‘The Witcher’ Season 3 Finally Gives Jaskier a Boyfriend — But It’s Not Geralt

There are few things as delightful in life as when Jaskier (Joey Batey) pops up in The Witcher. Sure he may not be a monster-hunting mutant like Geralt (Henry Cavill) or a brilliant and beautiful sorceress like Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Cholatra). He doesn’t have a drop of elder blood like Ciri nor does he have a claim to any crown or throne. But to me, Jaskier is the MVP of Netflix‘s The Witcher because of the heart, humor, and humanity he brings to the otherwise impenetrable world. And in The Witcher Season 3, the Netflix show rewards him with a boyfriend. No, Jaskier doesn’t finally get with Geralt, but he does land himself a prince.

Jaskier’s crush on — and subsequent hook up with — Prince Radovid of Redania (Hugh Skinner) might have the makings of a doomed romance, but right now we’re just enjoying the ride. We loving seeing Jaskier in love, even if it’s not with Geralt…

The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 reunites Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri with old pal Jaskier fairly early on. They use Jaskier in a plot to use Ciri as bait and later the bard travels with Geralt to do some detective work tracking the evil fire mage Rience (Sam Woolf). While these adventures put Jaskier in considerable danger, he’s not truly knocked off his rhythm until he meets Radovid. Jaskier figures out that the Redanian prince isn’t the drunken lout he pretends to be. It’s a revelation that leads the prince to flirtatiously tell Jaskier that he now understands why his songs have such a hold on people.

“You see people for what they are, not what they pretend to be,” Radovid says before admitting there’s another bewitching part of Jaskier he hasn’t pinned down yet.

In the following episode, Jaskier’s on-and-off ladyfriend Vespula (Beau Holland) teases him about his crush on Radovid. “You like him,” she says. “I’ve cursed you for chasing tail of every kind. Men, women, dwarves, elves, polymorphous…but never have I ever seen you have a crush.” Jaskier is appalled and tells her, while beginning to bed her again, that he doesn’t have crushes, okay? He only has world-ending affairs.

In The Witcher Season 3 Episode 4 “The Invitation,” Jaskier and Radovid find themselves alone outside Aretuza. Well, after Radovid attempts to “knock” on Ciri’s tent only to be blown back by a protective forcefield which pulls the protective Jaskier outside. The two men share a tender conversation, bemoaning the fact that they’re pieces in a complex game of strategy and spycraft. And eventually, they kiss. And then the implication is they do more than kiss.

I was personally ecstatic to see Jaskier win at love for once, all while being aware that it’s possible that this romance is doomed. After all, Radovid has openly shared that he’s been charged with getting information from Jaskier. Their loyalties lie in opposing camps. (Moreover, Radovid is kind of a villain in the video games??) But for now, let’s enjoy Jaskier getting to have a boyfriend, even if it’s not Geralt.