Several characters who survive the events in the books did not make it through the television adaptation.
Warning: spoilers!
Netflix’s The Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich addressed the deaths of several characters who remain alive in Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels.
Hissrich explained that one contributing factor behind those changes was the actors’ schedules.
“Not every performer is available to us on an exclusive basis, so sometimes they’re already committed to other projects when we need them. Scheduling in television is the most complicated game of Tetris imaginable: you have to juggle actors’ availabilities, the director’s calendar, location access, set readiness, and a host of other factors. It’s a miracle anything gets made at all. Occasionally we have to kill off or write out a character simply because the actor is booked elsewhere.”
According to Redanian Intelligence, the first remark likely refers to Keira Metz and Istredd, who only spent a few days on set and were given minimal screen time.
Discussing Vesemir’s death, Hissrich stressed that the choice wasn’t made for shock value; it was intended to drive other characters’ development and motivation—particularly Geralt, who learns of his mentor’s loss in season five. Margarita Laux-Antille met a similar fate.
“If we were killing characters who never crossed paths with Yennefer directly, it wouldn’t carry the same weight. It wouldn’t propel her forward as effectively. Margarita’s death is a huge loss for Yennefer and for the Lodge. It alters how Yennefer behaves for the rest of the episode and the season, heightening her fury and resolve. After this, she more than ever demands that Vilgefortz pay for his crimes — that he be made to answer for them.”
The Witcher’s fourth season premiered on October 30, 2025, and recorded the weakest performance among the main seasons — both in platform viewership and in critics’ and audience ratings. Filming for season five has already wrapped, and its premiere is expected in 2026.
Source: iXBT.games