List of The Witcher characters


The fictional universe of The Witcher saga was created by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. Its central character is Geralt of Rivia. The following is a list of other notable characters from the series and its adaptations.

Overview

Key:
  • A dark grey cell indicates that the character did not appear or that the character's presence has yet to be announced.
  • A indicates a role as a younger version of character portrayed by another actor.
  • A indicates an uncredited role.
  • A indicates a photographic role.
  • A indicates a cameo role.
  • A indicates a voice-only role.
  • An indicates an appearance through archival footage or stills.
  • An indicates the actor was part of the main cast for the season.
  • A indicates a guest role.

    Main characters

Geralt of Rivia

Geralt of Rivia, known also as White Wolf or the "Butcher of Blaviken", is a witcher and the protagonist of the Witcher series and its adaptations.
He is linked to Ciri by destiny, this being the central plot of the book series.
In the TV series, Geralt is portrayed by Henry Cavill in the first, second, and third seasons and was recast to Liam Hemsworth for season four.

Yennefer of Vengerberg

Sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg first appeared in the collection of short stories The Last Wish, featuring in both "The Last Wish" short story and "The Voice of Reason" frame story. She went on to appear in numerous other Witcher stories and is one of the main characters in the Witcher saga.
Yennefer is described as possessive. She becomes one of Geralt's lovers, although their relationship is tumultuous and filled with drama. Both Geralt and Yennefer are sterile, which adds another level of tragedy to the mix. Yennefer has a hard time accepting the fact and tries various methods of restoring her fertility. Yennefer ends up becoming a motherly figure to Ciri while teaching her and watching over her while she was at Ellander.
Yennefer was born on Beltane in the year 1173. She lived in the capital city of Aedirn, Vengerberg. She is one of the most powerful mages on the continent and is surpassed by only a handful. She is the youngest member of the Council of Sorcerers, and later she became a member of the Lodge of Sorceresses. During the Battle of Sodden Hill, she was blinded by Fringilla Vigo, a Nilfgaardian sorceress. Her sight was magically restored.
Yennefer was famous for her beauty, even though during the events of The Swallow's Tower, she was 94 years old. She always dressed in black and white clothing. She used lilac and gooseberry perfumes. She had violet eyes and raven black hair. Before becoming a sorceress, she was a hunchback, but had her deformities fixed by Tissaia de Vries while being an apprentice, although Geralt is able to see the subtle clues that let him figure out the truth.
At the end of the books, Yennefer seemingly dies while trying to heal Geralt, after losing all her energy.
In the TV series, Yennefer is portrayed by Anya Chalotra.

Ciri of Cintra

Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, known as Ciri, Ciri of Cintra, the Lady of Time and Space, and the princess of Cintra, is one of the main characters of the Witcher saga, around whom much of the plot is centered. She is the lion cub of Cintra, daughter of Pavetta and Duny and granddaughter of Queen Calanthe. She is also Geralt's destiny and adopted daughter. Ciri is a descendant of Lara Dorren and possesses Elder blood, which grants her the ability to access powers that allow her to cross space and time.
Ciri was trained under the watchful eyes of Geralt, Coën, Vesemir, Lambert, Eskel, and Triss while at Kaer Morhen, becoming skilled with a sword. Later, she trained as a sorceress while living with Yennefer at Ellander. After the Thanedd coup, Ciri became separated from Geralt, created an unstable portal, and, going through it, found herself in the Korath desert. After her time in the desert, she joined a gang called the Rats, but was then captured by a bounty hunter named Leo Bonhart and forced to fight in an arena. She later escaped and fled to the world of Aen Elle. During her time with the Aen Elle, she was going to be forced to procreate with the King, although she was able to avoid this. She later escaped from that world and, after traveling through time, was reunited with Geralt and Yen. She travelled with them for a few months before their untimely deaths. However, there is some controversy surrounding this. In the book, it says Ciri took them to another world where they lived.
Her sword, named Zireael, is a 200-year-old gwyhyr, a very expensive and precious sword regarded as the best in the world, forged by the gnomes of Tir Tochair. It was given to her as a gift by Esterhazy, the armorer and swordsmith in the town of Fano.
At the end of the books, after Geralt and Yennefer's deaths, Ciri finds herself in the world of Camelot, where she meets young Galahad, one of King Arthur's knights, with whom she supposedly falls in love.
In the TV series, Ciri is portrayed by Freya Allan.

