Andrzej Sapkowski is the talented author behind the internationally popular Witcher saga that has spanned multiple mediums, including the Netflix live-action series, animated films, video games, comics, and more. But it was Sapkowski's original book series that introduced the world to monster hunter Geralt of Rivia.
Geralt is known for his dry wit, and it clearly stems from the author's personality in real life. Sapkowski has cultivated a reputation for being a little grumpy during interviews, often speaking bluntly with no filter, going so far as to roast the adaptations of his story and publicly drag everyone from game developer CD Projekt Red (CDPR) to fellow fantasy author George R.R. Martin. One thing about Sapkowski, he is not afraid to share his unvarnished opinions.
1. Throwing shade at Game of Thrones for giving Ed Sheeran a cameo
Ed Sheeran's cameo appearance in the seventh season of Game of Thrones was met with a lot of scorn by fans, and they can rest easy knowing that Sapkowski felt similarly. While Game of Thrones would often feature minor celebrity cameos, most of them weren't as glaringly obvious as Sheeran's. He appeared as a soldier for the Lannisters and yes, he sings.
One of the showrunners, David Benioff, later explained that they booked Sheeran because Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark, was a huge fan and they wanted to surprise her. But Sapkowski did not share Williams' enthusiasm.
During the 2018 Warsaw Comic Con, about a month before Netflix formally renewed The Witcher for a second season, he joked that he'd ensure that at "NO point in the show [will] Ed Sheeran sing. And that I will make sure doesn’t happen. I will make sure.”
2. "I do not care what is done with my character in film or in other contexts..."
In late 2019, just before The Witcher first debuted on Netflix, Sapkowski attended the Lucca Comics & Games festival and got to talking about what it was like to see his work being adapted. While Netflix's show might be the most visible adaptation, CD Projekt Red took lots of liberties with the story for their video games. There was also a Polish adaptation called The Hexer.
Sapkowski was mostly nonplussed by all of it, revealing that he really didn't care what other creators did with his characters. “I do not care what is done with my character in film or in other contexts, even if it is clear that he is my character and will always be my character.”
He went on to say that when he writes, he's doesn't "imagine anything," he just puts words on paper and that's about it, leaving it up to filmmakers and whoever else to bring his vision to life. “I just write words, put the letters in the right order. But when I write I don’t see anything, I don’t imagine anything. I don’t know the difference between a craftsman and an artist, but one thing is certain, I am an artist. I’m a f**king artist! I’ve been creating just like Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa.”
3. Criticizing George R.R. Martin for killing off too many characters
Sapkowski is a friend of Martin's and it seems like part of their relationship revolves around Sapkowski poking fun at Martin and his vast Song of Ice and Fire books. During another interview he commented on how, while he enjoys Martin's work, he doesn't like that he kills off so many of his characters, joking that while Martin may like doing it, his readers might not feel the same way.
“I appreciate the work of George R.R. Martin. I like his series, but found his books have too many protagonists. Once I asked him: ‘But why do you kill all those characters?’. ‘Because I like it,’ he replied. I don’t think the readers feel the same way.”
Sapkowski isn't wrong here, Martin does have a lot of protagonists, but I think he sort of answered his own question. The abundance of characters means Martin can get away with killing them off because there will always be other interesting characters waiting to step into the spotlight. I think one of the reasons Game of Thrones is so successful is because it's one of the few stories where (most) characters don't have plot armor. There's a reason why scenes like the Red Wedding were so climactic and memorable. It wouldn't have been nearly as impactful if no one died.
4. Mocking Martin for taking forever to write The Winds of Winter
Sapkowski made another jab at Martin recently, adding that he promises to actually write more books in his Witcher canon (like the upcoming Crossroads of Ravens), referencing how Martin has been working on The Winds of Winter for well over a decade by now. "Relax. No need to fear. And unlike George R. R. Martin—whom, by the way, I know personally—when I say I’ll write something, I will,“ Sapkowski said
While that quote might sound rude, it's pretty in line with how Sapkowski has talked about Martin before, and the two seem to be on good terms. Also, he does go on to sympathize with Martin and the seemingly never-ending wait for The Winds of Winter, revealing that he found it "indecent" for Game of Thrones to continue even after it ran out of source material to adapt, getting ahead of what Martin was intending to write in his final books. That rings true when you consider the backlash to the ending, though I'm not sure what else HBO could have done.
5. His confusing thoughts on Netflix's Witcher adaptation
Netflix's adaptation has been a source of much division among the fanbase from the start, and it seems like every season just brings up new issues. While the first season and season 3 are pretty accurate to the books, season 2 changes many aspects significantly, most notably with Yennefer's polarizing storyline involving Ciri.
Sapkowski has flip-flopped on his opinion of the show a couple of times. In February 2023 (which would have been between the divisive second season and season 3) he said, “I’ve seen better. I’ve seen worse.”
Later that year, in November (post season 3, which is far more accurate to his novels) he changed his tune, recommending the Netflix series as the best adaptation of his work. “I don’t know. Personally, I really like the Netflix series, but yes, I’m not a specialist. This is only my opinion."
He also had high praise for star Henry Cavill, who exited the show after season 3 and will be replaced by Liam Hemsworth for the final two seasons. Sapkowski thought Cavill had the right "voice" for Geralt of Rivia.
Sapkowski has previously said that the creative team behidn the show doesn't listen to him. Once, Sapkowski visited the set of The Witcher, and while he found the sets to be "tremendous" and "awesome," he joked that his ideas were generally ignored. "Who’s this? It’s the writer, it’s nobody," he said in his typical sarcastic manner.
6. Frustration over The Witcher video game franchise and CD Projekt Red
Sapkowski spoke with Vice in 2017 about his work, and when the conversation shifted to CPDR's take on the world of The Witcher, Sapkowski didn't mince words. The author rather infamously opted not to collaborate on the writing for the games when they were first in production, apparently because of his lack of respect for the medium and its capability to tell good stories.
“A video game serves a different purpose [from a novel],” Sapkowski said. “It works differently. How much substance can there be in the lines of text when the hero walks through the woods and talks to a squirrel? Where’s the literature in that? Where’s the room for depth or sophisticated language with which games could elevate culture? There’s none.”
As someone who loves video games and storytelling in general, I strongly disagree with Sapkowski here, but it does explain why the games are sort of like expansive fan fiction. They don't adapt Sapkowski's books, but tell their own story using the same characters.
Sapkowski appreciated the financial benefits of the deal and is not afraid to admit that a significant part of the reason he agreed to let CDPR make the games was for monetary gain. He says that he thinks the finished product is "high-level" and claims to "have nothing against the people who play them." But he's not a gamer himself and "never will" be.
Those who have been following Sapkowski and The Witcher universe at large probably know that the relationship between him and the game developer degraded throughout the years. I recommend reading the entire Vice piece as it's very informative and includes a lot direct quotes from Sapkowski.
All of that being said, earlier this year, CDPR co-CEO Adam Badowski clarified to PC Gamer that Sapkowski's grumpy "persona" is just that, a persona. "He's a very intelligent guy," said Badowski, "and as a writer, he created kind of a persona. In person, he's a great guy. Very knowledgeable." Badowski even said he hangs out with Sapkowski regularly: "We are friends. I visit Andrzej regularly. We go for dinner, have great conversations."
More about Andrzej Sapkowski
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