Hey there, fellow Witcher fans! It feels like it’s been a while since we last talked about The Witcher. Whether you’ve been following Geralt’s adventures through the books, have spent countless hours in the video games, or binged the Netflix series as we did, you’ve probably noticed one big theme that keeps popping up: destiny. It’s everywhere in The Witcher world, right? But here’s the thing that’s been bugging me lately – can anyone in this universe actually escape their fate? I mean, we keep hearing about destiny this and destiny that, but do these characters really have a choice in the end?
That’s what we’re going to dig into today. We’ll look at how this whole destiny thing affects the other characters we’ve come to love (or hate). Are they just puppets dancing on the strings of fate, or do they have some say in where their lives are headed? Honestly, I’m not sure there’s a clear-cut answer. But that’s what makes it so interesting, right?
Destiny in The Witcher
So, what’s the deal with destiny in The Witcher? It’s not just your run-of-the-mill kumbaya “it was meant to be” kind of thing. Nope, in this world, destiny’s got its fingers in everything – from big prophecies about the end of the world to the “Law of Surprise” that keeps messing with people’s lives. Let’s be honest: who here actually thinks it’s a good idea to promise someone something you don’t even know you have yet? Seriously, that’s just asking for trouble.
Anyways, you know how in some stories, destiny is all about some higher power pulling the strings? Well, The Witcher throws that idea for a loop. It’s more like … destiny is this force that’s just there, not really good or bad, just doing its thing. And sometimes, that thing involves making sure a monster-hunting mutant ends up raising a super-powered princess with the help of an all-powerful sorceress. Go figure.
The way Andrzej Sapkowski, the mastermind behind The Witcher, uses destiny in his stories is actually pretty clever. He’s not just throwing in destiny as a cheap plot device to move things along. No, he’s using it to mess with our heads in the best possible way. Think about it – Sapkowski sets up these situations where it seems like everything is predetermined. Geralt and Ciri are bound by destiny, right? But then he throws in all these curve balls that make you question everything. He’s basically saying, “Okay, destiny exists, but what are you going to do about it?”
It’s like he’s playing this elaborate game of “what if” with us. What if you know your destiny but try to run from it? What if you embrace it? Does it even matter in the end?
The Reluctant Hero Bound by Destiny
Let’s talk about our main man, Geralt of Rivia. This guy’s life is like a rollercoaster ride that never ends, you know? He’s a witcher, which basically means he’s a monster-hunting badass with some cool magic tricks up his sleeve. But for a guy who’s supposed to be emotionless, he sure gets tangled up in a lot of emotional messes.
Geralt’s always going on about how witchers are neutral and don’t get involved in human affairs. But destiny seems to have other plans for our white-haired friend. Take the whole thing with Ciri, for example. Geralt claims the Law of Surprise as a joke, and bam! Suddenly, he’s tied to this kid he’s never even met. Talk about destiny having a sense of humor, right? And it’s not just Ciri.
Remember how many times Geralt tried to ditch Yennefer? It’s like those two are magnets – no matter how far apart they get, they always end up crashing back into each other. And then there’s all the political shenanigans he gets dragged into. For a guy who just wants to kill monsters and get paid, he sure spends a lot of time hanging out with kings and sorceresses!
But is Geralt really making his own choices, or is he just destiny’s puppet? On one hand, we see him constantly trying to avoid his fate. He’s always grumbling about not believing in destiny and just wanting to live his own life. But then again, no matter how hard he tries to stay out of things, he always ends up right in the middle of the action.
Maybe it’s like this – destiny might be pointing Geralt in a certain direction, but it’s up to him to decide how he gets there. Sure, he can’t avoid getting mixed up with Ciri or Yennefer, but he chooses how to handle those relationships. He can’t stay out of politics completely, but he decides which side to support (or not support).
