If The Witcher 4 Geralt Rumors Are True, One Character Could Have Their Cake and Eat It Too

The Witcher 4 is likely still some years away, and there haven’t been many details revealed yet. One of the most difficult elements CD Projekt RED will have to overcome is the departure of Geralt as the protagonist. As a beloved character and iconic player character who defines The Witcher in many ways, creating new games in The Witcher franchise without its lead seems like an impossible task.

One character who may carry the torch on from Geralt is Ciri, which would solve the conundrum of abandoning the face of The Witcher series, while also focusing the story on someone different. Ciri is a compelling character in her own right, and is more than capable of leading The Witcher 4 as the player character. It would be strange, however, to have a story focused on Ciri that doesn’t even mention Geralt. Including Geralt would give a connection for old players, while also giving Ciri, and thus a new protagonist, a chance to take center stage.

Ciri’s Role in The Witcher 3

Some rumors indicate that the player character of The Witcher 4 could be Ciri. Including Ciri as the protagonist of The Witcher 4 would be a fantastic compromise to keep fans who want familiarity, while giving The Witcher a new direction.

Ciri is a character who lies between both worlds in that she’s central to Geralt’s story and yet she also leads her own path and has several endings in
The Witcher 3
where she’s influenced by Geralt, though her choices feel as if they are ultimately in her hands.

Players of The Witcher 3 aren’t new to Ciri as a playable character, of course. There are sections in The Witcher 3 where Ciri is controlled by the player and, in these sections, Ciri has her own set of abilities and magic at her disposal. Players are also able to choose her dialogue and roleplay Ciri just as they roleplay Geralt, though it isn’t possible to improve her abilities.

Ciri’s Combat Skills and Magic

Ciri’s gameplay sections of The Witcher 3 were well-received by many players, likely because of Ciri’s likability as a character, her skillset, and how being able to play those sections allowed CD Projekt RED to show, rather than tell, her parts of the story. Not all of this can be carried through to The Witcher 4, but Ciri has already shown her potential as a protagonist and her ability to lead a story.

If Ciri is the protagonist of The Witcher 4, this would also solve the issue of excluding Geralt completely from the franchise going forward. Geralt is a core part of Ciri’s life, and it would be impossible to create a game with Ciri as the protagonist without at least mentioning Geralt. While Geralt wouldn’t have to be the main character of The Witcher 4, he could play a similar role as Ciri in The Witcher 3, and may even have his own gameplay segments for parts of the story.

Having Ciri as the protagonist of The Witcher 4 is not unheard of, as some fans have speculated that, because of her incredible skill with magic and unique powers, Ciri could go up against unique enemies such as Gaunter O’Dimm. As she’s also received witcher training, and one of her endings involves her taking up a life on the Path, there shouldn’t be a reason to necessitate a title change.