WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for The Witcher season 3, part 2.
Summary
Ciri's desert visions in The Witcher season 3 arose when she passed through a portal, transporting her to the Korath desert. This episode blurs the distinction between reality and Ciri's thoughts, as she encounters visions of Falka, who assumes the identities of various individuals in an attempt to shatter Ciri's determination.
Ciri's visions of Calanthe and Pavetta were meant to manipulate her into embracing her powers and seeking revenge against humans. However, she ultimately chooses a different path.
In The Witcher season 3, episode 7, Ciri experiences visions while in the desert. These visions are crucial to her character development and set the stage for her journey in The Witcher season 4. The episode begins with the Thanedd coup, where Geralt engages in a conflict with Vilgefortz to protect Ciri, who is destined for greatness. During this chaos, Ciri accidentally enters a portal in the Tor Lara tower and finds herself transported to the mysterious Korath desert.
What Ciri's Desert Vision Of Calanthe Really Means
The line between reality and Ciri's imagination becomes blurred in episode 7 of The Witcher season 3. Additionally, Ciri encounters a vision of Falka, a half-elf princess from the past, who feels that her destiny has been taken away from her. This vision of Falka assumes the identities of Calanthe and Pavetta, both important figures in Ciri's life, in an attempt to manipulate and weaken her spirit. The interactions with these visions ultimately shape Ciri's pivotal decision to relinquish her powers in the season 3 finale of The Witcher.In The Witcher season 1, audiences witnessed the Lion Cub of Cintra's origin story, which holds significance for Ciri's perception of her grandmother Calanthe. Although Ciri understood that the vision she experienced was not the real Calanthe, who perished during the fall of Cintra in season 1, it still had a profound impact on her. It is important to note that the vision of Calanthe was, in fact, a portrayal of Falka, who aimed to ignite Ciri's thirst for power and vengeance against humanity.
What Ciri's Desert Vision Of Pavetta Really Means
This is the reason Calanthe is questioning why Ciri persists in hiding while countless others are relentlessly pursuing her, seeking to exploit her powers for their own agendas. Calanthe vividly recalls how, in the face of Cintra's downfall, she fiercely maintained her autonomy. In stark contrast, Ciri has chosen to retreat into secrecy, relying on the assistance of others merely to survive. Strikingly, Ciri confronts Calanthe with the Queen of Cintra's history of persecuting individuals belonging to races such as elves and half-elves, an unsettling reality which further fuels tensions between humans and elves across the Continent. These interactions between Ciri and "Calanthe" serve to support the enigmatic presence of Falka, who harbors the desire for Ciri to utilize her powers as a means to challenge the dominance of humanity's kingdoms.In an earlier part of the episode, Ciri embarked on a journey through the Korath desert. During this arduous trek, she encountered a captivating vision of her mother, Pavetta. Pavetta, who initially appeared in a different timeline during The Witcher season 1, tragically passed away while Ciri was still a young child. It was believed that both of Ciri's parents met their demise at sea, but later revelations in The Witcher unveiled that her father, the White Flame, was actually alive. This poignant vision of Pavetta unveiled Ciri's longstanding feelings of resentment towards her mother for leaving on that ship without her and never returning. With the intention of shattering Ciri's spirit, this apparition of Pavetta accused the young princess of being a burden to those who hold her dear.
Ciri was confronted with a vision of Pavetta, which made her realize that Geralt and Yennefer were in danger because of their commitment to protect her. As a result, Ciri considered them her family. This tied in with her later visions of Jaskier, Yennefer, and Geralt all dying because of her, prompting Ciri to face an important decision. She had to choose between embracing her powers and fighting against those targeting her and her friends, or giving up her powers and distancing herself from Geralt and Yennefer. Ultimately, Ciri opted for the latter option, setting the stage for her journey with the Rats in The Witcher season 4.