There\u2019s been a lot of talk about <\/span>Henry Cavill\u2019s exit from The Witcher<\/span><\/a> and what it will mean for the future of the show post season 3 \u2013 and reasonably so.<\/span><\/p>\n After all, the A-lister<\/span> is a Witcher super-fan himself, and his delightfully deadpan performances have captured the essence of the White Wolf so perfectly that it\u2019s difficult to imagine anyone else in the role.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, with season 4 coming at some point in the future, it\u2019s understandable that many viewers are considering checking out of the Continent now that Cavill is hanging up his silver sword \u2013 with the prospect of Liam Hemsworth taking over the role <\/span>proving off-putting for some<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yet all of this Geralt chat seems to forget one key point: the real star of the show remains \u2013 Anya Chalotra\u2019s Yennefer of Vengerberg.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Sure, this series may be called The Witcher, and its big selling point has largely been Cavill as Geralt \u2013 but break down the narrative and the stakes within the show, and you quickly realise that this hasn\u2019t really been the White Wolf\u2019s story at all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rather, it is Yennefer who has been the most distinctive focal point over the past three seasons, the anchor<\/span> around which this ever-twisting, ever-evolving tale has unfolded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And as long as this remains the case, there is more than enough reason to stick around the Continent even in a post-Cavill era.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Cast your mind back to season 1. Though there is a clear spotlight on Geralt\u2019s journey and his fate intertwining with Ciri\u2019s, and some exploration of what it means to be a Witcher and how that can impact one\u2019s psyche, the Butcher of Blaviken is largely that \u2013 a butcher, a vehicle for gory violence and entertaining action, with his emotional beats largely limited to brief mentions of his long-lost mother (who is later killed off-screen with little fanfare<\/span> in season 3, anyway).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Instead, the proper emotional<\/span> weight lands squarely on the shoulders of Yennefer, whose growth<\/span> from a damaged, downtrodden servant to a powerful master of magic provides the most notable storytelling bite throughout the season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While Geralt is out slaying beasts and off gallivanting with his unlikely ally Jaskier (Joey Batey), Chalotra\u2019s mage is battling through a real, human story \u2013 a touching<\/span> tale of sacrifice and a need to belong \u2013 all against the extravagant<\/span> backdrop of this heightened, fantastical world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Likewise, in season 2, much of the narrative is built around the<\/span> aftermath of Yennefer\u2019s actions at the Battle of Sodden Hill. It\u2019s a raw exploration of dealing with the consequences of your choices, and the challenge<\/span> of having to rediscover who you are when the one thing you\u2019ve worked for your entire life is snatched away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And in season 3, though Geralt has become more of a central storytelling figure this time out \u2013 and he\u2019s had the opportunity to properly connect with Ciri (Freya Allan), beyond his usual grunts and grumpy remarks, as she herself has become more of a <\/span>fleshed-out character in her own right<\/span><\/a> \u2013 it is Yennefer\u2019s journey, particularly in her relationship with Ciri,<\/span> that has remained at the forefront of the narrative.<\/span><\/p>\n After all, it is she<\/span> who most closely bonds with the princess, the pair forming a complicated, convincing mother-daughter\/mentor-mentee relationship across the eight episodes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It is Yennefer who most effectively challenges and tests Ciri on her strength of character and control over her skills, and helps the Cintran to discover who she really wants to be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And, you guessed it, it\u2019s Yennefer that Ciri searches for after being captured in episode 6 \u2013 and Yennefer who embraces the latter as her daughter, and her destiny, more openly than Geralt.<\/span><\/p>\n As if that wasn\u2019t enough, the key driving force behind the emotion<\/span>\u00a0of the finale comes from Yennefer\u2019s dynamic with the dying Tissaia (MyAnna Buring).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The brutality<\/span> of losing her own mother figure, just as she is coming to terms with becoming someone else\u2019s, is, perhaps surprisingly, the most memorable takeaway from Cavill\u2019s much-anticipated swan song \u2013 providing a delightful dichotomy that touches upon more elevated themes<\/span> in an episode that <\/span>falls flat in a number of different ways<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> ![\"Yennefer](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/Witcher102Unit00996RT-70d8f24-1.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" "\\"Anya")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"Ciri](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/EE306Unit0041420copyRT-3998b32.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Ciri")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>