I'm on my 2nd Roach I believe, used to be brown, now he's dark grey. Changed after someone told me I will find a horse in the stables as a reward for some quest.
The Triss VS Yennefer Thirst War was the most devastating conflict on the Continent. The casualties from every Nilfgaardian invasion combined were trivial by comparison.
"Geralt on the other hand, is a deep thinker in the least helpful way possible" is a quote that's so undeniably true it's making me laugh. I'm glad you talk about The witcher with both the game AND the books knowledge, your videos are very nice to listen to while working
as someone from Poland I'm so happy that people take time and care to analyze the characters in the books and go beyond the game depictions or superficial analyses. And that quote is a perfect encapsulation of Geralt, already on Thaned Vilgefortz sees Geralt as a ultimately impotent (in the political sense) thinker
@@jozefcyran2589 This is what I really disliked about Cavill's Geralt, his constant grunting and stoicism couldnt be further from book Geralt who was always looking for a chance to monologue and throw some colorful swearing around
@@ramondijkgraaf3805 Yeah if you tried to romance them both you would end up in that situation, not only that you would have to go back like 5 hours of gameplay to undo the decision to romance one of them in order to continue with one of them at the end.
mmmm in the games or in the books? because SPOILERS - - - - - - - - - in the books it is more complicated than that, she is really mean when she has to (I think Yen even more than Geralt has all the reasons to punch Triss into the stratosphere and not just for sentimental reasons), but Triss also helps her a lot a couple of times later on. I don't remember if she's the one that gives her the idea of how to escape the lodge (*edit: no, as few people pointed out that's Fringilla and Triss doesn't do anything there*) but after she still protects her from the lodge before finding Ciri. At more than one points Yen NEEDS Triss as her only ally and at the same time she's screwed over multiple times by her.
I just wanna point out that one of the most wholesome moments of the books is when Ciri is studying under Yen. She thinks of her poorly but then starts liking Yennifer and thinks of her as her defacto mom. When she and Yen are enjoying laying in the sun, Ciri starts thinking about how badly she wants to meet back up with Geralt, and she wants Yen to come with and be with them. Like a big happy family. Yen doesn't reveal it, but she's been reading her mind and is overwhelmed with emotion. It is one of the few times we're tild Yen smiles, and its so fucking wholesome I love it!
but that always bothers me, like, personally speaking, i would not wanna be around someone who constantly reading your mind without your permission, and in no real danger either, just so they can spy on your every thought. yeah no thanks
i genuinely always thought YEN had some personal/selfish alterior motives for why she was ever aligned or relied on geralt. Which never had me 100% with trusting her. Some necronomion/immortality or etc type AGENDA but that was just how it seemed to me not the truth or anything including her reading ppls minds its like does she have issues trusting PPL or should PPL largely have an issue trusting her bc of how the aspect isnt mutual.
@@Malgus87 its been a while since I read the books but as far as I know shani wasnt really a thing for geralt there and yen was slaying dragons so she could get preggo so I feel like yen wanted a family a wee bit earlier and a wee bit more,
@@TheGrimmCommoneryes if for no other reason than gerelt calls all the horses he ever had roach which may be at least 2 I’m guessing the first one was book roach and it went MIA or something afterwards he may have gotten another horse or something like that
For some reason this game still feels "fresh" and like it came out 3 or 4 years ago max. People still play it, talk about it, it's still very relevant.
@@TheGingiGamerNah, update was cool but this game is legendary, and even without the upgrades the next gen update brought it still kicks the shit out of most other, similar games released in the last few years.
As a person, I personally prefer Triss. The calm demeanor and patience is a deal breaker. I’d be scared to be around Yennefer if I made her mad even once. For Geralt as a character, it makes more sense to choose Yennefer due to the established lore in the game and books. Not to mention they play off each other well and have the better dialogue.
Same. My first playthrough I never simped(lol) but my 2nd one I was loyal to Triss and enjoyed it. My recent playthrough was with Yennefer and I have to admit it really fit being with her through the story.
For me, the big thing is that she puts herself on the line for her fellow magic users in Witcher 3, but still tries to help Geralt with Ciri without a doubt, when she has so much to lose... And the fact that Yen is so ruthless when it comes to tracking Ciri, including destroying an entire garden sacred to the people there, and tortures the soul of a boy in order to get what she wants. Not to mention she's constantly being secretive. And I know people will say "wouldn't you do the same with your daughter?" No. I would not. I would not destroy something so important to other people. I would not lie to the one who also wants to find my daughter out of love or withhold things from him. I would not torture someone like that. As much as it would break my heart, I would not want to impose that suffering upon others... not to mention what my daughter must feel that I am destroying things for her. I for one would feel horrified if I learned all the things Yen did for me, and I'd be honoured, if not telling her it wasn't necessary, for what Triss did, trying to help me.
@@sandrols7 She(Triss) is the only one I like from the Lodge of Sorceresses. Keira a little bit but she really fits in with the rest of the Lodge and from what I gathered they where a bunch of ruthless, misandrist, clandestine, conniving, underhanded, b****s trying to influence everything and everybody. It's hard to feel sorry for them with what they were doing. Like wtf they expect?
Based on the books alone I'd go for Triss. Yennefer was just... such an incredibly manipulative, lying, cheating bitch in the first 2 books. And yes I know she becomes so much better than that later on, but holy hell her casually admitting to Geralt that she slept around with another person THE SAME DAY she was with Geralt just irked me. And then having the gall to get mad at Triss for sleeping with Geralt WHEN THEY WERENT EVEN TOGETHER was just the final nail in the coffin.
I usually pick both, because of the funny scene in the inn in Novigrad and because I think Ciri is the most pleasant character to have around the estate in Beauclaire.
Correct! You need to pick both or neither and to not get the bad ending in the main campaign, otherwise Ciri dies/disappears, which would cause Dandelion to show up in Beauclaire.
I think Ciri is actually the worst personality in the game. She acts like a 14-year old going through puberty the hard way, I'd expect a 22-23 year old to behave a little more grown-up than "I can take care of myself!" or "I can decide for myself!" Avallach literally had to spell her unconscious in order to get her to the isle of mists because she was fully willing to run into the hands of the wild hunt to save one dude she knew for 2 hours, potentially dooming the entire world to forced servitude.
The thing is for me Geralt definitely has his own personality. It's not moulded by yours so much like for example Sheppard in Mass Effect. For me, personally it's Triss all day, every day. For Geralt though it's obviously Yennifer, so that was what I picked in game.
The way I see it, Triss is very much the choice of people who like the idea of a woman doting on them, she relentlessly pursues Geralt and tries every occasion to steal him off Yen. Yen on the other hand seems to value herself a bit more and won't just throw herself at Geralt, like if you choose to end the relationship in the Djinn quest you can see it shatters her, but you know she won't be pulling any Triss tactics. I don't know how best to summarise it, it's sort of like Triss is spending the day in your boxers and ordering a burger and fries, whereas Yen is going to the gym and picking up one from the drive thru, they both taste good, but one of them you feel like you actually accomplished something because you earned it first.
@@beckriv9854 that is a fun summary :D Although in W3 Triss no longer throws herself at Geralt except during the Party. If you look at the series as a whole, you are correct though.
@@beckriv9854 Not close to that for me. I choose Triss because I like her goals, she is a woman who seeks to improve herself, also in a relationship with her there is dialogue and peace, you can see that Geralt and Triss are a healthy relationship. Another thing is that Triss does love Geralt and that is seen in the games, so her love story with Geralt is true, it is not just "sex" as some haters say.
The team Shani at the end had me dead lol love your vids man! I personally went with Yennefer my first playthrough and Geralt himself explains it perfectly when speaking with Cerys about why he's attracted to Yen even though their relationship has always been rocky. Cerys: "What is it about her? What is it that draws you?" Geralt: "Dunno...Maybe, uh, it's cause I've never chosen comfort and ease, the calm and the quiet..."
@@marcinpietrzak9358 She doesn't even get mentioned at all unless you have the special edition (extended edtion whatever it's called) that adds a codex entry that you have to go looking for.
One of my friends watched her roommate play Witcher 3 when it came out but she had missed the beginning. So she watched Triss's arc in Novigrad and then when Yennefer appeared in Skellige my friend was like, "Who's the side chick?" Makes me laugh every time I remember it.
@@ChadDad1488 Not really if you have completed both trish love ending and yen love ending yennifer declined the offer of king and stay away from politics and come to live with geralt forever whereas trish love ending she chooses politcs over gearlt and stays in palace and work as kovir's court sorceress. So imo there was only one right choice between these 2 same as geralt.
@@user-ww9ww1pp2u To each their own. To me, Yen doesn't seem to really love him and are only bound by that spell while Triss was willing to do anything to be with Geralt and was a bubbly nice personality. I know it got weird in the 2nd game with her behavior, but she's better in the 3rd game. I love that downness for a man, or loyalty in women, it's what you should look for IRL.
@@JordanJumpin Not really, Yen literally makes Geralt sad every time they interacted in Witcher 3, when was it positive? lol, it was a negative chat every time and she's condescending to him.
@@andrewplck Oh you mean the bland sorceresses who constantly try to manipulate Geralt and political events for their own gain, not like we've ever seen those before! At least Shani treats Geralt like an actual person. :)
Great video, once again. I absolutely agree with everything you said here. One thing I would like to add: I feel like Triss's redemption in the third game is only in small part an argument for potentially choosing her. It is far more about redeeming her as a character so she doesn't leave the game as the manipulative person she had been set up to be in the previous games. Ending up with Yennefer is clearly the canon ending for me. I feel like CDPR did intend that as well, but realised that leaving Triss as we had concluded her to be after the second game would be a bit rough. They added her saving the mages from Novigrad and admitting having taken advantage of Geralt so we would see her in a bit of a better light. The player can end up with Yennefer, without the uneasy feeling Triss should have been held accountable in some way. Not to say she wasn't wrong in what she did, but it's probably the best way of finishing her arc, short of being murdered by Yennefer.
Nah man after reading the last book and knowing how she backstabbed ciri and geralt for the lodge while yennefer risked everything to save them there was nothing to redeem her. That's the thing he leaves out in the video, her biggest crime wasn't sleeping with geralt behind yens back, it's selling him and ciri out. In what universe would geralt ever forgive her for that
Triss coming onto Geralt the moment she realized he didn't remember Yennefer was PEAK Triss behavior. It immediately put the book-readers in Geralt's shoes rejecting her, and flew over everyone else's heads lol.
I picked Triss the first time, but I plan to redo the story and choose Yen the next time. I avoided romancing both of them to see the Triss ending, but breaking Yen’s heart during “The Last Wish” was hard! It really seems to me that Yen is the “destined” choice now after playing.
This is over a year old so doubtful you'll see this comment but you keep dropping banger after banger videos bro nothing but hits on your roster. A lot of lore RUclipsrs like you feel like they should convey the story without any peronal input or personality shining through and it always comes across as robotic and boring. I'm glad you found a good mix of opinion and lore and it makes for some really great content. Keep it up and thanks for the entertainment.
