This publish comprises spoilers for “The Witcher” season 4.
Geralt of Rivia (Liam Hemsworth) and his companions — Jaskier (Joey Batey), Milva (Meng’er Zhang), and a few dwarves — come upon a wraith in season 4 of “The Witcher.” The wraith, who’s haunting a graveyard, is rapidly put out of her distress, due to Geralt’s agile swordsmanship. After Geralt smells aniseed close by, an aged gentleman reveals himself, kindly providing the group meals and shelter again at his cottage. He introduces himself as Emiel Regis (Laurence Fishburne), barber-surgeon of Dillingen, assuring that he merely intends to patch up Geralt’s wounds and provide everybody a spot to relaxation. The crew’s choice to relaxation proves to be prudent, because it boosts everybody’s morale (due to a wonderful batch of Regis’ mandrake moonshine).
Andrzej Sapkowski’s “The Witcher” novel sequence positions Regis as one in every of Geralt’s closest allies, and the character receives an analogous therapy in CD Projekt Purple’s “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.” As hinted within the episode he is launched in, Regis is a robust increased vampire who would not must immediately feed on blood to outlive. However Regis’ significance to the story has extra to do along with his alliance with Geralt and co., as we see him accompany the group on their journey to Nilfgaard to rescue Ciri (Freya Allan). Afterward, Regis is instrumental throughout the Fort Armeria storyline, wherein he is ready to observe down the captured witcher (plus Jaskier) and free them along with his talents.
Fishburne’s performs Regis as a shrewd and sleek ally, however his rendition is markedly completely different from the character we all know within the books and video games. As good as Fishburne is as a performer, he feels woefully miscast on this explicit position (the uninspired constuming definitely would not assist). So, is there extra to Regis than the sequence lets on?
Regis is especially complicated (and endearing) in The Witcher’s Blood and Wine enlargement
Sapkowski makes it straightforward for us to imagine that an unwavering monster-slayer like Geralt chooses to not kill Regis even after studying about his vampirism. It is because Geralt meets Regis at a degree the place he is emotionally unstable on account of Ciri’s disappearance, and the place the upper vampire’s sensible counsel proves essential to the witcher’s development as a personality. That is additionally the case within the Netflix adaptation; Geralt finds a pricey good friend in Regis, who helps him navigate his feelings.
As for “The Witcher 3,” the sport’s timeline would not characteristic Regis as he is presumed useless within the books. That mentioned, Regis makes a shock comeback within the recreation’s “Blood and Wine” DLC, which is a fantastic addition to the character’s lore.
The DLC opens with Geralt vacationing in Touissant, the place he intends to retire quickly. However bother brews as soon as Regis arrives there searching for the vampire Dettlaff, who’s on a vicious killing spree. After Geralt is employed to slay the beast, Regis intervenes, pleading with him not to take action. You see, Dettlaff was the one who had resurrected Regis after he was killed, and Regis desires to grasp Dettlaff’s motivations earlier than making a rash judgment. What ensues is an exhilarating cat-and-mouse recreation rife with clues, crimson herrings, and complex selections, the place Geralt must place confidence in his previous good friend, the vampire he desperately needs to guard.
“Blood and Wine” understands why Regis is such a beloved character. He breaks each stereotype related to increased vampires, whereas willingly embracing noble and self-sacrificing tendencies. There’s an edge to those convictions, which is wholly lacking from Fishburne’s model, who looks like simply one other one in every of Geralt’s allies alongside the highway.
