Henry Cavill’s 20 best moments as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher

8. Showdown with Vereena the Bruxa

The Witcher season 2 kicks off with one of its spookiest set pieces, which culminates in a battle between Geralt and one of the franchise’s most recognizable monsters. “A Grain of Truth” adapts The Witcher short story of the same name, which is essentially Andrzej Sapkowski’s take on Beauty and the Beast…except in this world, the beast is played by Tormund Giantsbane actor Kristofer Hivju, and the beauty is a bloodsucking vampire called a bruxa, played by Agnes Born.

Geralt’s fight with the bruxa is a great set piece which gives Cavill his first chance to act as a protective paternal figure for Ciri. But Geralt is a witcher; any fatherly care he might have is tempered by the fact that he’s also a mutant who downs toxic concoctions that turn his eyes black in order to fight monsters.

The real heart of the scene is the emotional tug of war between Geralt and Ciri, as well as Nivellen (Hivju). Geralt wants to exterminate the bruxa because it’s a monster and it’s feeding on the locals of nearby villages. But Nivellen loves the bruxa; she’s the only one who sees past his beastly demeanor, who knows of his terrible past but doesn’t judge him for it. Ciri is sympathetic to this plight, and interjects herself into the battle at key points to try and stop the violence.

Ultimately, Nivellen and Geralt are forced to put down the bruxa to keep her from killing Ciri. This is a complex moment for our witcher, and Cavill conveys the inner conflict throughout the fight. And as always, the stuntwork is great.