Who dies in The Witcher Season 3 Part 2?

Who dies in The Witcher Season 3 Part 2? The final episodes see an almighty battle, one that carries a heavy toll – we’ve broken down all of the deaths in the latest chapter of the Netflix show. 

The very nature of Geralt’s job makes The Witcher a series that is ripe for gore and violence, helping to create the grim and immersive fantasy world that’s fraught with danger and moral complexity. 

In Season 3, the battles – and the moral ambiguity – are amplified. The first batch of episodes, which dropped last month, saw the deaths of Fenn, Codringher, Queen Hedwig, Gallatin, and Aplegatt, to name a few. 

But the toll is nothing compared to Part 2, which kills off a number of significant characters. Warning: major spoilers ahead for The Witcher Season 3 Part 2!

Who dies in The Witcher Season 3 Part 2?

Below, you’ll find a list of the characters who die and the actors who play them in The Witcher Season 3 Part 2, which consists of episodes six through to eight:

• Filavandrel (Tom Canton)
• Artorius (Terence Maynard)
• Rience (Sam Woolf)
• Tissaia (MyAnna Buring)
• King Vizimir (Ed Birch)

Many of these deaths unfold during the Thanedd Coup, an all-out battle between the various factions of the Continent that takes place on the island’s Aretuza School of Sorceresses during the Conclave of Mages.

It’s one of the most significant moments of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher book series, involving a split of the mages between supporting Nilfgaard and the North. In the show, there are numerous alliances to take note of, including the elves’ collaboration with Nilfgaard, who are after Ciri’s Elder Blood. 

Then there’s Philippa and Dijkstra, who “are convinced that Nilfgaardian agents have infiltrated the Brotherhood and intend to destroy it from within, thereby removing the strongest weapon of the Northern Kingdoms in their war against the Nilfgaardian Empire,” as per Redanian Intelligence. 

And let’s not forget Vilgefortz, who has been secretly conspiring with Nilfgaard, carrying out twisted experiments on Aretuza novices, and plotting to capture Ciri – also to exploit the powers of her Elder Blood. 

Amid the Thanedd Coup in Episode 6, Tissaia leads the mages in a fight against Nilfgaardians and elves to protect the island, and the results are deadly. Tissaia unleashes her magic upon the elven leader Francesca, only for Filavandrel to jump in her way. He explodes in a mass of blood and guts, causing Francesca to scream and fall to the ground. 

While she zones out from her surroundings, mage Artorius hears the words “she’s unarmed” – but as he goes to kill Francesca, none other than his niece, Fringilla, swoops in and uses her magic to pick up a knife and stab him right in the stomach. 

As all of this is going on, Yennefer and Ciri are fighting Rience, who has been doing Vilgafortz’s dirty work this whole time. When the fire mage threatens to kill Ciri, Yennefer looks like she’s trying to surrender, telling him she’s going to remove her sword and back away. 

But in the blink of an eye, she throws her sword to Geralt, who shows up to save the day and cuts Rience’s head off. 

Arguably, Season 3’s most shocking death arrives in the finale, when Tissaia – plagued with guilt about the events of the coup and shame at being fooled by so many – takes her own life. Redanian Intelligence explains that in the aftermath of the coup, which leaves Aretuza in ruins, Tissaia is at her lowest point. 

“Not only did she fail to prevent war between the mages, but she fell in love with and was manipulated by Vilgefortz, who managed to not only plot the destruction of the brotherhood under her nose but also abduct multiple of her students and conduct horrible experiments on them.”

Tissaia leaves a letter behind for Yennefer and the mages, which reads: “Sometimes a flower is just a flower, and the best thing it can do for us is die.”

Last but definitely not least is Redanian King Vizimir, who is killed by one of Philippa’s underlings. While we’re not entirely sure why, it’s clear Philippa’s got something up her sleeve, as she orchestrates the situation to ensure Prince Radovid is crowned the new king. 

How will this pan out? We’re just going to have to wait for Season 4. 

Until then, The Witcher Season 3 is available to stream on Netflix now. You can check out our other coverage below: 

• The Witcher Season 3 cast & characters
• Henry Cavill “powered his way” through final scenes
• Why The Witcher wasn’t canceled after Henry Cavill exit
• The Witcher characters’ “shared love of sadomasochism”
• Liam Hemsworth is “fresh and invigorating” as Geralt
• The Witcher star celebrates show’s first LGBTQ+ relationship
• The Witcher Season 3 filming locations