Top-10 Best Witcher 3 Characters (Male Edition)

It cannot be doubted that the Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt has some of the very best characters in all of gaming history. And, in my opinion, the greatest ensemble of characters ever in a video game.

From stoic, yet compassionate monster hunters, to vengeful and conflicted rulers, battled scared and hardened soldiers, and regretful outlaws, with dashing, determined, utterly devoted sorceresses, selfish, but loyal bards, and finally truehearted dwarves and vampires also littered throughout, this game truly has it all.

There were so many great characters, that I couldn’t just make one Top-10 list of Witcher characters. So, I decided to make two lists, and split up the characters by gender. So, on this first list, there will be the greatest male characters. Then, on my next list, I’ll have the ten greatest female characters.

And once both of those are done, I’ll force myself to combine them to make an ultimate list of the greatest characters in a Witcher 3. Okay, without further adue, I present the 10 greatest Witcher 3 characters (Male Edition).

I have two honorable mentions to start with.

#1HM: Regis

Everyone’s favorite recovering blood addict vampire is only an Honorable Mention. Yes, sadly, Regis just misses out on the Top-10.

One of Geralt’s earliest friends, Regis makes his appearance in the Witcher universe early on in the novels. And that is where he stayed for the majority of the Witcher games. Only in the Blood and Wine DLC, does Regis make his long-awaited return. Though, in truth, I’m not sure how many people actually awaited Regis’ return as he was presumed dead by the end of the novels.

Anyway, Regis’ appearance to the Witcher universe was a more than welcomed surprise. His quick-whited, humble mannered personality makes him an all-time favorite of mine, even though he only appeared in the last portion of the game.

However, what cements his Honorable Mention status, is how he renounced all allegiances to his own kind, and sides with Geralt against Detlaff and his horde of vampires during the Battle of Beauclair. That is the sign of a true friend right there.

Now, onto the next Honorable Mention. It is a man much more ruthless than our dear Regis…

#2HM: Emperor Emhyr Var Emreis

The ruthless, cynical, and stern ruler of Nilfgaard just manages to miss this list. And it is of no fault to his character, as the other contenders were just that strong.

Emyhr Var Emreis is the man who is responsible for most of the misfortune events that have transpired in both the Witcher books, as well as in the Witcher games. And the Witcher 3 is no different. He set Nilfgaard on a bloody path to becoming the largest, wealthiest, and most technologically advanced nation, ruthlessly invading the Northern Realms for the third time aduring the Witcher 3.

But what sets him on this list is his relentless ambition and determination, and how he “changed” (somewhat) as a person when he was reunited with his daughter Ciri. After years of trying to find Ciri and marry her against her will (yeah, he was a weird guy in the novels), he finally gave up that plan and decided to give up his seat as emperor to his daughter. With Ciri in line to become empress in the “Ciri is Empress of Nilfgaard ending”, he becomes a far calmer and more relaxed person. Plus, in this ending, it seems that Ciri and Emyhr will at last develop a healthy, father-daughter bond.

But, that still couldn’t get the Emperor into the Top-10. That honor would go to one of his former advisories….

#10: Vernon Roche

I couldn’t leave the former commander of the Blue Stripes Vernon “Broche” Roche off the list. He has stuck by Geralt, even through the very worst situations the White Wolf has found himself in during the games. If it was not for Vernon Roche, Geralt would have been wrongfully hanged as King Foltest’s murderer (his actually murderer, Letho of Gullet, was another guy who just missed out of the HM section) in the Witcher 2.

In the Witcher 3, Vernon Roche was the sole  Temerian general still willing to fight off the Nilfgaardians and Redanians to free Temeria. Not even John Natalis, the leader of Temeria after King Foltest’s death, was willing to continue the fight for Temeria’s freedom. That definitively shows the determination and loyalty of Vernon Roche.

But what shows Vernon Roche’s loyalty in an even better light is his interactions with Geralt in the Witcher 3. Vernon Roche once again risked his own life to protect Geralt and those he loves when he set out to join the defense of Ciri against the Wild Hunt.

