The Witcher season 4 ending explained: Every twist broken down by cast

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*Warning: Full spoilers ahead for The Witcher season 4.*

Season 4 of The Witcher is set to be a large-scale adventure, introducing new characters, developing ongoing stories, and featuring increasing tension between the different kingdoms.

With the main characters separated and following their own journeys, the season finale left Ciri in serious danger, captured by the ruthless bounty hunter Leo Bonhart.

What does this mean for the groups searching for the missing lion cub of Cintra? There’s a lot to consider as we anticipate the conclusion of Geralt (Liam Hemsworth), Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and Ciri’s story. Luckily, seasons four and five were filmed back-to-back, so we won’t have to wait too long to find out what happens!

Get the full story on how season 4 concluded, including insights from the actors themselves.

Why did Geralt have such a weird reaction to being knighted?

While journeying to meet the Druids of Caed Dhu, Geralt and his companions – Jaskier, Regis, Cahir, and Zoltan – become caught in a fierce fight between the armies of Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms, including soldiers from Lyria and Rivia.

We were traveling down the Yaruga River when we suddenly came under attack from archers! It looked like we were done for, about to be destroyed by some kind of fiery weapon, but thankfully Milva – Meng’er Zhang – showed up just in time and saved us all!

Even though Geralt tries to stay neutral during the war sweeping across the Continent, his group can’t ignore the Nilfgaardian army taking control of a vital bridge. This leads to a brutal fight – the Battle for the Bridge on the Yaruga – where Geralt, Cahir, and Zoltan join the Northern forces to protect Queen Meve.

During this time, Milva sadly experiences a miscarriage, and Regis and the others provide her with support and care.

After the battle, Queen Meve knighted Geralt, officially giving him the title “Geralt of Rivia.” But he seemed strangely upset – why was that?

He described a pattern where something initially funny creates a lasting connection. He believes the person finds this amusingly ironic, but anticipates it will lead to problems down the line.

Did Yennefer stop Vilgefortz?

Despite their best efforts – including gathering allies, careful planning, and even sending Fringilla undercover after the events at Thanedd – Yennefer and the other sorceresses couldn’t prevent Vilgefortz and his masked followers from winning the Battle of Montecalvo. (These masked figures are quite similar to the villains from the ‘Death Eater’ stories.)

This season sees a major departure from the original story as Yennefer unites the surviving sorceresses after their intense battle with Vilgefortz, creating a new group called The Lodge of Sorceresses.

After Yennefer’s attempt to rescue Ciri from Emhyr didn’t go as planned, she’s realized she needs to work with others. So, she’s teamed up with powerful sorceresses like Fringilla, Philippa, Triss, and Sabrina, and even the elven leader Francesca. They’re putting aside their differences and combining their magic to fight for something bigger – a cause we all believe in!

We quickly realized that particular storyline wasn’t right for the character this season, so we developed a new one. Staying true to the essence of The Witcher is our top priority. Even when we deviate from the source material, we want to ensure it still feels authentically like The Witcher.

Because Vilgefortz remains a threat, Ciri’s safety – and the future of magic itself – is still in danger. She suggests creating a new group, a sisterhood, to restore order at the castle and also ensure Ciri has a safe place to return to.

Yennefer has the dagger that wounded Vilgefortz and asks Triss to use it to find his location in Stygga. She wants to keep her promise to finally defeat him while he’s vulnerable. Triss is hesitant at first, but eventually uses the dagger to open a portal that will lead them to him.

Okay, so right before Yennefer goes through that portal, she makes Triss promise her something huge – to rebuild Aretuza if Yennefer doesn’t come back. Then, boom, she’s suddenly dropped right into the middle of the ocean, seemingly near Stygga, and heading towards this really intimidating stone fortress where a powerful mage lives. It’s a pretty intense moment!

Vilgefortz brutally kills the three surviving mages, preparing for Yennefer’s arrival and what he believes will be his ultimate triumph.

What happened to Ciri and The Rats?

Despite Leo Bonhart (Sharlto Copley) offering to spare their lives if they surrendered, the Rats made the unwise decision to ambush him at the Chimera’s Head.

Ciri rushes back on Kelpie to assist, but the young bandits are quickly overwhelmed by the brutal mercenary. He defeats them with shocking violence, inflicting terrible injuries and even stuffing one of Kayleigh’s bombs inside a bandit’s body!

I was completely gripped watching that scene! Leo’s questioning Mistle about where Ciri is, and then she shows up just as things explode into violence. Seeing the aftermath of what Leo’s done clearly fuels her, and she unleashes all her fury in their fight – it’s raw and intense. You can really feel her anger driving every move.

He mocked her, saying, “If your friends had fought the way you did, they might still be here,” then quickly gained the upper hand and took her weapon.

When she wakes up after the attack, she realizes she’s tied up. Meanwhile, Bonhart calmly kills the Rats one by one to claim his reward. His partner then forces Ciri to watch as he brutally beheads Mistle.

So begins one of Ciri’s darkest and most traumatic arcs from the novel The Tower of the Swallow…

Actress Anya Chalotra described Ciri’s situation as her lowest point yet, and emphasized the lasting impact of this trauma. She said Ciri will be deeply affected by this experience, and her recovery will be a difficult and lengthy process.

What happens to Emhyr and the fake Ciri?

After Yennefer realizes that Teryn, a former student at Aretuza, is actually an imposter planted by Vilgefortz to look like Ciri, the Emperor of Nilfgaard orders his spy, Skellen, to make sure Ciri’s true identity remains a secret.

Despite Teryn’s continued allegiance to the White Flame, Yennefer magically appears before Geralt with urgent news: the wedding was a deception, and Ciri remains at large.

I heard the rumors about the staged wedding are about to become public knowledge, and now Emhyr is focused on eliminating whoever he sees as an obstacle to his plans. It’s clear he believes someone is standing between him and what he’s meant to achieve, and he won’t hesitate to deal with them.

Xarthisius declares that only one of two conflicting paths can succeed. Then, he and someone else release a mysterious, caged creature – likely a Jackapce – to track Geralt, using a brooch Renfri gave him that he lost at the end of season four.

Who is ‘little Nimue’ and what is her significance?

The episode gradually shows that the main characters’ adventures are being recounted by a travelling storyteller named Stribog to a group of children. We also meet a new, enigmatic character called Little Nimue through these storytelling segments.

After sharing her plans to leave for Aretuza to pursue her destiny, the old storyteller gives her a book: “A Half Century of Poetry” by Julian Alfred Pankratz—better known as the memoirs of Dandelion!

The cover features Ciri standing near a strange tower, hinting at the events of the upcoming book, The Tower of the Swallow.

This latest installment connects directly to the final book, ‘The Lady in the Lake,’ and references the established lore and mythology of the Witcher series. The sorceress character recounts the historical events that form the basis of the Witcher’s world.

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2025-10-30 19:37