watching the witcher on netflix woke me up to a new obsession. I played the game, read the books, and eagerly waited for season 2 to premiere on netflix. Now, after having seen the entire program, I have good news. the second season is great! in fact, it’s just as good as the first season, if not even better!
but does the witcher season 2 follow the books? about. Generally speaking, it is based on the plot of Blood of the Elves, the first novel in the Witcher series. however, much has changed in the film adaptation.
You are reading: How accurate is the witcher show to the books
[spoilers ahead]
netflix brings the characters back together
the witcher show works best when the main cast is together, joking around, in the case of daskier and geralt, or falling in love, in the case of yennefer and geralt. the only problem is that most of the first book in the series, Blood of the Elves, features the main characters completely separate from each other.
The show fixes that, allowing the main characters to meet once again much faster than the books allowed. Of course, some creative liberties with the source material were needed to make this happen. but the end result is much appreciated: more screen time for all the characters, and more time to watch them interact with each other.
ciri is less annoying than in the books
The really strong point of Netflix’s Witcher is that it seems to pull elements from the games and books that fans loved. One such item that was incorporated from the game and into the show’s version of the warlock universe is Ciri. in games, ciri is great. she’s tough, but she’s still kind and pretty much a normal girl. However, in the books, Ciri is quite annoying, uncool, and kind of a mischievous and weird troll. at least how she acts herself. the Ciri in the show is much more like the Ciri in the video game, though perhaps a bit more majestic.
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We’ll forgive her for that. she just stopped being a princess recently.
there are way more monsters in witcher season 2 than in the books
if you haven’t read the books, you might think the witcher universe is about… well… witchcraft. that being, kill monsters. in the books, however, the monsters are dying out. With humans increasingly becoming the dominant species on the continent, monsters are being pushed to the far reaches of the world. thus, sorcerers are not really the most demanded professionals. that’s why geralt is always down from a money perspective in the books.
In the program (as well as in the games), there are many monsters to fight. that makes sense. after all, players need a distraction while crossing the continent, and it would be pretty boring not to have monsters to fight. Likewise, having plenty of monsters for Geralt to fight on screen makes for good television.
the immortal mother is new to the wizard universe
On that note, one of the biggest monsters revealed in The Witcher Season 2 is the Immortal Mother, or Voleth Meir. plot-wise, this too is a huge departure from the books. the books do not feature this monster nor is he a major driving force for the story. she ciri is also not possessed by a monster and kills warlocks.
it seemed to me that the immortal mother was very similar to the ladies of the forest who play a vital role in the witcher 3 video game. others have pointed out that the basilisk legs on which her house rests are a direct reference to the creature from Slavic folklore, baba yaga.
yennefer doesn’t lose her magic
as stated above, yennefer is absent for most of the blood elves. She also doesn’t lose her magic, nor does she decide to betray Ciri to get her back. However, what the show takes from the books is the bond that develops between Ciri and Yennefer. Yennefer’s ultimate sacrifice in the show’s finale illustrates just how strong the new bond between her and Ciri has become.
the wild hunt and the jumps between worlds
In the books, we don’t see the wild hunt nor do we see the ciri portal between worlds until much later. The Wild Hunt is a major antagonist in the Witcher 3 video game and plays a major role in the final Witcher novel. perhaps the show will feature them and their leader, eredin, more prominently in future seasons.
eskel doesn’t die
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Without a doubt, the most surprising thing to come out of Season 2 still has fans talking. Eskell the warlock dies after being infected by a leshy and turning into a monster.
This doesn’t happen in the books or the video games. as to why they killed eskel? From a symbolic point of view, Eskel’s death reflects the event that will happen at the end of the season: Ciri’s possession by another monster. By showing Geralt’s willingness to kill Eskel and his unwillingness to kill Ciri, we can discern how important Ciri is to him. more than a brother. actually more important than anything else.
At the same time, by killing off a relatively important character from the books, the writers send us a clear message: in their version of the world, no one is safe.
so what did the show get from the books?
The general plot is still from the books. Geralt finds Ciri, and seeks an education in magic for her. Also, Triss comes to Kaer Morhen to help Ciri, and a mysterious wizard tries to kidnap Ciri. and of course ciri is the daughter of fate/prophecy.
Ultimately, I think the changes the show makes to the story are good changes. i like that the main cast spend more screen time together than they are allowed in the book, and i like that there are more monsters for geralt to kill.
netflix made positive changes to the show since the first season
Also, some of the changes made to existing elements of the show from Season 1 to Season 2 were successful. For example, Geralt uses a lot more magic, casting witcher signs that will be familiar to video game fans. The show also makes some positive edits to mimic the game, such as revising Ciri’s appearance and changing Triss’s hair to red. after all, the video game is as beloved as the books, and the show is pretty much an adaptation of both sources. Might as well do them both justice!
Lastly, one major update to the main character is that he actually talks more this season. Known for his growls and his reticence in the first season, Caville felt it was important to add more layers to our favorite monster hunter. Not only does this help make Geralt more believable as a hero, but it also makes him a closer adaptation to the books. Geralt is relatively free with his thoughts, and largely imparts his philosophies and worldview to Ciri, such as when he speaks to her about the importance of remaining neutral.
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