The Witcher is a fantasy drama television series created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich for Netflix. It is based on the book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Set on a fictional, medieval-inspired landmass known as the Continent, The Witcher explores the legend of Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Princess Ciri. It stars Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth as Geralt, with Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan.
The first season, consisting of eight episodes, was released on Netflix on December 20, 2019, starring Cavill in the lead role. It was based on The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, which are collections of short stories that precede the main The Witcher saga. The second season, also consisting of eight episodes and based on the novel Blood of Elves, was released on December 17, 2021. The third season, which also consists of eight episodes and is based on the novel Time of Contempt, was released in two volumes on June 29 and July 27, 2023. Hemsworth took over the role of Geralt of Rivia in the fourth season, based on the novel Baptism of Fire, which was released on October 30, 2025, also with eight episodes. In April 2024, the series was renewed for its fifth and final season.
An animated origin story film, Nightmare of the Wolf, was released on August 23, 2021. A prequel miniseries, Blood Origin, was released on December 25, 2022. A second animated film, Sirens of the Deep, was released on February 11, 2025. A feature-length special, The Rats: A Witcher Tale, was released on October 30, 2025.
Synopsis
The story begins with Geralt of Rivia, Crown Princess Cirilla of Cintra, and the quarter-elf sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg at different points in time, exploring formative events that shape their characters throughout the first season, before eventually merging into a single timeline.
Geralt and Ciri are linked by destiny since before she was born when he unknowingly demanded her as a reward for his services by invoking "the Law of Surprise". After the two finally meet, Geralt becomes the princess's protector and must help her and fight against her various pursuers to prevent her Elder Blood and powerful magic from being used for malevolent purposes and keep Ciri and their world safe.
Cast and characters
Main
Henry Cavill (seasons 1–3) and Liam Hemsworth (season 4) as Geralt of Rivia, a magically enhanced monster hunter known as a "witcher". He is linked to the Cintran princess Ciri by "destiny". Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, a quarter-elf sorceress and Geralt's closest ally Freya Allan as Ciri / "Falka", or Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, the crown princess of the kingdom of Cintra, who possesses the Elder Blood gene that is capable of granting her immense magical abilities Eamon Farren as Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, nicknamed the "Black Knight", a Nilfgaardian army commander who leads the invasion of Cintra and the hunt for Ciri Joey Batey as Jaskier, a traveling bard who befriends Geralt and accompanies him on his journey MyAnna Buring as Tissaia de Vries (seasons 1–3; guest season 4), Yennefer's mentor and the Rectoress of Aretuza, the training academy for sorceresses Mimî M. Khayisa as Fringilla Vigo, a sorceress who trained alongside Yennefer and later aids the Nilfgaardian Empire Anna Shaffer as Triss Merigold, the court sorceress of the kingdom of Temeria Royce Pierreson as Istredd, an adept mage and historian who befriends Yennefer Wilson Mbomio as Dara (seasons 1–3), a refugee elf boy who befriends Ciri Mahesh Jadu as Vilgefortz of Roggeveen, a charismatic sorcerer who rallies the northern mages to halt the invading Nilfgaardian army. He later becomes the leader of the Brotherhood of Mages. Tom Canton as Filavandrel (seasons 2–3; guest season 1), the king of the elves and Francesca's husband Mecia Simson as Francesca Findabair (season 