Quick Links
Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for The Witcher season 3 and the source materialKing Vizimir may think he’s ruling the roost in Netflix’s The Witcher season 3, but his closest allies are plotting an uprising of their own under his nose in the form of Sigismund Dijkstra and Philippa Eilhart.
While Geralt and Yennefer are attempting to hunt down Rience’s master and protect Ciri from the Continent-wide hunt, the conclusive entry to season 3, part 1, may have served up an unlikely alliance. Here’s everything you need to know about Sigismund Dijkstra.
Who Is Sigismund Dijkstra In The Witcher Season 3?
Introduced back in season 2, episode 4, titled Redanian Intelligence, Sigismund Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) was introduced as King Vizimir II’s (Ed Birch) advisor after he rescued him from two of his advisors who were attempting to kill him. Dijkstra later informed the king that the North had united in order to rally against the elves, but it would be in his best interest to conquer Cintra with Queen Calanthe (Jodhi May) out of the picture.
King Vizimir’s interest in capturing Ciri (Freya Allan) arose while he and Dijkstra considered their next move, coming to the conclusion that the princess would be a one-way ticket to claiming Cintra and putting Redania on the map as the most powerful kingdom in the Continent.
Season 3 of the adaptation sees Philippa (Cassie Clare) accompany Vizimir’s brother, Radovid (Hugh Skinner), in his search for Ciri since Dijkstra failed to capture the princess in season 2 and was therefore replaced in the search as punishment. After spending some time with the prince, Philippa convinces Dijkstra that he would make a good ally in their uprising–something that Vizimir has no knowledge of.
We’re also led to believe for a time that Dijkstra and Philippa are working with Rience (Sam Woolf) in his Destroyer of Worlds plan, but it’s later revealed that he’s aligned with Lydia and Nilfgaard instead. The final entry in season 3, part 1, sees Dijkstra and Philippa attend Yennefer’s (Anya Chalotra) Conclave under Vizimir’s orders, where they reveal the identity of Rience’s master and attempt to convince Geralt (Henry Cavill) that they should work together in order to protect Ciri.
Sigismund Dijkstra Was Not As Polished In The Source Material
Appearing in five of Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher books, with a mention in CD Projekt Red’s first two The Witcher video games, and an appearance in the third, Wild Hunt, and the spin-off Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, Dijkstra sports a very different appearance to the Netflix adaptation.
Introduced as the head of Redanian Intelligence, Dijkstra is a rather large man standing seven feet tall and described as being bald and having a large stomach which gives him the description of a pig. Combined with his brightly-colored, flamboyant dress sense, nobody suspected him of being a spy, and he boasted his intelligence gained through Oxenfurt Academy. King Vizimir II gave him the title of count for public appearances in order to hide the fact that he was a commoner.
In the source material, Dijkstra alerted Vizimir of Michael de Noailles’ tardiness relating to foreign infiltration and was subsequently brought on board as the Royal Security Assignee. Having moved to Oxenfurt and cleaned up the king’s forces with faithful recruits, Dijkstra began courting Philippa Eilhart, setting up a future of conspiring together. After overcoming the corrupt Nilfgaardian Military Intelligence, Dijkstra used Dandelion (Jaskier in the adaptation) as an informant to learn more about Geralt and Ciri’s position on the Continent for political gain before joining Philippa on Thanedd Island to help orchestrate the coup.
After King Vizimir’s assassination, Redania was ruled by a Regency Council helmed by Dijkstra and Philippa, and the former continued to keep eyes on Ciri’s whereabouts while also tracking where Vilgefortz’s hangouts were. After the Peace of Cintra, Dijkstra gained knowledge that the same assassins hired by Philippa that targeted Vizimir were also coming for him, forcing him to flee the country.
Meet Graham McTavish, Dijkstra’s Actor
Dijkstra is played by Scottish veteran actor Graham McTavish, who has served up a number of prolific roles in the fantasy genre amassing over 130 roles in film and television productions.
Although being born in Glasgow, Scotland, McTavish spent most of his earlier life in New Zealand, and after graduating with a degree in English literature, the actor went on to perform in plays within London’s West End and the Dundee Rep.
McTavish’s earlier roles included performances in Red Dwarf, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, the 2004 film King Arthur, and the television series Rome. The actor went on to star in the hit shows Lost and Prison Break and landed the role of Dwalin in all three of The Hobbit movies by Peter Jackson.
McTavish’s recent roles include a performance as Buck MacKenzie in Outlander, Ser Harrold Westerling in the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, and the voice of Dracula in Netflix’s Castlevania animation.
In addition to live-action performances, McTavish has done a number of voice acting roles for video games, including Johnny Blaze and Doctor Doom for Midnight Suns, Dr. Benjamin Church in Assassin’s Creed III, and Executor Krannus in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The actor also voiced Loki for a few Marvel projects and Sebastian Shaw in the television series Wolverine and the X-Men.
Your changes have been saved
You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.
Manage Your List