Yennefer or Triss? The Witcher 3’s Burning Question

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was one of the best games of 2015. Almost three years on it is considered one of the best RPGs ever made and it is still one of the best-selling games on PC. It is a game of impressive scope, with 200 hours of potential gameplay in a politically charged fantasy world that introduces and reacquaints us to truly unique characters.

With so many characters involved we become invested in each individual story, some of them affects us in ways that video games rarely do. This ignites both heated discussions and articles lavishing the game with praise which furthers the success of not just the Witcher games but the franchise as a whole.

Speaking of heated discussions, when it comes to The Witcher 3 there is a burning question that every player will encounter: Yennefer or Triss? For some fans the choice is very straight forward, but for others it takes some serious digging into the franchise’s history to make the final decision.

The timeline of the Witcher novels takes place before the events of the games and is where Geralt and Yennefer’s relationship began. Despite this, with Yennefer now being such as huge part of the franchise, she did not become a playable (or main) character in the games until Wild Hunt. She did not appear at all The Witcher (2007), instead only being indirectly mentioned, and it is not until The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011) that we begin to learn of her through a series of flashbacks. Triss on the other hand, is a main character in every Witcher game.

Without getting too much into the plot of the first two games, Triss is one of the first people who Geralt meets after she finds him unconscious and nurses him back to health. In the prologue of the first game, Geralt has the opportunity of a sexual encounter with her and the second game begins with the two being in a relationship. It’s very easy to see why those who have never read the books would choose Triss; they simply have not had the connection with Yennefer.  You won’t have to search too long on the internet to find a few arguments about why Triss is the better option. The foundation of these arguments comes is based on reference to the in-game issues of Yennefer treating Geralt “like a dog” and how Geralt and Yennefer are bound together by a djinn (a genie that grants Geralt three wishes in The Last Wish (1993) book).

However, the same can be said about Yennefer. With a long and complicated history with Geralt, she is considered his ‘true love’. The pair acted as Ciri’s adoptive parents and have both sacrificed themselves to save the other. In the first two games Geralt suffers from amnesia and cannot remember anything about his past, including Yennefer. Triss, who has been in love with Geralt for many years uses this to her advantage and seduces him. Shortly before the events of Wild Hunt, Geralt (presumably) calls off his relationship with Triss as he begins to recover from his amnesia. This story arc is often used by those of us on Team Yennefer when the choice is upon us, arguing that if Geralt did not lose his memory, Triss would not even be a romantic contender. Wild Hunt then begins with Geralt reuniting with Yennefer after a long search.

As the story of Wild Hunt progresses, the player has the option of romancing either or both characters, with each choice having an impact on the game’s ending and the interactions with other characters. There is no right or wrong choice when deciding which women to pursue. Both choices offer great gameplay and some very entertaining dialogue. The love triangle between these three characters is one of the reasons why The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is so good. It draws people in and gives players a break from the main story while staying relevant to current events of the game. It starts discussions and most importantly, successfully encourages you to dig deeper into the world of The Witcher.