The Continent of The Witcher is populated by elves, dryads, dwarves, halflings, humans, witchers, monsters and mages — and all of them are fighting for power. Keep track of the key players with this guide to the world of The Witcher, which returns for Season 3 starting on June 29.

Henry Cavill

Geralt’s a witcher by occupation — a mutant warrior who hunts monsters for money — but he’s also a father thanks to the destiny that brings him together with his young ward, Princess Cirilla (aka Ciri) of Cintra. Now he’s dedicated to keeping her safe, training her in the ways of being a witcher and entrusting her care to the woman he loves, Yennefer of Vengerberg. In Season 3, Geralt is reunited with Yen and Ciri and willing to do anything to protect his found family.

“It’s quite lovely to see that underneath this cynical, acerbic, walls-up kind of nature is actually a very loving core,” Cavill told Tudum in May. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s all-American hero Superman, whom Cavill played in the DC movies beginning in 2013. The British actor’s other massive action hits include Mission: Impossible — Fallout and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., though you might recognize him from The Tudors or as famous detective Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes movies.

You can follow Cavill on Facebook and Instagram.

Anya Chalotra

Yennefer survived a childhood of neglect to become the most powerful sorceress ever produced by the magical academy of Aretuza. Once she crosses paths with Geralt, the mage’s priorities change. She’s drawn not only to Geralt, her true love, but to the opportunity to train young Ciri — someone who reminds her much of herself at that age. “These feelings towards [Ciri] are deep and strong, and come as a surprise,” Chalotra told Tudum of how Yen embraces motherhood. “She went into this relationship for herself, and in it found a purpose beyond anything she’s set her heart on before. She cares deeply about something bigger than herself for the first time.” First, however, she must repair her relationship with her own mother figure, Tissaia.

Chalotra’s pre-Witcher credits include the Netflix relationship drama series Wanderlust, alongside Toni Collette, and the Agatha Christie mini-series The ABC Murders.

You can follow Chalotra on Instagram.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Freya Allan

The heir to the Cintran throne narrowly escapes with her life when the power-hungry Nilfgaard captures her country. Ciri is the prophesied Child of Elder Blood, whose untapped magical powers are supposed to save Elfkind, which makes her a target of every faction on the Continent — including her father Emhyr (Bart Edwards), who just happens to be the emperor of Nilfgaard. Geralt and Yennefer strive to protect Ciri by taking her under their wing and training her. 

Even with the guidance of her two parental mentors, Ciri still has several obstacles to overcome. “Ciri does want to be able to learn magic,” Allan told Tudum. “She’s [just] beginning to get frustrated because she feels hopeless at it. She doubts herself in every way.” 

The Witcher is Allan’s first major project. She can next be seen in the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

You can follow Allan on Instagram.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Joey Batey

Geralt has the bard Jaskier to thank for the song that haunts him every time he walks into a tavern. (How many times can he hear “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” before he punches someone in the face?) But thanks to their nomadic lifestyles, the two become friends and, by Season 3, chosen family. Jaskier becomes a sort of uncle to Ciri and is invested in helping Geralt and Yen protect her. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the man who was helping refugee elves escape Redania safely under the alias “the Sandpiper” also gets drawn further into the war brewing on the Continent.   

“He’s certainly a man of many trades, but I’m not sure he’s inherently built to be a spy,” Batey told Tudum in May. “Yet he’s found himself in a time of war, in turmoil and is trying to do his best to do something good.” 

British TV veteran Batey can be seen in costume dramas and crime dramas, including Knightfall, C.B. Strike and The White Queen. And let’s not forget his memorable appearance in prequel series The Witcher: Blood Origin.

You can follow Batey on Instagram.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

MyAnna Buring 

The strict disciplinarian headmistress of Aretuza Academy, Tissaia is an expert in magic and a great judge of character and potential — so it isn’t surprising that she was willing to mentor Yennefer when no one else would. Though she can be ruthless, she cares deeply about the mages who survive her training. A member of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, she and her lover, Vilgefortz, hope to start a new era for the organization.

The Witcher isn’t Buring’s first foray into genre entertainment — she’s appeared in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and even voiced a character in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Blood and Wine video game. She’s also known for her TV work, including Downton Abbey, Ripper Street, In the Dark, One Night and The Salisbury Poisonings.

You can follow Buring on Twitter and Instagram.

Mahesh Jadu

Handsome, tall and mysterious, Vilgefortz is a charismatic mage with a military history. Together with Tissaia, his partner in love and politics, he’s trying to steer the Brotherhood in a new direction.

Like many of his fellow Australian actors, Jadu got his start on the soap opera Neighbours before making a name in films including I, Frankenstein and The Lovers and the series Marco Polo.

You can follow Jadu on Instagram.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Anna Shaffer

An ally of Geralt’s who’s saved his life more than once, Triss is one of the Continent’s leading botany experts and knows all about healing and magic-involving plants. She, too, takes Ciri under her wing and harbors romantic feelings for Geralt, though they’re unreciprocated.

Shaffer is best known for playing the lovestruck witch Romilda Vane in the Harry Potter series and for portraying Ruby Button for three-plus years on British soap Hollyoaks.

You can follow Shaffer on Twitter and Instagram.

