Regardless of whether you first discovered The Witcher through Andrzej Sapkowski's original novels, CD Projekt Red's (CDPR) video game series, or the Netflix live-action adaptation, most people tend to agree that monster hunter Geralt of Rivia is the series protagonist. After all, he is the titular Witcher. It's true that he is the face of the franchise, but his adopted daughter, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, or "Ciri" for short, is the real heart of the The Witcher saga.
The further you delve into Sapkowski's books, the more it becomes apparent that the entire story revolves around the Lion Cub of Cintra. She has the most dynamic arc out of all of the characters and the main storylines hinge on her decisions.
In the video games, Geralt is definitely the main character, but even The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt starts to set up Ciri to take over that mantle in the upcoming fourth Witcher game. Even if Geralt is the player character, he spends the entire game looking for Ciri, and she's even playable for certain chapters. Geralt might lead the story, but Ciri is the one who shapes it.
To further expand on that point, think of how the storyline progresses throughout the books, with multiple factions chasing after Ciri because of her Elder Blood and its gift of powerful time-and-space-spanning abilities that allow her to travel to other worlds and teleport short distances.
Ciri's character journey actually follows the archetypal hero's journey, beginning with her call to adventure (her eventual escape from Cintra that initially leads her to Brokilon), to her Kaer Morhen training and subsequent challenges (like running from basically every villain in the damn series trying to find her) and eventual transformation into a powerful woman under the tutelage of Geralt and the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg.
None of this is to say that Geralt doesn't undergo his own share of trials and tribulations, obviously he embarks on plenty of adventures himself. But in the bulk of the main book saga, he and Yennefer's storylines tend to hinge almost entirely on Ciri. They are more reactive to Ciri's narrative than a driving force of their own stories.
Geralt embodies the hardened reality of living in a world brimming with brutality. But Ciri's story is more thematically rich and transformative. Born with a power she never asked for, both politically as the Princess of Cintra and through her Elder Blood, Ciri soon becomes the most sought-after person on the entire Continent.
Sorcerers, emperors, and countless other people are obsessed with finding her and using her abilities. She never really gets the chance to be her own person, and that's why the bulk of her story is so compelling: she's fighting for her own agency. As a woman, Ciri's story resonates deeply. Obviously I haven't faced the same challenges she has, but most women understand the frustrations that come with living in a society that constantly tries robbing women of their independence and even their most basic rights.
Ciri's story is what helps to push The Witcher beyond the scope of another gritty fantasy story. And her character arc speaks to the greater themes of the saga. The choices people like Geralt and Yennefer make to keep her safe help to hammer down on the franchise's overarching themes about morality and the constant struggle between destiny and free will, itself a deconstruction of popular fantasy archetypes.
The Netflix show takes a different direction but still ultimately circles back to Ciri
The Netflix show is a little different in that Netflix clearly wanted to cash in on the imagery of Geralt, especially when they cast Superman himself, Henry Cavill, in the role. Geralt is pretty clearly the de facto protagonist in the early seasons, especially season 1, which mostly adapts Sapkowski's book of short stories The Last Wish.
But when the storyline starts to become more serialized and linear, Geralt is yet again out to find and protect Ciri, especially in the third season, which is one of the most book-accurate seasons. Season 3 is where we really begin to see Ciri as the show's lead, and that's going to carry forward into the final two seasons.
In some ways the quibbles about whether Liam Hemsworth will be a good Geralt over Cavill are minor compared to the focus of the actual plot. Most fans agree that Freya Allan was well cast as Ciri, and we know she and Anya Chalotra are sticking around as Ciri and Yennefer. For me, personally, that's all that I really care about.
Don't get me wrong, I'm eager to see what Hemsworth does with the role of Geralt and I love Geralt, too, but in terms of driving the plot forward, Ciri is the one to watch and focus on.
So in summation, yes, Geralt is the POV character and the books certainly begin by focusing on him. But as they story progress and the world of the Continent opens up, it becomes clear that the focus moves to Ciri and her choices.
Geralt's actions are generally motivated by his desire to protect Ciri, and that's what drags him into a lot of the saga's core conflicts, this is especially true of the later books in Sapkowski's series, and the Netflix show will likely really pivot to making Ciri even more integral to the story throughout the final two seasons of the show, especially as it moves on to adapting Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and The Lady of the Lake.
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