Can I knockout the executioner? (Prologue)

Started my second playthrough, last time I killed everyone in the dungeon on my way out, this time I'm knocking them all out.

Is the executioner fight mandatory if I want the stuff in that room? and will it effect what Roche has to say when next I meet him?

I'm pretty sure you can't knock him out, but I'm not 100% on that.

I fought him and Roche still acted like I had gotten out without any violence, so no. It shouldn't affect what he has to say.

Like you, I went through the dungeon knocking everyone out. Though I tried to do the executioner and the (other guy?) in that room, there didn't seem to be any way, so I knocked out the other guy, which alerted the executioner who I had to kill.

No problem getting all the loot, either way.

And there is a difference to Roche's remarks. At the end, when you get to the boat he compliments you on being silent if you did knockouts throughout - and complains about you being so loud if you killed guards. Small thing - but I noticed it.

I think OP was asking if killing the executioner changes the remarks, actually.

Just for the sake of clarity: going through killing guards and such will get you a different reaction from Roche than if you simply knock them out, but the executioner seems to be exempt from that and won't count against you in his remarks.

What made me laugh is when I went through and didn't kill the guards, but Aryan went ahead and blew the place up, and Roche's comments is something like "Did you have to blow the place up" and then Roche compliments me for taking down the guards quietly =D

That's really weird, Aryan just blew the place up and I knocked everyone out except the executioner, Roche complains about the explosion and me "killing everyone." Oh well, atleast I pickup up the strong back perk this time.