The Witcher 1+2 characters.
This was posted original on Bioware's Social Network by KnightofPhoenix, I am merely copying it here since I quite agree with it
This was posted original on Bioware's Social Network by KnightofPhoenix, I am merely copying it here since I quite agree with it
KnightofPhoenix said:The Witcher 1 and 2 had a large repertoire of interesting characters I think.
Geralt of Rivia:
Of course. He's a stoic badass, with snarky humor and the heart of a softy. Plus the hair. Other than his vast array of abilities and tools, his mannerisms and looks alone reek of badassness and I very much like the intimidate options in TW2. But alongside that, Geralt also displays a large degree of politeness for the most part, especially with important people, and sometimes even wisdom. And he seems well versed in politics, though not interested by them. So he's not all muscle, he's got the brains and the heart. Plus, his amnesia is actually done well in TW1 and did set up several dilemmas for me. In addition to his status as a Witcher and what that entails and the hatred and prejudice he suffers. All in all one of my favorite protagonists.
King Radovid the Stern of Redenia:
Some characters have this ability to leave an impact on me in just 5 minutes. That's Radovid in TW1. His charm, sense of humor and friendliness coupled with his cunning and calculated ruthlessness made me go: "I think that he's going to be a great king". And I am happy to say that so far, I'm being proven right. I really liked how he was dominating Foltest in negotiations in TW1 and was getting concession after concession. Though I am not a big fan of the change of VA and mannerism, Radovid still shines in TW2. His incorporation of the Order and the potential checkmate he can inflict on Kaedwen makes him and Redenia the new rising power of the North. I foresee a great future for him and Redenia / Temeria.
Vernon Roche:
Someone described him as the equivalent of Garrus in TW. I am inclined to agree. Yes, he is reckless, foolish and quick to anger, but his badassery is undeniable, and his dedication and love for his comrades unquestioned. Rare are the people who can fight besides Geralt and still be badass in comparison. I mean, falling through a rope bridge, rolling it off and punching a guy in the face one sec later? That's Roche. Plus, I like the Blue Stripes. And it was awesome to see Vernon in my playthrough becoming part of the Redenian military. Excellent.
Iorveth:
He is without a doubt for me (and several NPCs including Saskia), a mass murdering terrorist. But, other than being very badass, he didn't strike me as unreasonable as Yaevinn (who is much mote of an idealist). Indeed I remember Iorveth saying that he is under no illusion that elves can ultimately win. That they are essentially doomed to extinction. And that adds a certain element of tragedy and one could see why he is infatuated with Saskia (perhaps the only semblance of hope for him, though it's a weak one imo). I did not think I would have liked the cunning, ruthless sly fox as much as I did before trying out his path.
Siegfried:
I rarely tolerate paladin like characters. Siegfried is an exception. Perhaps because he is projected in a world full of cowardice and deceit, that his sincerity and courage shine. Plus, the bonding Geralt can have with Siegfried, I thought, was well done and really shows that Siegfried is not a prejudiced bastard. I do think he is naive however but can evolve to the best if he befriends Geralt (or to the worst if he's not). I was really glad that he became the Grandmaster of the Order. Imagine my delight when I saw that he was serving under King Radovid. Doubly excellent.
Plus, the guy can sing!
Triss Merigold:
Good looking, funny, occasionally cute. I like how she is not as transparent as she is sounds at first glance. She might be heads over heels for Geralt, but she has no problems hiding things behind his back. So she's not that obsessed. And I do like the entire situation. Triss always loved Geralt but he loved Yennefer. When he lost his memory, Triss took advantage of that (I don't think in a malevolent way). But now he's slowly remembering Yennefer and I wonder what's going through her mind. I think this is going to be an important plot point in TW3. She's ambitious for mages yes, but will not cross certain lines.
Letho:
At first glance when I first saw him, I thought he was going to be a brute, a grunt. And that's the point, he's supposed to fool people with his "hulk" look. boy was Sile wrong, that guy pulled a Xanatos Roulette that was at least partially successful (depends on Geralt's choices really). I like how for some reason, I feel a certain camaraderie between him and Geralt, even at the first meeting. The vodka drinking at the end took it a step further. I can't really recall an antagonist that I feel is my friend at the same time. I respect his motivations, and I do think that he was at least partially doing this to help Yennefer and thus Geralt.All in all, I thought he was a great antagonist / friend. He reminds me of Batman's Bane, with his brains and physical power (and baldness).
Jacques de Aldesberg / Alvin:
At first, I was like "Great, another one of those last 5 minutes undeveloped villains that I am supposed to care about". Boy was I wrong. Jacques probably had the most character development than any other character in the game. And the great thing was that Geralt himself helped him develop as a character and into what he eventually became. The entire plot was just powerful. Jacques' sanity is dubious, but his intentions are in the right place. It's not really clear if he's mad and delusional, or absolutely correct and sane, or something in between (I personally think that having visions of apocalypse as a child is bound to affect some of your sanity). But it's this ambiguity that makes him a great and I feel very tragic antagonist. So much so, that I was actually happy that in the Order ending, people saw Jacques as a hero. He may not deserve it, but I sympathized enough for him that I did not want him to be remembered as a villain even if he had to die. All in all, he is one of my favorite antagonists in any game.
Dethmold:
In some ways, he is like Sile describes him, an overgrown baby. But his eccentricity and excitement are funny. And he has his moments of badassness. And I do think that he was a good adviser and with his help, Kaedwen can become more powerful than ever. I am not really sure I'd despise him for what he did to the Blue Stripes, they had it coming and there is a certain hypocrisy in Roche. So yea, was not a fan of the fate he got from Roche.
Yaevinn:
A freedom fighter. And a supremacist terrorist. But a very eloquent and elegant one. He has his charisma, and if he only worked on at least hiding his hatred, he'd be more charismatic. Unfortunately, his intelligence and sophistication are corrupted by his hatred. So much so that even the Dryad Morren noticed and she has little reason to like humans. Vivaldi the dwarf as well. But that's why he's interesting. He's the well-spoken extremist, who hides his weakness and how shallow he really is behind arrogance and sophistication.
Foltest:
Yea, he's incestous. In some ways, a bastard and prick. In other ways, somewhat immature. But he still has that imposing aura about him. A certain raw unpolished charisma. His bonding with the troops and how they look up to him is inspiring in some ways. And he has a certain sense of honor and leniency, though can also be pitiless. He's a difficult character to make my mind on and I think that's why he interests me. A lot of the time, I don't know what to make of him exactly.
Shilard:
I've always been a fan of Metternich and De Talleyrand. Shilard is the video game version of them. The well spoken cunning diplomat and chest master. Ultimately, I don't think he knew everything the emperor was planning. But his intelligence, coolness and his dedication to the Empire make him an interesting character. I was glad that in my version of the game, he lives on.
Rayla the white / Ves:
I put them together because in some ways, they are similar, except Ves is more feminie (and more developped). The tough strong woman who can't resist Geralt's charms, what's not to like? Plus, Rayla had the saddest death cutscene in the game and a tragic fate after that. But she screamed badass. Ves as well, though I am not sure what happens to her at the end.
