‘The Witcher’: Is Cahir Good or Bad? Redemption Arc Explained
The Witcher fans were denied the chance to watch Ciri get her revenge on the man that destroyed Cintra when Cahir showed up in Ciri and Geralt’s path during the battle for Aretuza in Season 3. Ciri would have easily defeated the Black Kight, but he surrendered to her and then saved her from the Scoia’tael. Cahir’s fate in the show is unknown, but many fans just want to know whether he is good or evil after his change of heart.
The show’s third season started Cahir’s redemption arc when he saves Ciri from Scoia’tael. However, severing his ties with the Scoia’tael and Nilfgard makes him the enemy of The White Flame, so he literally risked everything for Ciri, which proves he is a changed man. In the books, Cahir joins Geralt after the Thanned Coup and eventually sacrifices himself to save Ciri from Leo Bonhart.
Despite continuing to hunt down Ciri at Emhyr Var Emreis’s orders after she escaped from him in Cintra, Cahir developed a soft spot for the princess when he met her. Ciri is now making bad decisions after joining The Rats as Falka at the end of Season 3, and Cahir might just be the man that saves her once more, so let’s see how Cahir becomes Ciri’s hero.
Why did Cahir help Ciri in The Witcher Season 3?
Despite working with The White Flame and the Scoia’tael to capture Ciri, Cahir is tied to the princess by destiny, so he would never kill her. In the books, Cahir dreams about Ciri; he can feel what she is doing when she is in danger, just like Geralt.
During the battle for Aretuza in The Witcher Season 3, Fringilla sent Cahir after Ciri and Geralt while she and Francesca fought the mages. However, Cahir surrendered to Ciri out of guilt and swore his life to her. He then offered to help Ciri by fighting off oncoming Scoia’tael soldiers, allowing her and Geralt to escape.
Although Ciri accepted his help, she didn’t trust him, and neither did Geralt. Cahir’s fate after the battle with Scoia’tael wasn’t revealed in the show, but we believe he is alive because he is destined to save Ciri one more time. He is also a good fighter, having bested Vilgefortz during the battle of Sodden Hill, so he could defeat Findabair’s men.
After starting the show as a villain in the first season, Cahir’s loyalty to the Nilfgardians started to shift after Yennefer saved him from the brotherhood of sorcerers. Yennefer didn’t know that Cahir was also tied to Ciri.
Although Cahir returned to Nilfgard and claimed to be loyal to The White Flame, his mind had been turned, and his true loyalty was to Ciri. He felt a connection to her from the moment he saved her in Cintra, so although he hunted her alongside the Nilfgardians and the Scoia’tael, his mission was to save her from them all along.
What happens to Cahir in the books?
Cahir is killed by the bounty hunter Leo Bonhart while on a mission alongside Geralt to save Ciri in Stygga. Cahir had joined Geralt and Milva after the battle of Aretuza to save Ciri from The Rats gang.
Cahir’s redemption arc in the books starts after the battle for Aretuza when he is captured by a group of elves loyal to Nilfgard after fending off Scoia’tael soldiers after being knocked out when Ciri destroys the tower. The elves put him in a coffin, but they encounter Geralt on their journey to Nilfgard, and he kills them all.
Although Geralt wants to kill Cahir, he spares him since he saved Ciri in Cintra. Geralt, however, warns him that he will kill him if they ever meet again. Cahir, however, decides to secretly follow Geralt anyway because he also wants to find and save Ciri.
Geralt didn’t trust Cahir when he followed his group and would threaten to kill him every time he caught him. However, after saving Milva from a stampede at a migrant camp in Chotla, Milva sat and listened to Cahir. Milva started trusting Cahir, as did Geralt, after the incident when they learned that Cahir also had dreams of Ciri and that he was no longer loyal to Nilfgard.
Cahir, Milva, and Geralt eventually caught up with Leon Bonhart during the Assault on Stygga, where Cahir fought with Bonhart to give Ciri a chance to escape. Unfortunately, the seasoned bounty hunter defeated Cahir and killed him. However, there is no guarantee that Cahir will face the same fate in the show.
Is Cahir in love with Ciri?
Although he never gets the opportunity to express it, Cahir falls in love with Ciri from the time he saves her from the burning ruins of Cintra. He was loyal to Nilfgard at the time, and, as Fringilla noted, he wasn’t thinking for himself.
Cahir’s feelings for Ciri are the main reason why he turns on Nilfgard, choosing instead to follow Geralt and help Ciri fulfill her destiny. However, his feelings are never reciprocated his Ciri in the books because she never truly forgave him for his role in the sacking of Cintra.
Ciri spared Cahir in the show’s third season, but that wasn’t because she has a soft spot for him. She could feel sorry for him and grateful for his sacrifices, but there is no indication from her reaction in the show that she shares Cahir’s romantic attraction.
The show might allow Cahir to express his feelings to Ciri, although the most likely scenario is that he will die before he gets the chance to tell her how he feels. Cahir and Ciri don’t end up together in the books, so we highly doubt it will happen in the show.
