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The Witcher book series by Andrzej Sapkowski spawned an incredibly popular TV show, and the original novels offered some amazing character endings but never answered the question of "does Gersalt die in the books?" The Witcher was released in 1986 and resulted in 14 short stories and six novels. The most recent book was the prequel story Season of Storms, which was released in 2013. The Witcher followed the story of Geralt of Rivia, a monster-hunter with supernatural abilities. None of the characters in The Witcher were the same by the series’ end, and each unique personality went through astonishing character development.
While Geralt’s need to protect Ciri and his relationship with Yennefer were two of the main motivators of The Witcher book series, several other plot points gave more depth to the fantasy universe. The last novel of the main saga, The Lady of the Lake, brought the main storyline to an end. However, not every character survived, and each had varying fates in the series’ conclusion. From death to alternative universes, The Witcher’s main and supporting book characters had intriguing ends in their respective stories.
7 Geralt Of Rivia
The Ultimate Witcher
The end of Geralt’s story in The Lady of the Lake left the main character's fate ambiguous. His parental-like bond with Ciri mainly powered his development throughout the book series, as did Geralt’s on-off romance with Yennefer, which was nothing short of complex and chaotic. Despite their difficult romance, Yennefer played a big part in Geralt’s fate in The Witcher books. At the end of The Lady of the Lake, The Witcher’s iconic protagonist was fatally wounded by a pitchfork during a dangerous riot that broke out in Rivia.
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Yennefer attempted to save Geralt with her powers, but she passed out in the process, and it was unclear whether she, too, had died. The pair later awoke elsewhere, although exactly what happened wasn’t made clear. Some interpretations of Geralt’s final scenes in The Lady of the Lake implied that this was his death and he was reuniting with Yennefer in the afterlife, but The Witcher series never confirmed this. While it was an unusual climax for a protagonist, Geralt’s purposely vague ending was also appropriate, as it offered a calming fate for a previously hectic and complicated character.
6 Ciri
The Princess Of Cintra
Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, the Princess of Cintra, was introduced in The Witcher book series as a naive young woman forced to be brave in the face of danger. As the series progressed, Ciri formed a surrogate father-daughter connection with Geralt, and the two shared a grand destiny that kept them together. At the end of The Tower of the Swallow, Ciri traveled to an alternative reality, which kicked off the events of The Lady of the Lake. During the opening of the book, Ciri met the real historical figure, Sir Galahad, one of King Arthur’s knights.
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After Geralt and Yennefer’s supposed deaths, it was revealed that Ciri was still recounting her tale to Galahad. Rather than returning to her own world, Ciri’s The Witcher book storyline ended with her accepting Galahad’s offer to join him in Camelot, and the two rode off into the sunset together. While it was teased throughout, this moment proved Ciri was the true main character of The Witcher. Even though Ciri was upset at losing Geralt, his influence on her impacted her ending. Much like Geralt and Yennefer, Ciri’s story ending was left open to interpretation.
5 Yennefer Of Vengerberg
A Powerful Young Sorceress
Outside of her relationship with Geralt, Yennefer’s story throughout The Witcher book series was full of complex character development. Yennefer’s heartbreaking and tragic The Witcher backstory involved her abusive upbringing and being the youngest of the Council of Sorcerors. She later became a member of the Lodge of Sorceresses. Before she truly harbored her powers, Yennefer had a hunchback. This physical quality, which she described as a deformity, was fixed as an apprentice, and Geralt’s discovery of this was a notable plotline in the series. Yennefer was also infertile, but she struggled with this fact significantly more than Geralt did.
After Ciri transported Yennefer and Geralt to Avalon, the beautiful and rebellious sorcerer’s story came to an end. Ciri implied that Yennefer and Geralt finally married, although it was never officially confirmed, and it seemed to be more likely that Ciri simply hoped for this outcome. Yennefer used her magic to try to save Geralt from death but fell unconscious in the process, which implied that she also died. Either way, Yennefer’s painful journey to stand on her own two feet while also making things work with Geralt had a satisfying ending, with the two in eternity together.
4 Cahir
The Black Knight
Cahir first appeared in Blood of Elves, although his true identity was initially hidden. Cahir’s origins as the Black Knight in The Witcher was to obtain Ciri and return her to Emhyr, although her escape resulted in his imprisonment. Cahir fell in love with Ciri, and after multiple failed attempts to capture her, he eventually gave up and joined Geralt’s party. Despite there being plenty of strain between Cahir and Geralt, including the latter almost killing him several times, Cahir was eventually welcomed. Cahir sadly met his end in The Lady of the Lake.
Cahir dueled bounty hunter Leon Bonhart during the assault on Stygga, but he unfortunately didn’t survive. However, his death didn’t occur for no reason. Cahir admitted to Geralt that he was in love with Ciri shortly before his death, and while his demise was shocking, it allowed Ciri time to escape the castle. Thankfully, Ciri avenged Cahir’s death by killing Bonhart. This brought Cahir’s story full circle, which started with him as a Nilfgaardian knight who haunted Ciri’s dreams and ended with him sacrificing himself for her.
