Apart from Geralt and Ciri, Yennefer also takes up most of the screen time in the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher. This effectively makes her one of the three major characters and gives her a bigger role, much like in the books. Prior to the Netflix show, however, most of what the fans knew about Yennefer was through the third Witcher game, The Witcher III: Wild Hunt and some of the books.
Suffice to say, there has been an ongoing debate regarding whether Anya Chalotra really did justice to Yennefer of Vengerberg – a fire that would not have been as big and bright were it not for the video games’ portrayal of Yennefer. Hence, this article will be comparing the two versions of Yennefer to see which one is better while trying to be as objective as possible.
10 THE GAMES: YEN IS MORE CALLOUS
Most video game fans can’t help but compare Yennefer’s voice pitch to the one in the show. Denise Gough, Yennefer’s voice actress in the games, certainly gave Yennefer a stronger and more forceful pitch when speaking. As a result, this resulted in Yennefer coming across as more mature in her manner of talking.
This gave the impression of a more callous Yennefer, someone who has gone through so much and came out more experienced and indifferent towards the usual dose of suffering. Some of her actions did contribute to this facade, such as Yen’s lack of reluctance to torture a poor soul and desecrate graves for information regarding Ciri. It’s hard to imagine Anya Chalotra’s Yennefer being capable of something like that.
9 THE SHOW: YEN’S INVOLVEMENT WITH ISTREDD
One important story bit in the witcher books is the short story chapter “A Shard of Ice,” which covers a bit more of the background between Geralt and Yennefer during one of their more “stable” relationship periods. More than that, it also includes the mage Istredd which, as it turns out, Yennefer was also bedding while she was with Geralt in a local inn. This led to a rather tense encounter between the two lovestruck men.
The games would never be able to recreate such a moment because they take place after this part of the books. Thankfully, the show will be able to portray this rocky side of Yennefer’s romantic liaisons involving Istredd.
8 THE GAMES: STRONGER FACIAL FEATURES
When it comes to physical appearance, a lot of the fans regard game Yennefer as the icy cold sorceress’s definitive look, even with Anya Chalotra’s presence. Much of this is all thanks to video game Yennefer’s stronger facial features, including the sharper jaw, chin, sunken cheeks, and cheekbones along with the more dominant brow and sharper eyes.
All in all, this gives Yennefer a more regal appearance where her sharp and uncompromising gaze is undeniable. Coupled with her game voice and the way she talks, this version of Yennefer has an advantage over the younger one seen in the Netflix show. Before Chalotra was even cast, many fans preferred someone like Eva Green for Yennefer’s role as it would reflect the character’s profile in the games.
7 THE SHOW: DRAMATIC BACKSTORY
Yennefer’s tragic backstory is something the video games was never truly able to explore, simply because its story is well past that point in exposition. However, Netflix’s The Witcher has the advantage of being able to give viewers a peek into what made Yennefer who and what she was. This is where Chalotra’s acting shines rather peerlessly.
Her portrayal of a hunchback and physically ugly Yennefer gave a whole new dimension to the character. While in the books, it was mentioned in passing that Yennefer was like that prior to being a sorceress, seeing it in action was a visual and narrative treat. Her plight from an unwanted hunchback to one of the world’s most powerful sorcerer is nothing short of amazing.
6 THE GAMES: YEN IS MORE COMMANDING
In the video games, Yennefer’s treatment of Geralt is controversial but makes for good story material. Often, she treats Geralt like a minion and manipulates him to reach a certain goal or a means to an end. Yennefer also treats other people similarly, so this is one of her most distinct traits.
At one point in the video games, Yen’s “threatening requests” were enough to earn the respect of Emperor Emhyr. While Yennefer acts like this, she does get the job done and manages to produce results. Besides, she has shown time and again that her loyalty is unwavering in the face of adversity when choosing to protect her friends. The show just doesn’t portray this side of her enough, but that ought to change when Ciri enters her life.
5 THE SHOW: A BETTER PORTRAYAL OF HER RELATIONSHIP WITH GERALT
We did mention before that Geralt and Yennefer’s relationship was rocky, right? That story segment “A Shard of Ice” was only the tip of the iceberg, no pun intended. There were many times when the two star-crossed lovers kept running into each other again and again, only to break up before once again rekindling their old romance.
Of course, the games are at a disadvantage when portraying this aspect of their relationship since Yennefer was already willing to settle down with Geralt in the third game. This makes The Witcher show’s depiction of their relationship more spot-on and as tumultuous as in the books. From their first meeting involving a rogue djinn to the dragon hunt, there’s no shortage of bad romance between Geralt and Yennefer in the show.
4 THE GAMES: YEN USES SORCERY CONSISTENTLY
There aren’t many sorcerers who tend to use swords and conventional weaponry because most of them tend to spend their whole and even extended lives studying. In fact, one of the only notable sorcerers who still resort to combat is Vilgefortz and using conventional weapons is pretty much a death sentence for magic-users. This is why Yennefer fighting the Crinfrid Reavers with daggers in flying colors is just a little tough to swallow.
Not only could she have used magic instead but it was never implied where she got combat training. By comparison, the games were more consistent with Yennefer and her abilities, leading to some creative and resourceful uses of magic compared to her live-action counterpart.
3 THE SHOW: CAPTURES YEN’s YOUTHFUL CHARM
Anya Chalotra, despite her Yennefer looking a lot younger than her digital counterpart, never fails to show the character’s more charming side. She certainly has the facade and the acting chops to show a more treacherous and deceptive sorceress in her prime.
As a result, Yennefer in the show definitely has all the allure and sexuality of the Yennefer in the books. In the games, Yen is older and arguably less charming, a trait that could have made the character’s controlling demeanor easier to digest.
2 THE GAMES: BETTER STYLE
In the books, Yennefer is shown dominantly choosing two colors in her choice of attire: Black and white. Along with her violet eyes and a dash of lilac and gooseberries as her perfume, Yen has a unique and outstanding appearance.
In the games, Yen certainly abides by this style, as her primary attire consists of black and white stripes that show off her curves; at times, she even looks like a Nilfgaardian spy at times. While the show did feature Yen in a similar color-coding, the games simply did the attire better.
1 THE SHOW: COMMITMENT FROM THE ACTRESS
One of the perks of being able to act out a character in live-action is the lack of physical restrictions. On that front, Anya Chalotra gives Yennefer her all, most notably during the hunchback scenes where she wasn’t in control of her destiny.
Meanwhile, the actress’s preference for not using a stunt double or nude double is definitely commendable. She basically shot all the daring physical scenes the hard way, showing Chalotra’s commitment to the role.