That is how much of a loyal friend his is. He risked his life and the fate of Temeria (as he was currently negotiating with Emhyr for the kingdom’s freedom) because of the loyalty he felt to Geralt. If you are willing to risk your life and the fate of your nation against an army of space-traveling elves, then you really are a “Broche”.

For the #9 position, I went with the one elf we all were happy to see Geralt kill during in the Final Battle…

#9: Wild Hunt King Eredin Breacc Glas

The King of the Wild Hunt has made the list. It was a really tough decision between him and Emperor Emhyr Var Emris, but I just found Eredin’s motivations more captivating to make the official Top-10 list.

In the Witcher 3, Eredin has become King by murdering the former ruler, and is now desperately hunting Ciri and her Elder Blood. Contrarily to the book Eredin, the King of the Wild Hunt is looking to kill her and use her blood to stop the White Frost from destroying his home world. And for that motivation, of wanting to save all his people from a cold, frosty end (even if it involves murdering an innocent girl), I had to put him above Emhyr.

That does not mean I was any less overjoyed when we could finally put his Ciri-murdering plan to end.

Anyway, the #8 position goes to someone with a little more compassion towards the Witcheress…

#8: Lambert

The sassiest witcher of all time makes it onto the list. It was a close battle between him and Eskel, and sorry Eskel fans, the youngest wolf witcher made it over him.

With Lambert, he gives us a great insight into the true loneliness a witcher faces, and how their lives are everything but the heroic, sorceress-filled adventures Geralt so often has.

That is what I liked about Lambert so much, and what put him on the list over Eskel. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Eskel as well, but Lambert’s struggles and resentment towards Vesemir and the witcher school of Kaer Morhen itself is something I find so fascinating. He hates how Vesemir and all of the other long-dead witcher teachers allowed the young boys to go through the perilous trials, especially the one involving Old Speartip. And, he despises how being a witcher has turned him into an outcast.

What cements his place on the list is his uncompromising loyalty. He is more than willing to help Geralt protect Ciri from the Wild Hunt and risks his life to do so. And, when Vesemir is eventually slain, he is probably the most mournful and sad of all the witchers (aside from Ciri).

Thankfully, he finally found happiness with Keira Metz after the Battle of Kaer Morhen.

Alright, for #7, I went with another friend of Geralt who is just as loyal as Lambert, though a tad bit smaller…

#7: Zoltan Chivay

The bravest dwarf who has ever lived comes in at #7 on the list. Another friend of Geralt’s who has stuck by him through everything. Zoltan has been with Geralt ever since the beginning of the novel series and has been fighting alongside the White Wolf ever since.

Zoltan makes it this high on the list because of his unyielding devotion to the witcher. In the Witcher 3, as Geralt was rounding up allies to fight the Wild Hunt, Zoltan not only does not ask accepts instantly, but also does not ask for a favor in return. There are not many people in the Witcher universe who can boast of being as altruistic as the brave, rowdy dwarf.

Yeah, Zoltan is a friend everyone should want.

Speaking of friends everybody should want, #6 is….

#6: Dandelion

Geralt of Rivia’s closet friend (who is not a witcher) makes the list at #6. And it is more than well deserved.

For someone who has no combat experience whatsoever, the most beloved bard in the Witcher universe has been more than willing to put himself in dangerous situations when his friends need him. And despite his self-absorbed, egotistical image, he truly is selfless and caring when his friends are concerned.

For example, he put aside all of his hesitations and fears that would normally have gripped him when interacting with the criminal bosses of Novigrad on Ciri’s behalf. He even accepts a dangerous vault-heist robbery with Ciri just so he could help and ensure her saftey.

And when this heist mission went inevitably wrong, and the Church of the Eternal Fire Guards surrounded the pair, he threw himself in front of Ciri when a crossbow bolt was going to kill her. Luckily for him, Ciri transported herself and the bolt away from Novigrad before he would have been killed by it.

Lastly, if Geralt gets the worst ending of the game and does not romance anyone, he is the one to show up at Geralt’s home at the game’s conclusion to check in on the broken witcher. A true friend for life.

Now, on to someone who had not so noble intentions with Geralt of Rivia….

