- Warning: Major spoilers for "The Witcher" season three.
- A plot twist in the season three finale has major consequences for the entire kingdom of Redania.
The "Witcher" season three finale is filled with some major plot twists, but perhaps none more shocking than what happens to the king of Redania.
In the finale, Redania's King Vizimir (Ed Birch) orders the death of shape-shifting spy Philippa Eilhart (Cassie Clare) following his subordinates' failed attempts to capture an important character.
However, Philippa is one step ahead of both Vizimir and her own boss, spymaster Sigismund Dijkstra (Graham McTavish), and the king is shockingly murdered instead.
Philippa immediately uses the opportunity to make Vizimir's brother, Prince Radovid (Hugh Skinner), the new king — using the old monarch's bloodied crown.
It quickly becomes clear that this was always Phillipa's plan, which is why the shape-shifting spy brought Radovid home to see Vizimir just moments before the king's sudden death.
Cassie Clare told Insider that there have been Easter eggs pointing to Philippa's betrayal of King Vizimir throughout the show
In an interview with Insider ahead of season three, Clare, Skinner, and McTavish broke down the surprising twist.
McTavish said that Djikstra, who normally knows all the secrets of the land, is on "the back foot" for once.
"I didn't get that memo about the murdering of the king and the installing of this guy," he said. "I think he goes back to his room and has a good old think about where things are going from here."
Clare told Insider that she thinks Philippa has been planning this moment for a long time since she has time for an outfit change before she anoints Radovid.
"You can tell that Phillipa definitely knew that she was going to be here at this moment," Clare said. "You see complete outfit changes as she steps into a look that she's more comfortable in... If you look at the front, there are little bits of gold at the front as if she's crowned herself."
"I got the feeling in that last scene that Philippa has got this sense of, 'Finally! Take off the masks,'" the actor continued. "She's been gearing up for this moment for some time, maybe longer than we even assume. And so I think she feels like, 'I'm in exactly the right place at the right time,' and just waiting for everybody else to catch up."
Clare also said that there have been "a lot of Easter eggs" in her outfits since the second season hinting at Philippa's big moment.
Hugh Skinner and Joey Batey hope that there is still a chance for their characters' new romantic relationship.
Skinner, who joined "The Witcher" this season as Prince Radovid, told Insider that his character is "in total shock" when he is crowned king — because he's only just returned to his brother's side, and isn't planning to stay in Redania.
In season three, Radovid forms a connection with the fan-favorite bard Jaskier (Joey Batey), despite the prince working for the bard's enemies.
In the finale, after a big fight with Jaskier, Radovid returns home to renounce his title so he can be with Jaskier.
"I think he's just looking at his dead brother and thinking about going to see Jaskier," Skinner said.
Asked whether there's a future for Jaskier and Radovid after Radovid's coronation, Skinner said he is unaware if he will star in the next season but would "love there to be something."
Batey added to Insider: "I certainly think that Jaskier thinks there might be hope there. He's a very hopeful human being and will find the light in the darkest, darkest days."
"The Witcher" season three, volume two, is now streaming on Netflix.