After a long wait, The Witcher Season 4 has arrived on Netflix, bringing with it a new face for its main hero and a story that leaves its central family more broken apart than ever. The season, which debuted on October 30, 2025, sees Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia from Henry Cavill. The finale does not provide a happy reunion for Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri. Instead, it places each of them in their own separate and dangerous new realities, setting the stage for the show’s fifth and final season.
What Happened to Ciri and the Rats?
This season, Ciri, believing her family is better off without her, found a new identity. She joined a gang of young thieves called the Rats and began calling herself Falka. For a time, this new life gave her a sense of belonging and freedom she had been missing. However, this escape was brutally ripped away in the finale.
A ruthless bounty hunter named Leo Bonhart, hired by Nilfgaard, tracked down and slaughtered the entire Rats gang. Ciri arrived too late to save them and was knocked out by Bonhart. When she woke up, she was forced to watch as Bonhart beheaded her girlfriend, Mistle. The season ends with Ciri alive but imprisoned by Bonhart, having lost her chosen family in a deeply traumatic way. Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich explained the brutality, stating, “We’re stripping away that final bit of humanity for her.”
Geralt’s Bittersweet Knighthood
While searching for Ciri, Geralt’s journey led him and his group of companions—known as the “hansa”—to a key battle at a bridge. Geralt and his allies helped the Northern armies fight off a Nilfgaardian attack. In recognition of his bravery, Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia knighted him, finally making him the official “Geralt of Rivia,” a title he had only given himself before.
While this fulfilled a childhood dream for Geralt, the victory was hollow. The knighthood came with an oath of eternal allegiance to Queen Meve. This binds the wandering witcher to a crown and could potentially pull him into direct conflict with his mission to find Ciri. As Hissrich noted, “His dreams have changed… his dreams are now about Yen and Ciri and finding his family.”
Yennefer’s New Mission and Perilous Journey
With the Brotherhood of mages shattered, Yennefer focused on uniting her fellow sorceresses. In the aftermath of a great battle, she founded the Lodge of Sorceresses, a new sisterhood aimed at protecting magic and making the continent safe. “What Yen is doing is making the world safe for Ciri to return to,” Hissrich said.
Believing the villain Vilgefortz is now weak and can be defeated, Yennefer decided to hunt him down alone. Using a spell on a dagger stained with Vilgefortz’s blood, her friend Triss created a portal for her. Despite warnings that she would be transported to a place Vilgefortz knows well and she does not, Yennefer stepped through. The last we see of her, she is in the middle of a stormy ocean, being pulled into a violent whirlpool.
The Storytellers from the Future
A new narrative element in Season 4 involves a storyteller named Stribog and a young woman named Nimue. Their scenes take place a century after the main events of the show. Stribog is telling the legendary stories of Geralt and Ciri to children, while Nimue feels a deep, personal connection to Ciri’s saga.
In the finale, a grown-up Nimue prepares to study at Aretuza, the magical academy that Yennefer’s Lodge will have rebuilt. Stribog gifts her his copy of Jaskier’s book of poems, hinting that her role in the story is not over. “How this saga ends may depend on you,” he tells her, suggesting Nimue will be key to the unfolding story in the final season.
A Dangerous New Threat for Geralt
The final scene of the season sets up a major new threat. Emhyr var Emreis, Ciri’s father and the Emperor of Nilfgaard, is determined to get his daughter back and sees Geralt as the main obstacle. In a chilling moment, Emhyr is shown a powerful, caged monster by his mage advisor. He gives the beast Renfri’s brooch, which carries Geralt’s scent, and orders it to find and kill the witcher. This sets the stage for a deadly confrontation in Season 5.
Also Read: The Witcher Showrunner Explains Why Liam Hemsworth Is the Right Geralt for Season 4
The Witcher Season 4 Sets Record for Lowest Rotten Tomatoes Score
Credits: Netflix Tudum
