This article contains SPOILERS for The Witcher Season 3, Volume 2
Summary
- The Witcher series makes significant changes to Stregobor's character, making him a more interesting and well-rounded antagonist.
- Stregobor's epic fire magic moment in season 3 demonstrates his redemption and sacrifice to protect others.
- Stregobor's death is strongly implied when he uses fire magic, sacrificing himself to defend against the Scoia'tael, highlighting his selflessness and redemption.
Netflix's The Witcher makes a lot of changes from the books, including this smart Stregobor change that comes full circle with his epic fire magic moment in The Witcher season 3, volume 2. Stregobor is one of The Witcher's most devious characters, and his opposition of Geralt and Yennefer is hardly veiled. Stregobor seems to oppose the heroes at every turn, but his big moment in The Witcher season 3 changes the dynamic of his character substantially and how the viewers perceive him.
While Stregobor starts The Witcher off on a very similar trajectory to that of the books, his role changes more and more as the show carries on. The Witcher has made a lot of divisive changes to the books, resulting in things like The Witcher's confusing timeline, but the changes made to Stregobor's character actually make him a much more interesting antagonist and a well-rounded character. Season 3 has also given Stregobor several iconic moments too, including when he decides to use fire magic to hold off the Scoia'tael and allow his fellow mages to escape the coup on Thanned.
How The Witcher's Stregobor Is Very Different To The Books
The biggest difference between Stregobor in the show compared to the books is that Stregobor's role in the show is much bigger and more important. In the show, Stregobor is an influential member of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers who is intimately involved in the politics of the continent. Although Stregobor is arrogant and misguided in the books, he also doesn't appear to have the same villainous streak that's emphasized in the show. Notably, he is never suspected of being the one supporting Rience in the books.
Stregobor only appears in one book in The Witcher novel series, The Last Wish. In The Last Wish, Stregobor urges Geralt to choose the lesser evil and kill Renfri, as he does in the show. However, after Geralt kills Renfri in the book, Stregobor returns to Kovir and does not reappear in the story. He is not mentioned as being on Thanned when the coup occurs, so he obviously does not use fire magic to take on the Scoia'tael.
Stregobor Using Fire Magic To Defend The Mages Pays Off The Witcher's Book Change
Stregobor's big moment comes in The Witcher season 3's ending when he uses fire magic to hold off the Scoia'tael and allow his fellow mages to escape. This epic scene pays off The Witcher's decision to make Stregobor into a bigger character by giving him an overall purpose. Stregobor definitely does some terrible things in the show, even if he's not the one backing Rience as Geralt initially suspected, so this big moment can serve as a modicum of redemption for the cruel mage.
With this scene in mind, the decision to keep Stregobor around actually made him into a better character. The Witcher's use of Stregobor expanded his character, providing new layers to the sorcerer and giving him a broader purpose in the overall show. It also allowed The Witcher to use Stregobor as a decoy for Vilgefortz and build suspense for fans who have not read the books. It definitely wasn't a necessary change, but contrary to many of The Witcher's creative liberties, this one made the show better.
Did Stregobor Die In The Witcher Season 3?
Stregobor almost certainly died in The Witcher season 3 when he stayed behind to fight the Scoia'tael with fire magic. His death isn't shown on-screen, but it is strongly implied that he was preparing to draw enough fire magic to kill himself and the Scoia'tael pursuing the mages. Fire magic consumes, and Stregobor was clearly drawing as much as he could, which would kill anyone. Moreover, the room they fight in on Thanned is utterly destroyed when Stregobor is done, so it's difficult to imagine anyone could have survived that without an extremely powerful magical shield.
Since Stregobor was focusing all his energy on the fire, there is no way he could also have shielded himself, so he definitely died in the inferno. Drawing that much fire would have burned him from the inside out anyway, so even if he could conjure a shield it wouldn't have mattered. Stregobor knew the price he would pay when he drew that much fire into himself, which is what makes this final act somewhat redeeming. It doesn't cancel out the terrible things he did on The Witcher, but at least he died protecting others.