On a Continent riddled with evil, the paths of a monster hunter, a sorceress and a runaway princess converge in ... The Witcher. But there are many more characters in this somewhat sprawling story about a mutant monster-mercenary, a nearly immortal mage, and a Child Surprise than are easy to keep track of. That's where we come in! We've put together a handy guide of the Netflix series' cast, their characters, and the part they play in the greater story.

Some spoilers are ahead, but we'll keep this relatively spoiler-free to give you a chance to catch up on the eight-episode first season before Season 2 arrives in the near (we hope) future. (Be sure to read Tom Reimann's review here.) If you need to know what exactly a Witcher is and does, we've got a primer here for you, but star Henry Cavill also attempts to shed some light on his character while also explaining his accent and teasing whether or not he could go up against Superman.

For more on Geralt & Co., read on:

the-witcher-social
Image via Netflix

Henry Cavill as Geralt - The title character of The Witcher, Cavill plays Geralt of Rivia, also known as the White Wolf, also known as the Butcher of Blaviken. You'll learn little of Geralt's past, how he became a Witcher, and what exactly his connections are to Ciri and Yennefer, but Season 1 does a good job of introducing its central hero. Geralt is known for being quite capable and resourceful when it comes to dealing with local monster problems for coin, but he's also rather emotionless, due to his nature as a Witcher.

Anya Chalotra as Yennefer in The Witcher
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Anya Cholatra as Yennefer - Audiences get quite the introduction to Yennefer early on in the series though her arc may be the longest of all the main characters in the story. The powerful mage wasn't exactly born with her beauty or the ability to control her untapped chaotic energy; those were earned and learned through some rather painful coming-of-age events in her young life. But Yennefer's arc is long, and her path will not only cross with the Witcher, but that of the Child Surprise, Cirilla of Cintra.

Freya Allan as Ciri in The Witcher
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Freya Allan as Ciri - Cirilla of Cintra, the Lion Cub of Cintra, the Child Surprise. Young Ciri is a princess of a fallen kingdom after the attack by the forces of Nilfgaard. The attack claims the lives of grandmother Calanthe and adoptive grandfather Eist, even as the stormy seas claimed her mother and father before that. Now, Ciri is left to make her way across the Continent to the promised protector known as Geralt of Rivia, but the journey will be long and perilous.

Jodhi May as Calanthe in The Witcher
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Jodhi May as Calanthe - Queen and protector, the Lionness of Cintra, Calanthe was renowned for her beauty, courage, and battlefield prowess. While audiences will spend more time with her than they might initially think, Calanthe's part to play in this tale is less a lesson in military strategy than it is a warning against messing with destiny.

Björn Hylnur Haraldsson as Eist in The Witcher
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Björn Hlynur Haraldsson as Eist - A jarl and eventual ruler of Skellige, he commanded the nation's navy. That military strategy came in handy during Eist's proposal to Queen Calanthe, which she eventually accepted. Eist then became king of Cintra just before the Nilfgaardians attacked ... and the navy wasn't much use in neither the Battle of Marnadal nor the sacking of the royal castle.

Adam Levy as Mousesack in The Witcher
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Adam Levy as Mousesack - The druid appointed to Cintra as Calanthe's advisor, Mousesack became one of the last defenses against Nilfgaard when the foreign nation's armies attacked. That wasn't enough. Still, Mousesack's abilities and courage were brought to bear when he was tasked with protecting Princess Ciri and getting her to safety. The young royal trusted the familiar face of Mousesack, for better or worse.

MyAnna Buring as Tissaia in The Witcher
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MyAnna Buring as Tissaia - Sorceress, a high-ranking member of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, and the rectoress of Aretuza, Tissaia de Vries recruits young women who show a particular connection to magical power, women like Yennefer and Fringilla. But don't underestimate this powerful sorceress; she can be quite the ally when called upon.

Mimi Ndiweni as Fringilla in The Witcher
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Mimi Ndiweni as Fringilla - One of the young women recruited by Tissaia, she's powerful in her own right. Fate, however, has particular plans for Fringilla, who ends up as an emissary and sorceress for the usurping nation of Nilgaard.

Therica Wilson-Read as Sabrina in The Witcher
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Therica Wilson-Read as Sabrina - Another of Tissaia's initiates, Sabrina manages to pass the sorceress' tests, but what fate holds for her, well, audiences will just have to watch to find out.

Emma Appleton as Renfri in The Witcher
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Emma Appleton as Renfri - A bandit princess who runs afoul of Geralt, Renfri's actions, words, and memory will stay with the Witcher for quite some time. The sorcerer Stregobor once attempted to hire the Witcher to assassinate Renfri, leading to ill will among the three of them.

Eamon Farren as Cahir in The Witcher
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Eamon Farren as Cahir - A knight of Nilfgaard who leads the attack against Cintra, Cahir's sole purpose is to retrieve Ciri on his emperor's orders. Though he manages to do so in the sack of Cintra's castle, Ciri's own innate power buys her an opportunity to escape. Cahir still persists in his efforts to reclaim her.

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Joey Batey as Jaskier - Also known as Julian Alfred Pankratz, a.k.a. Buttercup, a.k.a. Dandelion, the charismatic bard crosses paths with Geralt and offers to accompany the Witcher in order to raise his profile and chronicle his adventures. The two form a traveling bond if not a friendship, but the trials of the road often come between them and their conflicting lifestyles.

Lars Mikkelsen as Stregobor in The Witcher
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Lars Mikkelsen as Stregobor - A powerful wizard and illusionist, and a steadfast believer in the Curse of the Black Sun, Stregobor attempted to have Renfri killed to prevent the return of Lilit, the demon goddess of the night, whose purpose was to eliminate the human race. Stregobor also groomed young Istredd and dabbled in the Continent's political strategy thanks to his prominent position.

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Royce Pierreson as Istredd - A scholar and sorcerer studying the Aretuzan ruins, Istredd fosters a romantic relationship with Yennefer. He discovers secrets of her past, which he passes on to his mentor Stregobor.

Macief Musial as Sir Lazlo in The Witcher
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Maciej Musiał as Sir Lazlo - A Cintran knight tasked with guarding and protecting Princess Ciri.

Wilson Radjou Pujalte as Dara in The Witcher
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Wilson Radjou-Pujalte as Dara - In her flight from Cintra, Ciri runs across Dara, a young elf boy who accompanies her on her journey. Together, they end up in Brokilon forest in the company of the Dryads ... for a time.

Anna Shaffer as Triss in The Witcher
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Anna Shaffer as Triss - A fellow sorceress and accomplished herbalist, Triss is friend to both Yennefer and Geralt, having enlisted the services of the latter to humanely deal with a striga plaguing the royal family in Temeria. Though Triss has an important part to play in their lives, her relationship with Geralt may never be as important as Triss wants it to be...

Terence Maynard as Artorius in The Witcher
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Terence Maynard as Artorius - Member of the Brotherhood and uncle to Fringilla, his machinations have had political impact throughout the Continent. How far those decisions reverberate remain to be seen...