My favorites characters from "The Witcher"
Taking the opportunity that the shooting for the second season of "The Witcher" has started, I will share with you a list of my 13 favorite heroes from the most famous Polish universe.
I rely heavily on books, but in some cases I follow more of a game or series. Yes, both the game and the Netflix series have changed some things (in some cases even more than a little) from the Sapkowski original, but in general these are changes that, in my opinion, are not particularly disturbing. Well, maybe except for Triss, which I can't bear because it has little to do with the character I met in the books (unless that was the intention and in the following seasons it will be more similar to its original). Except for this one lady, the characters are very similar to their book counterparts, only the emphasis has been slightly different, the context of certain events has been slightly changed, but in the end they are not too far apart. For example, Yennefer is a cold bitch and manipulator, and Dandelion is a kind fool who thinks more with his penis than his brain. The positions on the list do not matter much, except for the first one and the fact that I divided the list into two tiers - the better and the worse half. In both, it is difficult for me to indicate which heroes I like more, but involuntarily I like those from the second half of the text a little more. Attention, there are spoilers from games and books!
Lambert - When I met this Witcher for the first time (I got to know this universe thanks to the game), I felt a characteristic feeling that we experience when we meet a person resonating with us or a person transmitting on the same wavelength. As soon as my Geralt and Lambert's paths parted in the game, I immediately spoke to my friend Karol in the messanger, asking him about his friend, the White Wolf, if he was the same in the book etc. Among several answers, one of them I remember permanently - "he is the same person, but a bit different, the emphasis on individual character traits is distributed differently". This can also be translated into a few other characters, such as Regis, but we'll talk about him a bit later. What's Lambert like? He is a smart and arrogant, arrogant boor who likes to whine, swear and have the final say in everything. He also often complains that he would not like to be a monster hunter and if he could, he would prefer to change his fate. He also likes to emphasize in a bitter tone that he did not ask for such a fate and not everyone is lucky enough to be a living legend like the White Wolf. It is almost the same in the book, but due to the shorter role, most of its features cannot be resonated strongly enough. He also swears noticeably less, but this is due to the authors who have slightly increased the level of vulgarity in relation to books. Precisely for this reason, it is so low on this list. He is an underdeveloped character and there is not much of him in the book or the game with the subtitle "Wild Hunt". However, the creators of the latter slightly corrected Sapkowski's shortcomings and provided us with more scenes with the other Witchers. Mostly the funny ones, like the famous drunk quest or the mockery of Papa Vessemir. I would like to guide him in some spin-off similar to the 3rd part, but it is rather a dream that I will never live to see. I wouldn't disdain Eskell either.
Triss Merigold- While I can understand why fans like pairing Geralt x Yen from the game, I don't understand book fans. the book sorceress from Vengerberg is a bitch among bitches. In the end, she chose a white-haired one, but before that happened, he had to ask a lot and try. She is also cool, eminently arrogant and cynical. He plays with Geralt almost as much as with other men, often even humiliating him. It was completely different with the chestnut-haired Triss. It was she who was ready to humiliate herself so that the Witcher would give her a moment of attention or a little tenderness. Maybe she is too childish in terms of character and showing affection, but that's just the appearance. If you remember the Battle of Kaer Morhen or what people say about the Battle of Sodden, you know how powerful it can be. It earned her the nickname Fourteenth Down Sodden Hill and the scarring on her chest that covers her entire body up to her neck. Managing such experiences as well as surviving them requires a tough character and the ability to deal with emotions. This nature, combined with physical attractiveness, makes many men dream of having such a partner. She is independent, has a positive attitude to life, much more agreeable than Yenn, and at the same time has the same high libido. And you don't have to constantly strive for her attention, because if you fall in love, it's deadly. It is a pity that Geralt x Triss is not a binding canon. For her mother, Ciri is too soft, but since she has coped with the hardships of studying in Aretuza, motherhood should not be such a big challenge.
