‘The Witcher’: Are Ciri and Yennefer Related? Magical Powers Explained

Yennefer of Vengerberg became the mother Ciri needed in The Witcher after losing her mother and grandmother. Ciri’s training needed a person that understood magic better than Calanthe, plus a hand more tender than Geralt’s, and Yennefer was more than suited for it. However, the similarities between Yennefer and Ciri are way more than coincidental and many fans still wonder whether the two are related by blood.

Yennefer became a mother figure for Ciri after Geralt requested her help in training Ciri to harness and control her powers. While Yennefer sees Ciri as the daughter she can never have, there is no confirmation from the show that the two are related. However, both Yennefer and Ciri have Elf-blood, and their Elven roots have a lot to do with how their powers work.

Yennefer’s father was half-elf which makes her at least one-quarter-elf. On the other hand, Ciri is related to the great elf-sorceress Lara Dorren which is how she got her Elder Blood. Since both of them are tied to Geralt by destiny, Yennefer and Ciri are bound to meet at some point. When they finally did in the show, the chemistry between them was so natural that Ciri could easily pass for Yennefer’s daughter, so let’s look at why that is the case.

Does Yennefer have Elder Blood?

Yennefer is not a descendant of Lara Dorren, so there is no indication that she has Elder Blood like Ciri.

She is still a powerful sorceress because of her Elven roots which make her way more powerful than purely human mages.

She can create portals and channel chaos with little effort, making her the most powerful mage at Aretuza besides Ciri.

Elven magic has always been more powerful than human magic, as Istredd discovered.

Yennefer also discovered that her ancestors were among the elves that created the original Aretuza, meaning magic is part of her DNA.

However, Yennefer cannot channel the same amount of power as Ciri, who is able to move from one dimension to another even without using portals.

Geralt discovered that Ciri has the power that connects the monoliths and different dimensions, which means she is probably strong enough to cause another Conjunction of Spheres.

Yennefer is still vital in Ciri’s training because she understands spells and knows how to channel powerful magic better than anyone alive.

The show has also allowed Yennefer to take her place as a mother to Ciri and a leader among equals in the Conclave of Mages.

Yennefer is, therefore, more of a diplomat than a weapon to channel chaos, giving room for Ciri’s true power to be expressed in the show.

Why is Yennefer tied to Ciri?

Yennefer is actually tied to Geralt and not to Ciri, but the three are part of a triangle created by destiny.

Geralt requested Yennefer’s life as part of his three wishes to the Djin, which means she is tied to him forever.

Ciri, on the other hand, is Geralt’s daughter, thanks to the Law of Surprise, which he invoked when he saved Ciri’s father in Cintra.

Ciri is, therefore, Yennefer’s adoptive daughter because they are both tied to Geralt, and Yennefer is also in love with The Witcher.

Yennefer also understands Ciri better than most people because she knows what it feels like to be so powerful and yet isolated.

She understands that Ciri needs help understanding her magic and navigating the real world without destroying everything.

The fact that the two of them wield the most powerful magical powers on the continent makes them the most formidable women alive.

Yennefer and Ciri are also related, albeit distantly, through their Elven roots, but it is not clear whether their elf ancestors were even related.

Yennefer, having lost her ability to have children, now sees Ciri as her chance to be a mother, hence her fondness for the princess.

Who is more powerful between Ciri and Yennefer?

Ciri is by far the most powerful being alive on the continent because of the combination of her Elder Blood and Witcher training.

Ciri nearly caused the entire continent to split in half with her scream, which shows she can channel more chaos than Yennefer.

Ciri has a special combination of the Elder Blood by virtue of being the descendant of both Amvet and Fiona (Lora Dorren’s grandchildren), who had both the magical powers and the activator gene.

Therefore, Ciri can move between different spheres and even between different times, which Yennefer cannot do.

Her ability to move between worlds without using portals is the reason why the elves believe she is the child of a destiny promised in the Ithlinne prophecy.

They believe that she can cause the continent to be destroyed while protecting the elves to restore the race to its former glory.

Another version of the story says Ciri can reverse the events caused by the Conjunction of Spheres, forcing humans and other monsters to leave the continent.

Yennefer, on the other hand, can only channel regular magic by manipulating elements such as lightning and creating portals.

Yennefer’s powers are still stronger than what the human mages in Aretuza possess because she is at least one-quarter elf.

Despite being stronger than Yennefer, Ciri still needs the older mage because she knows spells and can help her take control of her powers.

Ciri’s full potential can only be achieved if she can control and channel her powers correctly, so she needs Yennefer.