It’s hard to talk about the greatest video games ever made without mentioning the absolute masterpiece that is The Witcher 3. CD Projekt Red’s work on The Witcher series was lauded from the very first entry, even though the game did admittedly have some major drawbacks that took away from the overall experience. However, the studio learned from their experiences developing the first game and its sequel and applied all their learnings into the third game to create a game that is easily one of the greatest video games of all time.
While there are several aspects of this game that can be lauded for a myriad of reasons, the main focus right now is on the brilliantly written characters of The Witcher 3. The quality of writing in these games is so immense that even seemingly meaningless characters from missable side quests end up having a major impact on the gamer… perhaps even more so than the main characters! To further reinforce this point, here are the ten best characters from the side quests present in The Witcher 3.
10 The Rude Vampire From A Tomb Entombed
While this character only has like three lines in the entire game, it’s the manner in which these are delivered that make this unnamed vampire one of the highlights of The Witcher 3.
There’s a reason as to why his amazing retort after being told no to his question — “Is it 1358 yet?” — was included in The Witcher 3’s trailer.
9 Jutta An Dimun
One of the many flings that Geralt can intertwine himself with in The Witcher 3 comes through The Iron Maiden quest. The witcher can meet this fierce warrior on a hill east of Harviken.
After proving his mettle to her, Jutta will challenge him to a fight. Winning this battle will impress the maiden, who had sworn to Freya that she would only bed the person who managed to best her in combat. While she might not be that deep of a character, the encounter with her is still quite memorable… although the reasons might differ for people.
8 Trollololo
A troll that loves to sing with such a distinctive name? It’s clear what CD Projekt Red was alluding to here. One of the few powerful creatures who is actually mild-mannered in the game, Trollololo is — no surprises here — a troll who accidentally killed some soldiers. He regretted his mistake… although he did cook and eat them regardless.
While the player does have the option of ending Trollololo’s life, the lovable nature of this creature makes it hard to pursue this course of action.
7 Yoana
In an environment where making a statement in a video game can attract a ton of outrage from a number of different parties, here’s CD Projekt Red showing people how to make a subtle statement without being self-gratifying about it.
Yoana is an assistant to Fergus the Armorer. She clearly exceeds him when it comes to her talents — a revelation that comes up in a rather embarrassing manner for Fergus when they challenge each other. Not only can Yoana make rare equipment for the witcher, but she also managed to excel as an armorer in a dwarves’ world.
6 Crach An Craite
You’d think that a person who engaged in a relationship with the beloved Yennefer would be hated in every player’s books, but it’s a testament to CD Projekt Red’s incredible writing that they managed to make this character so awesome in his own right.
From aiding in the search of Ciri to showing no prejudice amongst his kin when it came to choosing a ruler, there are so many ways in which Crach shows that he’s a model human being. His sacrifice at the final battle was certainly not in vain, either.
5 Cerys An Craite
Speaking of Crach’s daughter, it must be said that Cerys An Craite is exactly how a ruler should be.
Leagues ahead from her elder brother when it comes to rational thinking and empathy, there’s no wonder as to why Skellige would be more under control at the hands of this fierce yet fair ruler.
4 Annabelle
A Towerful Of Mice is easily one of the scariest and most unnerving quests in the entirety of The Witcher 3, and a large part of the reason why is the spirit that haunts the tower, Annabelle.
The backstory of Annabelle is easily one of the most horrifying in the game. After falling in love with a local fisherman and running away from her oppressive father, Annabelle took refuge in Alexander’s tower. After a local uprising that made her fear for her life, Annabelle decided to go out on her own terms by drinking a potion that would supposedly kill her. However, it rendered her in a state of paralysis, and she woke up immobile as rats feasted of what they assumed was her corpse.
3 Radovid V
The moral compass of Radovid The Stern might be completely haywire, but one can’t deny that his presence on the screen is borderline infectious.
His conversations with Geralt are quite memorable in their own right, and one can’t be faulted for fulfilling his requests. Which brings us to the next character…
2 Philippa Eilhart
One of Radovid’s requests involves tracking down Philippa Eilhart — a major figurehead in the previous Witcher game who caused no end of troubles for Geralt and Triss. After being captured and sentenced by the empire, she has her eyes melted away with a spoon.
However, even becoming blind doesn’t stop Philippa from playing a major role in The Witcher 3, keeping players guessing when it comes to her true motivations with every action she took.
1 Letho
Philippa isn’t the only person who makes a cameo from the previous game. If you chose to spare Letho in The Witcher 2 — or you just modified your answers at the start of the game to keep him alive — then you can actually find Letho in Velen!
The best part about the sidequest involving Letho is that it humanizes him to a massive extent, allowing us to finally relate with the man who was a thorn in Geralt’s side for the majority of Assassins Of Kings.
NEXT: The Witcher 3: 15 Things To Do After You Beat The Game