Vessemir - Just as Nenneke is like a mother to Geralt, Vessemir is a father. The most developed character of all The Witchers, excluding the main character from this group. Among the characters we know, it is probably only Regis who is older than him. They are both very calm and know that there is no need to worry until it gets too dangerous. And even then, they don't get too stressed, as long as the threat of an efficient attack can be dealt with at the right moment. They both do not like to act rashly and prefer to wait for the situation to develop. After all, why bother unnecessarily if you just need to be in the right place at the right time and do the right thing? Despite his advanced age, he can be proud of his sobriety of mind and good fencing. If a sorceress had cast a powerful Axia sign or some other spell on him and had him fight one of her students, he would not have been in a losing position. True, if they were older and more experienced, the difference between them and the old wolf would deepen, but fighting is not about being better, but being more effective. If old age hasn't dulled his senses too much, he can still sense the right moment to attack. The witcher's swords are so sharp that they are enough to end the fight with 1 or 2 accurate blows.
I cried when the Wild Hunt killed him. Very emotional and excellently staged death and funeral scenes. A very positive character from which you can feel paternal care and warmth. He also likes to remind him of the basics of combat, information about monsters, which Lambert maliciously reminds him by trying to imitate his gestures and tone of voice. In retrospect, it's actually a positive manner. Thanks to this, you can develop appropriate reactions, and a person has the know-how of what to do in a given situation more imprinted in his memory. Thanks to such tenderness, Ciri and Geralt have extensive knowledge of monsters and know how to deal with them, sometimes avoiding unnecessary or too dangerous fights. Lambert is an eternal rebel and a bulky kid, Coen is even younger, but he doesn't seem to mind, and Eskell is about Geralt's age, so he's already done his job at school, so Vessemir doesn't have to remind him that often. Personally, I prefer grandparents from Japanese comic books, but our Polish one has no reason to be complex.
Letho from Guleta - A character created by the Reds for the second part of the game. Like Geralt, it stands out from other Witchers. He's bald and he's a walking pile of muscles. However, do not be fooled, although he looks more like Hulk, he is not stupid and his physical fitness does not differ much from what Geralt presents. I haven't played "Assassins of Kings" yet (although if I get to the remaster of "Command and Conquer", I will probably play because I have a legal copy from GOG), so I don't know its full story, but what I saw in the three, it was enough for me to like it. I wouldn't call him a good character, but he doesn't qualify as bad either. True, he is a hired bully, but what can you do about it, such a profession. He does not dazzle with unnecessary cruelty, like The Witchers from the Kota School or Leo Bonhart, who prefers to get things done quickly and professionally. The sorceresses who hired him at the beginning fulfilled their contract and only Emhyr treated him instrumentally and used him. He promised him to rebuild the witcher's guild of the Viper, which he ultimately failed to do. Contrary to the stereotypical trait that snakes are identified with, Letho is not cunning and treacherous, or at least not in this negative way. He knows what honor is and has a sense of decency, as evidenced by his participation in the battle for Kaer Morhen and his behavior in the witcher's stronghold. Although he is a little treated by Lambert, he performs the task entrusted to him without unnecessary complaints and does not draw a weapon to lock up Geralt's friend. Hope to see it in the next part of the game.
Calanthe - I like strong female characters. There are many of those in "The Witcher", but only a few have been developed to such an extent that I can say something more about them. I rejected Yennefer at the start, and the priestess Nenneke at the final selection, because although I like her creation, I would not like to write about her after 3 sentences. It's different with Calanthe, which I liked immediately both in the book and in the series. Characteristic and determined bitch, but different from Yennefer. For Yenn it results more from a strong desire for independence, and for Queen Cintra, from care for her subjects and the burden that comes with being a ruler. An ordinary man, or even a nobleman, can allow himself to be weak or stuck in poverty, but not a king, much less a queen. Being weak provokes a strong attacker, and the right strength and self-confidence make a potential attacker more aggressive towards him. Especially when we are talking about female representatives, who rarely equal male strength or fitness in most fields of sport, martial arts and competition. Therefore, women in such a position must be exceptionally characterful to make it clear to the aggressor that he is risking a lot. They have to somehow compensate for their deficiencies resulting from biological reasons. Calanthe does not have any magical powers, and her sword swinging skills do not have a driveway to Geralt's ones, but combined with her wisdom and big balls, they are sufficient to hold many opponents. He moves efficiently on the edge, sometimes pressing down on his opponent, but in a controlled manner. He knows what he can afford and how to control his emotions. She is tough, sometimes it seems that she is even too much, but she has not lost her feelings and understanding. He is actually a good person, but because of his office, he cannot afford to show it too often. I hope Netflix doesn't cut out those little snippets that showed the times of her youth. Contrary to what she told her granddaughter, she had a similar or even greater will than Pavetta or Ciri.
