The Witcher Characters And Their Game Of Thrones Counterparts

The Witcher and Game of Thrones are two fantasy series that have a great deal in common, given that both take place on a continent that is often torn by various political conflicts and that a forthcoming wintry apocalypse could well spell the end of the Continent and everyone on it. It is also like the HBO series in that it has many fascinating and complex characters, all of whom are trying to make their way in a world that grows more dangerous and deadly by the day.

It comes as no surprise given their inherent similarities, but many of The Witcher characters have pretty close counterparts in Game of Thrones.

Geralt – Ned Stark

There are few characters quite as iconic as Ned Stark, played by the inimitable Sean Bean in one of his greatest portrayals. He is a man motivated by duty and obligation, even to his own expense.

Geralt is similarly one of Henry Cavill’s best roles. Though he begins the series as a rather cynical and world-weary person, as the second season slowly unfolds, he shows that he has far more in common with Ned Stark than might at first be apparent, particularly once he takes Ciri under his wing and sees to her safety.

Ciri – Daenerys

Every fantasy story has its chosen one, and in Game of Thrones one of those who fills that role is Daenerys Targaryen, the last of her dynasty.

In both appearance and in terms of the role that she plays in the plot, Dany has quite a lot in common with Ciri. Just as importantly, both of these young women believe in their own vision of the world, have suffered a great deal of trauma, and have a grand destiny of them that will see them pushed to the limit of endurance. Fortunately for Ciri, she is also one of the most powerful characters in The Witcher season 2.

Yennefer – Cersei

Yennefer is without a doubt one of the most intelligent characters to have emerged out of The Witcher, and she shows from her very first appearance that she has a blend of intelligence and ruthlessness that is all her own. She’s the type of person that will claim what she feels that she deserves.

In that respect, she most clearly resembles Cersei Lannister, who also wants to take what she believes is her rightful throne. And, like Cersei, Yennefer is prone to acting on impulse, even when it is to her own detriment.

Fringilla – Margaery Tyrell

Fringilla Vigo is an enigmatic character throughout most of the first season because, having allied with Nilfgaard, she leads its armies against her own homeland. At the same time, she shows in the second season that she is far more complicated and that she has noble goals of her own.

In that sense, she is rather the inverse of Margaery Tyrell, who also has one face that she shows to the world (kind and compassionate) and another that is her true nature (manipulative and as power-hungry as anyone else in Westeros).

Francesca – Arya

As soon as her father is killed at the end of the first season, Arya sets out on a path of vengeance that will see most of her youthful innocence stripped away by the harshness of the world.

She fits very neatly into the plot role occupied by Francesca in the second season, an elven sorceress who likewise sees a beloved member of her family (in this case, her newly-born child) killed by ruthless politicians. And, like Arya, Francesca will stand at nothing, even a slaughter of innocents, in her pursuit of vengeance.

Vesemir – Brynden The Blackfish

Vesemir is one of the best characters to be introduced in The Witcher‘s second season, after he put in an appearance in the prequel movie The Nightmare of the Wolf. He is a grizzled and formidable warrior, someone who has seen some of the horrible things that the world has to offer and yet continues to try to do what is right.

This aligns him very much with Brynden the Blackfish, one of the most notable and brave of the members of House Tully, a man who continued to fight long after he knew he was effectively doomed to fail.

Cahir – Jon Snow

Cahir was one of the villains in the first season, relentlessly pursuing Ciri and doing some horrible things in the process. The second season has given his character more time to grow, however, and he has shown that, despite everything, he still has his own sense of honor and is deeply committed to Emhyr of Nilfgaard, even though he has little to show for it.

In that sense, he is very much like Jon Snow, another man willing to follow a course of action, even though he knows it might be to his own detriment.

Tissaia – Catelyn

Even though many of her fellow mages decided not to fight against Nilfgaard, Tissaia was one of those who bravely went to battle, even knowing that she might be doomed. She is driven by a profound sense of honor and dignity, and she has a core of iron that cannot be denied.

In all of these ways, she has a lot of similarities to Catelyn Stark, that formidable member of Ned’s family who was so pivotal to her son’s efforts to avenge his father’s death.

Jaskier – Tyrion Lannister

Jaskier is one of the series’ most likable and irreverent characters, and he has a tendency to puncture the solemnity of even the most gruesome moments. What’s more, he also shows that he is very intelligent, and he knows that it is often the bards and singers who do the most to shape how future generations view the past.

Of all of the Game of Thrones characters, he has the most similarities to Tyrion Lannister, another person who had a rather ironic take on life and all of its foibles.

Triss – Sansa

Triss Merigold arguably suffers more than anyone else at the Battle of Sodden Hill, with scars that never fully leave her. Despite all of that, she still manages to be a remarkably stalwart character, someone able to endure a great deal of trauma and pursue the right course of action.

Thus, her Game of Thrones counterpart would have to be Sansa Stark, someone else who saw her beliefs about the world challenged but still managed to pursue her own form of justice.

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