Dandelion (Jaskier)

Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount of Lettenhove, commonly known as Dandelion, is a poet, minstrel, bard, and Geralt's best friend. The Polish word actually refers to the buttercup. Some of his more famous ballads are about the relationship between Geralt and Yennefer, but none of Jaskier's ballads appear in the book. Some excerpts of these are cited from Jaskier's memoirs 50 lat poezji. By the time of the saga, Dandelion is around 40 years old. However, it is said that he looked like he was in his 30s. Also, in Chapter 3 of The Tower of the Swallow Geralt criticizes Jaskier's selection of the title 50 Years of Poetry and says that he is not yet forty and that he started writing poetry only at the age of 19, inspired by the passion towards the Countess de Stael. He wears a fancy cap with a heron's feather and plays an elven lute. Dandelion accompanies Geralt in many novels and ends up joining Geralt's party while searching for Ciri, but leaves it before the assault on Stygga Castle. Dandelion makes Geralt promise he would return with Ciri to the Duchy of Toussaint, where Dandelion lives. He would later rejoin Geralt and witness his and Yennefer's deaths in the kingdom of Rivia.
In the TV series, Jaskier is portrayed by Joey Batey.

Vesemir

Vesemir is a Witcher who serves as the father figure/mentor to Geralt of Rivera.
In the TV series, Vesemir is portrayed by Kim Bodnia in season two and by Peter Mullan in season four. Theo James provided a vocal cameo of Vesemir in season one and later reprised him in The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.

Triss Merigold

Triss Merigold is a sorceress and one of the Heroes of Sodden Hill in the first war, fighting Nilfgaard. She is known for her beautiful auburn hair and is a close friend of Yennefer. She took care of Ciri at Kaer Morhen for some time and felt like an older sister to her. After Thanedd, she became a member of the Lodge of Sorceresses. Triss is in love with Geralt and struggles between feelings of desire and duty.
In the TV series, Triss is portrayed by Anna Shaffer.

Supporting characters

King Foltest

King Foltest is the king of Temeria in the North. In his youth, he was involved in an incestuous affair with his sister that produced a daughter, although both mother and child died in childbirth. They are buried in the family crypt beneath the family castle. However, due to the situation and the way magic works in the fantasy setting, five years later, the daughter rises as an undead monster called a striga, which kills villagers, forcing the royal family of Temeria to abandon their castle and let it fall into ruin. King Foltest forbids anyone from destroying the striga and eventually hires Geralt to lift the curse from the daughter he would dearly love to save, as he has never married and she is his only heir. Geralt is successful, and the girl returns to life as a 15-year-old. However, she is unsocialized and must be taught to speak and behave as a civilized person.
In the TV series, Foltest is portrayed by Shaun Dooley.

Stregobor

Stregobor is a powerful mage and master illusionist who is the Rector of Ban Ard where male mages train.
In the TV series, Stregobor is portrayed by Lars Mikkelsen.

Milva

Maria Barring is a talented female archer who is one of the few non-dryads tolerated in Brokilon. After guiding the remains of the beaten Scoia'tael commandos during the second war, she joins Geralt's quest to find Ciri. She later reveals herself to be pregnant and struggles between choosing an abortion or keeping the child. In the end, she miscarries after being wounded during the Battle for the Bridge on the Yaruga. During the party's stay at Toussaint, she strikes up a relationship with a baron. She dies providing covering fire for the rest of the party during the assault on Stygga.
In the TV series, Milva is portrayed by Meng'er Zhang.

King Vizimir II

King Vizimir II is the ruler of Redania.
In the TV series, King Vizimir II is portrayed by Ed Burch.

Radovid V

Radovid V is the prince of Redania and the brother of King Vizimir II.
In the TV series, Radovid V is portrayed by Hugh Skinner.

Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach

Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach is an intelligence officer in the Nilfgaardian army who later joins Geralt's party. Cahir is from Vicovaro and has five siblings; he is known for the black helm he wears, which is decorated with the wings of black birds. He ends up falling in love with Ciri when he saves her during the attack on Cintra. Cahir was supposed to capture Ciri and bring her back to Emhyr, but she fled, and he was forced to return empty-handed, for which he was thrown into prison. He would have another chance to redeem himself during the coup at Thanedd, but would once again fail. He later joins Geralt's party as he wants to protect and save Ciri. Due to him being a Nilfgaardian and, more specifically, the black knight who haunted Ciri's dreams, Geralt has a hard time trusting him, but this later changes. Cahir perishes in a duel against Leo Bonhart during the assault on Stygga in an attempt to buy some time for Ciri and Angoulême.
In the TV series, Cahir is portrayed by Eamon Farren.