The Witcher's Geralt Problem Has The Perfect Solution

Summary Stribog & Nimue will benefit Hemsworth's Geralt introduction by offering a way to explain his physical change.

The Witcher season 4 can fix timeline issues through this but will also create new ones.

Introducing Stribog can complicate the show's narrative and character appearances.

The Witcher season 4 has a big challenge ahead with the introduction of Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia, but it already has the perfect solution for it, though it creates another problem for the show. Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s novel series of the same name, The Witcher quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular titles, but with time, it also became one of the most controversial and divisive. Although The Witcher started strong, season 2 made major changes to the source material that deeply affected some of the main characters, and these weren’t well-received by the audience.

The Witcher season 3 was more loyal to its source material and fixed some of season 2’s mistakes, and season 4 is expected to do the same. However, The Witcher season 4 has other, bigger challenges to overcome, mostly its Geralt recast. When it was announced that Henry Cavill had dropped out from The Witcher, Liam Hemsworth was revealed as the new Geralt, and this change is expected to be addressed in-universe – and now, thanks to two new characters, The Witcher has solved this problem, but might be about to create another.

The Witcher’s New Characters Make Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Introduction A Lot Easier

Stribog & Nimue Will Benefit Hemsworth’s Geralt

The Witcher season 4 will introduce more characters, both villains and allies, and among them are Stribog and Nimue. Although the casting of these characters hasn’t been announced by Netflix, the video the streaming giant shared of the first table read for The Witcher season 4 showed Stribog and Nimue. This not only confirms their presence but also that they will appear in the first episode and will most likely be the opening scene of the season, as had been previously speculated based on a leaked audition tape.

By the time Stribog tells the legends of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer, many, many years have passed, and many details are either lost or distorted.

Stribog is a travelling beggar and storyteller, known for telling children legends of the past, especially those of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri. Among the children fascinated by Stribog’s tale was a young Nimue, who was inspired by the story of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri to become a mage and learn the truth behind their legends. On her way to Aretuza, Nimue met Geralt, who saved her from a monster, and years later, she helped Ciri find her way back to her time through a portal.

By the time Stribog tells the legends of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer, many, many years have passed, and many details are either lost or distorted depending on who tells the stories. As such, the physical appearance of Ciri, Geralt, and Yennefer can change depending on the story and the storyteller, and through this, The Witcher can address Geralt’s different appearance in season 4.

The Witcher Introducing Stribog As The Storyteller Further Complicates The Show’s Timeline

The Witcher Has Already Had Timeline Issues

Introducing Stribog and Nimue and having them tell the story of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer would fix The Witcher season 4’s Geralt problem, but it would make the timeline even more confusing. It’s unclear if season 4 would retcon the previous seasons by revealing everything has been told through Stribog from the beginning or not, but either way, his presence as a storyteller would raise the question of what has been real so far and what has just been the stuff of legends.

The Witcher season 1 had a confusing timeline as it was told in a non-linear style but without any visual hints of when each part was set, leaving viewers to figure it out themselves. Although this was fixed in the subsequent seasons, season 1’s timeline raised questions like why Jaskier never aged, which can now be answered through Stribog and everything being a legend. However, in addition to questioning the veracity of past events, it also raises the question of what else can change, not just in terms of stories, but also in how the characters look.

Stribog and Nimue’s introduction in The Witcher season 4 will fix Geralt’s recast problem and can solve other issues like the confusing timeline in season 1 and Jaskier’s aging issue, but it will create more problems and questions than the ones the show will be able to answer as it only has two seasons left.