Geralt the Huntsman: The Witcher's Upending of the Classic ‘Hero’ Trope

Abstract

The modern fairy tale hero identity falls into a general spectrum of tropes that spans from the charming prince who seals the fate of the beautiful princess with a kiss to borderline villains with little break in this spectrum. The Witcher's Geralt of Rivia brings to light an often overlooked hero's identity by representing neither ends of this heroic spectrum but rather a different breed of hero entirely. We argue that Geralt of Rivia differs from the typical representation of the fairy tale hero by embodying the spirit of the Huntsman archetype as depicted in stories such as Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood.

This creates a new means of exploring fairy tales as genres by giving perspective to the bloodier, messier sides of these tales which have since deviated from their darker origins. Geralt exists as neither hero nor antihero, but rather a sword-for-hire who cleans up messes that ‘heroes’ otherwise cannot or will not handle themselves. Across his depictions in the books, games, and show, Geralt involves himself as a witcher; hunter of monsters. Geralt's method in overcoming this style of quest is unlike the usual hero. Standing in for the Huntsman, Geralt understands the nature and balance of man and beast and carries this responsibility while looking to accomplish his goals. In this chapter, we seek to document and bring to light this underrepresented style of hero that the witcher has to offer to show that such a hero needs not be black nor white.

Citation

Easler, J.S. and Samons, K.M. (2024), "Geralt the Huntsman: The Witcher's Upending of the Classic ‘Hero’ Trope", Le Clue, N. (Ed.) Gender and the Male Character in 21st Century Fairy Tale Narratives (Emerald Studies in Popular Culture and Gender), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 87-98. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-788-420241008