Netflix's 8-episode The Witcher series is well worth watching for complete newcomers and longtime series fans. The show has spurred a renewed interest in both the books and the games, introducing many people to one of the best RPG series ever as well as volumes of great world building. Now is the best time to return to The Witcher 3, long considered a must-play experience for anyone who enjoys a good story and RPG exploration.
However, there are quite a few differences between the Netflix series, the games, and the books. This is because the live-action series and the games are all slightly different interpretations of the original books. They all have their merits, fitting incredibly rich source material into their respective mediums for the best impact possible. With so many small changes between each representation of Geralt and the world of The Witcher, some may wonder which representation is the closest to the original intention.
One major question when considering how true each adaptation stays to the tone of the original is the strength of the protagonist. Witchers, and Geralt in particular, are very skilled hunters with superhuman abilities and years of training. They are not unstoppable, however. A Witcher can easily dispatch most human opponents, but faces serious challenges when fighting monsters or large groups of skilled people. This being said, live-action shows can benefit from showing off an overpowered main character or playing up their struggles for drama. Meanwhile, games must pay heed to players' need for a challenging difficulty curve that pays off with palpable growth in power. So, which version of Geralt is stronger, and which one stays closest to the original intent?
The following discussion contains MINOR SPOILERS for the Netflix series, so readers should watch the series first if they are concerned. Afterwards, an explanation of The Witcher show's complicated timeline may be in order as well.
Physical Abilities
A Witcher's physical abilities are far beyond that of an ordinary human. They have heightened strength, reflexes, and reaction speeds, but most of their enhancements come in the form of enhanced senses. While all the secrets of what goes into a Witcher are lost since the destruction of Kaer Morhen, it is impossible to know exactly how much more physically capable a Witcher is than a normal human.
Geralt is also a special case. He is likely much stronger, or at least more skilled, than the average Witcher. Even though this is the case, he is often depicted struggling against even basic monsters or human opponents if caught off guard in the Netflix series. Perhaps the greatest strength a Witcher has is knowledge and preparation. This is clearly depicted in the final episode of the Netflix series, when Geralt nearly succumbs to the bite of a ghoul because he was forced into an unfavorable situation. In prior episodes, Geralt was able to easily dispatch a team of trained mercenaries and much tougher monsters because he was prepared for a fight, or just had the proper potions.
In the games, preparation is also key. Going into a fight under-equipped and lacking the proper potions or weapons is a quick path to an untimely demise. Many players were happy to note that quite a few of the monster encounters depicted in the show held true to the difficulty of the games.
However, monster encounters are much more common in the games than in the books or the live-action series, simply to keep gameplay exciting and engaging. This, combined with the fact that players can do things like grind for experience an pick up stronger weapons means that the Geralt in The Witcher 3 is a much more formidable figure than in the books or Netflix adaptation.
Magic
People who watched the Netflix series and didn't have any prior familiarity with The Witcher might have missed out on the fact that Witchers can actually use quite a few spells. There are very few signs used in the Netflix series, which disappointed plenty of fans. Even Henry Cavill felt that there were too few signs used in the show. This was due to their auxiliary nature in the books, not to be confused with their more offensive nature in the game. As such, The Witcher 3's Geralt is reasonably more powerful than the Netflix's Geralt in this regard.
Influence of Each Medium
No matter how buff Henry Cavill is, he will never be able to stack up to the digital Geralt in power. This is because video games demand a different kind of pacing to keep their audience hooked. Monster fights must come relatively frequently, and players must consistently get better stats and stronger abilities throughout the story. Things like modded-in weapon or money-making strategies complicate the picture even further.
This is not to say that the show is any less engaging than the games, or that the games are a less faithful representation of the source material. Each version is a worthwhile interpretation of the books, and it is lucky for all that they are both so fun to watch and play, respectively.
There is time yet for Netflix's Geralt to become stronger and start using magic in upcoming seasons of The Witcher, and cranking up the difficulty in The Witcher 3 is always an option for a more punishing experience.
The Witcher is available on Netflix now.