Dijkstra, while a scheming genius, finds himself in embarrassing situations on the Netflix show, especially after his plans unexpectedly fall through. Books call him King II. This contrasts interestingly with the more serious, cunning nature of Vizimir, who killed his wife in cold blood and arranged events to enrage the king against Nilfgaard. McTavish spoke GamesRadar+ about this playful dichotomy and how the series allows Dijkstra to embrace funny, cozy moments:
“One of the things I really appreciate about The Witcher is the humor. All the characters are humorous, and Dijkstra is one of them. Everyone has their own exchanges of humor and I think it sets the shows apart personally.”
Dijkstra’s inherent brutality is never compromised, but a few human moments are also allowed when he doesn’t just rub his hands and make diabolical plans. There is tenderness in the relationship he shares with Philippa, even though the bond between them is somewhat superior, and this back and forth allows him to take on a kind of dimensionality in a show with countless characters that can be pretty hard to follow. about.
McTavish also goes on to talk about many aspects of Dijkstra that are still hidden, describing him as “very kind, very thoughtful” in rare election situations. McTavish also refers to some of the character quirks in the books, adding that Dijkstra’s “obsession with macrame and knitting is really well known in Redania”, but we don’t see those aspects at this point.