150 Fun Facts About The Witcher

Which Polish author created The Witcher?

He was a 38-year-old travelling fur salesman with an economics degree when he wrote the first story.

What place did the original 1986 'Witcher' short story take in the Fantastyka magazine competition?

Sapkowski believed it was the best entry, but jurors thought fantasy was for children.

What is Geralt's home region, as in his full name?

Rivia is one of the Northern Kingdoms, paired with Lyria.

What name does Geralt give to every horse he owns?

In Polish it is Płotka, literally the fish.

What does 'Gwynbleidd', Geralt's Elder Speech nickname, mean?

He is also known, less flatteringly, as the Butcher of Blaviken.

Ciri is the princess of which kingdom?

Her grandmother is Queen Calanthe, the Lioness of Cintra.

What does Ciri's Elder Speech name, Zireael, mean?

It is why the fourth novel is called The Tower of the Swallow.

Yennefer is a sorceress from which city?

She first appeared in the short story 'The Last Wish', which gave its name to the collection.

Why did Sapkowski say he created Yennefer?

He was bored and disgusted by fantasy heroes who slept with anyone they wanted.

The bard Dandelion's Polish name, Jaskier, refers to which flower?

The Netflix series kept the Polish name for the character.

What was the first novel of The Witcher Saga, published in 1994?

It won Best Novel at the first David Gemmell Awards in the UK in 2009.

Which novel closes the five-book Saga, published in 1999?

Season of Storms (2013) and Crossroads of Ravens (2024) are both prequels.

Which Witcher book was published in 2024, showing Geralt fresh out of training?

It is the ninth book in the series and a prequel to everything else.

What is the name of the witcher school where Geralt trained?

The Wolf medallion he wears is its symbol.

Which empire dominates the south of the Continent?

The Saga is set after the first great war between Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms.

What magical event brought monsters, werewolves and vampires into the world?

Humans themselves arrived only about 500 years before the stories.

Which real languages is Elder Speech based on?

Sapkowski wanted it readable without footnotes.

Sapkowski coined the Polish title word as the male form of which word?

An earlier English translation rendered it as 'hexer', and Michael Kandel tried 'spellmaker'.

What was the title of the poorly received 2001 Polish film and 2002 TV adaptation?

Asked about them, Sapkowski said he could answer 'only with a single word, an obscene, albeit a short one'.

Which studio makes The Witcher video games?

Sapkowski had no involvement and let the studio write an entirely new story with his characters.

What is the subtitle of the second game, released in 2011?

Rise of the White Wolf was a cancelled console remake of the first game.

Who is Ciri fleeing from in The Witcher 3?

Their leader's lieutenant Imlerith kills Vesemir at Kaer Morhen.

How many possible endings does The Witcher 3 have, counting the state of the world?

Three main endings depend on Ciri, but 36 world states are possible.

What is the card game played in taverns throughout The Witcher 3?

A drinking game and knife-throwing were considered before the developers settled on it.

What was the second expansion for The Witcher 3, set in the vineyard duchy of Toussaint?

It won Best RPG at The Game Awards 2016; Hearts of Stone came first, in October 2015.

Who is the immortal antagonist Geralt deals with in Hearts of Stone?

He is bound up with the mysterious Man of Glass.

Which ensemble performed the score of The Witcher 3?

The music was mainly composed by Marcin Przybyłowicz.

Which actor voices Geralt in the English versions of the games?

He also voices Geralt in the 2025 animated film Sirens of the Deep and as a guest in Soulcalibur VI.

Roughly how many copies had The Witcher 3 sold by May 2026?

That makes it one of the best-selling video games of all time.

What did Sapkowski demand from the game studio in an open letter in 2018?

He had originally sold the game rights for a lump sum, and Metro 2033 author Dmitry Glukhovsky called him 'an old fool'.

Which sorceress from The Witcher 2 appeared on the cover of Polish Playboy in May 2011?

She also appeared in a live-model calendar for the game in Russia.

Who created the Netflix series?

She also produced the animated films and developed the prequel Blood Origin.

Which actor took over as Geralt from season four?

Netflix announced the change in October 2022.

Who plays Yennefer in the Netflix series?

Freya Allan plays Ciri.

What is the viral song Jaskier sings in episode two of season one?

It was written by composers Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli and sung by Joey Batey.

Which books was the first season based on?

Season two moved on to Blood of Elves.

Where did principal photography for the first season begin in October 2018?

Much of it was shot at Mafilm Studios near Budapest, with the Canary Islands standing in for Aretuza.

Which Danish actor played the elder witcher Vesemir in season two?

Lars Mikkelsen plays the mage Stregobor; Peter Mullan took over Vesemir as a guest in season four.

Which Oscar winner starred in the prequel series Blood Origin?

