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Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for The Witcher season 3A roadmap has been set forNetflix’s The Witcherseries going forward into season 4 without Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. Before passing the reigns over to Liam Hemsworth, however—which will likely cause some teething problems—Ciri’s future is also looking vastly different.
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The final three episodes of season 3 saw the Conclave of Mages erupt into an all-out war between Redania and Nilfgaard, but Ciri managed to escape the chaos into a whole new setting with a prominent figure waiting for her. Here’s who Falka is in The Witcher season 3.
The Witcher Season 3 Recap
The Conclave of Mages turned out to be a trap for Nilfgaard mages, who were captured by the mages working forPhilippa(Cassie Clare) andDijkstra(Graham McTavish), while Rience and Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu) continued their search for Ciri (Freya Allan). All roads led to this event as this run largely focused on the Continent-wide manhunt for Ciri, who was on the run with Geralt (Henry Cavill) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra).
With Vilgefortz hot on their heels,Geralt sends Ciri away while he battles the mage alone, and the Witcher is eventually bested, overpowered by his staff, and left to bleed out on the beach.Geralt is later savedby Triss (Anna Shaffer) and taken to Brokilon Forest to be healed.
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After leaving Geralt, Ciri climbs the tower of Tor Lara, pursued by Vilgefortz, and she appears to connect with the tower before unleashing a massive burst of energy that destroys it to reveal a monolith underneath. Ciri then disappears through a portal that leads her to the Korath Desert, where she proceeds to battle the harsh environment. After experiencing visions, first seeing her mother and then her grandmother, Ciri spots a hooded woman and later recognizes her asFalka (Hiftu Quasem).
Who Is Falka?
Falka is a prominent figure in The Witcher lore, known as theoldest daughter of King Vridank of Redania and his first wife, Beatrix of Kovir, and, therefore,heir to the Redanian throne. When Vridank divorced Beatrix, Falka was sent away with her mother in shame to live in Kovir.
Twenty-five years later, Falka became the leader of a rebellious group andreturned to Redania in order to reclaim the throne, and she killed her father in the process, her two half-brothers, Heltmult and Denhard, and Queen Cerro—the woman who Vridank divorced Beatrix for. These brutal slayings earned Falka the name Bloody Falka, as a rumor suggested that she killed her family with her bare hands.
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Falka also imprisoned Riannon, the current wife of King Goidemar of Temeria, who gave birth to a set of twins while in prison and subsequently went mad. Within the same window,Falka also gave birth to Fiona and left her child in the care of a prisoner. Falka was later hunted for her rebellion and sentenced to death by burning at the stake for her crimes, which started a tradition in Temeria and Redania where the people throw a figure on bonfires during Saovine celebrations to represent the death of Falka.
The knowledge that Fiona was Falka’s daughter implied that Ciri was one of Falka’s ancestors in line with Ithlinne’s Prophecy, suggesting the princess carried the elder blood—a bloodline that Falka promised would cause suffering to the people of Redania and Temeria in her stead.
Why Does Ciri Call Herself Falka?
After her ordeal in the desert, Ciri is subsequently captured by Emhyr’s (Bart Edwards) bounty hunters and held captive in a tavern alongside a boy named Kayleigh (Fabian McCallum). It’s revealed that the boy is part of an outlaw group named the Rats, who come to rescue the pair shortly after and encourage Ciri to fight, which results in her killing her first human.Ciri later introduces herself to the group as Falka, which has understandably confused some viewers.
Ciri introduces herself as Falka, firstly, because she’s wanted in the Continent, and her real name would be widely known, even by the Rats, and she cannot risk being captured by Emhyr’s men again. This is a very practical reason for Ciri to go by Falka now and travel with the Rats, as it keeps her real identity a secret.
Secondly, Falka acted as Ciri’s guide in the desert, encouraging her to use fire magic in order to save the unicorn, and even though the princess was initially scared of the woman and the visions she provided, Ciri also liked using her newfound abilities. Falka also planted the idea in Ciri’s head that she needs to use her powers to destroy the Continent and the people she loves because they will eventually betray her. Therefore, this is another reason whyCiri is using Falka’s name now: she feels like Falka has become her guide.
