The Witcher's Duny: Unveiling the True Origins of the White Flame (Did He Really Take Pavetta's Life?)

In The Witcher season 3, the ongoing saga of Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Ciri continues as they face the relentless pursuit of various factions for the latter. Among these adversaries is The White Flame, whose motives for going after Ciri become clearer in this season. After the controversial events of season 2, season 3 unites Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri as they strive to protect themselves from those hunting Ciri due to her unique Elder blood. However, their safety is short-lived, as their greatest threat lurks much closer than they anticipated. The orchestrator behind these dangerous events is none other than Emhyr var Emreis, also known as The White Flame (played by Bart Edwards).

In season 1 of The Witcher, it is established that Ciri was raised by her grandmother, Queen Calanthe, after the tragic death of her parents. However, she is entrusted to Geralt through the Law of Surprise. One of the most significant revelations in season 2 is that Ciri's father, Duny, is actually alive and holds the title of emperor of Nilfgaard, famously known as The White Flame. Emhyr's desire to capture his own daughter poses a major threat in The Witcher, and it becomes evident that this has been his plan for many years. Unfortunately, Ciri's mother, Pavetta, paid the price for Emhyr's ambitious aspirations.

Duny Was Hatching A Plan To Marry Ciri (& Did Kill Pavetta)

Ciri's parents were believed to have perished at sea, but the final episode of The Witcher season 2 unveiled that Ciri's father is actually alive. According to The Witcher novels, Duny is actually Emhyr var Emreis, the emperor of Nilfgaard and the son of Fergus var Emreis, the previous emperor who was dethroned by the Usurper. The same character, who is responsible for torturing Fergus and transforming Emhyr into a hedgehog-like creature, used the name Duny and met Pavetta. They fell in love, which broke the curse.

After Ciri's birth, Emhyr was approached by Vilgefortz, who informed him about the prophecy of Ithlinne. This prophecy states that Emhyr's son would inherit the Elder Blood and rule over the Continent. It turns out that Ciri possesses the Elder Blood. Motivated by this revelation, Emhyr decided to return to Nilfgaard and successfully overthrew the Usurper, claiming the throne. As a symbol of his power, Emhyr had the gravestones of his deceased political enemies exhumed and used them to adorn his ballroom. This earned him the moniker "The White Flame Dancing on the Barrows of his Enemies", or simply "The White Flame".

Emhyr devised a cunning scheme alongside Vilgefortz to orchestrate the false demise of himself, Pavetta, and Ciri, enabling their escape to Nilfgaard. However, Pavetta got wind of these intentions and managed to clandestinely spirit Ciri away from the ship before it embarked. Following a heated altercation on board, Emhyr callously forced Pavetta off the vessel, leaving him with no choice but to feign his own demise as Duny and return to Nilfgaard as Emhyr. Emhyr's perplexing motives in pursuing his own daughter remain one of the most contentious aspects in The Witcher books, as his objective is to impregnate Ciri, thus fulfilling the prophecy and ushering their offspring into world domination.

Did Duny Ever Love Pavetta?

Considering the intricate nature of Duny's scheme, one cannot help but question the authenticity of his love for Pavetta. Was their marriage simply a means to acquire power, or did he genuinely care for her? Although it is difficult to determine the true extent of Duny's feelings, there are indications that suggest a genuine connection between him and Pavetta. A significant piece of evidence lies in the timing of Duny's encounter with the prophecy of Ithlinne. It is worth noting that, apart from his role as the White Flame, Duny was unaware of the possibility of reclaiming his throne after being cursed and banished by the Usurper.

What The Witcher Season 3 Reveals About The White Flame's Plan & What Questions Still Need Answering

With limited screen time in The Witcher season 3, the White Flame's impact remains substantial. Emhyr, the cunning Emperor, relentlessly pursues Ciri and recognizes the necessity of alliances to realize his ambitions. This season, an unexpected partnership unfolds between Emhyr and Francesca Findabair plus the elven community, who share the common goal of rescuing Ciri to safeguard their people. But Emhyr's true focus lies solely on his own machinations. Remarkably, the most captivating revelation of The Witcher season 3 revolves around the collaboration of the White Flame and Vilgefortz, the supremely influential mage within this universe.

Geralt and Yennefer have discovered that Rience and Lydia van Bredevoort are not working alone, and they have the support of a powerful mage. This mage, known as Vilgefortz, is involved with Nilfgaard and the White Flame. Furthermore, Vilgefortz has gone to the extreme of kidnapping half-elf girls from Aretuza in order to experiment on them and create fake Ciris. The reasons behind Vilgefortz's creation of these imposter Ciris remain uncertain. However, if the series remains faithful to the books, it is possible that Vilgefortz intends to keep the real Ciri for himself and has sinister plans for her, while providing Emperor Emhyr with a false Ciri.

The biggest question surrounding Emhyr's plans in the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher is whether they will align with his controversial storyline in the books. As previously mentioned, Emhyr desires to father a child with his own daughter, a theme that may pose risks for the Netflix series. Additionally, the specifics of the deal between the White Flame and Vilgefortz are unclear. Given Vilgefortz's demonstrated willingness to betray others, he may ultimately betray Emperor Emhyr as well. While it may be too late to stop the plans of the White Flame, The Witcher still has much to address and reveal about their intentions.