The Witcher’s Code Explained: How It Works (& Why It’s Not Real)

The world of The Witcher has its own rules and systems, and witchers might play their “Witcher’s Code” card whenever they need, but there’s something tricky about that code. The universe of The Witcher was created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski in the early 1990s, becoming a series with a total of eight books. Outside the editorial world, The Witcher is best known for its video game adaptations, and in 2019 it made the jump to the world of streaming thanks to Netflix.

The Witcher was one of the streaming giant’s most anticipated releases of the year, and it might be its biggest first TV season ever. The series follows Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), an enhanced monster hunter known as a “witcher”; Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), a powerful sorceress; and Princess Ciri (Freya Allan), who has some powers of her own. Their stories are told separately and are set in different time points, but their paths converge towards the end of the season. A world as extensive and rich as the one of The Witcher can’t be contained in just one season, but it did include enough elements for viewers to get acquainted with it.

Among those is the “Witcher’s Code”, which Geralt mostly used when it came to choosing jobs (often stating he never works for free), but there’s something tricky about that code: it exists, but it’s not real all the time.

How The Witcher’s Code Is Used

Witchers are trained monster hunters, so it’s not surprising that they are taught a couple of rules – though they’re more like “principles” – they should follow once they graduate. To make life easier, they are referred to as “Witcher’s Code”, but there’s not an actual compilation of rules for witchers that dictate what they can or can’t do, and they vary from one person to another. In the books, Geralt actually says there’s no such thing as a “Witcher’s Code”, and that he just uses it when he doesn’t want to do something, as people respect a “code” more than a “no”. However, this doesn’t mean that the “Witcher’s Code” is just an excuse to get out of a situation, as Geralt does have a couple of principles to live by.

Geralt doesn’t work for free (which is understandable), and contrary to what it may seem, he’s a compassionate man and won’t kill any intelligent being as long as they’re not hurting others. As seen in Netflix’s The Witcher, Geralt’s work is legendary (and thanks to Jaskier, more people learned about his adventures), and he’s a respected man almost everywhere, and that’s in big part thanks to his made-up “Witcher’s Code”. Surely, if he can’t see a way out of a situation, he won’t hesitate to use the “code” as an excuse, but in the end, that’s something he will carry in his conscience.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3274 Articles Published)

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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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