Recently released training images from The Witcher season 3 show star Henry Cavill reunited with the titular character’s horse, Roach. The fantasy series is one of Netflix’s most successful properties with its second season being one of the most watched in the streaming giant’s history. Based on the Andrzej Sapkowski books of the same name, The Witcher follows Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), a monster hunter who journeys across a fantastical medieval world filled with witches, dragons, and a plethora of mythical creatures. Season 2 finds Geralt uniting with Princess Cirilla (Freya Allan) and guiding her through trials to become a Witcher herself.
During episode 6, “Dear Friend,” a flying creature called the Chernobog attacks Geralt and Ciri in the woods outside of the Witcher stronghold of Kaer Morhen. As a result of Ciri’s powerful screams, the princess unwittingly released the beast from the magical Cintran monolith. During the attack, Geralt’s loyal horse Roach is mortally wounded by the Chernobog and is later put out of her misery. Later in the series, Geralt frees the traveling bard Jaskier (Joey Batey) from prison and runs into a warrior and adventurer, Yarpen Zigrin, and his men on the road. They give Geralt a horse that he later names Roach, as the Witcher does with all of his horses.
In a recent Instagram post, Henry Cavill shared images of Hector, the horse that has now taken the mantle of Geralt of Rivia’s faithful steed. The series of four images show the stallion with his hair braided and with simple tack consisting of only a halter. Cavill writes that he took Hector out for a ride through the mountains and has practiced rearing. The actor also mentions that he is joined by his friend and horse master for the television series, Laszlo Juhász. Check out the images below.
Click here to view the post on Instagram.
As with most medieval fantasy, horses are generally used as the most common mode of travel for characters. It is imperative that actors know how to ride, for the purpose of believability, but also for reasons of safety. Henry Cavill originally chose the horse that previously played Roach in the series. Their bond was important, not only to replicate the quirky relationship Geralt and Roach had in the source material, but also to bolster trust between the two to avoid any serious incidents.
Although season 2 saw the death of Geralt’s original Roach, the promise of seeing Geralt’s relationship build with a new horse in The Witcher season 3 will be exciting. There have been many excellent human and animal stories brought to the screen that have shown the powerful bond people can have with animals, such as Tom Hanks and his crime-solving canine partner in Turner & Hooch (1989), as well as a young Scarlett Johansson and her traumatized horse in The Horse Whisperer (1998). With Henry Cavill back in the saddle so long before The Witcher‘s prospective 2023 return, it only shows the great care the actor has for the quality of the show. A prequel limited series, The Witcher: Blood Origins, starring Sophia Brown and Michelle Yeoh, will release on Netflix sometime this year.
