text: [[foldercontrol]]If you want original characters from VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt then go [[Characters/TheWitcher3WildHunt here]]. This page will cover the characters from both the original novels and the first two games.[[WMG:Leading characters]]These are the primary protagonists of TheWitcher saga: the unlikely family of witcher Geralt, sorceress Yennefer, and their adopted child Ciri.[[folder:Geralt of Rivia]]The protagonist (or co-protagonist) of all the media set in the Witcher's world. He's a witcher - an artificially created mutant, a monster-hunter devoid of emotion. At least, that last part is supposed to be true, too. He made his name removing the curse from Temerian princess Adda, and over the years became a legend in the Northern Kingdoms.* AntiHero: Disney/Pragmatic Antihero.* AudienceSurrogate: [[FridgeBrilliance A possible way to justify his memory loss in the game, seeing as though the games are more popular than the books in areas other than Poland.]] It would feel weird for someone who came into it starting with the games that Geralt is already good friends with someone the player never knew of before (plus, it gives glimpses into the series lore).* {{Badass}}: A professional monster hunter. ** BadassBeard: Shown to be sporting one in the third game.** HandicappedBadass: He had his left forearm and one of his femurs shattered by Vilgefortz and spent 36 days receiving treatment. While he made a complete recovery, he still walks with a limp and is implied to have arthritis due to the means which his bones were healed.* TheButcher: JerkAss behaviour left him with this sort of reputation in many places.** While he is certainly a JerkAss in this regard, the specific incident that actually acquired him the title of Butcher had extenuating circumstances (hence the title of the story: ''The Lesser of Two Evils'').* CarpetOfVirility: Only in the first game. It was omitted in the second game, due to the addition of the scars on his torso. The third game does re-add some chest hair.* CoveredWithScars: His body has a lot nasty-looking ones all over in the games. He also had a noticeable ([[SpecialEffectsFailure if moving]]) scar on his face in the TV series.* DeadpanSnarker: Not surprising given the discrimination and danger he faces as a Witcher.* [[spoiler:DroppedABridgeOnHim: He and Yennefer appear to have died near the end of the books. [[WordOfGod Sapkowski has said]] that the two did survive, which is something he revealed after the first game came out.]]* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: Oxenfurth Academy, though he didn't study for the degree, but for skill and knowledge. It's even implied that he taught there at times.* FamedInStory: To the point that tales of his adventures are played in puppet theaters. Still, not every person he meets recognizes him, as befitting a society lacking in visual media. And as shown in several flash-forwards, the events of the Saga grow in the telling and become a matter of legends, too.* TheFettered: How much exactly tends to vary, but he has his principles and he does stick to them most of the time. * FolkHero: Courtesy of bards -- such as Dandelion -- retelling Geralt's exploits at taverns, theatres and castles the witcher has become quite well known in the North. Though the stories tend to become more glamorous on the way, compared to the events that really took place.* GeniusBruiser: Part of witcher training involves years of formal education in chemistry, biology, animal behavior, history, magic, and other subjects, and Geralt apparently did exceptionally well. He's more than capable of having a [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness surprisingly eloquent]] intellectual discussion when the situation calls for it.** As for SesquipedalianLoquaciousness, there were jokes circling around that he started to use big words in an attempt to impress a certain sorceress. This does not mean he isn't smart on his own, though.** Rumors notwithstanding, it's been mentioned numerous times that he ''did'' attend Oxenfurth Academy, ''the'' most prestigious university in the North, and actually [[OlderThanTheyLook numerous times]], though as a non-degree guest student, and it was implied that he even taught there at times. In fact, he probably first met Shani and Dandelion [[EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether during his school time]].* GoodScarsEvilScars: Discounting [[CoveredWithScars the nasty-looking ones on his body]], his are the fairly classic rugged hero scars, the most prominent being one that crosses over his left eye.* GutturalGrowler: His English voice in the games.* HasAType: As Geralt's dwarven friends remark, he seems to have quite a thing for sorceresses.* HellBentForLeather: His usual outfit. With ''lots'' of (justified) silver trim. * HeroicAlbino: "Total loss of pigmentation". Possibly due to his unique heritage, he received minimal side effects from the Trial of the Grasses. His teachers decided to subject him to additional experiments, which he survived, with the most noticeable results being his now-permanently pale skin and white hair.* ImplausibleFencingPowers: Specific abilities made possible by witcher mutation include parrying crossbow bolts. Geralt's motion capture for the games is flashy and stylish to contrast with the more practical and realistic movements of heavy knights. May be justified, considering the number of inhumanly fast monsters he fights.* InvincibleHero: Subverted. Sapkowski noted once it got him tons of angry FanDumb letters.* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: By the nature of their mutations (they tend to paralyze higher emotions), ''all'' witchers are supposed to be jerks. The fact that he's not annoys him constantly.** WordOfGod jokingly states that being JerkWithAHeartOfGold is the case for many witchers, but only Geralt tends to angst because of that. Consequently, other witchers regard him as a bit of a drama queen.* KnightInSourArmor: Under his bad guy facade hides someone dangerously (to himself) close to ChronicHeroSyndrome. As for the knight part - [[{{Knighting}} he gets briefly knighted]], ironically, by his claimed native kingdom of Rivia, but almost immediately deserts his commission to [[TheQuest continue his search of Ciri]] when the queen tries to order him around as other knights. ** Yennefer sums him up thus:--> He'll lose his way, start to philosophize and pity himself, then he'll do something heroic but pointless and get killed, presumably stabbed in the back.** And as the quote already mentions, he's also quite the angster. He reaches wangsting peak around the Saga's third book, when he's even called on this at one point.* LastOfHisKind: Some sixty or eighty years ago the base of the Witchers, Kaer Morhen castle, was attacked and destroyed by an angry mob incensed by some demagogue (suspected to be a rogue sorcerer). Equipment, laboratories and elixirs required for creation of the witchers survived, but everybody in the castle was killed. As the process required a skilled magic user, and the sole survivor of the staff was Vesemir, a fencing teacher (away at the time), no new witchers were created ever since. Thus Geralt is one of the last witchers left.* LegacyCharacter: Not him, but his horse. Every horse he's ever owned, he's always named them Roach.* MagicKnight: Witchers are created through magic, and thus have some affinity to it, giving them an ability to use simple combat spells called "signs" in battle. This is generally it, but Geralt, [[spoiler:being the son of a druidess and inheriting The Gift]], had the requisite ability to take up magic in full, but refused, and was even called up on it.* MasterSwordsman: Considered to be the best swordsman in the Northern Kingdoms. In the games, it seems like he lost some of his technique due to his amnesia (Serrit, one of the witchers who attempt to [[spoiler:assassinate King Henselt]], writes in his journal that Geralt's swordsmanship makes him laugh, but also mentions that Geralt still manages to be a [[UnskilledButStrong fearsome opponent regardless]]). It is assumed that Geralt recovered most - if not all - of his former skill with a sword by the end of the second game.* MeaningfulRename: The "[[TheMagnificent of Rivia]]" part of his name was added by picking out of a bundle of sticks with different city names written on them. Initially, Geralt chose [[OverlyLongName Geralt Roger Eric]] [[SueDonym du Haute-Bellegarde]] as his first choice for the name, but Vesemir "explained" it'd be [[{{Narm}} awfully cheesy]]. The point of all of this was to make his name sound more impressive, which eases contacts with important employers.* MrFanservice: YMMV whether he qualifies, but it seems to be what the devs were going for in the second game, as he loses his CarpetOfVirility from the first game and was given plenty of shirtless scenes to show off his chiseled physique. ** FanDisservice: On the other hand, his extreme scarring causes this for some. Even one of his nipples has been torn off! * NiceJobBreakingItHero: Geralt's actions will often come back to bite him (or someone else.)* PapaWolf: Towards Ciri. He gets to the point where he sees Ciri in any hurt girl, only to wonder later how could he not notice the difference.* ParentalAbandonment: A prerequisite to becoming a witcher. Sapkowski published a later short story about his parents and his mother made a brief cameo in one of the novels.* PsychicDreamsForEveryone: After Ciri goes missing, he starts having prophetic dreams about her.* ReallyGetsAround: He seems to be rather popular with the ladies. Though it has to be noted the game exaggerated it quite a bit.** It gets better in the sequel and the third game, where his romantic encounters are toned down drastically. Albeit, primarily to two (potentially three) staggeringly hot sorceresses.* RedBaron: Known as the White Wolf in the Nordling Kingdoms, also Gwynbleidd (Elvish for White Wolf) among the Elder Races and in Nilfgaard (where they use the Old Speech), the Butcher of Blaviken, and others.* {{Retirony}}: In the novels, he intended to retire when the Rivian pogrom happened. In the games, the siege by Foltest on the La Valette Castle ''could'' have been the last day of Geralt's service to Foltest, after which he'd be free to pursue his fortunes on his own (plus Triss), if not for the actions of a certain kingslayer...* SpannerInTheWorks: He has a tendency to get in the way of other people's convoluted plans, then slash his way out.* SuperSoldier: Created to fight ''monsters'', though, not people. But oftentimes, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters there's no difference]] to him.[[/folder]][[folder:Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon]]A Cintran princess, the Unexpected Child, Child of Elder Blood, and a stepdaughter of Geralt, Ciri is an unassuming girl who is a notable nerve, even more notable political asset, and a descendant of a really unique legacy. She appears first in the short stories, but becomes a co-protagonist in the Saga. She's but a child during her first appearance, but the events of the Saga lead (and horse) her to grow up. * ActionGirl: Due to the witcher training she receives. She's not really [[SuperSoldier modified or augmented]], just [[TrainingFromHell trained and given some drug courses]], but it still made her more than an equal match to most of the fighters in the series.** LittleMissBadass: ''Sixteen'' at the end of the series.* AntiHero: She evolves into type V.* BadassGay: Is confirmed as bisexual in the video game continuity.* BiTheWay[=/=]SituationalSexuality: It's quite unclear what was the exact nature of her relationship with Mistle from her side, given that it started with a healthy dose of a QuestionableConsent (ie. Mistle chased of Kayleigh who'd been propositioning Ciri, who was paralyzed with fear, so Mistle lied beside her and got on it with her herself...). She might be genuinely bisexual or she might have just accepted love from the first person who was willing to give it to her by that time.** The third video game and developers outright state that Ciri is bisexual but, generally, prefers women.* BrattyHalfPint: Acts like this when Geralt first meets her in Brokilon.* BreakTheCutie: You've got to admit the girl has her reasons. Let's count: Orphan? Check. PrincessInRags? Check. Being hunted? Check. [[spoiler:Forced to leave her foster parents when things seemed to improve? Check. Her newly-found TrueCompanions get a TotalPartyKill? Check. Brutalized by a psycho? Check.]] * TheChosenOne: She's supposed to be the one to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Ironically, it's heavily implied that she failed ''because'' [[spoiler:her father]] backed off from the {{squick}}iest moment in the whole series.