The Witcher is a fantasy drama television series created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich for Netflix. It is based on the book series written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The show is set in a made-up land called the Continent, which looks like medieval times. It tells the story of Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Princess Ciri. The series features Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth as Geralt, along with Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan.
The first season, which has eight episodes, was released on Netflix on December 20, 2019. Henry Cavill played the main role. This season was based on The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, which are short stories that come before the main series. The second season, also with eight episodes and based on the novel Blood of Elves, was released on December 17, 2021. The third season, which has eight episodes and is based on the novel Time of Contempt, was released in two parts on June 29 and July 27, 2023. Liam Hemsworth took over the role of Geralt of Rivia in the fourth season, which is based on the novel Baptism of Fire. This season, with eight episodes, was released on October 30, 2025. In April 2024, the series was renewed for its fifth and final season.
An animated movie called Nightmare of the Wolf was released on August 23, 2021. A prequel miniseries, Blood Origin, was released on December 25, 2022. A second animated film, Sirens of the Deep, was released on February 11, 2025. A feature-length special, The Rats: A Witcher Tale, was released on October 30, 2025.
Synopsis
The story starts by introducing three characters: Geralt of Rivia, Crown Princess Cirilla of Cintra, and Yennefer of Vengerberg, a sorceress who is one-quarter elf. Each character’s journey is shown through important events that help shape their personalities during the first season. These separate stories eventually come together into one timeline.
Geralt and Ciri are connected by destiny even before Ciri was born. Geralt unknowingly asked for Ciri as a reward for his work by using a rule called "the Law of Surprise." When Geralt and Ciri finally meet, he becomes her protector. His job is to help her and fight against people who want to harm her. He must stop others from using her special power, called Elder Blood, for bad purposes. His goal is to keep Ciri and the world safe.
Episodes
The first season is inspired by The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. A website that includes timelines for the show and detailed summaries of events was created by Netflix.
The second season is based on A Grain of Truth from The Last Wish, Blood of Elves, and the beginning of Time of Contempt.
The third season is based on Time of Contempt and includes information from Blood of Elves and parts of Baptism of Fire.
The fourth season is based on the remaining parts of Baptism of Fire and The Tower of the Swallow.
The episodes of the fifth season were written by:
Production
Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher book series was first planned to be made into a single Netflix movie. However, Kelly Luegenbiehl, who works at Netflix, suggested this was not the best idea. She asked, "How can you turn eight books into one film? There is so much story here." After many discussions, the producers decided to create a TV series instead. In May 2017, Netflix began making an English-language drama series based on the books.
In December 2017, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich was chosen to lead the show. In April 2018, she said the first episode's script was finished and that the first season would have eight episodes. In 2017, Sapkowski was reported to be helping with the show, but in January 2018, he said he would not be directly involved. Later that year, he met with Schmidt Hissrich, and in May 2018, she said he was part of the creative team. In August 2018, Andrew Laws was named the production designer. In December 2018, directors Alik Sakharov and Charlotte Brändström joined the project. Schmidt Hissrich said the show would follow Sapkowski's books closely but would change parts to fit TV storytelling. For example, the first season used a timeline that jumped between different times to introduce characters like Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri. The first season used Sapkowski's short story collections, The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, to build the world and characters before moving into the main story.
In November 2019, Netflix announced a second season, called "Mysterious Monsters," with filming starting in London in early 2020. It was planned to release in 2021. In April 2021, Netflix's leader, Ted Sarandos, said the second season would begin in the fourth quarter of 2021. In July 2021, it was announced the second season would premiere on December 17, 2021. In September 2021, Netflix said the series would return for a third season. In April 2023, it was announced the third season would be split into two parts, released on June 29 and July 27, 2023. In April 2024, Netflix renewed the series for a fifth and final season while filming the fourth season.
Because the main series was successful, Netflix made an animated movie, Nightmare of the Wolf (2021), about a character named Vesemir, and a live-action prequel series, Blood Origin (2022), set over a thousand years before Geralt's time.
The first season used a non-linear story, showing events out of order. Schmidt Hissrich said this was inspired by Christopher Nolan's movie Dunkirk (2017). She explained that Yennefer's story covers about 70 years, while Ciri's story covers only about two weeks. She said Yennefer and Ciri were given more attention to help viewers understand their stories. By showing their pasts and Geralt's, the series explores themes of family and people who are alone but need others.
Schmidt Hissrich said the second season would build on the first, with more character interactions. She said the story is about Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer forming a family. She added that understanding their family backgrounds, like Geralt's witcher brothers, would be important.
