This article contains spoilers for The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and The Witcher season 2.
Vesemir is Geralt's mentor, and he appeared in both The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and The Witcher season 2; here's everything you need to know about the character. Played by Kim Bodnia, who is best known for his role as Konstantin in Killing Eve, Vesemir is the oldest of all Witchers and also the protagonist of the Witcher anime Nightmare of the Wolf. The character has been subtly modified for the Netflix TV series, but he's still easily identifiable.
Based on the novels and short stories by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher has grown into one of the most successful fantasy franchises in recent history. The original novels found a new audience after CD Projekt Red adapted them into a popular trilogy of action-RPG games. This, in turn, led to talk of a film adaptation of the games, eventually culminating in the development of a critically acclaimed Netflix series starring Henry Cavill as the titular monster hunter.
Netflix's TV shows and animated movies are exploring the history and heritage of the Witchers, and Vesemir has a major role in them. The oldest of Witchers held a role of importance in both the books and the games, taking a hand in training Ciri after Geralt brought her to the Witcher fortress Kaer Morhen to see her trained. However, there are some subtle differences in how the character of Vesemir was handled in different media; Nightmare of the Wolf revealed much history and backstory for the character, and The Witcher season 2 has further added new dimensions to the grandfatherly swordsman.
Vesemir In The Witcher Books & Games
Vesemir was first mentioned in the short story "The Voice of Reason," when Geralt told a priestess of his Witcher order as he was recovering from the wounds he received while fighting a striga. Geralt described Vesemir as being more than a trainer, referring to him as his father. Vesemir was mentioned again in the short story "The Sword of Destiny," where Geralt first met a young Ciri and recalled how Vesemir had told bedtime stories to the young children training to be Witchers.
Vesemir finally made his first appearance in the flesh in the novel Blood of the Elves, where Geralt brought Ciri to Kaer Morhen, the ancient Witcher keep, to train her to survive. Vesemir proved to be an able mentor and a well-respected leader, teaching Ciri the art of the sword and the lore of monster hunting as he had once educated Geralt. Despite being a firm teacher, he was kind enough to the young princess that she called him Uncle Vesemir. He was also held in high regard by the sorceress Triss Merigold, who addressed him with the honorific "Grandfather" in acknowledgment of his status as one of the few Witchers to live for longer than two centuries. While his exact age was never confirmed, he was old enough to have seen the construction of Kaer Morhen begin, which occurred sometime in the 11th century.
The first Witcher game cast Vesemir in a similar role, having him walk the player (who takes on the role of an amnesia stricken Geralt) through a tutorial set at Kaer Morhen. He took a more active role in The Witcher 3, assisting Geralt in his quest to find the missing Yennefer and reemerging throughout the game to help Geralt and Ciri. Vesemir ultimately died a hero's death trying to save Ciri from the Wild Hunt during the Battle of Kaer Morhen. Ciri claimed his wolf-head medallion as a memento and he was honored as a hero for his sacrifice at his funeral.
Vesemir's Strength & Abilities Compared To Geralt
The phrase "A Witcher never dies in his bed" is not just a poetic bard's line. Despite being granted a longer lifespan than normal humans by the mutations that enhance them, no Witcher in history had ever died of old age. This makes Vesemir's longevity all the more impressive. While the original books and short stories gave Vesemir little chance to showcase his skills, the fact that he had lived to his advanced age as an active Witcher says more about his abilities than any historical recounting of his deeds and accomplishments ever could.
Geralt wrote of Vesemir's prowess and vitality in his journal in the games, calling him "robust and lively despite his age" while noting that "many youngsters could envy him his health." Despite serving as a trainer to the School of the Wolf Witchers, Geralt still left Kaer Morhen every spring to spend some time traveling the world and accepting contracts to slay various monsters. It was speculated Vesemir knew more lore about fighting monsters and magical beasts than every other living Witcher put together. Even Geralt of Rivia, for all his ability, seemed to doubt that he could face his mentor in a fair fight, saying in The Witcher 3 that Vesemir's skill with a blade was such that he "could still give a younger man a run for his money." If knowledge is power, Vesemir is powerful indeed, and his skills could make up for any slowing of his sword arm if indeed there were any sign that his sword arm had slowed at all in old age.
Vesemir's Story In Netflix's Witcher Universe
Vesemir's origin is told in The Witcher: The Nightmare of the Wolf, an animated movie that forms a core part of Netflix's growing Witcher Universe. It reveals he was “a swashbuckling young Witcher who escaped a life of poverty,” and he came to understand the only reason humans don't hunt Witchers is because they are more afraid of monsters. Vesemir's own mentor Deglan came to understand this truth, and he secretly began breeding monsters to keep the Witchers in business; when his actions were exposed, it led to the sacking of Kaer Morhen, with Vesemir barely rescuing the stragglers. Tragically, The Witcher: The Nightmare of the Wolf's ending revealed the secret alchemy that allowed new Witchers to be created was lost during the attack, meaning the Witchers are destined to go extinct.
Vesemir remained loyal to the Witchers, training the few children he managed to rescue from Kaer Morhen, including Geralt. He was finally given hope in The Witcher season 2 when he discovered Ciri is of the Elder Blood — meaning her blood is a crucial ingredient in the alchemy to create new Witchers. Although Vesemir was thrilled at the opportunity Ciri offered to bring back the Witchers, he would never have succumbed to the temptation to begin experimenting upon her had she not pushed him. The Witcher season 2 shone a light on all Vesemir's flaws as well as his strengths, as he faced temptation — and succumbed to it.