What is your favorite ending? [SPOILERS]

[Silver_Flame101]

What is your favorite ending? [SPOILERS]

On my first playthrough, Ciri ended up being Empress. It was a hard ending for me to accept because deep down I know it's not what she truly wanted and that she only did it for the sake of the people. Throughout the entire game, she has been a constant object of interest to many people, never able to follow her own path because of her gift. After founding out that she survived, I was overcome with joy. It was honestly one of the most emotional parts of the game for me. To see how happy Ciri was with Geralt and how much she wants to stay with him only to be torn away by guilt into making this decision was absolutely heart-wrenching. Her entire journey through the game has been nothing but hardship, mistakes, sadness, and sorrow. Despite it all she still managed to save everyone from inevitable annihilation. She doesn't own anyone anything and she deserved to live a happy life, a life that she want. It was such a bittersweet ending and one of the hardest goodbye I've experienced in a while. I won't say that I was disappointed with this ending, but I won't say I was satisfied neither. That is why I am going to start my second playthrough and go for the ending that I know I would be satisfied with and what I think would be the best for everybody, Ciri becomes a Witcher!

 

[Maerd]

Some may be surprised by my choice but I actually think that dark and tragic ending is the best and IS the actual ending that creators had in mind for this game. I explain why:

1. The Witcher world is dark, unforgiving, brutal and cruel. Such ending fits the setting of the game.
2. The ending is a classical for Greek tragedy "you cannot defy the fate" scenario, i.e.: the crones prophesize that if you find Ciri that she'll die, you try whatever you can to save her from danger and prevent prophecy from happening but her death is inevitable, coming from her unexpected decision to eliminate White Frost. In the end the last crone reminds you of that the prophecy cannot be denied or avoided. You execute the revenge on her but nevertheless die.
3. The events in the game set the mood for the tragedy: Vesemir (one of the most likable characters) dies, Sile/Sheala (my personal most likable character besides Geralt and his old friends from TW2) dies really horribly and euthanized by Geralt himself, lots of people killed in Novigrad in a witch hunt and in racist pogroms and you cannot prevent it, the events in general become darker as the game progresses, the Skellige music score sets the tragic/sad/melancholic mood.
4. The tragic ending is very powerful on emotional level. It hammers and crushes you emotionally sending most likely into at least gloomy or more likely a depressive state of mind (unless you have a pathological lack of empathy). It is achieved by the build up where Geralt promises Yennefer to return with Ciri and fail, he supposedly arrange the future life with, for example, Triss but after Ciri's death (and Vesemir's death who was like father to him) he no longer cares, he defeats Eredin but it's all in vain, he goes a great lengths to find Ciri just to lose her immediately. The brilliance of the writing here is that all this is delivered in very believable way.

This ending in my opinion is a pure masterpiece. I've never been so emotionally involved in the fictional story ever in my life... and I've read a lot of books (by the way the death of Geralt in the Sapkowski's books, which I've read way before even the first TW game appeared, didn't really touch me at all). Another brilliant move was not to show Geralt's death directly in the ending and let the people to use their imagination how that has happened and to leave the cruel false hope that he may have survived.

For me personally, all other endings is a pandering for people who cannot handle the serious tragic ending to improve sales. But I'm not against adding those happy alternative endings, because after a while those people who don't like the tragedy might appreciate it later in life, who knows.

 

[uScared]

I completely agree with Maerd. It might not be the happy ending people who can't handle a tragic conclusion to a beloved series would want, but it hit all the right notes in my opinion. It didn't feel half assed or like an afterthought, it was alluded to the entire game that Geralt finding Ciri would not work out too well for either of them.

After I got it on my first playthrough I felt devastated and couldnt sleep for the better part of the first night after it. But then it grew on me, and after rewatching it a couple of times on YT I really started falling in love with it.

 

[Anwell]

I got the witcher ending, and thats the one I am happy with. I agree that Ciri has done enough, suffered enough, its time she gets to be selfish. She has after all saved everyone from an apocalypse.

 

[carlos2033]

I got witcher ending and its the ending i most like and think that is what Ciri wanted, you should add a poll so we can vote, btw Ciri like white clothes not black

 

[CTPhipps]

The Witcher Ending!

