This post was originally published on Audible.com.
The hit 2019 Netflix show The Witcher, set in a fantasy realm plagued by monsters and ongoing war, is based on Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski's series of fantasy books of the same name. Both the TV and book series feature an array of fascinating characters in a web of complex relationships. This in-depth guide to Geralt of Rivia, hero of The Witcher, will answer all your questions and prepare you for season two, which is set to premiere this December.
Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Witcher Saga.
Who is Geralt of Rivia?
Geralt of Rivia is the protagonist of both the Witcher book series and the show. Geralt is a witcher, a monster hunter for hire who has been gradually enhanced through mutations that give him extraordinary, magical abilities. His mother, a sorceress, entrusted his upbringing to a community of witchers. Geralt grew up at the legendary School of the Wolf at Kaer Morhen, where he underwent extensive training from a young age to become a witcher.
During the Trial of the Grasses, one of the many arduous tests for witchers-in-training, Geralt survived the various mutations better than most, exhibiting an unusual tolerance for the changes that give witchers their power. As a result, Geralt's teachers subjected him to even more mutations, eventually making him one of the most powerful witchers on the Continent. These mutations granted him superior speed and strength, resistance to disease and injury, and slowed aging. They also caused him to lose all body pigmentation, leaving him with pale skin and white hair. This is why he is known as Gwynbleidd in the Elder speech, a title meaning "The White Wolf.”
After completing his training at the School of the Wolf, Geralt sets out to begin his life as a professional witcher. His many adventures take him all over the Continent in pursuit of the monsters he was trained to kill. While adventuring, he meets Dandelion, a bard and poet, who eventually became his best friend. Some years into his life as a witcher he also meets Yennefer, the love of his life, with whom he pursues a tumultuous relationship throughout the books.
Geralt is sometimes described as being cold and threatening. He takes his work seriously, often putting his duty as a witcher above all else. But he is also fiercely loyal to his friends and loved ones. Over the course of his life, he develops many friendships with people from all over the Northern Realms of the Continent. In both the books and the show, he is portrayed as unflinching, fierce, and powerful.
What are Geralt's powers?
Thanks to his unique ability to survive mutagenic experimentation, Geralt becomes one of the most powerful witchers on the Continent. His many remarkable powers include:
Superhuman strength: Geralt has the ability to overpower opponents more than twice his size. In addition to that strength, he possesses superhuman agility, speed, and reflexes. His mutations also grant him exceptional sight, a trait reflected in his cat-like eyes.
Resistance to injury and disease: Geralt experiences accelerated healing, as well as a higher-than-usual tolerance for withstanding poison, disease, and injury. Because of this, he is very hard to kill; most illnesses and deadly potions do not affect him.
Increased lifespan and slowed aging: Many witchers, including Geralt, have longer lifespans than ordinary humans and take longer to look and feel their age.
Magic: While unable to perform magic as powerful as true mages, witchers do have the ability to cast a number of spells, known as Signs. Geralt uses several of these spells quite frequently, including Aard, a blast of telekinetic energy that pushes things away from the spellcaster; Yrden, a magical force field that acts as a trap; Igni, which creates fire; Quen, which produces a magical shield around the caster; and Axii, a charm that makes its targets confused and suggestible.
Geralt of Rivia’s Key Relationships
Geralt and Ciri
Geralt and Ciri are bound together by destiny. Ciri came into Geralt's life because of the Law of Surprise, an ancient custom that states that if a man saves someone's life, that person owes them a boon or service, often in the form of an unborn child. Ciri is the daughter of Duny, a man whom Geralt saved, and his wife, Pavetta. At first Geralt was hesitant to train Ciri, as women were not traditionally witchers. But after their paths cross a second time, guided by fate, Geralt takes her to live with him. He becomes Ciri's mentor and foster father, overseeing her training and loving her as if she were his own child.
Geralt and Yennefer
Geralt describes Yennefer, a powerful mage, as his soulmate and the love of his life. The two meet during the course of Geralt's travels. After an incident with a djinn, Geralt's friend Dandelion is wounded, and while seeking out help, they encounter the magical Yennefer. Though Geralt and Yennfer's relationship is tumultuous throughout the books and the show, the two remain important to each other for the rest of their lives. Neither are able to have children, but when Geralt takes Ciri under his wing, Yennefer becomes like a mother to her. These familial relationships are a key theme in the story.
Geralt and Triss
Triss Merigold is a powerful sorceress and a good friend of Yennefer. When she learns of Yennefer and Geralt's on-and-off again relationship, she becomes curious, and uses magic to seduce Geralt. Their relationship does not last long, but Triss remains unhappily in love with Geralt, despite the fact that he does not return her feelings. She does play an important role in the life of his adopted daughter, Ciri, looking after her during her stay at Kaer Morhen.
Geralt and Dandelion
Dandelion is Geralt's best friend and confidant. He's also a poet, and one of the most well-respected and famous bards on the Continent. Dandelion and Geralt met at a summer fete; Dandelion was fleeing the fair for his own reasons and decided to travel with Geralt. They became close as they journeyed on to Geralt's next destination. Dandelion remains Geralt's most trusted friend throughout the books, and ends up writing his biography.
How does Geralt of Rivia die?
At the end of the final audiobook in the original Witcher Saga, The Lady of the Lake, Geralt is killed in a riot in Rivia, in which he attempts to stop humans from murdering non-humans. Yennefer tries to save him and loses consciousness. Ciri places their bodies on a boat, and they wake up peacefully in a location unknown to either of them. The ending is purposely ambiguous; whether or not Geralt actually dies is open to each listener's interpretation.
Geralt in the Show vs. the Books: Major Differences
In general, Geralt's character in the show stays true to how he appears in the books. However, there are a few differences. Here are the main ways that the on-screen version of Geralt is different from how Geralt is portrayed the novels:
Geralt's personality and chattiness: In the books, Geralt is quite talkative and outgoing. In the show, Geralt, portrayed by Henry Cavill, is a man of few words. He often expresses himself through meaningful silences and grunts.
Geralt and Yennefer's timeline: In the books, when listeners are first introduced to Yennefer, she and Geralt have already met. They have a turbulent relationship, continually fighting, leaving each other, and then making up. In the show, when Yennefer and Geralt meet, it's for the first time—though their relationship still has plenty of drama.
Geralt's childhood: In dreams and flashbacks, the show offers a few glimpses into Geralt's childhood with his sorceress mother, Visenna. The show hints that his mother may have decided for him to become a witcher because she knew something about his destiny. Though the books also present some of Geralt's backstory, Visenna seems to have no knowledge of his future.
What books and other media does Geralt of Rivia appear in?
Geralt of Rivia is the protagonist of both the original fantasy book series and the Netflix series. He appears in all of the audiobooks in The Witcher Saga: The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and The Lady of the Lake, as well as the standalone novel, Season of Storms. In addition, he appears in the short story collection Something Ends, Something Begins, which mostly features stories not related to The Witcher Saga. Beyond appearing in every episode of the TV show, Geralt stars in the video game series that was also inspired by the novels.