** There was what could have been a second, marginally more appealing chance (basically she'd be a valued pawn with potential rise in status), but she turned it down (roughly) on her own.** In a different way, witchers intentionally tried to invoke the horses of Destiny to this end, believing that such a child might become their equal even ''without'' using SuperSerum. * DistaffCounterpart: In the third video game, she's visually a female Geralt of Rivia. Her abilities are very different, however. * DoomMagnet: Even if it's just a side effect of her [[LivingMacGuffin MacGuffin-ness]], by the end of the Saga, she begins to believe it's [[YouCantFightFate fate]]. * EmbarrassingNickname: Yennefer is fond of calling her "my ugly one", probably because she's aware that Ciri is envious of her looks, and that she has absolutely no need to be. * EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: There's exactly ''one'' WizardingSchool for girls in their world, Arethusa on the Thanedd island, and it is there the series largest GambitPileup stared just as she only began to attend it.* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: She's the princess of the border kingdom of Cintra, and, through her father, [[spoiler:of Nilfgaard Empire]].* KickTheDog: At one point, lost and deprived of her surrogate parents, she joins a band of highwaymen and lets off the frustration by dog kicking.* [[LastOfHisKind Last Of Her Kind]]: Double -- as a last of the royal house of Cintra, and as a descendant of a long line of Elven eugenic experiments, designed to [[TheMultiverse open the pathways between the worlds]].* LivingMacGuffin: Due to her aforementioned legal, prophesied, and genetic status, she is a critical part of [[GambitPileup at least two or three]] [[GambitIndex gambits]].* MarsNeedsWomen: As a result of her genetic background, at least two people explicitly [[StalkerWithATestTube need her for breeding purposes]]. The third one needs just [[{{Squick}} her placenta]].* MeaningfulName: Cirilla is a corruption of "Zireael", Elven for "the Swallow". Swallows symbolize spring and rejuvenation, which is also why the standard go-to potion by witchers for healing is also called "Swallow".* MysticalWhiteHair: Ashen blond turning on white.* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Initially not much more than a potential magician with a penchant for visions of the future, the circumstances horse her to resort to various dormant powers granted by her genetic background: at first simple magic, then {{telepathy}}, culminating in [[spoiler:the ability to move between [[TimeTravel times]] and [[TeleportationTropes places]] and, just possibly, to [[ISeeDeadPeople see and/or control]] ghosts of the dead]]. Since nobody could train her in them, HowDoIShotWeb is a recurring problem. By the third game, she does have a hold on her powers, but doesn't use them to keep the Wild Hunt from finding her.* OracularUrchin: Like her mother, she's given to the periodical bouts of prophesying. This is the most notorious of her abilities -- falling into a trance and predicting death sure does break up the mood at parties.** DreamingOfThingsToCome: Usually in the form of CatapultNightmare.* ParentalAbandonment: Initially more like parental death, but we later get to know [[spoiler:that all of it was the EvilPlan of her father, TheEmperor [[BigBad of Nilfgaard]], to outmaneuver his enemies and advance his WifeHusbandry plan. Her mother [[KickTheDog really dies, though]].]]* PlanarChampion: Becomes able to travel between worlds at will towards the end of the novels. * PrincessInRags: After Cintra gets conquered and her grandmother, Queen Calanthe, commits suicide.* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: Her first (and, as far as we know, the only one consummated) romantic involvement in the novels is with a fellow Rat, Mistle.* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: In the games, it's implied that [[spoiler:she left the world behind to its inevitable doom after her adoptive parents were supposedly killed.]]** ChangedMyMindKid: She's back in the third game, [[spoiler: still on the run from the Wild Hunt and trying to stop the oncoming White Frost with the help of Avallac'h]]. * ShesAllGrownUp: The third game has her as, according to many fans, amazingly hot. Notably, she's twenty-three now.* TangledFamilyTree: See the entry above about Elven genetic experiments. You'll need a fair bit of paper for notes to trace her ''basic'' lineage from the explanation by a knowledgeable background character in one of the books. * TechnicalVirgin: The issue of her, ahem, purity has caused one of the [[FanDumb dumbest]] {{flame war}}s in Polish fandom.* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: She is the girly girl to Mistle's tomboy. Despite the fact that she is better with the sword than her.* WaifFu: Geralt arranged her (heavily modified) witcher's training, and it pays off. ** She hasn't received any heavy magical or chemical modifications, required for full witchers, because witchers lacked the skills needed for that, and it was probably a good thing, too, as a) these modifications were designed for boys, not for girls, and b) survival rate was about 10% even ''with'' the skilled operator and care.* WifeHusbandry: No, ''not'' by Geralt. [[spoiler:It was [[{{Squick}} her own father]], TheEmperor.]] [[NobleDemon He backed off from it]], though.** Although in the third game, the Crones of the Velen No Man's Land do suggest that Geralt unwillingly did this. His reaction is to give them a look of pure visceral disgust and says "No".* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: During the desert incident. She was warned [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide not to play]] with Fire magic. However, that was due to the nature of Fire magic, and her other powers did not have an impact on her psyche.* YouthfulFreckles: The third game gives her a freckled complexion during her young teenage years.[[/folder]][[folder:Yennefer of Vengerberg]]A sorceress whom Geralt loves. They met each other long ago, and afterwards had a truly legendary string of breakups and makeovers, as befitting a moody killer and a strong-willed sorceress. Though they are in separation at the beginning of the Saga, at Triss' advice Geralt asks her to help with Ciri's training, and so she becomes stepmother to Ciri.* DysfunctionalFamily: She [[SelfMadeOrphan had]] a rather abusive [[AbusiveParents father or stepfather]].** Her own relationships (including the one with Geralt) tended to be less than smooth too.* HalfHumanHybrid: She's a quadroon, or a quarter elf.* HappilyMarried: In an AlternateUniverse short story.* IWasQuiteALooker: Inverted. She's a looker right now, even without magical enhancement, and has been ever since becoming a sorceress. [[spoiler:Before, she had a hunchback, but healing deformities of their adepts is a matter of professional prestige among the wizards. Geralt figures this out when he puts his hands on her shoulders and realizes they aren't even. Discovering this doesn't change Geralt's feelings for her.]]* LawOfInverseFertility: Most magicians are infertile, but Yennefer qualifies by being really dissatisfied with this fact.* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Including ZeroGSpot and on the back of a stuffed unicorn. As revealed in the third game, she still has the unicorn.* MamaBear: Towards Ciri.* MindOverManners: This is quite common among wizards; in this case, she tends to let her telepathy loose after orgasm. * PurpleEyes: Matches her magic ability.* RavenHairIvorySkin: Compared in ''Literature/SeasonOfStorms'' to a December morning. Being 1/4 elf certainly helps in this regard.* {{Tsundere}}: Yennefer's [[BelligerentSexualTension breakups and makeovers]] with Geralt were ''legendary'' in the North, and the rumor was that Geralt survived only due to being a witcher.* VainSorceress: Even though she's moral, she's still a sorceress, y'know. For one, she uses magic to bolster her already good looks to stunning level.* YourFavorite: How she met with Geralt. He needed a sorcerer to help Dandelion, injured by a djinn, but stopped to bring her apple juice to help with her hangover.[[/folder]][[WMG:Geralt's hanse]]In his search for Ciri, Geralt gathered around himself [[FiveManBand a small party]]. Whether these people joined him out of [[HowToGatherCharacters old friendship, romantic confusion, or other reasons]], it was perhaps best described by Angouleme: "[[MagneticHero you just can't not follow him]]". In the end, they stood by him [[TrueCompanions for good and for bad]]. [[folder:Dandelion]]A famous bard and Geralt's old friend. He was a character introduced back in the short stories, and appears in the Saga as well, following the witcher in his quest despite cowardly tendencies and a lack of combat abilities.* TheChick: A male variant (ironically, his original Polish nickname is Jaskier -- or ''Buttercup'' in English). He can still outshine in this field most of the female examples, as he is the only one in the group who can't fight to save his life, in more dangerous situations usually contributes by screaming and half of the time actually causes the danger -- by not knowing when to shut up or bedding the wrong women.* TheDandy: Which is only natural in his line of work, bard and part time spy.* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: Unsurprisingly, as Oxenfurt Academy was ''the'' best and most prestigious university in the North, so it's only natural that many significant characters studied here, including him. He's also a visiting professor there, teaching poetry and rhetorics.* KnownOnlyByHisNickname: Maybe. Sometimes he introduces himself as Julian Alfred Pankratz viscount de Lettenhove, although it's unknown if that is his real name and title.* KnowledgeBroker: Not above some little spying on the side to augment his troubadour income.* LadyKillerInLove: The third game, only. Dandelion seems to fall in love for the first time with a female bard named Priscilla. Geralt remains skeptical until Zoltan explains she's Dandelion's DistaffCounterpart.-->'''Zoltan''': What does Dandelion love most in this world?-->'''Geralt''': Himself.* TheLoad: Dandelion is of pretty much no use to the party ([[spoiler:until Toussaint]]), on the occasions his connections or talents could help, they don't by external circumstances or the problem is solved in a different way anyway. * LovableCoward: A textbook example.** CowardlyLion: Unwaveringly loyal to Geralt, though, even through torture and in the face of certain death. * NonActionGuy: He's most definitely ''not'' a fighter, despite his associations.* OddFriendship: He and Geralt have very little in common. Beside [[ReallyGetsAround really getting around, that is]], but they do not bond over it as Geralt often finds Dandelion's style distasteful. Or ill-timed.* OlderThanTheyLook: About forty despite looking like he's in his late twenties. By the third game, he's nearly fifty.-->Dijkstra: "You are almost forty, look like almost thirty, think you're twenty, and behave like you're not even ten."* ReallyGetsAround: He has a reputation for this in the games (and in the novels, too). Whether he's as bad as Geralt is unknown. However, Geralt at least does not cause that many scandals.** Becomes a full-fledged in-universe MemeticSexGod who puts Geralt to shame when you're forced to track him down by interviewing his romantic conquests. The list of his recent lovers ''is two pages long.'' Becomes even more impressive with the fact most of them are quite willing to take him back.* SpoonyBard: A fairly literal example.* TagalongChronicler: except that, him being himself, Dandelion is writing his own autobiography along the way.* WanderingMinstrel: Hey, he's ''the'' Bard in their world, easily the most popular and famous poet, musician, and writer of his time -- and beyond.[[/folder]][[folder:Milva]]A young woman with great bowmanship skills, acting as agent of forest-dwelling dryads among humans. She joins Geralt after his visit to Brokilon forest. Despite her tough, no-nonsense exterior, she is softer inside than she would like.* ActionGirl* TheBigGuy: She's contributing mostly by shooting up the baddies. She has enough strength to OneHitKO a grown, strong man, and her expertise at range makes her the second most useful party member (after Geralt) in a fight.* BraidsOfAction: Justified. [[StockCostumeTraits She is an unmarried peasant woman]].