Does Tissaia de Vries die in The Witcher books?

The Witcher season 3 volume 2 is out today on Netflix, bringing the most explosive chapter of the show yet to an epic close. Quite a lot happens in the final three episodes of season 3, from Henry Cavill’s final performance as Geralt of Rivia to a bloody coup on the Isle of Thanedd and a journey through the desert for Ciri.

These last three episodes rack up quite a body count. By far one of the most shocking deaths comes in the finale. We’re going to get into it, but heed our warning that MAJOR SPOILERS lie ahead.

Does Tissaia die in The Witcher books?

Following the coup on Thanedd, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers lies in ruin and the remaining mages are left to pick up the pieces. Among them is Tissaia de Vries (MyAnna Buring), one of the most powerful mages at Aretuza and a leader of their order. Tissaia featured in a huge way in the battle, unleashing the last resort spell Alzur’s Thunder to eradicate the Scoia’tael.

For Tissaia, the events at Aretuza were devastating. Building this institution was her life’s work. She was also in a relationship with Vilgefortz of Roggeveen (Mahesh Jadu), who revealed he had faked his feelings for her in order to further his own ends. She watched as friends and comrades were killed, some of whom she’d known for literally hundreds of years.

All of this takes a toll. After finding Vilgefortz’s hidden laboratory at the castle of Vulipanne and bringing home the corpses of the missing novices who were slain there, Tissaia ultimately decides to take her own life. She leaves a note for Yennefer, calling back to a magic lesson they shared in season 1. “Sometimes the best thing a flower can do for us is die.”

It was a tragic end for Tissaia. It was also extremely accurate to the book. In Andrzej Sapkowski’s novel The Time of Contempt, Tissaia takes her life right after the coup at Thanedd. The show added an extra emotional layer by having Tissaia be involved with Vilgefortz, but in both versions, she commits suicide after the coup.

All eight episodes of The Witcher season 3 are streaming now on Netflix.

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