Why "Ciri Witcher" is not a good ending in my view (spoilers)

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Why "Ciri Witcher" is not a good ending in my view (spoilers)

I have just finished the game, got an ending where Ciri becomes a witcher, Emhyr wins and Geralt stays alone. Now I am doing my second play-through to get a canon (in my view) ending: Geralt with Yen, Ciri is Emperess. Let me share my thoughts why "Witcher" ending is not the best, not for Ciri, nor for Geralt.

1. Ciri is not a true witcher. Don't recall where (book or game), but Geralt once said she was never to be as good as him. No matter how much he was teaching her, shes only half-witcher, missing on a physical part. Remember the book scene where Geralt's life was saved only cause he had ability to slow-down body functions being mortally wounded? Ciri does not have that. She cant use elixirs. This is bound to end bad, with just a single wound, which witchers usually get plenty.

2. I was really surprised how unfinished was ending "Ciri witcher - Emhyr lives". Emhyr was searching relentlessly for her for 20 years. No way he would trust Geralt on his word that Ciri was dead. And that phrase about Ciri becoming famous? She would draw Emhyr attention at once, becoming a hunted prey once again. And Geralt would never rest easy with Yen/Triss as Emhyr would never forgive him his lie until Geralt is dead.

3. Even if Emhyr leaves Ciri alone (which is very unlikely) or Emhyr dies, lets not forget that Ciri is a rightful heir to the throne. From the book we know how exiled Emhyr reclaimed the throne from usurper. Those planning to take over after Emhyr wont let Ciri live cause of that. Like in a book when kings of the North decided that Ciri has to die, just in case.

So looks like "Ciri witcher" will lead to Ciri's death in any case, from assassins or monsters, and Geralt's as well in case Emhyr lives. Even if they somehow manage to avoid it, this means a life of constant running and hiding, far from that idyllic life we are being shown in the ending. Ofc it is much better then ME3 ending, but still far from well-thought.
 
Well, i would disagree respectfully. Have you noticed her health regeneration abilities thrue the game? From that POV she does not need potions much, or at all even.

For me the "canon" ending is not the best ending thou, i consider canon to be CIri witcher and Radovid wins the war. Why? SImply because this ending requres no side quests completion, only a good focus to main story line. ANd if he wins then Ciri becomes witcher by default.
Both other possible rulers being Emyr and Djikstra require your help to win the war.

Well this is how i see it at least. However i do agree that for Geralts pov best ending for him is CIri becoming empres, since he doesnt need to wory about her anymore and living happily ever after with Yen or Triss for that matter.

For CIri's pov, she wanted to become a true witcher always.
 
Well, you are correct in term of Ciri's health regen. But I believe it was intentionally introduced by developers to compensate for the lack of signs/potions/elixirs. Nowhere in the book Ciri had any super-human abilities, she was very human compared to the true witchers. The fact that ability to play Ciri was crippled by developers are very well illustrated by the fact that she can not pick up and use any items :)

I was a bit surprised how the developers introduced Ciri-Witcher ending as a happy one, while looking a bit further into the future paints a very grim picture for her. I think that it should have been mentioned in the final: Ciri wanted to become a witcher and she did, but it was not a happy life for her after that, not at all.
 
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I'd wager it as happy. She wanted freedom, and she got it. She's also quite capable of handling herself. A few patrols here 'n there, who do not have the ability to immediately see her as the hunt did, are not going to pose much of a problem for her. She may gain renown, and have people seek her. Though, considering she can warp herself as she sees fit, I think she'll be fine.
 
Well, she wants to be witch Geralt and hunt with him, her swordship is very good and even if she doesn't have mutations and signs, she has Elder blood and abilities like teleporting, so she is not useless as witcher or monster hunter.
 
I totally disagree.

1. It doesn't matter matter if Ciri isn't as good as Geralt on the whole mutation and physical part. She has other unique and very powerful abilities that make her as powerful as Geralt if not even more. Remember Kaer Mohren? It's like saying that Triss or Yen are weak because they don't have muscles or the physical training. It doesn't matter. And her being a witcher will lead to her certain death even though she survived several encounters with the Wild Hunt? Highly unlikely.

2. Looking for her for 20 years? No. Didn't he have meetings with her several times even letting her leave with Geral and Yen at some point? And again it doesn't matter if he believed Geralt or not. Ciri even asks Geralt if the Emperor believed him to which he says he has no idea. The point was to keep Emhyr of her back. She never wanted to become Empress. She says several times that she doesn't like sitting in one place for too long.

3. She might be the rightful heir by blood, but again, she says several times she doesn't want to become Empress. It was never what she wanted. She always hated having the Elder Blood and being used by other people for it. Her becoming witcher and traveling all over the place was probably the best outcome.
 