In September 2018, Netflix announced Henry Cavill would play Geralt of Rivia. He was chosen from over 200 actors. Cavill campaigned for the role because he liked The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt video game. He read the books after being cast. In October 2018, Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra were cast as Princess Cirilla and Yennefer of Vengerberg. Other actors joined later that month.
In February 2020, Kim Bodnia was cast as Vesemir, Geralt's mentor. Other actors added in 2020 included Kristofer Hivju, Yasen Atour, and others. In September 2020, Basil Eidenbenz replaced an actor in the role of Eskel. In November 2020, Rebecca Hanssen was cast as Queen Meve.
In March 2021, Kevin Doyle was cast as Ba'Lian, a character not in the books. Other actors joined in 2021, including Cassie Clare, Adjoa Andoh, and others.
In April 2022, Robbie Amell, Meng'er Zhang, Hugh Skinner, and Christelle Elwin joined the third season. In July 2022, Michalina Olszańska, Ryan Hayes, and others were added.
In October 2022, Liam Hemsworth was announced to replace Henry Cavill as Geralt starting in the fourth season. In January 2024, Laurence Fishburne was cast as Regis. Other actors joining the fourth season included Sharlto Copley, James Purefoy, and others.
The series' casting director is Sophie Holland.
In April 2018, Schmidt Hissrich said the show would be filmed in Central and Eastern Europe.
Principal photography for the first season began on October 31, 2018, in Hungary. Much of the series was filmed at Mafilm Studios near Budapest. The exterior of wizard Stregobor's house was filmed on a set in Hungary. The hall in Cintra was built at Origo Studios near Budapest. Fort Monostor and nearby forests were used for scenes in Cintra. The Battle of Marnadal was filmed in the hills of Csákberény, Hungary. Yennefer's home was filmed at Skanzen Village Museum near Szentendre, Hungary. The exterior of Vizima, a fictional castle, used the real castle Burg Kreuzenstein in Austria, but the inside scenes were filmed at Origo Studios.
In March 2019, filming began on Gran Canaria, Spain. Scenes were also planned for La Palma and La Gomera. The Sorcerers' Aretuza Academy, including the Tower of the Gull, was filmed on Roque de Santo Domingo, an islet in Garafía, Spain. The interiors, like the graduation ball, were filmed at the Kiscelli Museum in Óbuda, Hungary, which was once a monastery. This location was also used for scenes with the Northern Mages.
Marketing
Netflix showed the first preview of the series at San Diego Comic-Con on July 19, 2019. Henry Cavill and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich presented this preview. They used large billboards in major cities, merchandise with the show's logo, and interactive activities like a special photo experience to promote the series. The first full preview was shown at Lucca Comics & Games on October 31, 2019. Netflix released the final preview on December 12, 2019. On October 29, 2021, Netflix shared the official preview for season 2. For season 3, promotional materials showing Henry Cavill were used to create an emotional connection because it was his last season in the show.
Release
In April 2019, Ted Sarandos from Netflix told investors during a meeting that the series would begin in late 2019. The series began on December 20, 2019. The second season began on December 17, 2021. The third season was released in two parts, with the first five episodes beginning on June 29 and the last three episodes on July 27, 2023. The fourth season began on October 30, 2025.
On August 26, 2020, a behind-the-scenes video about the first season of the show called Making The Witcher was released on Netflix. On September 2, 2020, a behind-the-scenes series titled The Witcher: A Look Inside the Episodes began on Netflix.
When the second season was released, Netflix also released Making The Witcher: Season 2, The Witcher Bestiary Season 1, Part 1, The Witcher Bestiary Season 1, Part 2, The Characters of the Continent, and The Witcher: Fireplace on December 17, 2021.
On July 27, 2023, along with the premiere of the second part of the third season, Netflix released a behind-the-scenes special titled Making The Witcher: Season 3.
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes collected 91 reviews of the first season and found that 68% of them were positive, with an average rating of 6.26 out of 10. The website’s critics’ consensus states: "Although the world of The Witcher sometimes feels incomplete, Henry Cavill brings strong charm to a series filled with unusual fantasy elements and dark humor." Metacritic calculated an average score of 54 out of 100 based on reviews from 17 critics, which means the reviews were mixed or average.
