Two Genres, One Love for Epic Adventures

Science fiction and fantasy are my favorite genres of entertainment. I’m a Trekkie, and a Throney and a Potterhead. Seriously, I love it all; my shameless geekdom knows no bounds.

If you were to ask me to choose between science fiction and fantasy, I’d tell you I can’t because they’re very close to the same thing.

Okay, so one genre has a few wizards and dragons while the other has more spaceships and aliens.

But they’re both a product of exploring the furthest boundaries of imagination and terra firma for the most epic, magical storylines where literally anything can happen.

Beyond that, I can prove to you that the two genres have a lot more in common with each other than you think. If you like one, you should give the other a try.

Let’s take Exhibit A: The Mandalorian.

We’re now two seasons into the Star Wars spinoff, but it will be months before we find out what happens next to Mando and Baby Yoga.

If you’re feeling a bit bummed about that, you’re not alone. The Mandalorian is some of the best episodic sci-fi I’ve seen in a long time.

Bantha rides in the desert. Reformed robot assassins. Swarms of blood-thirsty spiders.

All good stuff, but it's over now. So what do you watch next?

My recommendation for you brings us to Exhibit B: Netflix’s The Witcher.

This may seem like a surprising suggestion at first. After all, one takes place in a politically-turbulent galaxy far, far away while the other one is a gory medieval romp that at first glance seems more comparable to Game of Thrones.

But hear me out. I’d wager you may end up liking The Witcher even more than The Mandalorian. (Gasp! Did I really just say that?)

What is The Witcher?

The Witcher began as a series of novels penned by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The stories have had several adaptations prior to becoming the Netflix show, the most successful of which is the video game trilogy.

Although I used to be quite the RPG nerd as a teenager, my interests drifted towards other hobbies as I got older. But let me tell you, when The Witcher 3 came out, I was more obsessed with it at 31 years old than I was with any game I played in my teens.

So you can imagine how excited I was to learn it was becoming a Netflix series. Although it’s not everyone’s mug of mead, it is chock-full of episodic adventures, exciting battles, and rich fantasy lore.

Similar but Unique

In a nutshell, The Witcher is about a buff n' gruff dude named Geralt of Rivia, aka the White Wolf; a lone bounty hunter from a near-extinct clan who is bound by fate to a child with mysterious powers.

Sound familiar?

Like Din Djarin, he’s always on the move, not keen on small talk, and has questionable morals.

Where The Witcher diverges from the Mandalorian (other than the lack of spaceships) is in the depth and style of storytelling. The plot isn’t spoonfed to you which can make for confusing viewing at times.

Between the politicking rulers, multiple timelines, and unaging main characters, things get complicated.

Personally, I like this approach to storytelling and how it all comes together at the end. It also makes it more interesting for watching a second time.

Another obvious difference is that this definitely not a Disney+ show in that there's no small amount of gore and other graphic scenes. (Geralt - ahem - makes a little more time for the ladies than Din Djarin does.)

And of course, you’ve got sky dragons instead of sand dragons.

A High-Quality Production

Like The Mandalorian, The Witcher is a top-tier production with dazzling effects and terrifying monsters.

You’ll watch in wonder as Geralt slays strigas, kills kikimoras, and gashes ghouls. (Sure, you may have no idea what I just said but I bet now you want to find out!)

The casting is also spot on. When I first heard they were casting Henry Cavill as Geralt, I was wary that he wouldn’t be able to pull off Geralt’s dark, morally-ambiguous character.

But he proved me wrong; he is an excellent choice for Geralt and very closely mirrors how the character is portrayed in the video games, right down to his gravelly voice.

Most importantly, the Netflix series stays true to the original stories, which you will appreciate once you become a full-on Witcher nerd like me.

The Future of Witcher-Watching

There’s no denying that The Witcher is a binge-worthy show. However, you will quickly notice that there’s only one season with 8 episodes.

If you prefer to devote your fandom to stories with a more expansive library of TV shows and movies, I hear you. Season 2 is in production, but we’re still a long way off from rejoining Geralt and Dandelion on the dirt road.

However, you can still get your Witcher fix by watching the extras:

Inside the Episodes: The Witcher - The series creator gives you the inside scoop on each episode with background on the story and characters.

Making The Witcher - This is a behind-the-scenes look at the show that looks at production details like the casting, special effects, and music.

There’s also a spin-off coming later this year in the form of an anime film called Nightmare of the Wolf that takes place long before The Witcher Netflix series.

Of course, if you really want to geek out you can pick up the video games or read the books!

In essence, The Witcher is basically a grittier version of The Mandalorian with gorier battle scenes, twistier storylines, and darker characters. Give it a shot and you'll be singing Toss a Coin to Your Witcher in no time!

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