The Witcher series on Netflix has finally released and to the delight of fans, it manages to successfully tap into the essence of the books and the video games as a faithful adaptation. While the show is not perfect, it is by far one of the best live-action series to depict a high fantasy world, capturing the action, the magic, and the intrigue that make Geralt of Rivia's story so interesting.
Many of the characters from the books and games spring to life right there on the screen, fully fleshed out by the excellent costuming department. Here are the ten best costumes on The Witcher, ranked - but be warned, there are spoilers ahead:
Tissaia de Vries
As a sorceress and a rector at the Aretuza magic academy, Tissaia de Vries is an impressive yet severe woman. There is no shortage of strong women on the show, but Tissaia is one of the few who is neither a warrior, queen, nor seductress.
Her dark blue dress is designed like a nobleman's doublet, speaking to her authority without flaunting it. With hair pulled back, she's clearly a practical woman. The collar which frames her neck also has a cape-like quality, lending further gravitas to her, even as the charm around her neck speaks of status with its star design hinting at heavenly power.
Borch Three Jackdaws
Here is the final warning: here there be spoilers. Also dragons. Which is to say that Borch Three Jackdaws is not the human he pretends to be, but really a golden dragon named Villentretenmerth.
In his human form, he looks like what a dragon thinks humans look like. He is short, grey-haired, and unimpressive, as all humans are small and quick to age compared to dragons. Almost all of his clothing is scaled, which apparently is normal in the fantasy world of The Witcher, but also foreshadows his true nature. The one unfortunate bit about his portrayal is how the two heroic black women who travel with him are portrayed almost like ornaments for most of the episode.
Queen Kalis
Queen Kalis is married to the King of Lyria and has born him only daughters. As she laments while traveling in a carriage with Yennefer, she is seen as little more than a broodmare whose sole purpose is to produce heirs. Despite birthing multiple children, she is seen as a failure for only producing daughters, for which her husband tries to have her killed.
Her earrings, beveled necklace, and the rings she wears over her gloves show she is not just wealthy, but a woman whose beauty and wealth need to be flaunted. She also wears a warm fur shawl over her ornate silk dress, apparently having put more attention into her own presentation and comfort than the child she is holding, creating a mixed portrayal where she is unfairly forced into motherhood but also shown as an uncaring mother.
Jaskier (red scale jacket)
As the traveling bard who spreads tales of Geralt of Rivia, Jaskier is an optimistic character and one of the only friends the Witcher has. For his part, Jaskier is repeatedly ridiculed and berated by Geralt.
A lover of women, drink, and song, Jaskier always looks ready to perform in a tavern or seduce a woman away from her husband for a night, yet most of his outfits are understated and forgettable. In the episode "Rare Species," Jaskier wears an extravagant red-scaled jacket with matching trousers. One can imagine the bard spending his precious coin on this costume to proudly walk beside his famed friend as they hunt monsters. Later in that episode, the bard shows rare bravery as he risks his life to walk a treacherous path, his fine boots slipping on the uneasy footing. Such details make it all the more heartbreaking when Geralt unleashes a torrent of venomous words against the bard at the episode's end.
Queen Calanthe (armored)
Queen Calanthe is the ruler of Cintra and Ciri's grandmother. She is also a fearsome warrior who thrives on the battlefield and openly chafes at the constraints of patriarchal customs in the royal court of feudal society.
The queen has a number of outfits in the series, but the one that is most memorable - and that she is clearly the happiest in - is her battle armor. Calanthe is known as the Lioness of Cintra, and there are twin lions worked onto her fluted cuirass so none might mistake her, not to mention lion paws on her shoulder pauldrons. As she enters the great hall of pampered nobles in all their finery, she is still splattered in gore and mud from the battlefield, her brashness and the liberating joy of combat on display with her big grin.
Yennefer (Rinde)
This is the first of three outfits Yennefer wears which make this list. It is also the last one to appear chronologically. When Yennefer sets off on her own to do business, she is captured by the mayor of Rinde while working in the town. She uses her magic to protect herself and dons a new outfit.
This black skimpy dress and domino mask radiate sexuality as Yennefer seizes control of both her sexual power as a woman and her sense of self, no longer willing to be claimed by others. However, there is also illusion magic at work around her, hinting that the see-through dress might be meant to distract from her conflicted inner emotions.
Yennefer (hunchback)
This is the first-way Yennefer appears on the show - a hunchbacked pig-girl terrorized by her fellow villagers and even her own father. The abuse she suffers makes her instantly sympathetic as audiences will always side with an underdog.
There is so much done right with the costume. The short-chopped hair is disheveled. The lines in the sleeves her loose-fitting shirt accentuate the awkward proportions of her hunchback (while the makeup artists use practical effects to really sell it). The strings on the dress also emphasize her deformity, while her puffy features make the uneven lips, crooked jaw, and misshapen skull unforgettable.
Duny
Duny is a knight who saved the life of Queen Calanthe's husband, King Roegner. He was promised a boon and asked only for the Law of Surprise - gaining whatever random thing appeared next. It turned out to be Roegner and Calanthe's daughter. Later, Duny suffered a curse, changing his appearance.
The practical effects used for Duny's makeup are phenomenal. His human expression shows through even with makeup, facial prosthetics, and contact lenses lending him an animal-like visage. Furthermore, his breastplate looks worn, old, showing he may be a knight, but he is nowhere near as wealthy as the great nobles gathered in the court.
Gerald of Rivia (armor)
While Geralt has several outfits throughout the series, audiences really only care about one: that awesome Witcher armor from the games. This is what lets fans know they are watching the White Wolf in action.
With his silver-white hair pulled back out of his face and the wolf medallion on its chain, there's no mistaking that he's a Witcher. However, there are little details that really count, like the metal studs dotting his black armor and the layered shoulder guards which climb down his arm evoking the art from the video games. Finally, the angle his sword hands on his back makes it easy to draw in a hurry.
Yennefer (court dress)
One of the coolest character development moments of the show is when Yennefer reveals herself to the whole court as a sorceress, winning over the attention of King Virfuril of Aedirn with her stunning beauty. At that moment, the hunchback becomes an enchanting beauty, reclaiming her agency and achieving all she thought she wanted.
It's hard to state just what makes this look work so well. Some part of it is the music and scene construction as double doors part for her dramatic reveal. But the simplicity of the black dress and the way the shoulder pieces are so perfectly form-fitting accentuate every line of her natural beauty, showing the transformation in full as the Yennefer audiences love strides onto the screen.