Andrzej Sapkowski's successful The Witcher series of novels achieved massive popularity with the release of CD Projekt RED's video game adaptation. With The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt being lauded as one of the greatest games of all time, it was no real surprise when Netflix decided to attempt a live-action adaptation.
While many viewers might be familiar with popular characters like Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, Season 2 in particular introduced and expanded upon many characters that played important parts in the games, including some fan favorites.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Witcher's Season 2, currently available on Netflix.
10 Vesemir Is Geralt's Mentor & Father Figure
One of the most important characters in Geralt of Rivia's life, Vesemir was one of the oldest surviving witchers, old enough to have witnessed Kaer Morhen's construction, and also to see its fall. He was a father figure to young Geralt, though he still treated him as harshly as he did all the witchers in training.
Vesemir is portrayed surprisingly similarly in the show and the games, though the show takes the opportunity to delve deeper into some of his motivations, such as his deep concern that the way of life for the witchers is ending, and that one day they will be no more.
9 Roach Is Not One Horse But Many
While many shows and games treat horses as expendable, Geralt's trusty steed Roach is given a bit more love, especially among fans of the games, where the witcher's mount has made for some perfectly meme-able material on account of a few quirky bugs in the game.
Not all fans may realize that Roach isn't simply one horse, but the name Geralt gives to all his horses, typically choosing mares when possible. The name also doesn't have anything to do with the character of Vernon Roche, but instead is named after a type of freshwater fish.
8 Eskel Has A Much Different Fate In The Show
Many fans were excited for the introduction of some of the other witchers from the books and games when the casting was revealed for several characters in Season 2. When Geralt returns to Kaer Morhen with Ciri, viewers of the show get to meet some of these characters as well.
One such witcher was Eskel, one of Geralt's best friends, the two grew up together and trained under Vesemir at Kaer Morhen. While Eskel lives on beyond the end of the games, in the show he faces a much more dire (and controversial) fate.
7 Lambert Is Just As Quarrelsome In Both Iterations
Another of the witchers who makes an appearance in both the show and in the games, Lambert was known to have a biting tongue, a trait which he exhibits in both. Like many witchers, Lambert resents his lot in life, being forced to become a mutant against his will but knowing nothing else.
Lambert plays a fairly prominent role in the parts of The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, especially those in Kaer Morhen. Despite his surliness, it is clear in both the show and games that he cares for his fellow witchers as well as Ciri, though he does like to poke barbs at Triss Merigold.
6 Triss Merigold Is A Fan Favorite From The Games
When it comes to characters in the games, few can be considered as important throughout the trilogy as Triss Merigold. Appearing in all three, the respected sorceress plays a major part in each one, as both a friend, ally, and potential lover for Geralt.
While in the games players have the option to pursue a romance with Triss, even allowing a choice between her and Yennefer in the third game, canonically her love for Geralt is unrequited, though the two remain fast friends.
5 Phillipa Eilhart Only Makes A Brief Appearance In The Show
Philipa Eilhart is an old and powerful sorceress, one of few with the ability to polymorph, able to transform herself into a snowy white owl. She plays an important part in the second and third games in the series as something of an occasional and reluctant ally of Geralt.
Her prominent role in the games and the books made it a sure thing that she would appear in the show at some point, which she did; when her true form was revealed in the season finale. This cunning and dangerous sorceress will most likely play an important part in the third season.
4 Sigismund Dijkstra Is A Schemer In Both Mediums
Sigismund Dijkstra is the head of Redanian Intelligence, a close ally of Philipa Eilhart, and something of a thorn in the side of Geralt of Rivia (or vice versa). He is clever and cunning, and very influential in both Redania and beyond.
In the games, Dijkstra is often at odds with Geralt, though the two also are forced to work together on more than one occasion. In the show, he maintains much of these traits, though he has yet to encounter the witcher himself on screen.
3 Jaskier's Character Remains Consistent Throughout
A fan favorite from the first season, Jaskier's character is well regarded for having made "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" a household phrase. His catchy tunes, comedy, and role as a foil for Geralt make the character one of the most memorable from the show.
In the games, he is much the same, though he tends to go by the moniker Dandelion, and provides a very similar role as he does in the show. He is a fast friend of Geralt, though known to have dragged the witcher into more than one troublesome situation.
2 Fringilla Vigo Is An Important Part Of The Show
Though the sorceress Fringilla Vigo plays only a minor role in the games, her part in the show is much more prominent. In the games, she appears only briefly towards the end of the third entry, assisting Geralt in his battle against the Wild Hunt after being freed from her captivity in Nilfgaard.
In the show, Fringilla plays a massive part in Season 2, as a loyal servant to the White Flame and an ally of Francesca Findabair, the elves' leader. Though her fate remains in question at the end of the second season, it is very likely viewers have not seen the end of her yet.
1 Emhyr Var Emrys Is Rarely Seen But Has A Huge Impact
Few characters in The Witcher series, whether it be the games, show, or books, play such an important role in the setting as Emhyr Var Emrys, the White Flame of Nilfgaard. He controls the most powerful empire in the world and rules over it with an iron fist and the fervent loyalty of many of his subjects.
In The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, Emhyr plays a prominent role in Geralt's search for Ciri, though he is only met on a handful of occasions. In the show, this enigmatic figure doesn't appear until the second season's finale, where his true identity was finally revealed.