The Witcher fans pay tribute as horse who played Roach passes away

It is a sad day for The Witcher fans and animal lovers all across the globe as it was revealed over the weekend that Hector, the horse who played Roach in The Witcher, has passed away.

Roach played a key role in both The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Netflix’s The Witcher as Geralt’s horse and loyal steed but now the equine actor, who starred in season two and three of the show, has sadly passed away at the age of just 12.

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The news was revealed this weekend thanks to Laca Juhasz of Team Juhasz, the team that provided horses for the majority of The Witcher filming.

In an Instagram story, we can see the beautiful horse accompanied by the words, “R.I.P Hector. 2013-2025”.

It is a sudden passing for Hector, who as a friesian horse, can live up to 25-30 years and it is no doubt that his death would be a massive blow for Henry Cavill who played the role of Geralt of Rivia.

It was reported that Cavill took an instant liking to Hector when they first met. However, as Hector was just 5-years old at the time, he was considered too young to take on the role of Roach.

As a result, the role was given to a brown horse known as Zeus for season one.

When Roach was killed in season two, Geralt was gifted a black horse and yes, you guessed it, Hector took on the role.

Cavill and Hector’s bond was undeniable and the actor even took to Instagram back in 2019 with a selfie of them both with the caption, “Genuinely love this horse #Hector”.

However, Hector wasn’t just known for his role in The Witcher but he also starred alongside Ben Barnes in Netflix’s Shadow & Bone.

Now it seems as though his Hollywood career is over and the beautiful steed can rest.

In the words of Geralt to Roach in season two, “Enjoy your last walk across the meadow and through the mist. Be not afraid of her, for she is your friend.”