Top 10 Things The Witcher Show Did Better Than the Games

So far, we’ve only seen a few of Geralt’s Signs - including Aard, Axii, and Yrden. But the show still did a great job of exploring the roots and rules of magic in the world. In an intimate moment with Yennefer, Istredd discusses how the elves taught magic to the first humans. Then there are the lessons in Aretuza, in which Tissaia teaches the wannabe sorcerers the nature of chaos . . . and the price of using it. The series doesn’t skip on the visual splendour either - from Yen’s harrowing transformation, to the time she unleashed hell on the Nilfgaardian army!

“The Witcher 3” did an excellent job of reintroducing Yen into the world, and making players feel that she and Geralt had history and passion between them - like two old flames who found their love rekindled. However, in the show’s case, said passions are new, raw and unpredictable. We see the White Wolf and the Obsidian Star lose themselves to lust, struggle to admit their personal feelings, even suffer one of the most visceral break-ups we’ve seen in a fantasy series. Needless to say, watching them stumble and grow arguably makes for a far more interesting watch.

Yes, the Nilgaardian armor does indeed look ridiculous and far more…veiny than we would have liked. That being said, the show really managed to amp up Nilgaard’s threat level. The infamous empire was well on their way towards victory in “Wild Hunt”, which was set during the Third Northern War. Here, they’re an empire newly on the warpath, fuelled by a radical loyalty to the White Flame, and committing atrocities that we see up close and personal. Even if later seasons may eventually temper them, the bloodlust they showed throughout the first season is not something we’re likely to forget.

Ciri and Geralt’s relationship is the crux of the Witcher’s epic storyline, but how was their bond forged in the first place? That would be the Law of Surprise; something often raised in the games but seldom discussed in detail. The show dedicates an entire episode to the matter, when Duny reveals the deal he struck with Pavetta’s father. Adapted from Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story “A Question of Price”, the episode explains the nature of the custom, and emphasizes the role that destiny plays in both the Law of Surprise and the world in general. We see it in action again, of course, when Geralt invokes the Law, and is eventually but inevitably united with Ciri.

One of the more iconic monsters that Geralt has slain, the Striga was given a compelling redesign for the show. While the Kikimora is also worthy of mention, the Striga truly became a creature of horror. Not only was the build-up to its reveal masterfully done, but it’s appearance more than lived up to its twisted origins: skeletal, screaming like a banshee, and strong enough to toss the witcher around like a bag of flour. Here’s hoping the necrophages, ogroids, relicts, specters, and the rest of the bestiary get this kind of treatment!

Credit has to be given to the games for bringing Geralt’s inner circle to life in such a convincing manner. The same is true of his seemingly never-ending stream of villains. However, that being said, the majority of the lesser NPCs, while brought to life with great voice performances, didn’t feel like well-rounded characters. In contrast, in the show, side characters like Tissaia, Calanthe, and Renfri all had deeply rooted motivations and inner conflicts that made them just as interesting as members of the main cast. Every second they were on screen, we were completely invested in their personalities and fates.

If anyone gave Geralt a run for his money in terms of dominating the screen, it was the sorceress who spent her youth unloved and unwanted. However, from the moment she’s sold by her scumbag father for less than a pig, her journey becomes fraught with desperation and danger. Her initial fixation on power later takes a backseat to her obsession with regaining her maternal potential. In the same season, she also matures into an unexpected beacon of hope for the Northern Kingdoms. Her video game counterpart was awesome in a multitude of ways, but not even her god-tier snark can match the emotional apex that was Anya Chalotra’s Yen.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Geralt encounters a beautiful sorceress with whom he has a romantic history . . . or soon will have. In the games, Fringilla is another one of Geralt’s former sorceress lovers, and a prisoner of Emperor Emhyr var Emreis. Players have the option to save her in “Wild Hunt”. But it’s hard to imagine that any such mercy will be shown to her in the Netflix adaptation. This is a Fringilla whom Yennefer humiliated, and who’s now ruthlessly loyal to Nilfgaard. In fact, she’s willing not only to try killing her old rectoress and classmates, but also to dabble in forbidden magic. You know you’re going down a dark path when you’re turning your underlings into magical ammo.

Fans of the game series know the Swallow as a capable swordswoman who slices her way through the Crones of Crookback Bog and unleashes the power of the Elder Blood. This is not that Ciri. Rather, the show introduces a much younger version, just as her life crumbles following the Fall of Cintra. In the game, we only see young Ciri in a brief flashback, during her training. While that is pretty cool, seeing this new version of Ciri go from sheltered princess to able survivor with a looming destiny is far more entertaining. And who knows, maybe one day we will see her swing a sword!

Move over Dandelion, there’s a new bard in town, and he is spitting fire with those ballads of his. While it’s still up for debate whether Joey Batey’s portrayal has well and truly eclipsed that of the game’s version, what can’t be denied is that his music is in a league of its own. Don’t get us wrong, we love Dandelion in the games, but some of his songs are decidedly lacking . . . Not only was “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” so good that it entranced most of the Continent, but it’s fair to say it found its way onto plenty of music libraries upon release!