Accept no substitutes.

 

[magnuskn]

I got the Empress Ciri ending on my playthrough and I am mostly content with it. Watched the other endings on Youtube and while the tragic ending really is something I am glad I was able to avoid by my decisions, I think the Witcher ending leaves her in a more happy state, but one which she achieves by ignorance of what she really could do.

I was always completely supportive in the game of giving her every chance to decide her future by herself and in the end, it is by giving her the full freedom to make an informed choice that she arrives at her decision. That she chooses a path which does not afford her the full freedom to do all things as she likes makes me appreciate her even more as a character. Hard choices is what the Witcher universe is about, after all.

Also, personally I think she will appreciate in time not having to slog through sewers and maybe get killed by a lucky hit by some drowner. Being empress gives you some privileges you could not have otherwise, after all, like good beds and good food. Not even to mention that I felt pretty bad for Emhyr when I saw the video of the Witcher Ciri ending, when Gerald gave him the news. The guy may be a hardass pragmatist, but he clearly has parental feelings for Ciri, too! It didn't feel right lying to him like that.

And the whole melodrama about her fearing to never see Gerald and Yen again rang a bit false to me, too, since she has a teleportation ability at will. That, uh, makes spending an evening with your parents a whole lot easier.

So, Nilfgaard it was for me and I am content with the decision.

 

[CTPhipps]

While not canon in my playthrough, I also take the view that Yennefer and Triss love each other (platonically or otherwise) too much to hate each other over Geralt. If he can't choose between them like Archie with Betty or Veronica, the two of them decide to choose their friendship over their romance with Geralt. They BOTH deserve better and will stand by each other no matter what, even if they're going to probably forgive Geralt as a friend.

See, I gave her "Full Freedom" too, I just told Ciri that I considered Emhyr scum.

So it's really Ciri just deciding whether she can trust her father on Geralt's advice.

To each their own.

 

[Sapath]

The witcher ending, because the empress ending made my cry like a little bitch.

Besides, after everything that happened at castle Stygga, every Ciri interaction with Geralt in this game and all the dialogue between her, the witcher ending made the most sense to me, at least I was a bit at peace.

Still, the execution was a bit lacking. I felt a bit empty inside, would have preferred a few more moments, a better closure.

 

[magnuskn]

See, I gave her "Full Freedom" too, I just told Ciri that I considered Emhyr scum.

So it's really Ciri just deciding whether she can trust her father on Geralt's advice.

To each their own.

Which, IMO, is another case of "Daddy knows best" syndrome, which, generally speaking, is not rewarded in this game, given that it gives you the bad ending if you do it too much. I don't mind giving her advice and opinions, but in this case it leads to her choosing ignorance over full knowledge, which I personally disapprove of.

 

[ttchip]

Funnily enough, while I agree with Maerd's assessment on it being the most fitting, I really can't help but dislike taking the decisions that lead up to that specific ending.

As for myself, I'm fine with the Empress ending I got on my first go. It did leave me with a "What am I going to do now?" feeling. Though, I suppose, that might stem from me spending roughly four days worth of time in the first seven days after release on this game.

 

[Maerd]

Funnily enough, while I agree with Maerd's assessment on it being the most fitting, I really can't help but dislike taking the decisions that lead up to that specific ending.

In my personal opinion, any decisions should lead to that ending... but then many people would hate the CDPR for that.

 

[CTPhipps]

Which, IMO, is another case of "Daddy knows best" syndrome, which, generally speaking, is not rewarded in this game, given that it gives you the bad ending if you do it too much. I don't mind giving her advice and opinions, but in this case it leads to her choosing ignorance over full knowledge, which I personally disapprove of.

In real-life, adults ask each other's opinions all the time and if I didn't say what I thought of Emhyr then THAT would be manipulating her. Geralt, at least in my playthrough, knows Emhyr is responsible for the assassinations in the North and the suffering he's caused its peoples. He knows that Emhyr betrayed Letho and he's shown no remorse.

Geralt can trust YENNFER'S judgement that Emhyr is someone who can be trusted (given she works for the man as his advisor) but as I was on the Triss path, I was like, "I don't trust him."

