Why Nilfgaard Is Not Your Typical Evil Empire

If you’re anything like me, you’ve gotten completely sucked into the rich, gritty world of The Witcher. This fantasy series created by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski has blown audiences away across books, video games, and most recently, the Netflix show – well, that last one is up for debate among the fandom, but I quite like it. And let’s be honest, we could be doing worse! If anything, we should be grateful that we don’t have a stain on our beloved franchise like the Harfoots (sorry not sorry, Frankie). Back to the business at hand, one faction that immediately stands out in The Witcher is Nilfgaard. On the surface, they seem to check all the boxes of a typical evil empire – ruled with an iron fist by the ominously named “White Flame Dancing on the Barrows of His Enemies,” conquering lands through brutal military force and imposing their culture on subjugated peoples.

However, a closer look reveals that Nilfgaard isn’t just another black-and-white villainous force like The Empire from Star Wars. To truly understand what sets this empire apart, we need to examine how it evolved from relative insignificance into such a dominant force to be reckoned with.

Nilfgaard’s Rise to Power

The Nilfgaardian Empire wasn’t always the fearsome force it is today. At one point, the Nilfgaardians were literally the continent’s laughingstock. During season 1, episode 4, “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials,” a Nilfgaardian lord is mocked and ridiculed by Northern nobility while attempting to ask for Pavetta’s hand, all for the simple fact that he was Nilfgaardian – heck, even Calanthe chimes in and calls Nilfgaard the “shit rag of the south”.

Source: Netflix

Let me preface this by stating that it never made much sense to me that Nilfgaard was relegated to an afterthought in the minds of Northerners. By the time Geralt attended that fateful feast in Cintra, Nilfgaard was already an expansive empire that had been around for millennia. Bear with me as I take a momentary deep dive into the lore of Nilfgaard.

Their origins trace back to the 2nd century, when the first settlers mixed with the Black Seidhe elves, creating a nation heavily influenced by elven language, beliefs, customs, and culture. By the early 12th century, Imperator Torres var Emreis (sound familiar?) overthrew the Nilfgaardian Senate, taking absolute power and coining the term “empire.” A century later, Emperor Fergus var Emreis subjugated Etolia and Gemmera in 1216, while Vicovaro joined willingly. However, Fergus was overthrown in 1233 by the Usurper, who killed Fergus and cursed his son Emhyr into a hedgehog. During the Usurper’s reign, Nilfgaard expanded further, annexing lands like Ebbing, Metinna, Nazair, and Maecht – Can’t really say that about any of the Northern Realms, huh?

It wasn’t until the return of Fergus’ son – Emhyr var Emreis, dubbed the “White Flame” – that Nilfgaard began to transform into a fearsome continental power that the Northern Kingdoms could no longer ignore. After reclaiming his rightful title as Emperor, Emhyr harnessed Nilfgaard’s well-established militaristic philosophy and war machine to launch several invasions into the Northern Kingdoms.

Military Might: The Nilfgaardian War Machine

When it comes to raw military muscle, few factions in the Witcher universe can match the overwhelming might of Nilfgaard’s war machine. From their iconic heavily armored footsoldiers to elite combatants like the Vrihed Scoia’tael, Impera, and Nauzicaa brigades, the empire boasts some of the most fearsome fighting forces on the Continent.

But Nilfgaard’s power isn’t just about brute strength – they’re also masters of tactics and strategy under leaders like Emhyr var Emreis. They employ brutal shock-and-awe blitzkrieg offensives, trying to defeat enemies through sheer overwhelming force and intimidation. This brutally efficient military doctrine was honed over successive campaigns to expand Nilfgaardian territory through conquest and “Nilfgaardization” of subjugated realms. This doctrine was on full display during the Northern Wars when Nilfgaardian forces relentlessly carved their way through the Northern Kingdoms.

Source: The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings

When Emhyr launched the First Northern War, his forces won the Battle of Marnadal (where Calanthe’s boo gets sniped by Cahir) before besieging and sacking Cintra’s capital in a horrific massacre of civilians. Though stopped at Sodden Hill, Nilfgaard’s uncompromising “diplomacy of steel” allowed them to hold onto Cintra as a foothold for future invasions. The Second Northern War saw Nilfgaard employ another brutal strategy – instigating the Thanedd coup to cripple the North’s mages. When this failed, they simply pressed on, invading again while the North was reeling from chaos. 

The devastating Northern Wars showcased Nilfgaard’s ability to operate as a highly organized imperialistic war machine. The empire’s forces overtook and occupied mighty realms like Aedirn, Lyria, and parts of Temeria through superior military might before being pushed back. Though repelled, the sheer damage from Nilfgaard’s successive invasions crippled the North economically.

With an unwavering drive for conquest and no aversion to brutality against civilian populations, Nilfgaard solidified its feared reputation on the continent.

Nilfgaard’s Political Landscape

The Nilfgaardian Empire is an absolute monarchy, with all power flowing from the God-Emperor. Below this supreme ruler is a strict hierarchy of aristocracy, bureaucrats, and the mighty military leaders who command the empire’s forces. Unlike the fractured Northern Realms, Nilfgaard operates as an extremely cohesive, centralized power structure.