#5: Gaunter O’ Dimm

The devil of the Witcher Universe (if that is his true identify) is the 5th best male character in the Witcher 3, and he is more than deserving of his inclusion on the list.

The greatest of the three main antagonists of the Witcher 3 game, Gaunter O’ Dimm truly embodied the charismatic charm the devil can manufacture when dealing with the mortals of the Witcher Universe. The tormented, twisted wishes he bestowed upon the characters of the Hearts of Stone DLC were not only horrifying, but also strangely fascinating.

What struck me as the most interesting aspect of O’Dimm’s character is his fascination with morally grey individuals, such as Olgierd Von Everec. He uses their wishes and wants against them to destroy their lives and teach them lessons in humility, right before he eventually sucks their souls from their bodies. Yeah, he is a little intense.

His methods are extreme and vile, but can they also be considered justified, or even, right? Maybe. That is the question that I think makes him such a phenomenal villain.

For the #4 spot, it is someone personally afflicted by one of O’Dimm’s pacts….

#4: Olgierd Von Everec

The outlaw noble with a heart-of-stone comes in at #4.

I could not include Gaunter O’Dimm and have his chief-associate left off the list. But Olgierd is more than just another O’Dimm “associate”. He is, without doubt, one of the most morally flawed characters Geralt of Rivia has ever encountered.

Wishing to improve the lives of both himself and his wife, Iris Von Everec, Olgierd creates his pact with Gaunter O’Dimm. He was granted immortality, abundance of wealth, and demonic powers in return for his soul once the pact was fulfilled. However, his powers and immortality came at a price. Namely, his aforementioned heart-of-stone.

His heart may have granted him the powers and immortality he wished, but it stripped him any emotion or feelings. Including, the ones he had for his wife. This fact eventually led the two lovers to grow distant and bitter, which ended up causing Iris to die from depression once Olgierd left her. When Geralt eventually comes across the rogue, he sees that Olgierd has become a broken, hallowed man.

Leading a band of bandits, Olgierd travels across the outskirts of Novigrad, looting and pillaging the homes of nobles and peasants alike in search of adventure that would bring back his emotions to no avail. What makes him such a great character is his regret and despair of his life choices that he conveys to Geralt as the questline progresses.

Geralt sees how the pact with O’Dimm has irrevocably destroyed Von Everec’s life, and how the outlaw wishes he had never of met the devil. And, if Geralt chooses to save Olgierd from O’Dimm’s clutches, Von Everec decided to leave his outlaw past behind him and vows to make himself a better man.

A wonderfully written character that deserves a place in the Top-5.

The man who inhabits the #3 spot is very similar to Olgierd in a lot of ways…

#3: Baron Philip “The Bloody Baron” Strenger

Yes, the Bloody Baron makes the list due to how tragic his character really was.

When Geralt and the audience first meet Strenger, it is clear the man is a drunkard, treacherous, and cruel warlord, who unjustly seized power. But the more we learn of the Baron’s story, the more we understand he is far more complexed than originally thought.

His main story revolves around his search for his “kidnapped” wife and child. Only, the truth is, they were not kidnapped. They fled from him after the Baron and his wife, Anna, got into a violent fight. Moreover, we learn that the Baron has been repeatedly hitting his wife during their altercations. A disgraceful, woman beater, right? Well, it is a little more complex than that.

While fighting in the war against Nilfgaard for Temeria (before he eventually betrayed it), his wife Anna became romantically involved with a childhood friend of hers. Before Strenger returned from fighting, she left him for the man and took their daughter with her.

When the Baron, who was already a drunk by then, came home and found out what happened, he hunted down the pair and beat Anna’s lover to death. From then on, Anna and the Baron lived in a hateful, resentful marriage.

She would try to end her own life, and the Baron’s, on multiple occasions, while he would hit her in drunkard rages and during their fights. But, in the end, he still loved her and his daughter. So much so, that he took a handful of his best warriors and Geralt to go fight the Crones of Crookbag Bog when he learned that his wife had been imprisoned by them after fleeing.

