In what is the single most exciting reveal for the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher yet, we’ve been given our first look at Geralt’s most important ally of all; the trusty, if unpredictable steed Roach.
Longtime fans of the games and books will know that Roach isn’t just one individual horse, but rather the name Geralt gives to any horse he owns (kind of like Epona throughout the Zelda games). He’s sentimental like that, see.
Take a look at the furry friend below in a new image that also gives us a fresh look at Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. There’s not much to say, other than it’s looking great, and I want to pet Roach.
Earlier in the month, The Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich finally revealed a number of gorgeous, moody new images for the upcoming adaptation – which is based on the books not the games – giving us our first proper look at Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri.
Some were quick to complain about the fact that Geralt only had one sword in the shots, but fans of the books soon stepped in to shut them up, revealing that Geralt usually keeps one of his two swords on Roach at all times.
So what of the two main characters joining Geralt and Roach on this new adventure? Yennefer a bad-ass sorceress being played by Anya Chalotra (Wanderlust), while Ciri is Geralt’s adopted daughter and aspiring monster slayer for hire. She’s being played by Freya Allan (Into The Badlands). Both look absolutely incredible, and I can’t wait to see the whole gang in action when the show premieres.
It’s unclear who’s taken on the role of Roach, but I’ve heard rumblings that it’s actually Scarlett Johansson under some heavy prosthetics.
The Witcher officially wrapped filming back in May, and its first season will reportedly run for eight episodes. It’s expected to premiere on Netflix late 2019, and these official shots hopefully mean a trailer is coming any day now.
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Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.