Last week, Netflix officially announced The Witcher: Blood Origin. Set 1200 years before the adventures of Geralt and friends, we’ve been promised a look at the origins of the first Witcher, the ancient Elven Kingdom and the cataclysmic Conjunction of the Spheres. To those who’ve only watched the TV show, these revelations will come as something of a surprise. To those who’ve read the books and played the games, however, not so much.
So, what could we expect to see in Blood Origin? Well, the big event that kicks things off will almost certainly be the Conjunction of the Spheres. Referenced a few times in season 1, this is the cosmic event responsible for almost everything in The Witcher stories. The exact details of what happened remain mysterious, but it was effectively the merging together of a number of parallel Earths into one.
The Earth we see in the show was originally inhabited by Elder Races (elves and dwarves), with the conjunction bringing various monsters, powerful magic and – most destructive of all – humans to the world. Blood Origin will presumably depict the first clashes between the refugee humans and native elves as they both deal with new magic and ravenous monsters. The world of The Witcher is now scattered with the ruins of the once dominating Elven kingdom, so it’ll be interesting to see it at the peak of its power.
And that’s probably where the origins of the Witchers come in. The Trial of the Grasses that turns young men into the superpowered Witchers is excruciating and highly dangerous, which may mean that the very first Witcher was the product of inhumane experiments or torture. As ScreenRant explains, the show could very well dive deeper into this and also reveal how some of the superstitions surrounding Witchers originated.
While Witchers may resemble superheroes, with their preternatural strength and ability to perform a limited range of magic, they are definitely not treated like heroes in their own world. Most people who interact with Geralt prefer not to associate with Witchers unless they have to do business, and there are nightmarish tales of them lacking any human emotion and originating in Hell. This leads to a life of wandering and collecting coins to kill beasts, mostly through back roads.
With Blood Origin, the identity and nature of the first Witcher could explain how some of these superstitions originated, as the protagonist of the prequel show will create the mold for Witchers and their strange, detached ways. Depending on the manner of his transformation and how he is received after, the story arc that unfolds may be one where viewers see a man battling his newfound nature. Furthermore, if this person lived before the Conjunction of the Spheres (a cataclysmic event that brought many monsters into the world where The Witcher takes place), a strong arc could be written to explore their place in this great change.
Of course, there’s a lot more that this prequel could explore as well, like shedding some light on the history of Aretuza and explaining how and why magic was taught to humans. Whatever we end up seeing in The Witcher: Blood Origin though, it’s sure to be an absolute treat for fans.
