, though the fighting force is unlikely to be entirely like its novel counterpart. Like many factions in the novels, this particular group isn't entirely good or evil and they are depicted as being both freedom fighters and violent brigands. This doesn't seem to be the direction in which the Netflix series will take them, as Season 1 depicted every non-human as victims of human civilization.
PHILIPPA EILHART
One of the most powerful sorceresses has yet to be introduced in the Netflix series: Philippa Eilhart. As gamers might know, she's one of the few mages that has mastered the art of polymorphy, and at times seems to be the wisest member of the Lodge of Sorceresses. In the novels, Eilhart advises the ruler of Redania and aids Geralt in his search for Ciri; it was far from being a selfless act, mind you. Like the vast majority of characters in The Witcher, she's not exactly heroic.
With the events that the Netflix series will attempt to adapt, it's unlikely that Philippa will be one of the many characters cut for time. However, considering the scope of the show's deviations from the source material, there is still some amount of uncertainty regarding whether or not Eilhart will play as large a role in the series as she does in the novels. It will also be interesting to see if or how the show adapts her relationship with the Redanian spymaster, Dijkstra. Speaking of which...
SIGISMUND DIJKSTRA
Fans have already expressed some amount of eagerness to know who will play Dijkstra in the upcoming season of The Witcher. In the novels, Dijkstra is known as Redania's spymaster and Philippa Eilhart's lover. He's quite the character, and if the Netflix adaptation adheres to the descriptions of him in Blood of Elves, then audiences can expect to see a spy like no other...at least, no other in the genre.
Sigismund is a physically imposing figure in the novels, but it's not just his size that makes him easy to spot in a crowd, it's his vibrant choice of clothing. Don't be fooled. It's not an eccentricity, it's part of the reason he's an excellent spy. His appearance deceives people; they take him for a lazy, sluggish figure when in reality, he's the best there is. In the novels, one popular saying around court is, "If Dijkstra states it is noon yet darkness reigns all around, it is time to start worrying about the fate of the sun."
KAER MORHEN
Long before we're introduced to Geralt in both the novels and the Netflix series, the people of Kaedwen, motivated by an intense hatred for the mutants being produced at Kaer Morhen, attacked the ancient castle and managed to slaughter many of the witchers within. The conflict resulted in the loss of many of the Continent's monster hunters as well as the guarded knowledge of how to create more.
By the end of the Netflix series' first season, Geralt said that he was headed back to Kaer Morhen, probably for the winter, as Witchers usually do in the novels. If the series continues to follow the novels -- however loosely -- then it's likely that this is where Geralt will take Ciri and where the princess will start learning to fight in Season 2. Its appearance might give way to more elaborate explanations about what Witchers are and what they do, which could be useful for those who still aren't familiar with the franchise by 2021.
VESEMIR
Two years ago, an image featuring a character from The Witcher 3 started circulating next to photos of Mark Hamill from Knightfall. That speaks volumes about how excited fans have been to see the last master witcher in Kaedwen: Vesemir. For those who found themselves wondering who that old man is, read on. In Blood of Elves, which the Netflix series will continue to adapt, Vesemir is one of the witchers who helped train Ciri to fight with a sword.
It's extremely unlikely that the series will feature Kaer Morhen without also introducing audiences to the one witcher that maintains the School of the Wolf, and since his role in the overarching story is quite limited, there's a good chance that the depiction of his character and story will remain effectively faithful to the source material.
TEMPLE OF MELITELE
The temple at Ellander was briefly mentioned in Season 1 of the Netflix adaptation but was otherwise completely absent from the show, which might have come as a surprise to fans of the novels. The temple and the figures within it are actually quite important, at least in the books, particularly because of priestess Nenneke. Keeping in mind how events unfolded in Season 1, it's unlikely that the Temple of Melitele or Nenneke will play an important role.
In the first season, which adapted short stories from The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, the Netflix series replaced Nenneke with Triss in the one scene the priestess would have appeared in. The temple itself is likely to appear in Season 2, but its singular matron, if she appears at all, will likely have a substantially reduced role.
The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, Freya Allan as Ciri and Joey Batey as Jaskier. Season 1 is now available on Netflix.