In the first 8 episodes of The Witcher, we experienced intense political struggles between Cintra and Nilfgaard, along with stories revolving around the word “destiny,” mainly occurring between the three characters Geralt – Ciri – Yennefer. This has led many viewers, especially those who have never encountered the The Witcher universe before, to ask themselves: How can a series about monster hunters have so few monsters?
If you take the time to compile a list, the number of monsters appearing in season 1 of The Witcher is actually more than you might think and not at all modest. It might just be that the CGI technology of Netflix hasn’t been very effective, which is why it hasn’t left a strong impression on fans.
Below is a complete list of the monsters that appeared in the first season, along with assessments of how terrifying their powers are.
Hirikka
At first glance, this monster looks quite adorable, just like a little pet. Even the chatty guy Jaskier doesn’t seem scared at all; instead, he boldly approaches to admire its cuteness. However, when it stands upright on its legs, we realize that its size is anything but modest.
Nevertheless, in any form, Hirikka remains a gentle creature, rarely attacking others unless it gets hungry. This is also a rare species that is on the brink of extinction in the The Witcher universe.
Danger Assessment: Low, but consuming it may cause poisoning.
Sylvan
The sylvan that appears in episode 2 of The Witcher has a rather slender body, smaller than the typical sylvan, especially in the game version. With its half-human, half-goat appearance, it is often stigmatized by villagers as a type of evil spirit to be avoided. However, sylvans are actually gentle herbivores that usually live in the forest. They only attack when disturbed or feeling threatened. And surprisingly: sylvans can breathe fire!
Danger Assessment: Low.
Magic Brain Worm
It may not look as impressive as the two previous monsters, but the Magic Brain Worm is truly a deadly weapon that cannot be underestimated. Like described in the book Animorphs, this worm will crawl into the victim’s ear to brainwash them, turning them into slaves of its master. The series The Witcher does not specify how this process works, but its brainwashing power is strong enough to have Yennefer’s sorceress group turn against each other by the final episode.
Danger Assessment: Average, since it can be easily countered if detected; just stomping your foot will do.
Ghoul
The best way to describe a Ghoul in The Witcher is to say they look like zombies from the 90s and 2000s. Their food source is corpses, and just one bite from them can cause immediate death to the victim. Even Geralt, who possesses extraordinary physical abilities and has undergone mutation, falls into a state of stupor after being bitten by a Ghoul. Another characteristic of this species, which you might know if you’ve played the game: Ghouls rarely hunt alone but often come in packs, making it very difficult for those who want to confront them.
Danger Assessment: High.
Doppler
This is a special type of monster. Dopplers have the ability to shapeshift into other people, so similar that it’s hard to distinguish them. Moreover, they also possess the memories of the victim – this unique ability makes them even more dangerous (Ciri easily fell into the Doppler’s trap).
However, aside from their shapeshifting ability, a Doppler’s combat capability is quite limited. Additionally, most Dopplers do not have malicious intent, except for the Doppler in this series – a real serial killer.
Danger Assessment: High – a mental trap is always more dangerous than a physical trap.
Krallach
In The Witcher, Krallach appears as a powerful assistant of a murderer who wants to take the life of Yennefer’s “client.” It can be considered a hybrid monster between a dog and a cockroach, with a size as large as a dog but legs that are sharp blades like a cockroach. Despite its intimidating and dangerous appearance, Yennefer easily destroys it with her magic.
Danger Assessment: Average, only good at bullying weak women and children.
Kikimora
This is the first monster to appear in The Witcher, with a terrifying appearance possessing 8 legs like a spider, yet has a face resembling a human. If in other fantasy series, Kikimora is truly a nightmare, for Geralt, it’s just an everyday occurrence. However, Netflix chose it to kick off their series and also to showcase Geralt’s strength, so Kikimora must be a terrifying creature that no one would dare provoke.
Danger Assessment: High – remember it knocked the sword away and almost drowned Geralt in the swamp.
Selkiemore
In The Witcher, Selkiemore does not appear directly on-screen but is mentioned by a villager while waiting for Geralt to return from a mission: a large sea monster with sharp teeth capable of swallowing multiple ships at once. Geralt himself also became its victim and had to destroy it from the inside. The end result was that his entire body was covered in Selkiemore’s innards, giving off a terrible smell.
Selkiemore is a monster that has never appeared in the novels or games, so it’s likely a “homemade” product from Netflix – just as they promised before The Witcher aired. Hopefully, in future seasons, we will witness a Selkiemore writhing in the ocean.
Danger Assessment: High.
Striga
Striga is described as a woman cursed to become a cold-blooded, brutal predator, with tremendous strength and horrifying speed, not to mention sharp claws and teeth. Striga usually hunts on full moon nights and seems to spare no victims that fall into their sight.
In episode 3, Geralt had a fierce battle with Striga and narrowly won, successfully breaking the curse. However, due to his overconfidence, he was attacked by Striga (now in human form) with a fatal blow, almost losing his life if not for Triss’s timely rescue. This detail highlights the overarching theme of the The Witcher universe: humans are the most terrifying monsters.
Danger Assessment: High.
Dragon
Like most other fantasy series, dragons are noble, powerful, and extremely rare creatures. They can fly, breathe fire or acid, and easily absorb magic. Additionally, we have seen in The Witcher that dragons can also shapeshift into ordinary humans, quite similar to Doppler’s ability.
However, dragons rarely attack humans without provocation, unless they feel threatened or provoked. They are also extremely intelligent, so most witchers will protect them rather than seek to kill them.
Danger Assessment: High.
Djinn
Described like a genie from fairy tales, Djinn has the ability to grant its master three wishes in exchange for its freedom. However, in The Witcher, it appears quite ruthless, attacking Jaskier and causing him to lose his voice (and nearly his life), then scheming to take over Yennefer’s body, destroying the second floor of a large house. If you’ve played the “The Last Wish” quest in the game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you surely know how dangerous Djinn can be, as it can take down Geralt in an instant.
Danger Assessment: Extremely high – although it has no clear form, this monster has caused Geralt the most trouble in the first 8 episodes of The Witcher.
According to TheGamer