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The Witcher Universe Could Feature Multiple Geralts

The most prominent iteration of Geralt of Rivia in the entire Witcher universe is, obviously, the one we see in The Witcher 3. While Andrzej Sapkowski’s saga was well known prior to CDPR obtaining the rights to this universe, book sales skyrocketed after The Witcher 3 immediately established itself as the apogee of contemporary RPG design. Its influence on Western development is visible in almost every similar game since – it should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that this is who people think of whenever The Witcher is brought up.

But Doug Cockle’s Geralt isn’t the only version of this character. Geralt is different in the books – he’s more verbose and prickly than the pensive and witty witcher we see in the games. Meanwhile, Henry Cavill’s take on the character hovers somewhere between these two personalities – he speaks plainly and infrequently, at least in comparison to other leads in modern television. Yes, they’re all white-haired, mutant monster slayers, but to argue that they’re identical portrayals is to concede that you have not, in fact, engaged with any of the various versions of Geralt in any meaningful way.

Related: The Witcher 3's New DLC Makes Me Want To Replay It For The 500th Time

There’s more to The Witcher than games, books, and Netflix series, though. While I’m excited about replaying The Witcher 3 for the 500th time to experience its minor but still exciting new DLC, I also can’t wait to read The Witcher: Ronin, a comic that could completely change Geralt’s story by introducing a new take on the character inspired by Japanese folklore. The thing a lot of people don’t know is that there’s already a Geralt comic running right now – The Witcher: Witch’s Lament.

Between Witch’s Lament, Ronin, The Witcher 3, the Netflix series, and Sapkowski’s original novels, the number of totally disparate depictions of Geralt is worth extrapolating in more detail. It stands to reason that this is no longer one, canonically concrete character – it’s a malleable archetype designed to propel stories capable of tackling radically different themes irrespective of any single strand of continuity.

Why does this matter? Well, for one thing, if you’re interested in the games it means that while Geralt’s story is over as per CDPR’s existing trilogy, it doesn’t rule out an alternate take on the character. I’d personally prefer if The Witcher 4 focused on Ciri and Yen, but who in their right mind would refuse another outing with the G man, eh? Not me.

But that’s exactly it – if Geralt’s current story was revisited, the sheer amount of retconning necessary would be extremely detrimental to the validity of the existing games. At the end of Blood & Wine we get what can only be described as a perfect, heartfelt conclusion to a story that had been eight years in the making. With prestige games like this, you can’t just put on a pair of shades with dollar signs emblazoned on the lenses. Having Geralt go off on another adventure instead of retiring in peace with Yen – yes, Yen, you degenerate Triss lovers – would massively compromise the integrity of what has become an iconic, beloved story. Geralt’s journey is over, he just sits around making wine now. Actually, I could probably get behind a Geralt-led vineyard simulator…

Obviously prequels aren’t off the table. We could finally get to see that zeugl story Geralt and Vesemir are always banging on about, or play a game set almost a century in the past when Geralt was just a young lad, wandering along The Path without a care in the world. Would those premises be as compelling as a game with Ciri at the forefront, though? Not a chance.

And so, this newfound acceptance towards writing alternate versions of Geralt is refreshing. It opens the door for future games while keeping the one for the existing trilogy locked shut. I’m not saying CDPR is going to make a totally different game with Geralt – if anything, that is extremely unlikely. I’m saying that the opportunity is there because as time goes on, this character continues to become more varied and versatile.

For what it’s worth, I’m not even sure if I like the version of Geralt we see in Witch’s Lament. Last month, I specifically wrote about how Witch’s Lament leans into Geralt’s ugliest traits, some of which don’t exist in the games, books, or Netflix series – they’re brand new, a fabrication of the author’s designed to offer a new spin on the character. That doesn’t make Geralt any less compelling, though. Just because I don’t like this version of him doesn’t mean this isn’t a fascinating, fleshed out character. Witch’s Lament is good for totally different reasons to The Witcher 3 or Blood of Elves – it’s gritty and dark and difficult.

Ronin is obviously going to be the most different of the lot, with a katana-wielding Geralt mowing down Oni in a Continent inspired by Kyoto and Tokyo, which makes me think of the switcheroo meme that taught be those two cities are the same if you reverse the syllabic order of them – To-kyo, Kyo-to. Mind blown, right? It will be when you get your hands on Ronin, and whatever other projects the people behind The Witcher have in mind for everyone’s favourite Wolf School wunderkind. I’m still hoping CDPR lets me write The Witcher: Cú Chulainn, tbh.

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