The Witcher series, as a fantasy story, has a multitude of magic users and mages. These mages vary in power and ability, but the most powerful certainly make themselves known when concerning events across the story. As mages tend to live much longer lives than ordinary people, they gain power and experience as they grow older and wiser.
Power comes in many forms, not all of them in the form of talent or natural ability. Mages who find themselves in the courts of royalty play games and machinations to better themselves, all for power and influence. While even a mediocre mage with enough charisma and strategy may do well within the courts of kings, the most powerful and influential are often those with the greatest political clout, intelligence, and magical ability.
Updated September 28th, 2021, by Jacob Buchalter: With the second season of The Witcher Netflix adaptation dropping in December, people are starting to get interested in the IP again. Whether that’s through the books, the mobile game The Witcher: Monster Slayer, the absurdly long CDProjekt Red games, or even the Gwent card game they created, it all works.
And, by far the most interesting aspect of The Witcher world is the mages, the way they work, and the politics they play a part in. So, let’s give them all another look and pick the strongest mages in The Witcher lore to talk about.
13 Francesca Findabair: The Elven Queen
The Queen of Dol Blathanna, Francesca Findabair is all over the place in terms of her loyalties and the people she’s worked with. She sides with Nilfgaard during the coup on Thanedd Island, which is what led her to ruling Dol Blathanna in the first place, yet she hates humans in general. In fact, her disobeying her father and fighting in the rebellion against humans when she was younger is a big part of the reason elves were so ruthlessly persecuted and slaughtered after the Conjunction of the Spheres. Luckily, during her appearances in the books, she learns more about how to play the political game.
And, when she finally reclaimed the Valley of Flowers after the war with Nilfgaard (during the Cintrian peace agreement), the people leaving there burned the country down as they fled it, leaving the elves with a Valley of Ashes instead. Her story is tragic, but one thing that should never be looked down upon is the Queen’s power. Why is that? Well:
12 Ortolan: An Eccentric Genius
Ortolan was the Grandmaster at Rissberg Castle, the place where it is thought the concoctions that mutated people into Witchers first originated. Not only that, Ortolan is the one who invented the elixir that stops the aging process that both mages and sorceresses would take advantage of. But, because he was so old by the time he created it, it didn’t return his appearance to a younger age, but rather just stopped his aging altogether.
Ortolan was an eccentric dedicated to his work, so much so that he thought the de-aging elixir was made public to everyone and was fooled by the Brotherhood of Sorcerers into thinking that was the case. Eventually, he would help his lover and assistant Sorel in catching Geralt, but would eventually die from a stroke when he found out the Witcher succeeded not only in escaping from Sorel, but in killing him as well.
11 Sheala de Tancarville: A Magic-User Truly Dedicated To Her Research
A Sheala de Tancarville, otherwise known as Síle de Tansarville in her appearances throughout the Action-RPG games, is another oddity of a Sorceress. All of the descriptions and Codexes about her in the books and games make it sound like she was only dedicated to her research, not involving herself with politics or the affairs of man.
Yet, after reaching the end of The Witcher 2, it seems she did dip her toes into the political world quite a bit, usually working with Phillipa and especially if it concerned Ciri.
She appears again in The Witcher 3, (if she’s left to escape near the end of TW2), and is basically a different person altogether. The atrocities she’s suffered in the dungeons of King Radovid are unspeakably cruel, but in her prime (and in the books), Sheala is one of the most memorable and strongest Sorceresses in the Lodge.
10 Stregobor: A Master Illusionist Obsessed With The Curse Of Black Sun
Stregobor was not exactly a “powerful” mage by the standard definitions, but a master illusionist capable of lifelike illusions. Sure, he could also perform other magicks, but his primary craft was illusions. That said, his “elegant” manner of speaking and way of dressing was also an illusion in a way, as the mage was a staunch believer in the Curse of the Black Sun, and dedicated his life to torturing any young woman even rumored to be born during an eclipse.
Stregebor appears in The Last Wish and in the first episode of the Netflix Adaptation as the mage partially responsible for Geralt’s alias as the Butcher of Blaviken. It turns out an ex-princess, Renfri, chased him all across the Northern Lands in an attempt to get revenge on him for his part in her horrific childhood, ending up in Blaviken where she slaughtered much of the town in an attempt to get him to come out of his magical tower. And, when Geralt has to put a stop to her madness, he does so by slaughtering both her and her entire band of mercenaries.
9 Mousesack: By Far The Most Memorable Druid
Mousesack, otherwise known as Ermion, is what’s known as a druid, a mage who is closely associated with nature. While still technically considered a mage, druids follow a completely separate purpose and path with their magic, tending to care for nature and wildlife more than anything else.
He was trained by the druids of Skellige as a child. As an adult, he formed part of the contingent from Skellige for Pavetta of Cintra’s engagement. He formed a close relationship with the royal family of Cintra, as well as with Geralt himself.
Mousesack’s competence in druid magic and his connections to powerful people across the Continent place him as one of the most powerful mages on the Continent. And, his intelligence and empathy make him one of the more likable characters in the franchise, especially the version of him seen in the Netflix adaptation.
8 Vilgefortz: A Genius Unlike Any Other
Vilgefortz was a powerful member of the Chapter of Sorcerers. Though he was young (by magic-user standards) at under 100 years old, he was an uncommonly gifted and talented sorcerer. In fact, he’s likely the most diverse talented magic user in the series, thanks to his expertise in combat-oriented magic, hand-to-hand combat, druidic magic, and more.