Cahir - As a friend of mine once said, his story is one of the best redemption threads I have ever known in books, series, movies, anime etc. We get to know him as a mortal enemy who traumatized Ciri, and we bid farewell as a friend, both for the heroes of the book and its readers. At first I thought he was a gentle boy who owes a high position in the Nilfgaardian army, mainly because of his family connotations, but over time I changed my mind about him. Both about his fighting skills and character. The fight on the bridge showed that he has a head on his neck and is suitable for a colonel (he can give orders and snatch his snout at soldiers loud enough). He and Geralt had a great scene there, as they both stood with their backs to each other, like Goku and Vegeta from "Dragon Ball Z" in the face of the overwhelming advantage of their opponent. I didn't have to wait long for proof of character - not long after the battle on the bridge, he spoke with Geralt. As is often the case, he was stupidly stubborn and regularly disdained the involvement of the Nilfgaardian, denying his good intentions and treating him as a leg. When finally the cup of bitterness poured out, he fucked the white-haired man strongly in the face, repaying him with vulgarisms and insults.
I shed a tear of emotion when he felt in Stygga's castle that death was approaching him. He faced destiny knowing that he had no chance with Bonhart. He didn't care, he knew he had achieved his goal and was ready to die. The fight did not last long, and it did not result in much, because Leo quickly caught up with his prey, but thanks to this his plot was closed with a great buckle. I have a slight grudge against the developers of the game that they did not make a reference in Toussaint to him and the rest of the fallen in Stygga Castle, because it was a great opportunity. One quest or starting a long dialogue would be enough.
Zoltan Chivay - In books, series, anime, etc. usually I appreciate these bad characters. Mainly because the good ones are too often crap or they are not very convincing with their positive attitude. It is different from Zoltan, he does not despair over matters over which he has no influence. Instead, he prefers to help people in need, and more specifically those in his immediate vicinity. Why waste time and resources if you are unsure of its effectiveness? Helping the closest people in need gives him more satisfaction, and at the same time teaches his current companions the correct attitude towards those in need. While this behavior is commendable, I liked it for something else. I mean humor, and Zoltan delivers it in a large amount in both game and book form. Be it in the form of funny texts, funny allusions or funny situations, and these are not lacking. Suffice it to mention the possession of Regis's moonshine and a murderous hangover or the situation in which he described his sword: "On my sihill," growled Zoltan, baring his sword, "an ancient dwarven spell is carved with ancient dwarven runes. me. Oh, look.
"Ha," asked Dandelion, who had just approached them. "So these are the famous secret dwarf runes?" What does this inscription say?
- "For you bastards!"
I don't count how many times I cried with laughter while reading a book or following a game. The very voice of Paweł Szczęsny meant that even when I sat down to play with a bad mood, the sad expression on my face instantly turned into a smile from ear to ear. It was so perfectly matched (just like with most of the characters) that while reading his texts, I imagined his voice in my head. I would have forgotten, he has one more funny asset - Field Marshal Duda's parrot and his very indecent language. The bird swears disgustingly and speaks indecently about the beauty of women or says what he would like to do with them. It's a pity that she doesn't appear in the game, but we have a funny reference - she is replaced by Filippa, who was won by Zoltan playing cards. The only thing I could really fault is the card games of the dwarves and halflings, but this is more because of the games, because Gwent in book form was not tiring and was quite a nice addition. Mainly due to the fact that there was less of it.
Sigismund Dijkstra- Probably the brightest and most effective gray eminence of politics in Sapkowski's world. I don't recall any colleague working so hard, be it from the North or South, and equally effective. And he had to try very hard, because, like Emhyr, he has his limitations that ordinary people or enemies do not notice, both abroad and inside his country. People who would like to hang it, like any opponent, or throw it from the saddle, for a better position or earnings. Emhyr is limited by strong allies, counterparts of large corporations and owners of large capital, while Dijkstra is tied up with a smaller budget (which means that he must do more or suck on the rulers of Kovir), he does not have such resources, he does not have certain allies. Yes, diplomacy is doing better for him, but mainly because of the shallow level of associates from the rest of the north and less management field. His behavior harmonizes perfectly with his activities, and his great appearance and apparent clumsiness mask him effectively. If you are not aware of who he really is, no one would believe it. It is as slippery as a snake, tries to be a few steps ahead of the others, but does not forget about its own safety and usually has several plans to withdraw. For this reason, there is another similarity to Emhyr - the guy has so many masks, he cannot afford to be overly open that it is difficult to recognize this real Dijkstra. I dare to doubt if it is possible at all when he is on the main continent, so he is necessarily forced to do this and not other activities. To sum up, he is a comprehensively invented character, one of the best characters by Andrzej Sapkowski.
