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The Witcher Season 2 Ending Explained


The Witcher Season 2 was finally released in December 2021, and it quickly became the talk of the fantasy scene. The Witcher Season 3 Release Date is already expected sometime in 2023. With a much bigger budget than Season 1, and a cast we already knew and cared about, Season 2 was a blast, though, admittedly, things became a bit confusing. The big gap between the first and second seasons didn't help much. So, now that most of us have caught up with Netflix's fantasy show, here's the ending of The Witcher Season 2 Explained:

The Witcher Season 2 Ending Explained: The Confrontation With the Deathless Mother

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Credit: Netflix

In the eighth and final episode of season 2, Voleth Meir, also known as "the Deathless Mother" possesses Ciri and compels her to kill the witchers. But who is she, and what exactly does she want?

The Netflix fantasy show is quite self-referential and a discussion in the middle of the season explicitly reminds us that every character has their own agenda. This is particularly true when it comes to Ciri's powers. Due to her elder blood, which can birth more witcher, as well as her infinite gift for distraction, everyone who encounters her wants something from her.

The Deathless Mother is no exception. Being no human, elf, or another type of living being we can recognize, she doesn't have a political agenda, unlike Ciri's other pursuers. In fact, she seems to be a demonic entity outside of the realm of the living. Once banished into her hut by witchers, she now feeds on others' despair. Over the course of the series, Francesca, Fringilla, Yennefer all fall victim to her promises, as she plays with their fears and desires.

As the Deathless Mother isn't present in the books, there is little additional information we can provide about her. It seems, however, that the character might have been inspired by Baba Yaga, a popular feminine figure in Slavic folklore.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Voleth Meir doesn't organically fit into the series' universe. Her manipulations constitute a core part of the season's main conflicts, and it takes a collective effort and many sacrifices to bring her back.

Moreover, Voleth Meir brings the motif of the monoliths full circle. Early in the first season, Ciri destroyed a monolith that caused never seen before monsters to start roaming the continent. The Deathless Mother causes Ciri to uncover another monolith, this time in Kaer Morhen. This way, she devastates the surviving witchers by bringing in monsters.

This act is associated with Voleth Meir's true intentions. Rather than perpetually using Ciri as a vessel, her goal was to return to her own dimension. Her use of other people as hosts was a symptom of that, rather than a goal in itself.

When Yennefer offers herself as Voleth Meir's vessel, Ciri is freed from her influence. The two women and Geralt are then briefly transported into another dimension, where the Deathless Mother joins the Wild Hunt. Ciri manages to get herself and the others back to Kaer Morhen, but we believe that this isn't the last we've seen of them. Season 3 will likely be much more concerned with the Wild Hunt, a major concept in the video game. That being the case, it wouldn't be inconceivable for the Deathless Mother to return.

The Witcher Season 2 Ending Explained: How Did Yennefer Get Her Powers Back?

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Credit: Netflix

Yennefer is one of the show's more conflicted characters. In the first season, her wish for a child of her own took her down a darker path. All in all, she made a lot of selfish decisions throughout. Her redemption came at a heavy price, as she lost her connection to Chaos, and made even more mistake - including connecting Ciri to the Deathless Mother - in order to get her powers back.

Her choice to sacrifice herself so that Ciri could be free of the Deathless Mother, brings Yen's two greatest wishes together. In selflessly performing a dark spell that could cost her life, she acts motherly towards Ciri. The show doesn't make this very clear, but it seems that this selfless act is what eventually gave Yennefer her powers back.

Related: The Witcher Season 2 Deleted Scene Reveals Important Stregobor and Vilgefortz Moment

The Witcher Season 2 Ending Explained: Who Is After Ciri?

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Credit: Netflix

Above, we mention that the Wild Hunt will likely be a source of conflict in the seasons to come. But there are other, much more immediate dangers for Ciri. Tissaia, who has learnt about Ciri's powers from Triss, calls the Queens and Kings of the North together, and they agree on a bounty on Ciri's head. The elves are also likely to be after her, given her Elder Blood heritage. But the most immediate danger might be Ciri's own father, who turns out to be Emhyr, the White Flame.

That being the case, we expect a lot of interesting conflict in Season 3. Geralt and Yennefer have a lot of work to do if they are going to protect their new ward - from others, and from herself.

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