The Enigmatic Unicorn in The Witcher Season 3: Unveiling its Significance and Mysterious Ties to the Wild Hunt

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for The Witcher season 3, part 2, as well as for Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher novels.

Summary

In The Witcher season 3, episode 7, Ciri's meeting with a unicorn holds great importance for her character development and the overall worldbuilding of the show.

Unicorns, which exist in the multiverse of The Witcher, possess interdimensional abilities that are intricately linked to the origins of the Wild Hunt.

In The Witcher season 3, episode 7, Ciri encounters a genuine unicorn named Ihuarraquax in the desert. This significant moment not only contributes to Ciri's storyline but also adds to the overall worldbuilding of the show. Upon entering a mysterious portal within the tower of Tor Lara, Ciri finds herself transported to the Korath desert. In this challenging environment, Ciri must confront her inner struggles and make crucial choices, such as deciding whether to employ fire magic to rescue Little Horse.

Yes, The Unicorn Ciri Sees In The Desert Is Real

Ciri's journey through the Korath desert was filled with illusions and visions. Among these, Falka presented a potential future to Ciri, while Calanthe and Pavetta appeared to confront her. These desert visions might make one question whether the unicorn Ciri interacted with was also an illusion. Nevertheless, in The Witcher season 3, the unicorn Ciri encounters in the desert is undeniably real. Referred to as "Little Horse," this unicorn played a pivotal role in Ciri's survival, and vice versa. Moreover, Ciri's decision to wield fire magic in order to rescue Little Horse allowed her training with Yennefer to gain meaningful perspective.

The Unicorn's Role In The Witcher & How It Connects To The Wild Hunt

Ciri encounters a unicorn named Ihuarraquax in the desert. This unicorn first appears in the book Time of Contempt, which is mostly covered in season 3 of The Witcher. Ciri decides to use fire magic to save the unicorn, even though Yennefer had asked her not to. While it is uncertain if Little Horse will be revisited in The Witcher anytime soon, based on the books, it is likely that the unicorn will appear again and assist Ciri.

The role of the unicorn in Ciri's journey was significant. It influenced her decision to either embrace her powers and wage war against her enemies or let go of them. Ciri ultimately chose the latter and is now embarking on a journey with the Rats, distancing herself from Geralt and Yennefer. Saving Little Horse made her realize the consequences of using fire magic and the burden it brings, leading her to relinquish her powers. As a result, Ciri in season 4 of The Witcher will be drastically different from the character viewers have been following since the beginning of the show.

Ihuarraquax's role in The Lady of the Lake, which has not been covered in The Witcher yet, is significant. In this part of the story, Ciri is reunited with Little Horse. Ihuarraquax played a crucial role in helping Ciri escape the Wild Hunt, and his powers were also essential for Geralt and Yennefer's survival. The inclusion of unicorns in Netflix's The Witcher allows the show to delve into the interdimensional origins of the Wild Hunt, although The Witcher: Blood Origin has changed the Wild Hunt's origin story compared to the books and games. Whether the unicorns are connected to the Wild Hunt in Netflix's The Witcher universe is uncertain.