2–present), an elven sorceress, queen of the elves, and Filavandrel's wife, who has made it her mission to lead her people into freedom and independence Kim Bodnia (season 2) and Peter Mullan (guest season 4) as Vesemir, the oldest living witcher and Geralt's mentor and father figure Theo James has a vocal cameo in the first season as a young Vesemir. He reprises his role in the animated prequel film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. Graham McTavish as Sigismund Dijkstra (season 3–present; recurring season 2), the head of Redanian Intelligence and advisor to the ruler of Redania. McTavish also voiced Deglan in the animated prequel Nightmare of the Wolf. Cassie Clare as Philippa Eilhart (season 3–present; guest season 2), the shapeshifting court sorceress of Redania and Dijkstra's ally Hugh Skinner as Prince Radovid (season 3–present), the prince of the kingdom of Redania and later Jaskier's lover Bart Edwards as Duny, the "Urcheon of Erlenwald" / Emperor Emhyr var Emreis (season 3–present; guest seasons 1–2), the ruler of the Nilfgaardian Empire and Ciri's father, who was once afflicted by a curse that transformed him into a hedgehog man until midnight Meng'er Zhang as Milva (season 4; guest season 3), a highly skilled archer and one of the only non-dryad inhabitants of the Brokilon Forest who joins Geralt on his journey Danny Woodburn as Zoltan Chivay (season 4), a dwarf warrior who befriends Geralt Christelle Elwin, Ben Radcliffe, Fabian McCallum, Aggy K. Adams, Connor Crawford, and Juliette Alexandra as Mistle, Giselher, Kayleigh, Iskra, Asse, and Reef (season 4; guest season 3), a young gang of street criminals known as the Rats who encounter Ciri Laurence Fishburne as Emiel Regis (season 4), a mysterious vampire and barber surgeon who accompanies Geralt
Recurring
Lars Mikkelsen as Stregobor (seasons 1, 3; guest season 2), the resident mage in the town of Blaviken and the Rector of Ban Ard, the training academy for male mages Jodhi May as Queen Calanthe (season 1; guest seasons 2–3), the ruler of the kingdom of Cintra and Ciri's grandmother Björn Hlynur Haraldsson as King Eist Tuirseach (season 1), Calanthe's husband and the king consort of Cintra Adam Levy as Mousesack (season 1; guest season 2), the court druid of Cintra and Calanthe's advisor Therica Wilson-Read as Sabrina Glevissig (seasons 1, 3–4; guest season 2), a sorceress who trained alongside Yennefer and later the court sorceress of the kingdom of Kaedwin Judit Fekete as Vanielle of Brugge (season 1), a sorceress residing at Aretuza Terence Maynard as Artorius Vigo (seasons 2–3; guest season 1), a court mage from Toussaint and Fringilla's uncle Paul Bullion as Lambert (season 2; guest season 4), a witcher at Kaer Morhen who trained alongside Geralt Yasen Atour as Coën (season 2; guest season 4), a witcher at Kaer Morhen and friend of Geralt Nathanial Jacobs, Jota Castellano, and Chuey Okoye as Everard, Gwain, and Merek (season 2), witchers residing at Kaer Morhen Ania Marson as Voleth Meir (season 2), a demon who came to the Continent with the Conjunction of the Spheres and feeds on pain Kaine Zajaz as Gage Findabair (season 2; guest season 3), Francesca's younger brother Ed Birch as King Vizimir (seasons 2–3), the ruler of the kingdom of Redania Chris Fulton (season 2) and Sam Woolf (season 3) as Rience, a renegade mage set on a hunt for Ciri Aisha Fabienne Ross as Lydia van Bredevoort (seasons 2–3), a disfigured sorceress allied with Vilgefortz who frees Rience from prison Robbie Amell as Gallatin (season 3), the commander of the Scoia'tael elves, who is vying for leadership over his people Safiyya Ingar as Keira Metz (season 3; guest season 4), a Temerian sorceress who runs a business specializing in magic portals Frances Pooley as Teryn (seasons 3–4), a half-elf girl with a strong resemblance to Ciri who was magically brainwashed into believing that she is someone else Cal Watson as Eva (seasons 3–4), an assassin posing as a handmaiden at the Redanian court and Philippa's lover