WithThe Witcher 4being officially revealed at The Game Awards 2024 andCiri being confirmed as the protagonist, it’s time to take into consideration who else might appear in the game. This not only means that players get another chance to explore an expansive world and slay monsters, but that they might run into familiar faces from previous games in the series. The question is who might have a role to play in Ciri’s new journey.
The Witcher 4is ready to be bigger thanThe Witcher 3, and it has a wealth of content to draw from among the games, books, and TV series. However, the trailer also shows that it’ll include elements that have yet to appear, such asCiri’s more robust magical abilities, which go beyond what Witchers can usually do. It seems that there are quite a few mysteries that need to be answeredinThe Witcher 4.
Emhyr Could Come After Ciri Again
A Royal Hunt
Depending on choices made in previous games, Emhyr can be overthrown or remain as the emperor of Nilfgaard. If the canon storyline has Emhyr continue in his role of emperor, this could lead to some adversity during the game, asCiri is his biological daughter. One of his goals previously was to bring her to Nilfgaard as his successor, which happens in theempress ending ofThe Witcher 3.
Ciri traveling around as a Witcher means that she could be noticed by Nilfgaard, revealing to Emhyr that she’s alive.
Since it looks like the Witcher ending is the canon route for Ciri, this means thatGeralt would have told Emhyr that Ciri diedby sacrificing herself to the White Frost to save the world. Ciri traveling around as a Witcher means that she could be noticed by Nilfgaard, revealing to Emhyr that she’s alive. In that case, he might try to get her to become his successor once again.
Avallac’h Could Mentor Ciri Again
A Twist of Fate
Avallac’h is a mysterious character who helped Ciri learn about her powers. He also hopped from dimension to dimension with her.This gave him a role as both a mentor and a friend to Ciri, and made him one of the few people who could relate to her having the ability to move across dimensions. She makes it clear to Geralt that she not only trusts Avallac’h, but he saved her life more than once.
Avallac’h used some of his remaining strength to give Geralt Ciri’s location, but his ultimate fate was left as a mystery. While it’s possible that Avallac’h is dead,he could still appear in flashback, as it was Ciri who spent a significant amount of time with him. Since he’s an important figure in her life, it wouldn’t be unusual for him to reappear in the flesh, in a flashback, or just in name.
The An Craite Siblings Could Be Welcome Allies
Guardians Of The North
Cerys and her brother, Hjalmar, are both options for thenext king or queen of Skellige. Both characters are strong in their own right, and either one would make a good ruler for Skellige. That means that they would also be great allies to have on Ciri’s side if fate takes her to the islands, or if Cerys or Hjalmar cross paths with her on their own journeys beyond familiar shores.
10 Gameplay Features We Desperately Need To See In The Witcher 4
With the announcement of Witcher 4, it’s worth looking at what improvements CD Projekt Red can make to The Witcher 3’s gameplay features.
Witchers are strong, and Ciri has abilities that go beyond what an average Witcher is capable of, butthat doesn’t mean that she won’t need allies during her journey. Plus, Ciri doesn’t necessarily only need to meet people to go into battle with her or give her information on a monster she’s hunting. If she’s in an area close enough to an acquaintance, it’s possible that she’ll meet up with old friends without a fight looming in the near future.
Ciri Needs Her Own Roach
The Bard’s Ballad
Roach is an iconic mare in her own right, and has the tough job of carting Geralt around the world, often into dangerous situations. Of course, there isn’t only one Roach, as it’s a running joke in the books and TV series thatGeralt simply names every horse he has Roach. Theorigin of Roach’s nameis also rather cute, showing that Geralt has a soft side to him, which is only reinforced by his role as Ciri’s adoptive father.
Ciri might not necessarily name all of her own horses Roach, but it’s true that she could use a reliable steed during her journey as a Witcher.While it’s possible she could honor Geralt by using the same name as him for her horse, she could find her own name. Then, it’s possible that her horse will also find a way to glitch onto rooftops at random.
Dandelion Is A Friend Of Geralt’s And Could Help Ciri
A Bitter Pill
As a bard, Dandelion is known for his beauty and talent, but not for any combat skills.He’s also Geralt’s closest friend, even if Geralt isn’t always enthusiastic about Dandelion’s presence. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to show up at some point duringThe Witcher 4, even if he doesn’t offer direct help regarding combat, as his strengths lie elsewhere.
Dandelion is incredibly smart and used to work as a professor, which means that he can offer help to Ciri in the form of intelligence and information gathering.
