The Witcher: Which season or spinoff is most faithful to the books?

As a longtime fan of The Witcher series, I must say that the third season truly stood out for me. Coming from someone who has spent countless hours immersed in Sapkowski’s rich and intricate world, I can confidently say that this season was by far the most faithful adaptation yet.

Currently, Netflix is heavily engaged in the production process for the fourth season of their supernatural fantasy series “The Witcher”. With Liam Hemsworth stepping into the role of Geralt of Rivia after Henry Cavill’s departure, as revealed in recent interviews with the actor, it appears that filming will be wrapping up shortly. As the project moves into post-production and we approach its anticipated release date in 2025, we can expect a steady flow of updates about “The Witcher” season 4.

After hearing so much about The Witcher from Hemsworth lately, it’s made me reflect on the series as a whole, including its highs and lows. In terms of adaptations, The Witcher is unique because it’s based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series and short stories, but also aims to honor the hugely popular video games by CD Projekt Red, which can be seen as a type of fan-made sequel to Sapkowski’s work. In western countries like the U.S., many fans might be more familiar with the games than the original books, leading to differing expectations.

From a gamer’s perspective, over the years, “The Witcher” show has earned a reputation for making some significant departures from Andrzej Sapkowski’s original writings. As someone who’s followed the series since its inception, I can’t help but wonder about the show’s loyalty to or deviations from the source material. With four seasons under our belt and two spinoffs – the live-action limited series “The Witcher: Blood Origin” and the animated film “The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf”, I can’t wait for season 4! Let’s rewind and evaluate how each has handled the source material, from the least faithful to the most dedicated adaptations. Here’s my take on it…

5. The Witcher: Blood Origin

Among all parts of the “The Witcher” franchise, it’s most likely that “The Witcher: Blood Origin” would be placed lowest on a list based on its adherence to the books. This Netflix prequel is set millennia before the familiar “Witcher” tale, narrating the story of the Conjunction of Spheres – an event where different worlds intersected, expelling monsters, elves, and humans from their original realms onto the Continent. This event is a significant aspect of “The Witcher’s” lore, serving as the backstory for why the Continent has its current appearance and requires the presence of witchers.

It appears that “Blood Origin” isn’t directly tied to the Conjunction of Spheres event as you might expect from the series. Instead, it’s more akin to a film like “Seven Samurai,” where a diverse band of warriors unite to overthrow a corrupt elven empire and a malevolent sorcerer at its core. This storyline is entirely original and not derived from any existing source material.

As an ardent admirer of The Witcher franchise, I can’t help but feel that The Witcher: Blood Origin seems like an attempt to create a new fantasy series and leverage the popular Witcher name for greater viewership. Despite the limited knowledge we have about the Conjunction of Spheres from the books or games, Blood Origin appears to diverge significantly even from this scant information. For instance, it bypasses the formation of the Aen Seidhe and Aen Elle factions of elves, which are crucial in the established lore, and instead embarks on a journey all its own. Furthermore, it introduces the concept of a “protowitcher” created by elves, a notion that contradicts the origin of witchers as depicted in the books, where they were specifically developed on the Continent after the Conjunction of Spheres to combat the surge of monsters.

If you’re looking for a light-hearted viewing experience that could potentially pair well with a game, “The Witcher: Blood Origin” might suit your needs. However, when it comes to staying true to the source material, it has several areas for improvement.

4. The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf

Moving forward, our next point on the list is the animated film “Nightmare of the Wolf,” a spinoff from the popular series “The Witcher.” Notably, this animation outperforms the second season of the main “Witcher” show, but it remains less true to the source material compared to the deviations in “The Witcher” season 2.

In “Nightmare of the Wolf,” I find myself immersed in the story of Vesemir, a significant figure who served as mentor to Geralt of Rivia and the oldest witcher residing at Kaer Morhen when the books take place. Although he’s only briefly mentioned in Sapkowski’s novels, his influence on Geralt is palpable. In the games, however, Vesemir truly shines, becoming a beloved iconic character in his own right.

The animated movie “Nightmare of the Wolf” offered an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into Vesemir’s backstory as it is not extensively covered in the books. This allowed Netflix to craft a more nuanced and engaging young Vesemir. To a large extent, “Nightmare of the Wolf” achieved its goal; Vesemir emerges as an entertaining character within this film, although he shares some similarities with the witty characters prevalent in Netflix’s other popular animated series, “Castlevania”.

