At this point, it’s easy to ascertain that The Witcher 3 is widely lauded as a fantastic video game that boasts an immense and dedicated base of fans. There are several reasons as to why this is the case, with everything from the visuals to the story playing a huge role in escalating the quality of this game all the way to the stratosphere. However, it would be impossible to talk about the qualities of The Witcher 3 without mentioning its rich cast of characters. CD Projekt Red has done a brilliant job of bringing the characters from the books into their games.
Yennefer is definitely a standout in this regard, with her appearance being all the more memorable even though she was introduced in the very last chapter of Geralt’s journey. While she has been faithfully recreated in the game, for the most part, there are some facets of this character that CD Projekt Red has taken some liberties with. Let’s dive into ten of the biggest differences between the Witcher books and the video game when it comes to Yennefer.
10 Her Beauty Is Exaggerated In The Witcher 3
Yennefer is definitely described as a beautiful woman in the books, but one has to admit that her looks in The Witcher 3 are almost too perfect.
Her features are also slightly stronger in the game, compared to the sharp features she has in the books. Of course, this all deals with the base physical appearance she maintains throughout the majority of the game and doesn’t touch her issues with being hunchback, but we’ll touch on that as well.
9 The Minor Flaws She Had As A Result Of Being A Hunchback At One Point Don’t Exist
While Yennefer’s transformation from a hunchback to a normal person was flawless for the most part, the remnants of her previous physical condition were still present in some places. Only a keen eye — like the one a witcher would have — could notice some physical disparities.
However, in the games, all of Yennefer’s flaws have magically disappeared from her body. Instead, what we have is a flawless beauty that lights up the screen with her presence every single time.
8 Her Hair Is Straight In The Games But Wavy In The Books
Another change that CD Projekt had made to Yennefer’s physical features pertains to her hair.
In the books, Yennefer has raven-black wavy hair. While CD Projekt Red stuck with Yennefer’s black hair — a statement that can’t be made for some of the other characters in the game — they did remove the wavy nature of her hair, opting for a straight-haired look instead.
7 She’s Considerably Taller Than Her Book Counterpart
The last major change that CD Projekt Red has made to Yennefer’s physical features is related to her height. As a hunchback, Yennefer wasn’t really all that tall in the books or the Netflix show. So, it only made sense that her height would be affected, even after she attained her enhanced form.
However, Yennefer is quite tall in The Wild Hunt. It seems CD Projekt Red pulled no stops with the glow up.
6 She Has An Insane Amount Of Power In The Game
While most sorceresses are formidable forces throughout the books, one has to agree with the fact that their power had a ceiling that they couldn’t cross, no matter what.
Meanwhile, it seems Yennefer from the game can destroy entire battlefields if she pleases — such is the titanic nature of the power that’s displayed in The Witcher 3.
5 She’s A Bit Less Manipulative And More Distrustful In The Games
In the books, Yennefer has a tendency to use and manipulate people to get her way — a personality trait that has indeed reared its ugly head in the game at some point or the other, though she is less conniving than her book counterpart.
It’s also noteworthy that Yennefer tends to be warier when it comes to trusting anybody around her in the games. Coupled with the fact that she’s less manipulative than she’s made out to be in the source material, she ends up seeming more likable. Perhaps that was CD Projekt Red’s intention all along.
4 While Smart, She’s Way More Prone To Making Mistakes In The Game
Yennefer is definitely one of the smartest people in the books, and this intelligence is reflected quite aptly in the game.
However, there are times when Yennefer does end up making some rather silly and avoidable mistakes in The Wild Hunt, which is very much out of character for her. This makes her character seem a bit less than she was in the books as far as intellect goes, which is definitely not what CD Projekt Red was going for.
3 Her Bond With Ciri Isn’t All That Strong In The Wild Hunt
In the books, Yennefer and Ciri share a very deep and intimate bond, to the point where both refer to one other as “mother” and “daughter,” respectively.
While Yennefer certainly shows her love for Ciri when she pulled out all the stops to search for her missing daughter, the same relationship isn’t really expanded upon once they meet, save for one scene. Geralt and Ciri’s relationship is the complete opposite in this regard, with both characters clearly reflecting how much they care for each other.
2 Her Love For Geralt Is Way More Apparent In The Books
While there’s no denying the fact that Yennefer loves Geralt in the game, the moments where she displays this affection are few and far between.
This is in stark contrast to the books, where Yennefer shows her love for Geralt in the most subtle yet sweetest ways, which is quite endearing indeed. Both this statement and the one made before can be perfectly illustrated in the next point.
1 It’s Out Of Character For Her To Not Seek Out Geralt And Ciri When They Needed Her
Geralt’s story in The Witcher series starts off with him getting amnesia and forgetting pretty much everyone around him. Around the same time, Ciri is struggling with The Wild Hunt and trying her best to outrun them.
It’s somewhat odd that Yennefer never really comes to the rescue of them over the course of the series. It’s certainly out of character and shows the faults that can arise when a person vital to the franchise is introduced at the tail end of a series.
NEXT: The Witcher: 5 Video Game Mages More Powerful Than Yennefer (& 5 Who Definitely Aren’t)
