7 Shows Like ‘The Witcher’
Oh Valley of Plenty.
The time between seasons of Netflix’s The Witcher seems to stretch on endlessly. Between season one in 2019 and season 2021, an entire plague took place. Thankfully season 3 has started production, but we still have so much time to kill before then. And there are only so many times we can re-watch it, even if each time may feel as good as the first. So we must find other things to fill our time with.
Honestly, there are no shows that can quite compare to The Witcher. The Netflix series is a special gift to the world that we are blessed to receive. Witcher/monster hunter Geralt (Henry Cavill), hilarious bard Jaskier (Joey Batey), powerful sorceress Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and baby Witcher-in-training Ciri (Freya Allan) create a perfect balance of found family, comedy, and badass monster slaying in a magical world. (Plus, I have a deep emotional investment in the Geralt/Jaskier relationship). But there are elements of the show we can find in other places that can satisfy your cravings.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy may be set in the modern era, but it still shares a lot of themes with The Witcher. As the chosen one, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is the only one who can keep her town (and the world) safe from the threat of vampires. But not all magical creatures are bad. She falls deeply in love with a vampire (or two because who wouldn’t?) and her best friend is a witch. There were reasons this show was such a hit in the 1990s.
Shadow & Bone
Full-on fantasy world, check. Dueling storylines, check. Magic, check. Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), an orphaned cartographer, discovers she has the power to summon light. This rare ability may help them battle the darkness encompassing the kingdoms, but there are so many problems she must overcome first.
Penny Dreadful
Penny Dreadful is a gothic horror brought to life. Gunman Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) arrives in London to help find a missing woman. Nothing in this show is ever as it seems, especially the mysterious woman Vanessa Ives (Eva Green). There are monsters, magical creatures, and characters from classic literature such as Frankenstein’s Monster and Dorian Gray. It may be historical fiction, but it will feel like a whole new world.
Castlevania
Although this show is animated, it has much of the same vibe as The Witcher. Set in a medieval era, Count Dracula set his demon hordes loose on the world after humans killed his wife. It is up to Dracula’s son Alucard, monster hunter Trevor Belmont, and mage Sypha Belnades to save humanity. Based on a video game, the storyline is compelling and full of really interesting villains. The animation and style are very similar to Netflix’s movie The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.
Supernatural
Much like Geralt, Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) Winchester became monster hunters in a long line of monster hunters. The Winchesters follow in their father’s footsteps and track down any monsters that threaten the well-being of humans. There is a whole monster hunter family. Plus, they make friends with angels and demons along the way. And there are 15 seasons of the show, so you could probably watch the series before season three of The Witcher premiers.
Merlin
BBC’s Merlin is a modern cult classic. Young wizard Merlin (Colin Morgan) must hide his magical abilities while honing them. As the servant/friend to Prince Arthur (Bradley James), Merlin often uses his magic to protect or save his friend. They are kind of like the gentler, himbo versions of Geralt and Jaskier. Not only is the show fun and full of cool creatures, but there is also a ton of Merlin/Arthur fanfiction out there.
Xena: Warrior Princess
First, Xena: Warrior Princess is one of the best shows ever made. Yes, it can be campy and the special effects may not have aged well in some cases, but that is all part of its charm. Second, Xena the brooding fighter (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle the sweet bard (Renee O’Connor) are the female versions of Geralt and Jaskier. They travel the land, righting wrongs and stopping tyranny. And just like Geralt/Jaskier, I want Xena/Gabrielle to profess their undying love for each other, which, on Xena, is pretty much a given. The two sparked a fanworks craze in the ’90s that we still feel the impact of to this day.
What are your favorite Witcher-y shows?
(feature image: Netflix)
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