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Netflix's "The Witcher" has rolled out an impressive amount of large-scale military threats and supernaturally powered antagonists over time. Still, considering its track record of nefarious emperors, wizards, and demonic entities, it's impressive that the most brutal threat of season 4 is just a guy. All right, not just any guy, even though it would be easy to mistake Leo Bonhart (Sharlto Copley of Neill Blomkamp's "District 9" fame) and his whole "1970s rock group's bass player" look as the kind of character that might be listed in the credits as "Villager #3" ... that is, before you notice the numerous Witcher pendants that he wears as trophies. Bonhart, as it happens, is an infamous bounty hunter with little regard for anyone's life, including his own. Witchers might be who the people of the Continent call to kill monsters, but Bonhart is the guy who's brought in when it's time to kill Witchers ... and now, Emperor Emhyr var Emreis' (Bart Edwards) minion Skellen (James Purefoy) has sent the bounty hunter after Ciri (Freya Allan). Sneering, theatrical, and almost casual in his violence, the disheveled but relentlessly charismatic Bonhart wouldn't be out of place in a superhero's rogues gallery. When he inevitably catches his prey, it becomes clear just how overpowered he is, too. I might have had a few choice words about "The Witcher" season 4 making the show's biggest mistake by featuring a certain scene with Ciri and the Rats, but even then, it's hard to watch Bonhart taking the morally ambiguous rogues (who probably won't be getting that rumored "The Witcher" spin-off now) quite literally apart. Disclaimer: If you haven't read the "Witcher" books and aren't keen on learning more about Old Leo's role in the grand scheme of things, spoilers follow. In Andrzej Sapkowski's "The Witcher" stories, Leo Bonhart is also a bounty hunter and a decidedly tough nut to crack. However, he's not quite as decorated a Witcher hunter as his live-action counterpart, having "just" three medallions to his name and only anecdotal proof of having actually killed the Witchers they belonged to. This doesn't stop Bonhart from being a singular menace, though. In the books, he takes a personal interest in Ciri after killing the Rats and abandons his contract in favor of imprisoning and tormenting her. In the process, the sadistic but skillful blade-for-hire becomes Ciri's most immediate and personal arch enemy, and fittingly enough, the pair eventually meet in a climactic duel. Without venturing too far into spoiler territory, Bonhart also has a profound influence on certain other major characters as well. Much of Bonhart's characterization in the books risks venturing a touch too far into the "one-note late game villain" territory once perfected by "Game of Thrones." (Sorry, Pilou Asbæk, I know you did your best with the version of Euron Greyjoy you were given.) Fortunately, the makers of "The Witcher" were aware of this, and Copley made sure to bring a few extra layers to his portrayal. "I like to play characters that are entertaining," he said in an interview with Tudum. "This genre allows you to play someone dark and twisted without taking it 100% seriously. You can dial it back a bit and add some fun and entertainment. Making the character a little more charismatic and darkly funny makes him more entertaining and interesting to watch." "The Witcher" season 4 is streaming on Netflix.
