Triss Merigold, played by Anna Shaffer in the film adaption of The Witcher, did not have a prominent role in the first season on Netflix. Given her visual deviation from the red-haired version of Triss Merigold in the video games and her role as a main character in them, some fans may be wondering if the film adaption has downplayed her role or not. Actually, Triss Merigold's role thus far more closely resembles the novels, in both her looks and role, which is fitting since the show is adapted from the novels, not the games.
It is hard to confirm whether or not Triss will play a larger role in season 2, given that her role in the video games was actually made more prominent than her role in the novels. It also depends on the pacing of the show, including seasons after the second one. Given that Andrzej Sapkowski, the author of The Witcher novels, is a creative consultant for the film adaption, there is further reason to believe that the show will stick closer to the novels than the games.
Triss Merigold clearly holds favoritism among fans of the video game series, perhaps more so than fans of the original novels, given that she is in all three games and is Geralt's main lover at the start of the games. Triss is also the biggest romance-option in The Witcher 3, as fans actually have to go out of their way and put a bit more effort into making Yennefer his option for romance in the storyline.
In the gaming community of The Witcher series, there is a lot of comparison and debate between Yennefer and Triss. Fans who prefer Triss, perhaps prefer her more cheerful and warmer character tones, compared to the tougher, colder and hard-edged character of Yennefer, who can be difficult to gauge, or interpreted as manipulative to some.
Without mentioning spoilers from the novels, fans should be relieved to know that Triss will probably have a larger role in season 2, given her more active role in the third book. Season 2 will likely focus on the third book, given that the first season comprised the first two novels. However, even if her role sees more prominence, it still may not be as major as fans expect, or comparable to her role as a main character in the video games. In the novels, Yennefer plays a much larger role overall, and thus far, it seems that the TV adaption is sticking to a similar course in its storytelling.Â
There may still be room for further hope among fans of Triss Merigold, who will be relieved to know that despite her small role in the first season, her overall introduction in the film adaption actually took place earlier on than in the novels. This could present the possibility that the film adaption went out of its way and wished to introduce her earlier on in order to prepare fans for a more enhanced role to come in the story, in comparison to her lesser role in the novels. Â
Lauren Hissrich, the executive producer and showrunner of The Witcher's film adaption, stated in a recent interview that things may be changed in the film adaption, also indicating that she's here to stay for the show into season 3 and potentially more.
In fact, Lauren stated that Triss was brought into the television show early in order to ensure that the future of the story is divulged in the most appropriate way. In the novels, it is actually a different female character that was introduced in the same story that brought Triss in during her first appearance.
In the end, given that The Witcher's television show is clearly open to deviating from the novels in certain areas, yet, thus far, has stuck fairly close to the original novels, all options appear on the table. Based on the current information and cues, which is little, if one had to make the most sound guess, it may be viable to estimate that Triss will play a more prominent role than in the novels, but less so than in the games. At the very least, given Triss' role in the third novel, she should play a fairly prominent role in season 2, but season 3 and thereafter is perhaps more difficult to speculate.
The Witcher Season 2 is currently in development.