The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is arguably what served as the IP's biggest kick-starter for international fame, and it has amassed millions of dedicated fans since.
Between the rich, dense lore of The Continent and the behind-the-scenes production of the acclaimed game, many of these fans are well-versed in everything in and around The Witcher 3 that made it such a gaming icon.
Geralt's Famous Bathtub Scene Influenced The Netflix Scene
Geralt of Rivia, especially in The Witcher 3, is known to many fans as quite the gruff looker, and an early scene in the game almost instantly became iconic. At the beginning of the game, Geralt is at Kaer Morhen in a rare moment of peace bathing at the famous witcher base of operations.
The Witcher live-action show quickly became one of Netflix's best original series, where this famous scene from the game got its own real-life "adaptation" as well. The scene with Henry Cavill's iteration of the White Wolf bathing in Yennefer's bathtub in Rinde was a clear-cut reference to this.
Blood And Wine's Anna Henrietta Is Played By A Netflix Series Actress
On the Netflix side of the franchise, the Rectoress of Aretuza -- Tissaia de Vries -- is one of the most compelling side characters of the show. Swedish actress MyAnna Buring gives powerful performances as the master sorceress in every scene she appears in, but it's also not the first time she's acted in a Witcher-related project.
One of the many reasons The Witcher 3 is regarded as one of the best modern fantasy RPGs is how expansive its content is, and Buring played a role in that within the equally-acclaimed Blood and Wine DLC. In the expansion, she played the picturesque land of Toussaint's ruling Duchess Anna Henrietta, who contracts Geralt to hunt down a rampant beast.
Henry Cavill Is A Big Fan Of The Witcher 3
Henry Cavill is somewhat of a unicorn in Hollywood, as the beloved actor is also a massive fan of most things within nerd culture. Included in this, of course, is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. He divulged this in an interview with GQ and came to know the franchise in particular through this third game.
Cavill went on to immerse himself in all aspects of the world of The Continent as he read through Sapkowski's books as well. Becoming this engrossed in a franchise is probably not a requirement to qualify for a role in its live-action adaptation, but it's certainly nice for longtime fans to see a version of Geralt himself share the same ions.
Geralt Of Rivia Isn't From Rivia
As fans would expect from a fantasy franchise, there are many characters whose names are part of a regal title. It's common practice for nobility and those otherwise deemed accomplished, with Geralt of Rivia's name sounding like the latter.
However, those who dig into the lore and backstory of the titular witcher will find out that he's actually not from Rivia. Geralt is originally from the region of Kaedwen, and he only adopted that title to impress nobles and increase his odds of getting contracted work. It's a smart play considering the callous people witchers constantly have to deal with to make ends meet.
The Game's Canon Is Further Fleshed Out In Comics
CD Projekt Red's adaptation of The Witcher series of books is its canon, though, The Witcher 3 and the two preceding games aren't the only places to get more stories out of this continuity. Comic book publisher Dark Horse Comics has published a comics series set in CD Projekt Red's canon, which should make a great The Witcher games or live-action adaptation.
The comics tell stories in between the developer's trilogy of Geralt-led video games that should satisfy readers as both supplemental materials and on the comic's respective .
An In-Game Sword References Jon Snow
Game of Thrones became a fantasy phenomenon and one of HBO's greatest original shows -- final season aside -- so it isn't surprising to see CD Projekt Red throw in some fun nods to author George R. R. Martin's franchise. In The Witcher 3, players can acquire a sword called Longclaw, which is a certain reference to the name of Jon Snow's sword.
That sword was given to Jon by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont when the former was still a steward of the Night's Watch, made instantly recognizable by fashioning the end of Longclaw's hilt to be a white wolf -- which happens to be another convenient coincidence in The Witcher.
Emperor Emhyr Is Played By A Game Of Thrones Alum
In keeping with the loose Game of Thrones connections, The Witcher 3 featured an alum from the sprawling series as an important figure in the game's story and world. Emperor Emhyr var Emreis of Nilfgaard is one of the most cunning and dangerous political figures on The Continent -- as well as Ciri's biological father.
So though it's certainly a typecast, it's hard not to appreciate actor Charles Dance's imposing performance as Emhyr in the game. Given his dominant portrayal as family patriarch and villain Tywin Lannister in the first four seasons of Game of Thrones, playing the emperor was a natural fit.
Blood And Wine Contains An Arya Stark Reference
Going back to the vibrant land of Toussaint in the Blood and Wine expansion, fans can find yet another Game of Thrones reference should they pay close attention to the chatter in the city.
At times there can be a young girl overheard saying that her brother gave her a sword that she decides to call "Needle." As fans will surely recognize, this is referencing the smallsword that Jon Snow gave her just before leaving Winterfell with their uncle Benjen Stark to the Night's Watch.
The Bloody Baron Seems To Echo GoT's Robert Baratheon
Though there aren't any actor crossovers in this specific case, the cynical and jaded ruler in Crow's Perch seems to be inspired by the late King of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, Robert Baratheon. The entirety of the game is a compelling and branching story, but the early portion of The Witcher 3 where Geralt finds himself in Velen is arguably where its strongest storytelling is present.
The Bloody Baron's questline is as engrossing as it is tragic, and the Baron himself displays many of the faults that his Game of Thrones counterpart seems to have. They're both violent drinkers coming from a broken family, and the many stag skulls in his keep seem to drive the reference home further.
Dandelion/Jaskier Is Actually In His Late 40s
Geralt of Rivia is certainly one known to defy the aging process himself, as witchers are mutants with incredibly slowed biological aging. Vesemir, Geralt's mentor, is well into his second century by the time he's killed in The Witcher 3's battle of Kaer Morhen. However, the case of Dandelion -- a human -- seems to be more baffling.
He looks like a young man in his late 20s or early 30s, but in the final game of CD Projekt Red's Geralt story, he's nearly 50. This is in keeping with Sapkowski's books, as Dijkstra tells him in the author's Blood of Elves, "I know you're almost forty, look almost thirty, think you're just over twenty and act as though you're barely ten."
