Although the second season of Netflix’s The Witcher is still in the relatively early stages of production, Netflix has already begun to announce casting decisions for some of the new characters. The witchers Eskel and Lambert have now been cast, for instance, along with Vesemir, who will be played by Kim Bodnia. Among these castings are, of course, some new characters with whom fans may not be very familiar.
Included among Netflix’s first announcement of new castings for The Witcher Season 2, for instance, were those of Aisha Fabienne Ross as “Lydia,” and Mecia Simson as “Francesca”. We can safely assume that these names refer more specifically to Francesca Findabair and Lydia van Bredevoort, respectively. However, who exactly are these new players in the story of The Witcher? Without delving too much into potential spoilers, here’s everything you need to know…
The Witcher Season 2: Francesca Findabair
Francesca Findabair, known among the elves as Enid an Gleanna, is a powerful elven sorceress. Not only that, but she is widely considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world of The Witcher. As one of the eventual founders of the Lodge of Sorceresses, Francesca is likely to play a role in Yennefer’s continuing storyline during The Witcher Season 2. At the time that the story takes place, she may well be serving as a member of the Chapter of the Gift and Art, also known as the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. (The organisation which preceded the more famous Lodge.)
Francesca Findabair will be portrayed in The Witcher Season 2 by British actress Mecia Simson. Given Francesca’s role in The Witcher, it’s hard to tell whether her part will be large or small. While she is an important figure in several major historical events (events which are likely to take place during Season 2 and beyond), it’s possible that the series will focus mainly on what Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri are doing during those events. As such, Francesca’s role could mainly play out off-screen. Indeed, Francesca was the only member of the Lodge of Sorceresses who never made an appearance in any of CD Projekt Red’s Witcher games.
On the other hand, if the character below is any indication, it’s possible that Vilgefortz could have a larger role to play in Season 2. If so, then it’s entirely possible that Francesca could play a key supporting role in his storyline. After all, the pair worked together prior to and during the events on Thanedd Island. (A series of events which certainly could take place towards the end of the second season.) For now, fans will have to wait and see.
The Witcher Season 2: Lydia van Bredevoort
Of these two new characters, Lydia van Bredevoort is likely the more minor of the pair. A woman who was both a sorceress and a painter, Lydia van Bredevoort was Vilgefortz’s devoted assistant. Her inclusion on the list of casting decisions does perhaps indicate that Vilgefortz is set to play a larger role in The Witcher Season 2. After all, she would be an obvious supporting character in his storyline. In the series, she will be portrayed by Aisha Fabienne Ross.
In the larger story of The Witcher, Lydia will probably be a relatively minor character. However, there are several aspects to her which could make her a very interesting addition to the Season 2 cast. Firstly, there is the fact that she can only communicate via telepathy. Although it appears normal, the lower half of her face is actually an illusion; one which hides hideous wounds and mutations left by the activation of a cursed artefact. It’s quite likely that this event will have already happened years before. However, it’s possible that we could still see it take place through a flashback.
The other aspect of her character which could play a key narrative role is her love for Vilgefortz. If Vilgefortz is indeed set to be a more important character in the second season, this is an aspect which is likely to be developed throughout Season 2. As such, we’ll avoid going into too much detail here, for fear of venturing into spoiler territory. Needless to say that fans looking for more detail should read Andrzej Sapkowski’s original Witcher novels!
Francesca and Lydia in The Witcher Season 2
The obvious common thread which links Francesca and Lydia in Season 2 is the character of Vilgefortz. As the story heads towards the events on Thanedd Island, both characters are likely to play a role alongside Vilgefortz. (Although Francesca is more likely to have a role in the wider story too.)
It’s worth noting that several other major characters who have yet to appear in The Witcher also have roles to play on Thanedd Island. As such, there will probably be more casting announcements in the near future. The most notable of these could be Keira Metz, Sigismund Dijkstra, Dethmold, and Isengrim Faoiltiarna, among others. For the time being, fans will have to wait for more announcements from Netflix regarding the Season 2 cast…