Based on the beloved book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher TV show has been one of Netflix's biggest live-action fantasy TV shows. Following in the footsteps of classic series like Game of Thrones, The Witcher has tried to fill this niche in fantasy television with mixed results. While the story and characters are vivid and compelling, Netflix has produced other shows within the genre that work even better, and it's hard not to compare The Witcher to these successes. With two seasons left, it will be exciting to see how The Witcher wraps up its sweeping narrative.

With Arcane and other animated TV series that Netflix has produced, making an interesting case in favor of The Witcher learning from these great cartoons.

Castlevania Is Arguably Netflix's Best Fantasy Show

This Vampire Series Is An Unforgettable Adventure

Castlevania is one of the best American cartoon TV shows, and it demonstrates exactly how an animated series can bring high fantasy stories to life onscreen. The series is far from the only gorgeously animated and emotionally compelling project that Netflix has put out. Arcane is arguably the best animated show on Netflix, but in of traditional high fantasy, Castlevania rises to the top of all of Netflix's series. Based on the video game series, Castlevania takes the story of the games and strengthens it through a clear narrative arc.

Following the story of Dracula as he prepares to raise hell on Earth and the people who stand in his way, Castlevania is a dark, gothic story that proved popular enough to warrant the spinoff Castlevania: Nocturne. One of the best parts of the project is the beautifully realized visuals and fun character designs. These elements give the watcher a sense of place and tone from the first moments of the show. Infusing magic, battles, and social commentary into the story, there was little that Castlevania didn't touch upon when it was airing on Netflix from 2017 to 2021.

Castlevania Proves The Witcher Should Have Been An Animated Series

The Witcher Would've Thrived Visually & Narratively Through Animation

Like The Witcher, Castlevania had to take a popular IP and translate it to the screen. However, the creators of Castlevania understood that the only way the story could be told was through animation. It's interesting to contemplate what Castlevania might have looked like if it were live-action. Despite this, the skillful development of the narrative and use of animation make a case against The Witcher's live-action style. When it comes to fantasy, animation works well because there are so few limits on what the writers and showrunners can do with the story and visuals.

There's little question that Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher books has been controversial. Fans who have read all of Sapkowski's work and have played the games could easily find fault with the way Netflix's adaptation has altered the story and changed Geralt as a character. It's not necessarily true that a cartoon iteration of The Witcher would have been more faithful to the source material, but it's possible. While fantasy works best on TV, adding animation into the mix takes these stories to the next level.

Netflix's Witcher Movies Gave Us A Taste Of What An Animated Series Would've Been

These Movies Have Proven That The Witcher Would Work As A Cartoon

Similar to The Witcher video games, all the movies that tell the stories of The Witcher universe have helped the franchise gain notoriety and have been a hit with critics and fans. The two animated films, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, have expanded the scope of the story in exciting ways. While Nightmare of the Wolf is considered the stronger film, both are thrilling watches that, in some ways, have more in common with the source material than the live-action series.

It would be interesting to see if Netflix would consider creating an animated series within the world of The Witcher.

After the show comes to an end, it would be interesting to see if Netflix would consider creating an animated series within the world of The Witcher. Based on the movies, there's plenty of available inspiration that a show could draw from to craft the visuals and the way the characters exist within the familiar stories. It might be too late for the live-action take on The Witcher to change, but the animated additions to the franchise will always be a beloved part of the story.