The Witcher S3E1 Cameo That Proves Geralt Is Tougher Than Ever

Contains spoilers for "The Witcher" Season 3, Episode 1

At the beginning of "The Witcher" Season 3, our protagonist Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) encounters a peculiar, refined mercenary who goes by the name Professor (Sunny Patel). Unfortunately for the bespectacled wannabe assassin, the meeting is as brief as it is violent, as Geralt dispatches the Professor after cutting through his men with the greatest of ease. 

The Professor's foray into the world of Netflix's "The Witcher" is so swift that people who aren't familiar with the games might wonder why the character is so elaborately designed. The reason for this is simple: The antagonist's appearance is a massive Easter egg for fans who have played CD Projekt Red's "The Witcher" video game from 2007. The Professor makes multiple appearances in the game, and as players can no doubt attest, he's a far bigger handful for Geralt than his Netflix version proves to be.  

The ease with which Cavill's Geralt dispatches an enemy who has given his video game version such trouble is a sign that the Netflix version of the legendary Witcher is at the height of his powers, and could just be the most powerful Geralt we've seen so far.

The Professor is by no means the strongest antagonist Geralt has to carve his way through in the games, but the assassin is nevertheless a formidable challenge whom the Witcher faces more than once. He's a condescending, snide man who isn't afraid to rely on underhanded tactics like wrist-mounted crossbows and powerful protective spells. He also shows very little fear while fighting Geralt, and isn't shy to lecture the protagonist about his less-than-pleasant views on the subject of Witchers. 

Apart from being a brief nod at the people familiar with the first "The Witcher" game, the assassin's presence in the Netflix show is also a fun meta-joke of sorts. Because the Professor is one of the two first major bad guys Geralt encounters in his very first game (the other being Azar Javed), he can be viewed as something of a starter villain. Here, he's pitted against a considerably stronger and more experienced Geralt with a mission — and the power imbalance between the two is not unlike what would happen if a video game character returned to the first area of a game after maxing all his stats. Thanks for dropping by, Professor!

So, now that we know that the game version of the Professor is a threatening opponent and the Netflix one somewhat less so, the question remains: Why does the live-action Geralt dispatch the guy so easily? Apart from differences in the Witcher's sheer skill and power, the video game Professor has one major advantage on his side. The game's version of Geralt is dealing with far more than the usual world-ending threats and man-eating monstrosities, as he has also lost his memory. As such, the Geralt the Professor is facing is more or less a blank slate, and still a long way away from the dominant, intimidating fighter that he is at the height of his Witcher powers.

The live-action Geralt of Rivia, on the other hand, might be struggling with his emotions, but his memory is fine. So are his fighting skills, his knowledge of Signs, and all the things that make him such a formidable opponent. This Geralt also meets the Professor in a random, muddy backyard, while the game versions of the characters contend in situations where the Professor has an upper hand, either leading an assault against the Witcher base Kaer Morhen or being protected by powerful magic. Still, let's be honest — even if the Professor would bring his full bag of tricks in the Netflix show, it's unlikely that he'd last long against Cavill's driven, resourceful and tough Geralt.