The Witcher 10 Differences Between The Netflix Show & The Books
The Witcher: 10 Differences Between The Netflix Show & The Books
Contents
Whenever anything is adapted, changes must be made. But what are the key differences between Netflix’s The Witcher and its source books.
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It would seem that The Witcher series has become the latest literary series to get the franchise treatment. Spanning multiple books and short stories, three critically acclaimed video games, and now a hit Netflix series, The Witcher is poised to become the next fantasy phenomenon. Just in time to fill the Game of Thrones shaped hole in viewers’ hearts.
As fans, new and old, dive in, they’ll naturally begin to examine the similarities and differences between all the adaptations of the story. Here are ten ways that The Witcher show differs from the book. Toss a coin to your Witcher, and let’s get started.
10 Eyck Of Denesle
Most viewers will probably remember this guy as the worst part of the episode Rare Species. He is arrogant, incompetent, and needlessly cruel; killing a creature that posed no threat to him just to try and look tough. When he ends up with his throat slit while relieving himself, not many people had much sympathy.
In the books, Eyck is pretty much the opposite of his character in the show. While still not a very nice person, he is shown to be a highly skilled hunter of monsters. He even bravely volunteers to fight the Golden Dragon, losing, but gaining the beasts respect.
9 The Reavers
Speaking of people who aren’t very nice, let’s talk about the band of mercenaries known as The Reavers from the same episode. These boys are good at killing dragons and sexual harassment. Their leader Boholt in particular verbally harasses Yennefer. Eventually, they push their luck past its breaking point and are killed in battle against Yen and Geralt.
In the books, they manage to go from bad to worse. At one point they knock out Yen, tie her up, and Boholt sexually assaults her. He and his men go on to loudly announce their plans to violate her, but she frees herself before they can. While Boholt and gang are still jerks in the show, they don’t cross the line into sexual assault.
8 Yennefer’s Past
As one of the show’s main characters, Yennefer gets a fair amount of screentime dedicated to her backstory. We see her go from an abused orphan to one of the most powerful members of The Brotherhood Of Sorcerers. This takes up much of the first few episodes, so fans might be surprised to learn that much of this isn’t shown in the books.
Yen’s past is mostly hinted at in the books. By the time we meet her in the books, she’s already a sorceress with a tumultuous history with Geralt.
7 The Sorceress Ritual
In the show, we learn that before a sorceress is sent off to court, her body is changed through a magic ritual. Even a deformed hunchback can be transformed into a stunning beauty. But this transformation comes at a gruesome cost; namely the surgical removal of the woman’s uterus.
The book version of this is not quite as graphic. While sorceresses are infertile, it is not because they have been physically sterilized. Why the show felt the need to include such a brutal change to the source material is unknown, but it does make for a harrowing watch.
6 Geralt And Yennefer
The Netflix adaption has the titular Witcher and the sorceress meet fairly late into the first season after Jaskier is badly injured. In the books, the two have met several times previously before their first onscreen meeting. They have in fact carried on a tempestuous romance with each other; coming together and breaking up in notoriously messy fights.
In the show, the pair only meet onscreen twice, though they seem to be keeping up the tradition of hooking up only to split up again by episodes end. Maybe they’ll have better luck in the next season.
5 Triss Merigold
Fans of the video games were no doubt delighted when the auburn-haired sorceress showed up in the third episode. She is, after all, a prominent part of those games plots. But those only familiar with the books might have been somewhat surprised to see her show up so early.
In the books, Triss is mentioned only as Yennefer’s good friend until she is introduced in the third book. The show has her meeting Geralt long before Yen does. This is probably owed to the character’s popularity in the games.
4 Queen Calanthe
The Lioness of Cintra, Queen Calanthe is the kind who leads from the front; unafraid to kick ass and take names. When Nilfgaard comes rocking up to her borders, she immediately leaps into action to try and stop them. Even in defeat, she still makes sure that her granddaughter Ciri escapes the city before it falls.
But while mostly noble, the show version of Calanthe is a bit more ruthless than her book counterpoint. She ordered a purge of anyone with elvish blood in her kingdom. In the books, she not only doesn’t do this but is actually of elvish blood herself.
3 Tissaia De Vries
Yennefer’s mentor in The Brotherhood of Sorcerers, and the one who plucked her from a miserable life of abuse to shape her into a powerful sorceress. While she does care for her students, she is also a cold and calculating politician. But this is exclusive to the television show.
In the books, De Vries despises politics and has nothing but scorn for the political games the other sorcerers play. She is also one of the nicest characters in the series. Very little of her book counterparts personality was given to her show counterpart it seems.
2 Vilgefortz
In the Netflix show, Vilgefortz is one of the few members of The Brotherhood of Sorcerers to realize the grave threat posed by Nilfgaard. Along with a handful of others, he participates in the defense of Sodden Hill. During the battle, he engages Cahir in battle but is ultimately defeated.
The books show Vilgefortz as far more of a force to be reckoned with than his Netflix counterpart. He is said to have acquitted himself well in the Battle of Sodden Hill and can match a Witcher in melee combat. Given that the show is still young, it’s possible that he could become more formidable later.
1 Sodden Hill
The Battle of Sodden Hill is a turning point in the history of The Witcher’s universe. It’s the decisive victory that ends Nilfgaard’s first invasion of the Northern Realms. The battle gets an entire episode dedicated to it in the television series and seems to end on a cliffhanger.
Which is a definite change from the books, where the battle is never shown? It is still held as a tremendously important event, and we hear of the mages’ noble deeds, but never see them firsthand.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/the-witcher-differences-netflix-show-books/
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