Netflix’sThe Witcherhas everything a fan of fantasy could ask for: riveting action, fantastic creatures, captivating mysteries, and intrigue. And, as with much of the fantasy genre, magic is one of the most fascinating aspects of the series.Magic inThe Witcheris not something to be taken lightly; it’s consistently treated as something dangerous, powerful, and not without cost. The inherent risks and chaos surrounding the practice of magic mean that there are realms of magic considered forbidden by many sorcerers for the immense instability or destruction they could wreak. These include the more obvious practices such as demonology and necromancy— classic ideas of taboo magic. However, in addition to these classically villainous fields, the use of fire magic is also considered one of the most forbidden practices by mages inThe Witcher.
Though fire is clearly a dangerous element, most fantasy media don’t lump it in with the resurrection of the dead or the summoning of demons. So what makes it different inThe Witcher? In the show, fire is treated with the fearful trepidation of its relentless consumption; it’s a dangerous force that is starkly different from other elements like earth, water, or air. Throughout the two seasons of the show to date, the cost of fire magic is shown to be brutal and immense, proving that there’s good reason to fear and forbid its use for the safety of not just those around it, but the wielder of magic themselves.
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What Makes Fire Magic so Taboo in ‘The Witcher’?
In the world ofThe Witcher, magic is performed by harnessing Chaos, which is also referred to as Force or Power. Chaos is an ancient and primordial power, drawn from the elements that make up the world that empowers users to cast spells of all shapes and abilities. However, utilizing Chaos comes with a cost, demanding sacrifice proportional to the desired effect and magnitude of the spell. For Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), the most prominent sorceress in the series, she sacrificed her alibility to bear children to become beautiful and powerful: An immense cost for an immense effect.
Fire magic is considered one of the most dangerous because of how much it demands from its users. It has the inherent ability to consume its user when called upon. It is the most dangerous force of nature with the capacity and hunger to endlessly consume, a source of corruption and consumption that carries power because of its destructive capabilities. Fire can demand everything from its user, even their life. If that was not warning enough, pyromancy can only be done when the sorcerer channels their most vitriolic emotions, such as hate and rage. Users have to project their most negative emotions in order to manifest fire magic, making it a natural source of corruption for even its most powerful users.
Who Has Paid the Price for Using Fire Magic?
Despite Triss Merigold’s (Anna Shafer) warnings about fire magic being off-limits, there have been multiple sorcerers that have used its power in the series thus far.In the finale of Season 1during the climactic Battle of Sodden Hill, Nilfgaardian sorcerers under the leadership of Fringilla (Mimî M. Khayisa), rain massive fireballs down upon Yennefer and her allied Northern mages. The dangers of fire magic are shown immediately, as the first mage to cast the spell crumbles into ash as they channel the power and are consumed by the fiery demands of the spell.
When the battle seemed all but lost, Yennefer eventually resorted to channeling fire magic herself in order to defeat the Nilfgaardians. In order to win, Yennefer absorbed the fire consuming the keep behind her and unleashed the full breadth of its power against the opposing army. This display of unfathomable power led to their victory as she set the battlefield ablaze in fiery wrath. Though she ultimately survived, Yennefer would pay yet another great sacrifice as she loses her intrinsic Chaos and is left void of her powers.Yennefer’s arc in Season 2 follows her on her journey to reclaim her ability to cast spells, emphasizing that the sacrifice for using fire is not one that is easily returned.
Season 2 of the show also introduced another prominent user of fire magic, Rience (Chris Fulton). Rience embodied the corruption and evil surrounding fire magic, as an imprisoned mage who is all too familiar with the sacrificial costs of pyromancy. In order to effectively and repeatedly channel one of the most dangerous forms of magic, he has stated that he sacrificed his own soul in order to control such a destructive force. Rience doesn’t shy away from the negative emotions needed to use this type of magic— he’s completely willing to feed into rage and hate in order to achieve his goals. He is sent to hunt after Ciri (Freya Allan) and even tortures beloved Jaskier (Joey Batey) in order to find any information on the former’s whereabouts. Between the piles of ash, the loss of magic, and the utter evil that is associated with fire, it’s entirely understandable why this channel of magic is considered forbidden.
How Does the Series Differ From its Source Material?
The show’s interpretation of fire magic is distinct from its source material, the book series written by Polish authorAndrzej Sapkowski, but is rooted in the same concept of its hungering and corrupting nature. In the books, sorcerers don’t crumble into ash the way they do in the show. However, the cost of wielding fire magic is still high. In the novels, Ciri attempts to use fire magic and is almost utterly overwhelmed by the gravity of its destructive power. The show’s depiction of fire also differs immensely from the video game series that helped popularizeThe Witcherto a wider and more expansive audience. In the video games, the use of fire magic is still accompanied by cautionary warnings about its ability to overtake its user. However, it is more commonplace and the consequences are not treated with the same severity that of its show depiction.
With Season 3 ofThe Witcherright around the corner, there’s going to be an abundance of magic and action for our monster hunters and sorcerers. Scenes from theofficial traileralready feature moments of pyromancy from Rience and Yennefer, affirming that the stakes only continue to get higher. And though Ciri isn’t seen wielding fire herself, she is shown to be demonstrating vast improvements in her own magic-wielding ability.
The Witcher’sthird season will be premiering on Netflix this summer in two installments: Volume 1 on June 29 and Volume 2 on July 27.
