There are many endings toThe Witcher 3that are like many branches rather than one single solid conclusion.Many choices matter. In fact, it is widely debated what fans consider to be the actual best ending. Some prefer Ciri as empress while others think her becoming a Witcher like Geralt is more suitable. Whatever the case may be though, many fans do agree that there are bad choices that lead to brutal endings. For example, no one considers Ciri dying to be a good ending since she is considered one of the best characters.
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In fact, death is typically the sign of an ending most people do not want. Despite this, some players may accidentally make choices that lead to deadly consequences. These can range from the death of beloved characters to the ravaging of an entire race or nation. Keeping this in mind, here are certain actions that players should avoid doing inThe Witcher 3so that they can enjoy the best ending in the game.
Updated on August 11, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Is The Witcher 3 good? It’s more than that — it’s considered to be an absolute masterpiece, and it’s easy to see why this is the case. The game features everything from astounding graphics to memorable characters, but its story is perhaps what people love the most. That being said, this narrative can fall flat if players wind up getting abad endingin The Witcher 3after completing its extremely long story. Here are some steps that players should take to ensure that their ending is as perfect as can be.
12Releasing The Spirit Of The Demonic Tree
During Geralt’s adventures, he’ll be instructed todeal with a tree that harbors a spirit of malice. Upon reaching this tree, he is given the option to let the spirit go instead of destroying it, with said spirit making a pretty convincing argument.
However, if players let the spirit go at this moment, then he’ll curse the Baron’s lost bride and lead to her premature demise. This results in the Baron taking his own life. The only time players should let the tree go is if they happen upon it on their travels without triggering a particular quest beforehand.
11Not Confessing Geralt’s Love To Either Triss Or Yennefer
It’s very possible for Geralt to destroy his romantic opportunities witheither Yennefer or Trissby confessing his love to both. However, at least this course of action can lead to a rather humorous and memorable cutscene that has become quite legendary in its own right.
The most boring thing that players can do here is to not pursue either Triss or Yennefer.Failing to confess Geralt’s love to either person will lead to both romances stopping well before they shouldand Geralt living the rest of his life as a loner who pursues the odd fling or two.
10Telling Ciri To “Calm Down”
What Geralt says to Ciri decides her fate. What can kill her is picking three out of five negative choices in the game. One of these deadly choices is telling her “calm down” during the quest “The Child of the Elder Blood.”
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Basically,any choice that gives Ciri a sense of self-doubtis what gets her killed in the end.Geralt should not hold Ciri back, but let her be herself if he plans to see her live as a Witcher or Empress. Failing to let Ciri make up her own mind will lead to her doubting herself when trying to stop the White Frost from destroying the world, which will leave Geralt burdened with grief in the bad ending.
9Not Letting Ciri Visit Skjall’s Grave
Another negative choice a player can make is to not let Ciri visit poor Skjall’s grave. This decision denies Ciri some semblance of peace. After all, the man gave his life to save hers. That is a heavy burden for her to carry. Depending on the players' choices, Ciri could have even been intimate with Skjall before he died.
While some players may pick this as a role-play of Geralt’s priorities, most do pick visiting the grave because that is just the kinder option for Ciri. After all, Geralt is not a completely emotionless being, and it just makes more sense for Ciri to pay her final respects instead of forcing her down a path without any proper closure.
8Telling Ciri “You Don’t Have To Be Good At Everything”
In the quest, “Blood on the Battlefield,” Geralt gets another key choice in determining Ciri’s fate.Make sure to say “Think I know what might lift your spirits” and not “Relax. You don’t have to be good at everything.“While both may seem comforting, telling her to relax is considered a negative choice that can lead to her death at the conclusion of the game.
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This is one of the more easy mistakes to make, especially since the player is timed to make a decision with little time to think. However, this solitary mistake won’t be enough to drag Ciri into the deep end, but it does bring the player closer towards a bad ending.
7Accept Payment For Bringing Ciri To The Emperor
This Ciri choice is actually miss-able depending on whether Geralt decides to take her to the Emperor or not. Taking her is not considered a negative choice that might lead to her death. Instead, the important decision is whether Geralt accepts money for taking her there or not. Do not say, “Thanks. Definitely need it more than you do” (even though that is very true). Instead,players should pick “Didn’t do this for the coin,” to avoid the ending in which Ciri dies.
Accepting money treats Ciri more like an object than a person,which makes her doubt herself and feel less connected to Geralt.
6Going With Ciri To The Lodge of Sorceresses
During the quest, “Final Preparations,” going with Ciri to the meeting withthe Lodge of Sorceressesis considered a negative choice. This is a very easy mistake for players to make, as many likely just want to see what the meeting is like. Lucky, it isn’t a game-changer unless they have made two other negative Ciri choices.
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Just think of it this way:Letting Ciri go alone is letting her be independent and showing trust.
5Ignoring The Quest “King’s Gambit”
Outside of Ciri, there are a lot of other endings to take into account. A major one is the fate of Skellige. The quest, “The Kings Gambit,” is one of the best political questlines inThe Witcher 3, but it is also optional. To ignore the quest and beat the game is a grave error if the player wants the best ending.
If the quest is ignored, a civil war rages in the nation. The conclusion to the war is a totalitarian monarchy.
4Trying To Romance Both Triss And Yennefer
Triss and Yennefer are the two mainromance options of the game. Geralt can pick one or the other for a romantic ending with one of them. If he tries to play both sides, however, Geralt is going to be alone. They are not fans of sharing Geralt with each other and will both dump him if he tries this.
Strangely enough, the player can romance any other character along with Triss and Yennefer. This could be because they never find out or don’t care. Just don’t attempt to romance both of them in the same save file.
3Backing Hjalmar In “King’s Gambit” Quest
The best ending for Skellige is to back Cerys as the next ruler. While not a bad guy,Hjalmar is not as responsible as Cerys, and it shows in their endings. As a ruler, the man proceeds to raid Nilfgaard every springtime, resulting in a lot of his people dying.
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Under Cerys, Skellige becomes peaceful and prosperous. So, unlike the fate of living Ciri, it is pretty obvious which choice gives the player the best ending.
