Netflix's The Witcher has introduced many dangerous characters and creatures in season 1 — from deadly monsters to ruthless Nilfgaardians to scheming rulers — but few can be as cunning, calculating, and powerful as mages. The fans have already gotten a chance to learn more about their lives through the eyes of Yennefer, Triss, and the students of Aretuza, but season 2 is bound to bring more impressive sorcerers that will greatly impact the lives of the main characters and the fate of The Witcher world.
The Witcher series, based on the books by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, follows the stories of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a monster hunter for hire; Ciri (Freya Allan), the princess of Cintra and a child of Elder Blood; and Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), a powerful and influential sorceress who plays a crucial role in the main events. In season 1, viewers got a gruesome picture of the challenges and sacrifices the wielders of magic have to make, how far they are willing to go to access power, and how their actions impact the world. The confirmed cast for season 2 suggests that several other influential players will join the field, not be trifled with.
Lara Dorren
Lara Dorren was an elven sorceress who fell in love with a mighty human mage, Cregennan of Lod. Their story is tragic as both races opposed the union. Cregennan was killed by his fellow humans, while Lara died soon after giving birth to their daughter, Riannon. The orphaned child, adopted by the queen of Redania, was said to carry Hen Ichaer, the Elder Blood. And it is that blood that flows in the veins of her descendant, Cirilla, which makes her a target for the Wild Hunt and will greatly impact the coming events.
In season 2, Lara Dorren will be played by an Irish actress Niamh McCormack, who is a lead for the upcoming fantasy musical, The Magic Flute. Considering that Lara is Ciri's ancestor, it is likely that The Witcher will feature a flashback to her story that will help explain the significance of the Elder Blood and the magical powers that Ciri gains because of it.
Francesca Findabair
Francesca is an elven sorceress who sides with Nilfgaard in the war and becomes the queen of elves of Dol Blathanna. Despite her forced alliance, she doesn't hide her hatred for humans — in fact, her decision to fight in the rebellion when she was younger plays a big part in the subsequent elves' persecution and slaughter. Francesca is an incredibly powerful magic user and one of the founding members of the Lodge of Sorceresses. Still, she lacks political acumen, which, in the books, leads to her reclaiming the historical Valley of Flowers only for it to be burned by the retreating humans and turned into the Valley of Ashes.
The Witcher season 2 trailer gave the fans a glimpse at the beautiful elven sorceress, played by Mecia Simson. The next season is likely to focus on the Nilfgaardian war and the elves' persecuted and discriminated position that the viewers briefly saw in season 1, so Francesca is bound to play a significant role in the events.
Vilgefortz
While the viewers have already met this handsome mage and a member of the Chapter of Sorcerers (played by Mahesh Jadu), fans are hoping that season 2 will expand on his story and showcase him as a clever strategist and a menacing antagonist that he is supposed to be rather than another hot-headed and arrogant player. In the original books, Vilgefortz is an incredibly powerful naturally-gifted mage, skilled in combat and druidic magic, as well as hand-to-hand combat — in fact, he is one of the very few people to beat Geralt in a fight.
He's a ruthless and calculating character, who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals (that significantly impact Ciri's fate), and the fans are looking forward to seeing his dark side and Machiavellian plans put in motion in The Witcher season 2.
Rience
The season 2 trailer introduced another character that fans were excited to see — a mage with a burned face, Rience (played by Chris Fulton). He is tasked with tracking down Ciri, who is spending a winter in the witchers' fortress Kaer Morhen. He is linked to Vilgefortz and, while not as powerful in magic as he is, Rience can be just as ruthless and merciless when it comes to achieving his goals.
In the books, he even stoops to torturing people for information, which includes the merry and often too talkative Jaskier. Considering that the trailer shows Rience's scarred face — that resulted from Yennefer sending a fireball after him when saving the poet — season 2 will likely feature this episode, along with his other encounters with mages and witchers, in pursuit of Ciri.
Philippa Eilhart
Philippa (played by Cassie Clare) is just as powerful as she is cunning and smart. She is one of the founders and a de-facto leader of the Lodge of Sorceresses, a rare polymorph mage who can transform into an owl, and an advisor to the Redanian king. She was forced into hiding by king Radovid, who imprisoned and blinded her in a feeble attempt to prevent her escape, which failed and only gave her a vendetta against him — it was she who ultimately assassinated the mad king.
Philippa is a beautiful woman who knows how to use her looks to her advantage and a calculating tactician who excels at playing the political game. The fact that she doesn't often openly display her impressive magical powers and prefers to downplay them makes her all the more dangerous. Considering that she plays a major role in the war with Nilfgaard, has a somewhat complicated relationship with another character set to appear in season 2 — a master spy and head of Redania's special forces Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) — and impacts both Geralt's and Ciri's stories, many fans can't wait to see how Netflix's The Witcher chooses to portray her remarkable story.