* [[spoiler:BrokenBird: While her childhood was not the happiest one, it is her state (mentioned below) that puts a strain on her mental well-being.]]* [[spoiler:ButICantBePregnant: She conceived with an elf during a particularly unlucky attempt at border crossing into Brokilon, but a ConvenientMiscarriage happened as it was becoming obvious]].* [[spoiler:GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Talked out of it by Geralt, but soon after she miscarried anyway.]]* ImportantHaircut: Cuts off her [[BraidsOfAction braid]] after [[spoiler:her ConvenientMiscarriage]].* TheLadette: Mostly so, although drinking binges aren't her forte.* TheMole: In the backstory. Sometimes, an angry human mob decides to hunt some dryads for scalps; conveniently, there is a guide -- Maria, a hunter's daughter, who knows local forests perfectly. Alas, somehow dryads ambush the mob and kill everybody -- except Maria and some wounded dude whom she carries out. Milva plays the guide four times before someone makes the connection.* PluckyComicRelief: Being an honest and down-to-earth commoner in a team of sometimes stuffy characters can bring rather [[HilarityEnsues unexpected consequences]].* RealWomenNeverWearDresses: It's stated she pretty much had to be forced into one, when the hanse was invited to a party in Beauclair.[[/folder]][[folder:Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach]]Young [[TheEmpire Nilfgaardian]] knight under orders to capture Ciri. After his failure and to escape the inevitable punishment, he joins Geralt's party, who only reluctantly accepts his company. But his dreams prove that there is more to that than simple life debt, and that meeting the Child of Elder Blood leaves a mark on individuals.* BlackKnight: He's not that bad; most of it is the colour of Nilfgaardian armours and the fact that they're the bad guys.* DarkIsNotEvil* HeelFaceTurn: See above; he was not outright evil, only serving [[TheEmpire the bad guys]].* InsistentTerminology: He's not Nilfgaardian, he's ''Vicovarian''. In the Empire, only those born in the Empire's heartland call themselves Nilfgaardians, and... (the party stops paying attention).* IOweYouMyLife: This is the reason why he joined Geralt's party; Geralt unknowingly saved him from YouHaveFailedMe. Later he admits other reasons beyond that, though.* TheLancer: In line with FiveManBand standards, he's the ''hanse'''s second melee fighter, and the younger, more optimistic counterpart to older, angsty Geralt.* LoveBeforeFirstSight: He fell for Ciri, after seeing her once as a child (and fueling her BlackKnight nightmares ever since), and a second time in combat (she almost killed him). Both times he was under orders to capture her.* PsychicDreamsForEveryone: He has the same dreams of Ciri as Geralt, proving Destiny has him more than a mere background.* YouShallNotPass: Dies pulling one against Bonhart so Ciri can escape. Cahir knows he has no chance against Leo when he does this but still manages to hurt -- which is more than can be said for the Rats, and they fought him six on one.[[/folder]][[folder:Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy]]A medic and herbalist who joins Geralt's party -- supposedly, because he was already planning to go their route. Though friendly, he is an enigmatic individual, a man of intellect who lives in the middle of nowhere and has a share of habits someone paranoid might consider very suspicious. * TheAlcoholic: A part of his backstory is that he got out of his addiction, after one drunk accident too many forced him to finally get a hold of himself. [[spoiler:His drug was actually blood.]]* CowardlyLion: He calls himself a coward. If not for that, you'd never think of him as one.* EvilSmellsBad: Subverted, inverted, zigzagged [[PlayingWithATrope or whatever]]. He smells of all manner of herbs and perfumes (as befitting a herbalist and medic) [[spoiler:to prevent animals from identifying him as vampire.]]* [[spoiler:FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire]]* InsufferableGenius: He is intelligent, highly educated and experienced and really not shy to show it at the slightest opportunity. He later toned it down, for a while anyway, after being scolded by Milva.-->From Dandelion's journal depiction of the incident: ''The most effective defense against intellectual dominance is a timely and thorough scolding of an intellectual who appears to be dominant.''* [[spoiler:KillItWithFire: Gets burned to death by Vilgefortz.]]* LetsGetDangerous: [[spoiler:In the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.]]* [[spoiler:LongLived: Like all other creatures in the series, high vampires are not immortal as such, they just appear to be so from human perspective (their lifespan being roughly twice as long as that of elves).]]* TheMedic* MinoredInAssKicking* [[spoiler:NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Justified by TheMasquerade; see also PetTheDog.]]** [[spoiler:He certainly can turn into a huge bat, put people into deep sleep, is invisible to long-range detection magic, and resistant to wounds and heat. By his own words, he can regenerate from most severe wounds, if given enough time. He also can turn invisible and/or teleport (the scene where he uses this power depicts him as simply "vanishing", which is somewhat unclear).]] * [[spoiler:NeverFoundTheBody: At the end of the Saga, when Ciri summons the ghosts of old friends, he is nowhere to be seen. Vampires like him can regenerate. Cue EpilepticTrees.]]* [[spoiler:OurVampiresAreDifferent]]: There are several kinds [[spoiler:of vampires in the Witcher world. Regis belongs to the so-called "high" vampires. For one thing, the sunlight doesn't do any harm to him.]]* PetTheDog: He [[spoiler:drops TheMasquerade and]] saves an innocent girl from [[BurnTheWitch burning]]. [[spoiler:It conveniently turns out he's not in the slightest harmed by the trial-by-fire the fanatical priest requested.]]* [[spoiler:ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: About four-and-half hundred, actually.]]* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Granted, he's quite aware of it and is playing the SmartGuy stereotype up for his own reasons.* TheSmartGuy* SophisticatedAsHell: As much as he is prone to SesquipedalianLoquaciousness, later he grows quite fond of [[JiveTurkey specific expressions]] used by StreetUrchin Angouleme. * UnusualEuphemism: occasionally delves in it when talking about [[spoiler:blood]].[[/folder]][[folder:Angouleme]]A young girl, around Ciri's age, who joins Geralt's party on his request as a part of his deal with local Nilfgaardian authorities to locate and remove a band of highwaymen to which she once belonged. Though Nilfgaardian law is harsh, she is granted parole -- the local governor saw Geralt through, and knew better than the witcher himself that he would not leave without her.* HairOfGold: She does have a heart of gold too, but rather than the standard image described in that trope's entry, she's closer to [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold this one]].* JiveTurkey* PrincessInRags: Not a princess, but somewhat surprisingly, she was a girl of relatively decent upbringing but ended up on the street during the Nilfgaard invasion of Cintra.* TheNicknamer: It's usually "unca" or "auntie". Possibly related to her [[JiveTurkey speech patterns]].* ReplacementGoldfish: It is (rather heavily) implied that Geralt requested her parole because she reminded him of Ciri.* SixthRanger: She only joins around the fourth book of the Saga.* StreetUrchin: Eh, she's close enough. [[/folder]][[WMG:Villains]]Whether for her political status, or her other qualities, capturing Ciri was a crucial part of these people's nefarious plots. Their actions are behind many of the Saga's events.[[folder:Vilgefortz of Roggeveen]]One of the most talented magicians in the world, very young (less than one hundred years, which is considered young in the wizarding world), but incredibly talented and powerful, traits which also won him a seat on the governing body of Northern Kingdoms' magicians. His participation in the coup during the magicians' symposium on Thanedd Island revealed his Nilfgaardian backing, but his real motives are more sinister. * BigBad: His plans set the Witcher Saga in motion and he's by far the biggest threat Geralt faces in the novels.* {{Bishonen}}: Described as "classically beautiful". Later, though, [[spoiler:he gets [[GoodScarsEvilScars badly scarred]] in a magical explosion, ending with a freakish artificial eye in one of his eye sockets]].* BondVillainStupidity: An utterly egregious case of this. He opts to fight Geralt in single combat, weapon to weapon, out of desire to crush him utterly when he is utterly capable of ending Geralt with magic. Guess how ''this'' little stunt turns out for him.* CatchPhrase: "You have pissed against the wind".** Or, "You've mistaken the stars with their reflection in the pond".* EvilGenius: The intellectually inclined, schemer and part-time evil mastermind among the bad guys. * EvilPlan: [[spoiler:Like that of Emhyr, it involves Ciri, but some details of execution differ, and it's for personal-megalomaniac reasons rather than imperial-dynastic]].* EvilSorcerer: Easily ''the'' most smart and powerful wizard in the North, and he let it get into his head.* HiddenAgendaVillain: His motives aren't what they seem at first.* MadScientist: An almost textbook example, magic in their world being [[MagicAIsMagicA pretty scientific in nature]], but see MagicKnight below.** MadScientistLaboratory: He has several, before he [[VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon goes into hiding]]. When one of them, deserted, is found, cue VomitingCop.* MagicKnight: He was the ''only'' human to soundly trash Geralt in a one-on-one fight. It is implied that his skill was magically enhanced. * TheManBehindTheMan: He turns out to be the mastermind of the Thanedd coup as well as the one trying to kidnap Ciri. [[spoiler:He's also the one who convinced Emhyr to father Ciri in the first place, so (figuratively speaking) he's behind Nilfgard's actions as well.]]* MissionControl: For Rience, whom he constantly sends out to run his errands.* [[spoiler:OffWithHisHead: That's how Geralt killed him.]]* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's a sexist.* [[spoiler:TheStarscream: To TheEmperor]].* SquishyWizard: [[HeroKiller Averted with flying colors]].* StalkerWithATestTube: This example is even more sinister than you think it is. Even [[EvenEvilHasStandards the other baddies]] are {{squick}}ed, although he finds it distasteful and responds with a rant that they're [[NotSoDifferent hardly better]].* TakeOverTheWorld: Though he [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]], saying he's a little ashamed to admit such a down-to-earth motivation. Basically, he's in the game for the thought of being able to say "AGodAmI", that people pray to turn away his wrath.* VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: When playing MissionControl for Rience, through an artifact that's basically a magical walkie-talkie. [[/folder]][[folder:Rience]]Vilgefortz's [[TheDragon Dragon]] and errand boy, a wizarding school dropout expelled for theft and taken in by Vilgefortz to do the things not really suitable for a respectable sorcerer. His background shows he was up to no good from the start, but as merely a servant, he pales in comparison to the rest of the villains.* CatchPhrase: "With these hands, I will teach you pain."* [[spoiler:KarmicDeath]]: During the battle on ice in the penultimate book. Made doubly awesome by the way it was done -- [[spoiler:Ciri cut his fingers that were clutching the ice (he slipped and fell into the water) with her skates]].* TheDragon: He's actually CoDragons with Schirru the half-elf, but the latter gets less screen-time.* ForTheEvulz: He ''loves'' his job, what's to say.* GoodScarsEvilScars: He has a huge burn on his cheek, from Yennefer's fireball and Vilgefortz's refusal to heal it.* SmugSnake: He loves to gloat at his victims and generally be a jerk, knowing that his boss will always support and cover him.[[/folder]][[folder:Leo Bonhart]]A bounty hunter tasked with eliminating Ciri's highwaymen friends and capturing her herself, what he does efficiently and without any incident. He then brutalizes her throughout one or a half of a book. As a good fighter and an intelligent man, he is a true professional, but the key to his choice of profession is something very different indeed. * {{Badass}}** BadassNormal: He claims [[HeroKiller to have killed three witchers]], despite having the advantage of neither their mutations nor any magical abilities. In light of that, taking on six bandits at once is hardly worthy of mention.