The new first look teaser for The Witcher‘s fourth season doesn’t give much away – not even which of author Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels it’ll take its cues from. So, what Witcher books is Season 4 based on?
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What Witcher Books Does Season 4 Adapt?
Per Variety, The Witcher Season 4 (and Season 5) will adapt Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake. The novels are the final installments in Sapkowski’s main “Witcher Saga.” They’re also the third, fourth, and fifth full-length Witcher novels, respectively. Sapkowski released another book, Season of Storms, after Lady of the Lake, however, it tells a standalone tale set much earlier in the Witcher timeline. As such, Seasons 4 and 5 won’t adapt any of Season of Storms. And given The Witcher‘s fifth season will also be the show’s last, don’t expect to see Sapkowski’s sixth Witcher novel realized in live-action anytime soon.
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That’s what we won’t see in The Witcher Season 4 and 5 covered – but what about what will appear on screen? What can non-readers expect from Liam Hemsworth’s first and second outings as Witcher protagonist Geralt of Rivia, based on the books? More of the same, at least at first. Baptism of Fire and The Tower of the Swallow are both fairly straightforward continuations of Geralt and his adoptive daughter Ciri’s story. It’s the usual cocktail of violent questing, ominous otherworldly forces, and political intrigue, but with a few new faces thrown in the mix. Lady of the Lake mixes things up, however, leaning hard into the Witcher mythos’ ties to Arthurian legend.
What Witcher Books Are Seasons 1-3 Based On?
Surprised that The Witcher is only two novels down so far, despite its three-season (and counting) run? It actually makes sense, once you factor in Sapkowski’s two short story collections, The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. Here’s a breakdown of the Witcher books Seasons 1-3 are based on:
- The Witcher Season 1: The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny
- The Witcher Season 2: Blood of the Elves
- The Witcher Season 3: Time of Contempt
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Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has spoken openly about the challenge of adapting some of Sapkowski’s Witcher books, singling out Blood of the Elves as particularly tough. “I thought that Blood of Elves was incredibly difficult to adapt, because there wasn’t a lot of big action,” Hissrich told Collider in June 2023. “And as much as you can talk to book lovers and book purists and say like, ‘But no, this could have been beautiful!’ It could have been. But I actually believe over eight episodes, it would’ve been too slow to keep its momentum.”
The Witcher Seasons 1-3 are currently streaming on Netflix. Season 4 does not yet have a release date.
Published: Jun 3, 2024 01:12 pm