The creators of The Witcher 3 wanted to make Geralt "emotionless," but the actor managed to change the hero's image

The hero could have turned out completely different.

The image of Geralt of Rivia that gamers ultimately saw in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and other games was not originally conceived that way. The developers at CD Projekt RED had different plans for the character, but voice actor Doug Cockle did not share them.

In a recent interview with Tom's Guide, the "English voice of Geralt" shared memories of his work. Doug Cockle explained that he "never believed" that the main character had no emotions (and CD Projekt RED wanted the hero to be exactly that way).

While working on "The Witcher," Doug Cockle had no sources of information about the franchise to work with: he had not read Andrzej Sapkowski's books — there was no English translation at the time; he had not seen the Polish series either. The actor only had access to a description of his character, as well as instructions from the developers:

Doug Cockle understood the developers' point of view but did not accept this vision. He believed that players would not be able to associate themselves with such a hero:

In the end, Doug Cockle "accepted" CD Projekt RED's directive, and then simply began to follow his acting instincts:

According to the actor, Geralt is a man who chooses restraint. And this restraint only makes sense if there is truly something beneath it that is worth restraining. The Witcher consciously suppresses his emotions because his work can kill him if he lets his feelings take over:

Doug Cockle cited Geralt and Ciri's relationship as an example. He believes that the main character would not have protected her if he truly had no emotions.