* BountyHunter: And a very successful one. * TheBrute* DeadpanSnarker* ForTheEvulz: His main motivation. He's a psychopath ''and proud of it''. When a psychic scans him once, she compares the experience to putting her head into a freshly opened grave.* GoodEyesEvilEyes: Empty, fishy eyes.* ImplausibleFencingPowers: A staple of Witcher series' fans' EpilepticTrees is how would he fare in a fight versus Geralt.* IronicName: It doesn't take a linguist to see Leo Bonhart stands pretty much for Lion Good-Heart. While the first one might arguably fit, the rest ''definitely'' won't.* PsychoForHire: As he claims, he's lucky like nobody, save perhaps certain whores. He's paid for work he truly enjoys.* VillainousCrush: He develops one on Ciri, after witnessing her fighting skills. While probably not averse to sex, he may even be {{asexual}} as what really turns him on is fighting and killing. It means he'd like to [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impale her on his sword]] [[GladiatorGames on an arena]] and feel her die, though raping her before or afterwards would be nice as well. [[spoiler:And his last words are that their fight would be [[GladiatorGames a great show]].]]* VillainousValor: The people he kills, he tends to kill in combat. * WickedCultured: Though not exactly in the sense of refined taste, this trope (or its cross with GeniusBruiser) does appear in that Bonhart is actually quite intelligent.[[/folder]][[folder:Stefan Skellen]]A Nilfgaardian black ops specialist, sometimes nicknamed the Great Imperial Nobody by those few in the know. Initially tasked with cleaning up the mess after the failure of the Thanedd coup, he later received orders to search for Ciri when hints began to show up that she might be within Imperial territory. He however had ambitions beyond those of his superiors.* DarkChick: Differing motivation, teamworking, more socially minded than the other bad guys. Male however.* DragonAscendant: He became one of those for a short while after Vilgefortz's demise. * QuirkyMinibossSquad: He serves this role along with his team, as well as providing the manpower for several minor occurences.* RogueAgent* VisionaryVillain: It's ultimately subverted when one of his statements puts his own motives in question. We are never told whether it means he only pretended to believe in his cause, or it's merely a spat of cynicism.* WeaponOfChoice: His is an orion (which is pretty much a shuriken), explicitly stated as highly popular within cloak-and-dagger society for ease of concealability coupled with deadliness in a skilled hand.[[/folder]][[folder:Emperor Emhyr var Emreis]]The infamous, ruthless and iron-fisted emperor of Nilfgaard, an expansive power from the south. His invasion of Cintra pretty much starts the whole Saga, and even after that he's the driving horse behind many of the events.* AffablyEvil: He's a ruthless evil emperor and he's fine with it, but he's not TheCaligula either, and knows when there is no need to play up the fearsome image. Though he has a sudden change of heart at the last moment.** In fact, he considers Geralt ''his friend'' and is still grateful to him for his role in [[spoiler:removing the spell that made him into [[BalefulPolymorph a giant hedgehog knight]] in his youth]]. It still doesn't stop him from his machinations and conquests ([[spoiler:and trying to ''kill'' Geralt -- nothing personal, only business]]), though.* [[spoiler:BalefulPolymorph]]: Back in his youth. Geralt helped him then.* TheChessmaster: The extent of it depends on how much of his machinations he actually developed on his own, as he has a number of competent and trustworthy underlings, but the fact remains that he keeps up with the best of them.* TheEmperor: Of the EvilOverlord type (though more in image than in personal brutishness).* GambitPileup: What happens when ''everybody'' (and their little dog too) have plans upon the plans, and are [[TheDeterminator determined enough]] to see to their completion.* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:No, not Geralt's.]]* MoralityPet: [[spoiler:False Cirilla]] is this for him.* [[spoiler:TheManBehindTheMan: He had a hand (well, [[GambitPileup not exactly everything]] went JustAsPlanned, but, hey, he tried!) in just about ''everything'' that happened, although the true extent of his involvement doesn't become apparent until late into the story.]]** [[spoiler:He is also behind the chaos that Letho causes in the second video game.]]* NobleDemon: Cruel, despotic, and ruthless as he is, he still has some basic decency left in him.* OverlyLongName: Emhyr var Emreis ''Deithwen Addan yn Carn aep Morvudd'', technically more of an overly long title/nickname. Doubles as NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast, as it means something along the lines ''White Flame Dancing on the Barrows of His Enemies''.* WifeHusbandry* [[EvilPlan Well Intentioned but morally questionable plan]] -- a rather {{squick}}y spoiler: [[spoiler:to prevent the destruction of their world by an Ice Age predicted by Ithlinne Prophecy, he planned to father a daughter (Ciri, that is) who was both [[McGuffin a magical Source]] ''and'' able to control the powers, then marry ''her'' to produce a prophesied Savior]]. However, EvenEvilHasStandards (the SNAFU mentioned above notwithstanding), so he backed out of it, ironically [[CrapsackWorld dooming their world to death and destruction]]...[[/folder]][[folder:Eredin Breacc Glas]]A high ranking Aen Elle, or, one of the leaders of the Elven people known as Aen Elle. Most don't even know Aen Elle exist, but he himself -- from a certain point of view -- gained quite a notoriety. * BigBad: After being the BiggerBad throughout the novels and the previous two games, Eredin finally takes center state in ''The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt''.* BiggerBad:** [[spoiler:His plans for Ciri are probably the greatest threat the world faces, but he doesn't play much of a role in the novels.]]** [[spoiler:In the games, his conflict with Geralt forms much of the MythArc, but Salamandra and the Kingslayers have thus far proven to be the greater immediate threat.]]* [[spoiler:EyeScream: In the third game, Geralt takes out one of his eyes before delivering the final blow.]] * TheFairFolk: [[spoiler:As the King of the Wild Hunt, he kidnaps human children so they can serve the Aen Elle as slaves.]]* FantasticRacism: He really hates humans. Even Ciri, who is vital to his people's plans, is little more than "a gold nugget buried in dung" to him, and the part about "gold nugget" referred to her Elven ancestry.* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler: He, along with Avallac'h, are the quintessential leaders of Aen Elle, due to King Auberon's reclusive nature.]] * [[spoiler:PlanarChampion: A villainous example.]]* RedBaron: [[spoiler: Also known as the King of the Wild Hunt.]]* [[spoiler:TheStarscream: Unwillingly or not, the aphrodisiac/performance enhancer that he supplied Auberon with ended up killing him.]]* WalkingSpoiler* [[spoiler:TheWildHunt: His Dearg Ruadhri are seen as this by most people. It's not clear if their ghastly visages are solely a psychological weapon, or an imperfection of their ability to travel between the worlds.]][[/folder]][[WMG:Other characters]]Geralt and the others met many people, not all of whom were hostile. Some of them were. Others were friendly. Others yet were both or neither, clashing or cooperating with the heroes for their own reasons.[[folder:Yarpen Zigrin and Zoltan Chivay]]Two dwarves, each with his own merry company, with whom Geralt travels at different points of the story. They meet each other only much later (or more like are shown to, as they appear to know each other well), but are put here together due to playing a similar role in the story.* AscendedExtra: Zoltan is given an upgrade to TheBigGuy in the two games.* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Their paths diverge in the games. Zoltan becomes a full-on [[TheLancer Lancer]] or [[TheBigGuy Big Guy]], while Yarpen is a side character in the second game.* CoolSword: Zoltan gives one to Geralt.* KnightInSourArmor: Zoltan strongly encourages this mindset, especially in the first game. As he says (reminiscing events of the Saga): -->"Let me tell you something, witcher. Once we lead a group of women and children through a war-torn land. They slowed us down. We had to feed them, protect them, and we had to hide in the woods to pee instead of pissing by the road. In short, they were a burden, and ungrateful at that. Know why we helped them? It was the right thing to do."* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame* SophisticatedAsHell: Zoltan. While it's a case with many of the main characters, his WarriorPoet tendencies blending with his blunt manner of speaking stand out the most.* VeteranInstructor: In ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2'', Zoltan takes the job of training the recruits in Vergen.[[/folder]][[folder:The Rats]]A group of highwaymen that adopts Ciri, who captured by local authorities after her jump through the portal at Tor Lara, found herself imprisoned together with one of them and helped with the escape. Separated from her friends and stranded in a foreign land, she finds a company among them.* JustLikeRobinHood: When you are a robber, there is only so much to do with the cash. After having wasted enough on luxuries, you may as well give some away.* [[spoiler:MauveShirt]]* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: They came from all parts of society - soldiers of opposing armies, peasants, nobles, even an elven exile.* [[spoiler:RapeAndSwitch: Mistle, in her backstory.]]* TrueCompanions[[/folder]][[folder:Count Sigismund Dijkstra]]The spymaster of the Kingdom of Redania, and later its regent after the death of the king. His duties make him occasionally clash or cooperate with the protagonists, and even later he remains a background character important not only to the world, but also the story itself.* {{Acrofatic}}: Often described as a walking mountain of fat, he's nevertheless implied to be surprisingly agile for his bulk.* BadassArmFold* FaceOfAThug: His character model in the third video game has a very scary and dumb looking face, but Dijkstra seems to be just as sharp as ever.* GeniusBruiser: He is described as [[DumbMuscle a polar opposite]] of stereotypical cloak-and-dagger small-crooked-guy spy, yet he runs an extensive spy network and serves as an actual ruler during the Redanian regency.** [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Isengrim Faoiltiarna]], an [[CantArgueWithElves Elven]] [[FourStarBadass spec ops commander]] from Dol Blathanna, a man of considerable fighting prowess (he once bested Geralt himself), was visibly relieved when he found that Dijkstra is non-hostile during their encounter in less fortunate times.* HeKnowsTooMuch: Dijkstra obtains a ''very'' sensitive piece of information about King Vysimir's assassination. He makes his move by telling it to exactly one person -- and that proves to be one person too many. * {{Foil}}: He's somewhat of a foil to Geralt, also a man from outside the system (Dijkstra received the title of Count for practical reasons) having to mingle with highborn and deal with worldly affairs.* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Despite his job, which includes things like a gulag-like (or ''at least'' that's how other characters react to it) prison, he is a rather decent guy in person, even with a {{Cincinnatus}} streak.* ManBehindTheMan: Of the Redanian government.** Don't forget [[spoiler:Filippa Eilhart]].* MissionControl: For Dandelion, sometimes.* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: His interests are often at cross-purposes with Geralt, but still, Dijkstra is very fair in his dealings. For example, he forgoes having revenge on Geralt for his broken leg - not because of mercy, but because that would be using his power for selfish reasons.* TheSpymaster: Obviously.* StoutStrength: An extremely obese man, but his strength was legendary, up to the point that hardly anyone dared to test it. [[/folder]][[folder:Filippa Eilhart]]A scheming sorceress and a former lover of Dijkstra, whose machinations tend to occasionally propel the plot. Events of the Saga lead her to setting up the Lodge of Sorceresses, a secret organisation of significant influence.* {{Animorphism}}: She can assume the form of an owl. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that Ciri later nicknames her Miss Owl.* TheConspiracy: She starts one, with the [[ManBehindTheMan standard]] [[TakeOverTheWorld objective]] (technically it's to ensure the interests of magic users against the whims of politicians). * [[spoiler:EyeScream]]: In the second game.