The internet exploded, seemingly overnight, when the TV show “The Witcher” premiered on Netflix on December 20th, 2019. This was due in no small part to one of the main characters: Yennefer of Vengerberg. Yennefer is a female mage with a headstrong and resilient attitude. Throughout season one of “The Witcher” series, audiences watch Yennefer go from living in obscurity, to formal magic training, and finally her adventures out in the world. “The Witcher” TV show is based on the “The Witcher” book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, which was published in the late 1980s until the early 2000s. Being a fan of the books, I was more than a little excited to watch Yennefer come to life on screen.
I was not disappointed. Yennefer is portrayed by actress Anya Chalotra who knocks it out of the park! The casting is perfect. Not only does she look exactly as I imagined Yennefer to look, but she captures the essence of the character’s personality. Yennefer is famous in literature for being uncompromising, often appearing as cold-hearted. Chalotra incorporates these traits into her portrayal of the character. Yennefer has become one of the most memorable and beloved characters in “The Witcher” book series, as well as in its three popular video games. She always has an important role to play, whether that’s participating in magical battles or spending time with Geralt of Rivia, the main character. What makes Yennefer stand out? She’s a strong and complex female character in a book series written by a man, and published before complex female characters were the norm.
There are plenty of reasons to love Yennefer. Even though the books have been published for a few decades, I’ll attempt to not give away any spoilers. Yennefer is independent, first of all. She never relies on other people to make her happy. Unlike other characters, like Jaskier who goes looking for happiness and fun all the time, Yennefer works best alone. This was what originally attracted me to her character; as an introvert, I struggle to find fictional characters to relate to. Yennefer prefers to work alone, like me, but when anyone questions her, she stops them with a witty comeback. Another reason to love this feisty woman is her backstory. Yennefer had a terrible childhood, to say the least; this motivates her to become better than her circumstances. As someone who was also bullied at a young age, Yennefer’s story makes me feel confident.
When “The Witcher” TV series premiered, there was a lot of buzz about Yennefer’s character. Some of it was positive, but there were several negative reviews. Critics have claimed that the show inaccurately sends a message about physical disabilities. Yennefer’s character has a hunchback at the beginning of the series, both in the books and the TV show, but then uses magic to change her appearance later. Critics of the show claim that Yennefer’s transformation makes it seem that her beauty is all that matters, that she was never beautiful before. I can understand where these complaints are coming from, but I think otherwise. Yes, Yennefer did always want to change her appearance, but she didn’t do it to be beautiful. It was more important for her to master her magical abilities first. She only cared about what she looked like when other characters mentioned it. Even before the transformation, Yennefer is an empowered, confident and intelligent woman. She didn’t choose to change her appearance to appease others. She was confident already, but she just wanted other people not to judge her. The way I see it, we shouldn’t judge Yennefer for altering her physical appearance. She did what made her feel comfortable. She’s still an inspiring character. It’s her body, her choice. Also, the TV show creators are not to blame. They have done an amazing job recreating the original story. They’re being faithful to the original character and Yennefer’s unique story deserves to be told.
Some other complaints regarding Yennefer are what you usually hear about strong female characters: she’s loud, she’s impulsive, she’s aggressive, she’s too emotional. Yennefer has a harsh personality because she’s not used to people being kind to her. She’s had to fight for every bit of respect she has earned. Every day is a new challenge for her, so I think she has the right to be short-tempered sometimes. She is focused on staying alive no matter what, but she isn’t ruthless. She is never a villain, nor is she the classic heroine. She’s definitely an anti-hero. She just wants the same respect as her male counterparts and will use strong language and tactics to get what she wants. Her drive and ambition is what make her a loyal friend and powerful mage. I can’t wait to watch her character develop on screen! For those of you who want to start watching “The Witcher” TV series, but are unfamiliar with the books, I suggest referring to the show creators’ timeline map. Due to the complexity of “The Witcher” universe, it’s useful to understand the time jumps, flashbacks, and backstory details.