Geralt of Rivia spends most of the main plot in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt desperately searching for Ciri. In between the times where you are putting the clues together, there are many situations in which it is inevitable for Geralt to find himself in. Although some can be cute, and some can be even comical, there are a lot of heartbreaking moments.
The following article will contain major spoilers for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
GERALT’S DISTRESS – THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT
I couldn’t make a list of heartbreaking moments in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt without including the most unbearable one to me. As I mentioned above, Geralt spends most of the game looking for Ciri. Throughout many ordeals and back-and-forth visits to the different realms, the game leads you—because at this point, you can’t help but feel you’re part of this story as much as Geralt—to believe you have finally found her.
However, the sense of relief is quickly cut short as it seems that she is dead. I will never forget the look of devastation on Geralt’s face at his discovery. To me, it’s not just because my favourite character has died. From the very beginning, the game underlines the importance of Geralt’s and Ciri’s relationship—one of father and daughter—and the moment he finds her and holds her (presumably) dead body makes you suffer in agony alongside Geralt.
Video credit to Hathur.
VESEMIR’S SACRIFICE – THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT
The Battle of Kaer Morhen is one of the main quests in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and I don’t know about you, but I was on edge the entire time. On top of trying to defeat all the Wild Hunt soldiers, there’s also the *minor* task of trying to keep everyone alive—which also depends on how you played your rhetorical cards with the other characters until this very moment.
In an harrowing few instants, Vesemir sacrifices himself to save Ciri, only for her to almost kill everyone else by giving in to her despair and losing control of her power. Considering how much Vesemir meant to everybody—especially the Witchers—it’s no wonder why gamers consider this one of the most heartbreaking moments not only in this game, but in the entire franchise.
Vesemir’s heroic act
IRIS VON EVEREC’S STORY – HEART OF STONE DLC
Heart of Stone is the first DLC for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, where Geralt makes a deal with the mysterious Man of Glass and has to defeat a bandit captain known as Olgierd von Everec.
Here you will take on new side quests and experiment with runes, while doing your best to complete the tasks requested by Olgierd. However, nothing prepares you for what happens in Scenes from a Marriage, the penultimate main quest in this adventurous expansion. You’re tasked with retrieving the violet rose Olgierd gave his wife Iris the last time they saw each other. Easy-peasy, right? WRONG.
What you encounter—besides the terrifying creature known as The Caretaker—is the ghost of Iris von Everec, and you’ll need to piece together the very tragic puzzle of what happened to her. Little by little, you learn how the marriage slowly crumbled to pieces because of Olgierd’s greed, and how much this affected Iris’ mental state. Not only is this quest very tragic, but Olgierd’s ill-timed regret gives the ending of this story a very bitter taste.
The tragic tale of Iris von Everec
HONORABLE MENTIONS
These two didn’t quite make the list, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t worth mentioning. The one of the Baron’s wife is a very heavy-hearted story, especially because everything that unfolds around this particular event. Although not entirely heartbreaking, the story of Anabelle from the side quest A Towerful of Mice was very sorrowful. Yes, in truth she was an evil, vengeful plague maiden who didn’t show remorse for her actions. However, the incidents that led to her death were quite ominous and she didn’t deserve to die like that.
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