The Witcher sets out to destroy all monsters in full trailer for Season 2 on Netflix

The wait is almost over. Nearly two years after it debuted and quickly became one of Netflix's biggest genre hits, The Witcher is about to make its triumphant return with a bigger, bolder, and darker second season. All the pieces that were put in place by the end of Season 1 are now primed for new adventures, and after months of teasers, the full trailer for Season 2 is here to remind us what Geralt of Rivia already knows: The only way out is to destroy all monsters. 

Much of the show's first season was focused on the interlinked narratives of Geralt (Henry Cavill) and Ciri (Freya Allan), the crown princess of Cintra whose magical gifts pointed toward a destiny that was parallel to the witcher's own struggles. Despite their obviously intertwined fates, the two didn't actually meet until the very end of the season, setting the stage for not just getting to know each other, but getting to know why events conspired to put them together, and what they should do about it. Knowing that Ciri's gifts make her a target for all manner of dark forces out in the world, including the Nilfgaardian forces that overrran her home in Season 1, Geralt decides to take Ciri to the safest place he can think of: Kaer Morhen, where he was raised, and where he learned to fight monsters. 

Meanwhile, Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) is still out there, having survived the battle that Geralt was certain had killed her, and it looks like she's still trying to come to grips with her place in the great imperial struggle on the Continent. And then, of course, there's Jaskier (Joey Batey), everyone's favorite Bard, who's had a rough go of it since separating from Geralt, but we might just get the happy reunion we're dreaming of. Check it all out in the trailer below:

Though Season 1 established itself through multiple timelines and intertwining narratives unfolding over a span of years, we can apparently expect quite a bit less time-hopping for Season 2, as the characters get to know each other after all that time on the path to meeting in the first season. As the trailer suggests, a lot of the focus will be on Geralt and Ciri as characters like Yennefer and Jaskier get back on their own paths after the climactic events of Season 1, but of course, we're also not just following pre-existing characters at this point.

In addition to a load of new monsters like the ones glimpsed in the trailer, Season 2 will also feature several new cast members, including Adjoa Andoh as Melitele priestess Nenneke, Cassie Claire as Phillippa Eilhart, Graham McTavish as Dijkstra, and Kristopher Hivju as Nivellen, among many more. Plus, the show's already been renewed for Season 3, so you know the story's only going to get bigger.

The Witcher returns December 17 on Netflix.