He even owns a tavern, where he’s certainly able to receive an abundance of informationand gossip from regulars and travelers who are just passing by. Given his background and current work, Ciri could end up visiting Dandelion and consulting him about a hunt she feels isn’t right, or find information to help guide her along.
Fringilla Has A Complicated Relationship With Ciri’s Dad
A Dangerous Game
Fringilla is a rather interesting character. She was a Nilfgaardian sorceress, and she was even the person who blinded Yennefer during the battle on Sodden Hill. Despite her service to the empire,she ended up imprisoned by Emhyr, because she was part of the Lodge of Sorceresses, and this was considered treason in his eyes. Before her trial, she was saved by Yennefer, who made a deal with Emhyr.
Due to her history,Fringilla could be used in several interesting ways if she appeared inThe Witcher 4. It’s possible that she holds some resentment towards Emhyr, and she could use Ciri to help her get revenge against them, even if that meant helping Ciri avoid Emhyr’s grasp, should he find out that she’s alive. Alternatively, she might be the most devoted in the Lodge of Sorceresses, as she owes Yennefer her life.
The Heart of the Circle
A political figure to be reckoned with, Philippa decided to take on the task of reforming the Lodge of Sorceresses, andshe wanted Ciri to be at the center of this faction. While Ciri has clearly decided to become a Witcher, her magical abilities remain stronger than the average Witcher, and she has the Elder Blood in her veins. Philippa likely would’ve compromised with Ciri if she wanted to be a Witcher, as long as that meant Ciri wouldn’t cut ties with the Lodge.
Considering Philippa had plans that involved Ciri, it would make perfect sense for her to appear inThe Witcher 4. Even if she doesn’t have a large or active role,she could still be a great resource for Ciridue to her political influence and power as a sorceress. No matter what, it seems like it would be difficult not to have the Lodge as a core part of the game with Ciri taking the lead.
Triss Is Influential And A Friend Of Ciri
A Love Lost and Found
Triss is one of Geralt’s love interests, but she’s also an incredibly powerful sorceress in her own right. As part of the Lodge and a character who has a sisterly bond with Ciri, it makes sense for Triss to appear inThe Witcher 4. However, she might not have an extensive role,depending on how involved the Lodge is with Ciri, or how much Ciri interacts with them on a regular basis.
Since sorceresses tend to work closely with various rulers, they have a lot of political power.
As a member of the Lodge of Sorceresses, Triss could be involved in the game in similar ways to how Philippa could be, where they play supporting roles as needed. While their magic is powerful, they both have other strengths that Ciri could need to borrow. Since sorceresses tend to work closely with various rulers, they have a lot of political power. Like Philippa,Triss' connections and knowledge of the world’s politicscould be more valuable to Ciri than magic.
Yennefer Must Make An Appearance
A Father’s Duty
Yennefer is another sorceress who’s part of the Lodge, but she’s also the favorite love interest option for Geralt. In addition to that,she acts as an adoptive mother to Ciri, which means that her romance seems like the most likely canon route, ifThe Witcher 4decides to make a romance for Geralt official. Even if she isn’t in a relationship with Geralt, she’s still a parental figure to Ciri, and it would be strange not to see her return.
Among the sorceresses, Yennefer seems like the most likely to not only appear, but to possibly have a larger role in Ciri’s journey.Her magical abilities make her a fearsome ally in battle, but like the other sorceresses, she also has a strong knowledge of politics. These features give her several strengths that can be crucial for a Witcher, especially if Ciri has to deal with people who aren’t fond of Witchers.
Geralt Will Definitely Return
As Ciri’s adoptive father, mentor, fellow Witcher, and the protagonist of the previous games, it’s already confirmed thatGeralt will return inThe Witcher 4. Of course, he’ll have a more subdued role and might just make an occasional appearance, butit could be a lot of fun to see him and Ciri work on a hunt together, now that she’s a full-fledged Witcher. After all, he guided her on the path to becoming one.
The trickiest part of Geralt appearing would be eitherdeciding which choices he had to make in previous games are canon, or including him in a way where which options he picked are inconsequential or not even mentioned. The most likely solution would be to make canon decisions for big choices, such as Emhyr being the emperor or his romance choice, and then avoid smaller choices. Of course, there are many ways to go about handling choices from previous games, so it’ll be tough to speculate on what CD Projekt Red will pick.
Between the games, TV series, and books, the world ofThe Witcheris massive and full of enough lore that content could be created indefinitely. Of course, it would be difficult to replace characters like Ciri and Geralt to create a prequel or move into the distant future with a sequel. However, Ciri’s familiarity and character design are what help make the decision to place her at the heart ofThe Witcher 4that much more exciting.