I disagree with you and this is why:

1) Ciri dont have mutagens and can't use signs but you forgot that she has the elder Blood that is more powerfull then every sign you can imagine. She has her own powerful and unique abilites that like @Arianann says makes her as powerful as Geralt in not more. I'm not sure about elixirs because like @moonknightgog sayd she already had one from Eithnè.

2) Don't you know why Emhyr wants her? he just like everybody wants her blood, no one except for her "family" Geralt,Yenn and Triss really cares about her.
For all her life people tried to manipulate her to use her powers Gerlat is the only one who don't want to use her but want to protect her and make her live the life she wants (whitch is not the empress one).

3) She never wanted to become a empress even if the throne is her by blood, she tells you this a lot of times, that the only thing she wants is to go kill monsters with Gerlat take the money then drink near a fire. She wants to be free to make her own choises to live her life without some one who tries to manipulate her.

In my second playthrough i ended up like a empress and when i saw her bagging to take her away with force to the mountains i reloaded and ended againwith the witcher way. You know why? because i really got attached to her,Yenn and Triss so i wanted only the best for her and the empress isnt a good one.
Just think about it if she becomes a empress thare is always be some one who tries to control her, to manipulate her plotting to kill her and so on.

I really hope to see a next Witcher game with Ciri se has a beutiful story to discover and live, why? because Geralts story come to the end and we've got introdiced to Ciris character and her story all to live and discover. (but this is off topic :))
 
In more than one occasion, you can read in books how Geralt itself call Ciri "witcher". Yes, she is not a witcher in a standard way. But she is a natural mutant (Old Blood) and she has been trained under the Wolf School precepts. Witchers signs are mere basic are simply magic spells. One no needs any kind of mutation to know them but the Witcher's knowledge.

Basicly, a witcher is a muted human (by potions because is their tradition) trained to hunt monsters. Like it or not, Sapkowski makes Geralt accepts her this way. CDPR show it this way in TW3, too. And if the most famous Wticher in the World thinks so.. who am I to gainsay?
 
Ciri doesn't ever express a desire to be Empress. But many times she talks about how much she'd love to travel the world. As a Witcher she can do this, but as an Empress she is forced into a complicated political situation that she never wanted to be in the first place.

So to me, Ciri becoming a Witcher is the best ending. It's what she wants.
 
I initially went with Ciri as a Witcher, but I've come around to the idea of her as Empress.

The whole game is about Ciri maturing and coming into her own. The only way that she ends up being a Witcher is if you intentionally withhold information from her and prevent/discourage Ciri from meeting her biological father. Also, like she says at the end of the game, she can't effect change on a massive scale if she is wandering around forgotten villages hunting monsters.

There was a more eloquent, lengthy defense of the empress ending on Reddit, though. I'll attach the link here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/comments/37fcfm/spoilers_best_ending_for_ciri/
 
I initially went with Ciri as a Witcher, but I've come around to the idea of her as Empress.

The whole game is about Ciri maturing and coming into her own. The only way that she ends up being a Witcher is if you intentionally withhold information from her and prevent/discourage Ciri from meeting her biological father. Also, like she says at the end of the game, she can't effect change on a massive scale if she is wandering around forgotten villages hunting monsters.

There was a more eloquent, lengthy defense of the empress ending on Reddit, though. I'll attach the link here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/comments/37fcfm/spoilers_best_ending_for_ciri/

Thank you for giving this link. I am too damn lazy to write that much myself, and this post addresses every single point.
 
The only way that she ends up being a Witcher is if you intentionally withhold information from her

It's the complete opposite imo, the only way she visits Emhyr is if you talk her into it AND withhold information from her.
 
It's the complete opposite imo, the only way she visits Emhyr is if you talk her into it AND withhold information from her.

The relevant conversation goes like this:

G: Where do you wanna go?
C: To Velen. Bald Mountain. But a few days till the witches' sabbath ... Come we shall talk on the way.
G: Wait, something I gotta tell you before we go. You know the emperor really wanted you found?
C: Yennefer mentioned something.
G: Wanted you to visit him.
C: Why would you tell me now?
G: Cause this could be your last chance to see your... father.
C: Think I should go?

At this point, Geralt has the option to say "You need to make up your own mind." Ciri then presses him for his opinion, and if he supports visiting Emhyr, Geralt just says something like "Probably just wants to talk." He's hardly twisting Ciri's arm and forcing her to do anything. The choice is up to her.

I don't get what you mean by "he's withholding information." It's quite the opposite. The only way that Ciri becomes a Witcher is if a) you actively discourage her from meeting her biological father or b) you don't even tell her that Emhyr wants to speak with her.

Another telling point in favor of the empress ending is the confrontation between Ciri and the White Frost. The only way that she survives is if you made decisions throughout the game which encouraged her to think and act on her own. The entire game is about her leaving the nest and becoming her own woman. She only becomes empress after extensive soul searching:

C: "In Vizima, my father and I spoke ... for long. Argued, really, and parted. Then a messenger came with a letter. I didn't say anything at first because I wasn't sure, and then ... I realized I had to stop fleeing. Realized that if I wish to change anything, I cannot do so hunting monsters round forgotten villages. I must do so from there, from Nilfgaard."

