Geralt of Rivia and Princess Cirilla are the two names that remain forever intertwined in The Witcher saga. Fans saw in the Netflix adaptation how this unbreakable bond forged by destiny transcends the mentor-student or father-daughter relationship, weaving a complex tapestry of emotions and shared struggles. Despite the unwavering love and loyalty they have shared, fans pitted both characters against each other.

Since the show started on the streaming giant, fans have constantly debated who was the strongest between these two. Not so long ago, Andrzej Sapkowski added fuel to this debate with his statement. But before diving into how his words sent fans into a frenzy, it is important to explore why this debate started in the first place.

Seeds of the Greatest Witcher debate 

From the beginning of The Witcher, fans noticed the distinct strengths each character possesses. Geralt, the seasoned mutant, traveled across the continent to kill monsters relying on honed skills and experience. Whereas Ciri exhibited raw but untapped magical power with her Elder Blood heritage. This innate contrast in their powers sparked curiosity and comparisons over who the protagonist of the popular saga is.

Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich has mentioned several times in interviews that the story revolves around Ciri. This has been evident as the focus switches more and more to Ciri, with the storyline moving forward with seasons. However, fans have always considered Geralt the driving force of the narrative. This raised questions about how her power could surpass Geralt’s established prowess as the monster slayer.

Some believe the mutant had more knowledge of their treacherous world and fought for decades with different monsters. In contrast, others think that the girl’s reality-bending abilities will exceed Geralt’s combat prowess. In the third season, they even got glimpses of Geralt’s limit against the powers of sorcerers when Vilgefortz beat him to the verge of death. Despite this incident, Ciri’s supremacy as the greatest Witcher has also been a matter of question.

Reasons Ciri cannot be the center of attention 

Ciri has undoubtedly shown immense growth since the moment Geralt found her in the Brokilon Forest. However, season 3 depicted her struggling to attain her full potential as Yennefer trained her how to control the chaos. She still needs someone who can guide her through this wave of growing unknown powers inside her, otherwise, as per prophecy, she might bring doom to their world. Geralt has been the only person who made her feel protected and can continue to do so.

The White Wolf and Yennefer together bring out the best version of the princess. Not to mention, the entire continent has intentions to use her power for their benefit, and at this young age, she still can be manipulated. At the end of the third season, fans saw her dark side for the first time when she killed a man and called herself Falka.

This puts the responsibility of this young girl and the entire narrative on Geralt. Not to forget, the author Andrzej Sapkowski has made it pretty clear that this Witcher takes center stage on this safe.

Andrzej Sapkowski confirmed Geralt is the main character 

In 2020, Sapkowski was asked about the main character of his saga, and his response was definitive. “Geralt is a fictional character, created to serve the story, which revolves around him,” he told Audible. Fans of the show shared his answer two years later on a Reddit thread to defend Geralt against the statement of the showrunner, who always aimed to give Ciri more agency and explore her backstory and powers. Fans joined this user, showing their agreement and mocked the creators for straying from the sources.

One fan wrote, “Can someone send this to Netflix they probably should be informed”. The second fan commented, “No truer words of diagnosis for Netflix witcher showrunner/writers than from the author himself 🤣”. “No way? The Witcher is the main character of The Witcher??” another joked. The fourth fan referred to the sources and added “Obviously. There are three whole books where Ciri appears for one story.”

What do you think about Geralt being the main character? Drop your comments below!