It shouldn't be surprising to many fans that Ciri is the protagonist of The Witcher 4, considering that it did feel like a natural progression of the story following Wild Hunt, but it was surprising to see her as a Witcher. To those unfamiliar with the lore and the requirements to be a Witcher, this might seem odd considering the title of the series, but Ciri being a Witcher seems to contradict the lore of the franchise, even if she has the training. Very few can become Witchers, and Ciri shouldn't be one of those few.

Despite this, Ciri has taken the reins from Geralt for one of gaming's most anticipated titles, and is more than a Witcher in just name. Previously, she had often been called the Witcher Girl mockingly, usually by Bonhart, due to her fighting style emulating those trained in Kaer Morhen, but it seems she has become a proper Witcher now. She could even be the only female Witcher in the world, which raises a few questions concerning how this contradicts the lore written by Andrzej Sapkowski, the author of The Witcher series.

Ciri Is Now A Witcher In The Witcher 4's First Trailer

She Is No Longer The Lady Of Space And Time

There's no denying that Ciri is now a fully fledged Witcher in The Witcher 4's first trailer. Although many theorized that if Ciri was made the protagonist of a new game, she would be a Witcher in name only; however, her cat-like eyes, School of the Lynx medallion, and use of potions in the cinematic trailer all indicate that Ciri has undergone mutations, similar to Geralt and Eskel before her. She has always fought like a Witcher, and now she has the mutations to go with them, but there are some odd things about Ciri compared to her Wild Hunt self.

It isn't clear what happened to Ciri's powers between Wild Hunt and The Witcher 3, although it is clear she no longer has them and is relying on her Witcher mutations.

Ciri was known as the Lady of Space and Time, although it appears that she has lost her interdimensional powers, which would have made quick work of the monster she faced. Instead, Ciri uses more conventional magic spells and Witcher tools to get the job done, implying that she has lost the powers that made her unique, but not her status as a Source. She can still use magic at a degree beyond most Witchers, but it still begs the question of how she was able to undergo the mutations.

What Are The "Rules" For Being A Witcher In the Franchise Canon?

Only Boys Can Undergo The Trial Of Grasses

It is said explicitly that only young boys can undergo the Trail of Grasses to become Witchers, and most that try end up dying. The process kills adults as their bodies are not as malleable to the mutations, and the process is necessary to allow Witchers to have the biology required to take potions and use their magic Signs. The process has been attempted with young girls before, but none survived. Ciri is neither male nor a child, yet she is a Witcher now, flying in the face of the lore, at least on the surface.

Ciri had some of the ingredients used in the Trial of Grasses as tea given by Vesemir, which Triss was quick to point out shortly after her first arrival at Kaer Morhen in Blood of Elves.

An adult has survived a form of the Trail of Grasses, being Avallac'h when he was transformed into Uma by Eredin; however, this process was neither complete nor typical, since Avallac'h was cursed and his biology was unique as a result. After the Trial of Grasses comes the Trail of Dreams, which gives Witchers their night vision, then the Trial of the Mountain, where Witchers implement their previous training. The final, optional step is the Trail of the Sword, where would-be Witchers hunt a monster of their master's choice, or face another Witcher trainee.

How Ciri Can Still Be A Witcher In 4 - & What It Might Mean For Story

Ciri's Unique Biology Is The Key To Her ing The Trails

Ciri is unique and always has been. She has the Elder Blood, and even without her space-time powers, she is a Source capable of using powerful magic. Her unique biology could mean that she could survive the Witcher Trials, despite being an adult and a woman. Rather than there being female Witchers, there is only one female Witcher, Ciri, due to her Elder Blood. Her cat-like eyes meant that she had to have survived the Trail of Grasses, but being a Source, she could be more receptive to the magical elixirs required to transform her body.

Ciri's Elder Blood has been a tool to explain away many things in The Witcher's story, like her having dreams about the future, then going to the future to meet the Lady of the Lake, or even traveling to Night City from Cyberpunk 2077. Her biology is so unique and sought after that it could probably be used to explain away her survival of the Witcher Trials. Becoming sterile would also have helped Ciri be hunted less, since people in the games and books moved heaven and earth to try to get her to have children.

It will take some work from CD Projekt Red to explain how Ciri is a Witcher, but her Elder Blood and status as a Source can help explain how she can do a lot of things others can't. If she is the only female WItcher, and it is stated that she survived because of her unique biology or that she was able to undergo an alternate form of the Trail of Grasses because she is a Source, it won't break the lore too much. Still, Ciri would have made a worthy protagonist of The Witcher 4, whether she was one or not.

Source: The Witcher IV/YouTube