Henry Cavill took the world by storm as Geralt of Rivia. Thanks largely to his efforts, The Witcher fastly became one of the most popular (and divisive) shows in Netflix’s history.
With so much to take in, it’s easy for little things to slip by unnoticed. So in order to provide a bit of context, here are 10+ little details about Netflix’s The Witcher fans didn’t notice. Get ready to toss a coin!
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1. There are three different timelines playing out simultaneously.
If you were watching The Witcher your first time around, wondering to yourself “Just what in the heck is going on here?”, you aren’t alone.
The series unapologetically glosses over the fact that three different timelines are happening over the span of 60+ years.
2. *The Witcher* is technicaly a remake…sort of.
The original show, known as The Hexer , was edited down into a feature film. It was largely unsuccessful, boasting an audience approval rating of only 22% on Rotten Tomatoes .
3. In the Polish language dubs for the show, the voice actor is Michal Zebrowski.
Zebrowski was the original Geralt of Rivia. The choice to include him in the Polish-language version is a clever nod to the show’s origins and inspiration.
4. The ‘Geralt of Rivia’ main theme is different each time you hear it.
You need only a careful ear to spot this one. For each of the 8 different episodes, there are subtle changes made to the theme in order to foreshadow mood as well as events to come.
5. The image of Geralt in the bathtub is a callback to *The Witcher 3* video game.
The image became so popular that it caught fire, becoming one of the internet’s most beloved memes .
Clearly, this scene is an homage to what came before.
6. The made-up language in the show they call Elder Speech has real-world roots.
A student of languages would be able to pick out right away the Elder Speech is nothing more than a melting pot of English, Irish, Welsh, and Latin – among others.
It was fully formed by David J. Peterson, the same guy who created the Valyrian and Dothraki languages for *Game Of Thrones*.
How cool would it have been if just one” Valor Morghulis ” slipped in?
You can even reference a fan-made dictionary to help you decipher and speak it!
Elder Speech is kind of like the new Klingon for the 21st century! I wonder if you could put that down on a resume; “fluent in Elder Speech.”?
7. The logo at the beginning of every episode changes and foreshadows the events to come.
If you haven’t read the books, then the images aren’t going to be of much use. However, for those who are already well-versed in the world of The Witcher , you may want to avert your eyes.
8. Tomek Baginski, the man behind *The Witcher* video games, is an executive producer.
Not only is Tomek an EP, but he’s also the person who made The Witcher show a reality! Tomek originally proposed the idea to Netflix as a film. After listening, they decided it would work better as a series.
9. Henry Cavill did all his own fight scenes and never used stand-ins.
Every punch, every step, every single swing of that mighty sword is all Henry . Watching some of the fight choreography with that in mind gives you an entirely new appreciation for the actor.
He also never took off his armor, even in-between takes and while he ate his meals!
Henry is said to have both slept in his armor, as well as cooked breakfast! He supposedly did this in order to imbue his armor with a sense of character and history.
10. What’s with Ciri’s magic scream?
If you pay attention to each and every one of Ciri’s screams, you’ll hear the unmistakable roar of a lion. Ciri has also been told that she has her “grandmother’s gift.”
As of yet, this remains unexplained, but it would suggest that this power has been in the family for generations.
11. Borch’s clothes foreshadow him turning into the Golden Dragon.
Aside from the fact that Borch is actually the one to broach the topic of the Golden Dragon, he also wears it on his sleeve.
His clothing is purposely designed to mimic the appearance of scales.
12. What’s the story behind Geralt’s mother? Is she a mage or not?
As we learned with Yennifer’s transformation, becoming a mage makes you infertile. How then is Geralt’s mother performing sorcery?
Is she some type of high powered witch; or is it possible that she really isn’t his mother?