This is how I have to frame the whole "role-playing" aspect of this rpg. Like yes, I get to make the choices for Geralt, but I enjoy more trying to figure out what choices Geralt would actually make and go off of that.
Honestly when i first played the games i thought id pick yen, but i was shocked at how triss as a character made me change my mind. just goes to show how good both characters are in the games
I wouldn't mind more story formatted video's. I can't be bothered reading all the books and playing the older Witcher games. You did a great job combining books and games, I mean based on my limited knowledge.
The books hold up surprisingly well for me. Back in my teen years I thought that the Witcher saga, while obviously very good, was still nowhere near as good as Tolkien, but I can't read Tolkien anymore. It all is just too naive for the old me. Then I was an early fan of GRR and his Songs of Ice and Fire saga. I though that GRRs writing was a wholly new quality in this genre, and it is true, but I never was able to even re read those books *once* . It's just too dark for me. So many characters, but if you happen to take a liking to someone, it's likely they will die, either literally or figuratively, by turning themselves into monsters. Sapkowski strikes a happy medium for me. He's gritty enough to be believable, while he's also a master at creating likable *and believable* characters. It's not all roses obviously, there are some plot contrivances, but not too many. His writing is actually excellent, most of the time at least. He's a master wordsmith. Unfortunately, at least early translations were nowhere near his level and I'm not sure if this issue was ever fixed. (I think they must have done something, because nowadays hardly anyone mentions this problem, but I'd still be surprised if even the improved version could match the original.) Start at the beginning. It's just a bunch of self-contained short stories which all are a darker yet funnier versions of some popular fables.
@@Nagy.Patrik In short I already wrote that: "it's all too naive for the old me". Slightly longer: I realized that I can't accept his philosophy, which I consider to be internally inconsistent. The bad guys are portrayed as mere pawns willed into action by a powerful master mind. Their primary mode of existence is blind obedience. The good guys are portrayed as only slightly more independent pawns, who are willed into action by a powerful master mind. Their primary mode of existence is *literally* blind obedience, since Eru is a mystery to them. There is no redemption. A slippery slope toward evil is a one way street. Forgiveness exists, but only highborns can apply. So forth. Obviously, there is nothing of the sort in Sapkowski. In his universe good actors can act petty, jealously, cowardly, naively, annoyingly, yet they are still very likable people. Bad actors usually simply act in their own best interest. Even if blind obedience is expected of them, it's a part of a mutually understood contract, which can be revoked. And obviously, there is redemption.
One thing about Witcher 1 and 2 Triss and the fact that she never mentioned Yen so that Geralt didn't remember her, is that no one in general mentioned Yen or Ciri to Geralt, not even Dandelion or Zoltan, so it's not something you can really fault Triss for, that's just how CDPR wrote the first 2 games
Triss mentions Yennefer in Witcher 2 , pleaye stop lieng with the misinformation. When Geralt and Triss travel to Flotsam Triss tells Geralt all about Yennefer and her relationship.
@@OdenDChadTriss mentions Yennefer and her relationship with Geralt to Geralt in witcher 2 when traveling to Flotsam. How do you guys not know that, did you even play Witcher 2?
I chose Triss every time, even after having read all the books. It wasn't until I forced myself to choose Yennefer that I finally realized that all of the offputting/rude things she does are all for Ciri.
@@mohammadsaleem5990 Yen was run out the time (story wise), so she is ready to be ruthless . . Yen was ready to protect Geralt and Ciri against the Lodge. Lodge want to kill Geralt and marry Ciri on somee local prince. Triss was Philipa puppy and was agree with this plan. Only Yenifer stand against them - basicly she was ready to fight against all of them at once. . On the contrast, when Geralt loose his memory - Triss immediately use this at her advantage (act like a pig toward Yen and stay silent about Ciri) and use Geralt in Lodge political games threw whole Witcher 1 and Witcher 2 (but in Witcher 2 we see that Big girls in Lodge like Philipa and Sheala never saw Triss as their equal. More like petty looser that try to stay close with popular guys in the school). . Easy win for Yenifer here (because her love for Geralt and Ciri is real, then for Triss it some kind of adventure or opportunity to reach her own goals)
@@Алексей545-т6б This this this. People don't understand that what Yen does she does it not only for her own gain, but out of love for those closest to her too.
I was very sceptical about this video, because what more could be said on this topic? But it captivated me and I've thought about so many new things I never considered! Thank you for being objective in this sense :) And about the ending dialogue: I love Shani's landlady's phrase "Look at you, grey haired, still chasing girls!"
On my first playthrough i ended up with roach and wondering where shani had run off to. On the bright side, Ciri stopped by when she was in between witcher contracts. And I never realized that there was a "bad ending".
In my first play through I paired Geralt up with Yennefer. I had no book knowledge prior only knowing that she and Geralt have history and they have a daughter. When we do meet her in game I could see her bold personality complimenting Geralt’s more reserved personality, plus their relationship seemed bit more mature. Triss being younger quite showed with her personality and came off as more of a fling.
Right, technically what’s interesting is Triss is also older when she’s converted to a mage, so she *looks* older than Yen, but Yen was converted to a Mage at a younger age than Triss was, and looks younger than Triss. While Geralt looks a lot older and grizzled. It can go over people’s heads that this was the book canon, that Triss has a more mature appearance. Her behavior isn’t supposed to come across as young and innocently flirty, it’s supposed to come across as outright bawdy and a bit lurid. We’re supposed to feel inclined not to pick her because Geralt doesn’t really want a woman who’s easily mentally manipulated- she no longer has childlike innocence the way Ciri does, and even Yen does to a point with her idealism, as Triss was already inclined towards striving towards power and material comfort long before she finished her mage training. To Polish people, her bawdy behavior is, to their cultural mentality, a giveaway that someone has darker roots, and might not be trustworthy, hence Triss betraying them for the Lodge (unlike, say, Irish people who value bawdiness as a funny charming quality). She’s the female literary foil to Dandelion / Jaskier. Whereas Yen and Geralt both have a furious side hidden beneath a serene demeanor, though it comes out in attitude at times. They can both be a bit bawdy too (a cultural cue to the fact that they’ve both seen and survived dark times), but nothing remotely close to what Triss and Dandelion are like- I’m honestly surprised that the author didn’t set those two together as a fighting nagging couple in the books, but a maneater and a womanizer getting together might have created a 2nd conjunction of the spheres or something I guess 😂
So in short: Yen looks younger than Triss (symbolic of Yen’s spiritual innocence and idealism, despite her sharp tongue and sharp wit, and probably also a clue to her being better at magic because the young appearance is an artifice of magic), but Yen is actually much much older than Triss (a hint to the fact she is wiser and more trustworthy and devoted).
@@Mystra not really, Jesus Christ! Adopting a child doesn’t make anyone less of a parent. Ciri’s mom died when she was a baby & her grandmother raised & died protecting her from Emhyr who was obsessed with having an incest child with her. He revoked his rights after that & Geralt & Yen gave her a better life then that.
Actually wonderful video! Very much enjoyed you revealing the backstories of these two and really putting The Witcher 3 story into perspective. Would definitely love more videos like this. Me personally, my first playthrough, I got the quest Three to Tango. W3 was probably the first game I played that had real choices and consequences, so I didn't think too much of it when I chose Triss for example and I never saw her after that until Kaer Morhen. I never realized that I was actually committing to one or the other, which looking back was definitely my mistake, but at least I got Ciri to visit me in Corvo Bianco. I thought that was nice.
I delayed watching this video because I was worried it would villainize yennefer like so many often do - but I really appreciated this thoughtful and nuanced take. Thank you!
@@Kronos0999 Shes disgusting but Geralt isnt? Man has slept with half the women he ever met lol, talk about double standards. As for me i dont care about any of that, im team Yen all the way, they were meant for one another. Oh and btw, your precious Triss has also "cheated" on Geralt at least once in the books iirc so yeah :)
@@k-dot1533 Double standard as it's finest lol They really hate Yennefer cheating on Geralt yet people are okay with Geralt cheating with other women.
@@Kronos0999 People always talk about what Yennefer did with Istredd but never NEVER put Geralts nasty past on the table. Yennefer was trying to have a serious relationship with him at the beggining, she took Geralt to live with her at her principal residence in Vengerberg. One morning she just wake up and all what the witcher let her was a note and some flowers, Geralt abandoned her with no previous word ; then he slept with Yen's coworker and friend Coral, her assistan and Yennefer's best friend Triss. Can you blame the girl for having her reservations about a future with Geralt?, Istredd was propousing her estability and confidence. My point?, bouth are a piece of shit on relationships, that's why they belong together, and I LOVE THEM, really, but BOTH sucks on this.
I like how honest you were with "My monkeybrain saw a readhead and that was all she wrote", because thats exactly what my brain did haha, follow the redhead.
LOVE THIS VIDEO AND ALL YOUR WITCHER CONTENT!!! Just found your channel man and really appreciate how nuanced, objective and detailed your approach to this subject and all witcher content!!!
I don't really comment, like, or subscribe to anything ever on any platforms. But I've been watching you sense you released your first video, and just letting you know that you've always had amazing content and professional level quality video's
that is a great video! I read books and played all three witcher games but I wouldn't be able to put everything I know about Yen and Triss together so nicely.
@@Film_Sushi Of course it's possible. It's only your choice and you can choose any path you want. The romance won't last long and will result the trio quest but you can still have your fun with both Yen and Triss.
I haven't played the two first games, but i always went with Yennefer in the third. Knowing they were the parentfigures to Ciri and from how i understood had a long history together an seemed like they loved each other in their own way
0:42 When they put "Now on NETFLIX" on the books, they must have been like: "Read the books so you know that the show is something entirely different and so you will be dissapointed."
When I first picked up the game and had no knowledge of the witcher verse, I thought Triss seemed much nicer, and a much more healthy relationship than Yennefer. But the more I read the books, and played the 2nd game, I think Yenny is the way to go, undoubtably. Sure, their relationship is rocky, to say the least, but they were always there for each other. Plus, Gerald's relationship with Triss is arguably way less healthier.
Bro really made a 27-minute video debating Triss vs Yennefer, only to say Team Shani in the last 3 seconds xD Fistbump! I say the same every time somebody asks, even tho I much prefer Triss!
The moments in the late game that depict Yen, Ciri, and Geralt as a family are the only reason I need to pick Yen every time. The dynamic is so natural and wholesome, it feels like the intended fairytale outcome the ever-cynical Geralt would have never expected for himself.
Love the video. As someone who read the books and played all the games after I was not surprised in the least after the first hour scene tbh. And the second game cemented my team yen status
Similar to you, on my first playthrough of Witcher 3 I went in pretty much completely blind (I had watched the Netflix series, but that was it). So doing the natural thing, I fell for Triss in Novigrad. Then many hours later I got to Skellige and fell for Yen without realizing I couldn't have them both...needless to say, I was glad that Dandelion came to my rescue after a "fun filled night" with the two of them 😂 But I did really like getting Ciri the Witcheress to come to Corvo Bianco in the postgame!
