This post was originally published on Audible.com.
The Witcher Saga is a collection of fantasy novels and short stories by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski following a monster hunter and slayer named Geralt of Rivia. While numerous video game adaptations have helped the saga in its rise to fame, the eponymous Netflix series has catapulted The Witcher to a new level of popularity.
The original books have remained sources of deep and entertaining quotes from Sapkowski’s irreverent characters. Whether you’ve loved the story from the debut novel or you’re just discovering it, check out our list of the best quotes from The Witcher Saga to inspire you along your own journey and adventures.
Quotes on Courage
Not surprisingly, as a story centered on a main character whose day job involves killing monsters, courage is an important theme throughout the series. These quotes will inspire you to be brave in even the toughest situations.
1. "I manage because I have to. Because I've no other way out. Because I've overcome the vanity and pride of being different. I've understood that they are a pitiful defense against being different.” – Geralt of Rivia, The Last Wish
2. “When you know about something it stops being a nightmare. When you know how to fight something, it stops being so threatening.” – Uncle Vesemir, Blood of Elves
3. “Well, we’re afeared. And what of it? Do we sit down and weep and tremble? Life must go on. And what will be, will be. What is destined can’t be avoided, in any case.” – Yurga, Sword of Destiny
4. “It is easy to kill with a bow, girl. How easy it is to release the bowstring and think, it is not I, it is the arrow. The blood of that boy is not on my hands. The arrow killed him, not I. But the arrow does not dream anything in the night.” – Geralt of Rivia, Sword of Destiny
5. "A coward… dies a hundred times. A brave man dies but once. But Dame Fortune favours the brave and holds the coward in contempt." – Dandelion, The Time of Contempt
6. “No one wants to suffer. But yet it is our lot. And some suffer more. Not necessarily by choice. The point is not the bearing of suffering. The point is how it is borne.” – Ciri, The Tower of Swallows
Quotes on Good and Evil
The Witcher centers around a fairly neutral character trying to fight evil forces while simultaneously not getting involved in the affairs of humans. A concrete idea of a moral “good” isn’t necessarily present in the saga, but evil is most definitely a very active force in the story. These quotes provide some perspective on the concepts of good and evil in the world.
7. "If I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.” – Geralt of Rivia, The Last Wish
8. “Only Evil and Greater Evil exist and beyond them, in the shadows, lurks True Evil. True Evil... is something you can barely imagine, even if you believe nothing can still surprise you. And sometimes True Evil seizes you by the throat and demands that you choose between it and another, slightly lesser, Evil.” – Renfri, The Last Wish
9. “The world is full of evil, so it's sufficient to stride ahead, and destroy the Evil encountered on the way, in that way rendering a service to Good. The rest takes care of itself.” – Regis, Baptism of Fire
10. “If someone shows you compassion, sympathy and dedication, if they surprise you with integrity of character, value it but don't mistake it for... something else.” – Yarpen Zigrin, Blood of Elves
11. “Were I to attempt to be good to everyone, to the entire world and to all the creatures living in it, it would be a drop of fresh water in the salt sea. In other words, a wasted effort. Thus, I decided to do specific good; good which would not go to waste. I’m good to myself and my immediate circle.” – Zoltan, Baptism of Fire
12. “There is no destiny... It does not exist. The only thing that everyone is destined for is death.” – Geralt of Rivia, Sword of Destiny
Quotes about Stories and Art
Even though The Witcher is a fairy tale, Sapkowski takes a meta approach to his writing by having characters discuss fairy tales and fables as if they are not a part of one. As these quotes reflect, some of their philosophical musings make The Witcher feel even more real and show us why we love stories so much.
13. "‘Every myth, every fable must have some roots. Something lies among those roots.’ ‘It does,’ Geralt of Rivia confirmed. ‘Most often a dream, a wish, a desire, a yearning. Faith that there are no limits to possibility. And occasionally chance.’" – Geralt of Rivia, Sword of Destiny
14. “But do you know when stories stop being stories? The moment someone begins to believe in them.” – Codringher, The Time of Contempt
15. “Why look for truth in a ballad? Truth is one thing, poetry another.” – Dandelion, Blood of Elves
16. “A story is a largely false account, of largely trivial events, fed to us by historians who are largely idiots.” – Geralt of Rivia, Season of Storms
17. “Cats like sleeping and resting on intersections. There are many stories about magical animals but really, apart from the dragon, the cat is the only creature which can absorb the force. No one knows why a cat absorbs it and what it does with it." – Yennefer, Blood of Elves
18. “Remember... magic is Chaos, Art and Science. It is a curse, a blessing and progress. It all depends on who uses magic, how they use it, and to what purpose. And magic is everywhere. All around us. Easily accessible.” – Yennefer, Blood of Elves
19. “Only in fables survives what cannot survive in nature. Only myths and fables do not know the limits of possibility.” – Geralt of Rivia, Sword of Destiny
Quotes about Humanity
Although the Witcher himself is not human, and many other characters are also nonhuman, this is a story about humanity at the end of the day—its failures and successes, actions and perceptions of the world. Although the Witcher’s outlook is bleak, it can remind us all to be our best selves and try harder to create a better world.
20. "People... like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves." – Geralt of Rivia, The Last Wish
21. “If the ability to make use of experience and draw conclusions decided, we would have forgotten what war is a long time ago. But those whose goal is war have never been held back, nor will be, by experience or analogy.” – Yennefer, Blood of Elves
22. “War is hovering over us like a vulture. For you, it's an adventure. For me, it's a game in which the stakes are survival. I'm involved in this game, and that's why your indifference and frivolity hurt and insult me.” – Triss, Blood of Elves
23. “They are not demons, not devils... Worse than that. They are people.” – Yennefer, The Tower of Swallows
Wise Quotes from The Witcher
Throughout The Witcher Saga, Sapkowski shares nuggets of wisdom and advice that are applicable not only to mythical creatures, but also to ordinary mortals and life in general. Beyond helping us understand the motivations and mindsets of the characters, the author’s outlook offers important takeaways for listeners.
24. “What is truth? The negation of lies? Or the statement of a fact? And if the fact is a lie, what then is the truth?” – Yennefer, Sword of Destiny
25. “To me... wisdom includes the ability to turn a deaf ear to foolish or insincere advice.” – Boholt, Sword of Destiny
26. “You’ve mistaken the stars reflected on the surface of the lake at night for the heavens.” – Mystical voice speaking to Ciri, Blood of Elves
27. “It’s better to die than to live in the knowledge that you’ve done something that needs forgiveness.” – Yarpen Zigrin, Blood of Elves
28. "Mistakes... are also important to me. I don’t cross them out of my life, or memory. And I never blame others for them." – Geralt of Rivia, Blood of Elves
29. “An enchantress always takes action. Wrongly or rightly; that is revealed later. But you should act, be brave, seize life by the scruff of the neck. Believe me, little one, you should only regret inactivity, indecisiveness, hesitation. You shouldn’t regret actions or decisions, even if they occasionally end in sadness and regret.” – Margarita, The Time of Contempt
30. “It is better to go forward without an aim than loiter without an aim, and with surety much better than to retreat without an aim.” – The Tower of Swallows
31. “To be neutral does not mean to be indifferent or insensitive. You don't have to kill your feelings. It's enough to kill hatred within yourself.” – Geralt of Rivia, Blood of Elves
