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Surprise The Witcher S3 Casting Sets Up A Big Game Of Thrones Risk
The inclusion of King Radovid is a morally ambiguous risk similar to Stannis Baratheon from Game of Thrones, revealing more links between the shows.

The Netflix original series The Witcher made a casting announcement, revealing the character Radovid. As a result, the show could risk repeating the missteps of Stannis Baratheon from Game of Thrones. Both characters’ revenge storyline, reprehensible actions, and admirable qualities are a delicate balance and can create divisions in audiences as well as general resentment. Some have even wondered if the inclusion of the stern king in The Witcher is even necessary given the backlash of the show’s current choices, like the handling of Eskel, its storytelling approaches, and numerous comparisons to HBO’s flagship fantasy series.

King Ravoivid V “The Stern” is a tactical genius and ruthless leader who inspires the loyalty of his followers. Stannis Baratheon is very much in the same mold, and both Stannis and Radovid follow a revenge arc to avenge their murdered family members. Both rule with an iron fist, yet inspire loyalty from their followers through sheer determination and reliable statecraft. They commit war crimes and terrible atrocities during their campaigns and rule their subjects and enemies with the same levels of paranoia. Stannis was killed earlier in Game of Thrones than in the novels for two major reasons; his devotion to a seemingly evil religion leading to the execution of his daughter and lacking novel material to work from after the battle against the Boltons. Radovid has the same propensity for burning sentient creatures at the stake with a devotion to “The Eternal Fire” which has a similar theology. This is a recipe for an extremely unlikable character.

Stannis Baratheon created a feeling of misplaced admiration in Game of Thrones, beginning as a Ned Stark supporter, and the more responsible version of the likable king Robert. His descent into suspicious madness through desperate circumstances lead him down a destructive path, killing loved ones and dooming his followers. Stannis changed from admirable to villainous, which is an incredibly difficult arc to make compelling to an audience. Such figures can become difficult to watch and even tedious. Many have speculated whether Radovid, being such a similar character, wouldn’t fall into the same trap, investing time in a character that no one can emotionally attach to and never really achieve their goals. The Witcher has already sparked controversy through its casting and writing, leaving some to wonder if Radovid was better left out.

The showrunners have argued that a character like this could work in their favor, as they already have an example to learn from. Not only that, the lore behind the character has been completely fleshed out, giving the writers the ability to pick out what is compelling and integral to their story. This was something Weiss and Benioff didn’t have the luxury of and decided to kill off their character soon after his original material ran out, leaving Stannis’ poorly received literary revisions behind them. Lauren S. Hissrich seems aware of the shortcomings of Game of Thrones, even mocking certain plot problems. With Game of Thrones, everything was up in the air as George R. R. Martin has yet to finish Winds of Winter, the final installment in his series a Song of Ice and Fire.  

The Netflix series, The Witcher, seems to be embracing the inevitable Game of Thrones comparisons and is undaunted by the missteps, seeing them as a missed opportunity to take advantage of. Radovid has been cast and will be introduced as a prince, becoming embroiled in Dijkstra’s plan for Redainia, being played by Hugh Skinner for the third season. Only time will tell if the writers will be able to walk the moral tightrope of such a potentially hatable character, and whether King Radovid The Stern was better left outside the borders of the series.