CD Projekt RED has recently confirmed that the next game of the Witcher franchise, dubbed by the community as Witcher 4, now enters full-scale production.
Announced way back in 2022, the latest Witcher game is codenamed Polaris and will feature Geralt as one of the side characters.
If the iconic White Wolf will be a supporting character in the upcoming Witcher game, then there's a huge possibility that the main character will be Ciri or a witcher that came from either of each of the remaining witcher schools.
Whether this game will happen after the events of The Witcher 3 or before the events of the first game and the books, Witcher fans will have to wait for a couple of years before the game gets released.
Geralt gave us a fantastic trilogy and it is now up to the new protagonist to elevate the franchise even higher. Whether it will be Ciri or a witcher from one of the witcher schools, here's everything you need to know about the witcher schools, their most notable witchers, and how these will tie up for Witcher 4.
The Witcher Schools
In the lore, witchers are not born but they are made through rigorous training and rituals such as the Trial of the Grasses. The first mages and the subsequent witcher schools gathered children to turn them into witchers.
Witchers were originally made by kings and mages to aid them in exterminating monsters all throughout the Continent, and the Order of Witchers was formed.
The Order of Witchers created the first witchers but when the kings and mages found out that the mutated children had limited magical abilities, they banished them. This resulted in scattered witchers across the continent, prompting the foundation of different witcher schools.
The Witcher 4 has a huge possibility of happening before the events of the original trilogy, so we might be able to see the Order of Witchers and various witchers from different schools.
School of the Bear
Right after the fall of the Order of Witchers, the School of the Bear was founded by witcher Arnaghad. Witchers from the School of the Bear often worked alone and rarely met other witchers from different schools as this can cause a bit of some rival school brawl, ending with one witcher dead.
The School of the Bear teaches witchers to focus only on the task at hand, making this their mantra while they are on The Path. Witchers from the School of the Bear wear heavier armor compared to their witcher counterparts.
School of the Bear was the very first witcher school that gave birth to the School of Viper and the School of Manticore. The way these schools were founded wasn't all in positive notes, however.
School of the Bear Notable Witchers
- Junod of Belhaven
- Ivo of Belhaven
- Gerd
School of the Viper
After betraying the witcher Arnaghad, Ivar Evil-Eye decided that he wanted to defeat the Wild Hunt. Believing that Arnaghad wasn't capable of leading the witchers to defeat the Wild Hunt, he betrayed them and founded the School of the Viper.
Witchers from the School of the Viper are known to take killing contracts including monsters, humans, and non-humans, making them the most alienated witcher schools. They are also knowledgeable about the Wild Hunt, considering that their founding leader is obsessed with defeating these specters.
Witchers from the Viper school are also known to be kingslayers: contracted assassins hired by the emperor Emhyr to eliminate kings in the Northern Kingdoms.
School of the Viper Notable Witchers
- Letho of Gulet
- Serrit
- Auckes
School of the Manticore
Similar to how the School of the Viper was founded, the School of the Manticore was founded by witcher Iwan after disagreeing with Arnaghad and Ivar Evil-Eye's philosophies. He founded the school to the far east, making witchers from the School of the Manticore a rare sight in The Continent.
Since then, witchers from the Manticore school would assist merchants and caravans as they crossed the Korath desert. This meant protecting these civilians against monsters lurking in the desert.
School of the Manticore Notable Witchers
- Iwan
- Merten
School of the Cat
Contrary to how the former two schools were formed, the School of the Cat was founded by witchers who thought that they could create a better system than the Order. This school's foundation was also triggered by the betrayal of some witchers within the School of Bear.
Amid the chaos, several witchers decided to leave and stole several mutagens and alchemist tools.
Students from the School of the Cat favored speed and agility, and this was reflected in the way they involved themselves in politics, usually switching sides depending on which party would give them the most benefits.
The School of the Cat is the only witcher school that trains and creates non-human and female witchers.
School of the Cat Notable Witchers
- Brehen, Cat of Iello
- Gaetan
- Jad Karadin
- Mad Kiyan
School of the Griffin
With the chaos that happened within the Order of Witchers and how the different schools were founded, the Order was getting weaker in numbers and morale. A witcher named Erland of Larvik left the Order without creating conflicts with the remainder of the witchers and founded the School of the Griffin.
The School of the Griffin maintained the knightly values that were once given to the Order by the kings and mages who created them. They kept a brotherly bond among their members and treated one another with utmost respect. Griffin witchers were taught to become adept in magic.
Witchers from the School of the Griffin always maintained their neutrality when it came to politics. As such, they are always held in high esteem by those people who ask for their monster-hunting services.
School of the Griffin Notable Witchers
- Coën
- George of Kagen
- Jerome Moreau
- Raven
School of the Wolf
Those who stayed with the Order of Witchers eventually became the founding members of the School of the Wolf. They settled in the northern part of The Continent, near the Morhen Valley. Kaer Morhen became the home of the School of the Wolf.
The School of the Wolf faces a couple of massacres that almost wiped out the entire school. The first instance was when an angry mob of priests and mages raided the keep, and the second one was when the School of the Cat witchers betrayed them during a witcher tournament.
Geralt was one of the very last few witchers that came from the School of the Wolf. The school eventually met its demise when it was attacked by the Wild Hunt, killing Vesemir in the process.
School of the Wolf Notable Witchers
- Geralt of Rivia
- Eskel
- Lambert
- Vesemir
- Deglan
- Barmin
Other Minor Schools
In a book called Tales from the World of The Witcher, a witcher school called School of the Crane was mentioned. These witchers focused on exterminating monsters who live in the sea and air.
Ciri As A Witcher
Everyone who played at least one Witcher game or read the books knows that Ciri is Geralt's adoptive daughter via the Law of Surprise and his protege, making her the most probable main character in The Witcher 4.
While she isn't mutated like how many witchers were made, Ciri has the Elder Blood, which makes her a formidable fighter. Being able to control time and space, we saw a tidbit of what Ciri can do during her playthrough sections in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
The Witcher 4 builds upon the lore of the game, which takes into consideration the events that happened after the game. If Ciri becoming a witcher is the canon ending, then it would make sense that Geralt will be the one mentoring her, now that Uncle Vesemir is dead.
Geralt being in Witcher 4 further cements the theory that Ciri may be the next game's protagonist.
While the game is a couple of years away, many Witcher fans are hopeful that CD Projekt RED will give the Witcher 4 a better launch compared to Cyberpunk 2077.
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