Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for The Witcher season 4
The Witcher season 4 saw a lot of characters come and go, and many went in a nasty way. Just look at the Rats, the band of traveling rogues that Ciri fell in with, a fun and feisty group who seemed prime for more material in future seasons. Instead, the season finale had the entire group brutally wiped out by bounty hunter Leo Bonhart (Sharlito Copley).
Fans expected several deaths from the popular novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, including the Rats. However, other losses came as surprises that differed from the fates of the characters in the novel. The first big one is Vesemir (Peter Mullan replacing Kim Bodnia), Geralt’s mentor and father figure. The elder Witcher sacrificed himself in battle with the evil sorcerer Vilgefortz of Roggeveen (Mahesh Jadu). In the same battle, Istredd (Royce Pierrson), who had spent the season in Vilgefortz’s clutches and was tricked into giving him access to portals, likewise took a sacrificial last stand to take away the evil wizard’s ability to use the portals.
Both deaths rocked fans, especially Vesemir, as the death of such an important character didn’t seem to be treated with as much gravity as it should have been. On her Instagram, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich revealed that a reason for the deaths wasn’t just storytelling but filming logistics as well (via Redanian Intelligence).
“Not every actor is available to us exclusively, so sometimes, they’re already committed to another project when we need them," Hissrich wrote. "Schedules in tv are the biggest Tetris game EVER — you’re looking at the schedules of all of your actors, your director, location availability, when sets can be ready, etc. It’s actually a wonder anything gets made! Sometimes, we end up killing (or writing off) a character simply because they’re tied up in something else.“
This also seems to pertain to the deaths of Kiera Metz (Safiyya Ingar) and Margarita Laux-Antille (Rochelle Rose). Kiera was killed off early at the hands of a mob during her very first scene of the season, which seemed to be a bad way to send her off. That sounds like it was far more due to Ingar only being available for a limited time.
However, Hissrich insists that the deaths will serve a purpose to the show's grand design.
What do these deaths mean for The Witcher?
Hissrich assured fans that the writers didn’t just do these changes for some shock value or a twist for book readers. Instead, the death of Vesemir specifically will affect Geralt in season 5.
“I’ve talked a lot about character death that doesn’t occur in the books, as it relates to Vesemir this season," she wrote. "It’s not about the *audience* shock value — it’s about shock value to the *character.* How a death changes a character’s path or motivation — which we know from real life is quite a force.“
Likewise, she insisted Margarita’s death was necessary to the plot. Margarita (Rochelle Rose) fell in battle, and the loss of this important sorceress will shake up Yennefer and the Lodge. “If we killed characters that Yen has never directly interacted with, for instance, it doesn’t have the same value. It doesn’t push Yen forward in the same way. Killing Margarita is an epic loss for Yen and the Lodge — it changes how Yen behaves for the rest of the episode (and series), it changes the level of vitriol and anger she has. Just how badly she needs Vilgefortz to pay for his crimes — to die.“
It can be easy to get cynical and suggest these deaths were just to spice up the show and throw book fans for a loop. However, the logistics of getting the actors was complicated and in some cases, it might have seemed easier to write off the characters rather than barely use them. It’s also a way to shift up the storyline, with Geralt in particular affected by the loss of such an important figure in his life.
This may soothe the anger of Witcher fans over these deaths as they debate the merits. It’s not the first time the Netflix show has broken from the books’ canon, but to bump off so many top characters in one season when they still remain in the novels is rather jarring. It’s another reminder of how The Witcher differs in each incarnation, and that no one can be counted on as safe in this world.
The Witcher season 4 is currently streaming on Netflix.