Rochelle Rose as Margarita Laux-Antille (seasons 3–4), a sorceress and the new Rectoress of Aretuza Philip Philmar as Gerhart of Aelle (season 3), the oldest living member of the Brotherhood of Mages Ryan Hayes as Artaud Terranova (season 3), a mage and associate of Vilgefortz Jeremy Crawford as Yarpen Zigrin (season 4; guest seasons 1–3), the leader of a gang of dwarven mercenaries and a friend of Geralt James Purefoy as Stefan Skellen (season 4), a Nilfgaardian spymaster and Emhyr's fixer Linden Porco as Percival Schuttenbach (season 4), a gnome jeweler and Zoltan's traveling companion Audrey Kattan as Beata (season 4), a young refugee traveling with Zoltan and Percival Simon Paisley Day as Xarthisius (season 4), a Nilfgaardian mage and Emhyr's advisor Edmund Kingsley as Jocephus of Muroc (season 4), a mage who acts as Vilgefortz's lieutenant Ricky Champ and Miles Jovian as Toothless and Cloggy (season 4), a pair of cowardly villagers seeking to claim a bounty Sharlto Copley as Leo Bonhart (season 4), a ruthless bounty hunter hired to find Ciri Luisa Guerreiro as Ximer (season 4), a dwarven sorceress who answers Yennefer's call for help Su Douglas as Assire Var Anahid (season 4), an elderly witch who answers Yennefer's call for help Joelle Rae as Ida Emean Aep Sivney (season 4), an elven sorceress who answers Yennefer's call for help
Notable guest stars Introduced in season 1 Emma Appleton as Renfri of Creyden, a princess-turned-bandit who leads a gang of brigands and has a bloody grudge against Stregobor Packy Lee as Nohorn, a bandit and member of Renfri's gang Mia McKenna-Bruce as Marilka, the daughter of the alderman of Blaviken Maciej Musiał as Sir Lazlo, a Cintran knight charged with protecting Ciri Tobi Bamtefa as Sir Danek, the commander of the Cintran royal guard Natasha Culzac as Toruviel, an elven warrior serving under Filavandrel Amit Shah as Torque, a sylvan ("horned devil") working for Filavandrel Shaun Dooley as King Foltest (seasons 1–2, 4), the ruler of the kingdom of Temeria, whose incestuous relationship with his sister created a daughter Jade Croot as Adda the White, Foltest's daughter, who suffers from a curse that turned her into a striga Julian Rhind-Tutt as Giltine, the enchanter of Aretuza Josette Simon (season 1) and Lorna Brown (season 3) as Eithne, the queen of the dryads of Brokilon Forest Blair Kincaid (season 1) and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (season 3) as Crach an Craite, a nobleman from the Skellige Isles and Eist's nephew Gaia Mondadori as Princess Pavetta (seasons 1–3), Calanthe's daughter and Ciri's mother Marcin Czarnik as the Ronin Mage, an assassin sent to murder the queen of Lyria and her infant daughter Lucas Englander as Chireadan, an elven healer from the city of Rinde Jordan Renzo as Eyck of Denesle, a virtuous yet pompous knight Steve Wall as Boholt, the leader of the Crinfrid Reavers, a group of dragon hunters Ron Cook as Borch Three Jackdaws, the golden dragon Villentretenmerth who disguises himself as a human Adele Oni and Colette Dalal Tchantcho as Téa and Véa, Borch's Zerrikanian bodyguards Ella-Rae Smith as Fola, a sorceress acolyte at Aretuza Francis Magee as Yurga, a travelling merchant who is rescued from monsters by Geralt Anna-Louise Plowman as Zola, Yurga's wife, who offers Ciri sanctuary Frida Gustavsson as Visenna, a sorceress healer and Geralt's mother Jack Bandeira as Caldemeyn, the young alderman of Blaviken
Introduced in season 2 Kristofer Hivju as Nivellen, an aristocrat who was transformed into a beast through a curse Agnes Born as Vereena, a bruxa and Nivellen's lover Basil Eidenbenz as Eskel, a witcher at Kaer Morhen who trained alongside Geralt Rebecca Hanssen as Queen Meve (seasons 2, 4), the ruler of the kingdom of Lyria and Rivia Luke Cy as King Ethain, the ruler of the kingdom of Cidaris Richard Tirado (season 2) and Vinny Moli (season 4) as King Demavend, the ruler of the kingdom of Aedirn Edward Rowe as King Henselt (seasons 2, 4), the ruler of the kingdom of Kaedwen