Vesemir

Lore & Background

In 1165, Vesemir operates as a seasoned witcher who saves a child from a leshen in the forests of Kaedwen. Before its death, the creature speaks an archaic elven dialect, hinting at external control and leading Vesemir to investigate missing elven girls like Kitsu. His past is defined by his time as a servant alongside Illyana, where they were saved from a mahr by the witcher Deglan. Enticed by promises of fortune, Vesemir traveled to Kaer Morhen to undergo mutations and training, eventually becoming a witcher. In the present timeline, he faces political hostility from Tetra Gilcrest, who argues for hunting down witchers, while finding an ally in Lady Zerbst. The lore reveals that corrupt witchers, led by Deglan, created monsters like Kitsu to terrorize locals into hiring them, a secret Vesemir uncovers after rescuing Filavandrel and discovering the bodies of missing elves.

In Their Own Story

The narrative intensifies when Vesemir is arrested for killing two Kaedwani knights in a bar fight. Lady Zerbst intervenes, persuading the king to send Vesemir with Tetra to hunt Kitsu. Vesemir recognizes Zerbst as his childhood friend Illyana. During their mission, they encounter a basilisk and kill it, but Kitsu escapes. They discover an abandoned elven school filled with bodies of missing girls and rescue Filavandrel, learning that Kitsu attempted to replicate experiments done on her. Concluding that corrupt witchers are responsible, Vesemir confronts Deglan at Kaer Morhen. Tetra, misled by the destruction of Kitsu's den, blames all witchers and leads an army to siege the fortress. The climax involves a battle where Vesemir is trapped in an illusion of a life with Illyana but breaks free. He seemingly kills Tetra and Kitsu, only to realize it was another deception; Tetra kills the mages to destroy knowledge of creating witchers and mortally wounds Illyana. Deglan strikes down the dying Tetra, urging Vesemir to lead the surviving recruits.

Reader's Guide

Vesemir's path concludes with a tragic farewell to Illyana. At her request, he allows Kitsu to flee with her life. He takes the dying Illyana to a lake where she always dreamed of living; they share a brief moment before she peacefully passes away. Vesemir then sets out to find the surviving recruits, including a young Geralt, accepting his role as their new leader and understanding that they are the last of their kind. The film establishes his transition from an ambitious youth seeking fortune to a weary but determined guardian. Key turning points include his realization of Deglan's corruption, the destruction of Kaer Morhen's knowledge base by Tetra, and his final choice to spare Kitsu while honoring Illyana's memory. This origin story recontextualizes his relationship with Geralt, showing how he came to lead the next generation after the massacre at Kaer Morhen.

Did You Know?

• Vesemir was voiced by Theo James, with Lara Pulver voicing Tetra Gilcrest and Mary McDonnell voicing Lady Zerbst.
• The film premiered on August 23, 2021, following a teaser trailer released on July 21, 2021.
• Animation director Han Kwang Il designed Vesemir to be "quite good-looking and appealing" but not too handsome.
• Tetra Gilcrest's character design was intentionally created in a "Japanese style," contrasting with the "European/American style" of other characters.
• The film holds a 100% positive rating from 27 critics on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 7.1/10.