The 4 Most Compelling Female Characters in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Jamaal Ryan writes: "Within the past year, where appropriate representation has become a hot button topic, there has been more and more attention and criticism drawn to games that withhold misogynistic and racially insensitive undertones. Unfortunately however, this growing trend of commentary has occasionally come at the expense of recognizing what some games get right. I’m afraid that in this case The Witcher 3 – in some discussions – has become a target of partially merited slander.

During my 90+ hours with Geralt of Rivia, I was taken aback by the stark juxtaposition of damsels and sex objects – and various combinations of the two – next to some truly powerful, provocative, and inspiring women seen in the game (in many cases, this juxtaposition is all rolled into individual characters). Yennefer of Vengerberg, Triss Merigold, and Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon (a.k.a. Ciri) are three prominent female leads in The Witcher 3, though many players take issue with their high heels, exposed cleavage, and fornicating dialogue options. So here, I would like to take the opportunity to direct attention to The Witcher 3’s un-sexualized women, female characters that captivate without the need of physical attributes."

[PackFudgeMaliciously]

Looking back the Witcher really did have a great cast. CDPR really went above and beyond in this respect, even a lot of the side quest characters felt really fleshed out.

[Kingdomcome247]

I can't wait for the first expansion. I'll absolutely have to make time for it in between all of the amazing games set to launch this Fall.

[Somebody]

The women in The Witcher are frighteningly powerful. They can easily wield magic from the mundane to destructive WMD level stuff while the men are limited to feeble imitations. The women held significant influence over the fates of nations with their own version of the UN/Jedi Counsel while the largest men only magic organization in the game is the peaceful druid.

I thought the men in the Witcher are the typical brutes but some of the women were no different. Sure, The Bloody Baron was a drunkard and a wife beater but Yennefer had no problem ripping the life of a holy place just to know the answer whether the love between her and Geralt is real or not. Even to this day I still remember that little herbalist who cast a horrible death curse on kid just to get the father to return to her arms.

[Elit3Nick]

There really is no equal to the witches in the Witcher world, except for maybe the Wild Hunt. But I love how Yennefer is essentially portrayed as a walking natural disaster.

And I remember the quest with the curse well, when I learnt that she was willing to kill a kid for her pride the first thing that popped in my mind was "oh she dead", the rest was history.

[dreamoner]

What kid? The young man who were already dead? Finished the game twice but don't remember anything like that.

[Elit3Nick]

Obvious spoiler alert but there was a quest where a herbalist cursed a man's son because she wanted to be with him, the curse makes the boy extremely ill and is intended to kill him if the man doesn't agree to leave his family for her. But Geralt being the knowledgeable little troll that he is has the choice to transfer the curse back to the woman that made it, killing her. So morally killing her seems the most satisfying although she is known to sell rather rare ingredients, so it's up to you.

[Dee_91]

Yea, i killed her in my first playthrough. Waiting for game mode + before I do second playthrough, I will kill the kid... god that sounds awful.

[dreamoner]

@Elit3Nick Oh, that quest. I thought you were talking about Yennefer not that herbalist woman.

Tho she had her reasons but cursing a kid is extreme. In the end neither the women nor the man were completely innocent, that's the beauty of this game. Which is the lesser evil? Killing the herbalist or letting the baby and his mother to be ashamed(prolly exiled?) for life. Or the third option, walk away and let the kid die...

[AzubuEntus]

The women in the Witcher series are portrayed as a black widow: Beautiful but deadly.

[Hasswell-NeverCold]

Cerys was cool. Too bad I couldn't have sex with her even if I threw babies in the oven. =P