The Witcher Season 3: Unveiling the Epic Transformations Within the Book!

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Season 3 of The Witcher.

Continuing the trend from previous seasons, Season 3 of The Witcher is based on one of Andrzej Sapkowski's books. While it remains more faithful to the source material than past seasons, it still incorporates significant changes. The expansive universe of Netflix's The Witcher continues to grow, and fans eagerly anticipate the release of the highly-anticipated third season of the main series. Taking a page from other Netflix TV shows, Season 3 of The Witcher has been divided into two parts, making it a momentous event not only for its narrative, but also because it marks Henry Cavill's final season portraying Geralt of Rivia.

Just like the previous seasons, The Witcher season 3 draws inspiration from one of Sapkowski's Witcher novels, namely Time of Contempt. However, in contrast to seasons 1 and 2, and following the backlash received by season 2, The Witcher season 3 stays more faithful to its source material, although a few changes have been made. While there will surely be more revelations in Part 2, here are the notable alterations to Time of Contempt presented in The Witcher season 3, Part 1.

10 Codringher & Fenn's Deaths

Codringher and Fenn, the founders of a law firm and detective agency, were renowned for their ability to accomplish tasks for the right price. In The Witcher season 3 Part 1, their office became the site of a brutal attack orchestrated by Rience. Learning of Geralt's pursuit, Rience burned Codringher and Fenn alive after they had provided him with crucial information. Although Codringher and Fenn met their demise in the books as well, the circumstances differed slightly. During the Thanedd Coup, the duo encountered three assassins – Schirrú, Millet, and Nazarian – who fatally stabbed Codringher and ignited their agency, subsequently claiming Fenn's life as well.

9 Geralt’s Journey To Vuilpanne & Theryn’s Rescue

8 Yennefer Follows Ciri When She Runs Away

In Time of Contempt, Geralt is on a quest to gather information about Rience. To accomplish this, he seeks out Codringher and Fenn. However, the information he receives from them turns out to be vastly different. Contrary to popular belief, Geralt never actually ventured to Vuilpanne in search of Rience. Therefore, he never encountered a horrifying scenario involving kidnapped girls and a monstrous creation made from their bodies. On a different note, Geralt did not save Theryn, a student from Aretuza who had been subjected to cruel experiments that convinced her she was Ciri. Instead, Codringher divulged some specific details about Rience's background to Geralt. Later on, Geralt traveled to Hirundum in response to a witcher's call and eventually reunited with Ciri.

In The Witcher season 3 Part 1, Ciri becomes disillusioned with the treatment she receives from the women at Aretuza and makes the decision to escape. To locate Geralt, she utilizes a charm that enables communication between them. Similarly, in the book, Ciri rebels against her role as a servant to the Aretuza women and flees to reunite with Geralt at Hirundum. However, Yennefer closely trails behind, unwilling to let go of Ciri. This unexpected turn of events allows Ciri, Yennefer, and Geralt to be together once again, leading them to embark on their journey to Thanedd Island and giving Yennefer and Geralt a chance to reconcile.

7 Yennefer, Geralt, & Ciri Travel Together To Thanedd Island

In the Netflix series, Geralt came across Ciri as she was being pursued by the Wild Hunt. They joined forces and later encountered Jaskier, deciding to embark on a journey to Thanedd Island together. Meanwhile, Yennefer remained with Tissaia and the others, patiently awaiting the arrival of Geralt and Ciri at Aretuza. In the book, following Ciri's escape from Yennefer and her companions, she and Yennefer reunited with Geralt before venturing together to Thanedd Island. Unlike the series, Ciri and Geralt did not encounter an aeschna during their trip to Thanedd Island.

6 Radovid Is Vizimir’s Brother In Netflix’s The Witcher

Radovid, a character from the Witcher books, underwent significant changes in the Netflix adaptation regarding his role in the story and his position within the Redanian royal family. In the books, Radovid V the Stern was the son of King Vizimir and Queen Hedwig of Redania. He had two older sisters, Dalimira and Milena. Due to his young age at the time of King Vizimir's demise, Radovid ascended to the throne of Redania years later. However, in Netflix's The Witcher, Radovid's narrative is altered as he is portrayed as Vizimir's brother and becomes his trusted ally after growing disillusioned with Dijkstra's failure to bring Ciri to him.

