Blood Origin explores the early days of the world which Andrzej Sapkowski created in his iconic fantasy series, and how it came to be the home of monsters, and monster hunters, in The Witcher.
The Netflix show reveals to viewers how the Conjunction of the Spheres took place, as well as how the first Witcher was created.
But, while it is set 1,200 years before the events of the streaming platform’s flagship show, there are several ways it teases what’s to come in Season 3, which is expected to be released in Summer 2023, and also sets them up.
Here is everything that you need to know.
How ‘Blood Origin’ Sets Up ‘Witcher’ Season 3
Susie Allnutt/Jay Maidment/Netflix
Although it is a prequel, Blood Origin is connected to The Witcher directly from the outset with Jaskier (Joey Batey), the bard and self-proclaimed best friend of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), who is seen on the battlefield.
He’s covered in blood, his and other’s one would presume, and trying desperately to avoid losing his life as the battle rages on around him until he’s taken away by a Seanchaí (Minnie Driver), a shapeshifter who wants to tell him the story of the seven warriors who helped create the first Witcher.
Having Jaskier play a part in the story was described as a “really great call” by actor Laurence O’Fuarain, and it certainly gives viewers a glimpse at what Jaskier, Geralt, Ciri (Freya Allen) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) are up against.
Season 2 ended with the shocking reveal of Nilfgaardian Emperor Emhyr var Emreis, the White Flame, who just so happens to be Ciri’s father and is determined to bring her home. It seems the battle in Blood Origin is just a taste of the war that is to come in Season 3.
Another thing that was teased in The Witcher Season 2 was the existence of the Wild Hunt, a horde of elves who see Ciri as their “starry-eyed daughter of chaos” that they believe is theirs.
Their leader is Eredin Bréacc Glas, and the character appears in Blood Origin in his youth, played by Jacob Collins Levy, before he began his nefarious ways, and since the character will likely play an important part in Season 3 the limited series will help viewers’ understanding of the character.
Blood Origin also explores Ciri’s bloodline and how she came to have elder blood through Éile (Sophia Brown) and Fjall (O’Fuarain), and a post-credit scene shows Ciri as a child from one of the character’s first scenes in The Witcher.
In the scene she is being watched by the powerful elf mage Avallac’h (Samuel Blenkin), who was an apprentice to Balor (Lenny Henry) in the prequel and has a key role in the Witcher franchise as a whole.
‘Witcher: Blood Origin’ Cast Talk About Their Future on the Netflix Show
Blood Origin is a limited series, which suggests that the characters that appear in it will not be revisited, but actors Brown and O’Fuarain told Newsweek how they would love to return in some capacity.
The four-part series does see O’Fuarain’s Fjall get killed, but he and Éile have a child so the actor said: “I’d love to see a lot of stuff. I’d love to see how Éile navigates the world with humans and monsters and, you know, with [Fjall’s] baby.
“I think there’s some ways of exploring them, yeah, I think there’s definitely room to grow. Time will tell.”
Brown added: “Yeah, I can’t say how much I enjoyed working on this show and I would be open to it.”
O’Fuarain then joked: “Is Fjall dead? You never know.”
The Witcher: Blood Origin is out now on Netflix.
