How long were Jaskier and Geralt apart?
As a long-time fan of The Witcher games and show, I was devastated when Geralt and Jaskier‘s decade-long friendship came to a harsh ending at the climax of Season 1. When they finally reunite in early Season 2, years have passed with hardly any contact.
This separation sent shockwaves through the fandom – how long could it have lasted for so much hurt to linger? As a passionate gamer and Witcher lore enthusiast, I‘ve dug deep to uncover clues about Geralt and Jaskier‘s epic bond broken, the years that passed between their adventures, and what hopes remain for reconciliation.
The Build Up: A Bond Forged Over 10 Years of Adventure
Geralt and Jaskier first crossed paths in the adventure "The Edge of the World" depicted in The Last Wish. Jaskier, an 18-year-old bard hungry to chronicle epic tales, stubbornly latches onto the lone wolf witcher. An unlikely pair, but the start of a friendship that shaped legends across the Continent.
Over the next decade or so, Jaskier accompanies Geralt on many hunts and scuffles across kingdoms. Though often expressing annoyance at the chatty bard, Geralt returns from solo hunts to reunite with his musical comrade for further escapades.
Finally in the show‘s timeline, early Season 1 Episode 5, we catch up with the duo as Jaskier remarks "I‘ve known you for over 10 years" – confirmation they‘ve been adventuring companions for at least a decade at this point. Those years formed a bond closer than either imagined when they first met on that rocky cliff.
The Breaking Point: A Harsh End to a 10 Year Friendship
After over 10 years facing monsters, court intrigue and mishaps side-by-side, what could cause Geralt to cast Jaskier out of his life with such finality? The breaking point came after events with the golden dragon hunt and Djinn wish gone awry.
In the explosive Season 1 finale, a frustrated Geralt snaps at Jaskier – placing blame on the bard for his reputation as a monstrous Butcher of Blaviken and his tortured relationship with Yennefer. He sends Jaskier away, seemingly ending their long-running camaraderie for good with the harsh words "If life could give me one blessing, it would be to take you off my hands."
Heartbroken, Jaskier departs alone while Geralt faces the dragon without him. When their paths finally cross again, years have passed nursing those emotional wounds.
The Years Apart: A Harrowing Separation for Traveling Companions
With Jaskier forbidden from chronicling his old muse‘s adventures, Geralt spends years on the Path without his enthusiastic bardic sidekick. Fans noted Geralt took on more brooding solo hunts this period, befitting his Butcher title.
Meanwhile Jaskier, stripped of his witcher entourage fodder, performs heartbreak ballads alone in taverns until recruited by the Redanian Secret Service. The emotional toll can be read on the bard‘s face when crossing paths with Geralt again.
As for how many years actually passed? The show has yet to confirm exact numbers, but context clues indicate it may have been around 5 years between the Season 1 finale and Season 2 premiere reunion. Jaskier appears slightly older, wounded still, carrying less lute-toting spring in his step. Enough time for festering emotional damage, but not enough to dull that hurt.
| Year | Geralt | Jaskier |
|---|---|---|
| Summer, 1263 | Ends friendship with Jaskier after dragon hunt | Leaves alone, heartbroken after 10+ years adventuring |
| ? – 1268 | More solo hunts without his bard | Travels alone, sings heartbreak songs |
| Spring, 1268 | Reunites with Jaskier at Redanian camp | Still hurt seeing Geralt after ~5 year separation |
Of course without concrete statements from the show, speculation continues on whether a longer period like 7-10 years may have actually passed. But based on visible aging and lingering tension, approximately 5 years seems a likely separation duration given their decades-spanning bond.
The Reconciliation: What Future for a Healed Bond?
Their icy reunion in Season 2‘s premiere gave fans hope that this friendship could still be repaired in time. Later in the season, Jaskier willingly risks his cover with the Redanian army to save Geralt from execution – proving bonds run too deep for years apart to sever entirely.
By the season finale, glimmers emerge of the old rapport between the witcher and his bard. Geralt even defends his friend‘s talents against mocking by the Countess – a shift towards reconciliation, but tension still simmers under the surface.
If writer Lauren Hissrich gets her wish for a 7 season run, there lies hope to rebuild the rich friendship between Geralt and Jaskier over future adventures. But the years torn apart after their decade together will leave lasting marks on both the Butcher and the bard.
For this Witcher fan, the separation hits close to home, echoing losses from broken friendships once considered unbreakable. Though fantasy, these characters capture such human bonds and pain that still we cling to hope of reconciliation against the years torn apart. Perhaps we wish something similar for our own paths that diverged so unexpectedly from trusted companions.
We eagerly await their continued healing, keeping the fandom alive so more tales can be told of Geralt and Jaskier, the White Wolf and his faithful bard. Maybe time will mend their legendary travels together. But the question remains – after so much beauty was built over 10 years of mutual adventure, how much damage could those years lost apart still inflict? For that wound cuts deeper than any monster‘s claws for both the brooding witcher and the poet who loved him.
