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The Witcher Season 5 Updates: Cast, Story & Why It’s the Last One
The Witcher Season 4 is streaming on Netflix, so when will Season 5 be released, and what can audiences expect from it? It has been a tumultuous journey to this point. The show’s adaptation had proved divisive anyway, but suffered a major blow when Henry Cavill announced he was leaving the series back in October 2022, with Liam Hemsworth taking over as Geralt of Rivia from the fourth season onwards.
Hemsworth actually does a solid job of stepping into the role, but he won’t get quite as long as Cavill did to put his stamp on things. It has already been confirmed that The Witcher will end with Season 5, which is expected to consist of another eight episodes. And following on from the ending of The Witcher Season 4, there’s a lot to get through when it comes to the stories of Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, and others when the show does return.
When Will The Witcher Season 5 Be Released?
The Witcher Season 5 doesn’t yet have a release date, but viewers may not have to wait quite as long as in previous years. So far, there has been a two-year gap between every season of the show, and with lots of major streaming series taking longer than ever to return, you’d be forgiven for thinking that might be extended. Thankfully, Season 5 will almost certainly buck that trend, because it should be released on Netflix in 2026.
Filming started back in March 2025, and wrapped by September. That’s a similar production timeline to Season 4, which finished up in October 2024, and then hit Netflix one year later. If that holds true, then The Witcher Season 5 releasing in September or October 2026 seems pretty likely.
Who Is In The Witcher Season 5’s Cast?
Hemsworth is sticking around as Geralt, and so will once again be leading the show in its fifth and final season. As ever, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer and Freya Allan as Ciri will be the other main characters. Pretty much every surviving character should be expected to return in some capacity, including the likes of Joey Batey as Jaskier, Eamon Farren as Cahir, Mahesh Jadu as Vilgefortz, Anna Shaffer as Triss, and Bart Edwards as Emhyr, all of whom should have significant parts to play moving forward. Some new faces reportedly set to appear [via What’s On Netflix] include the following known book characters:
- Emily-Jo Young as Shani, a student at the Oxenfurt Academy
- Liv Andrusier as Condwiramurs Tilly, a mage who is part of Nimue’s story.
- Andy Apollo as Reynart de Bois-Fresnes, a knight.
- Taylor James as Baron de Trastamara, a fellow knight who’ll appear alongside Reynart.
- Kate Dickie as Sigrdrifa, a priestess.
How The Witcher Season 4 Sets Up Season 5’s Story
Warning: This section contains SPOILERS for The Witcher Season 4.
The Witcher Season 4 finale leaves multiple major story strands wide open for Season 5. Geralt, who is officially named “Of Rivia” by Queen Meve after helping her forces win at the Battle of the Bridge, not only has to contend with his loyalty now unwittingly being pledged to her, but still needs to find Ciri, which will likely continue to make up a decent chunk of his story in the final season.
Speaking of Ciri, things aren’t going so well for her either: the bounty hunter Leo Bonhart killed all of her fellow Rats, and has taken her captive, meaning she’ll have to find a way to escape from his clutches, or Geralt and Yennefer will rescue her. Yen’s attentions, though, are also focused on finding Vilgefortz, the overarching villain of The Witcher. With her having now founded a Lodge of Sorceresses, the set up is for a final, epic showdown between Yen and Vilgefortz.
There’s also the political machinations of Emhyr, who is now directly seeking out Geralt – sending a deadly creature to hunt him down, because he needs to die so that the White Flame and Ciri can fulfil what he believes is their destiny. That’s a lot to get through, and the show actually has two novels to adapt in its final season: The Tower of the Swallow and The Lady of the Lake (which will put greater focus on the future-set storyline of Nimue).
Why The Witcher Is Ending With Season 5
The news that The Witcher Season 5 would be the last one came amid an announcement that Season 4 was in production. The two seasons were written back-to-back, and designed to tell one overarching narrative that will conclude the entire series, despite having more than one book left to adapt. It would appear as though ending the show with Season 5 has been the plan for some time, which does at least mean it’ll have a proper ending rather than it being cancelled before getting the chance to wrap things up.
It is, however, a departure from the original seven season plan for the adaptation. But with the cast changes, and mixed reception to the series, it might be the better choice to try and go out on its own terms, and hopefully with a satisfying ending.
The Witcher Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix. Season 5 is expected in 2026.
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