Gaunter O'dim - The second character created for the game, which I chose for this set, but much more interesting than Letho. Although I learned quite quickly that this is a filler character in relation to books, it is not visible at all. The writers of the game did a good job, Mr. Lusterko fits so organically in Sapkowski's world that you might think that he himself invented it. It is full of secrets, it is difficult to find any information about it. One is that most of the people who know something about it are dead or have lost their minds, two that you have to look in several different places and organize this information yourself to find out something specific. It's hard to say who he is - a genie, some creature with strong magic, some people call him a devil. A character absolutely evil and playing with human misfortune, but not in a cliche way. I don't know his English voice actor, but Dariusz Odija did a great job. He has a devilishly persuasive and deep voice that perfectly underlines his advocate cynicism of the inferior (not in skill, but their morals) lawyers and the method of some banksters. Feel from him similar vibrations as from Satan from "Devilman: Crybaby", he also loves to "help" people to climb on the rake, which will cause them a lot of pain. And yes, he is right when he says that people are responsible for their own misfortunes, but on the other hand, making stupid mistakes is one thing, and seizing an opportunity with supernatural powers is another. Hiding your intentions behind human greed is a poor alibi in such a situation, but if it were not for this, Mr. Mirror would have lost some of his inspirational personality.
Emhyr var Emreis - Until I got to know Emiel better, the Emperor of Nilfgaard was my favorite. An ambiguous man who lacks a moral backbone, but not principles and honor. A terrible cruelty who ruthlessly manages the army, causing fear among his own and the ranks of the enemy. However, he is not surprised, he was quickly forced to learn what life really looks like and that it can only be changed by your own actions. Decisive, often too far-reaching, but practical action. A true statesman who is aware of his position and responsibilities arising from it. Not only towards the citizens and their aspirations, or the owners of large plants, trading posts and their hunger for money, but also towards themselves and other factors that effectively disturb their peace. Despite all this, he did not lose his character and kept his sober mind. As I mentioned, it is verbal, and at the same time gives the space and offers the support of its resources. As long as the implementation does not conflict with his interests, he handsomely rewards those who helped him. In return, it requires only effects, and if it does not, the victim can only pray for the slightest possible death. He can be accused of the sin of incest, but looking at it from his perspective - is it surprising? Because not really me. Ithlinne's prophecy comes true, there is evidence of it, and she herself, regardless of the translation (oral or paper form), says the same - the son of Ciri and Emhyr will rule half the world, and their grandson will rule the whole world. The fact is, having intercourse with my daughter is disgusting and beyond my mind, but if you look at it from the perspective of the history of a long human history, there have been and are much worse things than the relationship between a daughter and a father. Some of the rulers of this world and the rich have far worse fantasies and are driven not by profit, but by senseless cruelty. The fact that there are worse things does not whiten his faults, it is true, but he probably thinks it is a small price to pay for the benefits he gets.
Like him or not, it doesn't bother Emhyr himself (as if it mattered to a fictional character) or the facts. And the facts are that only resolute and effective leaders make history. Usually, it has to do with being seen as the worst whores, they have a lot of dead bodies in the closet and they have ruined a lot of people's lives, but that's how it is. If you don't take your fate into your own hands and do as much as possible to change it, someone will decide for us. Duny took fate into his own hands and from a cursed type with a face of a hedgehog, he became the most powerful person in the world of The Witcher. What is magic, superhuman skills, or outstanding fencing of a few knights, when you have a military juggernaut with a huge army, own mages, and technology that gives you an ever greater advantage? Emhyr could even suppress an entire army of vampires that had raided Toussaint, and he would have done so much more effectively than the knighthood of Toussaint. I have already written this in another text, but what better example of his powerful personality than that he picked up a pretty girl by being disgustingly ugly?
