Netflix’s The Witcher differs from the video games in many ways, chiefly because the series is based more heavily on the short stories and books rather than CD Projekt Red’s RPG trilogy. The Witcher season one establishes its main characters - Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Ciri - and dives into their back stories and general philosophies to help illustrate the ways they complement and clash with one another.
Netflix’s The Witcher is pretty adamant about how much reverence should be paid to its source material, too. It’s not often that the show strays from its source material in season one and, when it does, it does so with a clear purpose in mind that still sets up plot threads that fans of the books will identify as major narrative beats for the upcoming second season of The Witcher. The video games, on the other hand, are able to be more liberal with the source material due to the different needs of the medium. As a result, fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will find little they recognize easily in Netflix’s The Witcher.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of differences between Netflix’s The Witcher and CD Projekt Red’s video games. Obviously there are a slew of ways that these two properties differ, but the major ones will be the points of contention for fans and the biggest sources of confusion, so those are the ones we’ll be focusing on in this article. Be warned: there are definitely SPOILERS present for both Netflix’s The Witcher and CD Projekt Red’s Witcher games.
Geralt is Younger in Netflix’s The Witcher
Netflix’s The Witcher starts near the beginning of Geralt’s journey as a witcher - or, at least, much closer to the beginning than the games do. Viewers get to see Geralt actually earn the title of the Butcher of Blaviken in the show’s first episode, “The End’s Beginning,” whereas fans of the CD Projekt Red games begin the trilogy with that title already a major part of Geralt’s character. Geralt is much younger than his Wild Hunt counterpart especially, who has already journeyed to try to find Ciri a second time after he believes she is in danger and being chased by the Wild Hunt.
To emphasize the difference, Henry Cavill’s depiction of Geralt of Rivia is also missing the scar that is such an iconic part of the way Geralt is portrayed in the video games. Whether or not he earns that scar over the course of Netflix’s The Witcher remains to be seen but, if he does, it will more closely unify the timelines of the two properties.
Dandelion’s Name is Different in Netflix’s The Witcher
The bard fans came to know and love as Dandelion while playing through The Witcher trilogy has a different name in Netflix’s series. Julian Alfred Pankratz, known to Geralt and viewers as Jaskier, is the version of Dandelion that exists in the show. Though his name has changed, however, he’s largely the same character in every other way, from his mannerisms to his habit of narrating Geralt’s adventures to him and then abroad after they’ve happened. As is the case with Geralt, Jaskier is also younger in Netflix’s The Witcher than his counterpart Dandelion in CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher trilogy.
Geralt’s Magic is a Lot Less Versatile
In Netflix’s The Witcher, Geralt employs several different magical spells to get him out of tight spots. While he is able to use the magic he puts on display quite effectively, it’s altogether a much more muted representation of witcher signs. In The Witcher games, Geralt’s magic is much more potent and offers a much larger variety of uses throughout the narrative. Axii, a popular choice in the games as a method of cutting through difficult dialogue checks and persuading villagers by ensnaring their minds, is non-existent in Netflix’s The Witcher season one. Igni, the spell Geralt most frequently uses to aid in the slaying of monsters during the game’s quests, also is suspiciously absent. Instead, Geralt’s magic in Netflix’s The Witcher is a lot more vague, with Aard, a powerful spell that pushes out an unseen concussive force, and Yrden, a spell that reinforces areas or lays traps, getting the most play.
Why Does Geralt Only Have One Sword in Netflix’s The Witcher?
This is perhaps the biggest change for fans of the video games, who are used to Geralt carrying both a steel and silver sword on his back throughout his journey. Steel swords are used by witchers on natural enemies while silver is more effective against the supernatural, often burning their skin on contact. In Netflix’s The Witcher, however, Geralt is only seen with one sword.
That change is actually one that’s more consistent with the books, though. Geralt really only has room to carry one sword on his back without realistically hindering his mobility more, and as a result he often leaves the sword he believes he doesn’t need with Roach during his adventures in Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels. In the video games, not having access to both swords at all times would have been abysmal, as enemies litter the landscape and retreating back to Roach would have been time-consuming. For CD Projekt Red, the change makes sense, but fans of the video games might have been caught wondering why Geralt only has one sword when he’s usually so prepared.
There Are Less Monsters in Netflix’s The Witcher
The world of The Witcher is one that has many monsters - just not as many as CD Projekt Red’s games would indicate, where it’s impossible to go too far into any unpopulated area without finding areas teeming with them. Witchers and monsters are dying out in the world of the books, and it’s that world that sees Geralt trying to make a living in the Netflix series. There’s a reason he’s often met with ridicule when he suggests a specific kind of monster could be the cause of a town’s problem, or why adventurers claiming to have slain monsters can’t even get the number of legs they have right - there just aren’t that many of them. For the video games, though, it would be odd if Geralt barely ever fought anything, so populations seem larger to help keep fans engaged.
Biggest Similarities Between Netflix’s The Witcher and CD Projekt Red’s Video Games
The absolute biggest similarity between Netflix’s The Witcher and the video games is Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt’s character. In the video games, Geralt is gruff and doesn’t speak much unless necessary, which is how many fans have come to know him. In the books, however, it’s actually quite the opposite - Geralt will often jump into exposition unprompted and is more willing to share his thoughts and philosophies with those he believes might listen. Netflix’s The Witcher is a series that tasks fans with paying attention to smaller clues to uncover how characters are feeling without having them explicitly state it, and that’s never more obvious than in the way Geralt converses with his companions.
The other major similarity is the swordplay. Geralt’s swordsmanship in the games is one of the most visually appealing elements that CD Projekt Red breathes life into over the narrative, but in the books, Geralt isn’t always so flashy. A lot of monster killing is preparation and execution, while the grittiness of humanity’s wars and conflicts doesn’t leave a lot of room for eye-popping pirouettes. Thankfully, Netflix’s The Witcher leans heavier into the artistic representation of Geralt’s combat that made the video games so exciting even for those who were viewing them without playing.
Next: What To Expect From The Witcher Season 2