5 The Fate Of Queen Hedwig of Redania

In the Witcher books, Queen Hedwig of Redania had a different fate. King Vizimir was assassinated under Philippa's control, and her involvement was later discovered by Dijkstra. Before he could apprehend Philippa, she sent an assassin after him, but Dijkstra managed to escape. While Queen Hedwig was supposed to assume the role of regent until her son came of age, the true power was held by the Regency Council, with Philippa and Dijkstra ruling over the kingdom.

In The Witcher season 3 Part 1, Philippa and Dijkstra orchestrated the murder of Queen Hedwig. They arranged for her decapitated head to be presented to Vizimir in a box, along with a note claiming it was a gift from Nilfgaard. Blaming Queen Hedwig for the unfavorable deal with Nilfgaard that Vizimir had agreed to, Philippa and Dijkstra aimed to terminate the agreement and regain Vizimir's trust.

4 Ciri’s First Meeting With Mistle Is Different

Mistle, a member of the notorious Rats gang, is involved in criminal activities that revolve around stealing from the wealthy to fulfill their own desires. The gang is unique in that all its members share troubled pasts and are brought together by their common interest in luxurious items and their personal traumas. However, the Rats also engage in killing for entertainment purposes. Despite this, their efforts to redistribute their stolen wealth among the less fortunate make it difficult for authorities to track them down, as citizens provide false information to protect them. Mistle plays a significant role in Ciri's narrative as their relationship takes a toxic turn when Ciri assumes the alias "Falka" and joins the group.

Although the first part of Season 3 of The Witcher does not explore Ciri's time with the Rats, it does briefly introduce Mistle. During Ciri's escapades with Fabio Sachs in town, they stumble upon a sideshow featuring a supposed basilisk. It is there that Ciri has a brief encounter with a girl who ends up pickpocketing her. In the book, Ciri encounters the Rats until the very end, following her escape during the Thanedd Coup. While being pursued by Nilfgaardian bounty hunters, Ciri manages to evade capture with the assistance of the Rats.

3 Jaskier Isn’t Used As Bait & Ciri’s Babysitter

Jaskier remains closely attached to Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer, offering his assistance in every possible way. In the first part of The Witcher season 3, Jaskier assumes the role of Ciri’s protector, as she becomes bait to lure Rience, jeopardizing Jaskier's safety in the process. Additionally, Yennefer instructs Jaskier to keep an eye on Ciri while attending the mages’ gathering at Aretuza. Conversely, the book takes a different approach, as Jaskier is never utilized as bait or babysitter. In this version, Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer do not attempt to entice Rience, and Ciri receives an invitation from Yennefer herself to attend the Conclave of Mages in Thanedd.

2 Vilgefortz Isn’t Turning Half-Elves Into Fake Ciris

A shocking revelation in The Witcher season 3 Part 1 was the abduction of novice girls from Aretuza by Vilgefortz. His intention was to conduct mind-control experiments on them, all in an attempt to manipulate Ciri. Among these captives, Geralt managed to rescue a young girl who believed herself to be Ciri. Over time, both Geralt and Yennefer came to the realization that Vilgefortz was the mastermind behind these heinous acts. While the books didn't involve Vilgerfortz kidnapping half-elf girls and transforming them into fake Ciris, there was a false Ciri. This imposter was an orphan girl from Cintra, abducted by Rience and his accomplices and transported to Nilfgaard. There, she was presented as the genuine Ciri to the White Flame.

1 Yennefer & Geralt Don’t Discover Vilgefortz’s Plans

In The Witcher books, Vilgefortz is portrayed as an adversary to be defeated. However, the Netflix series has made several revisions to his storyline. As previously mentioned, in Season 3 Part 1 of The Witcher, it is revealed that Vilgefortz is the mage supporting Rience and conducting experiments on young girls. Geralt and Yennefer become aware of this after a gathering. Conversely, in the book, Geralt and Yennefer remain unaware of Vilgefortz's plans and alliances, and their confrontation with the powerful mage occurs during the Thanedd Coup. Vilgefortz's betrayal becomes public knowledge, leading to further conflict and the demise of a pivotal character in Yennefer's past, both in the literary and televised adaptations.