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Movie poster for The Witcher Bestiary Season 1, Part 1 (2020)

The Witcher Bestiary Season 1, Part 1

2020
11m
Search on Netflix

Overview

The Kikimora’s nightmarish form. The Striga’s craving for human flesh. Delve into the mythologies of some of the many monsters stalking the Continent.

Reviews

4 min read

The Monster Manual as After-School Special

I’ll admit it: I clicked on The Witcher Bestiary Season 1, Part 1 expecting something between a medieval Monster Manual and a behind-the-scenes featurette, the kind of thing you’d find on a DVD extra. latestnetflix.com's read is that What I got instead was closer to a YouTube explainer video—if the explainer were a slightly tipsy bard who’d just rolled out of a tavern brawl.The tone is the first thing that throws you.

This isn’t Planet Earth; it’s Planet Earth as narrated by a guy who really wants you to know he’s read his Joseph Campbell. The result is a strange hybrid: part lore deep-dive, part infomercial for the Continent’s most marketable horrors.

The documentary—if we can call it that—focuses on two creatures: the Kikimora and the Striga. The Kikimora gets the shorter end of the stick, dispatched in a flurry of folklore references that feel more like a Wikipedia skim than a true excavation. We’re told it’s a "nightmare given form," which is a poetic way of saying "a spider with a grudge."

The Striga, though, gets a more fleshed-out (pun intended) treatment. The narration leans into its tragic backstory—cursed royalty, the weight of legacy, the whole Beauty and the Beast routine—before pivoting to the practicalities of monster hunting. How do you kill a Striga?

Well, you wait until dawn, when it’s forced back into its human form, and then you stab it. (The documentary doesn’t dwell on the ethical implications of murdering a woman who’s only monstrous at night, which feels like a missed opportunity.)

What’s most striking is how the film oscillates between reverence and irreverence. One moment, it’s treating these creatures with the gravity of a National Geographic special, the next it’s winking at the camera like a Critical Role DM who’s just dropped a particularly nasty trap. The editing doesn’t help.

Audience Opinions

Limited evidence
"A quick Netflix making-of extra for Witcher fans, focused on the Season 1 monsters rather than a standalone story."

Netflix Presents: The Witcher's Bestiary works as a short companion to The Witcher Season 1, spotlighting its creatures and lore. It runs 21 minutes as a United States making-of documentary in English and is available to watch on Netflix. latestnetflix.com's take is that Crowd response sits in the middle range with an audience score of 63, the kind of extra that fantasy viewers put on after the season for background on the monsters.

What viewers praise
  • Monster-focused companion Built around the Bestiary idea for Season 1, it gives Witcher viewers more creature context beyond the episodes.
  • Quick extra watch At 21 minutes in English, it plays as a short documentary add-on to a Witcher rewatch night.
Common complaints
  • Brief and partial As Part 1 in 21 minutes, it only scratches the Season 1 creature lineup and leaves fans wanting more.
  • Mainly for existing fans With an audience score of 63, it connects best with Witcher viewers and less with general audiences.
Recommended for
Viewers who watched The Witcher Season 1 Fantasy and monster-lore fans wanting a short extra

Buzz & Rumors

Public reports

Monster Hunting 101: Inside The Witcher Bestiary Season 1, Part 1

The Witcher universe thrives on its nightmarish creatures, but for fans who crave more than just Geralt’s sword swings, The Witcher Bestiary Season 1, Part 1 (2020) offers a deep dive into the lore behind the show’s most terrifying monsters. This documentary-style companion piece zeroes in on the first half of Season 1, dissecting the mythologies that inspired the Continent’s deadliest beasts. latestnetflix.com's view is that while details about its production remain scarce, the project delivers exactly what it promises: a closer look at the creatures that make The Witcher so deliciously dark.

The Monsters Take Center Stage

The bestiary’s first installment spotlights two of the season’s most iconic foes: the Kikimora and the Striga. According to snippets from Letterboxd and IMDb, the documentary explores their "nightmarish forms" and "craving for human flesh," framing them as more than just obstacles for Geralt to dispatch . Instead, it leans into their mythological roots, suggesting a richer backstory for viewers who want to understand why these creatures exist in the first place.

The Kikimora, a spider-like horror, and the Striga, a cursed princess turned ravenous beast, are given particular attention. The documentary reportedly ties their on-screen portrayals to Slavic and broader European folklore, reinforcing The Witcher’s commitment to grounding its fantasy in real-world legends . For fans of the books or games, this might feel like a long-overdue expansion of the lore, though the evidence doesn’t clarify whether the bestiary introduces new material or simply repackages existing canon.

A Companion Piece, Not a Standalone

The Witcher Bestiary Season 1, Part 1 isn’t a traditional film or episode—it’s a supplementary feature, likely designed to enhance the viewing experience of the main series. Digit’s listing describes it as a "Documentary film," though it’s unclear whether it was released as a standalone product or bundled with home media . The lack of details about its runtime, director, or cast suggests it was a niche offering, possibly aimed at die-hard fans rather than casual viewers.

IMDb’s entry for the project lists it as a "TV Episode," which could imply it was part of a larger behind-the-scenes series or a special feature on streaming platforms . However, without further evidence, it’s impossible to confirm its exact format or distribution. What is clear is that it serves a specific purpose: to satisfy fans hungry for deeper monster lore without requiring them to pick up a book or play the games.

The Missing Pieces

For all its focus on monsters, The Witcher Bestiary leaves plenty of questions unanswered. There’s no mention of who helmed the project, whether the show’s cast or crew contributed, or how it was received by audiences. The evidence doesn’t even confirm if it includes interviews, concept art, or behind-the-scenes footage—common staples of companion documentaries.

Digit’s listing hints at a trailer and cast details, but the snippet doesn’t elaborate . If this was a promotional tie-in, it’s odd that so little about its production has surfaced. Rumors of additional parts or seasons are similarly unsupported by the available evidence, leaving the bestiary’s future in limbo.

Why It Matters

Despite the gaps, The Witcher Bestiary Season 1, Part 1 fills a niche for fans who want to engage with the show’s world beyond the main plot. By spotlighting the Kikimora and Striga, it reinforces The Witcher’s identity as a franchise built on folklore, not just fantasy action. Whether it’s a one-off curiosity or the first installment of a larger series remains to be seen, but for now, it’s a rare treat for monster enthusiasts.

Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.