Geralt of Rivia is the protagonist of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s “The Witcher” novels. He’s a witcher, a monster-hunting warrior whose genetics have been tainted by magic and mutagens. He is known throughout Temeria as the best hunter.

The Witcher was adapted into one of the most popular video games of all time, and then into a Netflix show that is loved by fans all over the world, thanks to the incredible storyline of the novels.

Origin

Geralt of Rivia is a witcher. An assassin for hire, a superhuman mutant monster slayer. Geralt was taken to Kaer Morhen, a witcher stronghold and The School of the Wolf, by his mother shortly after his birth. He was almost entirely trained to kill monsters while there, honing his swordsmanship skills and learning about monsters.

Geralt, like all other witchers, was subjected to mutations as he grew older, but he was still in his early years. Only three out of ten boys survive the ritual, with the rest dying in agony. The mutations were caused by the ingestion of alchemical ingredients that had an effect on his body. The Grasses Trial was the name given to this event.

Despite his name, Geralt is actually not a Rivian. It is unknown where he was born. Geralt had to choose a surname or title to appear more trustworthy to potential clients when it came time for him to leave Kaer Morhen and venture out into the world as a witcher. “Geralt Roger Eric du Haute-Bellegarde,” a Nilfgaardian name, was his first choice, but his trained Vesemir dismissed it as silly and pretentious. Geralt took on the unofficial title of “of Rivia” instead.

To make his name seem more genuine, he even adopted a Rivian accent. Though his name was unofficial at first, Queen Lyve of Lyria knighted him for his bravery during the Battle of the Yaruga Bridge, making the title “of Rivia” official. 

Powers

The witchers who survived gained physical abilities such as speed, strength, stamina, and durability that were not available to ordinary humans. Witchers have cat-like eyes that give them cat-like night vision. The witchers were also given magical abilities known as signs, which are more utility-oriented than combat-oriented. (They can, however, be used in combat.) Aard, a telekinetic blast, is one of the signs. Igni is a burst of fire that can be used in combat and to light candles, among other things. A magical trap, Yrden. A magical barrier known as Quen.

Axii is a mind-control technique. Heliotrope is an anti-magical and anti-physical defence. There’s also Somne, a sign that puts targets to sleep, but it was only used in Season of Storms, and Geralt hasn’t used it yet. Witches have boosted metabolisms and stronger immune systems, in addition to the magical signs and enhanced physicals. This allows them to consume witcher potions, which would kill an ordinary human in even small doses. The potions improve physical attributes and allow them to see in the dark better, among other things. Witchers also have slower heartbeats, which makes bleeding out more difficult. Mutations can result in infertility as a side effect.

In addition to the superhuman traits that all witchers, including Geralt, possess, Geralt and a select few others were chosen to be the subjects of even more mutation. Geralt was the lone survivor of the experiment. His hair lost pigmentation that’s why his hair got the signature milky white colour. It also boosted his physical abilities beyond those of even the most powerful other witchers.

Nicknames

Geralt of Rivia has been given numerous nicknames over the years for a variety of reasons.

White Wolf — Geralt has been dubbed as the “White Wolf” due to the colour of his hair and his training at the Wolf School in Kaer Morhen. In Elder Speech, the language of the Aen Seidhe Elves, “White Wolf” is spelt “Gwynbleidd.”

White One — Another one of Geralt’s nicknames derived from the colour of his hair.

The Kingslayer — Geralt was falsely accused of murdering King Foltest and was dubbed the Kingslayer in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. When Geralt brought the real killer to justice, this label was mostly removed.

Butcher of Blaviken — Geralt earned the nickname “Butcher of Blaviken” when he moved to the village of Blaviken. A gang of outlaws had arrived in town to assassinate the sorcerer Stregabor. Stregabor wanted Geralt to assassinate Renfri’s outlaws, while Renfri wanted Geralt to assassinate Stregabor because he had wronged her in the past. Geralt initially refused both, preferring to stay out of the conflict. Geralt realised Renfri and her bandits were about to kill Stregabor and wipe out the majority of the village, so he decided to stop them before they killed Stregabor, even though he morally agreed with Renfri. When Geralt arrived, the bandits refused to keep the peace, so he killed them all, including Renfri, much to his dismay. 

When people emerged from their homes, they only saw Geralt covered in blood. People assumed Geralt attacked them unprovoked because he didn’t wait for them to do something illegal before confronting them. Witchers already had a bad reputation. Geralt was permanently exiled from Blaviken and dubbed the “Butcher of Blaviken” as a result of the bloodbath he caused.

Other Media

Game Trilogy

Geralt in The Witcher, a PC role-playing game developed by CD Projekt RED. It is highly based on a series of books and short stories. The game was released in October 2007. He is voiced by Doug Cockle.

CD Projekt RED released a sequel to the original game titled, Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings which was released on PC May 17, 2011, then Xbox 360 on April 12, 2012. Doug Cockle reprises his role as the monster/lady slayer, Geralt of Rivia.

CD Projekt RED made the last sequel and end to Geralt’s saga in the Witcher universe titled, Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. It was released on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018. It is the most acclaimed game of the series.

Netflix TV Show

Geralt is played by Henry Cavill of Superman fame in the popular Netflix adaptation. The series is a massive hit across its two seasons and has become one of the most talked-about shows of the modern day and fans are eager for the next season.

Figurines

Geralt and other characters from The Witcher video games and the Netflix shows are available as statues from Dark Horse, you can check them out here.