The Child of Prophecy
Alright, let’s shift gears and talk about Ciri. This girl’s got more titles than I’ve got streaming subscriptions! Child of Destiny, Lion Cub of Cintra, and don’t forget the big one – Lady of Time and Space. Talk about pressure, right?
So, Ciri’s got this whole Elder Blood thing going on. She’s magical royalty with some seriously overpowered abilities. There’s this big prophecy about her blood being able to save or destroy the world. No biggie, just the fate of everything hanging on her shoulders. I don’t know about you, but I get stressed sometimes just deciding what to have for dinner.
Now, imagine being a teenager and having all that dumped on you. Ciri’s just trying to figure out who she is, and meanwhile, everyone’s telling her she’s supposed to be this world-changing chosen one. You can see her struggling with it all the time. One minute, she’s training to be a witcher like Geralt, the next she’s learning magic with Yennefer, then she’s off running with a gang of misfits (low point in the series). It’s like she’s trying on different lives, seeing what fits. But even when Ciri’s running away from her destiny, she keeps bumping into it. She’ll be off doing her own thing, and suddenly bam! She’s right back in the middle of some world-changing event.
Power, Ambition, and the Weight of Destiny
Yennefer is a force of nature. There’s really no other way to put it. She starts out as this girl from nowhere, dealt a prettyyy rough hand in life, and turns herself into one of the most powerful sorceresses. Now that’s the real glow up.
She is all about control. But can you blame her? Yennefer spent her early years feeling powerless, so now she’s grabbing life by the horns and not letting go. She’s after power, immortality, the whole shebang. But then comes Geralt. These two are like fire and … more fire. They’re meant to be together, but boy, do they burn each other. They’re pretty toxic with one another. Yennefer is not too thrilled about this whole “destiny” business. She wants to call the shots in her love life, thank you very much. But no matter how many times she walks away, she always ends up back with our favorite witcher. It’s like the universe is playing matchmaker, and Yennefer’s not having it.
And then there’s Ciri. Suddenly, Yennefer’s got this powerful kid in her life for whom she’s now responsible, and she’s feeling all these maternal instincts she never thought she had. It’s like destiny’s saying, “You can’t have a kid of your own, but here’s this awesome magical daughter instead.”
That begs the question: is Yennefer’s ambition her way of fighting fate, or is it just playing right into destiny’s hands? Personally, I think it’s a bit of both. Her drive to be the best, to have it all, that’s all Yennefer. But the way it keeps leading her back to Geralt and Ciri, to being part of something bigger? That’s got destiny’s fingerprints all over it.
Her story is all about the struggle between what we want and what the universe seems to have planned for us. She’s like that friend who swears they’re done with dating but then falls head over heels for someone new. Sometimes, the harder we fight against our fate, the more we end up right where we’re supposed to be. It’s a bit ironic if you ask me.
The Clash Between Free Will and Fate
So can free will and fate play nice together? It’s complicated but not impossible. Maybe destiny sets the stage, but our characters get to choose how they act on it. It’s like being dealt a hand in cards – you can’t pick your cards, but you sure as heck can decide how to play them. Geralt chooses to claim Ciri as his child surprise (even if he regrets it later). Yennefer decides to help save the dragon. Ciri picks her own path time and time again. Except these aren’t small choices – they’re big, world-changing decisions.
Sapkowski is telling us that yeah, fate’s a stubborn thing. It’s gonna do its thing whether we like it or not. But – and this is a big but – our choices still matter (that is unless you believe in Absurdism). It’s like destiny might decide where you end up, but you get to choose the route you take to get there.
The Witcher’s take on destiny is kind of like life itself – messy, complicated, and full of surprises. Fate might be calling the shots, but our characters aren’t just sitting back and taking it. They’re fighting, choosing, and shaping their stories every step of the way.
To wrap it up, let me pose this question: Can you escape fate in the real world? Maybe not entirely. But you can sure as hell make the journey interesting. And isn’t that what life’s all about anyway?
Images by Netflix
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