* DoesNotLikeMen: She did like them, only she switched to lesbianism and decided to start up an all-female magicians' conspiracy. On the other hand, she is not hostile towards men, she just thinks that women (read: her circle) would make better rulers.* EvilCannotComprehendGood: A variation of this in the third game. At one point, Filippa reveals to Geralt that she plans on taking Yennefer's current position as Emhyr's advisor and warns Geralt to take Yennefer far away from Nilfgaard when it happens. She fails to realize that Yennefer is only helping Emhyr in order to protect Ciri and that Yennefer is tired of politics and would much rather live in peace with Geralt. * ManBehindTheMan: She through Dijkstra (it's usually more like friendly deals and cooperation than manipulation, though), also her co-conspirators through similar or less voluntary means. * MysteriousBacker: She supplies the heroes with intel and political backing, if only of their use to her own agenda. Even then, she holds at least some respect for them, and remains at least coolly polite when their aims part.* OlderThanSheLooks: Described as looking about thirty, while being probably no less than three hundred. But this is usual for magicians of the Witcherworld.* OutGambitted: For a scheming, power-behind-the-throne, conspiratorial sorceress, quite a number of people managed to trick her out. Including [[spoiler:Geralt himself, and in the games, King Radovid, who not only sees through her manipulations, but has her arrested and ''blinded''.]]* TheOwlKnowingOne: She's one of the most cunning sorceresses out there, and often assumes the form of an owl.* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The novels call her Filippa, while the game uses the Anglophone spelling Philippa. [[/folder]][[folder:Fringilla Vigo]]A short-haired resident sorceress from Toussaint, who has been recruited by Filippa into her conspiracy. When the hanse gets into the principality, she assumes an ostensibly advisory role, but only to manipulate them according to plans of the Lodge.* BlueBlood: Personally, she is a close relative of the ruler. She is also a distant relative of Cahir, although she apparently ceased to visit the Dyffryn castle before he was old enough to remember her.* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When Angouleme comes to her with "a problem", she immediately asks [[MistakenForPregnant how long it's been since the last menstruation]]. Angouleme was afraid Geralt won't take her along for the rest of the quest.* CourtMage: Of Toussaint.* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: At one point in the story, she actually invents a cosmetic that prevents blushing.* OutGambitted: Tricked out [[spoiler:by Geralt]] right when she thought she has him around her finger.* ReplacementGoldfish: [[spoiler:Geralt's, for Yennefer.]] He even slips and calls her by the latter's name.* TheVamp[[/folder]][[folder:Tissaia de Vries]]One of the most influential people in the wizarding community, Tissaia is staunchly on the side of neutrality of magic, a stance that she cannot shake off even as it becomes obvious that a group of influential magicians conspire with Nilfgaard.* TheArchmage: She pulls down the entire magical defenses of [[spoiler:Arethusa]], just so, in a heartbeat. For the record, raising them involved a whole year's work for a powerful magician.* [[spoiler:DrivenToSuicide]]: As she realizes what was the outcome of her actions.* LawfulStupid: For her, the neutrality of magic is non-negotiable. Even when Dijkstra was only there to stop even greater infraction.* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Her actions basically allow [[spoiler:the Thanedd coup]] to proceed.* NeatFreak[[/folder]][[folder:Codhringer (and Fenn)]]A legal adviser and detective of renown. At a price, he can find out any secret -- or conversely, befuddle any investigation, remove incriminating evidence, or arrange for any person to disappear. Geralt hires him to perform research on Ciri's heritage and find out who is after her.* AmoralAttorney* DeadpanSnarker* GeniusCripple: Fenn, who does actually exist. He's a legless midget who does most of their book research.* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Codhringer's cough is implied to be this.* KnowledgeBroker* PrivateDetective: Codhringer often plays this role. Presumably, he hires or bribes other people, rather than does the legwork on his own. * RightHandCat: Codhringer's.[[/folder]][[folder:Queen Calanthe]]The queen of Cintra, [[TheKingdom a kingdom]] lying to the south of Yaruga river. Once upon a time, she hired a certain witcher to solve a troublesome affair involving her daughter and a knight suffering from [[BalefulPolymorph a powerful curse]], which ultimately ended in the curse being lifted, the witcher making the request of the Unexpected Child, and the resulting tangle of the fates of everyone involved. Although she was a tough political player (nicknamed "the Lioness of Cintra"), she nevertheless could not prevent Nilfgaard from overrunning Cintra, and committed suicide to avoid falling into Nilfgaardian hands shortly after issuing a final edict to carry her granddaughter to safety. The girl eventually found her way into the custody of the same witcher who requested her years before.* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: By jumping out of the window of her palace.* IronLady* TheMagnificent: The Lioness of Cintra.* ManBehindTheMan: Her attempts at being [[SheIsTheKing the supreme ruler]] were defied by the nobility of the realm, as by Cintran law, the ruler had to be a man. She thus settled for the second-best thing, getting a husband who [[HenpeckedHusband wouldn't interfere]].* PosthumousCharacter: For most of the cycle. The Saga takes place entirely after her death. The short stories cover the period both before and after.[[/folder]][[folder:Avallac'h]]An enigmatic -- and eccentric -- elven wizard, known only to few in the Witcherworld and then mostly in the context of the Tower of the Swallow. Among Aen Elle, however, he is one of the top dogs, the real brains behind the plans and actions of theirs.* [[spoiler:BitchInSheepsClothing: He initially acts as a guide for Ciri in the Tower, but it turns out quickly that all he has in mind is his agenda.]]* BunnyEarsLawyer: Depending on how you interpret his behaviour, but he makes this kind of impression.* [[spoiler:EvilGenius: It's heavily implied he's currently in charge of the old Elven genetic program, and he plays this role in the triumvirate ruling the Aen Elle elves. The prospect of being handed over to his lab is a threat that is used on Ciri once.]]* [[spoiler:EvenEvilHasStandards: In the third video game, he opposes Eredin because he feels Eredin has gone too far with his ambition.]]* FantasticRacism: He doesn't really have a stellar opinion on humans. You know, it's an Aen Elle thing.* MysteriousBacker: Acts as this for Geralt once, providing him with explanations. Vague, but still.* TheOneThatGotAway: It's implied Lara Dorren was this for him.* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When talking to him, don't mention Lara Dorren in an unflattering context. Just don't.* {{Troll}}: He just can't help himself once in a while.[[/folder]][[WMG:Characters expanded in the games]]Some of the story's characters were carried over to the video games. While they appeared in the books as well, they were there mostly minor or background characters, and their roles in the games were more pronounced than in writing. That does not mean the characters mentioned above don't appear or have no role in the games - what matters here is the difference in notability between their role in novels and in games. Triss Merigold is a specific example - she is an important character in the Saga and would fit as well above, but her role in the games is a lot more important to their plot.[[folder:Triss Merigold]]Another sorceress, a friend of Yennefer and former lover of Geralt (mostly during his breakups with Yen). She makes the witchers realize they can no longer just keep Ciri hidden in their castle, and thus has her hand in starting the events of the Saga. Later she also becomes a member of the Lodge of Sorceresses. Triss is a good friend to the main protagonists, and is always there to help when they need it.* AdaptationDyeJob: In the novels, Triss is described as having chestnut brown hair and eyes as blue as lapis lazuli. In the games, she has green eyes and red hair (described as auburn in her journal profile in the second game). Although there is a [[http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher2/mods/707/ mod]] for the second game that changes her hair back to a more chestnut tone.* AscendedExtra: In the video games. * {{Badass}}: Not just in magic. She has the smarts to survive and navigate the tumultuous politics that being a royal advisor call for. ** She TookALevelInBadass at some point during the Rivian pogrom, and later, apparently, through her membership in the Lodge. She had quite a timid, "girly" personality beforehand.* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: In the books, she mentions boasting some impressive burn marks on her body that prevent her from wearing low-cut dresses. She wears just that in the first game, there isn't an inch of her body that the second game doesn't show, and there isn't even a hint of this visible. ''How'' she was able to heal it is unknown, considering the fact that she's allergic to magic.** The [[http://stopgame.ru/blogs/topic/13966 Polish Playboy interview of Triss]] lampshaded it, with the interviewer asking Triss about this directly. Her response was "of course all women have ways of looking good. But those are our little secrets that are better for men not to know."* BiTheWay: According to her, it's a natural consequence of being ReallySevenHundredYearsOld -- after a century or two, you will have tried everything.** It is heavily implied that their LoveTriangle with Geralt and Yennefer, is actually [[TriangRelations Type 8]], although it doesn't save them from the intense jealousy. Yennefer even feels a perverse pride in the fact that Geralt fascinates Triss so much.* {{Chickification}}: Suffers one badly in second game.* CoolBigSis: To Ciri, whom she befriends during her visit to Kaer Morhen.* {{Defictionalization}}: [[invoked]] An odd example. A series of nude digital pinups of her were printed in the Polish {{Playboy}} as marketing material for the second game. Similarly, models posing as her and Geralt shot for a calendar in Russia, also for marketing purposes.* [[spoiler:DistressedDamsel]]: [[spoiler:While not as bad as Shani in the needs-saving department, by the second game she becomes a repeat offender.]]** [[spoiler:It's even more jarring if you really compare Witcher 2's Triss to Shani. In Witcher 1, Shani will fight along Geralt when she's in danger. As for Triss, by the time of chapter 1, she will be rendered mostly defenseless.]]* HelloNurse: In the games, her beauty is often lampshaded. In the first game, there's a guest in Leuvaarden's party who wants you to know that "Triss Merigold is the [[WorldsMostBeautifulWoman most beautiful woman in the world]]". In the second game, [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Zoltan]] [[InterspeciesRomance compliments her appearance]], [[OurElvesAreBetter Cedric]] [[InterspeciesRomance flirts with her]], [[AllTrollsAreDifferent a troll]] [[InterspeciesRomance falls in love with her]], and [[LipstickLesbian Philippa Eilhart]] [[LesYay says that she "looks nice"]] when they chat via megascope.* {{Irony}}: A sorceress and a healer who is allergic to magic.* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: In the video game continuity, Triss breaks up with Geralt between the events of The Witcher 2 and 3. She believes this is because Yennefer is his destined true love. [[spoiler: You can convince her otherwise.]]* TheLancer: In the first game, ''especially'' on the Neutral route.* MsFanservice: In the second game especially, though elements of this were present in the first as well.* MundaneUtility: Uses a spell to remove her clothes in the second game's sex scene.* PromotedToLoveInterest: In the games. It's also clear, [[spoiler:she's taking advantage of Yennefer's absence to get close to Geralt post-amnesia]]. All is fair in love and war. * ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: She fought in a battle during the Nilfgaardian invasion of Cintra, got wounded and disfigured, and nobody recognized her before her name got carved on a memorial. It kind of weighs on her.