The series is set 1,200 years before Geralt and shows how the first witcher was made.

What is the 2021 animated film about a young Vesemir called?

Theo James voices Vesemir in it, as he did in a season-one cameo.

Who plays Brehan in The Rats: A Witcher Tale, the 2025 special?

Laurence Fishburne joined season four as the vampire Regis.

What did Sapkowski's home city of Łódź rename a small park in 2018?

A 2,000-square-metre mural of Geralt on a Łódź skyscraper followed in 2021, the largest in Poland.

Which of these is a real Northern Kingdom on the Continent?

King Foltest of Temeria has a daughter cursed into a striga.

Which engine did CD Projekt Red pick in 2022 for The Witcher Remake and new trilogy?

Fool's Theory was tapped to develop the remake under CD Projekt Red's supervision.

Into how many languages had the Witcher books been translated by 2020?

Sales passed 15 million copies the same year, and jumped 562% after the Netflix show launched.

Sapkowski's Witcher stories are often said to be strongly influenced by which mythology?

He has been described as the 'Polish Tolkien' and has sold over 30 million books.

Which Polish writer is the only one more translated than Sapkowski in SF and fantasy?

Sapkowski's books have appeared in 37 languages.

How many times has Sapkowski won the Zajdel Award, Poland's top SF and fantasy prize?

He also holds the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award and a David Gemmell Award.

What did Sapkowski study at the University of Łódź before becoming a writer?

He then worked as a senior sales representative for a foreign trade company.

Who is the protagonist of Sapkowski's later Hussite Trilogy?

Its hero is Reinmar of Bielawa; some critics call it his magnum opus.

Sapkowski's debut story was limited to how many pages by the Fantastyka contest rules?

The story marked his debut as an author in 1986.

Which artist drew the six-issue Witcher comic published from 1993 to 1995?

Maciej Parowski and Sapkowski wrote the story.

Sapkowski says he gives many invented monsters names taken from which part of nature?

He calls insect names 'horrible and scary'.

Who settled the Continent several thousand years before the stories begin?

Halflings and dryads also share the world; monsters came with the Conjunction of the Spheres.

Which two other races, besides elves and dwarves, live on the Continent?

Werewolves and vampires only arrived after the Conjunction of the Spheres.

Who was Geralt's mother, who gave him away shortly after birth?

He was raised at Kaer Morhen by his mentor Vesemir.

Which ordeal of mutations gave Geralt his witcher abilities?

The process also stripped his body of pigment, giving him white hair.

Why does Geralt have white hair and pale skin?

This is why the elves call him Gwynbleidd, the White Wolf.

Which actor played a young Geralt in season one of the Netflix series?

Michał Żebrowski was the first screen Geralt in the Polish Hexer.

Which grim nickname does Geralt carry besides White Wolf?

His destiny is bound to Ciri, the central thread of the books.

Triss Merigold is one of the heroes of which battle against Nilfgaard?

She fought in the first war and later helped train Ciri at Kaer Morhen.

What is the bard Dandelion's real name and title?

He is Geralt's best friend and a poet, minstrel and bard.

Which actor voiced Vesemir in season one and again in Nightmare of the Wolf?

The 2021 animated film tells Vesemir's origin story.

Ciri is the daughter of Pavetta and which man, also called the Urcheon of Erlenwald?

Duny is later revealed to be Emhyr var Emreis, Emperor of Nilfgaard.

In which year was the short story that first introduced Ciri published?

It is the title story of the collection of the same name.

Who played Ciri in the 2002 Polish series The Hexer?

Freya Allan has played her on Netflix since 2019.

Which character was announced in 2024 as the playable protagonist of The Witcher IV?

Her horse Kelpie can be summoned at will in the game.

What is the name of Ciri's horse in The Witcher IV?

The game adds the Kovir region, previously only mentioned in earlier games.

Under what internal codename was The Witcher IV developed?

Canis Majoris was the codename of The Witcher Remake.

Which new region, only mentioned in earlier games, becomes playable in The Witcher IV?

The game is set after the events of Wild Hunt.

Which two men founded CD Projekt in Warsaw in May 1994?

They started out as retailers and distributors of foreign games.

Which cancelled game's code was reused to create the first Witcher game?

Interplay's financial troubles killed the port CD Projekt was building.

Which digital store did CD Projekt launch in 2008?

It was sold to co-founder Michał Kiciński in 2025.

Which other major franchise, besides The Witcher, is CD Projekt Red best known for?

The Red development studio was formed in 2002.

Which BioWare engine, in modified form, powered the first Witcher game?

For The Witcher 2 the studio built its own REDengine.

When is the first Witcher game set relative to the books?

It was released for Windows and OS X in 2007.

What was the cancelled 2009 console version of the first game called?