I am a Triss guy. Yen isnt really nice to Geralt in the books, she is a toxic relationship, in the second book sword of destiny Villentretenmerth (the golden dragon) says "You were made for each other, you and the witcher. But nothing will come of it. Nothing. I'm sorry". In the games Triss is really kind to Geralt also more romantic. Also almost always Geralt is scared of Yen he doesnt want to say small things to her knowing she'll just brush him off. I feel like Yen does care about Geralt but her main focus is in magic, power and reputation unlike Triss she seems to really care and focus on him.
I had only played the first two games (romanced Shani in the first, and Triss in the second, mostly since Shani wasn't an option anymore), so I was not completely blind to Triss's character in the third game. I had however not read the books. I knew from playing the second game that Geralt and Yen had history, but by the time you are around her for any length of time in Skellige, I had already made my decision to romance Triss. and her actions in Skellige and her personality did not help matters for me. Learning about all this though was interesting though.
This. Without the books, and only the games as reference there was pretty much no good reason to abandon Triss for Yen. Triss was with you from Witcher 1. Yen was a nobody for you as a player when she was introduced. I also remember her being downright rude to Geralt. I am sure everything made more sense for those that read the books. So you could say CDPR did a bad job at introducing Yen properly to the player.
@@Supirior18 I didn't play the first two games but read all the books, was it made clear before W3 that Triss manipulated Geralt by taking advantage of his memory loss to steal him from her best friend when she knew they were mad about eachother? Just that could be argued as being a massive red flag for Triss.
@@beckriv9854 i honestly can't remember. It's been a few years since i played them. In my memory, i think that Yennefer wasn't even mentioned once in the first 2 Games, since Geralt regained his full memory in Witcher 3? Oh boy i could be totally wrong about this. But i think, he didn't remember Yennefer at all and Triss never mentioned her either in the games. So you as a player had no idea of a past relationship with Yen.
The irony of the quote of course, is that he can’t help but always make a choice. It’s a cute quote, but the story itself reveals that Geralt cannot be neutral, he will always make a choice. And this is reflected once again in the ending of the books
I recently watched the first episode of the series and this was the moment "when reality hits" for geralt. He didn't choose so one was imposed upon him.
That’s why I don’t choose (either have both or reject both).. my canon ending is Corvo with Ciri Witcher ending.. that feels the best way to end his story
DAMNIT! I for some reason thought your spoiler warning only applied to the witcher 3 and now the end of the books is spoiled for me 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I guess now i gotta finish reading them.
If you have ever rejected both of them in a playthrough that is an interesting overall story. I did that on one of my playthroughs to see how it turned out. I don't know if it would be called worth playing but it was interesting.
The first time I played Witcher 3 was the first expierence with the Witcher. I love the series and I very much relate with how you picked Triss first too! ^^ I've enjoyed your videos for a while and it's helped me also do multiple playthroughs as well! Thank you!
If you only played the games, you would probably choose Triss. Reading the books you´d understand it´s Yen and no one else. :) Though, there´s no correct choice. Well, we´ll see what happens in Witcher 4 though, lol.
An excellent video, thank you. I find myself every bit as conflicted as I was before watching! I am new to Witcher, having watched the ever declining (that last series was dreadful, no wonder Cavil left) Witcher on Netflix, I decided to get Witcher 3. I am pretty close to a complete noob regarding Witcher lore. Part of me wishes my feelings were not unintentionally being influenced by having watched the Netflix series. Coming at it from the game world alone, I feel Tris is kinder, calmer and a better match for Geralt. Yen just seemed pretty cold and at times horrible to Geralt. However,I know she is effectively Ciri's mother and I know we (Geralt) have a deep history with yen, there is an undeniable pull towards reuniting us all as a happy family. Now armed with so much more book and game lore via this and other videos, I am still conflicted. I think its fair to say my heart actually says Tris, while my head says Yen...
That’s most likely to do with Triss being in the last 2 games so she is much more time to develop with the audience. Yen was introduced to us in TW3 so they had to do a lot of the introduction type stuff that was done in the first game
Love the video and how you were able to show both sides of the argument in a way that was fair to both. BTW how close is what Geralt would do for game 3 being done?
There´s really no argument. We choose as players, though the book Geralt would only ever choose Yen. Is it shitty for Triss? Yes. Did Triss take an advantage of Geralt´s amnesia in the first two games? Hell yes. Is Yen a good person? Not really, by any means. But love doesn´t measure in these metrics. You love - you love all the faults and weaknesses too. There´s really no good choice, there´s only to follow your heart (as a player, as a human). Geralt would choose Yen - the player can choose the one, who he or she prefers. Reading books helps. Or not, lol. :) No one is saint, not everything is straithforward. That´s life, comrade. :)
I'm in my 40s and Yen is to much like a lot of very unpleasant memories. I'm totally team Kiera. I really don't care what she does on her own time and she is a heck of a lot of fun when she is there.
Very nice video, and great analysis! For me, taking the games as canon, but also counting the books, the most 'Geralt partner' it's Yenn no doubt, but I like a lot how they redeem Triss' character in the third game, as I really don't like how is she portrait in the first two (specially in The Witcher 1). If Triss character jumped from The Lady of the Lake to The Witcher 3 she would be one of my top favourite characters from the saga.
"And if I'm being honest, I think my monkey brain saw a red head and that's all she wrote." I feel you brother lol I only played the trilogy in order, thankfully, but didn't read any of the books, and I still had mixed feelings about Triss in the first and second game, the third one they sort of made her more likeable and was my choice in the end, perhaps if they hadn't written Yen to heavily antagonize Geralt for his memory loss and actually acknowledge what Letho said at the end of Witcher 2, maybe I would've picked her instead. Also coming from the first two games, hyping Yen and Cir so much, their first meeting felt abrupt and out of place to me, literally when I saw her show up in White Orchard I was like: Really? This is how we're doing it huh? Frankly if we base ourselves just by the games themselves the more reasonable option was Shani, also red head, absolute win lmao. But now hearing the whole picture with the books included makes absolute sense that Yen and Geralt end up together, just wish they could've ease up with the out of place at times antagonizing attitude of hers.
My first time through with Witcher 3 was pretty much like you, but I had played Witcher 1 and 2. I didn't finish #2 before starting #3 though, so I only knew what happened between Geralt and Triss in Witcher 1, and I had not read the books yet. So, when I was playing #3, I went all in for Triss. But then, after I already "chose" Triss, and then got into the meat of the story with Yenn, oh boy! I felt "I made a mistake" so I decided to choose her. Boy, did THAT end in the funniest of endings ever on my first play through! In the end, it was Ciri that showed up for me at the winery which at that point, made me very happy. My second play through of Witcher 3, I chose Yenn because at that point, I had read the books and completely understood who she was, and what Triss had done as well. Great video! Just discovered and subbed to your channel. Keep up the great work.
I am by no means some hardcore team Triss (I am actually kind of on the fence, and probably prefer Shanni tbh) but Yen always seemed like such a toxic relationship to me. Like, that is the best way to describe it. Like that couple that yeah, they have a long history together, but they fight constantly and break up and hate each other yet they will always return together because they have chemistry and nice banter? That reminds me of Geralt and Yen.
There's another aspect to their relationship that started because of a genie's wish. They are bound by magic, so no matter the toxicity and hate, they end up getting back together even after their many break-ups. Many of their acquaintances and friends will often note how disfunctional their relationship is. They are like oil and water in many respects.
I've played the game choosing Triss once and Yen the next. In my experience I felt that Triss loves Geralt the most. Just from the cut scenes they're in and how Triss treats Geralt I felt she genuinely cares a lot for him. Yenn degrades him. Both love Ciri.
@sullifishing4035 triss never loved him, she tried to mess with his daughter and his life. End of the day yen died trying to bring him back to life, triss could never.
I've picked Yenn just about every playthrough cause I started off with the books and it just feels right lol. But if I could have my choice I'd pick Shani ngl
Great job on covering both the books and the game angles. That really needs to be defined more clearly. From a playthrough perspective, it’s a choice like so many others in the game and no choice is ever the perfect one. It will always be a decision thing. I think Yennefer does all that she does because she deeply cares for Citi no matter what and that kinda fills the family element. And there are undeniable moments which showcase that beneath the exterior demeanor, she cares for Gerald deeply too. But again, it’s a choice and is totally tied with the player’s own view.
its really a matter of taste. triss in the books isnt evil but weak and being one of youngerest member of lodge, desperately sought approval. at the end of the book, we can see triss really grow up, and this trend continued in the game. yen being yen, game has pictured it perfectly, strong personality, needs everything under control and so on，to a point where geralt couldnt bear it and fled. short story shard of ice depicts their relationship before ciri happens very well, its the most obscure part in the books, once you understand this story youll have a general idea of whats going on between them. ciri plays a big part in their relationship later on, sharing a same goal of raising and finding ciri brings them back together. yen didnt change much in the books and for the most part of the game, but we can see in the games ending, yen softed, want a peace and quiet life. as for geralts love interest, yen is beyond any doubt, in fact geralt only said love to fringilla other than yen in the books, triss is knocked out at the beginning. (oh, i have to mention that author seperates sex and love, since everyone is quite loose on sex, so i dont take that into acount) its not about which is better or right chioce as there is no such thing in a relationship. thats the whole point of the game, make you own choice.(im with triss in case you are wondering)
I feel Triss genuinely cares more for Geralt. Speaking about love. In the game if you choose Triss you get interesting dialogue and cut scenes with her. Just before going to fight the Wild Hunt for last time you get the cut scene in the tent. The one with Triss they tell each other they love one another. With yenn's cut scene they don't. Also when doing the quest for everyone in Novigrad (The Elf,ciri,yenn,Triss) You get the scene at the fountain with Triss to find Fillipa. The love chemistry feels so genuine. Triss/Yenn both love Ciri but in my experience I felt the love from Triss.
Imagine, if Shani showed up at the end of Blood and Wine if you romanced her in HoS and rejected both Yen and Triss in the main game. After all, now he actually considers to stop the wandering witcher life and settle on Corvo Bianco, which is pretty much what was missing for Shani to maintain a life with Geralt.
It could've happened if it wasn't for the fact that it was already established in the book that shani married someone and lived peacefully with him till she was an old woman. Making shani a serious romance option would've retconned the events of book. A damn shame.
Interesting that they made Triss such an important character in the games. For TW3 honestly it would have been interesting to develop other characters more as love interests but oh well
Perfect video. Exactly my thoughts, done both, but prefered the getting tied to the bed ending as it means Ciri comes to stay with you at your vinyard, which imo beats both Triss or Yen. The father, daughter dynamic is nice and it just makes sense with geralt teaching her the witchering ways.
