One of The Witcher's series regulars is saying goodbye to the show following the Season 4 finale. The hit Netflix series is an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's acclaimed novels, following Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter in a dark fantasy land. The Witcher premiered on Netflix in 2019 and will conclude with its upcoming fifth and final season.
Anya Chalotra, a series regular throughout all seasons of The Witcher, said farewell to her role of Yennefer of Vengerberg, having completed filming Seasons 4 and 5 back to back. Chalotra's character is a powerful sorceress and one of the core trio in The Witcher, alongside Liam Hemsworth's Geralt (previously played by Henry Cavill in Seasons 1-3), and Freya Allen's Ciri.
Chalotra told The Guardian in an interview that she "cried a lot" after they wrapped on Season 5 of The Witcher, with the last day of filming taking place before Season 4 had even been released on Netflix:
"I wrapped 'The Witcher' for good yesterday. So forgive me if I can’t string a sentence together. It’s all very odd … I cried a lot."
Chalotra reflected on her last day on the set of The Witcher, commenting that it had been a seven-year journey. The star said they worked "eight months of a year for seven years" and that she would "miss everyone's faces."
"I was 23 when I started. It’s been a long time. I think the most emotional I got was when I was sat there yesterday watching everyone work. Just in my chair, drinking a cup of tea. You know these people … everyone works so hard on the show. Eight months of a year for seven years. I’m going to miss everyone’s faces."
The actress added that she is already moving on to new projects, but this wouldn't mean she wouldn't be "grieving Yennefer," adding that "we'll be trying to distil this experience for a long time:"
"It doesn’t mean that I won’t be grieving Yennefer. We’re all just so connected by these seven years. I think we’ll be trying to distil this experience for a long time. And what will always be a constant is how much we love and respect the people who were next to us doing it."
Despite the loss of the show in her life, Chalotra added that Yennfer remains with her and that the ending of The Witcher is a "new beginning:"
"This character’s in me and I’ve let her go. So it’s not sad at all really, it’s a new beginning."
The Witcher Season 4 debuted on Netflix on October 30, adapted for the screen by showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. Season 5 will be the final season of The Witcher, but Netflix has not confirmed a release window.
What To Expect From Yennefer in The Witcher’s Final Season
Fans have watched Chalotra go on quite a journey as Yennefer in The Witcher. Starting as an apprentice at Aretuza, Yennefer has since become one of the most powerful mages on the Continent and one of Geralt's closest confidantes.
In Season 4, Yennefer was occupied with her war against Vilgefortz, a rival mage who wants to capture Ciri and use her Elder Blood powers for his own gain. The new season saw Yennefer step up as a leader among her fellow mages and enact plans to build a new lodge for them.
However, Yennefer's story is left on a cliffhanger in the Season 4 finale after she steps through a portal to find Vilgefortz and is immediately sucked into a violent whirlpool in the open ocean. How Yennefer will survive this situation and whether she can thwart Vilgefortz are significant questions for the character as she heads into the final season of The Witcher.
Naturally, after being separated for the majority of Season 4, fans are also eager to see Yennefer reunite with Geralt and Ciri in Season 5. Fans can also look to Sapkowski's books to get some idea of where Yennefer's character arc is heading (although Netflix's The Witcher has been known to make some changes).
