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It’s easy at first glance to denigrate the entire Witcher pantheon as another male escapist fantasy. After all, Geralt of Rivia is hardly pressed to find scantily clad female company, but that assumption alone negates the startling amount of agency and importance women have in The Witcher universe.
For the purposes of this article, we’ll be discussing The Witcher franchise in three of its popular forms: Andrzej Sapkowski’s incredible novels, the Netflix television series, and the latest video game, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. The franchise has other video games, as well as films and a television series in its native Poland, that we won’t be discussing.
Fantasy, Feminism…
“Of course: because this is how it is in real life. Women are and always have been stronger than men.”
Andrzej Sapkowski
The book is only as good as its author, and on the subject of women, Sapkowski is clear. When asked about his use of strong, capable, and intelligent female characters, Sapkowski stated:
“Of course: because this is how it is in real life. Women are and always have been stronger than men.”
The Witcher books exist in the type of medieval, patriarchal realm we would come to expect, though mages seem to enjoy the same levels of respect regardless of gender. Geralt, the main protagonist, embarks on his career as a Witcher imbued with bravado and machismo, walking right into a situation that is steeped with sexuality and morality. After saving a girl from her rapist, Geralt must woefully admit to himself that he wanted to save the damsel for selfish, egocentric reasons. Rather than for her own needs, he saw it as a means for her to sob for her savior and throw herself at him in gratitude. Instead, the girl is terrified of the bloody killer and deeply traumatized by the whole affair.
The event shaped many of Geralt’s ideas on codes of conduct, which extended into his fatherly relationship with Ciri, his “adopted” daughter and eventual fellow Witcher. Geralt’s views on women are much like Sapowski’s, and when it comes to his “daughter,” Geralt is the first to tell you how strong, terrifying, and capable Ciri is. It’s very telling that the male protagonist in the series is a caretaker for the “Chosen One,” a popular fantasy trope and that the storyline hinges on the exceptionalism of Ciri, a female. Traditionally, this destined role of importance rests on the shoulders of a male character — especially in medieval literature—King Arthur being a prime example.
It’s Geralt’s relationship with Ciri, not his many conquests, that is truly remarkable. He takes her to Kaer Mohren and trains her, showing her how to defend herself, never using her gender as a way to stunt her abilities. Geralt is well aware of Ciri’s destined importance to the fate of the world. He doesn’t try to take the burden on himself, because he simply can’t. In the final portion of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it is clear you are no longer playing as the central character; you are playing as an ally to Ciri, who is truly the world’s savior.
…And Fatherhood
There are also numerous instances in The Witcher where it is clear Ciri’s biological father views her as a political pawn, and even tries to buy Geralt’s help. Geralt, however, searches for—and subsequently aids Ciri—out of actual love rather than personal motivation. There are other choices in the game that deeply impact its multiple endings, and many of the choices place emphasis on emotionally supporting Ciri. If you choose to ignore her emotional and mental health, you will receive a heartbreaking ending. It showcases just how deeply a father’s support, rather than coddling or mere anger, can shape someone into the person they were destined to be.
On other aspects of parenthood, Geralt also maintains his support and understanding. The sorceress Yennefer—Geralt’s long-time love—was made barren when she became a sorceress, an act which rules Yenn’s motivations for most of the series. Despite fearing for Yennefer’s emotional and physical safety as she quests after fertility, he understands her need for choice. He also firmly believes in a woman’s right to abort, an issue discussed in Sword of Destiny that aligns with The Witcher Universe’s ideas on women ruling the act of birth and procreation.
What it means to be a man — particularly a father — is something our current society is trying to examine and come to terms with in a healthy way, and finding that type of emotion in a typically masculine character is very refreshing. It rings particularly poignant because Geralt is continuously insulted for being an emotionless mutation. The idea that Witchers are unfeeling, cold creatures is a large part of the ostracism and hatred against them; though like most prejudices, there’s evidence to the contrary.
We often see Geralt caring for his female counterparts, especially when it comes to his parental love for Ciri and his undying love for Yennefer. Even the women he clashes with, like the headstrong Calanthe, he treats with an emotional awareness that is astounding.
Girls On Film
Of the three forms of media, the Netflix series seems the most adamant on presenting its female characters in a meaningful way. This is due, in part, to the show’s female showrunner, Lauren S. Hissrich. Several of the episodes solely focused on the trials of its female characters.