Payment problems with developer Widescreen Games halted it.

Which studio was named in 2022 as lead developer of The Witcher Remake?

It was first teased under the codename Canis Majoris.

CD Projekt said in 2025 that The Witcher IV would not release before which year?

It is the first entry of a planned new trilogy.

At the start of The Witcher 2, Geralt is imprisoned on suspicion of killing which king?

Vernon Roche of the Temerian special forces interrogates him.

Roughly how many copies had The Witcher 2 sold by September 2014?

It launched in 2011 for Windows, Xbox 360, OS X and Linux.

Which Temerian special-forces commander interrogates Geralt in The Witcher 2?

Roche also appears in The Witcher 3.

How long did development of The Witcher 3 take?

Work began in 2011 on a self-funded budget of about $81 million.

Which engine did CD Projekt use to build The Witcher 3?

Central and Northern European cultures shaped the game's world.

Who was the main composer of The Witcher 3's music?

The Brandenburg State Orchestra performed the score.

Roughly how many game-of-the-year awards has The Witcher 3 collected?

It is regularly cited as one of the greatest video games ever made.

What was the self-funded budget for developing The Witcher 3?

The game launched in May 2015 for PS4, Windows and Xbox One.

Which three places does Geralt learn Ciri was seen in The Witcher 3?

Skellige's clans resemble Norse-Gaels.

If Ciri survives after meeting Emhyr in The Witcher 3, what does she become?

Otherwise Geralt helps her fake her death and she becomes a witcher.

Which Polish folktale is the Hearts of Stone expansion adapted from?

Gaunter O'Dimm plays the devilish figure and Olgierd von Everec the cursed nobleman.

Which mysterious man brands Geralt with a mark in Hearts of Stone?

He rescues Geralt from a boat bound for Ofier in exchange for a favour.

Which old acquaintance does Geralt meet again while hunting the toad in Hearts of Stone?

The toad turns out to be a cursed prince from Ofier.

Which duchess hires Geralt in Blood and Wine to slay a monster killing her knights?

Toussaint is untouched by the war raging in the base game.

Which vampire is caught red-handed by Geralt in Blood and Wine?

Geralt's supposedly dead friend Regis interrupts their fight.

On which date did Blood and Wine first release for PS4, Windows and Xbox One?

Many consider it one of the best downloadable content packs ever made.

Which showrunner suggested Jaskier's song should prove Geralt's peaceful intentions?

Both she and Geralt try to do good despite how others see them.

Which two composers wrote the music for 'Toss a Coin to Your Witcher'?

Screenwriter Jenny Klein wrote the lyrics.

Which screenwriter first proposed the idea of a song for Jaskier's introduction episode?

The song does not appear in the novels.

How many viewers had watched season one in its first month, per Netflix in January 2020?

It ranked second among series in the US market.

Which novel is season two of the Netflix series based on?

Season three drew on Time of Contempt and season four on Baptism of Fire.

Season three of the Netflix series was released in how many volumes?

They arrived on June 29 and July 27, 2023.

Which season was announced in April 2024 as the show's last?

Season four, based on Baptism of Fire, arrived on October 30, 2025.

Roughly how many actors was Henry Cavill chosen from for the role of Geralt?

He was a long-time fan of the games, especially The Witcher 3.

Which Showtime series earned Henry Cavill acclaim as Charles Brandon before The Witcher?

He is also known for playing Superman and Sherlock Holmes.

Where was Henry Cavill born?

He was the fourth of five boys.

Which Australian soap did Liam Hemsworth appear in as Josh Taylor?

His brothers Chris and Luke are also actors.

Which character did Liam Hemsworth play in The Hunger Games films?

He also starred in The Last Song and Independence Day: Resurgence.

Anya Chalotra made her professional stage debut in which Shakespeare play at the Globe?

She played Hero in Matthew Dunster's 2017 production.

In which English city was Anya Chalotra born?

She trained at LAMDA and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Freya Allan played Mae in which 2024 blockbuster?

She was nominated for two Saturn Awards for playing Ciri.

At which Cambridge college did Joey Batey study Modern and Medieval Languages?

He later trained at the Jacques Lecoq theatre school in Paris.

Which Polish publisher released The Last Wish in 1993?

Gollancz first published it in English on 7 June 2007.

How many short stories does The Last Wish contain?

They are linked by a frame story of a wounded Geralt resting in a temple.

In The Last Wish's frame story, Geralt recovers in a temple to which goddess?

A mute servant named Iola tends him at Ellander.

Which Spanish award did The Last Wish win in 2003?

It won in the Best Anthology category.

Which cursed creature is King Foltest's daughter in the story 'The Witcher'?

Her curse stems from an incestuous union with Foltest's late sister Adda.

