In spite of the fact that you cannot choose your school in the Witcher series, they play an important role in understanding the lore — and fans are often at odds over which is the superior school. Each Witcher school is responsible for training its students to tackle particular enemies using strategies unique to each one, and come with their own codes of honor, ethics, and ideologies.
There is a lot about these organizations that many fans may not be aware of. Whether it’s the origin of the schools, who the sponsors are, or what the schools are known for, here are some of the things you may not know about Witcher schools.
Updated April 24th, 2022 by Sam Reaves: The Witcher franchise has grown to become a global phenomenon that has reached far outside the original books. With numerous games, a live-action tv show, animated spin-offs, and more in the pipeline, the Witcher series has never been more accessible. Each form of media is independent of the original books, meaning that each universe has its own canon to explore. Let’s take a look at the Witcher schools in the books, games, and live-action show to learn a bit more about what Witcher schools are, where they come from, and what we might see in the future.
12 Only Three School Exists In The Books
For players of the games, it may be surprising to find out that there are only three Witcher schools in the book series the game is based on. The School of the Wolf, School of the Cat, and School of the Griffin are the only schools canon from the book series.
The games have gone on to include other schools, such as the School of the Viper, School of the Bear, School of the Manticore, and School of the Crane. Even the Order of Witchers is a fabrication of the games, and has no mention in the book series.
11 The School of the Lynx Is Coming In The Next Game
The Witcher 3 has made its mark on gaming and culture as a whole, preparing an entire generation for another game, and even the live-action show and animated spin-offs. While the games had you focus on your time as Geralt, a member of the School of the Wolf, it would appear that a new school has been formed solely for the next chapter in the Witcher game series.
The School of the Lynx does not exist in the books or any other media as of now, so CD Projekt Red will have a blank slate to create whatever they would like. Perhaps we will see a new protagonist, storyline, or other new forms of canon. With more information to come, we’ll simply have to wait and see.
10 The School Of The Wolf Is The Only One Properly Introduced In The Show
Henry Cavill has expertly taken on the role of Geralt in his now-three-season stint on The Witcher show. Throughout the show’s first seasons, it is only ever made clear that Geralt is a member of the School of the Wolf through his pendant. It isn’t until the second season that other witchers are displayed.
The second season of the live-action series showcases Vesimir, Geralt’s mentor, and a few other members of the School of the Wolf. We will have to see if other schools are represented, once the third season of the show finishes filming and airs.
9 The Order Of Witchers Started It All
Speaking of the Order of Witchers, in the games it’s considered the first School. It was formed by knights and mages seeking to create a mage/knight hybrid capable of helping mankind eradicate the monsters that plagued the world. Much of that virtual world is worth exploring.
The program was only a half-success, as the experiments were only capable of producing Witchers — beings of exceptional melee combat skill, but lacking the same magical abilities found in mages. As interest waned and the original Witchers became little more than mercenaries to the highest bidder, the Order collapsed and fragmented into the different Schools.
8 Griffins Are Similar To The Original Order
The School of the Griffin is the closest school to mimicking that knightly and noble pursuit the Order of Witchers was meant to embody. These Witchers pride themselves on strict discipline, chivalry, and knightly conduct in all their affairs.
They held the respect of the other Schools, given their magical prowess and track record for tackling mighty beasts such as griffins and dragons. At one point, they also possessed a massive library containing many tomes of magic, before being destroyed by disgruntled mages.
7 Cats Are Generally Despised
While the School of the Cat has a large fanbase in the real world, in the Witcher world they’re at best outcasts, and at worst widely hated by the other Schools. Part of this is the fact that they tweaked the mutation process to produce Witchers lacking emotions or any form of sympathy, to make them more efficient assassins.
The other reason is that early on the School of the Cat sold out the School of the Wolf to King Radowit II, who saw the Schools as a threat to his reign. After slaughtering many of the Wolves, he promptly ordered his troops to slaughter the Cats. Ever since, the Cats have lived nomadic lives and have been reviled by the other Witchers.
6 Wolves Are The Most Successful
Before the aforementioned slaughtering, the School of the Wolf was considered by many to be the most successful School to come out of the Order’s collapse. The reason behind their success was an emphasis on being well-versed in physical combat, magic, and alchemy, and utilizing each as the needs arose in combat. Geralt is a student of the Wolf, and showcases this through his combat prowess and alchemical skill.
Another reason is that Wolves are trained to operate on their own, and occasionally as a group. This allows a sole Wolf Witcher to be self-sufficient, while still capable of working with others as part of an efficient team to tackle larger threats.
5 Vipers Are Obsessed With The Wild Hunt
It is unknown if the School of the Viper was founded to eliminate the Wild Hunt, or if they devoted themselves to this cause after being founded. They are the foremost experts on the Wild Hunt, said to have a large collection of tomes, scrolls, and other materials providing information on the Wild Hunt.
Their School was raided by Nilfgaard, resulting in their keep being destroyed, much of their library going missing, and the students being scattered to the corners of the world. The Emperor is still obsessed with eradicating the last remaining students.
4 Bears Are Considered Failures
While most Schools have fallen from their former glory as a result of politics and backstabbings, the School of the Bear fell from its own failures. For years, the Bear Witchers aided the dwarves and gnomes of the Amell Mountains and the denizens of Skellige with hunting down various monsters.
Unfortunately, they failed when tasked to eliminate a group of vampires, which resulted in many lost lives for both the School and local residents. In response, mobs torched the keep and drove the Bears out. Rumors abound that they have returned to the keep, but the publicly known members are loners, carving out a living where they can, while keeping to themselves.
3 Manticore Are Alchemists To The East
Not much is revealed about the School of the Manticore, other than they are located in the far east of Haakland and Zerrikania. Their gear can also be found in The Witcher 3, and their medallions can also occasionally be found.
Fans have long theorized they are alchemical masters, given their armor provides the best bonuses to alchemy and is designed to hold more vials than usual. Zerrikania is also known for its alchemists and powerful concoctions, though whether this is a result of the School of the Manticore being in their area, or the reason the School set up shop there, is unknown.
2 Cranes Hunt Sea Creatures
The School of the Crane is perhaps the most mysterious and unknown of the Schools. Their only mention is in the Tales From The World Of The Witcher, a collection of short stories regarding the Witcher world written by various authors.
In one of the stories, these Witchers are described as hunters of monsters that roam the skies and the seas. Whether they’ll make an appearance in upcoming games is unclear.
1 Sponsored By Monarchs And Other Politicians
Both the Order and the subsequent schools have received sponsorship from various monarchs and politicians seeking to create a band of warriors capable of fighting monsters. Over the years, various rulers have contracted the Schools to act as spies, assassins, informants and other roles to destroy their opponents and remove threats from the realms.
Now, most Schools sustain themselves through their contracts and by volunteering their time and talents to the Schools they belong to. Given the numerous betrayals and ever-shifting loyalties of politicians, many Witchers refuse to align themselves to any one faction.
NEXT: The Witcher 3: 10 Tips For Completing The Game On Death March Difficulty
