  The Witcher, a fantasy novel series by Andrzej Sapkowski, has inspired
multiple computer games and was even launched on Netflix in 2019, with the
latest season airing in December 2021. Fictional storylines such as The
Witcher, can be well summarized and simplified by network science, extracting
the backbone of a complex series of events. In other words, network mapping and
data science can transform thousands of pages into one simple, visual, social
map. This exemplary visualization also highlights the power of network science
by uncovering hidden patterns, such as influencers, hubs, and cliques in the
interplay of hundreds of people and their countless encounters. As these
methods can be applied to novels and their adaptations as well, they also allow
us to compare the original and the adapted pieces, from the cast to the plots.
Therefore, in this article, I provide a social network analysis about the
societal characteristics of The Witcher, comparing the novels and the TV show.
