The Witcher is one of Netflix’s most popular series. Its success has led to the creation of a prequel miniseries as well as animated films. If you’re just starting out, you may be wondering which one should you watch first, or what is the best The Witcher watch order.
There are two ways to watch Netflix’s The Witcher: in order of release, or in chronological order. Here’s an explanation of each, as well as a discussion as to which one is the best The Witcher watch order.
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The Witcher Franchise in Release Order
As of writing, there are three seasons of The Witcher, one prequel series titled The Witcher: Blood Origin, and one prequel animated film titled The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.
The Witcher Season 4 is already confirmed, although there is no release date yet. Additionally, another animated film titled The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep will premiere sometime in late 2024.
Here’s Netflix’s The Witcher in release order:
- The Witcher Season 1 (December 20, 2019)
- The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (August 23, 2021)
- The Witcher Season 2 (December 17, 2021)
- The Witcher: Blood Origin (December 25, 2022)
- The Witcher Season 3 (Volume 1, June 29, 2023; Volume 2, July 27, 2023)
- The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep (late 2024)
- The Witcher Season 4 (TBA)
The Witcher in Chronological Order
It must be noted that all the prequels and The Witcher seasons are connected even if they take place in different time periods. The prequels give additional information and shed light on how some things came to be in The Witcher.
Here are The Witcher series and films in chronological order, with some details about the events that take place:
The Witcher: Blood Origin
The Witcher: Blood Origin takes place 1,200 years before the events of the main series The Witcher. It shows how the Conjunction of the Spheres (an important event in The Witcher universe) happened as well as the creation of the first Witcher.
Blood Origin is a miniseries with only four episodes, so it wouldn’t really take long to finish. It received negative reviews from critics and audiences, but it still does give some useful information.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Nightmare of the Wolf follows the story of Vesemir, Geralt’s mentor and fellow Witcher. Vesemir appears in the second season of The Witcher.
Nightmare of the Wolf also shows the events that led to the decrease of the Witcher population on the Continent. At the end of the movie, we see Vesemir taking in recruits, and one of them is Geralt of Rivia.
The Witcher Season 1 Episodes 1-5
The Witcher Season 1 is where we are introduced to Geralt of Rivia, the series’ main protagonist, and two other main characters: Yennefer of Vengerberg and Cirilla of Cintra (Ciri). Season 1 explores these characters’ backstories.
But even Season 1 itself has a complicated timeline, as the events in the season are not told in chronological order. Season 1 follows three characters, and they have their own timelines.
So, there are many time jumps in the first season. Viewers are taken back to the past, then to the future or the present.
Thankfully, Netflix provided a timeline of all the events that took place in Season 1, and you can refer back here when you begin watching the season:
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is an upcoming animated film that is set to premiere sometime in late 2024.
According to Netflix, this animated film is set between Episode 5 and Episode 6 of The Witcher Season 1. Geralt, Jaskier, and Yennefer will be in this film, along with a new character named Essi Daven.
In The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, Geralt is hired to investigate a series of attacks in a seaside village. He then finds himself drawn into a centuries-old conflict between humans and merpeople.
He must count on old and new friends to “solve the mystery before the hostilities between the two kingdoms escalate into an all-out war.”
The Witcher Season 1 Episodes 6-8
We can probably expect the ending of Sirens of the Deep to lead into the sixth episode of Season 1 considering that the upcoming film takes place between Episodes 5 and 6.
At the end of Season 1, all three timelines converge, so there’s no need to worry about having more complicated timelines in the following seasons of The Witcher.
The Witcher Season 2
After Geralt and Ciri finally cross paths at the end of The Witcher Season 1, they set out for Kaer Morhen, and Ciri begins training to become a Witcher. As for Yennefer, her storyline in the season is about her losing her powers and finding ways to get them back.
We are also introduced to several villains in The Witcher Season 2, such as Voleth Meir, Rience, and the Wild Hunt. We also learn more about Ciri’s heritage and her powers.
The Witcher Season 3
In The Witcher Season 3, Geralt and Yennefer take Ciri into hiding "as monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her."
The three of them stay together until they’re forced to part ways due to never-ending threats. Yennefer decides to take Ciri to Aretuza so that she can learn how to use her powers, while Geralt tracks down a villain.
This season is also Henry Cavill’s last appearance as Geralt of Rivia, as Liam Hemsworth will be taking on the role in The Witcher Season 4.
Should You Watch The Witcher: Blood Origin Before The Witcher?
For those who want to start watching The Witcher, The Witcher: Blood Origin can be watched first since it is a prequel.
As stated earlier, The Witcher: Blood Origin sheds light on the Conjunction of the Spheres. This event is often mentioned in The Witcher, so if you’ve seen Blood Origin already, you would understand what the characters mean.
Notably, Blood Origin was released before The Witcher Season 3. It adds context to The Witcher Season 3, and you can read here to learn more about its connections to the main series.
But you do not need to watch The Witcher: Blood Origin to understand the story in The Witcher series. The prequel is there for one to further understand things in the main series.
It gives additional information about the world of The Witcher. But the prequel’s story is not one that would require you to watch it first before the main series.
Should You Watch The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf Before The Witcher?
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf focuses on Vesemir’s origin story. If you watch Nightmare of the Wolf first, then you would already know Vesemir’s backstory when you see him in The Witcher Season 2.
But like with Blood Origin, it isn’t really necessary for one to watch this animated film before the main The Witcher series.
The Best The Witcher Watch Order
You would get a better introduction to the world of The Witcher by starting with the main storyline – which is from Geralt of Rivia’s perspective, as well as Ciri’s and Yennefer’s.
The prequels are there to give some insight, add context, or give background information on things in the main The Witcher series. So, it's best to just start with The Witcher.
However, if you like watching things starting from the beginning of the entire timeline, then the chronological watch order works best, with you watching The Witcher: Blood Origin first.
But if you're confused about things, it’s always best to go with the default one – which is the order in which Netflix released it.
By choosing the release order, you would also be watching the series in the same way many fans did – beginning with The Witcher Season 1. But whatever The Witcher watch order you choose, I hope you enjoy watching Netflix's The Witcher!
You can check here for all the latest news on The Witcher!
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