Either ending is Ciri's choice but I wanted her to walk into this with eye's open. Wise counsel, not commands.

---------- Updated at 11:55 AM ----------

Funnily enough, while I agree with Maerd's assessment on it being the most fitting, I really can't help but dislike taking the decisions that lead up to that specific ending.

As for myself, I'm fine with the Empress ending I got on my first go. It did leave me with a "What am I going to do now?" feeling. Though, I suppose, that might stem from me spending roughly four days worth of time in the first seven days after release on this game.

It's a testament to the developers that Neutral Path, Iorveth Path, Choose Saskia over Triss and Ciri dies endings are the ABSOLUTE WORST THINGS YOU CAN DO in the Witcher series.

And they feel entirely appropriate and well-written.

 

[Sarcen]

Witcher ending, having seen the other endings on youtube I would never even consider one of the other endings, too depressing. Although I do feel like the Empress ending is the most fleshed out one.

For the Witcher ending I would like to have seen the other characters in that inn as well. Would have been great if you first ran into triss\yen (depending on who you romanced) then talk with dandelion and zoltan. It would honestly bolster the thought that ciri was dead (I for one didn't think the sword was for ciri, i just thought it was a memento). After that ciri would walk in and it would continue the same way the witcher ending is now.

 

[Silver_Flame101]

Thank you for the suggestion. I have now added a poll.

 

[Kallelinski]

I think Ciri becoming the Empress is the most illogical ending, as nothing qualifies Ciri for this "job" except her blood. The last time she learned anything worth for being the Emperess is at least 10 years ago. She wasn't even in the actual witcher world the whole time, so she doesn't even know exactly what is going on except that Nilfgaard and the North are at war again.

Before she can actually reign the empire, she will need a lot of good counselors and we all know how that worked out for the northern kingdoms, it's even worse in Nilfgaard, because either you can actually hold that position by force, by being successful or you have some kind of leverage or you are getting screwed in the next few weeks, see Emhyr. There are a dozens new candidats, who are just waiting for an opportunity.

CIri dying makes sense by sacrificing her own life to save others (everyone everywhere?), a bit cliche, but since we don't actually know how she defeated the White Frost (or whether she actually beat it at all, maybe she just slowed it down), it would fit. Not really desireable by anyone, but as several mentioned the witcher world is no picnic.

Ciri becoming a witcher is most likely the personal best ending for her and maybe Geralt. I don't think others would say the same thing, e.g. Yennefer mentions several times that Geralt could die any day because of his profession, so Ciri following into his footsteps is probably not exactly desireable for a mother. But in the end Ciri always wanted to be a witcher, so this way she defeated the White Frost and achieved a life goal. Considering that she is almost godlike, i don't think she will be ever in serious danger, unless she is drunk or something like that

 

[Maerd]

Thank you for the suggestion. I have now added a poll.

Well, the poll results are obvious. Majority will always choose the happy end. I bet that if you make a poll if people would like to have Hamlet alive in the end of Shakespeare's play, you would also get the overwhelming support for the happy end. At the same time it will drastically reduce the quality and power of the play.

 

[Eruvadhor]

Ciri as empress would be dead in what, a year or two? She knows nothing of ruling empires, doesn't have the ruthlessness needed to eliminate good people who might oppose her, and certainly doesn't have any long-term political allies.

Witcheress ending, all the way. The second ever to die of old age, probably.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

None of them.

Witcheress and empress are equally bad, if only for the ludicrous deus ex machina "I save the world in a minute" moment...

The one in which Ciri doesn't come back is the only acceptable one but the rest of this ending sucks.


Edit: Ciri isn't clearly dead in the "bad" ending. She just doesn't come back. Huge difference. A difference like day and night...

 

[Glaedr]

in my ending she became a witcher, its what she would have wanted im sure, besides the empress ending feels to foreboding for her future, seing that she wears her emotions on her sleeve and she is not the kind of girl to sit down and coldly calculate matters, if she doesent end up dead shed be like a ragdoll between different advisors i reckon.
As for her being dead, to depressing even for a mature title, i want to feel that ive won dammit!

So the witcheress ending for me all the way!