Roach is not one horse but a tradition. Geralt gives the same name to every horse he owns, and he prefers mares. In the Polish original she is called Płotka, an affectionate diminutive meaning “little roach” (the freshwater fish, not the insect), which gives the name a warmth the English version loses.

In The Witcher 3

Roach is Geralt’s companion from the very first ride into White Orchard. She can be kitted out with saddles for longer gallops, saddlebags for more inventory space and blinders that keep her calm around monsters, and trophies from witcher contracts hang from her saddle. If Geralt refuses Emhyr’s payment after finding Ciri, the emperor gives him a black Nilfgaardian stallion, which then answers to the name Roach.

She races in contests such as Races: Crow’s Perch and the Vegelbud memorial derby, but her finest hour comes in Blood and Wine. In Equine Phantoms, a mushroom brew lets Geralt actually talk to her, and Roach turns out to have plenty of opinions about her rider.

In the books

In Sapkowski’s saga, Geralt rides a whole string of Roaches, and losing one is part of the rhythm of his life on the road.