For anyone that has watched the first season of Netflix’s The Witcher, the politics between each of the many kingdoms can get confusing, especially when it comes to the Nilfgaardian Empire. Those who have read Andrzej Sapkowski’s widely appreciated books or played CD Projekt Red’s video games may understand the nuances of Nilfgaard and its history a little better, but little is revealed about the powerful empire in the first season of the TV show.
The Witcher follows the life of Geralt of Rivia, monster hunter by trade, as well as the talented sorceress Yennefer, and the young Princess Ciri. Throughout the show, their stories intersect as Nilfgaard wages an arduous war across the Continent. Nilfgaard is located at the southernmost part of the civilized nations, but has steadily been advancing north - conquering kingdoms along the way.
In The Witcher's first episode, Ciri is forced to flee from her home when the kingdom of Cintra is brutally conquered by Nilfgaard's army. The Witcher season 1 finale features another battle with Nilfgaard - this time on Sodden Hill, as the mages of the Continent rally to defend the Northern Realms. Here's what you need to know about the Nilfgaardian Empire, and why it's so dangerous.
We get some background information about Nilfgaard in episode 3, "Betrayer Moon," when a group of miners talk about the kingdom's history. Before The Witcher takes place, Nilfgaard was once ruled by Emperor Fergus var Emreis. A group of dissenters rose up against him, killing him and taking over his throne. Enter a figure called "the Usurper." Hardly anything is known about this person in Witcher lore - not even his name.
A couple decades later Emperor Fergus’ son, Emhyr var Emreis, was able to overthrow the Usurper and take back Nilfgaard. Since then, he has been focused on expanding his Empire across the Continent. As for Emhyr var Emreis' rightful heir - that is a spoiler too intriguing to divulge. The Witcher hasn’t introduced Emperor Emhyr just yet, so that will be something fans can look forward to either in the next season or seasons to come.
Throughout the centuries, Nilfgaard has gone from a simple city-state in the southern reaches of the land to the most powerful empire the Continent has ever seen. Nilfgaard’s origins are clouded in mystery and largely unknown, but their beginnings most likely coincide with the Conjunction of Spheres, when magic and monsters started to appear in the land.
Even without a clear history of where Nilfgaard comes from, they are known for their war-focused attitudes, as they effectively outmaneuver any of their neighboring kingdoms, and conquer their lands and people. In The Witcher, audiences witness the First Northern War when Nilfgaard sacks Cintra. However by the end of the season, Nilfgaard suffers a great defeat at the Battle of Sodden hill, effectively setting the stage for the Second Northern War to begin.
As with anything, there are always two sides to a story. To the people of Nilfgaard, their empire is seen as the epitome of law, order, and strength in the midst of a very chaotic world. They provide protection and unity, and take care of their citizens. However to the northern kingdoms, Nilfgaard is viewed as aggressive, intolerant, and a threat to any semblance of peace. They are warmongers and take no prisoners if anyone defies them. As they annex their neighboring kingdoms, the people consider “true” Nilfgaardians as those who come from the original kingdom, while everyone else from the conquered lands are seen as inferior.
Likewise, Nilfgaardians have a different language, customs, and culture compared to that of their neighboring kingdoms. They can trace their origins to around the time of the Conjunction of Spheres and when humans first landed on the continent, but even that is somewhat debated. Their history is deeply enmeshed with Elven culture, and they even speak an Elven dialect, which might point to a different origin compared to other humans. Nilfgaardians also worship the Great Sun, reflected on their banner, which is an ancient Elven cult focused on the worship of nature.
Like any war-focused empire, Nilfgaard’s primary objective is to increase their control and power over lands through conquering the northern kingdoms throughout the Continent. They want to be the sole rulers of the Continent, similar to how the Roman Empire conquered a vast amount of lands around the Mediterranean Sea. Their imperial army consists of around 300,000 soldiers, which make them the largest and most powerful army compared to any other army across the countries.
As noted by many characters in The Witcher, Nilfgaard’s foot soldiers are referred to as “the Black Ones” due to the color of their armor. Likewise, Nilfgaard is always looking for an advantage over their rivals during wartime, which can be seen in the show as they amass a force of powerful mages to conjure spells during battle. With a battalion of trained soldiers and powerful mages, they hope to take over the Continent swiftly and effectively.
Assuming Netflix's The Witcher continues to follow the timeline of the books, Nilfgaard will go on to wage two more Northern Wars, further expanding its territory and ubiquitous claim to the Continent. In the first season of The Witcher, audiences see the First Northern War is in full effect, which all but comes to an end in the last episode. As for season 2, viewers will probably get to see what the Second Northern War has in store.
But regardless of how Netflix decides to depict the wars, season 2 of The Witcher will definitely show Nilfgaard’s expansion as it grows larger and annexes neighboring kingdoms. It is a major point of conflict that can only grow more devastating in future seasons. Viewers will also probably learn more about Ciri’s connection to Nilfgaard, because as fans of the books and games know, Ciri and Nilfgaard are extremely connected.
Season 1 of The Witcher primarily focuses on the three main characters, Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, as destiny forces them together in ironically unpredictable ways. The converging timelines can get a little confusing, and the mysterious origins and motivations of the Nilfgaard Empire only add to this confusion. Netflix chooses to keep audiences in the dark about Nilfgaard's plans for the Continent, as well as why they seem so interested in Ciri, which in turn threatens to transform Nilfgaard from an Empire rich in lore to something a more one-dimensional “bad guy” in the show. Hopefully as seasons of The Witcher progress, fans will get to see more of this intriguing empire and how their rule will affect the other kingdoms.
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