Eternals broke many boundaries when it was released, particularly in terms of its diversity and the ways in which it questions the nature of superheroes. In that sense, it has a great deal in common with Netflix’s The Witcher, which also subverts and questions many of the assumptions undergirding the genre of epic fantasy.
Thus, it’s no surprise that many of the characters that appear in Eternals have counterparts in the Netflix series, men and women that share not only characteristics, but also ways of looking at the world and the challenges that they face.
Druig – Geralt
Cynicism is one of Druig’s defining characteristics, and it distorts his entire view of the world, the humans with whom he shares it, and his mission as an Eternal. He is, to put it mildly, a reluctant hero who ultimately realizes that his own selfishness can only get him so far.
He shares a lot in common with Geralt, who is similarly quite embittered and jaded about the world. Geralt, like Druig, ultimately comes to realize that he has a part to play in the events of the world around him, particularly once his destiny leads him to Ciri. It’s no wonder that he’s one of Henry Cavill’s best roles.
Sersi – Yennefer
The brilliance of a character like Sersi is that she doesn’t always wear her power on her sleeve, but instead slowly reveals just how potent she is and how vital she is to the mission of saving the earth from the emerging Celestial.
Like Sersi, Yennefer is also a character who only gradually reveals how powerful she is, and while she is a bit more bitter than her Eternals counterpart, she does nevertheless demonstrate that she is willing and able to put it all on the line when it comes to saving that which she loves.
Sprite – Ciri
In some ways, Sprite is the most tragic of all of the Eternals, for she is sentenced to live her entire life in a child’s body, unable to grow up and enjoy the same experiences as her counterparts. It’s thus no wonder that she ultimately turns against them and sides with Ikaris.
She has a lot in common with Ciri from The Witcher who, as a young woman cast out from her conquered homeland, also has to fight tooth and nail to claim the life that she wants.
Ajak – Queen Calanthe
Salma Hayek has been in a number of great movies, and she channels her powerful screen presence into the character of Ajak, the leader of the Eternals and the one who first realizes the truth about what they’ve been sent to Earth to accomplish.
Like Queen Calanthe of The Witcher, she decides to fight back against the Celestial’s divine purpose, even though she knows that in doing so she is taking a very big risk to her own personal safety.
Kingo – Jaskier
Kingo is arguably one of the most likable characters in Eternals, largely because he doesn’t seem to take anything too seriously and has actually managed to create a life for himself among the humans with whom he shares the planet. At the same time, he has a bit of cynicism to him as well, and he ultimately can’t fight either Ikaris or his fellow Eternals.
In all of these ways, he shares a great deal in common with Jaskier, the irreverent bard who takes it upon himself to improve Geralt’s image, all while showing how irascible and likable he is.
Ikaris – Cahir
Along with Sprite, Ikaris is one of the more tragic members of the cast, because he pursues his Celestial-appointed mission with dogged determination, even though he knows how much it will cost his friends and loved ones. However, to him, his purpose is the most important thing, even more than his friendships and romances.
Cahir, the emissary and general of Nilfgaard, is a similarly driven personality, always determined to do his master’s bidding, no matter how horrible the deeds it makes him commit.
Thena – Vesemir
Thena is arguably one of Angelina Jolie’s best roles, and she brings out the powerful pathos of this character who, it turns out, is tortured by the memories of all of the other planets that they have helped to destroy. However, she also allows for a more nuanced view of her personality, demonstrating that she is also a profoundly powerful individual.
Her nearest counterpart in The Witcher is Vesemir, who has a similarly vexed relationship with his past. Despite having endured great trauma, he still makes it his mission to train a new generation of Witchers to pursue their calling, even as he remains one of the series’ most formidable fighters.
The Celestial – Deglan
The one thing that is true about the Celestial is that it is utterly convinced of its own rightness and its purpose. Thus, the destruction of Earth and all of its inhabitants is, in the eyes of such a powerful being, nothing more than what is necessary in order to bring about a new Celestial birth.
With its rigid focus on its own viewpoint to the exclusion of almost all others, this being is very similar to the Deglan, who is responsible for creating the very monsters that the Witchers are supposed to fight, all because he believes that this is the only way of saving the Witchers themselves.
Phastos – Tissaia de Vries
Of all of the Eternals, it is arguably Phastos who has had the greatest success acclimating to the world of humans, given that he has a husband and child. However, he also recognizes that his duty, both to them and to the many other humans living on the planet, must take precedence over anything else.
Tissaia de Vries is similarly motivated by duty (and is similarly powerful), and though she can be a bit hard, the truth is that she cares about her charges and about the people of the northern kingdoms.
Gilgamesh – Mousesack
Gilgamesh is one the strongest members of the Eternals, but he consistently shows that he values putting that strength to the service and protection of others, particularly Thena. In the end, he’s even willing to sacrifice his own life ensuring that others remain safe.
In his willingness to sacrifice himself for others, Gilgamesh most resembles Mousesack of The Witcher, the powerful druid who sacrifices his strength trying to protect Queen Calanthe and her family.
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