Was Geralt Once Part of the Wild Hunt? Explained

We all know that there are many different people pursuing Ciri because she has incredible powers and is capable of some of the greatest feats in the entire storyline of ‘The Witcher.’ But we know that the greatest threats to Ciri are the members of the Wild Hunt, a group of spectral elves looking to use Ciri’s powers to travel through worlds. Of course, Geralt is there to make sure that no one, including the Wild Hunt, can lay a finger on Ciri. But was Geralt once part of the Wild Hunt?

In the books, Geralt later joined the Wild Hunt in the storyline to get Yennefer back from the spectral riders that captured her. This happened in July of 1270 in the timeline of ‘The Witcher.’ When Ciri learned that Geralt had been riding with the Wild Hunt, she rescued him.

The entire storyline of Geralt riding with the Wild Hunt was one of the things that showcased what he was willing to do to make sure that the ones that he loved were safe. In that regard, his very decision to join the Wild Hunt was related to the fact that he wanted to keep Yennefer safe. So, with that said, let’s look into when and why Geralt joined the Wild Hunt.

When did Geralt ride with the Wild Hunt?

One thing that has always been true about the storyline of ‘The Witcher’ is that Geralt of Rivia would never do evil things, even though he may be a grumpy and brooding individual that hardly shows any emotions. Of course, he has always been someone who would focus more on keeping his friends safe because he has always been there to care for the people that he loved.

And we all know that he has worked hard to ensure that Ciri was safe from the people and creatures hunting her down to use her for their own advantage.

While we do know that an entire Empire has been hunting Ciri down, one of the things that we also know is that the Wild Hunt wants to use her as well. The Wild Hunt is a spectral group of elves that aren’t exactly in the Continent but can project their presence through spectral images even though they live in an entirely different world.

But while we know that Geralt wants to make sure that the Wild Hunt doesn’t get their hands on Ciri, we also know that he joined the Wild Hunt at one point in the storyline. We are not talking about Geralt’s past. Instead, we are talking about his story in the books, as he had to join the Wild Hunt at one point. And this part of his story is yet to be shown in the live-action Netflix series.

At one point in the story, Ciri decides to leave the Continent and live in another world using her powers. Meanwhile, Geralt and Yennefer decided to live in peace in a hut on the Island of Avallach, as they wanted to spend their lives together without worrying about the world’s troubles.

That was when the Wild Hunt discovered them and burned the entire island down before kidnapping Yen. In that regard, Geralt traveled the entire Continent searching for Yen.

Months after Yen was kidnapped, Geralt found a fellow Witcher named Letho, who had been mortally wounded by a slyzard. Geralt saved him as Letho told him the Wild Hunt was nearby. This happened in July of 1270 in the timeline of ‘The Witcher.’ Geralt and Letho traveled together to the Wild Hunt location while accompanied by Serrit and Auckes.

Upon reaching the Wild Hunt’s location, the Witchers fought valiantly and were able to give the spectral riders a tough battle. However, the Witchers were outnumbered and were clearly outmatched by the Wild Hunt.

That was when it was clear that no one was going to win that fight, and the Wild Hunt also knew that this battle wasn’t going anywhere because Geralt and his companions were fierce warriors that weren’t willing to give up despite being outnumbered.

Clearly, the fight wouldn’t end anytime soon, so Geralt decided to broker a stalemate with the king of the Wild Hunt. He decided to ride with them for an unspecified length of time, meaning he was now a member of the Wild Hunt.

Only when Ciri sensed that Geralt was in danger did she decide to use her powers to teleport him away from the Wild Hunt. After Geralt left the Wild Hunt due to Ciri’s intervention, he couldn’t recall any of the things he did with the Wild Hunt, which meant that it was as if he had never joined them. 

Why did Geralt join the Wild Hunt?

One of the things that people have always known about Geralt is that he cares for the people around him, even though he may be grumpy. He would always prioritize the safety of others instead of his own well-being, which was the case when he decided to join the Wild Hunt.

As mentioned, the Wild Hunt had previously kidnapped Yennefer, and Geralt’s sole mission was to find their location to get the love of his life back. But the problem was that Geralt and his companions weren’t strong enough to defeat the Wild Hunt. And the Wild Hunt also understood that the battle wouldn’t end well in their favor either.

The fight was a stalemate, and that was when Geralt and Eredin, the leader of the Wild Hunt, decided to broker a deal that would allow them to end their battle. Geralt offered his soul in exchange for Yennefer. He agreed to the terms because Eredin valued someone like Geralt due to his fighting abilities.

As such, Geralt was forced to ride with the Wild Hunt. He had no choice but to do so because he wanted to keep Yennefer safe from harm. And this is why Geralt, no matter how brooding and grumpy he may be, is a true hero willing to risk his own life for the safety of those he cares about.

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