Source: Netflix

Regarding diplomatic relations, Nilfgaard largely views most other kingdoms and factions through the lens of subjugation or elimination. They’ve forged some temporary military alliances when convenient, such as joining forces with the Scoia’tael elven rebels during the Northern Wars and supporting Francesca as client-queen of Dol Blathanna. But in general, they appear entirely focused on extending their dominion over the entire Continent – whether through warfare or political maneuvers.

Socio-Cultural Dynamics

Nilfgaardian society is rigidly hierarchical, with your status and privileges entirely determined by birth. At the apex are the wealthy aristocratic families and members of the elite military orders like the Impera Brigade. They enjoy lives of luxury, residing in lavish palaces and estates.

Below them is the merchant/artisan class responsible for commerce, crafting, and administrative roles. They have a comfortable middle-class lifestyle but lack the true privileges of nobility. The vast majority of Nilfgaardian citizens fall into the oppressed peasant underclass – farmers, miners, laborers, and servants condemned to backbreaking work that funds the empire’s ambitions.

Nilfgaardian culture is fascinating to examine, as it unmistakably takes inspiration from the grandeur of ancient Rome’s imperial era with more exotic influences from lost civilizations. You can see clear Roman parallels in their state worship of the Deified Emperor alongside the Sun as part of a pantheonic religion, much like how Roman emperors were revered and worshiped alongside gods like Sol Invictus. Grand public ceremonies, awe-inspiring architecture, and bloody gladiatorial games are also major cultural pillars appropriated from Roman traditions to reinforce imperial power. But Nilfgaard exhibits even more archaic and unsettling influences from fallen empires. Their practice of ritual slavery evokes the ritualized human sacrifices of the Aztecs and Maya. In some ways, it is reminiscent of Imperial Japan’s use of slave labor with conquered civilians and defeated Allies. For those who are also keeping up with Benjamin’s viral reviews of Shogun, It’s worth noting that James Clavell, the novel’s writer, was imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II for many years as an Allied POW.

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Even Nilfgaard’s’ urban design takes clear cues from past civilizations – their extensive underground prison networks mirror places like ancient Rome’s Mamertine Prison, while the architecture of certain imperial cities is reminiscent of Constantinople. No element is more ubiquitously Nilfgaardian than their devotion to the Church of the Great Sun – the empire’s state religion. The occult Black Sun symbolism is found everywhere, from imperial banners to official seals. It hints at inspirations from real-world occult groups like the Thule Society in Nazi Germany or ancient sun-worshiping cults. Binding it all together are the relentless imperial standards of refinement, elegance, and of course, glorifying opulence and might – values not unlike those of European absolute monarchies like Louis XIV’s France or the Holy Roman Empire, which was “neither holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire.”

Is Nilfgaard Evil?

The simple answer? Yes, absolutely.

Source: Netflix

But The Witcher is anything but simple. While all adaptations depict Nilfgaard as a powerful, militant imperialist force, there are key differences in just how extreme and “evil” the empire is portrayed culturally and politically across the franchise.

In the Netflix series adaptation, the show writers take a decidedly hardline stance – portraying Nilfgaard through an overtly fascist lens as an oppressive, xenophobic regime. Their brutalities and human rights violations like ethnic cleansing are not shied away from, clearly painting them as an evil totalitarian force.

However, readers of Andrzej Sapkowski’s original book series are presented with a more morally ambiguous take. Here, Nilfgaard’s actions are framed more through the traditional calculations of an imperial all-conquering power, motivated by expansion rather than overt racism or extremist ideology. That being said, the Northern Kingdoms themselves are also depicted with numerous flaws and injustices of their own.

The games largely follow the books’ lead in this nuanced depiction. While Nilfgaard is the clear antagonistic force, you see shades of gray, like certain quests requiring you to reluctantly aid their interests. Their motivations come across as standard imperialist fervor to control territory and power rather than an outright fascist ethos.

So instead of pure good vs evil, it depicts more of a “lawful evil” dynamic with Nilfgaard against the “chaotic evil” fraying of the Northern realms – a clash of unsavory imperial ambition versus feuding disaster.

Conclusion

There’s no denying the pivotal role the Nilfgaardian Empire plays throughout The Witcher saga. As an all-consuming force of imperialist ambition, the empire has profoundly shaped the destinies of major characters like Ciri, Geralt, and Yennefer time and time again through its multiple invasions of the Northern Kingdoms.

Source: Netflix

What makes Nilfgaard so compelling is that they are not a straightforward evil empire bent on domination for domination’s sake. Rather, their pursuit of power and subjugation of other cultures is driven by an imperialist ideology of pragmatic expansion – absorbing the strengths of those they defeat into their own cultural and military identity. This single-minded drive has understandably put them at odds with the Northern Realms but also prevents them from being viewed in a black-and-white manner.

Ultimately, Nilfgaard represents the shades of moral grayness that permeate The Witcher’s fantasy world. They are brutal conquerors and oppressors but also inheritors of a rich legacy that drives their actions, for better or worse. Whether you view them as ambitious nation-builders or simply power-hungry tyrants, there is no denying Nilfgaard’s enduring impact on the Continent and the thought-provoking questions they force us to confront.

Featured illustration by Natalie Bielat

Luis is a writer based in The Lone Star State. His work has appeared on multiple blogs, covering a wide range of topics. When he’s not writing about The Witcher or Cyberpunk, you’ll typically find him in the mosh pit of a heavy metal concert, trying new dishes, or watching/playing sports.

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