The Witcher 3is an RPG, and that means players will have to make decisions in the game that they may not like the consequences of. These can be in the form of dialogue options or in-game actions, and the results can vary from mildly upsetting toutterly devastating and heartbreaking. The choices that hit the you out of the blue often carry the most weight, putting you on the spot of having to choose one or the other option.
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Out of all such decisions, these are the ones every player remembers because of the build-up leading to them and the fact that their consequences are downright depressing.
6Picking Who Dies in Now or Never
There is No Correct Choice
In the quest Now or Never, Geralt is tasked with helping Triss Merigold evacuate mages from Novigrad, which has been consumed by the paranoia of witch hunters and eternal fire fanatics. When the players meet Triss at the apartment she’s taking refuge in, she asks Geralt’s opinion on something that has her in a bid. Should she evacuate the mages as soon as possible, or should she wait for two other mages who haven’t reported yet?
Helping Berthold and Anisse might seem like an obvious option, since leaving them behind would mean their inevitable death. But going to rescue them also puts all of the other mages at risk, as the witch hunters could figure out their plan and ambush the group. There is no right option here, and if Geralt saves the couple, Olivier, who had been waiting for Triss at the Kingfisher Inn will be killed trying to protect the other mages.
Still, this way, two people are saved and one dies, but as Triss says, “This is not about numbers,” and it’s moments like these where lives depend on Geralt’s dialogue choices when The Witcher 3’s moral ambiguity is shown at its finest.
5Putting an End to Sheala de Tancarville’s Misery
From Powerful Sorceress to Broken Prisoner
Sheala de Tancarville, a sharp and cunning sorceress introduced in The Witcher 2, finds herself a victim of the witch hunters' brutal campaign in The Witcher 3. The first and only time Geralt encounters her in the third game is during the mission “The Great Escape”, where she’s no longer the imposing figure she once was. Instead, Sheala’s imprisoned, tortured, and broken both physically and spiritually.
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And as if that wasn’t enough, Síle asks Geralt to end her suffering as her injuries are too severe to recover from, and as granting her a merciful death is the only option, players can go ahead and refuse her request, at which point Yennefer will step forward and do it. This is one of the most heartbreaking decisions in the game, one that every player wished they never had to take, especially for those who had played Witcher 2 and had seen Sheala in her prime.
4Whether Keira Metz Dies or Lives
Decide if Keira Is a Friend or a Foe
Keira Metz, one of the most interesting characters in the game, has her story told throughside questsonly, and her extremely fickle fate is in the hands of Geralt alone. With King Radovid out for the blood of mages, Keira has a plan to win Radovid over to her side. To execute it, she manipulates Geralt to do her bidding and remove the curse from Fyke Island in the Towerful of Mice side quest.
What Geralt doesn’t know is that she had him remove the curse so she could retrieve Alexander’s Notes on the Catriona Plague, and was planning to give it to Radovid in exchange for her life. Geralt, while noticeably angry at her, has three options, out of which only one will save Kiera’s life. He can either confront Keira and fight her, or let her do her own thing and try to win over Radovid, both of which will get her killed, with the latter getting her gruesomely impaled. The third option, where Geralt tries to convince her to come to Kaer Morhen, is the only way she survives.
What makes this decision carry so much weight is that players, at the time of choosing the dialogue options, aren’t aware of whether letting her do her own business will end her fate so horribly, and when they get to learn about Keira’s fate later on from Triss, it’s nothing short of heartbreaking and makes them feel extremely guilty.
3Deciding the Fate of Bloody Baron and His Family
“If I’m to Choose Between a Lesser and Greater Evil, I’d Rather Not Choose at All…”
The Family Matters questline dives deep into the tragedy of the Bloody Baron, a man who, despite his flaws and cruel actions, is portrayed as deeply human. Despite his rough exterior and history of violence, the Baron’s deep regret and his desperate search for his missing wife, Anna, and daughter, Tamara, show a man trying to atone for his mistakes.
Geralt discovers the Baron’s abusive behavior drove Anna into a pact with the Crones of Crookback Bog, where she became their servant, while Tamara fled to Oxenfurt to join the witch hunters. Anna’s deal with the Crones comes at a cost: she is cursed, turning her into a grotesque water hag. Depending on Geralt’s choices during the quest, Anna’s fate takes one of two heartbreaking turns: either she succumbs to the curse and dies, or she lives but is mentally broken beyond repair.
The Baron’s reaction to these outcomes varies. If Anna dies, the grief-stricken Baron takes his own life, leaving players with a sense of emptiness and sorrow. If Anna survives in her broken state, the Baron vows to take her away and care for her, a bittersweet conclusion to a deeply tragic story. This quest is Witcher 3’s storytelling at its finest; there is no obvious right option and no true good ending to the Baron’s story.
2The Dialogue That Kills Ciri
Words Have Power, Sometimes Too Much Power
Ciri’s success in confronting the White Frost hinges on the support Geralt provides during key moments throughout the story. In these moments, Geralt’s words carry immense power, guiding her toward confidence or inadvertently pushing her toward despair.
The most devastating outcome in the main storyline unfolds if Geralt’s choices undermine Ciri’s self-confidence. This can happen if Geralt dismisses her feelings, insists on making decisions for her, or fails to allow her the independence she needs to grow. These small missteps build to a heartbreaking moment where, stripped of her courage, Ciri faces the White Frost alone and perishes in the attempt.
The players, when picking these dialogue options, aren’t immediately aware of what the consequences of these choices will be, and Witcher 3, in all its cruelty, makes the players reap the devastating fruit that they sowed.
1Choosing Between Yennefer or Triss
Love, Torn Between Two
Few choices in The Witcher 3 are as deeply personal or emotionally charged as Geralt’s decision to pick either Yennefer of Vengerberg or Triss Merigold. Both women share profound connections with Geralt, but their relationships with him are as different as their personalities.
Yennefer, Geralt’s long-time love, has a history with him that spans decades, rooted in a bond forged by destiny and strengthened by their shared hardships. However, their relationship is often tumultuous, defined by sharp wit and fiery arguments. Choosing her cements their love, but it leaves Triss, who stood by Geralt during his amnesiac years, heartbroken.
On the other hand, Triss offers a gentler, more nurturing romance. Her unwavering support during Geralt’s time of need is a stark contrast to the often tempestuous dynamic with Yennefer. Choosing Triss, however, means forsaking the history and depth of Geralt’s bond with Yennefer, a decision that carries its own weight.
What makes this decision even more impactful is the third option: Geralt can choose to be with neither of them, leaving him alone, reflecting on the paths not taken. Each choice feels intensely personal, shaping not just Geralt’s future but also the lives of the two women who mean the most to him.
I picked Yennefer as, despite Triss’ love for Geralt being less tumultuous and mean, Yenn’s history with him spanning decades mattered more to me, and the two seemed like they were meant to be together forever.
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