The Witcher season 4: Meet Geralt's hansa

In just over a month, filming will begin on The Witcher season 4. This marks an exciting new chapter for Netflix's monster-hunting fantasy show, both because Geralt of Rivia is being recast from Henry Cavill to Liam Hemsworth, and because the climactic events of season 3 are a major turning point of the story. Everything is different following the horrible coup on Thanedd Isle in Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher Saga books, and we're expecting that to hold true for the TV show as well.

Geralt will begin the season separated from his lover Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and adopted daughter Ciri (Freya Allan). Readers know that this is the beginning of a long road for our beloved witcher, which will see him travel the Continent with a band of fellow heroes, known as his hansa. The hansa is The Witcher's equivalent of the Fellowship of the Ring, and feature very prominently in the back half of The Witcher Saga.

As of this writing, we know who's going to play most of the characters in Geralt's hansa. Let's take a few minutes to get to knot them. We will be getting into SPOILERS from The Witcher books.

Geralt of Rivia

Obviously, you can't have Geralt's hansa without Geralt of Rivia himself. The witcher is the heart of the group, and it is his quest to find Ciri which drives them to travel the breadth of the Continent.

Despite the fact that we've spent three whole seasons with Geralt so far, it's almost going to feel like we're meeting him anew in season 4. How will Liam Hemsworth's Geralt differ from Cavill's? Will he have the same taciturn charm? Or will Hemsworth's portrayal feel fresh in meaningful ways, perhaps even some that align with this new stage of Geralt's life?

In season 4, we're expecting to see Geralt struggle with long-term recovery following his duel with Vilgefortz. In the books, Geralt develops something akin to severe arthritis due to all the broken bones he suffered as a result of Vilgefortz's heavy staff. At times his knee will lock up, or he'll have other issues in combat. This is a huge part of his character moving forward, and thanks to comments from showrunner Lauren Hissrich, we know that we'll see Hemsworth grapple with them.

Jaskier

Jaskier was the first of Geralt's traveling companions, introduced all the way back in the second episode of the series when the two ran afoul of a group of elven refugees. Obviously, the bard is a shoe-in for the hansa. Who else would record all of their heroic exploits in song?

In the books, Jaskier's experiences with the hansa lead to him writing an autobiography, which is an in-world book that often features in epigraphs throughout the series. Of course, it contains only facts and no exaggerations whatsoever.

Geralt and Jaskier's friendship is one of the core relationships of The Witcher, no matter the medium. It was always a joy to watch Joey Batey and Henry Cavill on screen together. We can only hope that Hemsworth and Batey are able to create a similar sort of magic as they galavant across the countryside on adventures.

Milva

The archer Milva is another key member of the hansa, and like Jaskier, we've already met her in the TV show. She was played in season 3 by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Meng'er Zhang.

As we've already seen, Milva is originally tasked by the dryads of Brokilon Forest with helping Geralt recover after he's broken by Vilgefortz. She's a no-nonsense companion who is just as quick to tell Geralt he's being an idiot as she is to fire expertly-aimed arrows in his defense.

Despite her emotional walls, Milva actually has a huge heart, which usually shines through even when she's pretending like it won't. We got a glimpse of that in the season 3 finale, when she told Geralt she wouldn't help him only to show up at the last minute in order to save him from Nilfgaardian soldiers. Expect more of that dynamic moving forward.

And that's all of the members of Geralt's hansa that we've met. Now we get into the characters haven't joined yet:

Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach

We may not have seen Cahir join up with Geralt quite yet, but we know who he is. Played by Eamon Farren, Cahir first appeared in the series premiere of The Witcher, where he led the Nilfgaardian forces that sacked Cintra and captured Princess Ciri.

Since then, the Nilfgaardian commander has had a long, winding road to redemption. When last we saw him in season 3, he finally crossed paths with Ciri at Thanedd, only to surprise her by apologizing for all the wrongs he'd done her and asking for her to take his life. Instead of dying by the Princess of Cintra's blade, Cahir stayed behind to fight off Scoia'tael forces in order to buy Ciri time to get away. We don't see what happens to him after that.

In the books, Cahir is captured and shipped back to Nilfgaard to stand punishment for his "betrayal" for failing to capture Ciri. Geralt and his hansa stumble across Cahir after defeating the group of soldiers holding him captive. Cahir then offers to join in their quest to find Ciri.

Geralt and Cahir have an interesting relationship. At first, Geralt refuses to allow Cahir to join his group, but after the Nilfgaardian follows them for a while, the witcher eventually relents and accepts his help. Cahir provides a wonderful counterpoint to Geralt, because they are both seeking Ciri for their own reasons and often clash over ideologies — at least until Geralt comes to trust Cahir more fully.

Given Cahir's big turn near the end of season 3, this is a relationship I'm especially excited to see in season 3. Farren has done a great job with the character so far, and Cahir's best material is yet to come.

Regis

Perhaps the most exciting addition to the hansa is Regis, a "world-wise Barber-surgeon." At least, that's how Netflix described the character in their official casting announcement, which confirmed that The Matrix veteran Laurence Fishburne will play the fan-favorite character in season 4. But anyone who's read The Witcher books or played the Blood & Wine expansion of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt knows that Regis is much more than just some Barber-surgeon; he's a vampire.

In the books, Regis' secret isn't immediately apparent to Geralt and the budding hansa. But it doesn't take long before the witcher realizes that the humbe Barber-surgeon is more than meets the eye. You might expect that to lead to hositilities, but remember, Geralt has a reputation for not judging all things monstrous to be a threat.

Of course, it helps that Regis isn't your typical vampire. He doesn't care for feeding on people, and abstains from blood. The way that Andrzej Sapkowski describes Regis' thirst in the books makes it a metaphor for alcoholism, with Regis fitting the role of recovering addict. He's wise and wily, prone to philosophizing and imparting bits of knowledge he's accumulated over the centuries. Ironically, he also brews his own hooch, which livens things up in the hansa quite a bit.

Regis adds a fascinating element to the hansa, because he's the only one in it who's older than Geralt. He and the witcher often get sucked into debates, and unlike with characters like Jaskier or Ciri, Geralt can't pull the "I've seen more of the world than you" card. Regis keeps things interesting, and has a wonderful charm that has made him very well-loved by fans of the books and games alike. It'll be exciting to see what Fishburne does with the role.

Angoulême

The last member of Geralt's hansa is Angoulême, a young woman with a background in banditry. Geralt initially hears rumors of a fair-haired girl with a bandit group, and believing it to be Ciri, seeks them out. However, it turns out that this is a different bandit group than the Rats, and after a series of chaotic events, Angoulême joins the hansa's quest.

Angoulême is the only member of the hansa who we don't know the casting for, or even if she'll appear in season 4. She joins up a bit later than the rest, so it's entirely possible the show might save her for season 5.

Personally, I hope that it doesn't go that route, and instead introduces her late in season 4 so we get more time with her as a member of the hansa. Angoulême brings some much-needed mischief to the party; she doesn't have the world-weary weight or reservations of many of the other party members, and is prone to calling them quippy names like "uncle" (or "aunty" in Milva's case, a title which irks her).

After Geralt earns Angoulême's trust, she becomes a staunch ally to the witcher in his quest. Yet she remains chaotic, fun and filled with a youthful energy that keeps things interesting. She's a key addition to the group, and there's a lot of potential for the show to make her very entertaining.

And that's the whole hansa! The Witcher season 4 is currently slated to begin filming in March of 2024, so we're expecting to see it hit Netflix sometime in 2025. Which members of Geralt's hansa are you most excited to see on screen in the fourth season?

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