When the cast for The Witcher’s spin-off Blood Origin was announced, eagle-eyed fans no doubt soon spotted Jacob Collins-Levy’s ‘Eredin’ – better known to many as Eredin Bréacc Glas, King of the Wild Hunt.
Given the Wild Hunt’s shocking appearance at the close of The Witcher’s second season, it’s surprising to see him appear in a prequel set 1,200 years before – but it’s all part of showrunners Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Declan de Barra’s plan.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Blood Origin showrunner de Barra explained the importance of introducing Eredin prior to his leader status: “If we presented the morally dark character we expect from the books, there’s no progression
“The joy is in the genesis of the character. Making someone go ‘how do you get the character in the book from this person?’ Then you start to see the seeds being sown, and you go, ‘Ahh, I understand!’”
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Although Eredin falls more into Blood Origin’s camp of antagonists, there’s a clear sympathy explored through his clandestine relationship with lover Brían, played by It’s A Sin’s Nathaniel Curtis.
There’s an intentional moral greyness to every villain in Blood Origin, and that’s by design, with de Barra saying: “I love when there’s a horrible character and you kind of end up falling in love with them a little.”
Eredin plays a key role in Blood Origin’s converging stories, shifting and developing in response to a Continent growing increasingly unstable by the minute.
His presence in the spin-off also demonstrates how these standalone Witcher stories are not only explanations of the past, but also set up The Witcher’s future seasons moving forward, as Hissrich explains: “By introducing Eredin in Blood Origin, we’ve given him a purpose.
“We understand now why he’s interested in Ciri and the world – but what’s added is understanding not just how he’s hardened, but why he’s become the Leader of the Wild Hunt. To me, just having those layers of empathy is everything.”
What Blood Origin adds to the character of Eredin is a depth and emotional complexity, allowing us a glimpse into the devastating impact landmark events like the Conjunction of the Spheres can have on people.
It’s a key conclusion de Barra hopes people will register: “Moving forward with the future of Eredin, you won’t just see him as a Machiavellian villain but instead as a survivor.”
The Witcher: Blood Origin arrives on Netflix on Christmas Day 2022. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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