When The Witcher first landed on Netflix back in December 2019, its stars Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, and Freya Allen, took our screens by storm.
According to Netflix, over 76 million households chose to watch the series within its first month on the platform, and it ranked as the third most in-demand original streaming series in its US debut, following Stranger Things and The Mandalorian.
Now, with a captivating full-length trailer and less than one month until the next season arrives on Netflix, we thought we would list 11 of the greatest witcher-esque titles to binge while you wait to see what awaits Geralt of Rivia on the Path.
Fans old and new, you are sure to find something from this list of popular binge-worthy titles to sink your teeth into until season 2 releases on December 17, 2021.
Let’s begin with 3 very important titles already set in The Witcher universe:
The Witcher season 1
This goes without saying, but rewatching season 1 of The Witcher is absolutely the best way to prepare for season 2.
This season introduced all the characters and themes that we know and love from the existing The Witcher material and successfully brought them all to life on screen with a perfect blend of action, fantasy, drama, and comedy.
Some viewers found that the first watch of this season was occasionally confusing because of the showrunner’s plan to follow the original short stories in the first two novels.
If you feel the same way, a second watch is ideal to reaffirm everything before moving on. Plus, wouldn’t it be great to have The Witcher trending on Netflix before its second season even arrives?
The Witcher: Blood of Elves novel
Season 1 of The Witcher followed short stories from the first two novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny.
I recommend reading these two novels first and getting a taste for the very first works in The Witcher universe and the author’s compelling tone and narratives.
While you’re at it, give the highly critically acclaimed game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt a whirl. It really sets the scene for Ciri’s early adult life and training (which will be explored in season 2) and offered the first real visual depiction of the series.
However, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich confirmed that season 2 will be mostly based on the third book (the first full-length one) in the series, Blood of Elves.
This promises an easier-to-follow storyline for those of you who did find the first season a bit confusing at times. You don’t really need to read the first two books to understand this one, especially if you have watched the first season and have an idea of what’s going on.
If you are desperate to find out what’s coming next for Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, this book is for you!
Author Andrzej Sapkowski is also a consultant for the series, so we can be sure that all material from these books will be treated and adapted with utmost care and attention.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
This anime movie does an incredible job at depicting a dark and gripping prequel to The Witcher series by offering an especially valuable insight into the livelihood of witchers, from the start to the equally bitter end.
It follows the life of witcher mentor Vesemir and leads right up to the recruitment and mutation of young Geralt.
Even if you haven’t experienced any titles in The Witcher universe, this movie provides the perfect introduction and is definitely worth watching.
Don’t worry, there’s more
If you manage to get through the above titles before December 17, I toss a coin to you – great job! That is a lot of material, and you have earned the title of Geralt of Rivia’s number one fan, but that isn’t all.
Now, you can move on to the rest of this list of non-witcher titles, with some ideal titles to binge during any extra spare time you have until the release date.
To make it easier, all these titles, except one, are currently available on Netflix UK.
Game of Thrones
This multi-award-winning epic drama fantasy series is one of the biggest of all time, generating profits of well over $2 billion.
It features many of the same graphic, medieval, political, and fantasy themes as The Witcher, although at times can be both more shocking, maybe even less satisfying, and has a much larger ensemble cast.
It’s fair to say that fans of the Witcher are almost guaranteed to find something to love in this 8-season series. Unfortunately, it is the only title on this list not available on Netflix, but it can be watched on the HBO streaming service.
The Last Kingdom
This Viking historical drama series features some of the most epic and brutal swordfights, compensating fully for its lack of magic that The Witcher comparatively does so thoroughly.
It follows an orphaned Saxon successor who witnessed his father’s murder, Uhtred, as he is raised and trained by his captors as a Danish warrior.
His loyalties are put to the ultimate test as he fights, alongside warrioress Brida, to claim his ancestral birthright.
Luna Nera
For those of you who find that the magical abilities and sorcery present in The Witcher is more immersive and enjoyable than the sword fighting, this series is for you.
This Italian historical fantasy follows a girl accused of witchcraft who must choose between her destiny and star-crossed lover.
However, the witches in this series are very much real, and they don’t hesitate to defend themselves and fight back against the men who will not see them with power.
Most of the producers and writing staff on this show are women and they have cleverly depicted a very different tale to the classic witch hunts of the 17th Century. Yennefer would be very proud of this one!
Merlin
This show is a British classic and many fans like me will have fond childhood memories sitting down to watch new episodes on a Saturday night.
This entertaining and captivating retelling of King Arthur and the Kingdom of Camelot has a perfect blend of sword fighting, magic, and destiny, alongside good uses of comedy and character arcs.
It is perfect for a younger audience when graphic content in other listed titles may be too much, but that’s not to say that the powerful storyline isn’t enchanting and captivating with drama for viewers of any age to enjoy.
The Shannara Chronicles
This high fantasy, adventure, destiny-driven series places three heroes on a quest to save humanity.
This Elven Princess, human, and half-elf trio must journey to preserve the magical tree that prevents the demon world from being unleashed into the Four Lands.
This series also features incredible cinematography and character design and dynamics, which were a hit with Young Adult audiences.
In some ways, this series bridges the gap between Merlin and The Witcher in terms of maturity.
Unfortunately, this show only lasted 2 seasons, but still managed to pull off a lot of great content with successfully wrapped-up storylines and characters.
Castlevania
If you haven’t boarded the Castlevania hype train yet, now is probably the best time.
This gore-fuelled medieval fantasy follows the last survivor and vampire-hunter of the clan Belmont, a mystic princess, and Dracula’s half-human half-vampire son, as they fight to save a city besieged by otherworldly demons controlled by Dracula.
Beyond the graphic and dark undertones, there is a much deeper and unexpectedly heart-warming story told here, with an excellent focus on individual characters dynamics, in this battle between monsters and humanity.
This story has captivated the hearts and minds of its audience, unlike many others before it. It also features a familiar theme from The Witcher, namely killing monsters in return for coin and the popular warrior-sorceress duo and relationship.
Altered Carbon
If you want the same general themes of The Witcher – namely a gritty action-adventure, a powerful male-female duo, physical enhancement drugs, and an outsider protagonist paid by the rich to do their dirty work – but want to step outside of the world of medieval fantasy, this is the show for you.
This immersive, sci-fi, cyberpunk series follows former soldier Takeshi Kovacs who is released from prison to solve a murder in return for his freedom, but his consciousness is now in another man’s body.
The effort put into this series is evident, and those who loved the worldbuilding of The Witcher will also appreciate what this elaborate dystopian series has to offer.
DOTA: Dragon’s Blood
This animated epic fantasy series follows the classic dynamic of a warrior, princess, and elf trio on a mission to stop the demon Terrorblade from killing all dragons and saving humanity.
The captivating character twists and dynamics here is balanced with a spectacular portrayal of combat and magic.
Like The Witcher, this series thrives on lore and worldbuilding, monster hunting, and its excellent depictions of classic fantasy themes which are perfectly enjoyable and extremely binge-able.
Season 2 has already been announced with a full-length trailer and will arrive on Netflix in January 2022.
There you have it, folks. Our picks for the best binge-worthy series to fill the void until the release of The Witcher season 2. Remember that it arrives on Netflix on December 17th, so be ready!
Let us know what you think of our list, what other titles would you include?
By Alicia Quinn
Instagram: @alicobbles