Who Are the ‘Wild Hunt’ in the Witcher? (& Why Are They After Ciri)

For those who have played the Witcher games, you would be familiar with what the Wild Hunt is because that is not only the name of The Witcher 3 but is also one of the central groups in the entire Witcher story. That said, you might be wondering who exactly are the Wild Hunt not only in the games and books but also in the series. And why are they even after Ciri?

The Wild Hunt are actually wraiths that used to be elves that traveled between worlds. They originally traveled to a different world, where they slaughtered all of the human inhabitants and coveted that world for themselves. Meanwhile, they are after Ciri because she has the power of the Elder Blood.

In the entire Witcher lore, the members of the Wild Hunt are central figures that play a big role in the story of the entire series. As such, it is better for us to get to know more about the Wild Hunt as early as possible as The Witcher series progresses. That way, you already know what to expect from this group of specters.

Who Are The ‘Wild Hunt’ In The Witcher?

Some of the central figures in the entire Witcher lore, which include the games, the books, and the Netflix series, are the Wild Hunt. In the final parts of season 2 of The Witcher, we were introduced to the Wild Hunt, which you might have already heard of in the past even if you have never played the games or read the books before, as the Wild Hunt is actually the title of the third Witcher game. But who exactly are the Wild Hunt/

In the Witcher books and games, the Wild Hunt is composed of a group of elves and are also called the Wraiths of Mörhogg. These elves were once capable of using the Gate of the Worlds, which allowed them to travel between different worlds. What they did in the past was that they traveled to a new world that humans and unicorns inhabited.

Coveting that world for their own, the Wild Hunt killed all of the humans in that world as they continued to battle the unicorns that inhabit it. Because the Wild Hunt realized that they could not run the world on their own, they realized that they needed slaves.

In the hopes of looking for slaves to bring to that world, these elves continued to travel different worlds in search of slaves. As they travel between different worlds on their horses, their silhouettes appear in the skies, and that is how they got the name “The Wild Hunt”, which is in reference to the Norse legend of the Wild Hunt.

However, during the Conjunction of the Spheres, the elves lost the ability to travel between worlds. They still do have some sort of an ability to do so, but they end up appearing as wraiths or spectral creatures that fit their nickname as the Wild Hunt. This all leads us to our next discussion.

What Does The ‘Wild Hunt’ Want From Ciri?

Now that you know what the Wild Hunt is and what they really are, you might be wondering why they are hunting for Ciri. The answer to this is related to the fact that Ciri has the ability to control the power of the Elder Blood. And this very same power is why Ciri could do things that are beyond supernatural.

Because Ciri possesses the power of the Elder Blood, the Wild Hunt is pursuing her in the hopes of regaining the power of the Elder Blood, which was brought about as a result of elven experiments in the past.

The Wild Hunt wants to capture Ciri because they believe that she could have a child with an elven king, and that very same child will allow them to regain control over the power of the Elder Blood. So, by regaining control over the power of the Elder Blood, they could regain control over the Gate of the Worlds and freely travel between worlds once more.

However, the reason why the Wild Hunt wants to capture Ciri is something that you could only read in the books. It is possible that the series will drop this storyline because it seems quite a bit distasteful for Ciri to just be a baby-maker in the eyes of the Wild Hunt. The possibility is that the series will change the Wild Hunt’s reason. So, instead of wanting to produce a child with Ciri as the mother, the Wild Hunt could possibly want to enslave Ciri and use her Elder Blood powers to control the Gate of the Worlds. 

Was Geralt In The Wild Hunt?

So, while the Wild Hunt may be a group of spectral elves, what you should know is that Geralt was a member of the Wild Hunt in the video game and the books. However, that is yet to happen in the series.

In the books, what happens is that Geralt and the rest of the remaining Witchers pursue the Wild Hunt as they fight these spectral creatures to a stalemate. Wanting to get Yennefer’s back, Geralt makes a trade with Eredin, the king of the Wild Hunt, by giving up his soul in exchange for the love of his life.

As such, Geralt ended up riding with the Wild Hunt for some time but would eventually escape from them. Geralt being a member of the Wild Hunt is yet to happen in the series, as we may end up seeing this somewhere down the line.

Are The Wild Hunt In The Witcher Books?

Plainly speaking, yes, the Wild Hunt is present in the Witcher books. In fact, most of the information regarding the Wild Hunt can be found in the books. The Wild Hunt is first mentioned in the second book, which is entitled The Sword of Destiny. 

What Is The Wild Hunt In Norse Mythology?

The Wild Hunt is actually a reference to the actual Norse mythology of the Wild Hunt. In Norse mythology, the Wild Hunt is a phenomenon wherein different mythological entities are involved in a hunt, as they are escorted by a supernatural group of hunters. The belief is that you will be able to see these ghostly or supernatural entities in the sky some time during the Yule season.

Going back to the Wild Hunt in The Witcher, the reason why the elves are called the Wild Hunt is that they look like spectral entities when they conjure themselves up in the world and whenever their silhouettes appear in the sky as they travel between different worlds.