Leo Bonhart - I was delighted with Future Trunks' debut at DBZ recently. I have detailed the context of this event, which is why it is so strong for both heroes and readers. Bonhart's entrance may not be as strong as in the case of Bulma and Vegeta's son, but it is one of the most memorable moments of my adventure with the world of Geralt and co. Before Sapkowski introduced the witcher hunter directly to us, he announced him accordingly. We knew that he was a determined mercenary, whose fencing definitely exceeds the level of average warriors and knights of the entire world known to us. The rats were also warned that Leo had a soreness for them and advised to flee. They ignored it, because what can one soldier do against a group of seasoned bandits? They came to town to get him on their terms, not expecting that they would only make his job easier. At that time Bonhart was leaving the inn where he had stayed for the night. He was dressed in pantaloons, some loose shirt, similarly presented from the inside - he was in a good mood after sleeping and was getting ready for breakfast. The rats started to pretend to be crooks and threaten him, to which he replied in an idyllic tone more or less like this: "Relax, each of you will get the fuck, you don't have to hurry and push one through the other. No nerves, because it will hurt you even more, I'm kind enough to want to kill you in a merciful way. " The bandits were provoked and attacked Bonhart. The fight didn't go on too and as he said so did, he murdered them all. Few of the Rat group were lucky and fell to the ground after a few well-aimed blows with their sword, not feeling their lives being drained, and the jail was dying with pain like stray dogs. On the other hand, all of them lost their heads, which Bonhart personally chopped off.
As I sometimes recall, since I was a child I have been fond of watching sadists and bad people in action. I'm not sure if I would put the witcher hunter on the podium of my favorite heroes of this type, but he would have easily been in the top5. In some moments it was so sharp that I quickly scanned the description, not paying too much attention to how he treated Ciri. He treated her worse than some draft-animal owners - mishandled her friends' corpses, dragged her with a chain that he hung around her neck, tormented her physically and mentally, and sent her off to arena fights. It is an emanation of pure evil, like Freezer from DBZ or Dio Brando from "JoJo's Bizzare Adventure", the only difference is that he made it a form of earning money. His appearance reflects well his cruel character. He is a tall, thin man looking like death with empty eyes. Eyes that express no emotion except anger and bottomless regret.
However, I would not like him so much if it were not for his skill in the use of a sword and combat. Geralt would be able to deal with him (and Geralt, after the Potions, for sure), but he would face a rather difficult fight, in which it is possible that he could lose his life in unfavorable circumstances or in case of making a mistake. True, Leo killed some of his colleagues, but he died in a fight with Ciri. It is true that the daughter of Pavetta and Duny underwent training in Kaer Morhen, and the witchers from the wolf school loaded her with special herbs, which made her stronger, more enduring, agile and had stronger muscles, but if she had to fight seriously with Lambert or Geralt, she would rather wouldn't stand a chance. Especially with the legendary swordfish called the White Wolf. True, the battlefield favored her more than Leo, but the latter, in turn, made up for in strength and combat experience. Nevertheless, losing to such an opponent is no reason to be ashamed, most of the knights in his place would fall even faster.
Vilgefortz - In his case, a similar principle works as in Bonhart's. I love super strong characters that are hard to beat in a 1 vs 1 fight, and I don't know a creature as strong as this mage. There are definitely some higher vampires, genies, etc. that would have dealt with it, but Sapkowski made it clear to us that it would have to be some goddamn creature. The only type I can think of is Regis, as long as the one Sapkowski imagines has speed and strength, like the one by the Reds. True, the book is superhumanly powerful, but the higher vampires in the person of Dettlaff and the game Regis are a different league. I associate them more with Saiyans from DBZ which were enhanced with magical skills. They are lightning fast, able to snap a large hole in the human body, they can very easily turn into a fog during a fight, on the principle - they are supposed to hit the throat with a sword, but turn into black smoke a millisecond later. The one in the books showed it to a lesser extent and rather didn't have such high stats, although for the first time Vilgefortz really feared for his life during the fight with Regis. Well, earlier events, a solo with furious Geralt, events on Thanedd etc. did not scare him, he even felt quite at ease. It is largely thanks to him that this is my favorite arc in the whole "The Witcher".