3 Triss Merigold
A Powerful Witch & Escaper Of Death
Triss Merigold’s story in The Witcher book series was interesting. Like Yennefer, she was a powerful sorceress and skilled healer. Triss was frequently referred to as “Fourteenth of the Hill” because it was widely considered that she’d died during the Battle of Sodden Hill, but had survived. Despite her close friendship with Yennefer, she struggled with her feelings for Geralt. Triss used magic to seduce him, but Geralt quickly ended his short relationship with her, which broke her heart. Even though Triss still loved Geralt, their friendship remained strong, and she even became somewhat of an older sister to Ciri.
Triss and Yennefer worked together in The Lady of the Lake and brought the Rivia riots to an end by creating a storm. When Ciri left on a boat through the fog with Yennefer and Geralt’s bodies, Triss said goodbye and was left behind, but her ending gave her a lot to be proud of. She let go of her fear of death, moved on from the battle of Sodden, and used her magic to help protect those she cared about. Even though she lost Geralt and Yennefer, Triss’ future was full of possibility and optimism.
2 Dandelion
Geralt's Beloved Bard & Best Friend
The bard Julian Alfred Pankratz, also known as Dandelion in the books and Jaskier in The Witcher TV show, was Geralt's best friend. Dandelion provided some brilliant comic relief in The Witcher series, including many ballads about Yennefer and Geralt’s relationship. Several of The Witcher short stories established Dandelion as a loyal companion of Geralt’s. Dandelion accompanied Geralt on many adventures, where he was often mistaken for an elf because of his short stature and unusual appearance. However, he almost met his end at the hands of Anna Henrietta after cheating on her.
Thankfully, Dandelion was saved from execution but banished from Toussaint as a result. Like Triss, Dandelion was left behind after Geralt’s death. It was heavily suggested at the end of The Lady of the Lake that Dandelion moved on with his life, but he continued to write about his adventures with Geralt. Dandelion was the sole survivor of Geralt’s hansa, which made sense, considering he was such a strong storyteller. Dandelion’s survival allowed for Geralt’s stories to be shared, even after death.
1 Leo Bonhart
The Witcher's Most Famous Bounty Hunter
Leo Bonhart was one of the most treacherous characters in The Witcher book series. Bonhart was famous for his incredible swordsmanship, cruel and bitter demeanor, and hellbent obsession with tracking down Ciri. He was a decorated killer, literally, and he sported three medallions that belonged to his previous victims. However, he sometimes overstepped the boundaries of his employment. For example, he was hired by Skellen to kill Ciri, whereas the Baron of Casadei wanted her alive. Instead, Bonhart kept Ciri for himself and imprisoned her. Bonhart also eliminated the Rats group in The Witcher, some of his most brutal kills.
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Leo Bonhart’s ending in books was very appropriate for one of The Witcher’s main book villains. During the events at Stygga Castle, Bonhart killed several of Geralt’s closest companions, including Cahir. However, all of the torment and pain that Bonhart forced upon Ciri came back to haunt him when she enacted her revenge. Ciri used the skills Bonhart taught her in the arena at Claremont in The Witcher book The Tower of the Swallow against him, which gave her some brilliant justice as she ended the life of her abuser.
How Likely It Is That The Witcher Show Changes These Endings
There is a good chance that The Witcher will change the endings of these characters in somewhat interesting ways. The biggest complaint about the books is the fact that neither Ciri nor Yennefer is treated as honestly-written characters, while their small-screen portrayals make them much more powerful and interesting than they ever were in the books. With that said, Ciri ended up as the main hero of the books in the end, and the Netflix series will likely give her a similar ending as she had in the books, as a well-rounded hero ready to fight her own battles.
Yennefer, Geralt, and Ciri had a moment where they were all together and happy, something that didn't happen in the books.
However, several changes to The Witcher's storyline on Netflix will likely change the characters' endings. For one thing, Yennefer, Geralt, and Ciri had a moment where they were all together and happy, something that didn't happen in the books. Having Yennifer help with Ciri's training gives them much more of a connection than they had in the books. This should and will probably have a part in changing at least Yennefer's fate. Yennefer losing her powers in season two was also new for the series, so that is another case where the storylines have now diverged.
The recasting of Geralt from Henry Cavill to Liam Hemsworth is also a change, and it remains to be seen how Geralt being so different in the future will affect his relationship and connection to Ciri and Yennefer. It is also important to know that Bonhart's role in training Ciri fell more to Geralt and Yennefer in the series, so her connection to killing him makes less sense in the Netflix series. As for Cahir and Triss, The Witcher Netflix series changed them almost completely from the books, so expect major changes in their fates.
Based on the novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and the video games, The Witcher follows the story of Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter who struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. "Ciri" Cirilla is the Princess of Cintra, who has magical abilities and whose fate has been linked to Geralt's. Yennefer of Vengerberg, a sorceress who trains to become a mage before deserting her duties and going solo, is also a main character in the Netflix series. The show's storylines are intertwined but told throughout different timelines, all of which eventually catch up to Ciri's, whose timeline of events is the most recent. Set on the Continent where men, monsters, and elves exist together, the characters all have separate journeys, though their destinies bring them into each others' orbits.
Release Date December 20, 2019
Seasons 3
Directors Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
English (US) ·