The Witcher premiered on the streaming giant Netflix in 2019 and immediately became a fan favorite. The credit for this goes out to the outstanding cast, with Henry Cavill in the lead. The series also brought with itself a set of controversies as well. The major one being its deviation from the source material, including both the video games and books written by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.

While fans have observed distortion of many characters in the Netflix original, there was one character not given the recognition she deserved. And no, it was not Queen Calanthe or Yennefer, but Triss Merigold. How different was she in the show?

Triss Merigold’s appearance in the series versus the video game

In the magnetic realm of television, certain noticeable characteristics of series and episodes taken from a novel or game may alter due to creative judgments. Adding to this is Triss Merigold, a fan favorite in the video gaming community who was not given a significant role in the Netflix original. There were distinct features that only die-hard aficionados of CD Projekt Red’s adaptations noticed deviating in the show. The first and most noticeable alteration was her physical appearance.

For the role of Triss Merigold, Netflix strayed from the games and casted Harry Potter veteran Anna Shaffer in the role. In the games, her character had a light complexion, magnetic blue eyes, and a redhead. Shaffer, on the other hand, brought to the job her long, curling black hair and brown eyes. However, in the books, Triss has an unspecified skin tone, but her description describes her as having chestnut-red hair and cornflower blue eyes.

From her relationship with Geralt of Rivia to her physical appearance, the streaming giant embraced various creative decisions that contradicted conventional video game tropes. One of them was also about her relationship with Geralt.

Was there a romantic relationship between Triss and Geralt of Rivia?

Throughout the three seasons of The Witcher, Henry Cavill’s character has only one romantic connection with Yennefer, portrayed by Anya Chalotra. And because of her frequent interactions with the protagonist Geralt throughout the seasons, she rapidly became a fan favorite. However, the creators of the show, did not pay heed to the romantic angle between Geralt and Triss. Ever since the sorceress appears in episode 3 of the first season of the series fans noticed a deviation in her character yet again.

In the books, she is shown as having a one-sided lust for Geralt and being uninterested the majority of the time. However, her interactions were limited to Yennefer. Even in the games, she was presented as Geralt’s love interest. Sadly, this depth of her character in the series was not explored much and she was restricted to only have a closer bond with Yennefer.

What are your thoughts on Netflix’s take on Triss Merigold’s character? Let us know in the comments below.