The guy first perfectly placed the pieces on the board in the form of wizards, soldiers of the north and south, and then he played a game of chess with himself. I am not 100% sure if Vilgefortz planned the entire plan from A to Z and personally made sure that everything went as it was in his plan, but even if he could not influence some of the events or had to leave some to chance, it still he did most of the work himself. And as was the case with the typical Bad Lord, he had to screw everything up by five to twelve. All in all, it is hardly surprising for him, he had a kind of masking technology, he did not move from his castle, which he adapted to himself (he strengthened with magic, he had the right crystals and other items to strengthen his power), and his opponents, apart from Regs, were freaks for him. dog's tail. It was exactly as he showed during his earlier solo with Geralt - if he had fought seriously from the beginning, the Witcher would have been massacred like a child in a fight to the death with an inflated MMA fighter. Barely alive and terribly wounded, Yennefer could hold Vilgefortz for a moment while he was warming up, and Geralt was almost killed by a fireball released casually. Kind of like the situation in DBZ when some Freezer or Cell coke throws a random Ki blast to destroy some weak page. The vampire scared him, but the mage quickly regained his pace and sentenced Regis to a fate worse than death. First, he tore it as easily as if it were a piece of paper rather than a flesh, and then pressed it into the pillar of his castle. A shitty fate, to be immortal but welded permanently to a building that was later turned into rubble. As a result, his pride had lost him, and he had missed the last moment when he could get rid of his problems and triumph.
It is a pity that he was eventually carried away by emotions and pride overshadowed his sober reasoning. For most of the saga, he acted very wisely, not making unnecessary movements and efficiently eliminating the obstacles he encountered. He was extremely cynical and used people as tools, but I was convinced by his argumentation of his ideas. Sure, his talk was a pipe dream, but it's hard to deny him some logic and methodical approach to the subject, as was the case with Thanos from Avengers.
Regis - On average, several times a month I wonder who is my favorite character in "The Witcher". Sometimes I find that my choice depends on my mood or what I'm thinking about at the moment. Usually, the first person that comes to my mind is Regis. There are several reasons for this - he has a rich personality, enormous tolerance towards any handicaps, loves to discuss (not only for the conversation itself, but also to confront his views with others, to better understand someone else's perspective or get to know a different view of reality), he does not like violence as well and treats it only as a last resort. Some people may perceive him as an inconsistent figure, not because of ambiguous morality or hypocrisy, because if he has such a mistake, he can apologize. He just has a very complex personality and opinions that can seem to be mutually exclusive until we get to know him well. To explain this easier, I will refer to a specific example from the book, using the matters of our world. Regis is a 100% centrist, there is no excessive deviation towards conservatism or liberalism in the understanding of people with leftist views. Personally, he is an opponent of abortion, but he does not impose these views on others, but only tries to convince them to change their minds with arguments. Well, he is ready to give Milva "help" (I put it in quotation marks on purpose, because not everyone sees it that way), but before he does it, he tries every way to dissuade her from it. He does not convince her by force, he tries not to abuse cheap emotional arguments. He knows that life is not black and white, but has tons of different shades of gray, and realizes that sometimes you have to choose the lesser evil. Especially when we are talking about weaker races, such as people who, due to their short life and lack of unique abilities (such as longevity characteristic of several races or sensitivity to magic, as in the case of Aguar or Elves). He was young himself too, and he knows that during this period you have all sorts of stupid thoughts and you just want to play. He himself participated in various orgies, he terrorized people along with his colleagues and did not refuse blood.
As I wrote on Vilgefort, although the book Regis is a bit weaker than the game, it is still more powerful than most of the creatures from the Sapkowski world. Destroying the soldiers is not a problem for him - he casts an area spell and then kills everyone with a light blow. It was more or less as if an adult had been given the task of defeating some helpless creature, like a 5-year-old child. A kid can hurt him, cause a lot of physical pain, and yes, but there is no option for him to be able to permanently damage him. Such Regis, in turn, approaches and kills the man with one bitchslap. It looks much worse when you drink blood or sense a high concentration of it. Then she fucks him a little, loses control over himself and activates something like a vampire Super Saiyan. In this form, it smashes ordinary vampires into 2.3 bitchslaps, something like Nappa and Vegeta, when they came to Earth and beat the defenders of Earth without getting too tired. It is true that we do not know what his book power-up looks like when he gets drunk, but it works on a more or less similar principle. We don't often see him in this form, because Regis gave up his blood drinking habit hundreds of years ago. Indeed, he enjoys it roughly as much as he enjoys consuming the drug a'la ecstasy, but he does not have to drink it, unlike ordinary vampires.
I can't wait to see him probably in season 3. May they take an actor like Henry Cavill to him, because he may not like the weaker when trying to recreate such a rich and ambiguous personality.