Power Struggles, Blurred Lines and Inner Conflicts in the Witcher

Featuring the typical fare of GrimDark world building, the Witcher, when it first came out in 2019, was viewed as a spiritual sequel to preceding dark fantasy shows, coming after the critically acclaimed Game of Thrones. Yet, what makes the Witcher unique is the complex hierarchies that take the Witcher’s worldbuilding far beyond the  typical feudalist intrigue  that has become so characteristic of dark fantasies, with different, morally grey kingdoms vying with each other for control of land and power. In such setups, moral greyness abounds, like in GOT, where Daenerys, upon the death of her, burns down an entire city in a pyrrhic victory. In the Witcher, this complexity is conveyed not in the humanization of both sides of the central  conflict, but rather the blurred lines between them. 

Geralt of Rivia, the eponymous Witcher

Cirilla, one of the protagonists,  grows up a Northern princess and the heir to the most powerful Northern Kingdom, Cintra. When her kingdom falls to Nilfgaard, a Southern conqueror, she swears total vengeance. Yet, she is saved by an Elven child, who then tells her about how her grandmother, the queen of her kingdom, brutally murdered his people. Cirilla struggles to reconcile her image of her powerful, loving grandmother, with the genocidal dictator that her friend presents her with.

Cirilla’s grandmother, Calanthe of Cintra, preparing for war

Later on, it is revealed that Cirilla herself is of elven blood - and she possesses the powers of a full-blooded elf. She is exactly what her grandmother tried to kill. The Elves, allied with the kingdom that destroyed her own and killed her grandmother, begin to worship her as a hero, there to save them from extermination by the rest of the human world. It is this complexity that Andrzej Sapowski forces us, as readers and watchers, to contend with - that one person can suffer from such deep and conflicting allegiances, and be forced to reconcile with each. As Cirilla runs further and further away from the decision, she becomes sought by everybody, and war begins brewing.

Many other characters struggle with shifting loyalties and conscience during the show. Jaskier, the bard, takes on various masks throughout the narrative. A character known for his lack of allegiance to any one kingdom or cause, he floats around, getting into trouble and joining Geralt on his adventures. Yet, when he, by virtue of his close relationship to Geralt, becomes responsible for Cirilla, he struggles with deciding the best way to do so - making a difficult bargain with Redania, a kingdom aligned with Nilfgaard, clouded by his growing relationship to a Redanian Prince. Despite having a profound love for Cirilla, his actions lead to a betrayal, resulting in Cirilla being lost. Jaskier’s conflict reveals the difficulty of choosing correctly in a world where allegiances are unclear - he makes the mistake of trusting where he couldn't, ultimately leading to a trap that could have been avoided if he had listened to those around him. As we see here, relationships can be quickly clouded by shifting allegiances and difficult mistakes.

While there is nuance within the structure of conflict between kingdoms in the Witcher, this conflict is further exacerbated by the semi-autonomous power struggles within the Brotherhood of sorcerers. In the world of the Witchers, the Brotherhood, an elite organization made from the magical schools of Aretuza and Ban Ard, act as a balance of power against the Northern Kings, providing support of both the magical and diplomatic. The mages, by training together and maintaining a shared organization, supposedly maintain peace and act as advisors.

The Gathering of the Brotherhood 

Yet, even the Brotherhood is struck out of balance, as its mages have to contend with the possibility of taking sides. Their magical power is weakened as tensions erupt and their kings begin to lose faith in them. Yet, they remain an important balance of power as they initially fight for the North, holding their own against the entire might of the Nilfgaardian army. Yet, the stability and power of the Brotherhood remains tenuous at best, as internal rivalries have shockwaves in the power struggle between nations. In fact, it is the breaking of the Brotherhood that ultimately triggers war.

Ultimately, the Witcher stands out among other dark fantasies of its kind not because of the novelty of its conflict, but in the intricacies of worldbuilding creating a unique power structure, dynamic loyalties, and a very unclear picture of two sides - which is ultimately one of the most compelling aspects of its story.