Set 1,200 years before the events of The Witcher, The Witcher: Blood Origin tells the tale of seven warriors who band together against the tyrannical Golden Empire. A new empire has conquered the entire Continent, but their magical experiments threaten to tear the world apart. Here’s everything you should know before traveling back in time for an adventure filled with epic fights, terrifying monsters and Easter eggs for fans of the main series, created by Declan de Barra, a veteran writer from The Witcher Seasons 1 and 2.
While the story is set more than a thousand years before the adventures of Geralt (Henry Cavill), Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Ciri (Freya Allan), the plot of Blood Origin digs into some of the mysteries that define their world. The elves of the Golden Empire discover the power of the same monoliths that the archaeologist mage Istredd (Royce Pierreson) studies in The Witcher. These monoliths allow Ciri to open portals between worlds and unleash monsters on Kaer Morhen while under the influence of Voleth Meir.
The Witcher: Blood Origin explains how these artifacts triggered the event known as the Conjunction of the Spheres, which brought both monsters and humans to the Continent and ended the Golden Era of the Elves. It also reveals the origins of the Wild Hunt, the terrifying spectral riders that try to claim Ciri as their own, and provides some hints about Ciri’s own mysterious power and the prophecies that surround her.
The show also tells the story of the creation of a prototype witcher, a champion imbued with monstrous strength. The knowledge of how to create witchers was lost in the events depicted in the animated prequel film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, making Geralt among the last of his kind. That film demonstrates the Trial of the Grasses, the alchemical procedure that imbues a witcher with superhuman strength, agility, toughness and longevity — if they survive the horrific ordeal. The ritual invented in Blood Origin is an early attempt to create a perfect monster killer, with even more dangerous and unpredictable results.
The Witcher: Blood Origin trailer revealed that Jaskier (Joey Batey), the bard who helped make Geralt famous by penning a catchy tune about his adventures, has been chosen to sing the story of the show’s events back into the world. While Jaskier is the only member of The Witcher’s primary cast to make an appearance in The Witcher: Blood Origin, the show does feature several characters who’ve either already been referenced or will become extremely important to future plots. You’ll have to watch to find out who!
Jaskier is recruited by an enigmatic storyteller played by Oscar-nominated actor Minnie Driver. Michelle Yeoh, Sophia Brown, Laurence O’Fuarain, Huw Novelli, Lizzie Annis, Zach Wyatt and Francesca Mills also star as the seven warriors fighting against the Golden Empire. The powerful elven court includes Mirren Mack, Lenny Henry and Jacob Collins Levy.
The Witcher: Blood Origin premieres on Dec. 25. Take advantage of the long holiday weekend to watch all four epic episodes.
