Summary
Netflix’s The Witcher has made plenty of changes from Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels to the television adaptation, but one particular complaint that fans often have is the name of the character called Jaskier, which in reality, is an issue that isn’t really much of an issue at all. The Witcher is a fantasy story that originated as a series of books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, and later, was developed into video games and a television adaptation streaming on Netflix. The story follows a monster hunter, a princess, and a mage as their lives and destinies intertwine, constantly leading them towards each other, and of course, danger.
It is true that some of The Witcher’s book-to-TV changes are details that fans of Sapkowski’s books cannot abide by, but when it comes to Jaskier’s name, the complaint isn’t as valid as one might think. Namely, many fans are unhappy with the fact that Netflix named Geralt’s bard sidekick Jaskier, rather than his name in the books, Dandelion. But, as it turns out, Netflix’s choice is actually the more book accurate decision, making the fan complaint rather useless. In the end, it all comes down to what the original source material actually is.
Netflix’s Jaskier Name Technically Makes More Sense Than The Translated Books & Games
Although many fans of The Witcher books feel that it would have been more book accurate to name the character Dandelion rather than Jaskier, this isn’t necessarily true. The character may be called Dandelion in the English-translated version of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, but in the original Polish, the character is in fact called Jaskier. Because Jaskier is technically the first and most original name the character ever had, that makes it the most book-accurate, not Dandelion. In fact, when translated from Polish to English, Jaskier actually translates to Buttercup. Therefore, Dandelion is doubly inaccurate when considering the source material.
Furthermore, Jaskier’s name is a stage name, making the entire argument more layered, and in a sense, more ridiculous. Whether the show had gone with Jaskier or Dandelion, or even Buttercup, it still would not be representative of the character’s true name. Ultimately, the issue of Jaskier’s name is a somewhat arbitrary one that doesn’t really have an effect on the quality of Netflix’s The Witcher. In the end, it is a miniscule detail made even more miniscule by the fact that it is a made-up name rather than the character’s birth name.
Why Jaskier’s Name Is Easier To Change In The Witcher Than Other Characters
Finally, compared to other The Witcher characters, Jaskier is a name that’s not a big deal to change. Once again, Jaskier and Dandelion are both stage names, therefore, changing them shouldn’t be that disconcerting. Furthermore, there are other The Witcher characters whose names are much more vital. For example, Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer are names that should be kept the same because they are main characters and reflect the world The Witcher takes place in. Ultimately, it is much better to call Jaskier by his Polish name than to give Geralt a more English name like Fred.
