7 Weirdest Witcher 3 Enemies (And What They Represent)

Based off of the similarly named Leshy (a slavic word for forest), the Leshens at CD Projekt RED's disposal are guardians of the woodlands, lurking deep within the trees around various points on the map and fiercely territorial of their home. Wearing a deer's head and comprised of old bark, they wield a skull-topped staff to bring nature to life in battle, part of an ancient group of magical creatures recognised as the relicts.

Leshys, then, are masculine, humanoid creatures that are considered to be gods of the forest. Where The Witcher's Leshens utilise nature's waste to create a shape from old bones and are inherently aggressive, the ones of legend are more human-looking than their video game counterpart, and are mostly indifferent to people unless they're wreaking havoc on their forest. They can change size and shape, meaning they often can be as big as trees and ent-like in their looks, or shrink down to blend in with the grass at their feet.

The game's interpretation of a Leshy seems to tie in with the Algonquian legend of the Wendigo too, taking on the symbolic imagery of the creature with its deer skull that eats human flesh and is associated with evil. The Leshen is one of the most terrifying monsters to stumble across in the game, so it's hardly surprising that they'd want to thread these connotations into it.