The Witcher is a rich universe, full to the brim with some of the most vibrant, memorable, and deep characters in any fictional universe. Everyone obviously loves Geralt, Triss, Yennefer, Dandelion, Zoltan, and a whole host of other characters. However, to assume that these people are the only ones worth caring about would be a completely incorrect statement. After all, the beauty of The Witcher stems from its side characters that add that extra bit of flavor to the main proceedings.
One such character that played a major role in The Witcher 2 before being featured in just a few throwaway mentions in the sequel is Iorveth, one of the most interesting and multi-faceted characters present in The Witcher. While it’s a shame that this person doesn’t even make a physical appearance in The Wild Hunt, there are still several aspects of his character that are bound to interest book, television, and gaming fans alike. Here are ten facts you didn’t know about Iorveth in The Witcher.
10 His First Physical Appearance Was In The Video Games
For all the times that Iorveth has been mentioned in the books, one would’ve assumed that he’s made an appearance in Sapkowski’s novels long before The Witcher 2.
However, what might surprise most fans is that Iorveth’s first-ever appearance in the Witcher canon actually came in the game!
9 He Led The Last Scoia’tael Commando Against The Nilfgaard Army
Anyone who’s played The Witcher 2 can attest to the fact that Iorveth is an absolute beast in battle. His prowess with a bow is legendary enough as is, but he also happens to be an excellent swordsman as well.
His leadership skills are also worth a mention, with the group of Scoia’tael commandos under him being the final commando to stand against Nilfgaard in the Second War, before eventually succumbing to their might.
8 Iorveth Is Pretty Well-Versed When It Comes To The Lord Of The Rings
Now here’s something you don’t read every day. The love that CD Projekt Red has for all things fantastical is pretty well documented, and it’s this understanding of this genre that allowed them to craft one of the best fantasy trilogies in gaming history.
Their love for The Lord Of The Rings is especially apparent, as seen in the fact that they’ve made Iorveth reference some of the many iconic terms and sayings from this franchise. The most well-known reference comes from him referring to “cake” as “lembas.”
7 The Only Elven Speak That Isn’t Translated In The Witcher 2 Comes From Iorveth’s Dream
While this might be somewhat of a minor fact, it’s still somewhat interesting that CD Projekt Red decided to display a bit of favoritism towards Iorveth, regardless of how minor it may be.
This can be seen in the fact that one of Iorveth’s dream sequences is the only moment in the game where the Elvish tongue isn’t translated.
6 He’s Racist Yet Fair Towards Humans
As is the case with most elves that end up getting the short end of the stick in The Witcher’s universe, the mistreatment that Iorveth faced at the hands of humans led to him developing a distaste for that particular race.
However, this hatred isn’t completely blind as most people might assume. If the player wishes, they can actually bring evidence against a young elf called Ele’yas who is murdering innocent humans for fun. This doesn’t sit well with Iorveth, who dishes his own brand of justice upon this rascal.
5 Iorveth Shares A Lot In Common With Another Character Called Isengrim Faoiltiarna
While Iorveth might’ve just been mentioned a few times in the books, another character by the name of Isengrim Faoiltiarna is featured quite heavily in Sapkowski’s novels. This character also happens to share quite a striking visual resemblance with Iorveth.
This might not be a coincidence — in fact, the physical description of Iorveth in The Assassins Of Kings is pretty much directly taken from the same description of Isengrim Faoiltiarna in one of the novels, Baptism Of Fire.
4 Iorveth Was Originally Going To Be In Six Quests From The Witcher 3
Fans who played The Witcher 3 were enraptured with everything present in the title. However, they couldn’t help but notice that one particular character was missing from the title, who happened to be none other than Iorveth.
However, if everything went according to plan, Iorveth would’ve actually been a part of six quests in The Wild Hunt. Two of these quests were cut from the game altogether, with the other four featuring different characters instead. Apparently — as per CD Projekt Red — the quests would’ve required way too many mechanics to be tweaked, and were cut from the end product… along with Iorveth himself.
3 He Would’ve Allied With His Rivals, Roche And Ves
One interesting dynamic that would’ve come with the integration of Iorveth into the main game was the fact that he would form an uneasy alliance with Roche and Ves, two characters from The Witcher 2 who Iorverth wasn’t particularly fond of.
The alliance would’ve been made all the more entertaining —and hilarious — with the fact that Thaler of all people would’ve been in the mix as well.
2 He Would’ve Been A Part Of The Battle Of Kaer Morhen
The Battle Of Kaer Morhen is easily one of the most epic set pieces in The Witcher 3, serving as a cumulation of all your choices throughout the games to create something truly spectacular. Apparently — according to the game files — this battle would’ve also featured Iorveth as well.
There was supposed to be an interaction between Roche, Iorveth, and Letho, which would’ve been a treat to watch for players of the second game. But alas, this never came to be.
1 Iorveth’s Was CD Projekt Red’s Answer To Fantasy Stereotypes
While it’s true that CD Projekt Red is very much inspired by the fantasy tropes that have already been established since time immemorial, people who’ve played their games could definitely attest to the fact that they always put their own unique spin into whatever they create.
In a world where elves are supposed to be beautiful creatures with mild personalities, Iorveth’s scarred mug and brash attitude stand out as an exception to this rule. One can only wonder how CD Projekt Red will subvert expectations with Cyberpunk 2077 looming on the horizon.
NEXT: Cyberpunk 2077: 5 Ways It Will Be Completely Different Than The Witcher (& 5 Ways It Won’t)
