This article contains spoilers for The Witcher: Blood Origin
One of the best aspects of Netflix’s The Witcher is and always will be Joey Batey’s Jaskier, second only to Henry Cavill’s Geralt. However, the bard that made Toss a Coin to Your Witcher a global anthem overnight, has always pulled the short stick when it came to bearing the brunt of comedic farce in the show. And as comic relief, perhaps that has always been the role defining the singing and dancing sidekick of the protagonist, but not Jaskier. The bard’s role exceeds far beyond the binding limitations projected by fools and jesters and serves a purpose more intricate and necessary in The Witcher‘s coming season.
Also read: The Witcher: 6 Most Confusing Facts About Geralt Of Rivia
Jaskier’s Role Becomes Central to The Witcher Season 3 Plot
Jaskier, the bard, has always remained an essential aspect of who Geralt of Rivia has evolved to become in the live-action adaptations of Andrzej Sapkowski’s epic fantasy novels. Without the bard, perhaps Geralt would still be a passing monster hunter, abhorred and terrified equally in the eyes of the people of the Continent, and in the short respites in between jobs, talking to Roach and falling asleep under the shadows of the silent forests. But Jaskier brings song and chaos and royal banquets into Geralt’s life and overnight turns him from an aimless wanderer to the destined protector of the royal princess, Cirilla.
Such has the influence of Jaskier been in Geralt’s life and in turn, the entirety of The Witcher, and it is fitting to call the bard the heart of the show. But now, that role becomes manifold in its magnitude and its importance as this time around, Jaskier is not merely bringing heart to The Witcher but the series is serving hearts to Jaskier. In other words, the bard now has a more central role to play in the show’s upcoming season, and according to Joey Batey, the character is going to have more than one admirer/love interest.
“For me when I first read the scripts, they were the best scripts that I think we’ve done so far. There are some things from the books that I think fans are going to really, really enjoy. And some really lovely key moments that are very epic. Jaskier also gets a little bit of a love interest – maybe more than one.”
So far, very less details have been known about what lies in wait for the audience in The Witcher season 3, but a lot of the plot will revolve around the trio — Geralt, Yennefer, and Cirilla. But after the recent tangent thrown in Jaskier’s arc via The Witcher: Blood Origin, it looks as though Jaskier will serve as the connective tissue between the trio and what lies ahead.
The Witcher Prequel Teases Jaskier’s Future in Season 3
Blood Origin really begins as a story told to the bard by Seanchaí, a shapeshifting creature, who saves Jaskier’s neck from the maw of certain death. After being told the tales of the Continent and all its historically significant turning points, he is tasked with a mission that is critical to the plot of The Witcher season 3 and the bard’s own identity. So far, the narrated story of Blood Origin serves to establish the bard’s purpose and the running theory essentially pits him as a descendant of Éile.
It remains to be seen what or how Jaskier’s purpose sets him on the path to becoming the core aspect of The Witcher‘s upcoming narrative, but one thing is for sure — if the series doesn’t explain or double down on all the longing looks that Jaskier has thrown at Geralt all throughout the show, or even mention the bard’s heartbreak anthem after Geralt deserts him, then Netflix is going to disappoint a lot of fans after the show’s season 3 premiere.
The Witcher Season 3 premieres on Netflix in the summer of 2023.
Source: GamesRadar+