The issue with “The Nightmare of the Wolf” arises when it deals with the uprising against the witchers at Kaer Morhen, a critical event in the Witcher lore. In this storyline, an enraged peasant mob, instigated by some cunning sorcerers, attacks and nearly wipes out all the existing witchers. However, in “The Nightmare of the Wolf,” there are discrepancies regarding this incident; unlike in the books, the witchers do not lose their ability to produce more witchers during the uprising, Geralt and his companions Lambert and Eskel aren’t all present, and Vesemir is not the only senior witcher who survives.

In ‘The Nightmare of the Wolf,’ the crucial flaw lies in the explanation for the initial outbreak of violence, which is a stark departure from its portrayal in the books and games. These sources frame this tragic event as a warning against xenophobia and the fear of what we don’t understand, showing how it can fuel immense violence. In this story, the peasants view witchers as monstrous themselves, both creating and killing monsters, leading them to unleash their fears in a massacre. The specifics are intentionally left ambiguous because they have been lost to time, but Sapkowski consistently emphasizes that many common beliefs about witchers are incorrect, setting the stage for misguided judgments against them. This massacre aligns perfectly with this central theme.

Instead of portraying Nightmare of the Wolf as a justification for the pogrom, one could argue that it reveals the dark side of some witchers who manipulated the situation for their own gain. These power-hungry witchers created monsters to maintain their relevance and instill fear among the people, thus causing widespread destruction across the countryside.

3. The Witcher season 2

In essence, the reason why The Witcher season 2 doesn’t rank lower than Nightmare of the Wolf is due to its incorporation of some familiar scenes from Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, most notably the first episode which adapts the short story “A Grain of Truth.” Although the adaptation differs somewhat in the series, it remains close enough that it effectively represents a solid interpretation of this renowned short story.

To put it simply, the second season of The Witcher seems to deviate significantly from the book series. It appears to be loosely adapted from Blood of Elves, which is the initial novel in the Witcher series written by Sapkowski. This novel, in particular, shows some growing pains as Sapkowski adjusted to the longer narrative format after years of writing short fiction. In my view, Blood of Elves is considered one of the weaker entries in The Witcher series due to its uneven pacing and transition from one storytelling style to another.

In summary, “Blood of Elves” contains several significant elements such as the Shaerrawedd scene (seen in The Witcher season 3), Geralt’s initial meetings with Dijkstra and Philippa Eilhart, and a dramatic fight against mercenaries in Oxenfurt. Conversely, The Witcher season 2 discards most of these events and significantly alters the remaining ones to create a completely distinct narrative from the book. It introduces numerous new storylines, particularly at Kaer Morhen, where characters like Eskel are killed off (he survives in the books) and the witchers engage in a battle against a creature resembling the Baba Yaga called Voleth Meir.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that in contrast to the novels, The Witcher season 2 strips Yennefer of her powers. This narrative choice seems to indicate that the showrunners may have struggled to develop Yennefer’s character for this season since she appears near the end of the novel Blood of Elves. The portrayal of Yennefer in this season feels more like the writers stalling until they can utilize more captivating material from future books, which unfortunately did not resonate effectively.

In the second season of “The Witcher,” there are several references to the original books, like Geralt and Ciri’s visit to the Temple of Melitele where they encounter Nenneke. However, when it comes to following the book’s storylines or character developments, season 2 mostly deviated to carve its own path. This departure is quite apparent and seems to have impacted the overall quality of the series.

2. The Witcher season 1

The inaugural season of “The Witcher” stands out as it was crafted from a series of short stories instead of a typical novel. By drawing upon significant narratives from Andrzej Sapkowski’s works, “The Last Wish” and “Sword of Destiny,” the first season of “The Witcher” set the stage for the world of the Continent on television screens and introduced us to characters such as Geralt of Rivia, Princess Ciri, and Yennefer of Vengerberg.

As a gamer, I must say that The Witcher season 1 truly stands the test of time, and a significant reason for this is its exceptional adaptation of those intricate short stories. Battles like the one at Blaviken, the spine-chilling Striga hunt, the grand ball in Cintra where Geralt plays a pivotal role in reuniting Ciri’s parents, only to inadvertently claim her as his ‘Child of Surprise’…these are key moments that lay the groundwork for the series, and season 1 hits them out of the park. Not only does it deliver, but it also manages the series’ tone remarkably well; The Witcher season 1 has a slightly increased emphasis on horror compared to some later installments, which I find quite engaging.

As for how closely the series adheres to the books’ narratives, it’s fair to say that the tales involving Geralt are generally quite faithful. However, when it comes to characters like Ciri and Yennefer, the show takes some unexpected turns. Ciri doesn’t become a central figure until the latter parts of Sword of Destiny, but the series has broadened her role substantially, with much of this additional material tending to be less memorable. The show also made an error in the short story where Ciri is first introduced and encounters Geralt for the first time in Brokilon Forest, as they never actually cross paths there at all.

