Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ takes Ciri on a journey of self-discovery in its fourth season. At the end of Season 3, she meets a ragtag group of bandits who call themselves the Rats. With no Geralt or Yennefer by her side, the Lion Cub of Cintra finds kindred spirits in the group who have also learned to fight and fend for themselves without any adult supervision. While she gets along well with most of the group members, there is one in particular with whom she develops a closer connection: Mistle. Their relationship sheds light on Ciri’s sexuality, while also becoming a significant point in the events to follow. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Ciri and Mistle’s Short-Lived Romance Comes to a Brutal End
Soon after meeting the Rats, Ciri begins a sexual relationship with Mistle, who was born the daughter of a nobleman, but lost everything when her family was killed. Mistle sees herself reflected in Ciri, who introduces herself as Falka, especially as she relates to her highborn ways. While it takes her some time to discover the whole story, she does pick up on Ciri’s mannerisms and realizes that they may have the same backstory, at least to a certain extent. She immediately takes a liking to the princess, and when Ciri receives unwanted sexual advances from Kayleigh, who knows there is a bounty on her head, Mistle steps in to stop him. However, soon after she makes Kayleigh leave, she makes her own advances, and this time, Ciri accepts.
The duo spends the night together, and as Ciri becomes a more critical part of the group, their relationship becomes more public. They indulge in public display of affection and, at one point, when Gis seems to be getting a little too close to Ciri, Mistle steps in and claims the princess as hers. Initially, their relationship seems restricted to a physical one, but as Ciri gets more comfortable with the group, she also opens her heart to Mistle. At one point, the duo gets a rose tattooed on their thighs, suggesting that they are ready for a more serious turn. While it seems to be going well on the surface, Ciri and Mistle’s relationship is rife with secrets and lies. While Ciri claims to have left her past life behind, it becomes clear that she cannot outrun her destiny. While she calls the Rats her new family, she never fully integrates with them.
Moreover, Mistle notices the darkness inside her taking hold, as she becomes more ruthless in her fights. At one point, Mistle points out that she basically butchered the soldiers who blocked their path. In turn, the Rats, too, keep their secrets from her. During a mission, Ciri is told that they are going to abduct the son of a nobleman to extort money from him. However, later, Ciri discovers that they had done this task for Emperor Emhyr, having lied to her about their true intentions regarding the boy. This leads her to leave the group and rescue the boy. She only returns when she discovers that Leo Bonhart has laid a trap for them, but by the time she comes back, all the Rats, including Mistle, have been killed. To make matters more painful, Ciri sees her girlfriend getting decapitated, like the rest of her friends, and that puts their romance to a permanent end.
There is More to Ciri’s Sexuality Than Her Relationship With Mistle
Ciri getting involved in a romantic relationship with Mistle shows that she is not straight. The attraction between the two, which turns to a form of affection, if not love, shows that Geralt’s Child of Surprise harbors an attraction for the same sex. However, this does not mean that she is only interested in women. Ciri and Mistle’s relationship in the Netflix series is picked directly from the Witcher books by Andrej Sapkowski. The Rats storyline appears in ‘Baptism of Fire’ and ‘The Tower of the Swallow,’ in which Ciri and Mistle indulge in a romance, which is not without its questionable aspects. Still, as in the series, Ciri decides to part ways with Mistle and the group, though on different terms, and the story ends with Leo Bonhart butchering the whole group and taking Ciri captive.
Notably, this is not the only relationship Ciri has in the books. She clearly exhibits attraction for a man, though older and married, who doesn’t reciprocate her feelings. And later, in ‘Lady of the Lake,’ she clicks with Galahad, while telling him about how Vilgefortz and Emhyr were eventually defeated and what truly happened to Geralt and Yennefer. Ultimately, it is suggested that the duo has sparked a romantic relationship, as they seem to walk into the sunset hand in hand. This confirms that Ciri’s attraction is not limited to one gender, and she is actually bisexual. As the fifth and final season is set to adapt ‘The Tower of the Swallow’ and ‘Lady of the Lake,’ more love interests for Ciri are expected to appear, exploring the depth of her sexuality in greater detail.
Read More: Is Istredd Dead? Did Royce Pierreson Leave The Witcher?
You must be logged in to post a comment.