Which British prize did the English translation of the first Saga novel win in 2009?

It had already won Poland's Zajdel Award in 1994.

Ciri's magical potential comes partly from what share of elven blood?

Emperor Emhyr sends spies to find her after Cintra falls.

Which sorceress named Coral has an affair with Geralt in Season of Storms?

The novel is set between the stories of The Last Wish.

Which Dark Horse comic is based on a chapter of Season of Storms?

Season of Storms was first published in Poland on 6 November 2013.

Blood Origin is set how many years before the main Netflix series?

It depicts the creation of the first witcher and the Conjunction of the Spheres.

How many episodes did Blood Origin have?

It premiered on Netflix on December 25, 2022, to largely negative reviews.

Which ancient elven civilisation does Blood Origin explore?

Its co-creator was Declan de Barra alongside Lauren Schmidt Hissrich.

In Nightmare of the Wolf, which sorceress argues that witchers should be outlawed?

The film is set in 1165 in the kingdom of Kaedwen.

Which creature does Vesemir save a child from at the start of Nightmare of the Wolf?

The dying creature speaks an archaic elven dialect, hinting it was controlled.

How many rows can cards be played in within the standalone Gwent game?

The Siege row from The Witcher 3's version was removed, leaving Melee and Ranged.

How many cards make up a Gwent deck in the standalone game?

Players hold a hand of 10 and aim to win two of three rounds.

Which single-player Gwent spin-off released in 2022 to mixed reception?

Thronebreaker had been the earlier standalone campaign in 2018.

Which queen does the player control in Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales?

Its Polish title translates as 'War of Blood: The Witcher Tales'.

Which region among Thronebreaker's five had never appeared in a Witcher game before?

Rivia, Lyria, Angren and Lower Aedirn are the others.

Who played Yennefer in the 2002 Polish series The Hexer?

Zbigniew Zamachowski was Jaskier and Jerzy Nowak was Vesemir.

In The Hexer, Vesemir claims the child Geralt by invoking what?

The same law binds Geralt to Ciri in the books.

Besides acting, what other career does first screen Geralt Michał Żebrowski have?

He was born on 17 June 1972.

Which award did Doug Cockle win for voicing Geralt in The Witcher 3?

He was also nominated for a Game Award and a BAFTA.

Which Sapkowski short story does Sirens of the Deep loosely adapt?

Geralt is hired to kill an Allamorax blamed for fishermen's deaths in Bremervoord.

Which bard nicknamed 'Little Eye', Jaskier's childhood friend, is in Sirens of the Deep?

Prince Agloval is in love with the siren princess Sh'eenaz.

Which Ohio school did showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich graduate from in 2000?

She previously wrote for The West Wing, Daredevil and The Umbrella Academy.

Which Marvel Netflix series did Lauren Schmidt Hissrich work on before The Witcher?

She signed an overall deal with Netflix in 2021.

How many stories are in the Sword of Destiny collection?

'Something More' is a direct prequel to the novels.

Which knight nicknamed 'Three Jackdaws' joins Geralt's dragon hunt in Sword of Destiny?

His Zerrikanian bodyguards are named Tea and Vea.

In Time of Contempt, Yennefer plans to enrol Ciri at which school of magic?

It sits on Thanedd Island, where a mages' conference is held.

Which bounty hunter slaughters the Rats and captures Ciri in The Tower of the Swallow?

He forces her to fight in a gladiatorial arena.

Which elderly philosopher shelters an injured Ciri in the Pereplut swamp?

Ciri recounts the events of recent months while she recovers.

In which year was the fourth Saga novel, The Tower of the Swallow, published in Poland?

It was first published in Poland in 1997.

Which Outlander and Hobbit actor plays Redanian spymaster Sigismund Dijkstra in the Netflix series?

He also voiced the witcher Deglan in the animated prequel Nightmare of the Wolf.

Under what working title did Netflix announce the second season of The Witcher in November 2019?

Production was set for London in early 2020, and the season eventually premiered on December 17, 2021.

Which Redanian prince, played by Hugh Skinner, becomes Jaskier's lover in the Netflix series?

He was introduced in the third season alongside the shapeshifting sorceress Philippa Eilhart.

Which Nilfgaardian spymaster and fixer for Emhyr is played by James Purefoy in season four?

Season four was the first with Liam Hemsworth as Geralt after Henry Cavill's departure.

Which archer from Brokilon Forest, played by Meng'er Zhang, joins Geralt's company in season four?

She is one of the only non-dryad inhabitants of the forest, which is otherwise ruled by dryads.

Which actress plays Renfri of Creyden, the princess-turned-bandit with a grudge against Stregobor?

Renfri's fate in Blaviken earns Geralt his grim nickname, the Butcher of Blaviken.