Why Witchers are hated for their mutagens and Kaer Morhen life, explained

Witchers, in The Witcher’s world, are monster-slayers. They are the most powerful and skilled. Raised from children to be killing machines, they’re put through brutal training, are augmented by mutations and wield an intimate knowledge of all manner of beasts. Geralt of Rivia is legendary but he’s only one of many, something we come to see as we meet more of his brothers in arms with The Witcher season.

While Netflix’s The WitcherSeason 2 brings their struggles front and center. Here’s the backstory on what non-book readers may miss about Witcher history.

What are Witchers?

Photo by Jay Maidment/Netflix

Season 1 saw Geralt referring to the difficult process of being a Witcher. We see glimpses this season of the difficult training that Witchers endure as kids to perfect their abilities.

They have dangerous obstacle courses, contraptions such as the pendulum that allow Witchers to simultaneously train their reflexes and balance. The Trial of Grasses was a painful and deadly process that created mutations. Few of those who were subjected to this process survived.

The first of many unique trials, which each grant them part of their special arsenal of powers, the Trial of Grasses used a concoction of chemicals derived from a special “mutagen,” to give these children superhuman strength, speed, reflexes and eyesight. Geralt results from his continued mutation due to his tolerance for Trial of Grasses. His hair was left without pigment, possibly making him more powerful and fast than his peers.

The Witchers have no idea how they came to be this way. Season 2 claims they were created by experimenting mages who received instruction from the kings in the northern realms. They wanted magic-wielding soldiers to conquer The Continent. Although dissatisfied by their creation, the Witchers found a role as monster slayers to help protect The Continent from the creatures left behind at the Conjunction.

While it makes them powerful, the mutations also leave Witchers sterile and unable to have children which is why their most common way of recruiting trainees is through “the law of surprise,” a tradition they invoke when payment cannot be made, claiming something the person in their debt doesn’t know they have. Their hope is this surprise will be a child a weary traveler doesn’t know is coming back home and in claiming the child, the Witchers have new fodder for their ranks to take back to their keep for training. However, by the end of the series the key to creating new Witcher mutations had been lost. Their numbers have dwindled to a small number.

Why Witchers aren’t always liked

Jay Maidment/The Wizard

At some point before the series, when Geralt was a child, public opinion was turned against Witchers thanks to a book called “Monstrum,” excerpts of which are first shown to us in the third Witcher book, Blood of ElvesThe movie depicted witchers as evil manipulative killers looking to exploit all others.

There are many rumors about the origin of the book, as well as the anti-Witcher sentiment that was being expressed at the time. Many believe it is the work of mage concerned with the increasing influence of monster slayers. Netflix’s Nightmare of the WolfThis documentary gives a concrete account of the events, showing Vesemir, along with other Witchers, being framed by the daughter a sorceress who was wrongly killed by a Witcher and then accused of making new monsters on The Continent in order to stay at work. The movie, while not essential viewing for The Witcher Universe, is an integral part of growing visions for The Witcher Universe.

Whatever was the reason for these rumors it resulted in people storming Kaer Morhen, a Witcher stronghold, and causing a violent riot. This sparked by Geralt’s innocence, reducing the Witcher population, leaving the home in ruin. In the midst of this attack, the Witcher mutagen secret that would allow them to create new Witchers was discovered. There have never been any new Witchers since.

As part of the trend of new material explaining and expanding on the vague back story of the books, Netflix’s spinoff show, Blood Origin: The WitcherA new series, titled “The Creation of Witchers”, is planned. While the release date for that show hasn’t been announced yet, it will come at a time when the future of the Witcher order is in the air, with season 2 of The Witcher finding Vesemir faced with an opportunity to create a new mutagen — something that will prove too tempting to ignore.