21:59 this part really fits in well in character tbh, cause we shouldn't be forgetting about all that Geralt did to Yennefer in the books and his attempts to get back with her. This relationship is complex and very well written by Sapkowski, it feels very grounded.
Wait... What about the conversation between Yen and Geralt after the The Last Wish quest? Where she says she thought he was going to look after her, and that Eredin may still be after them. I think what she says on their first encounter is she just wanting to mess with Geralt... In a weird way, that is.
Shanni is the correct answer. That being said I've always gone back and forth. My preferences lean towards Triss, but it seemed pretty clear that Geralt's leaned towards Yenn. My first playthrough wasn't entirely blind though because when I smelled a choice coming I started hitting the books and researching them both.
Only game wise this is a hard decision. I can see why Yenn is the better choice for Geralt cause of their whole relationship, but I also like Triss and I personally lean towards her more.
Yennefers only crime against geralt was being patient with him. Even in the books the only time she ever took advantage of him was before she even knew him lol. She's obsessed with power and she's manipulative but unlike triss, yennefer sees ciri as family. Where as triss was willing to brain wash him to forget about everything important in his life souly so she could get some witcher dick.
I never read the books but actually started with the first game by chance when it released, so I was basically up to date as to how Triss took advantage of Geralt's memory loss - still chose her for the first playthrough because it always seemed like a much healthier relationship to me =D 2nd playthrough was with Yen though, especially because telling her in the Last Wish that you don't feel anything for her made her facade crumble and I was like "oh shit, she might actually be a good person too" XD
Actually, Yennefer gave her life for Geralt trying to cure him. There's definitely something good about her 😄 Yes, and endured torture for the sake of Ciri.
@@ganjinfly Absolutely! You just don't really get that picture from playing the games since this happens before them. Plus, if you don't pursue her story that much in the Wild Hunt, it's fairly easy to miss that part. That's why my 2nd play through was Team Yennefer =D
First playthrough of witcher 3 in which i had very limited knowledge of the lore had me just go along with yen, the game seemed to lightly push me that way. Yen seems the better fit but every conversation becomes a game or an argument. As i played through i enjoyed my time with triss because she acts nice and helpful and causes less agro. A long time later now that i know the bigger picture im glad i chose yen for the books sake but if you find yen too much and that geralt has grown away from her and that triss has grown up, i can see that as a good post book choice.
I jumped into this series at Witcher 2, and THAT game was enough to show me that Triss wasn't a great person. Before Witcher 3 came out I had caught up on all of the books which mostly reinforced the fact that Triss wasn't a real option. I can totally see how a new person to the series in Witcher 3 could get locked into Triss before they ever knew what was happening (and no feel too untoward about it). But when I got to the Triss bits, I helped her out but shut down every advance with alacrity. Noped out of that trap immediately. A few reasonable decisions will never outweigh her actions prior to Witcher 3. That's Geralt's daughter she was attempting to mess with, and it was Geralt's life she DID mess with to make it happen. Neither was going to be given a choice or even an explanation. Geralt wasn't even going to be told he had someone to love and care for. Triss only cares because she got caught. Yen on the other hand, once you know Yen, you know what you are getting. She isn't the most stable, but by the end of the books you know that her goals and Geralt's align perfectly (Read: Ciri). And that's the person you want at your side looking after Ciri. And she does actually care about Geralt, even though she has ass relationship skills. Throwing away all plot considerations, I'm not mad at Team Shani. She is hands down, the best woman lol She just loses by virtue of not being a consistent presence in the series... and realistically, Geralt isn't making any choice other than Yen.
Agreed. Yen was the one to die trying to ressurect Geralt in the books. So who are you going to choose? A manipulative witch from the first two games or the chick who literally sacrificed her life for Geralt´s? :) Book Geralt would only and ever choose Yen, of course. The player? It´s up to us. :) And that´s great - even that decade long Team Triss or Team Yen feud. :)
All great Points But Yen is the type to make your life Hell, so Triss and she seemed truly remorseful in 3. Maybe Geralt can put up with it but I sure as hell wouldn't.
@@RUclipsCensorsyou basing that on witcher 3 where yen is in lion mom mode trying to save ciri. I believe that yen outside of high stress high stakes situations is pretty much like the nice banter moments we see between her and geralt.
I went into Witcher 3 “blind” but I still think Yen is the better of the two, but I do think Keira would have been a love interest, she is very much like Yen in her sarcastic replies although is a also a bit of a schemer like Triss. Congratulations on the 100k. 👏🏻👏🏻👍
Maybe there was something wrong with my childhood but I liked Yen's character and found her "not that bad" Also I like trope "two totally different people end together"
Is it because shes likable or because Triss made very poor decision she regreted, and decided to be better person? As a Triss fan, I prefer Yenn fans, who can forgive Triss. I like Yenn as a character, though id argue her vitriolic personality in 3rd game doesnt appeal to me. Also Concept of Last wish is kinda scary if you ask me
My first exposure to the Witcher is also the Witcher 3. And I also love red heads. So, yes, I'm a Triss fan. I went on to read some of the books and look at videos of the other games and I eventually decided that in my mind Witcher 3 Triss is different than everywhere else Triss.
If you're a Triss fan you don't need to make excuses, you're a man of culture 💪😎 You can always go to sleep knowing you have the _correct_ opinion. Go get em king.
Roach is the only one deserves Geralt's love and commitment ❤
She'll literally teleport across oceans and continents for him.
@@benl2140 yet small fence stops her... well, noone is perfect :'D
@@tuldorelow9687 FOR REAL💀💀
I'm on my 2nd Roach I believe, used to be brown, now he's dark grey. Changed after someone told me I will find a horse in the stables as a reward for some quest.
@@PaTrick-cf6ev Guess you told Ciri to meet her sh*t-daddy but refused gold - if you do that he offer you grey horse.
Bro really wants to start a war 💀
He chose violence today. 🤣😂
"Hmm, I wonder what is the fastest way to start a nuclear war."
So that's how 3rd World War started😂
The Triss VS Yennefer Thirst War was the most devastating conflict on the Continent. The casualties from every Nilfgaardian invasion combined were trivial by comparison.
@@Swedishmafia101MemeCorporation and only Shani simps have the strength to end it
"Geralt on the other hand, is a deep thinker in the least helpful way possible" is a quote that's so undeniably true it's making me laugh. I'm glad you talk about The witcher with both the game AND the books knowledge, your videos are very nice to listen to while working
as someone from Poland I'm so happy that people take time and care to analyze the characters in the books and go beyond the game depictions or superficial analyses.
And that quote is a perfect encapsulation of Geralt, already on Thaned Vilgefortz sees Geralt as a ultimately impotent (in the political sense) thinker
Geralt is just like me fr
Idk man, his conversation with Bart in TW3 was pretty deep…
@@jozefcyran2589 This is what I really disliked about Cavill's Geralt, his constant grunting and stoicism couldnt be further from book Geralt who was always looking for a chance to monologue and throw some colorful swearing around
The true canon ending is Geralt chooses both and gets tied up in an inn's bed at the end.
If you ask me since almost everyone picked both, it should be considered the canon ending. 😂
Due to being a true Triss simp i've never seen that one.
wait, thats posible?
@@ramondijkgraaf3805 Yeah if you tried to romance them both you would end up in that situation, not only that you would have to go back like 5 hours of gameplay to undo the decision to romance one of them in order to continue with one of them at the end.
😂😂 IYKYK
Yennefer's patience with Triss never ceases to amaze me.
It's almost like she sees her as a naive child who can do no wrong.
mmmm in the games or in the books? because SPOILERS
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in the books it is more complicated than that, she is really mean when she has to (I think Yen even more than Geralt has all the reasons to punch Triss into the stratosphere and not just for sentimental reasons), but Triss also helps her a lot a couple of times later on. I don't remember if she's the one that gives her the idea of how to escape the lodge (*edit: no, as few people pointed out that's Fringilla and Triss doesn't do anything there*) but after she still protects her from the lodge before finding Ciri. At more than one points Yen NEEDS Triss as her only ally and at the same time she's screwed over multiple times by her.
@@M..n..M didn't Yen and Gearlt die
In the books Yennefer Valls her a redhaid bitch after she betrays her and Gieralt for the lodge.
@@NowKissMyChucks I didn't say the opposite😅
@@M..n..M In the book when Yen was “captured” by the Lodge, Triss did NOTHING to help and it was Fringilla who tipped off Yen on an escape route
I just wanna point out that one of the most wholesome moments of the books is when Ciri is studying under Yen. She thinks of her poorly but then starts liking Yennifer and thinks of her as her defacto mom. When she and Yen are enjoying laying in the sun, Ciri starts thinking about how badly she wants to meet back up with Geralt, and she wants Yen to come with and be with them. Like a big happy family. Yen doesn't reveal it, but she's been reading her mind and is overwhelmed with emotion. It is one of the few times we're tild Yen smiles, and its so fucking wholesome I love it!
but that always bothers me, like, personally speaking, i would not wanna be around someone who constantly reading your mind without your permission, and in no real danger either, just so they can spy on your every thought. yeah no thanks
i genuinely always thought YEN had some personal/selfish alterior motives for why she was ever aligned or relied on geralt. Which never had me 100% with trusting her. Some necronomion/immortality or etc type AGENDA but that was just how it seemed to me not the truth or anything including her reading ppls minds its like does she have issues trusting PPL or should PPL largely have an issue trusting her bc of how the aspect isnt mutual.
@anhiirr Yen being a piece of shit person, but a loving mother is part of her character arch.
Shani wanted a family first.
@@Malgus87 its been a while since I read the books but as far as I know shani wasnt really a thing for geralt there and yen was slaying dragons so she could get preggo so I feel like yen wanted a family a wee bit earlier and a wee bit more,
The two universal constants: Roach and Dandelion
Well Roach is like you only date girls named Anna and call it constant :)
Dandelion was fecking annoying I would have killed him if I could xD
@@januszjanusz2002 That is an excellent analogy.
@@TheGrimmCommoneryes if for no other reason than gerelt calls all the horses he ever had roach which may be at least 2 I’m guessing the first one was book roach and it went MIA or something afterwards he may have gotten another horse or something like that
YİİİS
I'm so excited at the thought of a Witcher 1 remake. I'd love to play an updated modern version
I actually prefer the Witcher 1 over the later games. Don't know why it's getting a remake, but I don't really mind.
@@makimakipapura7543 it's getting a remake because it looks like shit, understandably so due to almost 2 decades of release
@@Vigilant69 was it Witcher 1 or 2 getting a update?
They better have the cards after every sexy time or no buy.
@@makimakipapura7543You are not unique or special for having this obviously wrong opinion. Cringe only, just cringe.
0:04 "A decade" that hit me like a train
For some reason this game still feels "fresh" and like it came out 3 or 4 years ago max. People still play it, talk about it, it's still very relevant.
