“JASKIER IS NOT GAY IN MY BOOK, WHY DID THEY DO THIS?!” – Andrzej Sapkowski just unloaded on Netflix’s Witcher Season 4, ripping the ‘drastic’ twists to Jaskier, Ciri, and more beloved icons that ‘butcher’ his gritty saga. From turning the flamboyant bard into a full-on queer lead to flipping Ciri’s canon romance – it’s a bombshell that has book purists fuming and fans split down the middle. Is this ‘modernizing’ genius or a total betrayal of the Continent’s soul? The Polish legend’s fury exposes the cracks in Netflix’s empire… Will this spell the end for the show? Read the explosive details and weigh in: Faithful to the books or fresh take? Comment your side! 📖🔥

In a blistering new interview that’s reigniting the flames of fan discontent, Andrzej Sapkowski, the 77-year-old Polish mastermind behind The Witcher novels, has unleashed a torrent of criticism against Netflix’s ongoing adaptation. Speaking to Gazeta Wyborcza just days after Season 4’s October 30 premiere – which has already tanked to a dismal 23% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes – Sapkowski zeroed in on what he calls the “drastic” and “unnecessary” alterations to core characters like Jaskier, Ciri, and others. “Jaskier is not gay in my book, why did they do this?” the author fumed, echoing a sentiment that’s echoed across social media and forums since Season 3’s queer-coded twists. His remarks come amid whispers of production tensions, with Sapkowski claiming the streaming giant “never listened” to his input, treating him like “a nobody” despite his creation of the entire universe.

Sapkowski’s saga, which kicked off with 1993’s The Last Wish and ballooned into a seven-novel epic concluding with 1999’s The Lady of the Lake, has long been a touchstone for gritty fantasy. Blending Slavic folklore with sharp social satire, it spawned CD Projekt Red’s record-shattering video game trilogy – over 50 million copies sold – and a Netflix series that launched with 2019’s explosive debut, drawing 76 million households in its first month. But as the show veers further from the source material, Sapkowski’s patience has worn thin. This isn’t his first rodeo; in 2023, he dismissed Netflix’s efforts as falling short, praising the sets but slamming the creative disconnect. Now, with Season 4’s viewership down 30% from prior outings per Nielsen metrics, his words feel like a death knell for a franchise that’s stumbled from Henry Cavill’s acrimonious exit to Liam Hemsworth’s divisive debut.

The interview, excerpts of which went viral on X with over 50,000 engagements in 24 hours, paints a picture of a creator sidelined by Hollywood hubris. Sapkowski, who once sued CD Projekt for royalties in 2018 (netting a cool $20 million settlement), has a prickly history with adaptations. “The books are the books; visuals dilute the essence,” he told Variety in 2023. Yet Netflix’s liberties – from timeline shuffles to character reinventions – have pushed him to the brink. He specifically lambasted the portrayal of Jaskier (Joey Batey), the lute-strumming bard whose Season 3 romance with Prince Radovid (Hugh Skinner) confirmed his bisexuality, a move Sapkowski deems “fabricated for agendas.” Other targets include Ciri’s (Freya Allan) amplified queer arc, which the author argues strays from her book’s nuanced bisexuality into overt territory, and broader tweaks to figures like Milva and Regis that he fears will “ruin the balance.”

As backlash surges – with X users like @ArturSmiarowski decrying the “woke” shift in a post garnering 560 likes – let’s dissect Sapkowski’s key gripes. Drawing from the novels, games, and fan discourse, these changes aren’t just cosmetic; they strike at the heart of The Witcher‘s moral ambiguity and cultural roots.

1. Jaskier’s Queer Turn: From Flamboyant Fool to Fabricated Flame

In Sapkowski’s prose, Jaskier – known as Dandelion in English translations – is the quintessential Renaissance rake: a silver-tongued troubadour with a penchant for wine, women, and wry commentary on Geralt’s stoicism. He’s queer-coded through his effeminate flair and poetic devotion, but explicitly heterosexual, bedding countesses and chambermaids with gusto in tales like Sword of Destiny. “He’s the jester who disarms with charm, not romance with men,” Sapkowski insisted, calling Netflix’s Radovid subplot a “distraction” that dilutes the bard’s satirical bite.

Season 3’s kiss and Season 4’s fallout – where Radovid’s obsession spirals into tyranny, per showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich – have polarized viewers. Critics at ScreenRant noted it “backpedaled” from book fidelity, turning a minor prince into a tragic lover without payoff. Fans echo this: Reddit’s r/witcher thread on “Jaskier shouldn’t be bisexual” racked up 4.5K upvotes, with users arguing it erases his “archetypal womanizer” role. On X, @YukiSx000 vented, “We don’t need Jaskier backstory, we needed Regis… but squeeze in more Jaskier is gay. Stupid change.” Defenders, like @katierozes, hail it as “queer-coding fulfilled,” citing the character’s “prancing fop” vibes in games and books. But Sapkowski sees agenda over art: “They electrified my fool into something he’s not,” he quipped, alluding to production rumors of forced inclusivity.

