Blood Origin 1 Geralt's Story Is Much Better Than The Witcher

"The Witcher: Bloodborne" may not have been as enthusiastically received as "The Witcher", but at least one story element is worse than Geralt.

Warning: spoilers ahead for The Witcher: Blood Origin

^ Although The Witcher attempted a peculiar storytelling technique about Geralt and his less-than-happy followers, The Witcher: Bloodborne actually did it better. Netflix's The Witcher: Blood Origins is largely set 1,200 years before The Witcher, with few direct connections to Geralt. Instead, the spinoff builds on Andrzej Sapkowski's wider universe ahead of The Witcher season 3, as seven misfit warriors unite against a mighty The story of Empire comes true. The Witcher has received a largely positive reception so far, but the response to The Witcher: Bloodborne has been somewhat lukewarm.

A key feature of Netflix's Bloodborne spinoff is the internal conflict between the protagonists. The Skylark Seven, Vogal Stoneheart, Sithian, Friar Death, Zaccare, Sindriel and Meldorf were brought together by fate and forced to cooperate. Under normal circumstances, these people would either never meet, or would rather have their legs broken than their bread. The tension between the heroes, and their need to overcome those differences in pursuit of the greater good, is an integral part of The Witcher: Bloodlines. Oddly, The Witcher inserted these same themes into Geralt of Rivia's story, but it's The spinoff has a rare advantage over its predecessor.

In The Witcher, Henry Cavill's Geralt attracts many odd companions, many of whom he endures uneasy relationships with. The bard Jaskier still feels betrayed by Geralt, even in The Witcher: Origins, where Anya Chalotra's Yennefer of Vengerburg is torn between lover and foe, while Princess Ciri suddenly finds herself a jealous father figure alongside Geralt. Less common companions include Triss the mage and Nivelen from The Witcher season 2. However, for various reasons, the tension between these protagonists lacks real firepower. The reluctant heroes of The Witcher: Bloodborne show a refreshing departure from Geralt's relationship, giving the main characters a real, intense dislike for each other.

Blood Origin's Character Conflict Fight Is Good (& Impossible For Geralt)

If Jaskier does get into a heated argument, Geralt kills Jaskier instantly, meaning their conflicts rarely go beyond comic annoyance. Geralt and Yennefer can't fight without tearing each other's clothes off, and Geralt's fatherly instincts overwhelm any confrontation that arises between him and Ciri. The only time Geralt really feels internal anxiety is the arrival of Esquel, who barely lasts an episode. Because the heroes of "The Witcher: Origins" share More equal in power and importance, their animosity could be stronger - as evidenced perfectly as early as the first episode when Skylark tried to rip Fjall's eye out. Christmas, but the prequels at least make a difference in areas where The Witcher couldn't. At the end of the day, Geralt's shaky friendship is still friendship, and Henry Cavill's place in the wizarding narrative means that true adversaries are hard to come by. Because The Witcher: Blood Origins' quest-runners are utterly less important than Geralt of Rivia, spin-off characters like Skylark and Farr Stoneheart can bicker, fight, fight, and goug each other's eyes all day long.

This is where the real potential of The Witcher prequel spinoffs lies. While the original series was essentially tied to one central character and his timeline, The Witcher: Bloodborne, thanks to its own odd framing device, is a snapshot of a long-gone era in which heroes have been forgotten by history. Adding the "uneasy allies" element to The Witcher: Origins is more interesting than Geralt's strained but ultimately friendly relationship in The Witcher: Origins that wizard.

Blood Origin's Best Trait Is Doing What The Witcher Cannot

More: Why The Witcher: Bloodborne Reviews Are So Bad