The Witcher characters that deserve a spin off

If you’ve performed by way of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt extensively, talking to each peasant tending the fields, finishing even the smallest of duties in an effort to know the whole lot about this fantasy world, right here’s some unhealthy information. The Witcher games, whereas populated with tons of of characters, miss out lots of an important and memorable individuals within the books.

This is essentially all the way down to the timeline of the games occurring after the books. It’s alright, you probably did your finest, however there are nonetheless many vastly vital people you’ve by no means even seen. However, with spin-off card game Gwent in ongoing beta and the upcoming arrival of Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, those that haven’t learn the Witcher books, however who play the games, are beginning to glimpse extra of the universe.

Queen Meve, for instance, is rarely seen within the games, however is necessary for her function in knighting Geralt after he saved her on the Yaruga river, gifting him the long-lasting title ‘of Rivia’. She options in Thronebreaker, and subsequently marks the start of a bigger exploration of the books by way of CD Projekt Red’s games. If that’s the case then there are various extra characters who deserve their time within the limelight.

Milva

The straight-talking archer, Maria Barring, is one among my favourites within the books. When Geralt goes lone wolf and tries to push away the individuals who care about him – an nearly bi-weekly occasion – she’s one of many few characters who challenges him. She’s additionally an knowledgeable hunter and performs an integral function within the hunt for Ciri.

When we meet Milva within the books, she’s one of many few people allowed to reside and hunt within the Dryad realm of Brokilon, a reward she earns by guiding the outlawed bands of Scoia’tael of the time to security. As Milva is a vastly necessary character with a fantastic backstory, it’d be a disgrace if followers of the games by no means received to know her.

Sigi Reuven and the gang

At the top of the second Northern War, Sigismund Dijkstra was obliged to enter hiding, fleeing from assassins. He began calling himself Sigi Reuven – the second title of his outdated private assistant – and determined to pursue a lifetime of crime. But the final time we see him within the books, at Elskerdeg Pass, he bumps into two travellers: the tracker Boreas Munn, and Isengrim Faoiltiarna – ex-colonel of the Vrihedd brigade (principally the Scoia’tael SS, lightning bolts and all).

The three auspicious people conform to staff up and journey with one another. However, when the time of The Witcher Three rolls round, Isengrim and Boreas are nowhere to be seen, and Sigi is a lone crime boss in Novigrad. The interval that led as much as Sigi’s place right here might make for a tremendous game state of affairs. There’d be an fascinating dynamic between Dijkstra’s newfound disenfranchisement with authority, Isengrim’s cruelty, and Boreas’s conscience, as they pursue prison enterprise throughout Zerrikania and Haakland.

Vilgefortz de Roggeveen

The mage Vilgefortz is arguably the massive unhealthy of the entire Witcher collection. He’s additionally one of many few individuals who has crushed Geralt in one-on-one fight. Extremely gifted, fiendishly good-looking, and as ruthless as he’s downright evil, he’s a villain worthy of any story. Not least as a result of he enjoys repeating his go-to enigmatic phrase ‘You mistake stars reflected in a pond for the night sky’, which ought to offer you a way of his aura.

Before we first meet Vilgefortz on the conclave of mages on the isle of Thanedd, he grew up as an orphan on the streets of Lan Exeter, however was taken in and raised by druids. He spent the following hundred years or so – Witcher mages reside for a very long time – as a spy, a mercenary, and a prison. None of those intervals are ever actually lined by the books and so would make for a very good space for a game to discover.

All of the dwarves

Seriously, all of them. Whether that’s Zoltan, Cranmer, Zigrin, Els, or Skaggs, the dwarves of the Witcher universe are unbelievable: a foul-mouthed, heavy-drinking, happy-go-lucky bunch. But they’re additionally fierce fighters. When the Northern line breaks on the Battle of Brenna, the Mahakam Volunteers are the one ones left standing, keeping off the whole Nilfgaardian offensive in a sq. – whereas additionally marching to strengthen Foltest.

There are loads of alternatives for games to discover these characters, whether or not that’s Yarpen Zigrin and his dwarven band of dragon hunters, or Zoltan and his firm as they journey by way of the pillaged countryside of the North. Captain Dennis Cranmer – the primary dwarf to function within the books – would additionally make for a very good story, in addition to Commander Barclay Els, each of who may lead a story primarily based on the exploits of the Mahakam Volunteers.

Coen

You know Eskel, Lambert, Vesemir, and naturally, Geralt, however do you know there was a fifth witcher within the School of the Wolf? Coen, or as I wish to name him, ‘the witcher who stood for something’, was round in the course of the second Northern War and selected to volunteer to struggle Nilfgaard, serving within the Light Volunteer Horse on the Battle of Brenna.

While Coen doesn’t function a lot, he’s vital due to an concept that’s consistently repeated within the books and the games: witchers don’t take sides. This hardly applies to Geralt, in fact, as he picks and chooses sides typically, solely whipping that phrase out of the bag when he doesn’t need to become involved in a disagreement. But Coen noticed Kaer Morhen as a part of the North, and wasn’t naive sufficient to suppose Nilfgaard’s invasion wouldn’t have an effect on witchers as nicely. The obligation he felt precipitated him to face up and struggle. He’s noteworthy for that cause alone however an additional character research could be a wealthy vein to mine.

Regis

While Regis (or Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy) has already been given game time within the Blood and Wine growth for The Witcher 3, there’s nonetheless a lot round his character that is still a thriller.

The Higher Vampire with the penchant for mandrake moonshine first encounters Geralt and the gang in an Elven cemetery – the place he proceeds to get them pissed and inform them he’s a vampire. But once we first meet Regis he’s outdated, even by Higher Vampire requirements, and is probably one of many first, coming into existence after the conjunction of the spheres. This means there’s large potential in following Regis in a narrative of his youthful years, exploring Witcher characters who died lengthy earlier than the books started, like Falka and Lara Dorren.

Leo Bonhart

If Vilgefortz is the antagonist of the Witcher books then it’s truthful to say that Leo Bonhart is probably the most hated character of the collection. The sadistic and barely insane bounty hunter is accountable for Ciri as she is within the games. You wouldn’t suppose she’s been by way of half the issues he subjected her to. But that’s extra a testomony to her power than his cruelty.

Bonhart is an extremely expert fighter – one who sells his expertise to the best bidder – and at all times carries three witcher medallions round his neck: a Wolf, a Cat, and a Griffin, taken from earlier bounties. He additionally purchased Ciri her sword, Zireael (‘Swallow’ within the Elder Speech), although this wasn’t a kindness – as soon as armed, he drugged her with Fisstech (principally Witcher cocaine) and compelled her to struggle within the area of Claremont.

Bonhart is what Ciri might have turn into: he does what he needs, takes what he needs, kills who he needs. Their rivalry, which spans a number of books, is a crucial a part of making the Ciri that so many people know and love by way of the games.