The Witcher Cast Addresses the Show’s Hard-to-Pronounce Names

Here’s the thing about adaptations of books to the screen, big or small: names are hard. Even if they are spelled a certain way, there is practically no telling how you are supposed to say any given name without someone arbitrarily deciding, “you say it like this not that.” When it comes to Netflix’s The Witcher, thankfully there are the video games to fall back on, but given that it is not technically based on said video games, everything was still a bit up for grabs. And the cast knows it incredibly well.

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

In an interview with BBC Radio 1, cast members Freya Allan (Ciri) and Anya Chalotra (Yennefer of Vengerberg) both recalled the difficulties of getting everyone on the same page in terms of names. Turns out, there were a lot of different names to remember, and not everyone remembered them the exact same way.

“Oh my goodness, we had so many different versions of the names,” Chalotra said.

“That is true; that was a problem,” Allan said. “I think Ciri was probably the easiest, but like people really struggled. It’s like, it’s ‘Geralt,’ it’s not ‘Gerald’ or ‘Jeralt.’”

“Everyone puts a D on the end,” Chalotra added. And then went into the various pronunciations of Calanthe, Jaskier, and more. Basically, someone’s job had to have been keeping all of that consistent, and we do not envy them in the slightest.

What do you think of Netflix’s The Witcher? Did you have any trouble with any of the names on the show? 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.