Royce Pierreson

Istredd and Yennefer fell in love with each other as young mages in training but grew apart over the years. While Istredd still holds a flame for his former love, his main focus is on researching the monoliths. 

Pierreson’s résumé includes the Netflix dramas Wanderlust and The Irregulars, plus Line of Duty, Our Girl and more British TV.

You can follow Pierreson on Instagram.

Lars Mikkelsen

While Stregobor is respected as a powerful old mage, he’s also prejudiced with some extremely outdated (read: racist and misogynistic) ideas. Like, for example, that women shouldn’t be trusted to use magic or that elves shouldn’t exist. He’s a staunch believer in the Curse of the Black Sun, the apocalyptic eclipse that foretold the return of Lilit.

Danish actor Mikkelsen starred in the original version of The Killing (Forbrydelsen) and many other series and films in his homeland. His international credits include House of Cards, Borgen, Devils and Sherlock.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Eamon Farren

The ruthlessly ambitious Nilfgaardian soldier was the mastermind behind the attack on Cintra, with his primary objective to capture Ciri. His loyalties will be tested as he continues his quest for power.

Catch Australian actor Farren in the based-on-a-true-story film The Dig and in the 2017 series Twin Peaks: The Return.

You can follow Farren on Instagram.

Mimî M. Khayisa

The outcast sorceress, who was one of the best students in her class at Aretuza, was assigned to Nilfgaard, where she made a name for herself as powerful and unforgiving. She led the Nilfgaardian troops to war and forged an alliance with Francesca only to find herself betrayed once again by the emperor of Nilfgaard, also known as the White Flame.

Catch Khayisa on the big screen in the 2015 Disney live-action remake of Cinderella (her first major on-screen credit), The Legend of Tarzan and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, plus British TV series including Mr. Selfridge, Doctor Who, Rellik and Black Earth Rising.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Mecia Simson

Elf leader Francesca will do anything to protect her kind — even if that means aligning with her enemies. She forges an alliance with Fringilla, but after losing her newborn baby, she’s out for justice.

Simson not only won Britain’s Next Top Model in 2009, but the British actor has also appeared in the series Brave New World.

You can follow Simson on Instagram.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Cassie Clare

Shapeshifter Philippa is a powerful sorcerer and, more importantly, a masterful political manipulator. A trusted adviser to King Vizimir with her partner in crime Sigismund Dijkstra, Philippa has an agenda of her own and could command a room with a single look.

Most recently, Clare can be seen in episodes of The Sandman, The Irregulars, Grace and Brave New World.

You can follow Clare on Instagram.

Graham McTavish

As the head of Redanian Intelligence, Dijkstra has eyes everywhere on the Continent. He’s King Vizimir’s most trusted adviser, and information is his greatest weapon.

It’s hard to pin down where you’ve seen Scottish actor McTavish before. As Dougal MacKenzie in Outlander? Dwalin in The Hobbit trilogy? Father Kinley in Lucifer? Or maybe it was in Rambo or Creed or Aquaman or any of the other blockbusters he’s been a part of. He’s the voice of Dracula in Castlevania, and has voiced characters in Call of Duty, Uncharted and other major video game franchises.

You can follow McTavish on Twitter and Instagram.

Robbie Amell

Gallatin is the leader of an army of guerilla Scoia’tael elves fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard. Though he’s a member of Francesca’s ranks, he’s unafraid to speak his truth and clashes with his leader over power.

While Amell has several film credits under his belt, including The Babysitter, The DUFF and When We First Met, he’s made a name for himself in TV as a superhero in The Flash and in series including Upload, The Tomorrow People and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

You can follow Amell on Twitter and Instagram.

Meng’er Zhang

Fierce and deadly hunter Milva is a human adopted by the dryads of the Brokilon Forest. Her archery skills are unparalleled, and combined with her aptitude for survival, she’s a formidable adversary anywhere on the Continent.

Zhang’s international debut came as the fierce Xialing in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but she has years of theater experience under her belt in her native China.

You can follow Zhang on Instagram.

Hugh Skinner

Some might call the Redanian prince a carefree playboy, while others might call him hedonistic and overprivileged. Nevertheless, the brother of King Vizimir might surprise everyone with how incisive he can be in matters of politics. 

If you’re a movie musical connoisseur, you’ve definitely seen Skinner in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. The theater actor, whose stage credits include American Psycho and The Cherry Orchard, has appeared on screen in series including Fleabag, Poldark, W1A and The Windsors.

Christelle Elwin

Mistle is a member of the outlaw band known as The Rats, a group of misfit teenagers who steal from the rich and give to themselves. She’s suspicious of everyone until a chance encounter changes everything.

Elwin’s pre-Witcher credits include episodes of Bloods, Half Bad: The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself and Death in Paradise. 

You can follow Elwin on Twitter and Instagram.

Cal Watson

A trusted Redanian servant and lady’s maid in King Vizimir’s household, Eva has a connection with Philippa.

Most recently on London’s West End in As You Like It, Watson has appeared on- screen in episodes of The Peripheral, EastEnders, Britannia and Holby City.

You can follow Watson on Twitter and Instagram.

The Witcher Season 3, Volume 1 TrailerChaos is coming.