@@MrSn4rk It's because of it's next gen update it received in 2022
@@TheGingiGamerNah, update was cool but this game is legendary, and even without the upgrades the next gen update brought it still kicks the shit out of most other, similar games released in the last few years.
This is the first time I've seen a video that adequately covers the histories of both Triss and Yen, very well done.
As a person, I personally prefer Triss. The calm demeanor and patience is a deal breaker. I’d be scared to be around Yennefer if I made her mad even once.
For Geralt as a character, it makes more sense to choose Yennefer due to the established lore in the game and books. Not to mention they play off each other well and have the better dialogue.
Same. My first playthrough I never simped(lol) but my 2nd one I was loyal to Triss and enjoyed it. My recent playthrough was with Yennefer and I have to admit it really fit being with her through the story.
ngl that's kinda what's so attractive about Yen
For me, the big thing is that she puts herself on the line for her fellow magic users in Witcher 3, but still tries to help Geralt with Ciri without a doubt, when she has so much to lose...
And the fact that Yen is so ruthless when it comes to tracking Ciri, including destroying an entire garden sacred to the people there, and tortures the soul of a boy in order to get what she wants. Not to mention she's constantly being secretive.
And I know people will say "wouldn't you do the same with your daughter?"
No. I would not. I would not destroy something so important to other people. I would not lie to the one who also wants to find my daughter out of love or withhold things from him. I would not torture someone like that. As much as it would break my heart, I would not want to impose that suffering upon others... not to mention what my daughter must feel that I am destroying things for her. I for one would feel horrified if I learned all the things Yen did for me, and I'd be honoured, if not telling her it wasn't necessary, for what Triss did, trying to help me.
@@sandrols7 She(Triss) is the only one I like from the Lodge of Sorceresses. Keira a little bit but she really fits in with the rest of the Lodge and from what I gathered they where a bunch of ruthless, misandrist, clandestine, conniving, underhanded, b****s trying to influence everything and everybody. It's hard to feel sorry for them with what they were doing. Like wtf they expect?
Based on the books alone I'd go for Triss. Yennefer was just... such an incredibly manipulative, lying, cheating bitch in the first 2 books. And yes I know she becomes so much better than that later on, but holy hell her casually admitting to Geralt that she slept around with another person THE SAME DAY she was with Geralt just irked me. And then having the gall to get mad at Triss for sleeping with Geralt WHEN THEY WERENT EVEN TOGETHER was just the final nail in the coffin.
Funnily enough my first playthrough I tried to make a harem and ended up chained to a bed in my underwear
True 😭
We all did bro
Yea, it stinks you cannot be a harem king. xD
@@archi4226 Too true
@@vatroslavmorbidovic4105 Yeah, should have been able to have Triss, Yen, Shani, and Vex. There is enough Geralt to go around
I usually pick both, because of the funny scene in the inn in Novigrad and because I think Ciri is the most pleasant character to have around the estate in Beauclaire.
also, because Ciri is not the biologic daughter of Geralt it is still possible they may have intimate relationship such as vaginal or even anal
so if i choose either yen or triss, ciri wouldn't appear in beauclaire? sorry im new to the witcher
Correct!
You need to pick both or neither and to not get the bad ending in the main campaign, otherwise Ciri dies/disappears, which would cause Dandelion to show up in Beauclaire.
I think Ciri is actually the worst personality in the game. She acts like a 14-year old going through puberty the hard way, I'd expect a 22-23 year old to behave a little more grown-up than "I can take care of myself!" or "I can decide for myself!" Avallach literally had to spell her unconscious in order to get her to the isle of mists because she was fully willing to run into the hands of the wild hunt to save one dude she knew for 2 hours, potentially dooming the entire world to forced servitude.
@@nielsvanheterenin the game she’s 16
The thing is for me Geralt definitely has his own personality. It's not moulded by yours so much like for example Sheppard in Mass Effect. For me, personally it's Triss all day, every day. For Geralt though it's obviously Yennifer, so that was what I picked in game.
well said!
The way I see it, Triss is very much the choice of people who like the idea of a woman doting on them, she relentlessly pursues Geralt and tries every occasion to steal him off Yen. Yen on the other hand seems to value herself a bit more and won't just throw herself at Geralt, like if you choose to end the relationship in the Djinn quest you can see it shatters her, but you know she won't be pulling any Triss tactics.
I don't know how best to summarise it, it's sort of like Triss is spending the day in your boxers and ordering a burger and fries, whereas Yen is going to the gym and picking up one from the drive thru, they both taste good, but one of them you feel like you actually accomplished something because you earned it first.
@@beckriv9854 that is a fun summary :D
Although in W3 Triss no longer throws herself at Geralt except during the Party. If you look at the series as a whole, you are correct though.
@@beckriv9854 Not close to that for me. I choose Triss because I like her goals, she is a woman who seeks to improve herself, also in a relationship with her there is dialogue and peace, you can see that Geralt and Triss are a healthy relationship.
Another thing is that Triss does love Geralt and that is seen in the games, so her love story with Geralt is true, it is not just "sex" as some haters say.
@@battlerushiromiya6457 true, I agree👍🏿
Neon Knight: Triss or Yen?
Me and Zanny: *KEIRA METZ!!!!*
Hell yeah
Me: Corinne Tilly 🤣
Pretty sure he went triss
Me: The Iron Maiden
Me: CIIIIIIRIIIIIII!!!!
The team Shani at the end had me dead lol love your vids man! I personally went with Yennefer my first playthrough and Geralt himself explains it perfectly when speaking with Cerys about why he's attracted to Yen even though their relationship has always been rocky.
Cerys: "What is it about her? What is it that draws you?"
Geralt: "Dunno...Maybe, uh, it's cause I've never chosen comfort and ease, the calm and the quiet..."
Lol the funny thing about it all is from a book perspective Geralt has a more romantic relationship with Shani than he does Triss.
@@DKarkarov on my first playthrough of Witcher 1, I chose Shani. Sadly, it doesn't matter in Witcher 2. :(
@@marcinpietrzak9358 Indeed, that was disappointing at the time.
@@marcinpietrzak9358 She doesn't even get mentioned at all unless you have the special edition (extended edtion whatever it's called) that adds a codex entry that you have to go looking for.
team Shani will never work for me because she is going to age and die way before Geralt does...
One of my friends watched her roommate play Witcher 3 when it came out but she had missed the beginning. So she watched Triss's arc in Novigrad and then when Yennefer appeared in Skellige my friend was like, "Who's the side chick?" Makes me laugh every time I remember it.
lmfao that's fuckin hilarious
Fr 😂
In the games, Yen is the side chick.
@@PG19871230 it's only not true if you only play W3. If you play W1-3 yen is the side chick.
@@busdriverjowIf you read the books triss is hardly a character.
Ciri looks at Yennefer as her adopted mother, and Geralt as her father. For this reason alone I’ve always chosen Yenn.
That's literally the only good reason to pick Yen lol.
@@ChadDad1488 triss SAd geralt tho
@@ChadDad1488 Not really if you have completed both trish love ending and yen love ending yennifer declined the offer of king and stay away from politics and come to live with geralt forever whereas trish love ending she chooses politcs over gearlt and stays in palace and work as kovir's court sorceress.
So imo there was only one right choice between these 2 same as geralt.
@@user-ww9ww1pp2u To each their own. To me, Yen doesn't seem to really love him and are only bound by that spell while Triss was willing to do anything to be with Geralt and was a bubbly nice personality. I know it got weird in the 2nd game with her behavior, but she's better in the 3rd game. I love that downness for a man, or loyalty in women, it's what you should look for IRL.
@@JordanJumpin Not really, Yen literally makes Geralt sad every time they interacted in Witcher 3, when was it positive? lol, it was a negative chat every time and she's condescending to him.
Answer: Shani XD
Shani is boring.
@@Danthonyt If you say so but I disagree.
@@Danthonyt in comparison to aby sorceress, yes, she really is boring.
@@Danthonyt Nope
@@andrewplck Oh you mean the bland sorceresses who constantly try to manipulate Geralt and political events for their own gain, not like we've ever seen those before! At least Shani treats Geralt like an actual person. :)
I jumped into Witcher 3 first too, this helped me understand the history with Triss and Yen and not just the games, but to books too. Thank you!
Simply read the books, lol?
@@Film_SushiIMAGINE LOOOL
@@Film_Sushican you just st fu maybe? Why you have to be a dbag in every comment?
Great video, once again. I absolutely agree with everything you said here. One thing I would like to add: I feel like Triss's redemption in the third game is only in small part an argument for potentially choosing her. It is far more about redeeming her as a character so she doesn't leave the game as the manipulative person she had been set up to be in the previous games. Ending up with Yennefer is clearly the canon ending for me. I feel like CDPR did intend that as well, but realised that leaving Triss as we had concluded her to be after the second game would be a bit rough. They added her saving the mages from Novigrad and admitting having taken advantage of Geralt so we would see her in a bit of a better light. The player can end up with Yennefer, without the uneasy feeling Triss should have been held accountable in some way. Not to say she wasn't wrong in what she did, but it's probably the best way of finishing her arc, short of being murdered by Yennefer.
Nah man after reading the last book and knowing how she backstabbed ciri and geralt for the lodge while yennefer risked everything to save them there was nothing to redeem her. That's the thing he leaves out in the video, her biggest crime wasn't sleeping with geralt behind yens back, it's selling him and ciri out. In what universe would geralt ever forgive her for that
Triss coming onto Geralt the moment she realized he didn't remember Yennefer was PEAK Triss behavior. It immediately put the book-readers in Geralt's shoes rejecting her, and flew over everyone else's heads lol.
Yeah lying for months seems pretty fucked 😂
Exactly- you're so fucking right and people just kinda ignore it?
I picked Triss the first time, but I plan to redo the story and choose Yen the next time. I avoided romancing both of them to see the Triss ending, but breaking Yen’s heart during “The Last Wish” was hard! It really seems to me that Yen is the “destined” choice now after playing.
They love each other but they're so shit at relationships
I picked both and got tied to the bed with both walking away😢
@@nmosely1988 Pity there is no Ciri option.
Yes im THAT GUY.
@@xxXXRAPXXxx Ciri probably would refuse as she like a daughter, but somebody did make a mod to make her an option, 😁
@@nmosely1988 LMAO
This is over a year old so doubtful you'll see this comment but you keep dropping banger after banger videos bro nothing but hits on your roster. A lot of lore RUclipsrs like you feel like they should convey the story without any peronal input or personality shining through and it always comes across as robotic and boring. I'm glad you found a good mix of opinion and lore and it makes for some really great content. Keep it up and thanks for the entertainment.
Thanks!
um... what in the hell man??? thank you!
Bro im sorry my comment came from the pocket. Good video though
I have a very simple view on this:
Who do I think is better for Geralt: Yen
Who I personally like the most: Triss
This is how I have to frame the whole "role-playing" aspect of this rpg. Like yes, I get to make the choices for Geralt, but I enjoy more trying to figure out what choices Geralt would actually make and go off of that.