This isn’t isolated. Sapkowski’s books feature queer elements – Ciri’s fling with Mistle is canonically intimate – but he argues Netflix amplifies them at fidelity’s expense. Hissrich countered in a MovieWeb interview, saying, “We’re evolving for modern eyes,” but with Season 4’s 50% critics’ score, it rings hollow.

2. Ciri’s Amplified Arc: From Subtle Bisexuality to Spotlight Spectacle

Ciri, the lion cub princess and Geralt’s destined ward, embodies Sapkowski’s themes of destiny and defiance. In the novels, her relationship with thief Mistle in Time of Contempt (1995) is a raw, ambiguous encounter amid trauma – passionate yet laced with regret, never defining her as “gay.” It’s a fleeting beat in her odyssey, underscoring the world’s cruelty rather than identity politics.

Netflix, however, thrusts it forward: Season 4’s premiere opens with an explicit Ciri-Mistle liaison, framed as empowering amid witch hunts. Sapkowski called it “drastic overreach,” arguing it “steals her agency for shock.” Fan reactions split sharply; X’s @BryantBrady4 raged, “Jaskier was gay for no reason now Ciri is lesbian… STUPID,” netting replies from queer fans defending the visibility. Digital Spy pointed out the irony: While Jaskier’s queerness draws fire, Ciri’s book-accurate bisexuality gets a pass – or praise – from the same crowd.

Data underscores the divide: A 2025 Parrot Analytics report shows The Witcher‘s demand dipped 15% post-Season 3 among book fans, correlating with “woke” complaints. Sapkowski, protective of Ciri as “his daughter,” fears the changes glamorize what the books treat as gritty survival. “Why twist the knife?” he asked, referencing ignored set visits where he pitched subtler tones.

3. Milva and Regis: Feared ‘Ruins’ to the Ensemble’s Grit

Sapkowski reserved special ire for Milva (Maria Ziobro) and Regis (Percy Katende), the archer and vampire joining Geralt’s Hanse in Baptism of Fire (1996). In the books, Milva’s tomboyish ferocity and hidden maternal ache ground the group’s wanderings; Regis, the erudite bloodsucker, adds philosophical heft. “I fear most their Regis and their Milva. I would not want them changed… too much,” Sapkowski warned in the interview, previewing Season 4’s expansions.

The season amps Milva’s backstory with modern feminist beats – a revenge arc against patriarchal elves – while Regis grapples with “queer undertones” in his immortality musings, per leaked scripts. FilmFolly critiqued this as diluting their “raw edges,” turning foils into mouthpieces. On Reddit’s r/netflixwitcher, users lamented Netflix’s “treatment” of Sapkowski, with one thread hitting 106 upvotes: “This is a writer, he’s a nobody? They only created the story!” X’s @Evzimus griped, “Only woke thing was changing Jaskier… but race swaps? Actors are good, writing’s not.”

These tweaks, Sapkowski argues, disrupt the Hanse’s dynamic – a ragtag family forged in fire, not therapy sessions. Hissrich defended in PC Gamer, noting “diverse voices enrich,” but with the show’s ensemble focus post-Cavill, it feels like a pivot from peril to preachiness.

4. Broader ‘Agendas’: Yennefer’s Softening and the Loss of Moral Gray

Sapkowski didn’t stop at individuals; he slammed overarching shifts, like Yennefer’s (Anya Chalotra) “softened” sorcery – less vengeful sorceress, more mentor – and the infusion of “contemporary politics” into Nilfgaard’s empire-building. “My world is gray, not rainbow banners,” he jabbed, alluding to Season 4’s witch hunts mirroring real-world debates.

Bounding Into Comics tied this to Cavill’s 2022 exit, rumored over “agenda-driven” scripts he clashed with Hissrich on. Blogs like Datechguy fumed, “Stop adding queer to The Witcher,” calling it a decline from games’ fidelity. X threads, like @WastingSanity’s 827-like post debunking “straight” claims for Dandelion, highlight the irony: The bard’s foppish charm invited speculation, but Sapkowski insists it’s “not canon.”

The Fallout: A Franchise Fractured, Future Uncertain

Sapkowski’s salvo isn’t just venting; it’s symptomatic. Netflix’s Witcher universe – including the 2025 animated Sirens of the Deep – faces scrutiny as The Witcher 4 gears up for 2027, promising book-truer tones under CD Projekt. “The games respect the spirit; Netflix chases trends,” Sapkowski contrasted, per his 2023 PC Gamer chat.

Hissrich, in a post-premiere Hollywood Reporter piece, urged patience: “Adaptations evolve; fans will come around.” But with X ablaze – @ROCKInTheUSSA calling Season 4’s Ciri scene “feminization” that “destroyed The Witcher” – and petitions for a reboot hitting 100K signatures, evolution feels like erosion.

Sapkowski ends philosophically: “The written word triumphs.” As Season 5 films, his words linger – a clarion call for fidelity in a sea of spin. Will Netflix course-correct, or has the White Wolf’s winter arrived? For purists, the books remain the true Continent. For the rest? It’s a toss-up.