In a positive review, Erik Kain of Forbes wrote, "If you are looking for an original dark fantasy with horror, some nudity, and lots of blood and monsters, this is the show for you." James Whitbrook of io9 wrote, "If you are willing to watch the slow beginning, The Witcher gradually becomes a fun and bloody fantasy story." In contrast, Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly gave the first season an F rating, writing, "My destiny is to never watch this borefest again." Franich faced criticism for saying he only watched the first, second, and fifth episodes. Raisa Bruner of Time gave a positive review, stating, "Each episode gets stronger as the season progresses, and the show finally satisfies the fantasy fans." Scott Bryan of the BBC criticized the show for relying too much on the game and for not adapting the novels well. William Hughes of The A.V. Club wrote a positive review, saying, "Although the show is not perfect, it improves with each episode and has a lot of potential for growth."
The author of The Witcher, Andrzej Sapkowski, praised Henry Cavill’s performance, saying, "He is a real professional, just like Viggo Mortensen was for Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings." Sapkowski also said, "I hope the show gives viewers something meaningful and exciting." Tom Long of The Detroit News praised the show’s action and performances, giving it a B rating. Matthew Aguilar of ComicBook.com gave the show a 4 out of 5, saying, "The show brings the story’s rich characters, clever dialogue, and stylish action to life in a way that fans of the books and games will enjoy." Daniel D’Addario was more negative, writing, "The show has moments of drama and violence, but the humor often feels out of place in its world."
The second season received mostly positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 95% approval rating with an average of 7.9 out of 10, based on 62 reviews. The website’s consensus says, "The Witcher’s second season improves on its first in many ways and remains a lot of fun." Metacritic gave it an average score of 69 out of 100, meaning the reviews were mostly favorable.
Sheena Scott of Forbes wrote, "The bond between characters is a key theme, and it may be tested in the next season." Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter said the second season was an improvement, though not perfect. Roxana Hadadi of Vulture noted that while the show explores relationships well, it sometimes uses overused fantasy ideas. Leigh Butler said the second season was better than the first, with stronger themes and performances. James Whitbrook of io9 said the season focused more on character development, making the world feel more detailed. Nick Schager criticized the show for using too much fantasy jargon, while Allison Keene of Paste praised the season for focusing on the relationship between Ciri and Geralt. Carly Lane of Collider said the second season was more consistent and better at what works.
For the third season, Rotten Tomatoes reports a 79% approval rating with an average of 7.1 out of 10, based on 47 reviews. The website’s consensus says, "With Henry Cavill’s strong performance, The Witcher’s third season ends the story of Geralt of Rivia in a satisfying way." Metacritic gave it an average score of 71 out of 100 for the first five episodes and 65 out of 100 for the last three, both indicating mostly favorable reviews.
For the fourth season, Rotten Tomatoes reports a 59% approval rating based on 27 reviews. The website’s consensus says, "While Geralt of Rivia has a new actor, The Witcher feels less exciting in its fourth season, which sets up the ending without being as fun as before." Metacritic gave it an average score of 59 out of 100, meaning the reviews were mixed or average.
According to Parrot Analytics, The Witcher was the third most "in demand" original streaming series in the U.S. when it first aired, behind others.
Spin-offs
In January 2020, Netflix announced an animated movie called The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, which tells the story of Geralt's mentor and fellow witcher, Vesemir. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Beau DeMayo worked on the film, and it was produced by Studio Mir. The movie was released on August 23, 2021.
On September 25, 2021, Netflix announced a second animated movie. In November 2023, the movie was named The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep and is based on the short story "A Little Sacrifice" from Sword of Destiny. Studio Mir will produce the film, which will be written by series writers Mike Ostrowski and Rae Benjamin, produced by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and directed by Kang Hei Chul, who worked as a storyboard artist on Nightmare of the Wolf. The movie was released on February 11, 2025.
A special movie titled The Rats: A Witcher Tale was released with the fourth season of The Witcher on October 30, 2025. The story follows a young gang of street criminals who attempt a dangerous heist before meeting Ciri during their first appearance in the third season. Freya Allan and Sharlto Copley return to play the Rats, and Dolph Lundgren portrays the character Brehen.
In July 2020, Netflix announced a live-action prequel TV series called The Witcher: Blood Origin. Set 1200 years before Geralt's time, the series shows the origins of the witchers. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich developed the prequel as an executive producer, and Declan de Barra was the showrunner. Michelle Yeoh and Sophia Brown joined the cast in July 2021. Filming began in August 2021 in the United Kingdom, with Lenny Henry, Mirren Mack, Nathaniel Curtis, Dylan Moran, Jacob Collins-Levy, Lizzie Annis, Huw Novelli, Francesca Mills, Amy Murray, Zach Wyatt, Minnie Driver, Aidan O'Callaghan, and Mark Rowley also in the cast. The series premiered on December 25, 2022, and has four episodes.