The Witcher: Hidden Details About Geralt Of Rivia Everyone Missed

Geralt of Rivia is one of the most recognizable protagonists in recent times, thanks to the massive popularity of The Witcher video games and the recently released TV show of the same name. Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s popular novels, the franchise focuses on Geralt, a mutant who hunts monsters in exchange for payment. Like the best protagonists, Geralt is a complicated character, with a personality that cannot be pinned down to one or two traits.

Unlike the video games, the TV show does not fill in his backstory too much. We have to pay close attention to the dialogue between Geralt and other characters to piece together parts of his past. We don’t even learn about his upbringing and life before he became a Witcher until the first season’s finale. But even for the most alert viewer, there are details that are hidden a little too well. So, here are the details which were easy for most people to miss.

Updated January 24, 2022, by Cameron Roy Hall: Season two of The Witcher is now available on Netflix and thankfully, it follows a more linear timeline than the first season does, so it's far easier to pick up on all the details scattered therein. That being said, there's still some trivia that's not always obvious on first viewing, and other nuggets of info that aren't even touched upon, even if they are still technically canon. We've brought this article up to date, with some new information added, to help any potential fans of The Witcher piece together the story of everyone's favorite monster hunter/adoptive father.

14 Geralt's On His Second Witcher Medallion

Each Witcher carries a medallion around their neck that basically functions as a magical ID card that gets them around the bouncer that is life. The medallions are important because they're proof of the trials a Witcher has overcome and designate where that Witcher was trained. Not only that but the medallions are one of the few lasting mementos after a Witcher dies, often kept in an honorable location at Kaer Morhen.

However, Geralt actually pawned his off for a mission. In his defense, it was to trick someone into believing that Geralt of Rivia was dead (spoiler, he wasn't). The medallion that he wears now was a gift from Ciri which she herself obtained by killing Bonhart, another member of the Wolf School.

13 Geralt Of Rivia Is Not "Of Rivia"

The White Wolf is not a man of many words, so it's comical just how many of those precious few syllables are complete fabrications. In this particular instance, it's not so much of an ongoing lie but more of a pen name, like Dr. Seuss, or Mark Twain. Here's the deal; Geralt of Rivia is not "of Rivia."

Vesemir, Geralt's deadly tutor/father figure, insisted that each of his pupils choose a surname that would make them appear more personable, more human. Funnily enough, "of Rivia" wasn't even Geralt's first choice. In the books, our favorite grump tried to pass himself off as Geralt Roger Eric du Haute-Bellegarde before Vesemir thankfully shut that down.

12 Geralt Isn't Technically Human

He might look and sound like prominent British celebrity Henry Cavill, but don't be fooled; Geralt isn't actually human. Well, not anymore. The Witcher-ization Process (not the official term, even if it should be) that each potential Witcher goes through changes them on both an emotional and physical level, leaving them permanently mutated into something new.

And that's what they're considered… mutants. In a cruel twist of fate that absolutely mirrors reality, they're only considered mutants by humans. To every other race that roams the land, they're simply considered humans. In both cases, the terms are meant as insults.

11 The Witcher Code Doesn't Really Exist

Witchers are known to live by a "code" that keeps them from abusing their supernatural power. In a broad sense, the population is aware of their code, and it helps that Vesemir certainly did his best to instill a certain modicum of honor in his pupils, but in a much more specific sense, the code is entirely made up.

Geralt proves himself time and time again to be a man guided by some moral north star, but the code itself is vague enough to be totally useless. In reality, the code is more often used as a smokescreen to prevent Witchers from having to deal with situations that they have zero interest in. Think of it as the "sorry to cut our date short, but my dog ate my homework and I really have to go and wash my hair," of the magical world.

10 Geralt Is Almost 100 Years Old

The first season of The Witcher touches on this in a roundabout way but Geralt isn't exactly a boy in the prime of his youth. The games and the books broach this topic with a little more depth, but Geralt is almost one hundred years old.

While it's true that the Witcher-ization Process (we will make this stick) heavily changes what the human body is capable of, it's worth noting that Geralt isn't the only elder in this franchise. Yennefer is approximately one hundred and ten years old, which makes Triss's still staggering fifty years of age seem adolescent by comparison.

9 Geralt Is Technically Immortal

Building on the last entry; Geralt isn't just heading towards a biblical age, were he to step away from his chosen profession, he'd easily outstrip them because Witchers are technically immortal. It's like Tolkien's elves. So long as he isn't struck down, he will continue to thrive and grunt monosyllabic catchphrases.