Then there's also the scene at the tower in Undvik. When Geralt tries to talk Ciri out of entering it, she says something to the effect of "What would you know about saving the world, you're but a Witcher." It's pretty clear by that point that she is aware of her larger destiny.

At any rate, I'm not trying to rain on your parade. There is no "canon ending." That's why CDPR gave us different options. Go with whatever floats your boat.
 
Ciri doesn't ever express a desire to be Empress. But many times she talks about how much she'd love to travel the world. As a Witcher she can do this, but as an Empress she is forced into a complicated political situation that she never wanted to be in the first place.

So to me, Ciri becoming a Witcher is the best ending. It's what she wants.
Seemed to me she doesn't express a desire to be Empress initially. Eventually, she gives in and convinces herself and Geralt that it's what she wants to do. It's almost as though the idea grows on her over the course of that last third of the game until she comes to terms with it.
 

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A big theme in the later part of the game is supporting Ciri in whatever choices she makes as she is now an adult. Based on that, empress ending is the 'best' because it's what she chooses if no information is withheld from her.

I think the witcher ending might seem more fun because she has more 'freedom', doesn't have to put up with all the political bs, doesn't have to see Emhyr anymore who she loathes, and what's better than 2 sexy badass witchers out there pwning monsters? But I think the empress ending fits better with the narrative of what the writers were going with in act 3.
 
And being an Empress she is more in control, more capable to defend herself from the enemies around, and she is to have those a lot.

In the initial post when I was mentioning Ciri eventually being killed probably I made a wrong accent on her not possessing all the abilities of a Witcher. So some of you correctly pointed out that she had other abilities instead, probably even more powerful in battle. But it does not matter at all. In a book one of the sorceresses speaks of Geralt: "He will die with a sword in the back or from the poisoned drink". That's the vital spot: Witchers are not super-humans. It is wrong to see a witcher as Commander Sheppard, who can survive fall from the planet orbit, no matter how much we love Ciri or Geralt. That's why I strongly believe that Ciri A Witcher will be an eyesore for too many people, have too many dangers around to survive that for long. Being an Empress she can protect herself and those she loves.

The choice of "freedom" as a witcher of "non-freedom" as en empress is akin to choosing a life in a secluded hut in a wilderness with a beloved one. It sounds beautiful and it is beautiful for a while, until ordinary things start to tear the romantic fleur apart :) Not a perfect example, but you get the picture :)
 
My two cents on the whole "Ciri is/is not a witcher" thing.

Let's not forget that "witcher" is a term that identifies the profession, not a genotype. So you might think that she qualifies as witcher, since she now hunts monsters for money.

BUT that's not being a witcher per se. Otherwise any warrior killing monsters for hire could qualify as witcher. Witcher is a term that indicates that profession in a way more specific way. Witcher is someone who underwent under rigid physical and swordsmanship training (Ciri check), monster study (Ciri check), a specific diet based on special body-enhancing food (Ciri check), basic magical training (Ciri... not so check... yeah she went through an arguably deeper magic study than witchers normally do, but not the same kind that witchers use anyway, so I wouldn't say that qualifies) and above all, the kind of mutations granted by the Trial of the Grasses (Ciri definitely not check).

Ciri is kinda like Leo when it comes to be qualified as witcher, aside from her Elder Blood, which doesn't count in the definition of witcher anyway.

So, at the end of the day, no, Ciri is still not a witcher (or witcheress) in the actual meaning of the word. Just in the extensive sense of it.
 
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I have just finished the game, got an ending where Ciri becomes a witcher, Emhyr wins and Geralt stays alone.

Geralt staying alone has nothing to do with Ciri being a witcher or not. So not relevant to this discussion. Same can be said for Emhyr wins or not. Ciri can be a witcher if Radovid wins.

Nowhere in the book Ciri had any super-human abilities, she was very human compared to the true witchers.

So I guess that teleporting to other worlds and moving around is not a super-human ability? Witchers were and are human. The initiation is what changes them along with the potions they take.

So I think these are some really big holes in your argument.

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The only way that Ciri becomes a Witcher is if a) you actively discourage her from meeting her biological father or b) you don't even tell her that Emhyr wants to speak with her.

She only becomes empress after extensive soul searching:

That is some real twisted logic there. Where is there any proof of that last sentence?
 
I don't get what you mean by "he's withholding information." It's quite the opposite. The only way that Ciri becomes a Witcher is if a) you actively discourage her from meeting her biological father or b) you don't even tell her that Emhyr wants to speak with her.

Nope, you have to actively encourage her to visit him. She doesn't want to do it, only if you say she should do it. With "withholding information" is is meant, that you have to say to her that Emhyr "just wants to talk", but you actually know he needs her because of "states of reason".
 
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