THE WITCHER Author Regrets Writing Single Line About Witcher Schools

During a Reddit Q&A (which we first heard about at IGN), Sapkowski talked about a line he wrote in his Witcher story collection, The Last Wish. A fan asked what the author thinks about the video games adding a lot “of extra Witcher schools compared to the books.” They also asked if he has plans to expand their presence in future stories. Forget saying, “No.” Sapkowski wants to go back and eliminate any mention of Witcher schools entirely from the series. Here’s what he said:

A single sentence about some “school of the Wolf” mysteriously made its way into The Last Wish. I later deemed it unworthy of development and narratively incorrect, even detrimental to the plot. Therefore, later I never included or referenced any Witcher Gryffindors or Slytherins again. Never. However, that one sentence was enough. Adaptors, particularly video game people, have clung to the idea with remarkable tenacity and have wonderfully multiplied these “witcher schools.” Completely unnecessary.

Sapkowski also added he’s “uncertain” about what to do about this problem he accidentally created. He said he might delete that line about a Witcher school in future editions of The Last Wish. He also said he might “expand and clarify the matter” in other stories.

Ultimately, everything is on the table. And we do mean everything. “Perhaps I’ll shed some light on the issue of Witcher medallions, their significance, and their connection to specific individuals?” he wrote. “There are many possibilities, and the sky is the limit.”

Whatever he decides to do with his books, he can’t change the role of Witcher schools in the games. The Witcher 4 is heading back to the classroom. This Witcher game will introduce the all-new School of the Lynx. It will be the latest to “lynx” back to a single sentence that Andrzej Sapkowski wishes he had never written.