In one ending, he is able to rescue his wife and takes her far away from Velen to help her recover. In another, him and his wife reconcile just before her death. Also, in that latter ending, the Baron takes his own life out of grief.

That is what makes him such a great character. He is both likeable and utterly despicable. If it was not for the top two characters, the Bloody Baron would be the best written male character in not only the Witcher 3, but all of the Witcher games.

Nevertheless, the #2 best male character in the Witcher 3 is a character we have all grown to love for his selfless, “old-fashioned” heroics….

#2: Vesemir

The grandmaster witcher and keeper of Kaer Morhen had to be in the Top-2 best male characters in the Witcher 3. Who doesn’t love this no-nonsense, fearless, and utterly selfless grandpa witcher?

By the time we see Vesemir, he is the last remaining vestige from the past glory days of the School of the Wolf. He has devoted himself to maintaining the crumbling fortress of Kaer Morhen and all of the witcher secrets and history that are entailed inside.

Moreover, Vesemir is Geralt’s most trusted friend, and is the father figure to all of the School of the Wolf witchers. He took upon the task of training Geralt, Lambert, and Eskel after the Sacking of Kaer Morhen. And, when Geralt brought his daughter-of-surprise, Ciri, to train at Kaer Morhen, Vesemir was more than willing to raise and train the young princess.

There would be nothing Vesemir wouldn’t do for Geralt, or any of the other wolf witcher for that matter. Just look at how Vesemir went searching for Yennefer with Geralt at the beginning of the game. Or when he tried lifting Uma’s curse when everyone thought that Ciri was trapped inside the monstrosity.

Futhermore, what shows his fearlessness and selfless most is when he sacrificed himself so that Ciri could escape the Wild Hunt. Not only did he try to whisk away Ciri as the Battle of Kaer Morhen was lost, but also went toe-to-toe with Eredin and his strongest general, Imlerith, when they were about to capture Ciri. Only Geralt of Rivia himself can boast of fighting two of the top three Wild Hunt generals.

Vesemir’s loyalty and love for his witcher wards, even when they bring danger and evil to the doors of Kaer Morhen, is what makes him the second-best male character in the Witcher 3.

And, for #1, there really shouldn’t be any surprise…

#1: Geralt of Rivia

Wow, what a shocker. The namesake of the entire Witcher gaming franchise is the best male character in said franchise. Yes, I get it. It’s not very original, but it is the truth. Geralt of Rivia is the best male character within both the video games and novels.

Where to begin with Geralt? Well, he is the greatest witcher to have ever lived. He has slain nearly every single beast, monster, creature, etc. one could imagine. Including King Eredin of the Wild Hunt.

Still, he is often treated as a vile, treacherous, outcast. Known as the Butcher of Blavekin, Geralt is often associated with his massacre of a band of outlaws planning to slaughter a sorcerer and the entire population of Blavekin.

However, what most people either choose to ignore, or just simply don’t know, is that Geralt saved the village from the bandit’s planned slaughter. But, that is the story of the witcher’s life. A misunderstood hero, often construed as a wretched mutant.

We, as the audience, see that his reputation as a butcher couldn’t be further from the truth. His empathy and compassion for others shone through the novels, but even more so in the games, as he helped the ordinary peasants with the danger of the Continent.

Nonetheless, his decision to care for Ciri, after her home was destroyed in war and she was being hunted down and raise her as his witcher-daughter is nothing if not incredibly inspiring. Then, to not only care for Ciri, but to protect her from the Wild Hunt, killing the very king of the spectral demons, in the Witcher 3 shows how Geralt truly is the most compassionate and loyal person among all characters.

But what makes him the best was his decision to allow Ciri the opportunity to become whatever she wanted in the end.

In the end where she becomes a witcheress, he supports her choice and the two track down monsters together. Reversely, the ending where she decided to leave him and all her friends behind to become the Empress of Nilfgaard, he does not stop her or beg her to stay. Simply, he wishes her luck and reassures her that she is making the right choice.

Geralt being compassionate when nobody else would to is what makes him the best male character in the Witcher 3.

Images Source: Featured Image: (Screenshot) (The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt)

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