From Andrzej Sapkowski’s best-selling creations to CD Project’s highly successful “Red” title to finally dominating Netflix’s streaming charts, Geralt of Rivia, known or feared across the realm as “The Witcher,” or Butcher of Blaviken, is hands down one of the best fictional characters ever made. “The Witcher” is, in essence, a monster hunter crafted out of the severe pain and torment of “The Trial of the Grasses.”
The experimentation is an unimaginably agonizing and hazardous alchemical procedure that tears down the individual’s mind and spirit. Anyone who is exposed to the procedure is fastened to a bench and coerced to ingest a variety of toxic substances. The chemical breakdown of the body paves the way for enhanced mutation and regeneration. It’s common knowledge that only one in ten children can survive the horror and come out stronger and more potent than any average human, ready to slay monsters. So, without further ado, let’s break down the character of our favorite monster hunter.
A Chalice Of Virtue And Vice
At first impression, Geralt seems like any other weathered, gravel-voiced character from the source materials. For those unfamiliar with the story, he might strike out as a jaded, pessimistic, violent person. But in reality, he is a much more nuanced character, balancing the chalices of both virtue and vice. Even though the jingling of gold coins is music to his ears, he hardly lets his beliefs and principles take a back seat to financial success. Geralt is a freelancer like any other, willing to undertake a task for the proper cash regardless of whether or not he likes the mission he’s being recruited to do. There seems to be a limit to what he will do; however, if he has to cheat, rob, and bang some skulls against the wall (or detach a couple of limbs from their shoulders) to make a living, he will.
His story, like all the others, is both tragic and heartbreaking. Geralt’s mother left him when he was quite little, and the boy was later taken under the care of Vesemir, a veteran Witcher who took him to Kaer Morhen to train him with all the others. After the agonizing trial, he enters civilization with hopes of a brighter future and a desire to aid others, particularly by assisting towns in their efforts to eradicate monsters. Unfortunately, he learns the hard way that many others see him as a monstrosity as well. So he settles for the quiet existence of slaughtering monsters for money and sometimes traveling with a rambling minstrel.
Geralt’s Relationship With Yen And Ciri Brings Out The Best In Him
Geralt’s life gets a new meaning when he crosses paths with Yennefer of Vengerberg, a beautiful mage, and Princess Cirilla, aka Ciri. Geralt and Yennefer took Ciri under their care and swore to protect her from those who wanted to bring her harm while also avoiding political minefields and killing monsters. He trains the little girl in the art of war, making her one of the best fighters on the continent. The bond he has with Ciri reveals the true hero that is inside Geralt. He is very protective of the people he cares about and would go to any lengths to ensure their safety. He waged war to protect her, traveled the globe to locate her, and fought an undying general as well as his mounted cavalry. Like Ciri, Yennefer also rents a special place in his heart. If you take the ferry back to season 1 of “The Witcher,” you’ll recall that the monster hunter was in need of a much-needed slumber and figured to enlist the help of a djinn. However, things don’t go as planned, and he soon finds himself looking for a mage to save Jaskier’s life.
His search brings him to Yennefer, who, after helping Jaskier, decides to use the Djinn for her personal reasons. On the continent, everything comes at a steep price. Yennefer was abused and exploited her entire life, and when offered a second chance at life by Tissaia De Vries, she took it without hesitation. Yennefer becomes a mage but has to trade away her ability to ever bear a child. Yennefer thought of merging herself with the mighty Djinn to remedy her infertility; sadly, things went south, and she soon found herself at the other end of the sword, desperately grasping for air. Geralt steps up and utters his final wish: saving Yennefer. However, there have been many ongoing debates concerning what Geralt really wished for. And the most obvious is he wished to someday raise and nurture a child with the Yennefer, forcing the Djinn to honor his wish and spare the mage.
With his extraordinary talents, Geralt is invariably the decisive factor in battles, with the ability to step in and bring triumph to one group or the other; nonetheless, he derives no pleasure in this position of authority. If he existed in a universe where good and evil were clearly delineated, Geralt would probably like it. Unfortunately, he does not, and his universe is rife with materialism, sensuality, bigotry, and violence. Even though he is technically a “non-human,” Geralt fights to maintain his compassion in a society that appears intent on erasing it.
