The writings of Andrzej Sapkowski, about a monster hunter called Geralt Of Rivia, have fascinated readers since the first publications about The Witcher in the 90s. The books and short stories became a staple of Polish fantasy fiction and eventually were the basis of a successful videogame series.
After many tried to adapt this work to an audiovisual medium, resulting in mediocre interpretations of the character, Netflix came through in 2019 with its own adaption, The Witcher, run by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. The show has captured fans' imaginations and this has translated into internet memes. Here are 10 of the best.
A Shared Universe?
This is reminiscent of the Westphall theory. It would be hilarious to see the Witcher universe somehow connected to the Friends universe. Suddenly Geralt appears in Central Perk and asks Gunther about kikimora terrorizing Manhattan. He eventually meets Ross and steals his outfit.
However, beyond being a bit of cringy fan-fiction, it is true that Geralt outfits throughout The Witcher show are a stand-out. Mixing realism and fantasy, Geralt can be seen wearing his badass armor and this outfit from the first episode fits perfectly with the situation.
Awkward
Poor Jaskier, he is treated almost like a child by Geralt throughout the show. Obviously, he is just a human, unaccustomed to dealing with monsters and witches, like in this episode, when he is cursed by the Djin and cured by the witch, Yennefer. Well, almost cured, if it wasn't for the intervention of Geralt.
The situation this meme depicts would be pretty accurate for this show, which has nothing to envy Game Of Thrones for in so far as its sexual content. Just imagine someone's parents entering when Yen and Geralt have just liberated the Djin.
Bad CGI
This is another meme that features a universe crossover, this time, it's the DC Universe and The Witcher. As many remember, Henry Cavill plays Geralt of Rivia, as well as Superman. The meme references the time when Cavill was filming Justice League and he couldn't shave his mustache because he was filming another movie.
The studio decided to remove the facial hair with a disastrous bit of visual effects, resulting in the origin of a lot of memes, just like this one. Conversely, The Witcher has proved to use visual effects and CGI in a more than acceptable manner for a TV show.
Geralt Catchphrase
Geralt Of Rivia is a very stoic character, who isn't the best at communication. This is reflected in Sapkowski's writing, as well in the Witcher videogame series, where the character is interpreted by Doug Cockle and given a touch of Batman. His characteristic "Hmm" became a meme in itself.
So, imagine the surprise and delight of fans when Henry Cavill chose not only to interpret the character in a brooding manner but to employ the famous and aggressive "Hmm" Geralt is known for. Great acting!
Law Of Suprise
What great version of the meme Women Yelling At Cat. Maybe the meme is dead by now, but everybody remembers when it took the internet by storm in late 2019. And it is great to see it used in The Witcher, specifically in this context, since it adapts to the emotion of the sequence very well.
In this episode, in particular, Urcheon of Erlenwald, known as Duny, arrives at Queen Calanthe's palace to ask for the hand of her daughter, Pavetta, who was promised to him because of the Law of Surprise. Calanthe, evidently, makes a scene and wants to murder Duny before he can marry her heir.
Sadly, It's True
The release of the Witcher on Netflix was a pleasant surprise, not only to the already existing fans, but for the audiences eager for the next fantasy drama after the (terrible) ending of the biggest TV show in the genre, Game Of Thrones. It seems that the first season hit the spot and Netflix confirmed a second season.
Unfortunately, the show will not be coming back until 2021, two years after the first season. Because of the coronavirus, the production is delayed, so fans won't get to see Geralt until 2020.
Toss A Coin To Your Witcher
Jaskier (known as Dandelion if you play the games) is the bard that makes himself famous by telling the stories of Geral through his delightful songs and he is one of the Witcher's best friends. One particular song has become so popular in The Witcher world that it transcended it and made it to the real world.
Toss A Coin To Your Witcher has been sung by all fans over the world. Is effectively a viral power-ballad, composed by the show composers and interpreted by Joey Batey (Jaskier himself).
What Happened To Foltest?
The depiction of King Foltest in the show is very different from the one in the games. The King of Temeria is basically the same character in both mediums and his story with the Striga is the same, but since the games take part in a period of time that is ahead of the books, people are able to explore more of the character.
For the fans who are used to the depiction of Foltest in the games, it was kind of jarring to see him as the bumbling fat coward he is in the show. He doesn't seem like a king who could ride with an army.
Wished Potions Exist
Witchers are trained in several arts and crafts, such as fighting, a little bit of magic, and potion-making. This last one is especially important because potions allow Witchers to adapt themselves to different situations, see in the dark, and withstand the venom of certain creatures.
At the start of the show, we see Geralt as he hadn't slept for a few weeks. In this state, he is able to confront a kikimora and kill it. In fact, Geralt didn't have a hangover, but was under the influence of one of his potions.
Yennefer X Geralt
One aspect the show got right from the books was the passionate and dysfunctional relationship between Geralt and Yennefer. Their first encounter is a classic moment and it cemented their entangled stories, even after having a resolution in the last videogame of the series.
And, yes, if Geralt and Yennefer were a couple in the real and contemporary world, they would have the typical and petty fights many couples have about where to eat.