Not long ago, CD Projekt Red unveiled its newest project — a newWitchergame. This announcement made waves in the community, and fans were eager to discuss what the new title might bring to the already popular game series.
One discussion revolved around the game’s protagonist. Geralt’s story was more or less concluded at the end of theWitcher 3, so many fans thought that a new game would introduce a different main character. This is further supported by CD Projekt Red’s announcement as it marketed the upcomingWitchertitle as a “new saga.” That said, it’s worth asking whether it will be able to follow up with an equally strong protagonist.
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The Case for A Strong Witcher Protagonist
The first three games ofThe Witcherseries had Geralt of Rivia as its main protagonist — a character with a fleshed-out backstory that explained his fears and motivations. This is especially the case forThe Witcherfans who also read the book series. Moreover, Geralt’s training as a Witcher made him more powerful than the common folk, allowing the player to traverse the game world without fearing for Geralt’s life (at least, most of the time). Finally, Geralt’s deadpan personality and penchant for sarcasm made for some enjoyable dialogue sequences.
Overall, Geralt is a compelling protagonist, which is why many players of the originalWitcherseries found the games so enjoyable. Despite the games’ multiple routes and endings, Geralt remains consistent in his characterization. In other words,player choice didn’t take away from Geralt’s character, but, on the contrary, built upon it. It’s this balance between the protagonist’s personality and player choice that made Geralt such a fun character to play — one that fits in theWitcher’s fantasy world very well.
That’s not to say thatgames with silent main charactersor “blank slates” are bad. On the contrary, the protagonists of games likeSkyrimandBioShockwork excellently in their respective titles. However, in the case ofThe Witcher, it can be argued that a character with a fleshed-out background and their own voice has been proven to work excellently in a game world as vast and complex as the Continent. Case in point, Geralt’s previously established relationships with characters like Yennefer, Triss, Dandelion, Dijkstra, and Emhyr allow the developers to spin a complex yet enthralling narrative.
With that said, it may be worth emulating this same formulain the nextWitchersagato introduce a new protagonist who already has backstory and history in the series. This would allow the developers to create another interesting story, building on already established bonds and events from the previous games. There are a few candidates from the oldWitchergames to choose from.
Potential Protagonists for the Upcoming Witcher Saga
Ciri is everyone’s first choice. As one of the focal points of both the book series andThe Witcher 3, Ciri stands as among the most developed characters in theWitcherworld. Plus, it would make sense to feature her in the new saga, as the end of Geralt’s story naturally flows to the beginning of hers. However, this may not be easy to accomplish since Ciri pursues different pathsdepending on the ending ofThe Witcher 3.
Other potential protagonists are Eskel and Lambert, who left Kaer Morhen after the events ofThe Witcher 3. Both have established personalities and relationships that could very well be expanded on in the nextWitchersaga. Alternatively, the new title might go back in time and feature a younger Vesemir. If anything, the Netflix film“The Witcher: The Nightmare of the Wolf” provesthat a story revolving around the wise Witcher is a viable option.
Regardless of how CD Projekt Redchooses to tackle the nextWitchergame— established protagonist or not — fans are eager to see what more the developers have in store. Though until they reveal more about what they’ve got planned, the community can only speculate.
A newWitchergame is in development.
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