The Witcher is one of the most popular fantasy series on Netflix, based on the books by Andrzej Sapkowski and starring Henry Cavill as the monster hunter Geralt of Rivia. The show has been renewed for a third season, which will be released in two parts in June and July 2023. Here's everything you need to know about The Witcher season 3 release date, plot, cast, trailer and more.
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The Witcher Season 3 Release Date
The Witcher season 3 release date was announced in April 2023, along with a teaser trailer that revealed the main theme of the season: chaos. The third season will be split into two volumes, each consisting of four episodes. The first volume will premiere on June 29, 2023, while the second volume will drop on July 27, 2023.
The decision to split the season into two parts was explained by showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, who told Collider that it was a creative choice to give the audience a chance to digest the complex storylines and characters. She also said that it was a way to avoid delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the production of the second season.
The Witcher Season 3 Plot
The Witcher season 3 plot will be based on the second book in Sapkowski's series, Time of Contempt, which follows Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer as they face various threats and challenges in a world torn by war and magic. The season will explore Geralt's struggle to balance his neutrality as a witcher with his growing attachment to Ciri and Yennefer, who are his destiny and family. It will also delve into Ciri's mysterious powers and heritage, as well as Yennefer's fate after the Battle of Sodden Hill.
According to Hissrich, the season will be darker and more emotional than the previous ones, as the characters will have to deal with the consequences of their choices and actions. She also teased that the season will feature some of the most iconic scenes and characters from the books, such as the Thanedd Coup, the Wild Hunt and Vilgefortz.
The Witcher Season 3 Cast
The Witcher season 3 cast will see the return of all the main actors from the previous seasons, including Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Freya Allan as Ciri, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, Joey Batey as Jaskier, MyAnna Buring as Tissaia de Vries, Anna Shaffer as Triss Merigold and Eamon Farren as Cahir. However, it will also be Cavill's last appearance as Geralt, as he announced in May 2023 that he was leaving the show after three seasons to pursue other projects.
The third season will also introduce some new characters from the books, such as Philippa Eilhart (played by Adjoa Andoh), Francesca Findabair (played by Mimi Ndiweni), Dijkstra (played by Graham McTavish), Rience (played by Chris Fulton), Codringher (played by Simon Callow) and Fenn (played by Liz Carr).
The Witcher Season 3 Trailer
The Witcher season 3 trailer was released on June 7, 2023, giving fans a glimpse of what to expect from the upcoming episodes. The trailer shows Geralt fighting various monsters and enemies, Ciri training at Kaer Morhen and discovering her true potential, Yennefer being captured and tortured by Nilfgaardians, and a hint of a romance between Geralt and Yennefer. The trailer also features some familiar faces from the first season, such as Renfri (played by Emma Appleton) and Stregobor (played by Lars Mikkelsen), as well as some new ones, such as Vesemir (played by Kim Bodnia) and Nivellen (played by Kristofer Hivju).
You can watch The Witcher season 3 trailer below:
The Witcher Season 3 Episode Titles
Netflix has also revealed the titles of the first five episodes of The Witcher season 3 volume 1, which are:
- Episode 1: “Shaerrawedd”
- Episode 2: “Unbound”
- Episode 3: “Reunion”
- Episode 4: “The Invitation”
- Episode 5: “The Art of Illusion”
The titles of the remaining three episodes of volume 2 are yet to be announced.
The Witcher Season 3 Future and Spin-offs
The Witcher season 3 is not the end of the saga, as Netflix has already confirmed that a fourth season is in development, with Hissrich returning as showrunner. The fourth season will likely adapt the third book in the series, Baptism of Fire, and continue the story of Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer.
Netflix is also expanding the universe of The Witcher with multiple spin-offs, such as The Witcher: Blood Origin, a prequel series that explores the origins of the first witcher and the Conjunction of the Spheres, and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, an animated film that focuses on Vesemir's backstory. Both projects are set to be released in 2023, before The Witcher season 3.