Who is actually the ultimate superior choice: Shani
@@bolg892 Well yeah but we can't end up with her.
This.
that means the game did a good job
Honestly when i first played the games i thought id pick yen, but i was shocked at how triss as a character made me change my mind.
just goes to show how good both characters are in the games
You must didn't play w2?
@@chrisharts5625 W1+W2 tbh made me chose Triss, so I'm not sure I understand where you are getting at.
@@chrisharts5625 Triss was a main character in w2??
Very good video essay, detailed analysis that is actually realistic from both sides. Thanks, keep it up
I wouldn't mind more story formatted video's. I can't be bothered reading all the books and playing the older Witcher games. You did a great job combining books and games, I mean based on my limited knowledge.
The books hold up surprisingly well for me. Back in my teen years I thought that the Witcher saga, while obviously very good, was still nowhere near as good as Tolkien, but I can't read Tolkien anymore. It all is just too naive for the old me.
Then I was an early fan of GRR and his Songs of Ice and Fire saga. I though that GRRs writing was a wholly new quality in this genre, and it is true, but I never was able to even re read those books *once* .
It's just too dark for me. So many characters, but if you happen to take a liking to someone, it's likely they will die, either literally or figuratively, by turning themselves into monsters.
Sapkowski strikes a happy medium for me. He's gritty enough to be believable, while he's also a master at creating likable *and believable* characters. It's not all roses obviously, there are some plot contrivances, but not too many. His writing is actually excellent, most of the time at least. He's a master wordsmith. Unfortunately, at least early translations were nowhere near his level and I'm not sure if this issue was ever fixed. (I think they must have done something, because nowadays hardly anyone mentions this problem, but I'd still be surprised if even the improved version could match the original.)
Start at the beginning. It's just a bunch of self-contained short stories which all are a darker yet funnier versions of some popular fables.
@@christopherwray4788 There are audiobooks bud and they do an equally good job of telling the story the same way a book would.
@@christopherwray4788 Also the fact that your first reaction was to insult the guy and make baseless assumptions about him says a lot about you lmao.
@@bakters What is the reason you can't read Tolkien anymore?
@@Nagy.Patrik In short I already wrote that: "it's all too naive for the old me".
Slightly longer: I realized that I can't accept his philosophy, which I consider to be internally inconsistent.
The bad guys are portrayed as mere pawns willed into action by a powerful master mind. Their primary mode of existence is blind obedience.
The good guys are portrayed as only slightly more independent pawns, who are willed into action by a powerful master mind. Their primary mode of existence is *literally* blind obedience, since Eru is a mystery to them.
There is no redemption. A slippery slope toward evil is a one way street.
Forgiveness exists, but only highborns can apply.
So forth.
Obviously, there is nothing of the sort in Sapkowski. In his universe good actors can act petty, jealously, cowardly, naively, annoyingly, yet they are still very likable people. Bad actors usually simply act in their own best interest. Even if blind obedience is expected of them, it's a part of a mutually understood contract, which can be revoked. And obviously, there is redemption.
One thing about Witcher 1 and 2 Triss and the fact that she never mentioned Yen so that Geralt didn't remember her, is that no one in general mentioned Yen or Ciri to Geralt, not even Dandelion or Zoltan, so it's not something you can really fault Triss for, that's just how CDPR wrote the first 2 games
yeah but difference is I like dandelion and zoltan so i don't blame them :D
I mean yes you can fault the character since it is written that way. If she was writtent to mention Yen and Ciri she would be apploud.
Triss mentions Yennefer in Witcher 2 , pleaye stop lieng with the misinformation. When Geralt and Triss travel to Flotsam Triss tells Geralt all about Yennefer and her relationship.
@@markramsey2454It's wrong, Triss mentions Yennefer in witcher 2.
@@OdenDChadTriss mentions Yennefer and her relationship with Geralt to Geralt in witcher 2 when traveling to Flotsam. How do you guys not know that, did you even play Witcher 2?
Elihal is obviously the best.
Your main character was obviously Gayralt of Rivia
Ig I accidentally stumbled upon the femboy part of the comment section woops better leave.
Bro...
The Regis fans have a bone to pick with you there, but we’ll admit you’re a person of good taste.
i heard theres balenciaga in novigrad, offering the most stýlish fashion
I chose Triss every time, even after having read all the books. It wasn't until I forced myself to choose Yennefer that I finally realized that all of the offputting/rude things she does are all for Ciri.
I'm just into red heads. Like Yen is great and all, but she can be abusive at times. Game Yen/Triss seem different to the books tho.
umm… this isn't true at all.
I pretty sure ciri wouldn't approve of the way she treated the boy she resurrected with necromancy (forgot his name)
@@mohammadsaleem5990 Yen was run out the time (story wise), so she is ready to be ruthless .
.
Yen was ready to protect Geralt and Ciri against the Lodge. Lodge want to kill Geralt and marry Ciri on somee local prince. Triss was Philipa puppy and was agree with this plan. Only Yenifer stand against them - basicly she was ready to fight against all of them at once.
.
On the contrast, when Geralt loose his memory - Triss immediately use this at her advantage (act like a pig toward Yen and stay silent about Ciri) and use Geralt in Lodge political games threw whole Witcher 1 and Witcher 2 (but in Witcher 2 we see that Big girls in Lodge like Philipa and Sheala never saw Triss as their equal. More like petty looser that try to stay close with popular guys in the school).
.
Easy win for Yenifer here (because her love for Geralt and Ciri is real, then for Triss it some kind of adventure or opportunity to reach her own goals)
@@Алексей545-т6б This this this. People don't understand that what Yen does she does it not only for her own gain, but out of love for those closest to her too.
This is such a good and deep character study on all their wider arcs as a whole, really well done video!
I was very sceptical about this video, because what more could be said on this topic? But it captivated me and I've thought about so many new things I never considered! Thank you for being objective in this sense :)
And about the ending dialogue: I love Shani's landlady's phrase "Look at you, grey haired, still chasing girls!"
On my first playthrough i ended up with roach and wondering where shani had run off to. On the bright side, Ciri stopped by when she was in between witcher contracts. And I never realized that there was a "bad ending".
Bad ending is when Dandelion shows up
This video was just a wow 😄
Did not feel these 27 minutes.
very thorough and clear explanation man 😄❤
In my first play through I paired Geralt up with Yennefer. I had no book knowledge prior only knowing that she and Geralt have history and they have a daughter. When we do meet her in game I could see her bold personality complimenting Geralt’s more reserved personality, plus their relationship seemed bit more mature. Triss being younger quite showed with her personality and came off as more of a fling.
Right, technically what’s interesting is Triss is also older when she’s converted to a mage, so she *looks* older than Yen, but Yen was converted to a Mage at a younger age than Triss was, and looks younger than Triss. While Geralt looks a lot older and grizzled. It can go over people’s heads that this was the book canon, that Triss has a more mature appearance. Her behavior isn’t supposed to come across as young and innocently flirty, it’s supposed to come across as outright bawdy and a bit lurid. We’re supposed to feel inclined not to pick her because Geralt doesn’t really want a woman who’s easily mentally manipulated- she no longer has childlike innocence the way Ciri does, and even Yen does to a point with her idealism, as Triss was already inclined towards striving towards power and material comfort long before she finished her mage training. To Polish people, her bawdy behavior is, to their cultural mentality, a giveaway that someone has darker roots, and might not be trustworthy, hence Triss betraying them for the Lodge (unlike, say, Irish people who value bawdiness as a funny charming quality). She’s the female literary foil to Dandelion / Jaskier. Whereas Yen and Geralt both have a furious side hidden beneath a serene demeanor, though it comes out in attitude at times. They can both be a bit bawdy too (a cultural cue to the fact that they’ve both seen and survived dark times), but nothing remotely close to what Triss and Dandelion are like- I’m honestly surprised that the author didn’t set those two together as a fighting nagging couple in the books, but a maneater and a womanizer getting together might have created a 2nd conjunction of the spheres or something I guess 😂
So in short: Yen looks younger than Triss (symbolic of Yen’s spiritual innocence and idealism, despite her sharp tongue and sharp wit, and probably also a clue to her being better at magic because the young appearance is an artifice of magic), but Yen is actually much much older than Triss (a hint to the fact she is wiser and more trustworthy and devoted).
They don't really have a daughter. She was already someone else daughter and they adopted her, plus Geralt spent alot of time away
@azureflametarot Triss don't look older than Yennefer at all lol. She looks younger.
@@Mystra not really, Jesus Christ! Adopting a child doesn’t make anyone less of a parent. Ciri’s mom died when she was a baby & her grandmother raised & died protecting her from Emhyr who was obsessed with having an incest child with her. He revoked his rights after that & Geralt & Yen gave her a better life then that.
Dude! The fact that you rode in to the room in Kaer Morhen on Roachback is fvcking amazing! :D
Actually wonderful video! Very much enjoyed you revealing the backstories of these two and really putting The Witcher 3 story into perspective. Would definitely love more videos like this.
Me personally, my first playthrough, I got the quest Three to Tango. W3 was probably the first game I played that had real choices and consequences, so I didn't think too much of it when I chose Triss for example and I never saw her after that until Kaer Morhen. I never realized that I was actually committing to one or the other, which looking back was definitely my mistake, but at least I got Ciri to visit me in Corvo Bianco. I thought that was nice.
Love how the video got 1M views, the debate will never end, the true serious bussiness of the franchise.
I delayed watching this video because I was worried it would villainize yennefer like so many often do - but I really appreciated this thoughtful and nuanced take. Thank you!
She clearly is a villain literally being unable to choose Geralt as her hero. Slept with him, then with another. Disgusting.
@@Kronos0999 Shes disgusting but Geralt isnt? Man has slept with half the women he ever met lol, talk about double standards. As for me i dont care about any of that, im team Yen all the way, they were meant for one another.
Oh and btw, your precious Triss has also "cheated" on Geralt at least once in the books iirc so yeah :)
@@k-dot1533
Double standard as it's finest lol
They really hate Yennefer cheating on Geralt yet people are okay with Geralt cheating with other women.
@@Kronos0999 People always talk about what Yennefer did with Istredd but never NEVER put Geralts nasty past on the table. Yennefer was trying to have a serious relationship with him at the beggining, she took Geralt to live with her at her principal residence in Vengerberg. One morning she just wake up and all what the witcher let her was a note and some flowers, Geralt abandoned her with no previous word ; then he slept with Yen's coworker and friend Coral, her assistan and Yennefer's best friend Triss. Can you blame the girl for having her reservations about a future with Geralt?, Istredd was propousing her estability and confidence. My point?, bouth are a piece of shit on relationships, that's why they belong together, and I LOVE THEM, really, but BOTH sucks on this.
@@k-dot1533men and women aren’t the same🤡
I like how honest you were with "My monkeybrain saw a readhead and that was all she wrote", because thats exactly what my brain did haha, follow the redhead.
