Kara Dennison
November 28, 2021 
Season 2 of The Witcher grows ever closer. Soon we’ll rejoin Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer, and Ciri in their generations-spanning adventure. This is the point at which we say we’ll give you some anime to watch in the meantime… but a lot of people have already gone there. And we’re pretty sure you’ve already watched Berserk and Claymore at this point.
So we’re doing something a little different. We’re making suggestions based not on the show overall, but on who your favorite character is. (Other than Geralt — he’s obviously loved by all.) Are you in it for the power, the adventure, or the weird humor?
For Ciri Fans — Blade of the Immortal
While Geralt of Rivia is the Witcher of the title, the focus of the series is Ciri of Cintra — or rather, their shared destiny. If that’s the story that has you most excited for Season 2, you’ll want a look at Blade of the Immortal. Because, you know — another series about a mutated swordsman mentoring a young woman who’s had her whole family life wrecked up.
Hiroaki Samura’s chanbara classic focuses on Manji, a ronin cursed to live until he has killed 1,000 evil men to atone for his past crimes. Along for the ride is Rin Asano, a young woman he mentors to help her avenge her parents’ murders. Besides the mentor/mentee focus, it’s got plenty of fighting.
For Yennefer Fans — xxxHOLIC
Yennefer of Vengerburg is one of the most compelling characters in The Witcher. Shunned and magically adept, she grows into a powerful sorceress over the years. Her personality, though, is a matter of how close she is to someone and how much she likes and trusts them. But deep down, she has regrets and desires, no matter how she conducts herself in public.
Yuuko Ichihara is very like Yennefer in some ways. She’s beautiful, she’s powerful, and she creates unexpected bonds with people. (And she has tons of different dresses.) Yennefer’s magical services aren’t quite like Yuuko’s — we haven’t seen her create any gods yet, anyway. But fans of beautiful sorceresses and the love they find will want to give this a try.
For Jaskier Fans — KONOSUBA
What’s better than one weirdo giving a fantasy hero a hard time? Three weirdos giving a fantasy hero a hard time, obviously. The Witcher and KONOSUBA are worlds apart in a multitude of ways. But if you’re missing the odd couple energy of Geralt and Jaskier, it’s time to finally dive into this isekai comedy.
Geralt might even learn to appreciate Jaskier after seeing how things could have gone. A goofy bard who thinks he’s your bestie is downright tame by comparison. At least he’s not travelling the countryside with a drunk goddess, a masochist, and a [FIREBALL FIREBALL FIREBALL]. No wonder we see that same exhausted look in Kazuma’s eyes sometimes.
Hang in there — The Witcher season 2 drops on Netflix on December 17.
