All 3 Geralt Of Rivia Actors In Netflix's The Witcher, Ranked

Published Oct 19, 2026, 9:30 PM EDT

Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once.

Netflix’s The Witcher brought Andrzej Sapkowski’s books and characters to life, and so far, it has had three different actors playing Geralt of Rivia. Netflix has a wide selection of fantasy TV shows to choose from, with the most notable ones being the streamer’s original productions. Some of them now rank among the best TV shows of all time, as is the case for Stranger Things, Arcane, and Castlevania. Joining that list despite its flaws is The Witcher, which is now preparing for its fifth and final season.

The Witcher follows Geralt of Rivia, sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), and Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) as their paths converge and they fight together against different threats, mostly those of powerful mage Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu) and Nilfgaardian Emperor Emhyr var Emreis (Bart Edwards). Although The Witcher saw a quality decline in its second season, seasons 3 and 4 did their best to fix those mistakes, but the latter had a bigger challenge as it introduced Liam Hemsworth as the new Geralt.

After playing Geralt for three seasons and receiving praise from critics and fans for his performance, Henry Cavill left The Witcher, and Hemsworth took over the role in seasons 4 and 5. However, while they are the only ones to have played Geralt in the main show, Netflix’s The Witcher has another Geralt actor thanks to the spinoff animated movie Sirens of the Deep, and he’s no stranger to the character. Netflix’s The Witcher has had great actors as Geralt, each of them bringing something extra to the character, but all of them doing justice to the powerful witcher.

3 Liam Hemsworth

The Witcher seasons 4 & 5

Liam Hemsworth is one of the most recent additions to the cast of Netflix’s The Witcher, though his case is a special one. As mentioned above, Hemsworth was cast as Geralt of Rivia after Henry Cavill left The Witcher, so he had a huge challenge ahead. Not only was he following in the footsteps of Henry Cavill, but Geralt is also a physically demanding character, and there are certain characteristics, such as his voice and facial expressions, that have defined his live-action version.

Hemsworth was also facing criticism, backlash, and skepticism from the audience, but he ended up surprising viewers with his performance. Hemsworth brilliantly managed to bring his own interpretation of Geralt while also staying true to the character’s main traits and those established by Cavill that further defined the character. Hemsworth’s Geralt is more subtle than Cavill’s, in the sense that he uses body language and his eyes to show his pain and emotions rather than grunts.

Thanks to that, Hemsworth’s Geralt is more expressive than Cavill’s, which was one of the biggest criticisms of Cavill’s performance. Through this, Hemsworth made Geralt a lot more human, relatable, and approachable. It’s important to note that Hemsworth’s Geralt is at a different point in his life than Cavill’s, which justifies these changes and makes Hemsworth’s performance even better, as it shows his commitment and understanding of the character.

Another strength of Hemsworth’s version of Geralt is his action scenes, as Hemsworth looked a lot more confident and skilled in every one of them, even if he lacked the imposing physical strength of Cavill. On the other hand, Hemsworth’s Geralt lacks the comedic timing of his predecessor, though that can be justified by this Geralt going through heavier stuff.

The Witcher succeeded at blending Hemsworth into the show with the support of new characters Stribog and Nimue, through which the show explained that the events in season 4 are told through storytellers. This explains why Geralt looks different in seasons 3 and 4, allowing Hemsworth to join smoothly and continue Geralt’s story.

2 Doug Cockle

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep

Image via Netflix

The world of Netflix’s The Witcher has expanded beyond the show everyone now knows. First was the animated spinoff movie The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, set many years before the events of the main show and telling the origin story of Vesemir (voiced by Theo James), Geralt’s mentor, and the events that led to the fall of Kaer Morhen. A young Geralt appears at the end of Nightmare of the Wolf, but he’s not the center of the story.

Then came the live-action prequel miniseries The Witcher: Blood Origin, set 1200 years before the events of the main show and exploring the creation of the first witcher and the events that led to the Conjunction of the Spheres. Unfortunately, Blood Origin was a critical failure. In 2025, a second animated movie, titled The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, was released, and it’s a loose adaptation of the short story “A Little Sacrifice”, thus being set between episodes 5 and 6 of The Witcher season 1.

Sirens of the Deep, then, follows Geralt and Jaskier as they investigate a series of horrifying attacks on local pearl divers, uncovering a centuries-old conflict between humans and the sea society. Voicing Geralt in Sirens of the Deep is Doug Cockle, who fans of the video games know quite well, as he has voiced Geralt nine times. Cockle, then, is no stranger to the character, and he showed how well he knows him.

Cockle’s Geralt in Sirens of the Deep is different from Cavill and Hemsworth’s versions, which is exactly why it’s so good. The story of Sirens of the Deep has a different emotional weight than the main show, with Cockle bringing out Geralt’s vulnerable side and some awkwardness too, as he faced the challenge of communicating with the people from the sea. However, Cockle brought his signature tone and delivery into his performance in Sirens of the Deep, a delightful treat for fans of the video games.

In the ranking of the best Geralt performances in general, not just in the Netflix franchise, Cockle would easily take the top spot, but in the world built by Netflix, someone else is slightly above him on the list.

1 Henry Cavill

The Witcher seasons 1, 2, & 3

Liam Hemsworth and Doug Cockle have been great in their portrayals of Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher, but the best is Henry Cavill. The casting of Cavill in Netflix’s The Witcher was an important hook, as he was already known for his performance as Superman and had openly spoken about being a fan of the world of The Witcher. Cavill’s performance was one of the strengths of The Witcher’s first three seasons, being the most consistent element of the show throughout its lowest points.

Cavill went for emotional depth and a greater focus on mannerisms and his voice rather than on heroic features, showing his deep understanding of the character and respect for the world of The Witcher. One of the best parts of Cavill’s performance, which was also the most criticized one, was his grunts and minimal dialogue. The former became Cavill’s signature in his Geralt performance, and his delivery was always on point, whether it was a dramatic or lighter scene, while the lack of dialogue wasn’t Cavill’s decision, but it led to him using his mannerisms and face to express himself.

Cavill was also very physically imposing, giving the character the strong image he needs and a tough exterior without forgetting about Geralt’s inner struggles. Cavill knew how to bring to life all the layers of Geralt as he went through various challenges and growth in his journey, going from a loner to fighting for the family he formed with Ciri and Yennefer. It would have been interesting to see what Cavill could have brought to Geralt in his final seasons, but he delivered the best version of the character that Netflix’s The Witcher has seen.