The episode, “Of Banquets, Bastards, and Burials”, shows us not only the relationship between a mother and daughter, but the perils of arranged marriages, remarking on a woman’s tenuous hold on her agency. It also gives us some truly shining moments from the warrior queen Calanthe, the indomitable lioness of Cintra.
While Sapkowski’s novels instill in us a respect for Calanthe, the show’s version of the Queen, played perfectly by Jodhi May, is a multifaceted woman. She’s full of the spite and ire we expect while still encompassing a full range of emotions. She scorns her daughter’s marriage feast, stating, “This, all this, because male tradition demands it. If I were a man, I could simply tell the whole lot of them to fuck off, declare outright who Pavetta should marry, and have done with it. Or, better yet, let the poor girl decide her own fate.”
“I bow to no law made by men who never bore a child.”
Queen Calanthe
The show, much like the books, is also very clear in its ideas about reproductive rights and agency in the hands of powerful women. Calanthe and Pavetta must marry for the power of their kingdom, while Calanthe suffers again through the death of her child and the law of destiny that forces her to give up her only grandchild. Just as in the books, Yennefer must sacrifice her fertility in order to obtain power. Yennefer’s heartbreak is summarized poignantly in the episode ‘Rare Species’ when she simply explains, “They took my choice. I want it back.”
Yennefer’s shining moment in, “Of Banquets, Bastards, and Burials,” comes after the death of the infant she tries to protect all episode. Looking down on the little girl, Yennefer apologizes to the baby for her death, but remarks that life isn’t all that great for girls anyway. She cynically tells the child, “You’ve cheated the game and won without even knowing it.” It not only capitalizes on the infant’s death to express the death of motherhood for Yennefer, but very honestly showcases her feelings about the world she’s forced to exist in.
The Women Of “The Witcher 3”
If you’ve played The Witcher video games, you’re familiar with the blood and gore of Geralt’s travels while he works to rid the world of hideous creatures. Is there violence against women? Absolutely. Are women objectified? Bingo. This is a man’s medieval world, drawing its questlines from novels, fairy tales, and Slavic folklore, and it’s bleak for everyone.
For all its expected pitfalls, however, it’s a game rife with sentiment and belief, touching on women’s issues like ostracism and racism. There are several quests that drip heavily with the weight of their messages, like “The Bloody Baron,” in which a man’s abuse of his family leads to disastrous consequences, delving into ideas on domestic abuse and miscarriage. It’s very telling in this quest that there is no expected redemption for the man, and there’s no option for Geralt to reveal the battered daughter’s whereabouts, giving her a modicum of respect sometimes not even given to real survivors.
There are a myriad of other quests where women, even bit characters, are given agency, intelligence, and strength. One woman may need assistance to obtain credit for her blacksmithing work, while another may refuse your assistance because she can take care of herself. Yes, strumpets and revealing clothing are abound, but many of the female NPCS in the game are given far more characterization than most video games.
The overt sexuality and graphic sex in the game can be attributed to the game’s male gaze, but the women of The Witcher might have something to say about that. It’s important to see sex as something the female characters take part in, rather than subjected to. It’s important to view this sex not as gratuitous, but as a frank, mature exchange. The women of The Witcher own and embrace their sexuality, with their own motives, often seducing Geralt rather than vice versa.
Nudity Within “The Witcher 3”
Sorceress Keira Metz is a particularly strong character with her own sexual force that she uses to her advantage consensually and intelligently. The character, Syanna, in the game’s Blood and Wine expansion, even sleeps with Geralt and then pointedly ignores him after the deed, obviously wounding him.
Nudity in the game can be a double-edged sword. Though the alluring outfits, strumpets, and sex scenes are there for obvious titillation, there are also scenes of casual nudity where Geralt interacts with women with no intent for sex. The sauna scene is an example of this concept. The women are in various states of undress, talking to each other without an ounce of shame, their nudity an everyday social and cultural right.
Does it titillate certain players? Of course, but it also normalizes the sight of women’s breasts in a way that isn’t overtly sexual. Women have whole naked bodies under their clothes, and to shame us for natural acts like bathing and breastfeeding is a feminist issue.
Further Research
This is by no means a complete or comprehensive look into the many ways the franchise deals with feminism and gender. It really only scratches the surface, and each of the three medias provides enough evidence for several more articles.
There are a lot of great resources to further your research, and the source material is always an excellent place to start. It’s important to recognize that even though the fantasy and video game genre is often male-oriented, there are still strong women and fulfilling storylines to be found.