Henry Cavill Breaks Down What a Witcher Actually Is

Netflix will be introducing a whole new legion of fans to the world of The Witcher later this year, but for those who aren't familiar with the books or the games, the concept of a Witcher might not be exactly clear. Henry Cavill will be bringing the Witcher known as Geralt to life in the anticipated series, and he recently took part in a panel alongside showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich, Yennefer actress Anya Chalotra, and Ciri actress Freya Allan at San Diego Comic-Con. ComicBook.com was on hand for the panel, where Cavill gave a perfect and succinct breakdown on what a Witcher actually is, starting with the odds that someone who undergoes the trials to become on actually survives.

"Most of these children don't survive, like 1 of 10," Cavill said. "They travel the world hunting monsters for coin, and that's their one sole purpose but they are often rejected by the world because they are not supposed to have emotions...but ultimately a bunch of badasses that kill monsters."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves, but he also elaborated a bit on Witcher's lack of emotions, describing it more as a choice rather than something they absolutely have to live by.

"It's not that Witcher's aren't supposed to make moral decisions, it's the myth that they don't have emotions, but that's what aids them in asking for coin for a monster, and if they don't have emotions then they can negotiate as hard as they want and someone can't use the 'my kids' line," Cavill said. "Geralt is much more than that. He has this hard exterior because he believes that's the way the world is, but in truth deep deep down there's this man that has a belief in what the world can be."

You can find the official description for Netflix's The Witcher below.

"Based on the best-selling fantasy series of books, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts," Netflix said. "But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together."

Henry Cavill (Geralt of Rivia), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer), Freya Allan (Ciri), Jodhi May (Calanthe), Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (Eist), Adam Levy (Mousesack), MyAnna Buring (Tissaia), Mimi Ndiweni (Fringilla), Therica Wilson-Read (Sabrina), Emma Appleton (Renfri), Eamon Farren (Cahir), Joey Batey (Jaskier), Lars Mikkelsen (Stregobor), Royce Pierreson (Istredd), Maciej Musiał (Sir Lazlo), Wilson Radjou-Pujalte (Dara), and Anna Shaffer as Triss.

The Witcher currently has no release date, and you can check out more from our Witcher coverage right here. You can also hit me up on Twitter @MattAguilarCB for all things Witcher!