The Real Reason Geralt Has Yellow Eyes In The Witcher
How someone responds to hearing the nickname "White Wolf" reveals the kind of nerd that they are. If they hear that phrase and immediately think of the angsty assassin Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) aka the Winter Soldier, then they're a comics nerd. If they hear that name and think of the angsty bounty hunter Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) aka the Butcher of Blaviken, then they're a fantasy nerd. Either way, there's an unhealthy fascination with long haired, unavailable men. At least in Geralt's case, however, the nickname makes sense, even if he does crack more smiles than people give him credit for. Not only is his Witcher symbol a literal wolf, but the big brooding boy is rocking a stylish head of silvery white hair — it can't get any more "White Wolf" than that, can it?
Interestingly enough, Geralt's distinctive hair color is a point of curious contention for viewers because he seems to be the only Witcher who possesses it. This quandary extends even further when you start wondering about his incredibly yellow eye color, as well.
So, why is the White Wolf the way he is? Here's a quick rundown of Geralt's unique path towards Witcher-dom.
Geralt's been through more than most
Let's get through this with as little intense fictional verbiage as possible because — as we all know — high concept fantasy stories can get a little heavy with the exposition. It's fun, but it's not for everyone.
As previously mentioned, and as displayed in Season 2 of the Netflix series, Geralt's aesthetic is unique among Witchers. No one else is, by merit of their status as a Witcher, rocking the white hair and golden eyes, and that's because no one else had to undergo the same process as Geralt. Not completely, at least.
To become a Witcher, potential candidates (read: children, this is done to literal children) must survive the Trial of the Grasses. As covered in-depth by Sideshow, this trial — which is really just a series of experiments — is incredibly painful and comes with a high mortality rate. A really, really high mortality rate. However, those who survive come out the other end with superpowers. Geralt not only survived this process, he somehow thrived. He was so unperturbed by the Trial of the Grasses that he was put through further experiments to test his abilities. These further experiments lead to his unnaturally white hair and golden eyes, both of which are achieved in the Netflix series via practical makeup.
Given that the whole ordeal was almost certainly excruciatingly painful, it's unlikely that others would be interesting in following suit, but let's be real here — naturally white hair and golden eyes are the kind of aesthetic that cosplayers spend serious coinage on. If similar trials were available in our world, there would absolutely be volunteers.