The games do a wonderful job of bringing the Geralt of Rivia from the books to life, but as with any kind of adaptation, there are going to be differences.
It’s hard to argue that the Witcher book series wasn’t all that popular outside its native Poland before the games were released. The Witcher games, especially Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, saw a huge surge in popularity for the book series and brought it to the forefront of the fantasy genre. The games do a wonderful job of bringing the Geralt of Rivia from the books to life, but as with any kind of adaptation/sequel, there are going to be some differences. So let’s take a look at some of them.
Known for his action roles in movies like Man of Steel and Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Henry Cavill is considerably more buff than the descriptions of Geralt of Rivia in the Witcher books. The novels describe Geralt of Rivia as being slim, sinewy, and covered in battle scars. Sapkowski doesn’t really include assessments of how handsome or ugly Geralt is, though he is said to have a “striking” look with “piercing eyes” and a smile that can be terrifying. Some readers have interpreted Geralt’s intimidating presence to mean that he is ugly, but he certainly doesn’t seem to have any trouble attracting the ladies. In the Witcher games he also has a distinctive scar over his left eye, but this is not part of the book canon.
The Beard
CD Projekt Red may have inadvertently created an iconic look for the titular witcher in Witcher 3 when they gave players the option to give Geralt of Rivia’s facial hair. It wasn’t long that almost rendition of Geralt had him rocking a beard, from fan-art to two out of the eight books in the series featuring a bearded Geralt (in the English versions at least). There’s no denying that Geralt looks awesome with a beard, but the Geralt of Rivia from the books hates them. In Time of Contempt, the second novel of the Witcher saga, Geralt has barely more than a five o’clock shadow when he asks Dandelion to borrow his razor and mentions how much he hates having facial hair.
His Scars
This entry is basically a continuation of the previous entry, as it also concerns his appearance. One of the more noticeable aspects of Geralt’s appearance is his scars. In the books, he’s described as having a multitude of hideous, sinewy scars. The games, however, took a different approach. In the games, Geralt’s scars are much more aesthetically pleasing, making him look like a badass. Instead of hideous scars, game Geralt’s scars don’t affect his general handsomeness, but still gives the impression of a hardened warrior.
Geralt of Rivia’s Relationship With Triss
In both the books and the games Geralt’s relationship with Triss Merigold is complicated, to say the least. In the books, Triss is in love with Geralt but it’s unrequited. She was curious about Geralt’s love for Yennifer, so she seduced him with a spell. Still, her love for him remained unrequited. The difference between the book Geralt and game Geralt in this regard is that in the games, Geralt has the option to reciprocate that love. Triss is able to be romanced in all three games, more than any other romance option, but don’t expect them to get together when you read the books.
He’s More Broody In The Books
Geralt is an expert in brooding. He’s stoic, a man of few words, but he can crack a joke or be snarky when the situation calls for it. His broodiness is on full display in the games, but he’s actually more broody and philosophical in the books.
Book Geralt is often melancholic, deep in thought about how his mantra of only killing monsters often reveals that humans are usually the monsters. He’s also prone to violent outbursts of anger in the books. The fact that Geralt is much more philosophical in the books than in the games is simply a matter of medium since it’s easier to explore inner monologue in books.
Riding With The Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt are the big bad of the Witcher games, and even though they don’t physically appear until the third game, their presence is felt throughout every game. In Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, it’s revealed that Geralt was temporarily a member of the Wild Hunt in order to save Yennifer’s life.
The Wild Hunt don’t play a major role in the books, they’re only briefly seen once and they don’t affect the story. Ciri does meet Eredin in the books but Geralt never interacts with them. Geralt riding with the Wild Hunt was really just a tool to help bridge the gap between the books and the games.
Personality-wise, book Geralt is rather sulky, gets offended easily, and has somewhat a dosage of self-pity. He repeats the phrase “I’m just a simple, dumb witcher” a lot. And he does sulk from his friends from time to time. Game Geralt, well, I’d say he’s less dramatic in that department.
Anyways, those are all the differences I can find. Feel free to add yours. Personally, I like both Geralt’s. Each has his own strengths and weaknesses, and I don’t think we’ll find any clear conclusion as to who is better.
