Medieval romance, also known as chivalric romance, is a literary genre that narrates the heroic story of one. This traditional, yet modern genre, is usually found in movies featuring medieval times. This genre showcases mystery, romance, supernatural elements, and heroic characteristics. Though this genre is over a thousand years old, and certain aspects of it have changed to a more modern form, it is still a popular genre found in numerous television shows and movies today. One popular example, The Witcher, is a television show that contains several medieval romance characteristics.

One main characteristic of medieval romance found in The Witcher is the assignment for a quest. The valued idea of destiny plays a significant role in this show, as it dictates what purpose the characters serve. The witcher, also known as Geralt, is one of the main characters and the hero of this story. Geralt's main calling is to kill evil monsters that wronged or harmed the innocent. Villagers would come to the witcher and ask for help to kill the devils that killed members of the village, and the witcher would complete each request ("The Ends Beginning"). Many scenes from the show demonstrate how people from villages across the land relied on the witcher to keep the people and their towns safe from demons. Unlike most medieval romances, one could say The Witcher has two assignments for a quest. Though killing monsters to protect people in the land is his life purpose, he is also given the assignment to find his long lost daughter in order to fulfill his destiny. Since the beginning of the story, scenes show Geralt is told to find the girl in the woods, and the girl is reminded as well by others to find the witcher in the woods ("The Ends Beginning"). Destiny has a way of occurring exactly as predicted by characters early in the show, so both Geralt and his daughter named Ciri knew they would find each other in the woods. Geralt spent countless days searching for the girl in the woods while corning across several other missions of having to kill monsters as favors for the greater good.

Overall, The Witcher has a medieval characteristic of assignment for a quest, as he is challenged to several quests of killing evil on the land, and completing his main quest of finding Ciri to achieve his destiny.

Along with the medieval characteristic of assignment for a quest, the show also features an imaginative fairytale setting. One feature that illustrates an imaginative fairytale setting is the different monsters that live across the land. Geralt, Yenefer, the dwarves, and a few other members all attended a monster hunt to find the dragon that lived in the mountains ("Rare Species"). The dragon is just an example of one of the hundreds of different imaginative creatures that add to the feature of a fairytale setting. Another aspect that adds to the medieval characteristic of an imaginative setting is the different tribes of people in the show that own certain parts of the land. When Ciri was traveling to find the witcher, she had to cross through the ancient Brokilon forest, which was inhabited by the dryad people ("Of Banquets, Bastards, and Burials"). The Brokilon forest is one example of the territories marked in the show that contains imaginative fairytale aspects of people using their land as a source of magical power and ways to communicate with their ancestors. All-around, the show contains many creative features in making the setting of the show's world contain magical elements and creatures of all sorts, which creates an imaginative fairytale setting.

Lastly, The Witcher incorporates the medieval romance characteristic of supernatural elements. Most of the main characters featured on the show have magical powers, some of which use their powers for good and some for bad. When the Nilfgaardians attacked Sodden, Yenefar used so much of her magical powers to unleash a blasting fire on the attackers that she fainted to the ground ("Much More"). Yennefer in the show is a witch, commonly referred to as a mage, who portrays several supernatural elements by being able to make creations out of nothing and cause weather disasters. The power of destiny has a way of making even non-magical characters fall into plan by being forced through supernatural events. When Pavetta was destined to marry Duny, her mother tried to interfere by attempting to kill Duny, but then a supernatural windstorm started circling around Pavetta and Duny to keep them protected ("Of Banquets, Bastards, and Burials"). None of the characters from the castle had magical powers, but destiny ensured they would be together by keeping them safe through a supernaturally created barrier. To conclude, supernatural elements are seen all throughout the show by magical characters and supernatural events.

The Witcher is an elaborate story-telling show that illustrates many fantasy elements in a medieval time period. Though the show might not serve any real historic value, it incorporates several historic story-style qualities. The show provides examples of medieval romance characteristics like assignment for a quest, imaginative fairytale settings, and supernatural elements. Shows and movies that embody romance and chivalry all come from the historical medieval romance genre. Popular movies and shows, like The Witcher, are what keep this historical style of genre alive.

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