Is Balor's Dragon Monster Original in The Witcher: Bloodborne?

While The Witcher season 2 strayed from the source material, does The Witcher: Blood Origins stay close to the source material with Balor's monsters?

Warning! SPOILERS for The Witcher: Blood Origin.

^ While The Witcher: Bloodborne solidifies many narrative elements from the book, is Balor's dragon monster one of them? As the first chronological monster in the Witcher universe, the creatures Balor (Lenny Henry) summons are unique in their mysterious lethality and were the driving force behind the creation of the first Witcher. But while its existence as a creature born of Chaos fits with established lore in previous seasons of The Witcher, the monster's origins may differ from those of other entities depicted in the two shows.

Part of the appeal of The Witcher as an IP is its strong ties to Polish folklore, including iconic monsters such as Monopod and Brusa, all of which have their origins in older stories. Additionally, the source timeline on which The Witcher: Blood Origins is based has no shortage of dragon-like creatures related to Balor's monsters, including dragons, dragon lizards, fork-tailed dragons, and wyverns. While these creatures appear in more recent storylines, Balor's creatures appear 1,200 years before the events of The Witcher, allowing some leeway for both the events of The Witcher: Origins and the creatures themselves Deviate from the main line.

Finally, Balor's beast in The Witcher: Origins does not appear to have originated from Andrzej Sapkowski's original story. Also, it's unlikely to have been inspired by traditional folklore of creatures like the Lacey or the Kikimora. However, its creation and existence are consistent with the legends in the book, which show that dragon-like creatures were born from Chaos.

The Three-Headed Blood Origin Dragon's Book Lore Explained

Thus, since Balor's beast in Blood Origin is related to the prequel Mage's exploration of Chaos magic, both to control the monster and to enhance his power, the creature still falls within the book's definition of magic. Although the origin of the Beast about the Monolith is not from the original sources, the need for Chaos magic to control the creatures of Chaos dovetails with Sapkowski's story. Also, the creature still embodies the spirit of the books in terms of magic generation, just like some monsters in The Witcher stories are the result of a curse.

When balancing monsters in The Witcher and its spinoffs (including The Witcher: Bloodborne), a careful balance between returning to Sapkowski was required Books and create new creatures. Including folklore in both the novel and the story helps give the show some timeless and unique designs that might not otherwise appear in The Witcher mythology; Might become lackluster for longtime fans. As such, some new creatures, such as Balor's beasts, are necessary to add to the franchise's engagement and keep things fresh for those who read through the books.

Why The Witcher Needs To Balance Its Monster Appearances

While Beasts of Balor may not work well for those who value the accuracy of the books above all else, the introduction of new creatures to the overall narrative world is refreshing. The Witcher: Bloodborne handles this well by creating a new creature, but making sure it abides by the laws of magic laid down by the mages of the Witcher source material. As long as The Witcher can maintain this balance between creativity and the rich folklore behind the original, its design and storytelling can continue to surprise.

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