Images of Triss in her alternative gown and Yennefer in her default outfit against a shot of a sunset in Witcher 3.
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Marley King
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Ben Brosofsky
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Lee D'Amato
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39 minutes ago
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Monster slaying and collecting crowns aside, one of Geralt’s central conflicts in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is his love life, and the choice between settling down with one of two sorceresses: Triss Merigold, or Yennefer of Vengerberg. The latter is technically the canon choice, given her role in the wider fiction, but the RPG gives players the reins in choosing Geralt's partner. Choosing either Yennefer or Triss in The Witcher 3 comes with pros and cons, though, which should be considered before making a decision.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for certain endings of The Witcher 3.]Geralt has a complicated relationship with both sorceresses. He met Yennefer because of an altercation with a djinn, during which Geralt inadvertently bound them together. This became a constant point of contention between the two, as neither was sure whether their feelings for one another were real. Later, when Geralt suffered from amnesia, Triss took advantage of his memory loss to manipulate him, and temporarily replaced Yennefer as his romantic interest. Knowing this, it's clear who Geralt's true love is in The Witcher 3, but there are some additional story and gameplay nuances for players to keep in mind, too.
Pros And Cons Of Romancing Yennefer In The Witcher 3
Geralt's Lover Of Yore, The Sorceress Yennefer
Geralt kisses Yennefer in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt against a snowy background.
When choosing to romance Yennefer in The Witcher 3, players can expect a turbulent, troubled, and sometimes even toxic relationship. Both Yen and Geralt are strong-willed and independent people, and their moral codes don't often line up.
This makes them less than understanding of each other at times, leading to abrasive interactions and frequent fights. However, at other times, their conflicting worldviews lend them a unique rapport. Yen and Geralt are uniquely capable of balancing one another out, challenging each other to look beyond their narrow preconceptions and unite for a common cause.
At the beginning of The Witcher 3, it seems Yennefer and Geralt are only bound together by chance. Prior to the game's canon (but as portrayed in the original novels and the streaming series), Geralt and Yennefer's attraction to one another is ostensibly the result of Geralt's wish to a djinn.
It's clear that Geralt only made this wish in an effort to protect Yennefer, which suggests he cared for her even prior to the encounter. Still, he and Yen frequently question the legitimacy of their feelings as a result. However, if Geralt sticks with Yennefer through thick and thin, the two can actually break the djinn’s spell and find their true feelings for one another.
Romancing Yennefer means that Triss will be devastated, though, and Geralt will be unable to pursue a relationship with her. For players of the prior two Witcher games, this may be a con in and of itself.
Those games focus on Geralt's relationship with Triss, while his history with Yen isn't really portrayed on screen. As a result, veteran Witcher players may be less inclined to let Triss down, as they understand her story better and have more history with her, while those more familiar with other Witcher media could feel differently.
Choosing either Yennefer or Triss means missing out on chunks of the other romance option's quest line. There's no way to experience the fullest extent of both in a single playthrough. However, Triss' quest line in The Witcher 3 is significantly shorter and less interesting in the context of the wider story than Yennefer's.
In other words, you're not missing as much if you decide to romance Yennefer. She has a greater connection to the main plot: like Geralt, she's hired by the Emperor of Nilfgaard to find his daughter, Ciri. As a result, romancing Yennefer ties better into the overall story of The Witcher 3, as she and Geralt have a shared experience over the course of the game.
Regardless of the missed side quests, choosing Yennefer over Triss in The Witcher 3 won't have any major impact on the main story until the very end. Yennefer and Triss' romance quest lines have happy endings, but the particular details of each one vary.
However, they both conclude with Geralt and his chosen lover retiring together, moving away from the clamor of Kaer Morhen and the dangers of the Witcher lifestyle. If players have the Blood and Wine expansion installed, whomever they romance will eventually join Geralt on his new property. If they don't romance Yennefer or Triss, Ciri will appear, as long as she survived the base game. Otherwise, Dandelion will be the one to visit Geralt.
So, while romancing either Yennefer or Triss can lead to different outcomes, both endings are explicitly happy — for everyone except the woman Geralt didn't choose, that is.
Pros And Cons Of Romancing Triss In The Witcher 3
Geralt's New Flame, Sorceress Of Maribor
Similarly, romancing Triss in The Witcher 3 won't influence gameplay or story elements in any significant fashion beyond locking out some of Yennefer's quest line. If Geralt prefers the red-haired sorceress, Yennefer will coldly accept defeat and subsequently become unavailable for any further romance, but she'll continue to work with Geralt regardless.
It's still possible to have a bit of romance with Triss without losing Yennefer, like kissing her when first given the option, but things have to cut off before Geralt commits to her. When Triss is preparing to leave Novigrad by boat, Geralt will have the opportunity to ask her to stay. If he does, another dialogue option will come up, giving him a chance to say, "I love you."
If he does, he'll be locked into Triss' romance subplot for the remainder of the playthrough. If you're completing The Witcher 3 quests in the recommended order, then you'll likely have the opportunity to commit to Triss before you do Yennefer. Keep this in mind before you say the magic words.
