Dijkstra & Redania's Plan, Future & Roles In The Witcher Explained
Daniel Davis 
The Witcher’s Dijkstra is the spymaster of Redania and primary advisor of King Vizimir II, and both have big plans for the Continent in season 3.
Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for The Witcher.
The Witcher season 2 introduces both Dijkstra and the kingdom of Redania as one of the main players in the Northern Wars against Nilfgaard. While King Vizimir II (Ed Birch) is Redania’s official ruler, the spymaster Sigismund Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and the shape-shifting court mage Philippa Eilhart (Cassie Clare) are the ones who are actually pulling the strings. As the head of Redanian Intelligence, Dijkstra’s primary job is to protect the interests of Redania’s people and its king – at least, on paper.
Dijkstra, Vizimir, and Philippa first appear in The Witcher season 2, episode 4, “Redanian Intelligence,” wherein Dijkstra kills a traitor that tries to poison Vizimir and tells the king about his plans for how Redania can conquer Cintra. Later, Dijkstra and Philippa recruit the elven refugee Dara (Wilson Mbomio) to spy on Cintra for Redania, which is how they quickly find out about the events in Nilfgaard-occupied Cintra. In the ending of The Witcher season 2, Philippa, who appears throughout the series as an owl, finally reveals her human form, and then tells Dijkstra that the word is out about Ciri’s (Freya Allan) true nature. Dijkstra then reveals that Jaskier’s (Joey Batey) benefactor is actually Redania, and that it’s time for the bard to become useful to their plans.
The Witcher season 3 will soon reveal what Dijkstra and Philippa have in store for both Ciri and Cintra. While the Redanian spies were minor characters in The Witcher season 2, they’re undoubtedly bound for larger roles in the next season. Here’s a closer look at the Redanians who are about to make life even more complicated for Ciri and Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill).
Who Is Dijkstra, Really?
Apart from how Dijkstra can throw a knife with lethal precision and manipulate people into doing what he needs done, not much else is revealed about Dijkstra in The Witcher. Although Dijkstra’s diplomatic attire is the medieval fantasy equivalent of a suit or tuxedo, the character’s colorful and intimidating look is the exact opposite of how a spymaster in the shadows is expected to dress. In the games, Dijkstra was a minor spy who rises in Redania’s ranks when he assists in the elimination of foreign intelligence in the kingdom. Despite what Dijkstra’s position and presence might suggest, he actually comes from humble beginnings. In fact, when Vizimir promoted Dijkstra as the head of Redanian Intelligence, the king conferred him with the fake title of a count, in order to hide the fact that Dijkstra is actually a commoner.
Moreover, Dijkstra and the sorceress Philippa are actually lovers and partners in crime. However, while Dijkstra is the one who pulls Vizimir’s strings, Philippa in turn has Dijkstra in the palm of her hand. Although Dijkstra is often viewed as an antagonist, he and Geralt end up working together in the games, which could be a clue about what might happen in The Witcher season 3.
Redania's Role In The Witcher Season 2 & Beyond
Redania shares common enemies with Ciri and Geralt: The White Flame himself and the warmongering kingdom of Nilfgaard. That being said, apart from defending the Northern Kingdoms from the Nilfgaardian onslaught, The Witcher season 2 reveals that Redania also plans to takeover Cintra. As Dijkstra explains, the death of Queen Calanthe (Jodhi May) in The Witcher season 1 means that the coveted kingdom is vulnerable to being invaded. Considering how Redanian Intelligence seems to have eyes on everyone, including Geralt and Ciri by way of Jaskier the bard, Dijkstra and Philippa might just pull off taking over Cintra in Vizimir’s name. While the Northern Kingdoms’ kings and mages debate on the best course of action against the invading forces of Nilfgaard, Redania works quietly in the background, slowly but surely trying to slice off a piece of the pie that’s bigger than everyone else’s. While the Wild Hunt sees Ciri as the Daughter of Chaos, the harbinger of the end of worlds, Redania sees Ciri as the rightful heir of Cintra – a political tool for Redania to attain greater power and glory.
What Happens To Redania In The Witcher Books & Games
Netflix’s The Witcher occurs prior to the events in the Witcher books and games, which can serve as clues to the next steps of the main political players in the series. After the Northern Kingdoms successfully drive away Nilfgaard’s forces, tensions escalate between Redania and its neighboring rival kingdom of Temeria. This results in a trade war that involves the neighboring kingdoms and their allies blocking the import of goods from the other side. It’s around this time when Dijkstra attempts to use Ciri as a political tool, earning the ire of Geralt in the process. While Redania is a wealthy country, it also lacks the resources and the manufacturing capabilities to produce essential goods. Redania’s massive wealth is by way of trade with different kingdoms, horse husbandry, and the export of agricultural products. In fact, Redania’s massive wheat fields are a familiar sight for anyone who has played the Witcher video games.
During the second Northern War with Nilfgaard, King Vizimir II gets assassinated. Although Vizimir’s murder is never really solved, it’s implied that Philippa is behind his death. Radovid V, who is next in line to become the King of Redania, is too young to take the throne. As a result, the country gets ruled by the Regency Council, which is led by the head of Redanian Intelligence, Sigismund Dijkstra. When Radovid V comes of age, he eventually sits on the Redanian throne as king. However, Radovid often feels undermined when his advisers look for Philippa’s nod when they’re making major political decisions. Even though Philippa rules Redania in Radovid’s name, Radovid the Stern eventually becomes well-known for being a strategic and brilliant albeit polarizing leader. While Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer face the horsemen of the Wild Hunt, Redania sets its sights on not just Cintra, but on any other opportunities made available by the political and magical turmoil in the Continent.
The Witcher season 3 might just include the assassination of Redania’s King Vizimir at Philippa’s orders and Dijkstra’s takeover of Redania. On the other hand, the series is known for making big changes to the source material, which means that Redania might get more involved in Ciri’s affairs. Either way, Dijkstra - and the Redanian Intelligence - are bound to find a way to surprise viewers in The Witcher season 3.