But that's the issue. Witchers never live long enough to prove their immortality because they actively pursue danger as part of their job description. If Geralt were to decide not to hunt any more monsters, and no humans attacked him, he'd easily outlive his acquaintances like Jaskier. Probably all of his offspring, too.

8 Geralt Will Probably Get More Scars

In the famous bath scene, we get a long look at Geralt's body, which is covered in scars. Each one obviously carries a story, covering everything from strigas to dwarves to nekkers. There is one, though, that the Netflix series has yet to give him.

The game iteration of Geralt has a scar across one of his eyes. It's dramatic and jagged and very Hot Topic of him, and while it's not based on any specific story from the books, its part of his iconic look. What we're saying is… prepare to see Henry Cavill get a big face ouchie.

7 Geralt Can’t Get Sick. Kind of.

Thanks to his Witcher mutagen, the mumbling monster slayer does not suffer from infections that can degenerate his body. This is a fancy way of saying he doesn't really get sick, not in the same way as normal humans anyway. Geralt also heals rapidly, which can be a helpful ability in his dangerous line of work.

Only a magical attack can truly incapacitate Geralt, like when Yennefer bewitched him to attack her enemies. In such cases, he relies on potions to cure himself.

6 Geralt's Mother Was A Mage

In the last episode of the show’s first season, Geralt has a fever dream when he’s injured (remember, he can get sick, just in the magic way). In the dream, his mother, Visenna, appears to him. We also see her floating an apple towards Geralt when he was a child in a flashback, implying that she could use magic.

In Sapkowski’s books, we learn that Geralt’s mother abandoned him while he was young so that he could receive training as a Witcher. Her first appearance was in a short story titled The Road With No Return, which was not even connected to The Witcher franchise.

5 We Can Hear the "Other Geralt"

Henry Cavill is not the first actor to play Geralt of Rivia outside of a video game. That honor belongs to Michał Żebrowski, who played the silver-haired monster slayer in 2001’s Polish film, The Hexer. Just like Netflix’s adaptation, The Hexer was based on stories from the first two Witcher books, Sword of Destiny and The Last Wish.

Żebrowski doesn’t have a main acting role in Netflix’s The Witcher. But he does provide the voice of Geralt in the Polish-language dub of the show. This is a pleasant surprise for fans of The Hexer, and can only foster even more goodwill among the series’ fans.

4 Geralt's Appearance Is Unique Among Witchers

Geralt doesn’t just stand out for his personality – a rarity even among Witchers – he also stands out physically. While his pale eyes and silvery hair are a byproduct of his Witcher training, they are not a common feature among his peers.

As loss of pigmentation is often symbolic of trauma, the simplest interpretation of these facts is that Geralt suffered more at the hands of his tutors and trials than most other potential Witchers. His startling complexion led to his nickname, the “White Wolf.”

3 Geralt's Training Was… Harrowing

When he was a child, Geralt went through the training that would eventually turn him into a Witcher at the School of the Wolf. The training left him with mental and bodily changes like no pigmentation and orange eyes. So needless to say, it was an excruciating process, especially since he went through it while he was still a young boy.

When Geralt eventually went through the Trial of the Grasses, he showed his resilience to the Witcher mutagen. If anything, he became stronger than even other Witchers, from his reflexes to his stamina and strength.

2 Geralt Hates Beards

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a man who attempted to use an excessively hyphenated surname also has strong opinions on facial hair. You see, Geralt hates beards. This is actually supported in the books. In The Time of Contempt, Geralt grows a beard a few days old, but he complains to Jaskier about it and asks for a razor to shave it off.

It's hilarious to imagine a dirty Geralt religiously shaving, no matter how grimy any other part of him is. The idea that he hates scruff is even funnier when you realize that the games offer an impressive array of beards for the player to select from, should they opt to.

1 Geralt Doesn’t Actually Use Magic

Geralt cannot really use magic, not in the way that his mother or his romantic companions can, at least. Granted, he can cast simple spells, but that is mainly because he was able to survive the Trial of the Grasses, a painful, gruesome, and pivotal phase in the creation of a Witcher.

This gave him superhuman concentration and focus levels that allow him to perform signs with his hands. Even with this ability, Geralt often relies on potions for any additional boosts that he may need in the heat of battle.

Source: Read Full Article