Vilgefortz was positioned as an antagonist to Geralt and his allies, primarily because he wanted to take Ciri’s blood and make it his own. To this end, he tortured many innocent women, captured and tortured Yennefer, killed plenty of people while working for Nilfgaard, and beat Geralt multiple times. In fact, Vilgefortz is one of the only people at all to beat Geralt in a fight, and what’s even scarier is he did it the first time without using any magic at all.
7 Fringilla Vigo: The Nilfgaardian Sorceress
Fringilla is a Nilfgaardian sorceress, a position that places her at odds with many other magic-users and sorceresses on the Continent. Obviously, this is because Nilfgaard is particularly aggressive, as seen in The Witcher 3. Yet, Fringilla is relatively amicable in all her appearances, though the version of her seen in the Netflix adaptation is a lot more “cold” than the version of her in The Witcher 3.
Fringilla has faced many of her peers in battle and even blinded Yennefer at the Battle of Sodden. Her experience, position within the Nilfgaardian Empire, and magical talent make her one of the most powerful mages on the Continent. That said, her area of expertise is illusion magic, so among the Lodge, she’s still one of the weaker Sorceresses.
6 Tissaia de Vries: A Truly Respected Sorceress
Tissaia de Vries is only mentioned in The Witcher games, never actually appearing at any point (which makes sense for anyone who has read the books) but the sorceress plays a large part in the Netflix series and in the books. Canonically, Tissaia is the headmistress of Aretuza, the one who trained Yennefer, and one of the most well-respected Sorceresses of all time.
Tissaia also served as one of the key members of the Council which predated the Lodge of Sorceresses. When Tissaia committed suicide, her loss was so great to the Council that it fell apart, making way for the Lodge of Sorceresses to come into being. While Tissaia wasn’t the most…warm person, she was incredibly wise, honorable, and above all, powerful.
5 Triss Merigold: A Magic User Not To Be Underestimated
Triss Merigold’s story can be a bit confusing as it differs across the books, games, and Netflix series. One of her characteristics that remains consistent is her magic and skills as a Sorceress. What people familiar with the games might not expect, however, is that Triss is best known for her incredible Alchemical skill in the books, not her fire magic, especially in the making of healing potions. This is especially ironic given how Triss herself is actually allergic to magical potions in general.
Though Triss is younger than many other sorceresses on the Continent, she is a formidable sorceress who easily makes friends with anyone she meets, including Yennefer of Vengerberg. She even becomes close enough with Cirilla that the two basically consider each other as sisters.
4 Philippa Eilhart: The Leader Of The Lodge
Philippa Eilhart stands as one of the most powerful sorceresses on the Continent not only because of her skills in magic but because of her tactical and political savvy. Philippa was the founder of the Lodge of Sorceresses, a testament to her connections, leadership, and magical skill.
Philippa served as the advisor to the king of Redania but was forced into hiding by King Radovid, who ordered her eyes plucked out while he had her imprisoned. Her blindness did little more to her than give her a vendetta against Radovid, and it was she who ultimately assassinated the mad king. Phillipa might be the most well-respected Sorceress of her time, feeling very reminiscent of Tissaia, but much more imposing.
3 Yennefer Of Vengerberg: Geralt’s True Love
Yennefer of Vengerberg is one of the more notorious mages in The Witcher, in part due to her resistance to joining any organization, the multitude of fights she gets in, and her fated ties to Geralt. She prefers working on her own, which makes her success as a sorceress and mage all the more impressive.
Despite her portrayal in the series, especially in the Netflix adaptation, Yennefer’s origins were notoriously humble. Her success is a testament to her strength of will and talent in magic. Yennefer is seen doing great feats of magic throughout the series, including forbidden arts such as necromancy. Her practicality, strength of will, and talent are what make Yennefer so formidable. Nothing is off-limits for her if it achieves her goals, and this ideal is one of the main reasons she played such a big part in finding Ciri within The Witcher 3.
2 Avallac’h: The Sage Who Leaps Through Time & Space
Avallac’h is an elven sage or “Aen Saevherne” who is far above other elves in terms of magical prowess. He also has the ability to travel between dimensions, something that comes in handy when both he and Ciri are traveling together to escape the Wild Hunt.
Avallac’h plays a large role in protecting Ciri from The Wild Hunt during the events of The Witcher 3. He trains Ciri in controlling her magic, something that no one mage or Sorceress had any success in attempting. And, crazily enough, Avallac’h is also the one Lara Dorren (who Ciri is a descent of, giving her the “Elder Blood”) was originally supposed to marry before she fell in love with Cregannan of Lod. The fact that Avallac’h has lived this long, was able to keep Ciri out of Eredin’s clutches, and traveled through time and space with ease cements him inarguably as one of the most powerful users of magic within the series.
1 Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon: The Elder Blood Holder & Lion Cub Of Cintra
Finally, as the Lady of Space and Time, Ciri is the most powerful magic user in The Witcher series. Ciri is the last inheritor of the Elder Blood, and so is able to use magic in unique and powerful ways which are inherent to her. She can travel to other worlds, teleport or create after images, and control magic to a much deeper degree than even Sages.
Her magic is impressive enough on its own, but Ciri also received tutelage from Yennefer and Triss, two of the most powerful sorceresses on the Continent. Avallac’h also took an interest in training and guiding Ciri as well, and he knew plenty about the source of her power. Then, stack her Witcher training from her surrogate father Geralt on top of all of that, and Ciri is like the second coming of Vilgefortz, but with more potential and less of an insatiable thirst for power. Plus, thanks to her grandmother, the late Queen of Cintra, Ciri is about as stubborn and steadfast as they come.