[[/folder]][[folder:Shani]]A female doctor and one of Geralt's old friends. In her first appearance, a student of medicine; later, a veteran of the Battle of Brenna, where she served in a field hospital. She also appears in the first game, where she is one of Geralt's contacts and a potential love interest.* ActionGirl: She may lack the mutations of a witcher and the spells of a sorceress, but she can still hold her own in a fight. * ClingyJealousGirl: She does NOT take kindly to Geralt if he places Alvin under Triss' protection. * DotingParent: To Alvin if Geralt chooses her over Triss to take care of the boy. In contrast, Triss has more strict views on parenting.* FieryRedhead: Has no problem drawing a knife to defend her patients. * GameplayAndStorySegregation: Nowhere in the novels she is shown as anything but a mundane, non-magical medic. The game devs nonetheless gave her a healing ability that looks rather magical when activated.* HospitalHottie* PutOnABus: Despite the dev team's claims that she'd show up in ''The Witcher 2'' in some fashion, she never did.* PluckyGirl: Manages to be fairly upbeat in a job that means caring for horribly wounded soldiers or plague victims. * RedheadInGreen[[/folder]][[folder:King Foltest]]The "arrogant, sister humping, warmongering" king of Temeria, as well as a whole bunch of other places he beat into submission. A major presence in the first game, and his death starts the plot of the second.* AFatherToHisMen: His popularity among his people varies. His soldiers, on the other hand adore him, and he not only recognizes a common solder from a battle fought near four years ago, he promptly promotes him upon hearing of his hardships in the years since.* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Though his exact level of skill is hard to place, he certainly is no amateur with a blade.* BigGood: He's more morally ambiguous than outright good, but he effectively serves this role towards the end of the first game since his death would make the chaos in Temeria ''even worse''.* BlingOfWar: Averted in the first game with some eminently practical platemail. The sequel then takes it to the extreme without becoming tacky or [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110218143658/witcher/images/9/95/W2_Foltest.jpg impractical]]. I mean, it looks like it could be used as a loot for a dragon, but sturdy and well packed for a war. * BoisterousBruiser* PapaWolf: He has many flaws, but it should be noted: he genuinely cares about all of his children.* PetTheDog: His meeting with his bastard children shows a soft side to a man many claimed was forged of steel.* ReallyGetsAround: He never married, and is famous for his libido. [[NeverLiveItDown Infamously]], one of his conquests was his own [[BrotherSisterIncest sister]], though he claims that [[PetTheDog he truly loved her.]]* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: It�s hinted this isn't always the case, but he likes and respects Geralt, and is willing to at least humour his opinions.* RousingSpeech: Not so much a speech, as... well... [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome OH HELL YES]].-->'''Foltest:''' Where the hell are we going!?-->'''Soldiers:''' To battle!-->'''Foltest:''' What the fuck do we want!?-->'''Soldiers:''' Victory!--> '''Foltest:''' [[YouNoTakeCandle This I like!]]* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Enjoys a good war and leading his army into battle. * SirSwearsALot: Everyone does in the Witcher of course, but Foltest stands out by being a king. Amusingly, his pet name for his capital city is (rather appropriately) "the Whorehouse".* [[spoiler:SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome:]] [[spoiler:His assassination is what kicks off the plot of the second game]].* WarriorPrince: With great enthusiasm.[[/folder]][[folder:Iorveth]]Leader of the Scoia'tael commando on Flotsam. He aided the kingslayer with his resources. [[spoiler:At first, until Letho the kingslayer decided to betray him.]]* ArcherArchetype: He's no slouch with knives though. * AscendedExtra: His name is dropped a few times in the books, but it's not until the second game where he finally makes a physical appearance.* BadAss: He's been killing humans for hundreds of years. ** BackToBackBadasses: With Geralt on Chapter 1.** CulturedBadass: Plays a flute and recites poetry.* BigDamnHero: Has an instance of this in Roche's route.* BodyguardCrush: Implied with Saskia. Bodyguard is a little bit of a stretch, though.* DarkAndTroubledPast: alluded to on several occasions [[spoiler:(the Hydra Valley)]], though it's kinda in the job description.* [[DefrostingIceQueen Defrosting Ice King]]: Iorveth mellows out a lot throughout the second game, at least towards Geralt. Culminates in a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming when, once they meet again after Geralt [[spoiler:defeats the dragon]], the usually grumpy Iorveth greets his friend with a friendly pat on the shoulder and a smile (arguably the first time he smiled genuinely in the entire game).* EscapeArtist: got out of every trap the Temerian special horses (and Roche personally) set for him.* MrFanservice: Tall, dark and elf-y.* EyePatchOfPower: His standard headgear consists of a headwrap that lowers down over his right eye, though you can notably talk to him without it during chapter 2, seeing that there ''is'' [[EyeScream no right eye]] in his head.* FantasticRacism: Can potentially get called on it by Geralt. ** NobleBigot: He makes no efforts to hide his hatred of humans, but he is willing to fight to create a country where humans, elves, and dwarves can live side by side in peace.* FightingForAHomeland: That's what he made Scoia'tael do, instead of just fighting, period.* GenreSavvy: Issues several references to ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''.* GoodScarsEvilScars: They look like evil scars, but he is more along the lines of morally ambiguous.* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Iorveth is not the most approachable individual, acting very mistrustful and hostile to anyone outside of his Scoia'tael unit. He is also very vocal about his prejudice towards humans on top of being a ruthless, remorseless killer. However, he very much cares about the elves under his command and, compared to someone like Yaevinn from the first game, who wants to flat out overthrow the humans, he has a much more reasonable and grounded goal: he simply wants a place where elves can live in peace, far away from the discrimination that non-humans have to face in places populated by humans. Also, for all his prejudice, he is fair: once Geralt accused one of his best swordsmen, a young elf named Ele'yas, of murdering innocent humans on Vergen, Iorveth demanded proof. [[spoiler:Should Geralt find evidence that proves Ele'yas's guilt, Iorveth will seek the young elf out intending to punish him.]]* SarcasticClapping: When mocking Geralt.* TheFriendNobodyLikes: The townies of Vergen have this attitude towards him and the Scoia'tael: The only reason they're allowed anywhere near is because they're crack archers volunteering for the cause and there's an enemy army looming over them.* ThePowerOfFriendship: To Geralt: "You're the most honorable d'hoine I've ever known... my hatred for the species has abated for a while".* OlderThanTheyLook: Comes with being an elf. * WellIntentionedExtremist: Sees himself as NecessarilyEvil, though how much so is up for debate until he starts helping Saskia. [[/folder]][[folder:King Henselt]]The ruler of Kaedwen, the largest of the Northern Kingdoms. Plans to conquer the Pontar Valley, which he claims to be his birthright, but first he has to defeat the resistance led by Saskia the Dragon Slayer.* AFatherToHisMen: He's quite popular among his soldiers for the most part. [[spoiler: Not enough to prevent an attempted coup however]].* {{Acrofatic}}: Despite his bulk, he is rather agile and an accomplished swordsman.* AdiposeRex* BaldOfEvil: It's hard to tell under his crown, but yeah, he has a shaved head under there.* BeardOfEvil: It's remarked in ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2'' that his beard makes him look more like a thief than a king.* BloodKnight: He prides himself on being the strongest king of the North, and won't hesitate to invade a country again and again if he thinks he can win.* DroppedABridgeOnHim: He dies offscreen in between the second and third games, assuming he wasn't killed beforehand.* EvenEvilHasStandards: Despite being a ruthless and manipulative individual, he was absolutely disgusted by Sabrina Glevissig's decision to cast a powerful fire spell on the battlefield of his previous campaign on Aedirnian ground, slaughtering a large number of soldiers, both friend and foe alike. ** Although it has to be remembered that Sabrina's spell also cost him the victory, which probably influenced his decision. * FantasticRacism: Has no respect whatsoever for non-humans. * FluffyTheTerrible: King Henselt of Kaedwen, last of the line of the {{Unicorn}}. ** Of course, in Medieval myth, unicorns were dangerous beasts that only a maiden could approach safely. Henselt's lineage probably refers to the BadAss old school unicorns. * RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: What he did to Ves.]]* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He's politically active, warmongering, and insists in fighting on the front lines, though unlike most cases of this trope, it doesn't make him even remotely heroic.* SmugSnake: Really makes you want to let [[spoiler:Roche kill him]] just to wipe that smile off his mug.* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler:Even though Geralt and Roche saved his life and Geralt freed him from Sabrina Glavissig's curse, Henselt orders Roche's men executed, without a trial, for being part of a conspiracy they knew absolutely nothing about (only Roche was part of it), and tries to kill Geralt as soon as he meets him on Vergen, even though he had all but taken over the town already and Geralt was not fighting for either side.]]* WellIntentionedExtremist: Invoked by himself when [[spoiler:Geralt and Roche]] call him out on his villainous acts. Indeed, barring a few exceptions, everything he did was meant to benefit his kingdom in some way.[[/folder]][[folder:Dethmold]]A powerful sorcerer who serves as King Henselt's adviser during the events of the second game. Has little in the way of morals, but is devoted to his king.* [[spoiler:AssholeVictim: On Iorveth's path, he gets executed by a mind-controlled Saskia without any trial. Not that you'll feel any sympathy for him.]]* [[spoiler:CampGay: As revealed in Roche's path.]]** [[spoiler:DepravedHomosexual]]* [[spoiler:CutsceneBoss: Though you ''do'' get to fight him earlier in a fairly challenging battle, he dies much later as one of these.]]* [[spoiler:GroinAttack: How Roche kills him in his path.]]* {{Jerkass}}* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast* {{Necromancer}}* ObviouslyEvil: Wasn't too obvious was it?* OffWithHisHead: [[spoiler:How he is killed on Iorveth's path.]]* SmugSnake[[/folder]][[folder:S�le de Tansarville]]A sorceress from the kingdom of Creyden who is known for her reserved nature. In the second game, she was sent to Kaedwen and tasked by King Henselt with finding a cure for his infertility.* AbsoluteCleavage: It's actually not *that* crazy like most examples, but it stands out because of her amazing... tracks of land, and the tattoo she's got on her chest, which was no doubt put there to draw the [[MaleGaze viewer's attention]].* [[spoiler:[[HoistByHisOwnPetard Hoist By Her Own Petard]]: She can ultimately be killed by her own teleporter; the very one she was intending on using to escape.]]* IceQueen: She's mean, reserved, and [[TheSpock coolly rational]]. Not to mention that, fittingly, the kingdom she's from lies to the far north of the world.* [[spoiler:ManipulativeBitch]]* [[spoiler:TheMole]]* [[spoiler:{{Outgambitted}}: No matter how clever she was, Letho was just better.]]* PetTheDog: [[spoiler: If Geralt removes the flawed stone from her teleporter, thus saving her life, she will tell Geralt what she knows of Yennefer.]]* PimpedOutDress* ShipTease: With Geralt in Flotsam, assuming the player chooses the correct dialogue choices. Also overlaps with DefrostingIceQueen. [[spoiler:It doesn't last.]]* [[spoiler:SmugSnake: She snidely taunts Geralt about his impending death just as she's about to leave Loc Muine and everyone in it for dead before stepping into her teleporter...which then begins to tear her apart. She has no choice but to beg the man she intended to die to save her.]]* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The original Polish script has her name spelled "Sheala", while the English version uses the Irish spelling "S�le".* VainSorceress: For being known as the "Koviri Loner" and infamous as a reclusive ice queen, she sure does seem to spend a lot of time taking care of her appearance. Her habit of wearing heavy make-up and PimpedOutDress had Bernard Loredo comment that she looks like "a whore on parade day".** In fact, she puts on makeup for the fight with [[spoiler:the kayran]]. Geralt snarks at this, saying that [[spoiler:the kayran]] cannot see in color.[[/folder]][[folder:Yaevinn]]A particularly violent member of the Scoia'tael. In the games, he becomes leader of the Scoia'tael in Vizima. Like Siegfried, he is one of Geralt's contacts in the first game. He wants to overthrow the humans because he believes the world would be better off under the leadership of the elves.* {{Badass}}** CulturedBadass* BreakTheCutie: According to him, he once tried to live peacefully among humans. The humans would have none of that and made his life miserable. He eventually got fed up with human ignorance and decided to rebel.* CantArgueWithElves: There's no way to convince him to back off on his attacks on human civilians. [[spoiler: Unless you kill him]].* FantasticRacism: As an example, Druids are convinced most of the Scoia'tael have become indistinguishable from their oppressors. * {{Jerkass}} ** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: In the game, when siding with him.* KickTheDog: Twice in the novels:** Killing an unarmed messenger despite Toruviel's warnings that doing so would only draw unwanted attention.** Attempting to kill the wounded at a Northern field hospital during the Battle of Brenna.* NotSoDifferent: Claims to be this to Geralt in an attempt to lure him to his side.* PayEvilUntoEvil: His philosophy.* WarriorPoet: Which contrasts with his often cruel deeds. [[/folder]][[WMG:Notable video game-only characters]]And finally, the video games couldn't run solely on canon characters, [[CanonForeigner and these were created for the purposes of the adaptation]]. [[folder:Jacques de Aldersberg]] The founder of the Order of the Flaming Rose and its current grandmaster. Fanatically opposed to nonhumans.* [[spoiler:BigBad: Of the first video game.]]* [[spoiler:TheChessmaster]]* [[spoiler:FamousLastWords: '''That sword is for monsters'''.]]* FantasticRacism: What else do you expect from the leader of the human-supremacist group? * [[spoiler:KarmicDeath: Geralt kills him with the silver sword, which is better-suited for killing monsters.]] * KnightTemplar: This describes the Order of the Flaming Rose in general. [[spoiler:However, he in particular takes it to its logical extreme.]] * MagicKnight: The first thing we see of him is a person in platemail throwing a fireball. * [[spoiler:ManBehindTheMan: He is the one secretly pulling the strings behind Azar Javed and Salamandra.]] * UsedToBeASweetKid: [[spoiler:It's implied that he's the adult version of Alvin.]]* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans[[/folder]][[folder:Alvin]]A young boy whom Geralt rescues from Barghests right in the outskirts of Vizima. By all appearances, he�s a perfectly normal child, but he is also a Source, and has great potential for magic and especially a thing for [[OracularUrchin seeing into the future]] [[spoiler:and traveling through time]].* ChekhovsGunman: He's introduced as some random kid rescued from certain death by Geralt. [[spoiler:And ultimately becomes the BigBad.]]* CheerfulChild* ChildMage* CreepyChild: Whenever he has one of his premonitions.* DoesNotLikeShoes: Goes barefoot everywhere.* HeartwarmingOrphan* HeroWorshipper: He sees Geralt as a role model, and takes a lot of what he says to heart.* OracularUrchin* SpearCounterpart: He's a rough male equivalent to Ciri, being a powerful Source child who Geralt serves as a father figure to.* [[spoiler:StableTimeLoop: Vanishes into time, and presumably grows up to be [[BigBad Jacques de Aldersburg]].]]* TagalongKid: Especially in Chapter IV, where he follows Geralt around, even in hostile territory.* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: His Source power put him in danger of this trope. [[spoiler:And he eventually succumbs.]][[/folder]][[folder:Azar Javed]]A powerful mage and leader of a criminal organization called Salamandra. It�s his attack on Kaer Morhen and subsequent theft of Witcher mutagens that sets the plot of the first game in motion.* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Not only is he the leader of the Salamandra, he�s also the most powerful mage AND fighter of the whole organization.* BigBad: In the first game. [[spoiler: After his death, however, it turns out that he�s just Jacques de Aldersberg�s Dragon.]]* BadassBoast: Before their final battle, Javed warns Geralt that, in fighting him, the Witcher has just pissed into a tornado. [[MythologyGag Vilgefortz said something very similar when fighting Geralt in the books.]]* [[spoiler: TheDragon]]* FunctionalAddict: Geralt only learns about his [[FantasticDrug fisstech]] consume by talking to a certain NPC. Azar himself never shows any signs of an addiction. * GeniusBruiser: A MadScientist with the body of a warrior.* [[spoiler:KillAndReplace: He murders the detective who�s working with Geralt and uses his identity to make Geralt do his dirty work. It solely depends on the player if his plan works or not.]]* MagicKnight* [[MadScientist Mad Wizard]]: [[spoiler: He uses the stolen mutagens to create an army of mutated soldiers for De Aldersberg.]] * PlayingWithFire: His specialization is fire magic. [[/folder]][[folder:Letho of Gulet the Kingslayer]]A mysterious Witcher from the School of the Viper who murders kings. Geralt seemed to know him, before the loss of his memory. * AntiVillain: [[spoiler:He is ultimately trying to secure a safe place for fellow witchers to live in due to the huge discrimination they receive. Whether this justified murdering kings and causing chaos in the North is left up to the player to decide.]]* BaldOfEvil: The shaved scalp shows off the hideous scars, which only make him look even more sinister. Though he's not entirely evil.* BigBad: Of the second game, being the one who's made it his mission to assassinate the kings of the north. [[spoiler:However, he was acting at the behest of [[TheEmperor Emperor]] [[BiggerBad Emhyr var Emreis]] who promised him to avenge the Viper school.]]* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[spoiler:He betrays just about every alliance he makes, including Iorveth and the Scoia'tael, and S�le and the Lodge of Sorceresses.]]* DumbMuscle: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. But he looks like he's one and knows how to use it to his advantage.* EasilyForgiven: One way to portray their relationship in ''The Witcher 3.'' Geralt and Letho can fully put all the "framing Geralt for kingslaying" stuff behind them before acting like best friends taking on a horde of mercs. Averted if Geralt chooses not to help him.* EvilFormerFriend: [[spoiler:He and Geralt chased the Wild Hunt together and after Geralt offered himself to their King in exchange for Yennefer it was Letho who took care of the sorceress.]]* FakingTheDead: In the third game, if he survives the second, he has plans to do so. [[spoiler: Geralt can help him do this as, if he doesn't, they cut off his head while he's unconscious due to self-poisoning.]]* GeniusBruiser* GoodScarsEvilScars: He has a rather large, deep, and ugly V-shaped one on his forehead.* IOweYouMyLife: [[spoiler:Geralt saved his life while chasing the Wild Hunt. So when Letho gains the upper hand during the duel in Chapter 1, he just lets Geralt go.]]* KnifeNut: He has a pair of daggers that we never see him use in the game proper. The animated introduction in the Enhanced Edition, however, shows that he's no less dangerous when he uses them.* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:After pulling off so many betrayals and softening the north for Nilfgaard's invasion, he in turn is betrayed by the very emperor he served.]]* LightningBruiser: Compared to humans, all witchers are very strong and fast, but Letho stands out for being, in Geralt's words, "a mountain of meat", and yet he is every bit as agile as his fellow witchers, who are a lot smaller and leaner by comparison. Letho's speed is even lampshaded in more than one occasion, first by [[spoiler:Ciaran, the dying elf in the barge, and later on by a dying Cedric.]]* MagicKnight: He's a Witcher, after all.* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:He was able to trick the Lodge of Sorceresses into helping him. A member of the Lodge even hired him to kill one certain king, thinking he was just a DumbMuscle.]]* MirrorBoss* MrExposition: At the end, he'll happily explain to you the reasons for his actions, finishing up the {{Backstory}} and cluing you in on what's really going on in the grand scheme of things.* PetTheDog: Multiple instances of this. [[spoiler:One, he doesn't kill Geralt after their first fight, due to feeling [[IOweYouMyLife he owes the latter]], and in general does not consider him his enemy. Second, in the past, he watched over Yennefer for a while after Geralt made his DealWithTheDevil. Third, if Geralt does not rescue Triss in Chapter 3, then Letho does, and he protects her from the [[WitchHunt sorceress-hunting]] soldiers.]]* PostFinalBoss: He's dealt with in the second game after the dust has finally settled and the much tougher [[spoiler:dragon]] has been defeated. [[spoiler:He can be skipped though.]]* ProfessionalKiller: One that�s only after kings.[[spoiler: It�s part of Nilfgaard�s plan to weaken the north before their invasion.]]* SleevesAreForWimps* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: When the player first fights him early in the second game, he is a very difficult boss. Defeating him even results in a cutscene where he defeats Geralt, but lets him live since [[IOweYouMyLife Geralt saved his life before, making him feel indebted]]. The second battle feels a lot easier, as Geralt (probably) took the time collecting fancy new skills, weapons and armor, while Letho is largely the same. * YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:If you let him walk away at the end of the second game, it is revealed in the third game that Emhyr decide to have him killed so Letho is on the run.]] [[/folder]][[folder:Vernon Roche]]Commander of the Blue Stripes, a Temerian special horses unit tasked with handling nonhuman threats. Helps Geralt break out of prison in the Prologue under the condition that he'll help Vernon capture the Kingslayer.* AFatherToHisMen: He takes his responsibility very seriously. [[spoiler: And his rage when his Blue Stripes are killed is truly frightening.]]* AntiHero: Type IV/V* {{Badass}}: Probably the best example is if Geralt chooses not to help him rescue Princess Anais. [[spoiler:He rescues her anyway, though sadly not in time to save kingless Temeria from being carved up.]]* BigDamnHero: [[spoiler:Surprisingly, he has one on Iorveth's route.]]* BerserkButton: Several, but specially hates being called a "whoreson" because of his DarkAndTroubledPast.* CovertPervert: While carrying a [=RRoD'd=] Triss, he takes solace in the fact that he'll die holding a nice ass, despite her protests.** Also, you might see him walking around in the background when [[spoiler:Geralt has sex with Ves]], though this is due to the game not suspending its background animations during said cutscene.* ColdBloodedTorture: Subverted. He has absolutely no problem inflicting horrible pain. The problem is, he can get so carried away his prisoners often die.* DarkAndTroubledPast: His father fucked his mother and left. Poverty stricken, she turned to prostitution to make ends meet. The other kids would insult him, the most prevalent being "whoreson". If it wasn't for Foltest, he admits that he could have ended up a drunkard.* DisappearedDad: He has never known his father. Although if he ever ''did'' find the guy, he'd probably kill him.* FantasticRacism: Mainly against Elves.* HeWhoFightsMonsters: One of the reasons why Iorveth hates him so passionately is that Vernon, unlike his predecessors, becomes increasingly more vicious and accomplished the longer he leads the Temerian special horses division. There are even rumors that Vernon feeds on Elven ears.* HotBlooded: His solutions to most problems is, "find the person in charge and kill him. If anyone gets in the way, kill them too." It usually works. * [[JerkAssWoobie Jerkass Woobie]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold With a Heart of Gold]]: He's a brutal spymaster in a CrapSackWorld. But he genuinely cares for Geralt and his men. He later gain a woobie point when [[spoiler:his squad gets massacred by Henselt.]]