The Witcher is back for another season. After Season 2's shocking twist, many fans have questions about Ciri's father.
After all, Season 2 wasn't without a few confusing moments. We saw many interesting twists, including a revelation that changed everything we thought we knew about Ciri's father.
So, who is he, and what do you need to know about him?
What Happened to Ciri's Parents?
Attention: Major Season 2 Spoilers Below!
In case you didn't have time for a rewatch, remember that Season 1 depicted the wedding vows of Ciri's parents.
It all started at the betrothal ceremony of Pavetta, Queen Calanthe's daughter.
What the Queen intended to be a profitable arranged marriage turned into something else entirely when Urcheon of Erlenwald, known as Duny, showed up.
Having rescued Pavetta's father years earlier, he'd claimed the Law of Surprise as repayment, not knowing that Pavetta had just been born.
When he found out, he didn't intend to enforce the Law of Surprise, especially since he was cursed to transform into a hedgehog monster from dawn until midnight.
However, destiny caused him and Pavetta to meet and fall in love, so Duny showed up at her betrothal feast to claim her. Calanthe ordered him killed.
Geralt, who was present, refused to kill Duny, understanding he was a cursed knight, rather than a monster. A brawl began nonetheless, only stopped when Pavetta used her powers, wreaking havoc in the room.
Calanthe eventually blessed the union, causing Duny's curse to break, making him fully human again. Duny was grateful to Geralt for not killing him on the spot and for being the voice of reason.
When asked what he would like in return, Geralt carelessly claimed the Law of Surprise, not knowing Pavetta was already pregnant with Ciri.
Ciri grew up an orphan, as her parents supposedly died on a ship shortly after her birth. Season 2, however, makes some shocking revelations.
Who Is Ciri's Father?
In the final scene of episode 8, it's revealed that only Pavetta died. Ciri's father is still alive, and there's much more to him than we initially thought.
Throughout Season 2, much is said about Emperor Emhyr of Nilfgaard, whom Fringilla serves.
Remember that Nilfgaard is Cintra's Southern neighbor and the country whose forces conquered Cintra early on in Season 1.
However, it's only in the very final scene of Season 2 that we see the emperor's face.
How does this relate to Ciri's father?
Well, Duny and Emperor Emhyr, also known as the White Flame, are one and the same.
Duny first appeared as an exiled knight from the South. Nilfgaard is south of Cintra, and the man who we now know to be the country's emperor first went North following the death of his own father, the former emperor.
He was tortured and experimented upon, which gave him the hedgehog form he was only freed from after his marriage to Pavetta.
This, of course, was already known to readers and players familiar with the material that came before the series.
However, it comes as a shock for those who have only watched the series. To be fair, we don't even know yet whether the tv series will treat Ciri's father in the same way either the books or the game did.
But, as far as the series is concerned, Emperor Emhyr wants his daughter back and will do anything to get her.
Already, Season 3, has shown much more of Emhyr, but since the season isn't complete yet we expect a major conflict between father and daughter later on.
Ciri would surely never want to join the man whose forces destroyed her home.
If the books are to be trusted, Emhyr will want to make his own daughter bear his child, as this child is prophesied to rule the world - a nightmarish prospect.
But why did Ciri's father let her believe he was dead all along and never tried to claim her when she was younger?
We would assume he did so to kill off his Duny alias for good so that he can ascend as Lord Emhyr, but this is just speculation at this point.
Hopefully, the new episodes shed some light on that and other loose ends!
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