Everything You Need to Know Before ‘The Witcher’

Get ready for Netflix to become a whole lot more epic. This December marks the premiere of The Witcher, Netflix’s long-awaited adaptation of the beloved Polish fantasy series.

Created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, The Witcher tells the story of a lone monster hunter for hire whose world is turned upside down when he is confronted with destiny. It’s a twisting story with a lot of action sequences that are sure to leave you gasping. Wondering what you need to know ahead of the premiere of The Witcher on Netflix? We have you covered.

How Many Episodes Will The Witcher Have?

The first season of The Witcher will be composed of eight episodes. But don’t worry; there’s more of Geralt on the way. Netflix has already announced that the series has been renewed for a Season 2.

What Is Netflix’s Witcher Based on? Is It Based Off the Witcher III Video Game?

Series creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has been very clear on this point. The Witcher TV series will be based off of the fantasy novels by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. Though stylistically the Netflix show seems to take some of its cues from the award-winning video game, its plot and character development will be derived from the books.

But if you’re a diehard fan of Witcher III looking for a TV adaptation of your obsession, you’ll still be happy. As far as video games go, the Witcher series is a fairly loyal adaptation of Sapkowski’s original novels, which means another loyal adaptation won’t change things too much. Also there’s a good chance you’ll be experiencing a story you never seen before. Witcher III: Wild Hunt takes place after the events of the Witcher saga when Geralt is looking for his missing adopted daughter Ciri. Conversely, The Witcher TV series will be adapting the first books in Sapkowski’s series.

Want a jump start on all things Witcher? Here’s your guide to the saga in order:

• Sword of Destiny
• The Last Wish
• Blood of Elves
• Time of Contempt
• Baptism of Fire
• The Tower of the Swallow
• The Lady of the Lake

What’s The Witcher About?

Set in a medieval sort of world filled with monsters and magic, the series revolves around the adventures of Geralt of Rivia. Geralt is a a trained witcher, better known as a monster hunter for hire who has vowed to remain politically impartial. But that resolve is challenged when he finds himself bound by destiny to Princess Ciri of Cintra. Together Geralt and the love of his life, a fierce sorceress named Yennefer with a dark past, must try to protect this child and in the process alter the course of destiny itself, as well as a continent on the brink of war.

What Is a Witcher?

It’s easiest to think of a witcher as a profession rather than a proper title. Prospective witchers are taken away at an early age to train at Kaer Morhen, the stronghold for the Wolf School Witchers. There they learn to fight, the histories and distinguishing features of a countless array of monsters, and the most important rule of being a witcher: to stay impartial. Witchers consider themselves bound to slay monsters, not hired help to interfere in politics.

Up until the events of the Witcher saga, all witchers are male and all undergo a gruesome mutation that increases their senses and ability to withstand powerful magic. But this mutation also has the effect of numbing their emotions. Many people throughout the Continent believe that witchers are incapable of feeling anything at all. Adding to their negative reputation, most civilians consider witchers to be less of a specialized profession and more like a corrupt, unfeeling assassin for hire. At the beginning of the Witcher saga, witchers are not popular. And with the amount of monsters throughout the Continent on the decline, they’re also becoming less and less necessary.

Who Is Geralt?

Geralt of Rivia, better known as the White Wolf, is the protagonist of this story. Shortly after his birth Geralt’s mother Visenna sent him away to Kaer Morhen to be trained as a witcher. Though he’s known as being from the kingdom of Rivia, that wasn’t where Geralt’s family was from. Witchers are often encouraged to lie about their surnames to maintain an air of mystery.

Incredibly powerful, Geralt sticks to his own code of honor. Unlike other witchers, he has a more strict definition of what a monster is and refuses to be paid to kill any sentient being. At the beginning of the Witcher saga Geralt is determined to stay impartial to the growing threat of the Nilfgaardian Empire and the civil war brewing between the humans and the elves. But his lack of commitment won’t last for long. He is played in The Witcher series by Henry Cavill.

Who Is Yennefer?

An incredibly powerful sorceress, Yennefer is far older than she appears. Though she maintains the form of a young woman in her late 20s to early 30s, she is more than a century old. Yennefer is known for her extreme beauty and is often characterized as smelling of lilac and gooseberries.

As is the case with most sorceresses in this world, Yennefer had a traumatic childhood. Though little is known about Yennefer’s past, the Witcher saga reveals that at one point she was deformed and had a hunchback. In the universe of this story, young girls who are not seen as desirable enough to be married and who show the gift of magic become sorceresses. Though they are in love with each other, Geralt and Yennefer have an increasingly complicated relationship. She also acts as a mother figure to Princess Ciri. She is played in The Witcher series by Anya Chalotra.

Who Is Ciri?

The princess of the kingdom of Cintra, young Ciri is the granddaughter of Queen Calanthe, the Lioness of Cintra. But thanks to a brewing war among the Continent, her peaceful life quickly takes a turn for the traumatic.

Marked by destiny, Ciri is told to find the witcher Geralt. Her quest to find him and what happens next is what fuels this saga. She is played in The Witcher series by Freya Allan.

What Is the Continent?

This is where the Witcher saga takes place. Divided into several kingdoms and composed of several different environments, the Continent used to be ruled by elves until humans invaded. Over time the humans pushed the elves into the woods, but they still suffered from the monsters that plagued the Continent. That’s where the monster-hunting witchers came in.

At the beginning of the Witcher saga, the Continent is in a precarious place. The elves, long confined to their kingdoms in the woods, are growing uneasy. And the invasive Nilfgaardian Empire is only too happy to harness that growing resentment and turn it against its enemies.

Are the Elves Good or Evil?

Sadly, the story of the elves is one as old as time. They were the original inhabitants of a land that was invaded by human colonists. As the Witcher saga begins, the elves are starting to become more restless and more willing to fight against the humans who once stole their home.

The short version? Elves are neither good nor bad in the Witcher saga. Some elves have adapted to human-run kingdoms and live in peace with man. Others are part of guerrilla militias that are attempting to reclaim their homes from the humans who took it from them in the first place. But as is the case with any good political story, it’s complicated.

Who Is the Enemy in This Series?

If there is one big bad in The Witcher, it would be the Nilfgaardian Empire. Placed in the Southern part of the Continent, The Empire, as it’s commonly called, wants only one thing: to expand. It’s fiercely hated by those in the North. It’s because of The Empire’s quest to rule all of the Continent that this series erupts into civil war.

Watch The Witcher on Netflix December 20