The Witcher: Unbelievable Book Moments That Season 3 Absolutely Nailed!

Summary

The Witcher

Season 3 effectively captures the essence of the source material, demonstrating the show's devotion to Andrzej Sapkowski's novels. Notably, pivotal scenes like Ciri's battle with the Basilisk and Geralt's duel against Vilgefortz faithfully replicate the events found in the books.

Netflix's The Witcher often faces criticism for deviating from the source material, but season 3 showcases ten moments that stay true to the books. Despite being underappreciated, the show has made significant improvements in remaining faithful to Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher novels. Season 3 stands out as the most accurate, capturing the essence of Sapkowski's story even though certain elements have been altered or rearranged. It's important to acknowledge and recognize the show's commendable efforts by highlighting these ten significant moments that closely mirror the events in the novels.

10 Ciri Kills The Fake Basilisk

9 Geralt Duels Vilgefortz

: In an outstanding scene from The Witcher season 3, Ciri stands up against a man in Gors Velen who falsely presents a wyvern as a basilisk, scornfully exposing his deception for all to see. This causes quite a commotion. However, the real excitement ensues when the wyvern manages to flee, leading Ciri to engage in a intense battle against the creature. Fortunately, Ciri's upbringing by witchers proves invaluable as she swiftly dispatches the basilisk, afterwards attributing her success to a gallant young knight to divert attention away from herself. Both the books and the show portray these remarkable events, solidifying a genuine display of loyalty in The Witcher.

The confrontation between Geralt and Vilgefortz in the show closely mirrors the events in the books. In both versions, Geralt finds himself completely outmatched and teeters on the edge of death. It is worth noting that Vilgefortz wields a staff in the show, which aligns perfectly with his weapon of choice in the books. Additionally, Vilgefortz delivers one of the most memorable quotes from the book series during this climactic moment, showcasing a significant homage to the source material. This serves as a crucial correction in the portrayal of Vilgefortz, whose storyline has deviated from the books in other areas.

8 The Coup On Thanned

7 Ciri's Flight From The Wild Hunt

The coup on Thanned in The Witcher season 3 is based on Sapkowski's novels, with some modifications to suit the television medium. However, the essence of the coup remains unchanged from the books. Both the invasion by the Scoia'tael and Djikstra/Phillipa's plan to imprison the mages working with Nilfgaard are pivotal elements of the coup in both the show and the novels. Additionally, the show portrays Tissaia unknowingly supporting Nilfgaard's plot, which is a crucial aspect of this sequence in the books.

In this scene, Ciri is chased by The Witcher's Wild Hunt after escaping Gors Velen, mirroring a significant event from the books. Ciri's motive for fleeing Gors Velen stems from her dissatisfaction with Yennefer's mage acquaintances and her subsequent decision to abandon her studies at Aretuza. Instead, she opts to seek refuge with Geralt, oblivious to the fact that the spectral Wild Hunt is relentlessly pursuing her. Fortunately, Geralt manages to locate her in time, a parallel occurrence in both the literary and televised adaptations.

6 Emhyr Props Up A Fake Ciri

In The Witcher season 3, as well as in The Time of Contempt novel on which this season is based, Imperator Emhyr Var Emreis introduces a counterfeit Ciri to his court in Nilfgaard. In the books, Emhyr is fully cognizant of the fact that she is not his actual daughter, but he orchestrates this ruse to deceive other nations into believing that he possesses the real Ciri, thereby deterring them from pursuing her. At this point, it remains uncertain whether the show will follow the same narrative trajectory, but regardless, Emhyr's presentation of a fabricated Ciri to his court remains a direct reflection of events portrayed in the books.

5 Tissaia Takes Her Own Life

The most tragic moment in season 3 of The Witcher involves the mage Tissaia, who decides to end her own life after the coup on Thanned. The reasons behind Tissaia's choice remain uncertain, but it is undeniably linked to her guilt for allowing the coup to happen and her devastation upon discovering Vilgefortz's betrayal. This event, taken directly from the books, stands as one of the show's most heartbreaking moments while also highlighting its unwavering fidelity to the source material.

4 Ciri Is Stranded In The Korath Desert

Ciri finds herself stranded in the Korath Desert in The Witcher season 3 after passing through the distorted portal at the Tower of Gulls. This mirrors the sequence of events in the books, although the subsequent occurrences don't quite parallel the original novels. Both in the show and the books, Ciri jumps into the portal to escape from Vilgefortz, and once inside the Tower of Gulls, she realizes there is nowhere else to flee. As Ciri emerges from the portal, the tower violently explodes, causing severe damage to Vilgefortz's face. Similar to the books, this event unfolds in a strikingly similar fashion.

3 Ciri Is Rescued By The Rats

Ciri, after being captured by Nilfgaardian brigands on the edge of the desert, is eventually saved by a group of outlaws known as The Rats. This moment closely mirrors the events described in the books and holds immense significance in terms of the impact the gang has on Ciri's journey. Just like in the original story, one of The Rats named Kayleigh is also held captive by the Nilfgaardians. When the rest of the gang arrives to rescue him, they are astonished by Ciri's mastery of the blade and decide to welcome her into their ranks. This particular sequence faithfully recreates the scene from the book.

2 Geralt Recovers In Broklion

1 Geralt And Ciri Visit Shaerrawedd

In both The Witcher season 3 and The Witcher books, Geralt finds himself transported to Brokilon after sustaining injuries in his duel against Vilgefortz. In his quest to locate Ciri, Geralt embarks on this journey in Brokilon and forms an alliance that eventually becomes known as his hanza. One of the members of this hanza is Milva, whom Geralt encounters in both the show and the books while in Brokilon. The arrival of Jaskier to check on Geralt occurs in both timelines as well, although Jaskier is referred to as Dandelion in the books.

In both continuities, Geralt and Ciri's visit to the ruins of Shaerrawedd unfolds differently. Nevertheless, Geralt still shares with Ciri the heartbreaking tale of the elves' struggle against the human invasion, just like in the books. This narrative is crucial as it sheds light on the reasons behind the decline of the elven race, who inhabited the Continent long before humans arrived. The inclusion of this pivotal scene in The Witcher underscores the significance of the elven conflict in the series.