Toss a coin to your Witcher, o’valley of plenty! That’s right folks, the second season of Netflix’s adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s “Witcher” books is on its way. The first season saw the double-sword wielding Geralt of Rivia take on all sorts of monstrous beasties. From cursed humans turned demons like the Striga to swamp dwelling creatures like the Kikimora to even a wish-granting Djinn.
For those not in the know, Witchers are essentially superhuman monster hunters. From a young age, they’ve been trained in the arts of sword-fighting, archery and sorcery. So much of the fun of watching “The Witcher” is seeing the series’ take on Sapkowski’s creatures. As fans of the critically-acclaimed “Witcher” games, we were dazzled by the phenomenal design work on display.
With season 2 of the series coming up, we couldn’t help but come up with a laundry list of monsters we’d like to see this time around. We’re not talking about your typical werewolves and vampires. Oh no, the world of witchers is one full of things that will give you nightmares, we’ve selected some of the scariest ones out there.
1. Botchling
Everyone loves babies, right? Well apparently not. See that hideous, little toyol you’re staring at across your screen? That’s a Botchling. When unwanted babies die and is not given a proper burial, they’re turned into these cursed creatures. These little bastards feed on the blood of pregnant mothers and will come out in the dead of the night to hunt their prey. Consumed by bloodlust, they’ll sneak into the homes of victims to tear them and their children apart. That’s not all, though. Once they’ve feasted enough, they will transform into even larger hulking monsters.
What makes Botchlings so unsettling beyond their grotesque appearance is how they’re formed. There’s an element of tragedy that makes them quite pitiable and yet they still pose a danger to humanity. In spite of Geralt’s stony demeanour, he does have a heart for little ones as evidenced by his love for Ciri. We’d love to see how Henry Cavill’s Geralt handles the pain of dealing with a Botchling.
2. Hym
When you’re walking down a dark alley or in a barely lit room, you might feel an eerie sensation as if something was following or watching you. You turn around to find nothing there but your shadow. Don’t breathe that sigh of relief just yet though. For that shadow could very well be a Hym. In spite of their lack of form, these spirits are anything but harmless. These shapeless ghost will latch onto you and begin driving you insane, like making you do evil things to yourself and others around. The worst part is you don’t even know what’s happening to you until it’s too late.
One particular mission in “The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt” involving a Hym still gives us nightmares till this day. It would be a thing of beauty (and terror) to see how Netflix employs psychological horror in trying to bring the Hym to life. These spectral parasites are proof that scariest things are often the things we don’t know or see.
3. Leshen
Beware those who wander into the forest, full of hubris and disrespect for mother nature. For the arrogant may yet encounter a wrathful defender of the woods, the Leshen. Leshens are powerful forest monsters that are capable of summoning animals and plants to do their bidding. They will often morph into random wild animals, so if you happen to accidentally strike one, then your whole village could be doomed. Leshens are the embodiment of the untamed natural. A horrifying reminder that no matter how advanced society gets, there’s still some places that will never belong to us.
Based on the trailer, it looks like we’ll be seeing some sort of forest creature attacking Geralt. Fingers crossed, we’ll get to see a Leshen in action! We’d love to see a live-action adaptation of a Wendigo like monster skulking the woods as Geralt tries to rescue villagers. All the while, the trees sway hauntingly and the wolves howl in the distance.
4. The Crones
Growing up, you may have heard fairy tales of evil witches luring children with promises of sweets and warm hugs. Now imagine if those evil witches were disgusting, god-like hags who demand human mutilation, blood sacrifices and utter obedience to their terrible will. Facing off against the Crones of Crookbag Bog in CD Projekt Red’s “The Witcher 3” will forever remain one of the most disturbing encounters we’ve ever had in video games. Their sinister cackling voices and horrid appearance are a sight to behold as we watch them gleefully talk of torturing and murdering children. The blood of the innocent is what sustains these ghastly hags.
At some point, they took in Geralt’s adoptive daughter Ciri and tried to eat the girl! Netflix’s “The Witcher” series has sold itself to be a dark and disturbing on the fantasy genre. There could be a bone-chilling episode in which we watch Ciri slowly but surely realise that these sweet old ladies are not what they seem. All the while, Geralt must find her before she becomes their next meal. It could be a scary twist on the classic story of Hansel and Gretel.
5. Gaunter O’Dimm
This guy right here…is hands down the scariest bloody thing in the entire “Witcher” universe! You might be thinking: “What? This pink, bald looking creeper? You’ve got to be kidding.” Do not be fooled, Gaunter O’Dimm (or Master Mirror) may seem warm and friendly but then he starts talking about deals. His favourite hobby is tricking mortals into selling their souls to him where he will torment and torture them for all eternity. He has the power to freeze time, claim souls and create dimensions. You want to know the most creepiest part of it all? It’s that bone-chilling nursey rhyme that children sing about him in “The Witcher 3”! Don’t believe us? Here have a listen.
No one knows what Gaunter O’Dimm is or what are the limits of his power. There’s even a theory that Gaunter is quite literally the god of the “Witcher” universe. Seeing that his initials Gaunter O’Dimm spell out G-O-D. He’d make for a phenomenal side character in Netflix’s “The Witcher” series, lurking in the background, just waiting to snare Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri in one of his terrible bargains. We’d be satisfied with an entire episode just dedicated to Gaunter going around the world and striking deals with mortals. Watching them realise the grave mistakes they’ve made. So remember, the next time you hear about a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Netflix’s second season of “The Witcher” will be hitting the streaming service on the 17th of December this year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJFVV2L8GKs&t=5s&ab_channel=Netflix
So, which monster on this list do you think is the scariest? Are there others we missed out? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