With Triss, players will experience a sweet, comparatively smoother relationship, sans arguing and conflict. Although her treatment of Geralt in the past is questionable at best, there's no denying that their dynamic is more stable, which may be more palatable to some players.
Geralt and Triss never come to the same kind of realization he and Yennefer do, in which they discover that, despite their unusual circumstances, their feelings for one another are true. As a result, it's implied that their relationship is at least partly founded on Triss' manipulation, which has unpleasant implications.
Players can try to simultaneously romance Yen and Triss in The Witcher 3, but it's not an advisable approach in the vanilla game, as it won't end well. Both women will reject Geralt if he confesses his love to both of them.
The biggest disadvantage of romancing Triss in The Witcher 3 is that she doesn't get quite as much screen time as Yennefer, who is more involved in the game's main storyline. Triss has less dialogue, fewer romance scenes, and shorter quests, which can make her arc feel a bit shallow and underwhelming, especially compared to her central roles in the previous Witcher games.
Fortunately, those who complete Blood and Wine can still enjoy a happy ending with her just like with Yen, which can compensate for this partially. And some may prefer not to mix business and pleasure, to keep the romance subplot far from the violence and political complexities of the main story quest, in which case Triss might be the better choice.
How To Choose Both Yen & Triss In The Witcher 3
Mods Open Up A Wider World Of Opportunities
Although the vanilla Witcher 3 experience demands that romance with either Yennefer or Triss be exclusive, it's possible to get around this requirement with a mod. A mod called Real Cheating Yen and Triss, available from Freak on Nexus Mods, removes the game's consequences for attempting to woo both women at once.
The mod doesn't need any prequisite downloads and works with the next-gen version of The Witcher 3, making it generally simple to install for anyone with experience. It has four different settings that make it easy to tweak how the process plays out:
- Vanilla: The mod does nothing.
- Yen: Geralt ends up with Yennefer no matter what.
- Triss: Geralt ends up with Triss no matter what.
- Recommended: The mod chooses Geralt's true love based on the player's choices throughout the game.
At the end of the story, Geralt will still only have a true ending with one of the characters, but Real Cheating Yen and Triss offers a lot more freedom along the way, and ensures that the player's preferred choice will end up with Geralt in the postgame/DLC.
The most interesting option is to let the mod determine the ending by analyzing the player's choices, but for anyone who still wants to be certain of who Geralt will end up with, it's possible to set either Yennefer or Triss to be the final lover regardless. The mod can also be toggled to a vanilla setting, which leaves the game unchanged.
Yennefer Is The Best Romance Choice In The Witcher 3
Yennefer's Story Makes More Sense
Yennefer is the best romance choice in The Witcher 3 for a wide variety of reasons. Her closer connection to the main story makes her romance subplot more interesting. Her quest line is longer and more detailed than Triss'. And finally, despite her often rocky relationship with Geralt, their ultimate realization and retirement together turns out to be a sweetly satisfying moment.
That's a stark contrast from Triss' ending, which, while happy on the surface, has some disturbing implications. But ultimately, there is no expressly correct choice between Yennefer and Triss in The Witcher 3, as courting either sorceress comes with its own set of pros and cons.
Romancing Yennefer makes for a deeper relationship, but it's an emotional roller coaster; romancing Triss makes for a sweeter, more lighthearted relationship, but it's not as fully-fleshed of an experience. At the end of the day, choosing Yennefer or Triss doesn't have any major effects on gameplay in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, so players should feel free to tackle Geralt's difficult love life in any way they see fit.
7.3/10
9/10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed RPG Action Adventure Systems
OpenCritic Reviews
Top Critic Avg:
93/100
Critics Rec:
95%
Released
May 19, 2015
ESRB
M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
Developer(s)
CD Projekt Red
Publisher(s)
CD Projekt Red
Engine
REDengine 3
Cross-Platform Play
yes
Cross Save
yes
Expansions
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
Franchise
The Witcher
Set some time after the events of The Witcher 2, The Witcher 3 centers once again on the monster-slaying Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher on the hunt for his adopted daughter. The Wild Hunt is a group of ominous elves seen as an omen of war - their purpose is to find and capture individuals to serve them. Unfortunately for Geralt, his daughter, Ciri, is their new target due to her Elder Blood. When Geralt receives a letter from his former lover, Yennefer, they reconvene to meet with the Emperor of Vizima, who reveals the truth about Ciri. With new information at his fingertips, Geralt sets off in search of her to reach her before the Wild Hunt does.
Genre(s) RPG, Action, Adventure How Long To Beat 52 Hours Powered by
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Triss has way more screentime in games bcuz Yennefer dont even appear in first two games. And dont talk like Yennefer is a saint or something she abuses Geralt literally manipulated and mind controlled Geralt in the books. Triss far better and more beautiful too. Triss>>>>Yennefer
2025-01-02 10:32:08 Upvote Downvote Reply Copy