The Witcher: Blood Origin Showrunner Brought Jaskier Back For The Prequel Because It Felt Natural [Exclusive]
Because "The Witcher: Blood Origin" takes place centuries before the events of "The Witcher," fans probably shouldn't expect to see their favorite characters from the adventures of Geralt in the prequel mini-series. Unless, of course, that character is Jaskier (Joey Batey) because he's been given a role in "Blood Origin" that connects the two series through more than just the conjunction of the spheres. Jaskier is a bard, a traveling musician who spreads the world's news through song. His jaunty "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" became a hit both in our world and that of the show, where it became a TikTok and YouTube phenomenon. So how exactly is Jaskier in the prequel, and why did the series creators decide to include him?
Jaskier should be back and up to his usual sassy nonsense in season 3 of "The Witcher," but his role in "The Witcher: Blood Origin" is a little different. I had the chance to speak via Zoom with "The Witcher" showrunner Lauren Hissrich and "The Witcher: Blood Origin" showrunner Declan de Barra, and they explained that while Jaskier wasn't originally a part of this story, his inclusion ended up feeling like the most natural thing.
Adding a framework
In "The Witcher: Blood Origin," Jaskier serves as a conduit for the story of seven warriors who came together to try and stop the potentially world-ending event known as the convergence of the spheres. This event caused the worlds of elves and humans (and monsters) to get mixed up together, which created the world of "The Witcher" that fans have come to know and love. Jaskier learns the story as the audience does, creating a frame narrative around the main story that follows Éile (Sophia Brown), Fjall (Laurence O'Fuarain), and Scian (Michelle Yeoh). He wasn't in the first draft of the script, but Hissrich had the idea to put him into "Blood Origin" to help bring the two worlds together:
"One of the things that we have played with Jaskier in 'The Witcher' series is the idea that he tells stories and he can actually change the course of history by the stories he tells. That's our introduction to him. He is getting the world to love Geralt after Geralt has been the Butcher of Blaviken. [It's about the] power of story and how story is going to shift, how it is forgotten when you are not the victors. The idea of bringing Jaskier back in and having him be the recipient of this story and have that privilege and honor of passing it on and, of course, not knowing what he's going to do with it next, it just felt like such a natural framework for us and added bonus that Joey Batey is a fan favorite. People love him. I think people are going to freak out to see how he fits into this world."
Jaskier learns the story from a mysterious, magical source, but it will be up to him what he does with this new knowledge. It's entirely possible that he'll tell the story to other characters in "The Witcher" season 3. Then again, the framing narrative in "Blood Origin" that seems to take place concurrently with the events of season 3 is fraught with chaos, so he might have to wait a bit.
Joey Batey: absolute legend
When we first see Jaskier in "Blood Origin," it's during a massive battle. He ends up covered in blood and mud and the entire experience looks absolutely miserable, but de Barra said that Batey tackled the challenge with relish:
"He was a legend. He said yes to coming along and freezing in a field in the middle of the night, covered in mud and rain and blood while people banged into him left, right, and center. He was a legend."
Jaskier's been through plenty of rough-and-tumble situations, including being tortured by a fire mage and spending some time trapped in a dungeon, but the opening of "Blood Origin" really puts him through it. If you ever wanted to see how Jaskier would fare in the middle of a huge, glorious battle, you'll have to tune into "The Witcher: Blood Origin" to find out. The fans and showrunners all love Batey, so his inclusion in "Blood Origin" is a win for everyone.
All four parts of "The Witcher: Blood Origin" premiere on Netflix on December 25, 2022.