WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for The Witcher season 3, part 2.

Ciri’s darkest moment in The Witcher season 3 and what it means for the character’s future makes Henry Cavill’s exit from the role of Geralt even worse. Henry Cavill will not play Geralt in The Witcher season 4, which will see Liam Hemsworth as the show’s titular character. In other words, The Witcher season 3’s finale was Cavill’s final episode on the show. While not much is known about The Witcher season 4’s story, it is expected to cover the events of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Baptism of Fire, some of which were already hinted at in season 3.

The Witcher season 3 continued to explore the connection between Geralt and Ciri, who were brought together by destiny at the end of season 2. Geralt and Yennefer essentially formed a family, so that Ciri could be protected and trained. However, The Witcher season 3's ending sees Ciri separated from Geralt and Yennefer, and it sets up a very dark path for the Lion Cub of Cintra.

Ciri Killing That Man In The Witcher Makes Her More Like Geralt

Ciri killed a man at the end of The Witcher season 3, episode 8. This was the first time Ciri killed someone in Netflix’s The Witcher, and it was meant to be a big moment for the character’s journey. In The Witcher season 3, episode 6, Ciri had the opportunity to kill Cahir but chose not to. In that same episode, The Witcher changed the books and had Geralt kill Rience instead. Both of those moments set the stage for Ciri to eventually choose to kill someone, which happened in season 3’s finale. Ciri will now join the Rats, which have no problem with killing based on the books.

While it may sound contradictory, Geralt was the one who asked Ciri to think twice before taking a life. The White Wolf knew exactly what it meant to kill someone, and how a person is never the same after it. Geralt warned Ciri twice about the consequences of killing, likely hoping that she would not turn out to be like him. However, by choosing to kill a man in battle, Ciri has become more like Geralt. Ciri’s first kill should change the trajectory of her story, especially after what she experienced during her journey through the desert of Korath.

Ciri Killing & Becoming More Like Geralt Makes Cavill's Exit More Disappointing

Ciri is now about to embark on a journey with the Rats, away from those who have become her family in the past two seasons. The Witcher season 4 will likely see Ciri away from Geralt and Yennefer quite a lot, which means that their reunion could be one of the show’s most emotional and important moments. In addition, Geralt’s reaction to how different Ciri will have become by the time they reunite, especially after he tried to prevent her from becoming a killer, should be a critical moment for the story. While those moments can and likely will happen, they will not feature Henry Cavill’s Geralt.

Liam Hemsworth will likely deliver a great take on Geralt of Rivia. However, the connection between Ciri and Geralt was built through three seasons in which the Witcher was played by Cavill. In fact, The Witcher had only now begun to really explore this father-daughter dynamic between Geralt and Ciri, as they were essentially strangers in season 2. The Witcher season 4’s Henry Cavill recast means that viewers will have to be reintroduced to the dynamic between Ciri and Geralt whenever they reunite, which can be disappointing.