‘The Witcher’ Season 3: Who Is Anika & How Is She Connected to Geralt’s Mother?

Geralt of Rivia has lived a long life and has met a lot of people along the way. We know that he was separated from his mother when he was a young boy, and that is something he does not speak of it much. However, in the third season of ‘The Witcher,’ Geralt opens up about it a bit when he encounters a familiar face from the past. That person is Anika, and in this article, we’ll talk about who she is and how she is connected to Geralt’s mother.

Anika is a druid and a friend of Geralt’s mother. She helped the witcher treat the mind-control enchantment Teryn was under, and the two of them talked about things from Geralt’s past. Anika was the one who informed Geralt that his mother, Visenna, was dead.

It is fair to say that Geralt has more enemies than he can count, so it is always a fine refreshment to see him encountering someone that has nothing but good intentions for him. Anika was that kind of person. Let’s see in more detail what we know about her.

Geralt sought Anika’s help and learned some things about his mother along the way

Even though keeping Ciri safe was Geralt’s top priority, he couldn’t always protect her, keeping her close. That’s why he allowed Yen and Ciri to go their separate ways to reach Aretuza, where his protege could receive proper training, while he set himself differently, trying to find and defeat Rience, a powerful sorcerer.

However, Geralt’s quest made him discover a place where young girls were enchanted, manipulated, and bestowed with Ciri’s memories, leading them to believe they were actually her. Geralt managed to save one of the girls, Teryn, but her mental state was shaken. So, he had no choice but to reach out to Anika for help.

Geralt explained to Jaskier that Anika is an old friend of his mother and a druid, and if anyone could help with the enchantment Teryn is suffering from, that would be her. The witcher and the bard were welcomed at Anika’s home well, and Teryn’s treatment immediately began.

Anika lives with Otto, a werewolf whose life Geralt saved in the past. The two of them met when Anika was mourning the death of Geralt’s mother, Visenna, and Otto mourned the loss of his wife and children. That surprised Geralt since he had no idea that his mother died. According to Anika, Visenna talked about Geralt a lot in the end.

The mind-control enchantment Teryn was under was a powerful one and unlike anything Anika had seen before. It was a combination of Chaos, druidic magic, and elven sorcery. It was clear that whoever did that to Teryn was a powerful mage with many interests. Anika administered the extraction elixir to Teryn’s body, and all she could do from that moment on was wait to see if it would work.

Geralt woke up Teryn too soon and disrupted the elixir’s effects. That led to Anika being injured, but Otto managed to stabilize her soon enough. Geralt’s mother was a sorceress, and she was the one that taught Anika how to make potions- the craft Anika later passed to Otto.

Anika and Geralt talked about Geralt’s childhood days and the way his mother abandoned him

Anika and Geralt’s mother were very close, and Visenna’s death was difficult for her best friend. Visenna was killed while helping the villager. She was mistaken for an elf and beaten very badly because of that. Geralt had mixed feelings toward his mother because she left him when he was just a boy.

Nevertheless, the witcher never wanted her mother to be hurt; he just wanted her to know what she did to him. Visenna left Geralt when he was very young. Vesemir then collected him and took him to Kaer Morhen, the stronghold of witchers, where Geralt’s training began.

Anika assured Geralt that Visenna’s hardest decision was when she had to leave him, but she only did it out of love and to protect him. Deep inside, the witcher still remembers his childhood days and knows how much his mother loved him.

According to Geralt, Visenna tried her best to keep the fire burning on the long cold nights, so she often smelled like embers. There was never enough food, but his mother always gave bigger portions to him, even though that meant she would be hungry. They could not afford elaborate meals, so Visenna used her magic to create them. Geralt would do anything to make his mother smile and to see her happy back then; that’s why he still feels betrayed by her abandonment.

Visenna sent Geralt to fetch her some water under the pretense that she was sick. When the boy returned, his mother was gone, and no matter how much he called for her, she did not return. Anika once again assured Geralt that his mother loved him the best she could, and to save him; she needed to let him go.

Geralt thought differently and was adamant that there had to be other choices that would not separate him from his mother. He decided he won’t make the same mistake as his mother and would always protect Ciri, even if it meant losing his life.