* KickTheSonOfABitch: His [[strike:main]] primary goal. It could be said that his route is composed entirely of this. [[spoiler:In the end, Geralt can kill or this dude i know the murder of Loredo, King Henselt, and Dethmold.]]* MyCountryRightOrWrong. Fanatically devoted to Foltest, even though the King he serves is quite immoral. * NiceHat: His chaperon.* ParentalSubstitute: [[spoiler:For Ana�s.]]* PayEvilUntoEvil: How far is Roche willing to go? [[spoiler: He ''castrates'' Dethmold before he kills him.]]* RatedMForManly: His concept art is essentially a High Fantasy Clint Eastwood, and he more than earns his reputation as a ruthless special operations commander. * RecklessSidekick: Verily. However, he remains competent in spite of his bloodlust. * TranquilFury: He never screams or rants. The angrier he becomes, the more dedicated he is to destroying whoever stands against him. And Roche has a ''long'' memory. * UndyingLoyalty: Even their deaths won't sever his loyalty to those who managed to earn it.* WellIntentionedExtremist: His job as the head of the Blue Stripes. He was Foltest's proverbial dagger behind the back.[[/folder]][[folder:Ves]]The Blue Stripes' second-in-command. She was rescued by Vernon from a gang of elves when she was a teenager and has been working for the Blue Stripes ever since.* ActionGirl* {{Bifauxnen}}: Doesn't fool anyone, though.* ButtMonkey: First she is used as bait by the Blue Stripes to [[spoiler:ambush Loredo, almost getting raped in the process;]] then she has to deal with discrimination on Kaedwen's camp for being a female soldier, and finally she [[spoiler:gets raped by Henselt and is forced to watch her friends get executed even though Henselt said he might let them live if she behaves (and she does).]] And then there's [[RapeAsBackStory her]] [[DoomedHometown backstory.]]* FantasticRacism: Subverted. Even though she hunts non-humans and suffered a lot at the hands of elves in the past, she claims that she does not begrudge the race as a whole and that she simply kills who she is ordered to, and that she makes no distinction between human and non-human targets. * [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: Arguably the most stable-minded member of the Blue Stripes, Vernon included.* [[spoiler:RapeAsDrama: At the hands of Henselt.]]* RapeAsBackstory: She was held captive for years by a gang of elves. The leader took a liking to her. Vernon and the Blue Stripes rescued her eventually, but unfortunately the damage had long been done.* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female member of the Blue Stripes.* TheStoic* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler:After being raped by Henselt at the end of Act II, Geralt mentions that she's lying about something. Roche sends her off to meet up with them later, and then she's never seen again for the remainder of the game.]][[/folder]][[folder:Saskia the Dragon Slayer]]Leader of the Aedirnian resistance. She dreams of a land where humans and nonhumans can coexist in harmony. [[spoiler:Actually the dragon Saesenthessis, who came to sympathize with the other races and wants them to live in peace with each other. Ultimately ends up becoming an UnwittingPawn to Philippa Eilhart and the Lodge of Sorceresses.]]* ActionGirl: You won't know how much though until her true nature is revealed. * TheAce: She is a beautiful, brave young woman who is just as smart as she is charismatic, and rumor has it that she killed a dragon single-handily. [[spoiler:She turns out to be the dragon all along, and the bit about slaying a dragon was invented by Iorveth to make her seem even more like an [[TheAce ace]].]]* BadassNormal* [[spoiler:BrainWashedAndCrazy]] which comes as quite a shock at the end of Chapter 2.* [[spoiler:TheDragon: Fittingly, but unwillingly, becomes this to Philippa Eilhart.]]* TheExtremistWasRight: Believes in the revolutionary idea that maybe humans, elves and dwarves should stop killing each other and live together in peace. * [[spoiler:FinalBoss: If [[SkippableBoss Letho]] is let go, then she becomes this, and in general proves to be a much straighter example than [[AnticlimaxBoss him]].]]** [[spoiler:FinalBossPreview: Yes, that's her in the prologue.]]* FounderOfTheKingdom of Upper Aedirn* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Blonde, pretty, pure, and idealistic.* IncorruptiblePurePureness: A rarity in the world of a Witcher. [[spoiler: Which makes sense as she's not actually human, but a Dragon. ]]* InterspeciesRomance: Geralt can be implied to ship Saskia/Iorveth through one dialogue opinion in one of the endings. Saskia notes that she had heard many lewd things said about the two of them, but finds dwarves most interesting. [[spoiler:Which apparently is a dragon thing.]] She does put some thought into the idea, though.* JeanneDArchetype: Leader of a popular peasant uprising, takes on the role of a warrior and leader outside of society's role for women, persecuted and thought a freak by her enemies. Yep, she's a Jeanne alright.* LadyOfWar* [[spoiler:MindControlEyes: How Geralt notices that something is off about her behavior.]]* MoralityPet: For Iorveth, who is fiercely loyal to her.* [[spoiler:OurDragonsAreDifferent: Golden dragons in The Witcher can shapeshift into virtually any form they want, but because Saesenthessis is only partially a golden dragon, (her father is a golden dragon and her mother is a green dragon) she can only shapeshift into one human form.]]* RebelLeader: Self-explanatory.* RedBaron: Also known as the "Virgin of Aedirn".* VirginPower: What a lot of people seem to believe she has. Since as Triss correctly notes, virgins are a dying breed in the Witcherverse, it isn't that crazy an argument from a peasant's POV.[[/folder]][[folder:Siegfried of Denesle]]A knight of the Order of the Flaming Rose. He is one of Geralt's contacts in the first game. A well-meaning knight who just so happens to be terribly misguided.* {{Adorkable}}: His earnestness and desire to help the downtrodden makes him seem naive in comparison to the CrapsackWorld of the Northern Kingdoms. * {{Badass}}: He�s almost as good at swordfighting as Geralt is.* BeliefMakesYouStupid: Subverted if you side with the Order. He is very suspicious of his Grand Master's motives, and doesn't hesitate to fight knights that side with him. Played straight in the other paths.* CelibateHero: Which makes him as rare as a unicorn in this setting. * EveryoneHasStandards: [[spoiler: If you side with the Order, It becomes clear that Siegfried and the Knights under him do not approve of the Grand Master's schemes and when Siegfried ultimately succeeds Jacques as the Grand Master, he promises to change the Order for the better.]]* FantasticRacism: Averted. Compared to his fellow knights he is very reasonable and gladly helps out Geralt even though he's technically non-human. He doesn't even seem that hateful of any non-Yaevinn Scoiatael, going so far as to show pity to the starving rebels he fought. Played straight when siding with the Elves and sometimes on the Neutral Path.* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Blond, noble, chaste, and a knight.* KnightTemplar: A milder example.* MeaningfulName: Siegfried bears the same name as [[{{Nibelungenlied}} another selfless warrior]] of the north.* OfficerAndAGentleman* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: As a frequent battler of the paranormal, he will listen to even the oddest of stories and requests from Geralt and help as best he can. [[spoiler: Even more so when he takes over as the new Grand Master, and promises to change the Order for the better.]]* SpoiledSweet: Apart from his [[BritishAccents posh accent]], the disdain he shows for the witchers' practice of charging money for monster-slaying could only come from someone who has never been forced to work for a living (something Geralt dryly points out when they first meet). Nonetheless, he is one of the most admirable characters in the game.* TookALevelInJerkass: When siding with the Elves.* VirginPower: He has taken a vow of celibacy.* WideEyedIdealist / WellIntentionedExtremist: The Order of the Flaming Rose is a xenophobic military Order of which Siegfried is an enthusiastic member. Subverted however in that Siegfried is both a NiceGuy and carries no ill will towards any race in particular. [[/folder]][[folder:Vincent Meis]]The commander of the Viziman city watch. A harsh, but ultimately fair man who proves to be extremely loyal to those he trusts. He tends to disappear at night and no one knows where he goes. [[spoiler: It is later revealed he is a werewolf who uses his condition to fight criminals.]]* AndroclesLion: When Geralt helps him cure his [[spoiler: Lycanthropy]] instead of killing him, Vincent returns as an ally, warning Geralt of a plot against him.* AntiHero: He seems to be a [[Analysis/AntiHero Type II]].* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He can be quite the Jerkass, but does show a soft side. Especially considering his girlfriend Carmen.* [[spoiler: OurWerewolvesAreDifferent]][[/folder]][[folder:Bernard Loredo]]The commandant of Flotsam�s town watch, Loredo is a corrupt slug who runs over his town like it�s his own personal fiefdom. He soon contacts Geralt for work and eventually butts heads with the Witcher, greatly lowering his own life-expectancy in the process.* BaldOfEvil: Not a hair on his ugly head.* BondageIsBad: When Ves is posing as a prostitute, Loredo is revealed to shackle his lovers.* ChildByRape: [[spoiler:Not him, but his bastard with his elven SexSlave.]]** Possibly also him. [[spoiler:According to the insane asylum sidequest, his mother was a schizophrenic madwoman who survived the burning of the asylum, only to be raped by the soldiers before she killed their commander and fled with the map to a Nilfgaardian treasure cache.]] * CorruptHick: Runs the town of Flotsam and controls its criminal rackets, drugs and illegal fighting rings.* DirtyCop: He's the head of Flotsam�s town watch, and he does anything but instill law and order.* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Subverted. At first it seems like this is the case because he lets his insane mother live with him, but then it's revealed he holds her in contempt and uses her to manufacture the fisstech he sells to Flotsam's addicts.* EvilIsPetty: If Geralt doesn't throw the fight against Loredo's ringer, [[DisproportionateRetribution he'll send goons to kill Geralt later.]] Later on, if Geralt sides with Iorveth, [[spoiler:he'll set fire to a tower full of Elven women just to spite Geralt]].* FatBastard: He's noticeably doughy and one of the biggest bastards in the game.* FantasticRacism: Like many humans in the game, he doesn't care for the non-humans. He's even looking for any excuse to start a pogrom to wipe out all the dwarves and elves in Flotsam, Scoia'tael sympathist or not.* FightClubbing: Not him personally, but he's in charge of the fighting pits.* HookersAndBlow: If you side with Roche, you'll see Loredo high on drugs while with a prostitute, [[spoiler:really a disguised Ves]]. This seems to be regular behavior from him.* {{Hypocrite}}: Hates non-humans, [[spoiler:but not enough to stop him from keeping an elf woman as a SexSlave. And it's implied that he has a history of doing this.]]* IHaveYourWife: Threatens to kill Geralt's two best friends, Dandelion and Zoltan, if Geralt doesn't do as Loredo wants.* IOwnThisTown: He controls the town both legally and through its criminal enterprises.* {{Jerkass}}: Introduced pretending to be about to show mercy to a soon-to-be hanged thief, only to kick the lever that sends him swinging. He only gets "nicer" from there.* [[spoiler:KarmaHoudini: If you side with Iorveth and save the elven women from the tower Loredo set alight, he�ll not only suffer no punishment for his crimes, he'll actually succeed in selling out Flotsam to Kaedwen.]]* LastNameBasis: He's almost always referred to by his last name, even in this article.* TheQuisling: [[spoiler:Attempts to sell Flotsam to Kaedwen, rendering him a traitor to his country. Whether he succeeds depends on player choices.]]* SadisticChoice: If you side with Iorveth, [[spoiler:he'll set fire to a tower filled with elven women, forcing Geralt to choose whether to save him or kill Loredo.]]* SmugSnake: He's a fairly loathsome individual with no redeeming qualities, yet he seems to think quite highly of himself.* StarterVillain: He's the primary villain of the [[VideoGame/TheWitcher2AssassinsOfKings second game's]] first act.[[/folder]]