Henry Cavill’s Swordsmanship Praised By Expert, Even In The Witcher’s “Most Disappointing Fight Scene”
A weapons expert praises Henry Cavill’s swordsmanship as Geralt of Rivia, even in The Witcher season 1’s “most disappointing fight scene.”
A weapons expert breaks down The Witcher season 1’s fight scene, praising Henry Cavill’s swordsmanship during one of the show’s first action set pieces. Cavill portrayed Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s dark fantasy show that adapted Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels to the silver screen. While Cavill portrayed the monster-hunting Witcher from 2019 to 2023 across three seasons, the actor has stepped away from the role, with Liam Hemsworth set to take on the role across future seasons.
As Insider’s latest video breaks down battles from Lord of the Rings, Gladiator, and other films and shows, London Longsword Academy Master-At-Arms Dave Rawlings offered his own perspective on one of The Witcher’s earliest fight scenes from season 1, episode 1, “The End’s Beginning,” judging Cavill’s bloody rampage through the streets of Blaviken. While Rawlings made it clear that he had issues with the fight itself by deeming it one of his least favorite skirmishes in the entire series, the expert showered plenty of praise on Cavill’s swordsmanship, celebrating the actor’s physical presence and prowess as he marched on foes during the fight. Check out Rawling’s full critique below:
I have issues with this particular fight because there’s a lot of reverse grip with the sword being held backward down here. It’s not a good way to use the sword, you sacrifice your ability to defend above very very clearly you have not got any reach, it’s not safe, but he’s changed grip.
I like how he moves, I think he’s got a good organic feel to him. Generally, the sword is being moved in front of him, which is a very very god thing, it’s very rarely just kept behind him so he’s closing the space off between him and his opponent with the word.
The thing is most of my judgment on this fight scene is actually Henry Cavill being very very good physically, and what is shown in this fight scene is probably being the most disappointing fight scene in The Witcher so far. So, for Henry Cavill, it’s going to have like an eight, for actual quality of fighting it’s going to have about four.
How Henry Cavill Dedicated Himself To Portraying Geralt In The Witcher
A longtime fan of The Witcher franchise, Cavill has made it no secret that he has a great deal of affection for the source material. Before being cast in the Netflix show, Cavill was one of the first voices to declare his interest in taking on the role of Geralt. Furthermore, the actor’s knowledge of the series saw him build up a reputation on-set as someone who could offer his own perspective on how the show could approach certain characters and moments, with Cavill’s co-stars deeming him a “Witcher bible.”
Cavill’s dedication to The Witcher also extended beyond being knowledgeable of the franchise’s lore and into the physical work that he put into the Netflix series. Inspired by Tom Cruise’s dedication during their time together on the set of Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Cavill performed his own Witcher stunts as much as he was allowed to do in hopes of providing a more genuine representation of the character. As such, Cavill has undergone an incredible amount of training in both combat and horse riding to help bring the fantasy world to life.
With Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt being one of the most celebrated aspects of The Witcher, Rawling’s praise will be appreciated. While The Witcher’s first few brawls may be a rough experience for the expert to watch, it is clear from his analysis that he appreciates the work that the actor put into portraying Geralt. As the actor took his final bow as Geralt in The Witcher season 3, the Master-At-Arm’s critique is a perfect send-off to Cavill’s time in the role.
