Summary
Time skips in a story are always tricky to navigate, and franchises have to take special care not to deviate the overarching plot far off course from what fans are used to or run the risk of alienating or dropping some audience-favorite characters altogether. Skipping through years in a story is more common inanime likeOne PieceandBoruto, although mainline gaming series such asFallouthave attempted the mechanism to great success in the past. CD Projekt Red is employing the dynamic inThe Witcher 4as the developer seeks to kickstart a new era forThe Witcherfranchise, although the exact length of the time skip has yet to be determined. It could be a few years, it could be 100 years.
The nature ofThe Witcher 3’s endingshas generated some confusion in this regard, as the choice system featured in the last franchise update resulted in unique conclusions depending on players' decisions in-game. Ciri’s fate – her commitment to becoming a Witcher, ascending to the Nilfgaardian throne, or vanishing after fulfilling her destiny – is influenced by Geralt’s choices, withThe Witcher3’s worst ending detailing her death, and possibly that of the protagonist as well. As a result, the main two characters may find their return in the sequel up in the air, but the real question surrounds what the rest of the cast inThe Witcher 4could look like.
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A Few Characters from The Witcher 3 Are Equipped to Survive The Witcher 4’s Time Skip
AsThe Witcher 4introduces players to the new School of the Lynx, somecharacters inThe Witcher 3could return based on their story. This addition, although having the same name as The School of the Lynx founded by Lambert and Keira Metz, is not connected to its namesake. However, the general sentiment is that Lambert and Kiera are odds-on favorites to feature inThe Witcher 4because of this similarity, despite their optional deaths inThe Witcher 3. CD Projekt Red could use their appearance in the upcoming title to distinguish the game and novel canon, which provides logical grounds for their inclusion.
Sorceresses inThe Witcherseries tend to live for a few hundred years, and it stands to reason that Triss and Yennefer will survive a long time skip to the start ofThe Witcher 4’s events. Triss is one of the younger sorceresses, a romance option inThe Witcher 3, and has appeared in every edition of the series since the beginning. Triss' involvement in King Foltest’s royal court and knowledge of the land’s political framework, as well as her assistance in the mage escape of Novigrad have set her up for an expanded role inThe Witcher 4, possibly even ascending to a seat of power in Kovir.
Yennefer’s case to appear inThe Witcher 4is similar to that of Triss, as the older sorceress possesses unparalleled skill and knowledge of ancient magics, which could extend her lifespan sufficiently to survive the century-long time skip. Although she might not be at the front burners of events in the upcoming title after all she has witnessed in the series, Yennefer’s frequent appearances and the motherly role she plays for Ciri inThe Witcher 3are worthy of replication inThe Witcher 4.
The Elves and Dopplers also have identically long lifespans, so Avallac’h and Dudu are viable candidates to graceThe Witcher 4with their presence. Fans also want to see thereturn of Gaunter O’Dimm, and since the Evil Incarnate character has no lifespan, he could continue his villain role in the series.The Witcher 4could yet feature an entirely new cast, as not much is clear about its developmental phase, but the retainment of a few franchise favorites will help the title’s familiarity factor.
