Discover the grueling process which transformed young, ordinary children into full-fledged witchers.
Oct 6, 2025
Becoming a witcher was a brutal process. Young boys were taken to Kaer Morhen, trained in combat, alchemy, and monster lore, then subjected to deadly trials. These painful experiments gave them superhuman strength, speed, night vision, and slowed aging — but at the cost of sterility and, often, their lives. Only a handful survived to earn the medallion and the title of witcher.
A stringent selection, very stringent, I’d say, and at every stage. First the Choice and then the Trials. And then the Changes. How many youngsters ultimately receive medallions and silver swords? One in ten? One in twenty?
Queen Calanthe in Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski
For two days more did symptoms not subside. The child’s skin, hitherto drenched in sweat, grew dry and hot, the pulse ceased to be full and firm — albeit remaining of average strength, slow rather than fast. No more did he wake, nor did he scream.
Finally, came the seventh day. The male awoke and opened his eyes, and his eyes were those of a viper...
Carla Demetia Crest, Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
The Trial of the Grasses in Gwent: The Witcher Card Game — Art by Bartłomiej Gaweł
The first thing the young children had to do was eating specific types of mushrooms, mosses ans herbs. These ingredients improved their strength and speed.
They were also taught how to fight with a sword, in a particularly tough training.
The children were taught about monsters, herbs and basic spells known as signs.
While learning and practicing, they were also mutated through multiple mutagens, magic and alchemy.
The witcher trials differ from one witcher school to another. Here, we focus on the school of the Wolf.
After this, they were chained to a table and injected with special herbs and elixirs for a week. This trial was called the Trial of the Grasses.
Those who survived the first trial went on to the second one.
In the last trial, they had to venture outside Kaer Morhen’s keep, in groups. They needed to enter a cavern inhabited by a cyclops and manage their way through trolls.
Finally, they would reach the Circle of Elements, a magic place.
There, they activated their witcher medallion and the trial was completed.
The path to becoming a witcher is grueling. This cruel transformation is part of what makes witchers so unique in the Witcher universe: they’re not just skilled with a sword and basic magic, but are living products of pain and resilience.
Would you like to go through the trials in The Witcher 4?
