They’re regarded as useful freaks who live nomadic lives. Many monsters are the result of curses that come from normal people acting monstrous, and while curses can be lifted, witchers and sorceresses cannot undo what was done to them. This is a big source of tension in Witcher stories, which are largely about societal outcasts. But The Witcher is also concerned with sorceresses, who, like witchers, undergo arduous trials to become what they are. Yup! Witchers are able to use basic magic - simple stuff comparable to the Force from Star Wars. So you’ve got monsters like vampires and werewolves, but also folkloric stuff like faeries and grumpkins, as well as less familiar creatures drawn from Slavic myth. Right! What makes the world of The Witcher interesting is that the Continent is full of your standard fantasy peoples - elves and dwarves and such - but some time long ago, an event called the Conjunction of Spheres brought its world into contact with other worlds where creatures of myth lived. So there’s a continent and there’s monsters? Look, if you thought your continent was the only one, would you name it? The Witcher takes place on a continent called … the Continent. If you haven’t tried playing the games, you should: Most of Cavill’s acting choices will make much more sense once you’ve seen that version of the character. One of the main elements taken straight from the games is Henry Cavill’s performance - specifically his voice, which is heavily inspired by voice actor Doug Cockle’s take on Geralt. Quite similar, since both the show and the games are clearly made by people who revere the source material. The most successful and famous adaptation, however, is The Witcher trilogy of video games by the studio CD Projekt Red. Geralt’s print adventures are very popular in Poland - there have been comics, a TV show, movie, and tabletop role-playing game all based on Sapkowski’s work. I’m not! The Witcher is based on a series of books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Turning into a witcher is a grueling process called the Trial of the Grasses, and only about a third of those who undergo it survive. Witchers are once-normal humans who got mutated by a combination of medieval science and magic, which made them superhuman (more Captain America than Superman) and able to take potions too toxic for normal people. Why are witchers rare? Can I be a witcher? Despite the fact that other witchers are out there, generally speaking, The Witcher almost exclusively deals with the adventures of Geralt of Rivia and the people he encounters. An early episode begins with Geralt hunting a monster that killed another witcher, and you will hear Geralt mention someone named Vesemir at one point - that’s the name of the witcher who trained him. Yes! Witchers are rare, but Geralt is not the only one. Wow, we’re really starting at the beginning, huh? A witcher is a monster hunter for hire.

Witcher walkthrough