In season 1 of “The Witcher,” one engaging challenge lies in how the series expands upon elements that are merely hinted at in Sapkowski’s books. For instance, in the novels, Geralt discovers Yennefer was a hunchback before her transformation into a sorceress. The show dedicates two entire episodes to Yennefer as a hunchback and subsequent episodes focusing on her desire for motherhood. While these events are present in the books, the show’s focus on them seems to shift the balance of power between Geralt and Yennefer. Throughout the series, Geralt appears calm and composed as a witcher, while viewers witness Yennefer’s emotionally charged backstory, much of which was created specifically for the show.

In certain instances, simplicity can carry greater impact. This principle applies aptly to the climactic battle at Sodden Hill, a moment initially depicted offscreen in the short stories. The series transforms this event into a full-fledged onscreen spectacle, yet the emotional punch of the original, where Geralt discovers a memorial honoring the fallen mages – among them, Yennefer, who he assumes is gone forever – is significantly diminished. Although the second season reintroduced elements of that scene, the initial impact had already been lost.

As a devoted fan, I must admit that The Witcher’s first season had its highs and lows. It mirrored the original story in certain aspects, yet strayed from the intended message in others, often going so far off track that it feels like a distant cousin to the books at times. However, when it remained faithful, it did so quite effectively. For instance, the portrayal of Doppler, a symbol of xenophobia in the novels, was not handled as subtly as it should have been, with the show suggesting that they were justified in their fear rather than exploring the complexities and nuances inherent in the source material.

1. The Witcher season 3

In a refreshing turn of events, The Witcher’s third season marked a significant leap forward, showcasing improvements over its past shortcomings. This season was particularly remarkable as it brought to life one of the series’ most cherished novels, The Time of Contempt, and presented nearly the entire narrative, albeit with some alterations here and there.

In intriguing fashion, by the time season 3 of The Witcher premiered, it was public knowledge that Henry Cavill was departing. This revelation sparked a wave of criticism from the more vocal segments of fans even before the series’ release. This unusual response led to articles like the one in Forbes, which imaginatively envisioned an alternate scenario where Cavill shared showrunner duties and the series adhered more closely to the books…yet still criticized several elements of the season that were true to the source material. Regardless of whether season 3 remained true to its roots or not, viewers seemed eager to express their disapproval.

It’s truly unfortunate, given that this season was not just exceptional but incredibly faithful to the source material, particularly “The Time of Contempt.” This novel focuses primarily on the coup at Thanedd Isle led by mages, a key event in the series. The story begins with several chapters leading up to the coup, followed by the coup itself, and concludes with a few chapters detailing Ciri’s desert journey and Geralt’s recovery at Brokilon. The show not only adapted these events but also incorporated elements from “Blood of Elves” that were left out in season 2, such as the battle at Shaerawedd and Geralt’s trap for Rience.

Absolutely, Season 3 of The Witcher did bring some significant changes. The way the coup unfolds is drastically different, and characters like Francesca Findabair, Yennefer, and Rience have altered fates. Unlike previous seasons that introduced entirely new plotlines which deviated from the books’ spirit or diminished the series’ quality, Season 3 seems to be more focused on subtly adjusting existing details to better fit the adapted storyline. While The Witcher Season 3 certainly introduces fresh elements – for instance, Geralt doesn’t battle any monsters in The Time of Contempt as per the books – these additions appear to serve the purpose of enhancing the overall narrative rather than diverging from it. Even when things get unusual, such as Cahir’s invented storyline where he murders his elven friend Gallatin to win favor with Emperor Emhyr, these departures feel more justifiable.

The story flows seamlessly due to numerous passages directly lifted from the original book. For instance, Ciri’s desert journey is remarkably true to the source material in Netflix’s series. The fight scene between Geralt and Vilgefortz of Roggeveen mimics specific choreography straight from the text. Moreover, Geralt’s conversation with characters like Codringher and Fenn echoes Sapkowski’s original dialogue. These instances are numerous, clearly demonstrating the series’ fidelity to the source material when viewed as a whole.

In simpler terms, Season 3 of The Witcher closely follows the main events from the book “The Time of Contempt,” and adds additional content to create a more comprehensive TV series. This is quite different from some of the deviations seen in earlier seasons. We’re not discussing significant changes to the overall structure here, but rather focusing on how Season 3 most accurately represents the franchise as a whole, earning it the title of the most faithful season or spinoff within the franchise.

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2024-10-19 00:42