LOVE THIS VIDEO AND ALL YOUR WITCHER CONTENT!!! Just found your channel man and really appreciate how nuanced, objective and detailed your approach to this subject and all witcher content!!!
I don't really comment, like, or subscribe to anything ever on any platforms. But I've been watching you sense you released your first video, and just letting you know that you've always had amazing content and professional level quality video's
26:59 yes the teleporting, able to walk underwater horse that gets frightened by the fall of a leaf.
Amazing analysis and fairness as always Neon!!
that is a great video! I read books and played all three witcher games but I wouldn't be able to put everything I know about Yen and Triss together so nicely.
The ideal choice is to choose BOTH. Like in the real life, that´s not possible. In the words of Netflix´s Witcher - "fuck!". :)
@@Film_Sushi Of course it's possible. It's only your choice and you can choose any path you want. The romance won't last long and will result the trio quest but you can still have your fun with both Yen and Triss.
@@saprelik don´t want to have just fun, lol.
@@Film_Sushi I have a bad news for you than, it's only a computer game and so has its limits ;)
@@saprelik damn, that´s really bad news. :)
I haven't played the two first games, but i always went with Yennefer in the third. Knowing they were the parentfigures to Ciri and from how i understood had a long history together an seemed like they loved each other in their own way
You just got me to download and play that game for like 17th time, thank you sir :D
0:42 When they put "Now on NETFLIX" on the books, they must have been like: "Read the books so you know that the show is something entirely different and so you will be dissapointed."
😂 man that redhead got me at all my play trough... I just love redheads 😭
relatable💀
Its the tits man 😅
Yeah, I was married to one…be very careful not to anger them!😂
Same
Ginger always every time
When I first picked up the game and had no knowledge of the witcher verse, I thought Triss seemed much nicer, and a much more healthy relationship than Yennefer. But the more I read the books, and played the 2nd game, I think Yenny is the way to go, undoubtably. Sure, their relationship is rocky, to say the least, but they were always there for each other. Plus, Gerald's relationship with Triss is arguably way less healthier.
Bro really made a 27-minute video debating Triss vs Yennefer, only to say Team Shani in the last 3 seconds xD Fistbump! I say the same every time somebody asks, even tho I much prefer Triss!
The moments in the late game that depict Yen, Ciri, and Geralt as a family are the only reason I need to pick Yen every time.
The dynamic is so natural and wholesome, it feels like the intended fairytale outcome the ever-cynical Geralt would have never expected for himself.
Love the video. As someone who read the books and played all the games after I was not surprised in the least after the first hour scene tbh. And the second game cemented my team yen status
Similar to you, on my first playthrough of Witcher 3 I went in pretty much completely blind (I had watched the Netflix series, but that was it). So doing the natural thing, I fell for Triss in Novigrad. Then many hours later I got to Skellige and fell for Yen without realizing I couldn't have them both...needless to say, I was glad that Dandelion came to my rescue after a "fun filled night" with the two of them 😂 But I did really like getting Ciri the Witcheress to come to Corvo Bianco in the postgame!
I am a Triss guy. Yen isnt really nice to Geralt in the books, she is a toxic relationship, in the second book sword of destiny Villentretenmerth (the golden dragon) says "You were made for each other, you and the witcher. But nothing will come of it. Nothing. I'm sorry". In the games Triss is really kind to Geralt also more romantic. Also almost always Geralt is scared of Yen he doesnt want to say small things to her knowing she'll just brush him off. I feel like Yen does care about Geralt but her main focus is in magic, power and reputation unlike Triss she seems to really care and focus on him.
I had only played the first two games (romanced Shani in the first, and Triss in the second, mostly since Shani wasn't an option anymore), so I was not completely blind to Triss's character in the third game. I had however not read the books. I knew from playing the second game that Geralt and Yen had history, but by the time you are around her for any length of time in Skellige, I had already made my decision to romance Triss. and her actions in Skellige and her personality did not help matters for me. Learning about all this though was interesting though.
Same, although i did not complete Witcher 1 i played 2 a lot...Yen had very little to stand for in the choice for my context...
This. Without the books, and only the games as reference there was pretty much no good reason to abandon Triss for Yen. Triss was with you from Witcher 1. Yen was a nobody for you as a player when she was introduced. I also remember her being downright rude to Geralt. I am sure everything made more sense for those that read the books. So you could say CDPR did a bad job at introducing Yen properly to the player.
@@Supirior18 Agree, or great work if they didn't want Yen to have a bigger impact for casuals...
@@Supirior18 I didn't play the first two games but read all the books, was it made clear before W3 that Triss manipulated Geralt by taking advantage of his memory loss to steal him from her best friend when she knew they were mad about eachother? Just that could be argued as being a massive red flag for Triss.
@@beckriv9854 i honestly can't remember. It's been a few years since i played them. In my memory, i think that Yennefer wasn't even mentioned once in the first 2 Games, since Geralt regained his full memory in Witcher 3? Oh boy i could be totally wrong about this. But i think, he didn't remember Yennefer at all and Triss never mentioned her either in the games. So you as a player had no idea of a past relationship with Yen.
"If i m to choose between triss and yennefer .then i prefer not to choose at all"
Geralt
The irony of the quote of course, is that he can’t help but always make a choice. It’s a cute quote, but the story itself reveals that Geralt cannot be neutral, he will always make a choice. And this is reflected once again in the ending of the books
Proceeds to get dumped by both
I recently watched the first episode of the series and this was the moment "when reality hits" for geralt. He didn't choose so one was imposed upon him.
I've played through five times, and never ended up with Triss. I never realised it was even an option, until I saw it on RUclips, a few days ago.
That’s why I don’t choose (either have both or reject both).. my canon ending is Corvo with Ciri Witcher ending.. that feels the best way to end his story
DAMNIT! I for some reason thought your spoiler warning only applied to the witcher 3 and now the end of the books is spoiled for me 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I guess now i gotta finish reading them.
If you have ever rejected both of them in a playthrough that is an interesting overall story. I did that on one of my playthroughs to see how it turned out. I don't know if it would be called worth playing but it was interesting.
The first time I played Witcher 3 was the first expierence with the Witcher. I love the series and I very much relate with how you picked Triss first too! ^^ I've enjoyed your videos for a while and it's helped me also do multiple playthroughs as well! Thank you!
If you only played the games, you would probably choose Triss. Reading the books you´d understand it´s Yen and no one else. :) Though, there´s no correct choice. Well, we´ll see what happens in Witcher 4 though, lol.
An excellent video, thank you. I find myself every bit as conflicted as I was before watching! I am new to Witcher, having watched the ever declining (that last series was dreadful, no wonder Cavil left) Witcher on Netflix, I decided to get Witcher 3. I am pretty close to a complete noob regarding Witcher lore. Part of me wishes my feelings were not unintentionally being influenced by having watched the Netflix series. Coming at it from the game world alone, I feel Tris is kinder, calmer and a better match for Geralt. Yen just seemed pretty cold and at times horrible to Geralt. However,I know she is effectively Ciri's mother and I know we (Geralt) have a deep history with yen, there is an undeniable pull towards reuniting us all as a happy family. Now armed with so much more book and game lore via this and other videos, I am still conflicted. I think its fair to say my heart actually says Tris, while my head says Yen...
Just to add, as far as I can tell (Ive not completed the game yet), the Tris story line is much shorter than the Yen, which is annoying...
That’s most likely to do with Triss being in the last 2 games so she is much more time to develop with the audience. Yen was introduced to us in TW3 so they had to do a lot of the introduction type stuff that was done in the first game
the fanarts are really gorgeous and some of them are like nothing i have seen so far. great video btw. go team Triss
Love the video and how you were able to show both sides of the argument in a way that was fair to both. BTW how close is what Geralt would do for game 3 being done?
There´s really no argument. We choose as players, though the book Geralt would only ever choose Yen. Is it shitty for Triss? Yes. Did Triss take an advantage of Geralt´s amnesia in the first two games? Hell yes. Is Yen a good person? Not really, by any means. But love doesn´t measure in these metrics. You love - you love all the faults and weaknesses too. There´s really no good choice, there´s only to follow your heart (as a player, as a human). Geralt would choose Yen - the player can choose the one, who he or she prefers. Reading books helps. Or not, lol. :) No one is saint, not everything is straithforward. That´s life, comrade. :)
I'm in my 40s and Yen is to much like a lot of very unpleasant memories. I'm totally team Kiera. I really don't care what she does on her own time and she is a heck of a lot of fun when she is there.
based. i would choose Keira any day, if i could
"Yen is to much like a lot of very unpleasant memories" Hits hard as fuck
Very nice video, and great analysis! For me, taking the games as canon, but also counting the books, the most 'Geralt partner' it's Yenn no doubt, but I like a lot how they redeem Triss' character in the third game, as I really don't like how is she portrait in the first two (specially in The Witcher 1). If Triss character jumped from The Lady of the Lake to The Witcher 3 she would be one of my top favourite characters from the saga.
"And if I'm being honest, I think my monkey brain saw a red head and that's all she wrote."
I feel you brother lol I only played the trilogy in order, thankfully, but didn't read any of the books, and I still had mixed feelings about Triss in the first and second game, the third one they sort of made her more likeable and was my choice in the end, perhaps if they hadn't written Yen to heavily antagonize Geralt for his memory loss and actually acknowledge what Letho said at the end of Witcher 2, maybe I would've picked her instead.
Also coming from the first two games, hyping Yen and Cir so much, their first meeting felt abrupt and out of place to me, literally when I saw her show up in White Orchard I was like: Really? This is how we're doing it huh? Frankly if we base ourselves just by the games themselves the more reasonable option was Shani, also red head, absolute win lmao.
But now hearing the whole picture with the books included makes absolute sense that Yen and Geralt end up together, just wish they could've ease up with the out of place at times antagonizing attitude of hers.
I'm a Trollololo fan myself. Best girl
My first time through with Witcher 3 was pretty much like you, but I had played Witcher 1 and 2. I didn't finish #2 before starting #3 though, so I only knew what happened between Geralt and Triss in Witcher 1, and I had not read the books yet. So, when I was playing #3, I went all in for Triss. But then, after I already "chose" Triss, and then got into the meat of the story with Yenn, oh boy! I felt "I made a mistake" so I decided to choose her. Boy, did THAT end in the funniest of endings ever on my first play through! In the end, it was Ciri that showed up for me at the winery which at that point, made me very happy. My second play through of Witcher 3, I chose Yenn because at that point, I had read the books and completely understood who she was, and what Triss had done as well. Great video! Just discovered and subbed to your channel. Keep up the great work.
I am by no means some hardcore team Triss (I am actually kind of on the fence, and probably prefer Shanni tbh) but Yen always seemed like such a toxic relationship to me. Like, that is the best way to describe it. Like that couple that yeah, they have a long history together, but they fight constantly and break up and hate each other yet they will always return together because they have chemistry and nice banter? That reminds me of Geralt and Yen.
