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Warning! Spoilers for The Witcher season 4, The Witcher books, and possibly season 5 ahead!

The Witcher season 5 will be the show’s last, but there’s essentially no chance that it will end like the books. This Netflix series is based on the novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, but from season to season, there have been significant changes to the canon. This has led The Witcher to exist at the center of controversy, with rumors that actor Henry Cavill left because of such changes.

Interestingly, The Witcher season 4 may be the closest to the books than any of the show’s previous installments. While Yennefer’s battle with Vilgefortz was an invention of the Netflix series, Geralt and Ciri’s respective adventures were, more or less, faithful to the source material. However, the various changes over the years, combined with Yennefer’s story in The Witcher season 4, could make season 5’s ending challenging.

There Are Several Upcoming The Witcher Stories That Won’t Work In The TV Show

The Witcher season 5 will have a lot of ground to cover if it’s going to adhere to Sapkowski’s books in any way. The final showdown of the novels takes place at Vilgefortz’s hideout at Strygga Castle, where Yennefer is headed at the end of The Witcher season 4. However, both Geralt and Ciri go through a series of unique adventures before they finally find themselves confronting Vilgefortz.

In Ciri’s case, her book story is likely to play out on screen in The Witcher season 5, though it will have to be significantly condensed to fit in eight or so episodes. Aspects of Geralt’s upcoming adventures, however, wouldn’t fit with the development of the Netflix series. First off, in the books, Geralt escapes the Queen of Rivia, but comes to believe that Yennefer betrayed him to Vilgefortz. This leads him to begin a sexual relationship with none other than Fringilla.

At this point in the Witcher books, Fringilla and Philippa are still antagonists who aim to distract Geralt from his quest. However, while trying to keep Geralt occupied, Fringilla actually falls in love with him. This plotline really would make no sense in the Witcher TV show. Not only would it be immensely frustrating for Geralt and Yennefer to be at odds again, but Fringilla and Philippa’s alliance with Yennefer makes their deception unlikely.

The Witcher Books’ Ambiguous Ending Would Be Weird On-Screen

Though the path Geralt takes to Strygga Castle is sure to change in The Witcher season 5, we can guess the Netflix series will still bring its characters to this location for a big showdown. Strygga should be where Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri resolve the conflicts with Vilgefortz, Leo Bonhart, and Emhyr var Emreis. While this is the big finale, the books don’t end their stories here.

It’s a fairly complicated ending that works well in a literary sense. On screen, however, it might not come across the same way.

After the showdown at Strygga, the Witcher books bring Geralt to Rivia, where he gets caught up in a riot and is fatally stabbed. Yennefer arrives and makes a desperate attempt to heal him, but ultimately drains her life force and collapses. The Witcher leaves their fates ambiguous, but Ciri acts as if they have died in the books. It’s a fairly complicated ending that works well in a literary sense. On screen, however, it might not come across the same way.

Given the sorts of changes Netflix’s The Witcher has already made to the story, we can assume that this ending will be adjusted as well. Geralt and Yennefer’s fates may be ambiguous, but a more hopeful approach would fit better with the tone of the on-screen story. Time constraints will be an issue as well. More likely, the conflict as Strygga will mark the finale of The Witcher. Of course, only time will tell.

Release Date December 20, 2019

Network Netflix

Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

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Geralt of Rivia

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Anya Chalotra

Yennefer of Vengerberg

Directors Stephen Surjik, Charlotte Brändström, Edward Bazalgette, Loni Peristere, Louise Hooper, Bola Ogun, Alex Garcia Lopez, Gandja Monteiro, Sarah O’Gorman

Writers Haily Hall, Clare Higgins, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Jenny Klein, Tania Lotia

Franchise(s) The Witcher