Henry Cavill explains why Geralt of Rivia from Netflix's The Witcher is the perfect hero for 2020. The Witcher, which is based on a popular series of novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and video games, quickly became one of Netflix's most popular shows when it premiered last year. What makes the show so unique is the titular character's acceptance of his outsider status. Most of the characters in the show avoid Geralt like the plague, which resonates even more in 2020.
Cavill plays Geralt, who is a Witcher. Witchers are basically mutated humans who are built to kill monsters. However, being a Witcher is not conducive to superhero status. Most of the characters that come across Geralt in the show don't warm up to him, and only really interact with him if they need a monster killed. Generally, Geralt seems to be perfectly okay with this arrangement, accepting his role in the narrative as an outsider. As a result, the few relationships that Geralt does accept are all the more meaningful. From his on-off relationship with the powerful witch Yennefer to his burgeoning relationship with the Princess Ciri, Geralt proves that he doesn't necessarily want to be lonely. It's just less dangerous that way.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Cavill went into more detail as to why he thinks Geralt is the perfect hero for 2020. Although The Witcher novels were primarily published in the 90's, Geralt's character has never been more relevant in the era of the coronavirus pandemic and the age of quarantine. Check out Cavill's explanation of how Geralt's acceptance of being an outsider has never felt more relatable.
"Geralt is a very realistic character, and also unrealistic at the same time. He lives in a world where he feels like he lives completely on the outskirts. He’s completely isolated. And so in the same way that we’ve been going through isolation, lockdown, quarantine, and watching the world from afar go about its business, that’s kind of what he does his entire existence. It’s a tricky one to apply directly to these times because he is so apolitical—but when it comes to feeling isolated and to feeling alone, we can all really appreciate that."
Jaskier is arguably Geralt's greatest example of his struggle with wanting to be alone, and yet not be lonely. Jaskier is Geralt's opposite in every way, kind, affable, and very affectionate. The bard is arguably Geralt's only friend in the first season. Audience viewers knew Geralt cared about Jaskier when he went to great lengths to save the singer after he was cursed by a djinn. Ultimately, Geralt's comfort with isolation won out over his friendship with Jaskier. The Witcher blamed all of his woes on the only person who tried to be his friend near the end of the first season. With that, Geralt pushed his only friend away.
It just goes to show that Geralt is not your typical hero by any sense of the word, but his actions do feel relatable in 2020. Many have conflicting feelings of wanting to protect one's self from harm, yet craving the warmth of another's person's friendship or love in spite of the risks during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Geralt isn't a hero because he swoops in to save the day at the last moment. The titular character of The Witcher is the hero of 2020 because he doesn't run away from isolation and loneliness. He embraces it. Does that make him perfect? No. That makes the man Geralt of Rivia, the man who never signed up to be a hero.
Source: Vanity Fair