Netflix’s foray into shows related to video game IPs has resulted in several beloved series.Arcane,Castlevania, andThe Witcherhave all been able to adapt franchises with large followings and deliver content that fans have enjoyed. As adaptations from other sources, however, they’ve each taken liberties with characters and events that don’t always fit snuggly into the canon that fans know. WhileArcanehas built up the backstories for characters like Vi and Jinx fromLeague of Legends,The Witcherhas taken its own path when it comes to interpreting the characters that are depicted in the novels and games.
The trail thatThe Witcheris blazing has often included canon events that happen in other media belonging toThe Witcherfranchise, but with changes here and there. Some alterations are minimal, but others are major, with consequences that aren’t likely to show up until later seasons. The most significant of these are often based around specific characters with some being defining moments inseason two ofThe Witcher.
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Yennefer in The Witcher
One of the first major changes that players ofThe Witchervideo game series will notice is with Yennefer. InThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Yen isn’t powerless as a result of the battle at Sodden Hill. In fact, throughoutThe Witcher 3, the Yen that players know is often more similar to her character in season one than the portrayal ofYennefer in season two ofThe Witcher.
The changes made to Yen are likely the result of a couple of things. The loss of Yen’s powers is what introduces her to the Deathless Mother, and puts her in the vulnerable position that she’s in throughout season two. While it deviates from the books and the way Yen is portrayed inThe Witcher 3, it also allows for the story that’s told in season two to progress more naturally.
Secondly, the path that Yen follows in season two reaffirms how Geralt will ultimately lose Yen, as foretold in season one. WhileYen and Triss are both romance options inThe Witcher 3, and Geralt can ultimately decide to stay with one of them, these specific relationships don’t seem to be heading that direction in the show. However, the journey that Yen and Ciri take could point to reconciliation and her becoming a mother figure later in the series.
Triss Merigold
The relationship that Triss Merigold and Geralt have inThe Witcheris drastically different than the one that is depicted inThe Witchergames. By the end ofThe Witcher 3, it’s possible for players to commitGeralt and Triss' relationship. While trying to choose both will ultimately leave Geralt single, either one has the potential to retire with Geralt at his warm villa in the southern region of Toussaint.
In the show, this doesn’t seem like it will be the case, as Geralt has consistently rebuked Triss when she approaches him. While Triss does still play a role inThe Witcherand finds herself at Kaer Morhen, as well as the battle of Sodden Hill, the romance that can bud between her and Geralt doesn’t seem to be taking root. This is another aspect that could change in future seasons if Geralt warms up to the sorceress following his falling out with Yen, but currently, there doesn’t seem to be a mutual attraction between the witcher and Triss.
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Eskel’s Fate in The Witcher
For some of the many fans part ofthe huge spike inThe Witcher 3players, the role that Eskel plays in the game might come as a surprise. For those being introduced to the games through the show, they might not expect to encounter Eskel late into Geralt’s story. However, in the games and books, Eskel is not only Geralt’s friend, but considered his equal in skill and experience.
Eskel also participates in defending Kaer Morhen from the Wild Hunt inThe Witcher 3, and takes up the responsibility of watching over the witchers’ home following the battle, which is part of what added to the surprise ofEskel’s shocking death inThe Witcher. His loss could also have other significant impacts down the line, as he was part of Ciri’s training alongside Triss, Yennefer, Geralt, and several other witchers from the show. While Eskel doesn’t play the largest of roles, his place (especially inThe Witcher 3) is important and helps to transition the witchers in the School of the Wolf from the old guard to the new guard.
The Deathless Mother
Quite possibly one ofthe biggest changes made in the second season ofThe Witcheris the antagonist. While there are many different forces at play in the world ofThe Witcher, and the political plotting has the potential to rival that ofGame of Thrones, the Deathless Mother is a new addition to the playing field. The demon is an ancient entity that was sealed away by the first witcher to be introduced on the continent.
Since then, Voleth Meir, the Deathless Mother, was in a kind of “out of sight, out of mind” situation. While she could influence some people, her strength was limited and she posed no real threat. Her growth in power in season two, however, saw Voleth Meir influencingthe elves inThe Witcher, and whispering into the ears of both Fringilla and Yennefer. By the end of the season, she has shown herself to be the big bad and is able to use Ciri to open a portal to her original home.
While she’s far away once again, her transition from the continent could be one that comes back to haunt the cast of main characters later on. If Voleth Meir is a demon as powerful as Gaunter O’Dimm fromThe Witcher 3’s Hearts of Stone DLC, then she could pose a serious threat. There’s also the possibility that given her final scene in the show she may already have a connection tothe Wild Hunt inThe Witcherand as such could lead them straight to Ciri.
If this is the case then the end of season two won’t be the last time that fans will see the Deathless Mother on screen and she could become a much larger problem when in league withEredin Breacc Glas and the Wild Hunt. Given the other changes made in the show so far and the significant threat both of these characters could pose in the future, it’s not impossible that season three could see Geralt and Ciri dealing with the consequences of such an alliance.
