The Witcher – How These Monster Hunters Are Made, Explained

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If you are a fan of The Witcher, you must have been left in awe when Henry Cavill‘s Geralt of Rivia unleashed those superhuman moves in the show’s first fight sequence. As a Monster Hunter feared throughout the known world, Geralt is held in great respect and fear. Humans do not like these supernatural monster hunters because they believe the Witchers are no longer human beings. That is both right and wrong. We know so very little about the Wicthers, which is literally the title of the fan-favorite fantasy series.

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Ever wonder how these paranormal combat-experts are made? The answer will surprise you. But first, let us give you a brief review.

The Witchers are mutants that undergo extensive training to master the art of monster hunting. They have several superhuman abilities. They have cat like eyes to see in pitch black darkness and can perform combat magic. They are also somewhat immune to magic. The Witchers also possess superhuman physical attributes of speed, reflexes, endurance, and durability. The monster hunters even possess an extremely long lifespan and can live for centuries.

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The Witchers’ Sect was created by two ancient sorcerers. Cosimo Malaspina and Alzur, two of the greatest mages of their times, created several powerful spells and creatures during their magical experiments. One of them was a giant centipede that destroyed the City of Elves. While Malaspina is termed the founder of the Witchers, Alzur also had a hand in developing the first batch of Witchers. The first Witchers were created using a breed of mutagenic mushrooms and other severely powerful (and forbidden) magical spells. The first Witchers were created during the event known as The Conjunction of the Spheres. Children would later be enrolled and trained at a place called Kaer Morhen, the stronghold of the Witchers.

Contrary to popular belief, the first batch of Witchers were a failure and the group of Wizards under Malaspina and Alzur lost all hope. They abandoned the project save for a select few who refused to give up. Their experiments bore fruit in the form of Five Witchers, who set out in different directions to create more of their kind.

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Witcher Training begins with young boys being trained in absolutely unforgiving environments. They are trained in combat and mentally reinforced. They also learn magical skills and abilities in the form of nine signs. Their bodies are then chemically treated via alchemical methods to make them true warriors. These methods are called the Alchemical ‘Trials’

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The Trial of the Grasses involves a Witcher youngling being made to drink a concoction of powerful mutagenic herbs. The trial is brutally painful and only three out of ten initiates make it. The rest die a slow and agonizing death. The survivors end up having their bodies mutated. In the Trial of Dreams, the Witchers gain cat like night vision eyes and an altered bone marrow structure and hormone composition. It also makes them sterile.

The Trial of the Mountain is the most mysterious and secretive of the trails. Andrzej Sapkowski never explained the third trial too much. The last and final Trial of the Forest Eyes sees the Witchers getting blindfolded and left in a dark forest in the middle of the night. They are tasked to find their way back to the school without using their eyesight.

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In the end, the Witchers gain brilliant superhuman physical attributes and an enhanced lifespan. Enduring so much torture and pain and cursed to walk a difficult path alone eventually turns them battle-hardened and emotionless. It’s rather petrifying to think Geralt of Rivia has gone through so much.

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Written by Bibhu Prasad Panda

Articles Published: 1230

With a Bachelor's in Engineering and a Master's in Marketing and Operations, Bibhu found a love for writing, working for many different websites. He joined FandomWire in July 2020 and worked his way to his current position of Content Strategist. Bibhu has been involved in operating and managing FandomWire's team of writers, diversifying into varied, exotic fields of pop culture.