Who is Regis in The Witcher season 4? Laurence Fishburne character explained

Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcherverse is packed full of fantasy staples, with the Continent’s many elves, dwarves, monsters and mages – and that only continues in season 4 of The Witcher.

While the Netflix series has featured a multitude of the aforementioned monsters, season 4 will feature an exciting first; the introduction of the true higher vampires.

Vampires have already debuted back in season 2 with the Bruxae. Geralt (previously played by Henry Cavill, with Liam Hemsworth now taking over) and Ciri (Freya Allan) encountered Vereena (Agnes Born) in A Grain of Truth, fans of the CD Projekt game will be aware that there are many species of both lesser and higher vampires.

The fourth instalment will finally introduce true higher vampires in the shape of fan favourite character Regis, played by The Matrix and John Wick stalwart Laurence Fishburne.

But can he be trusted? And what impact will he have on the battle for the fate of Ciri and the Continent?

Who is Regis in The Witcher?

Regis, aka Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy, is a centuries-old higher vampire who features in both the book series and the game as a loyal companion to Geralt and a key member of his travelling company on their quest to find Ciri.

He debuts in the midpoint of the fifth novel Baptism of Fire and becomes a key character throughout the remainder of the series, appearing in The Tower of the Swallow and The Lady of the Lake. He is also a major character in the Blood and Wine expansion of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and can also be seen in the beloved card game Gwent.

Regis is a noble, wise and surprisingly empathetic higher vampire who is the barber surgeon of Dillingen and a healer. He bumps into Geralt and his companions in an old elven cemetery on their way to Nilfgaard.

Despite being a higher vampire, Regis has sworn off drinking altogether, following a previous significant addiction which led to a particularly sticky ending with the local villagers!

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Fishburne revealed he'd never read the books or played the game, adding: "When I got the offer, [showrunner] Lauren [Hissrich] explained to me what she was wanting to do with the relationship between Geralt and Regis, and that it was a different kind of relationship for him, and that Regis was a vampire who didn't drink blood, which I thought was really fascinating.

"So I said yes, knowing that I didn't know anything and that I was going to have to just be able to surrender to the material and to the situation."

What are higher vampires in The Witcher?

As part of the Witcherverse lore, vampires are categorised by their species and class. Lesser vampires are more beast-like, primitive predators, while higher vampires are significantly more intelligent and powerful, often appearing more humanlike.

Common species of lesser vampires encountered in the game include the Ekimma and Fleder, while higher vampires include the aforementioned Bruxae and Alps, Katakans, Nekurats, and Mula.

But here’s where it gets a bit complicated – higher vampires are broken down into two categories; higher-class vampires and true higher vampires.

While they both share similar traits and abilities, such as telepathy and shapeshifting, true higher vampires – like Regis and Dettlaff van der Eretein – are far more powerful and can only be permanently killed by another true higher vampire. Meanwhile, Witchers can kill lower or lesser vampires with a silver sword, but not true higher vampires.

Why is Regis important in The Witcher?

Despite their initial misunderstanding and caution of the vampire, Regis becomes an integral part of Geralt’s travelling party, joining the rag-tag company of Milva (Meng'er Zhang), Jaskier (Joey Batey), Cahir (Eamon Farren) and book character, Angoulême.

Along with being an ally and helping the gang on their journey, almost instantly offering them shelter, along with food and drink, at his cottage, he also aids them in several dangerous encounters (such as a seemingly impossible test set by a crazed priest during a witch hunt).

He even saves Geralt’s life, with the Witcher eventually considering him a close companion and friend.

It’s not often that a higher vampire will willingly befriend a self-confessed monster hunter such as Geralt, let alone save one. This dynamic and Regis’s actions help to change the Witcher’s black-and-white view of supposed ‘sentient’ monsters, significantly altering his outlook, perspective and signature cynical nature.

Here’s hoping that the hugely talented Laurence Fishburne will do the fan-favourite character justice as he makes his debut in season 4.

The Witcher season 4 will be released on 30th October on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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