There's another aspect to their relationship that started because of a genie's wish. They are bound by magic, so no matter the toxicity and hate, they end up getting back together even after their many break-ups.
Many of their acquaintances and friends will often note how disfunctional their relationship is. They are like oil and water in many respects.
I've played the game choosing Triss once and Yen the next. In my experience I felt that Triss loves Geralt the most. Just from the cut scenes they're in and how Triss treats Geralt I felt she genuinely cares a lot for him. Yenn degrades him. Both love Ciri.
it'll never be a family or love that comes from a relationship like that, so it's very off putting.
@@ElusivePandaMan they'll ALWAYS be miserable and that's why it's so bad.
@sullifishing4035 triss never loved him, she tried to mess with his daughter and his life. End of the day yen died trying to bring him back to life, triss could never.
I've picked Yenn just about every playthrough cause I started off with the books and it just feels right lol. But if I could have my choice I'd pick Shani ngl
Great job on covering both the books and the game angles. That really needs to be defined more clearly.
From a playthrough perspective, it’s a choice like so many others in the game and no choice is ever the perfect one. It will always be a decision thing.
I think Yennefer does all that she does because she deeply cares for Citi no matter what and that kinda fills the family element. And there are undeniable moments which showcase that beneath the exterior demeanor, she cares for Gerald deeply too.
But again, it’s a choice and is totally tied with the player’s own view.
Love your videos, keep up the good work
My first playthrough was the same. Went in with no book knowledge, and hadn't played the other games, so i picked triss.
I haven't even finished the first chapter yet and I'm already seeing videos about which woman is better. God I love youtube.
its really a matter of taste. triss in the books isnt evil but weak and being one of youngerest member of lodge, desperately sought approval. at the end of the book, we can see triss really grow up, and this trend continued in the game. yen being yen, game has pictured it perfectly, strong personality, needs everything under control and so on，to a point where geralt couldnt bear it and fled. short story shard of ice depicts their relationship before ciri happens very well, its the most obscure part in the books, once you understand this story youll have a general idea of whats going on between them. ciri plays a big part in their relationship later on, sharing a same goal of raising and finding ciri brings them back together. yen didnt change much in the books and for the most part of the game, but we can see in the games ending, yen softed, want a peace and quiet life. as for geralts love interest, yen is beyond any doubt, in fact geralt only said love to fringilla other than yen in the books, triss is knocked out at the beginning. (oh, i have to mention that author seperates sex and love, since everyone is quite loose on sex, so i dont take that into acount) its not about which is better or right chioce as there is no such thing in a relationship. thats the whole point of the game, make you own choice.(im with triss in case you are wondering)
I feel Triss genuinely cares more for Geralt. Speaking about love. In the game if you choose Triss you get interesting dialogue and cut scenes with her. Just before going to fight the Wild Hunt for last time you get the cut scene in the tent. The one with Triss they tell each other they love one another. With yenn's cut scene they don't. Also when doing the quest for everyone in Novigrad (The Elf,ciri,yenn,Triss) You get the scene at the fountain with Triss to find Fillipa. The love chemistry feels so genuine. Triss/Yenn both love Ciri but in my experience I felt the love from Triss.
Imagine, if Shani showed up at the end of Blood and Wine if you romanced her in HoS and rejected both Yen and Triss in the main game. After all, now he actually considers to stop the wandering witcher life and settle on Corvo Bianco, which is pretty much what was missing for Shani to maintain a life with Geralt.
Shani is too young for Geralt and she has a normal life span. Imo it just wouldnt work...
It could've happened if it wasn't for the fact that it was already established in the book that shani married someone and lived peacefully with him till she was an old woman. Making shani a serious romance option would've retconned the events of book. A damn shame.
@@itsgonnabeokay9341isn't she an elf? They live longer than humans
no@@pheeku6996
Interesting that they made Triss such an important character in the games. For TW3 honestly it would have been interesting to develop other characters more as love interests but oh well
Perfect video. Exactly my thoughts, done both, but prefered the getting tied to the bed ending as it means Ciri comes to stay with you at your vinyard, which imo beats both Triss or Yen. The father, daughter dynamic is nice and it just makes sense with geralt teaching her the witchering ways.
21:59 this part really fits in well in character tbh, cause we shouldn't be forgetting about all that Geralt did to Yennefer in the books and his attempts to get back with her. This relationship is complex and very well written by Sapkowski, it feels very grounded.
Real men dont chase.
They test her to see if she will chase when he eases off.
Yen doesnt chase.
@@peterpan408 If i'm Yen, why would i chase a guy who used a wish to tied my life to him forever?
Their love has to be salty, after all, the two of them will be together for a very long time, so there needs to be a lot of spice.
Shani. I wish Shani had an ending.
This is the way.
In comparison to Triss or Yen, Shani is... boring, really.
@@andrewplck In terms of abilities and impact on the story and books yes. But she's just adorable.
@@heelsurfer2668 She is. Was so happy to see her again. HOS was a fantastic expansion.
@@andrewplck Not really. But I'd rather take boring any day over stupid #1 and stupid #2.
Wait... What about the conversation between Yen and Geralt after the The Last Wish quest? Where she says she thought he was going to look after her, and that Eredin may still be after them. I think what she says on their first encounter is she just wanting to mess with Geralt... In a weird way, that is.
I'm still the same as before, No Yen or Triss, only GWENT!
Shanni is the correct answer.
That being said I've always gone back and forth. My preferences lean towards Triss, but it seemed pretty clear that Geralt's leaned towards Yenn. My first playthrough wasn't entirely blind though because when I smelled a choice coming I started hitting the books and researching them both.
Only game wise this is a hard decision. I can see why Yenn is the better choice for Geralt cause of their whole relationship, but I also like Triss and I personally lean towards her more.
I always pick both so Geralt gets neither. He deserves better than either and if they both leave then he has a good chance to actually get better.
Yennefers only crime against geralt was being patient with him. Even in the books the only time she ever took advantage of him was before she even knew him lol. She's obsessed with power and she's manipulative but unlike triss, yennefer sees ciri as family. Where as triss was willing to brain wash him to forget about everything important in his life souly so she could get some witcher dick.
I never read the books but actually started with the first game by chance when it released, so I was basically up to date as to how Triss took advantage of Geralt's memory loss - still chose her for the first playthrough because it always seemed like a much healthier relationship to me =D
2nd playthrough was with Yen though, especially because telling her in the Last Wish that you don't feel anything for her made her facade crumble and I was like "oh shit, she might actually be a good person too" XD
Actually, Yennefer gave her life for Geralt trying to cure him. There's definitely something good about her 😄
Yes, and endured torture for the sake of Ciri.
@@ganjinfly Absolutely! You just don't really get that picture from playing the games since this happens before them. Plus, if you don't pursue her story that much in the Wild Hunt, it's fairly easy to miss that part. That's why my 2nd play through was Team Yennefer =D
@@ganjinflyTriss also let herself be tortured for Ciri, she loves Geralt.
@@FriendwithNoName7No, she played that. She was never in danger in the "torture chamber" and the "little sis" says it all for me..😒
First playthrough of witcher 3 in which i had very limited knowledge of the lore had me just go along with yen, the game seemed to lightly push me that way. Yen seems the better fit but every conversation becomes a game or an argument. As i played through i enjoyed my time with triss because she acts nice and helpful and causes less agro.
A long time later now that i know the bigger picture im glad i chose yen for the books sake but if you find yen too much and that geralt has grown away from her and that triss has grown up, i can see that as a good post book choice.
I jumped into this series at Witcher 2, and THAT game was enough to show me that Triss wasn't a great person. Before Witcher 3 came out I had caught up on all of the books which mostly reinforced the fact that Triss wasn't a real option. I can totally see how a new person to the series in Witcher 3 could get locked into Triss before they ever knew what was happening (and no feel too untoward about it). But when I got to the Triss bits, I helped her out but shut down every advance with alacrity. Noped out of that trap immediately. A few reasonable decisions will never outweigh her actions prior to Witcher 3. That's Geralt's daughter she was attempting to mess with, and it was Geralt's life she DID mess with to make it happen. Neither was going to be given a choice or even an explanation. Geralt wasn't even going to be told he had someone to love and care for. Triss only cares because she got caught.
Yen on the other hand, once you know Yen, you know what you are getting. She isn't the most stable, but by the end of the books you know that her goals and Geralt's align perfectly (Read: Ciri). And that's the person you want at your side looking after Ciri. And she does actually care about Geralt, even though she has ass relationship skills.
Throwing away all plot considerations, I'm not mad at Team Shani. She is hands down, the best woman lol She just loses by virtue of not being a consistent presence in the series... and realistically, Geralt isn't making any choice other than Yen.
Agreed. Yen was the one to die trying to ressurect Geralt in the books. So who are you going to choose? A manipulative witch from the first two games or the chick who literally sacrificed her life for Geralt´s? :) Book Geralt would only and ever choose Yen, of course. The player? It´s up to us. :) And that´s great - even that decade long Team Triss or Team Yen feud. :)
Really enjoyed you’re summery of it all pal was like an episode of my favourite show, I agreed wit everything you said.
Yennefer is an AWFUL person
All great Points But Yen is the type to make your life Hell, so Triss and she seemed truly remorseful in 3. Maybe Geralt can put up with it but I sure as hell wouldn't.
@@RUclipsCensorsyou basing that on witcher 3 where yen is in lion mom mode trying to save ciri. I believe that yen outside of high stress high stakes situations is pretty much like the nice banter moments we see between her and geralt.
I went into Witcher 3 “blind” but I still think Yen is the better of the two, but I do think Keira would have been a love interest, she is very much like Yen in her sarcastic replies although is a also a bit of a schemer like Triss. Congratulations on the 100k. 👏🏻👏🏻👍
THANK YOU!
I always romance both Yen and Triss just so I can see Ciri at Corvo Bianco.
I'm doing this on my next gen update. I used to choose one of them but living in Toussaint with Ciri is really the happy ending.
Maybe there was something wrong with my childhood but I liked Yen's character and found her "not that bad"
Also I like trope "two totally different people end together"
Yennifer is Fire and Ice while Triss is the cool-scented breeze that brushes over you coming home from a hard days of work
After just playing the first two games I would have chosen Triss, but after reading the books there's really no other choice but Yennefer.
Is it because shes likable or because Triss made very poor decision she regreted, and decided to be better person? As a Triss fan, I prefer Yenn fans, who can forgive Triss. I like Yenn as a character, though id argue her vitriolic personality in 3rd game doesnt appeal to me. Also Concept of Last wish is kinda scary if you ask me
My first exposure to the Witcher is also the Witcher 3. And I also love red heads. So, yes, I'm a Triss fan. I went on to read some of the books and look at videos of the other games and I eventually decided that in my mind Witcher 3 Triss is different than everywhere else Triss.
If you're a Triss fan you don't need to make excuses, you're a man of culture 💪😎 You can always go to sleep knowing you have the _correct_ opinion. Go get em king.