The Witcher’s Yennefer Almost Looked Very Different

There are basically three main characters in Netflix’s The Witcher, which itself is an adaptation of the books by author Andrzej Sapkowski, in the form of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer. Obviously, they all grow and change, but of the three, Yennefer, who is portrayed by Anya Chalotra in the Netflix series, goes through the most drastic transformation from start to finish. But according to a new episode of Netflix’s behind-the-scenes podcast, she almost looked very different than what ended up on screen.

Major spoilers for the first season of Netflix’s The Witcher follow. You’ve been warned.

When we initially meet Yennefer in the first season of Netflix’s The Witcher, she is a 14-year-old girl with a hunchback, crooked spine, and other physical abnormalities. The new podcast episode reveals that there was almost another aspect of this initial appearance that was abandoned later. (The character later magically transforms, which likely would have completely eliminated the birthmark anyway, but now we’ll never know.)

“Originally we talked about a birthmark on her face, which I did a graphic design for,” Csilla Blake-Horváth, who worked on hair and makeup for everyone except Henry Cavill on the show, says in the most recent episode. “But then, because of the hunchback and because of the dental prosthetics — the birthmark, plus the wig, it was too much on one person.”

What do you think of Netflix’s The Witcher? Are you looking forward to Season 2? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!

Here’s how Netflix describes the series:

“Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.”

The first eight-episode season of Netflix’s The Witcher is available to stream on the platform now. It has already been renewed for a second season. Lauren S. Hissrich serves as showrunner. It stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, and Freya Allan as Ciri. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the latest and greatest adaptation right here.