CD Projekt RED has confirmed that previous serious protagonist Geralt of Rivia will appear in some capacity inThe Witcher 4,with previous actor Doug Cockle seemingly set to reprise his role as the White Wolf. The scope of Geralt’s role inThe Witcher 4,which will feature his adopted daughter Ciri as the protagonist, has not yet been confirmed. Ideally, the game should be able to stand on its own without Geralt, and limit his appearances to those that can enhance Ciri’s story rather than stealing the spotlight.
Geralt Could Serve As A Mentor, Narrator, Or Gwent Opponent
Nothing is known about Geralt’s role inThe Witcher 4,but one obvious option would be to have him serve in a mentor capacity to his beloved daughter. Geralt had a mentor, Vesemir, who sacrificed his life to save Ciri during the events ofThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The Witcher 4could see Geralt step into Vesemir’s role and mentor Ciri, providing her advice in tough situations and being there when she needs a listening ear - whether he’s stationed at the Wolf School headquarters of Kaer Morhen or his vineyard atCorvo Bianco.
Another option would be to have Geralt make brief “Easter egg” appearances when his path intersects with Ciri. With the card gameGwent confirmed to be returning inThe Witcher 4, noted Gwent enthusiast Geralt could be a “final boss” type opponent for Ciri to face. Yes, it would be fun to see the two Witchers spar with swords as well - but a Gwent battle between the two of them would be an epic clash indeed.
Alternately, Geralt could serve a narrator role inThe Witcher 4,perhaps writing or narrating the in-universe bestiary and character biography sections, a duty typically assigned to thebard Dandelion. A happily retired Geralt could even be recounting Ciri’s adventures to his Toussaint friends, something that would be in character for the proud father.
Geralt Should Not Steal The Spotlight From Ciri As A Playable Character
InThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,a few gameplay sections allowedplayers to take control of Ciriand witness events from her perspective. While that was an effective storytelling mechanic inWild Hunt, The Witcher 4should ideally stay away from featuring similar playable segments with Geralt, unless they are extremely brief (such as allowing players to step back into the veteran Witcher’s shoes for a single key boss battle.)
Featuring Geralt as a playable character in a major capacity would run the risk of stealing the focus away from Ciri, due to Geralt’s popularity. Ciri is capable of carrying the plot on her own, and should be allowed to stand on her own and shine asThe Witcher 4’ssole protagonist. De-emphasizing Geralt would also allow the game’s narrative to focus on Ciri’s story, which has significant untapped potential in the form of her backstory and adventures from Andrzej Sapkowski’s originalThe Witchernovels.
However, having Geralt take up his swords again to fight alongside Ciri in one or two key battles, especially as an NPC rather than a playable character, would be an excellent way of honoring the iconic series protagonist. During one battle late inWild Hunt,Geralt recruited several previous allies to fight with him, such as his fellow Witchers and the royalty of Skellige. Ciri being able to recruit Geralt for a similar fight (and possibly other returning characters, such asLambert, Eskel, Yennefer, Trissand others) would be a perfect use of the White Wolf, as players would get to see father and daughter fight together in what would inevitably be a truly epic battle.
