Let us look at some of the saddest deaths in Witcher 3, one of the best story-driven games. Without a doubt, it delivers some of the saddest deaths in gaming.
If you have played The Witcher 3, you know it is not just about monster contracts, Gwent, finding Ciri or fighting the Wild Hunt and vampires. It is about people, their choices, their morality, and the consequences that follow. The game pulls you into a world where even the strongest heroes carry guilt and regret. Every quest, every decision feels personal, and that is what makes the losses hit so hard. CD Projekt Red gave us a world full of life and emotion, where even the smallest character has a story that can break your heart. These are not just video game deaths; they are moments that define why Witcher 3 still stands above most RPGs.
Here are the saddest deaths in Witcher 3 that left even hardened witchers misty-eyed.
(Before we move forward, if you wish to read why Witcher 3 is still immortal in the gaming world, read our detailed review of Witcher 3)
9.Olgierd von Everec (Optional)
Although one of the most despicable Witcher 3 characters, we feel for him because Olgierd’s story in Hearts of Stone is tragedy in slow motion. A broken man who traded his soul for immortality, he gains everything he wanted but loses everything that made him human. His death, if you let Gaunter O’Dimm claim him, feels haunting and inevitable. The sad part is that even if you save him, his sadness never truly fades. Among Witcher 3 characters, Olgierd’s pain lingers long after his final scene.
8. The Bloody Baron (Optional)
This character is one of the most grounded tragedies in gaming. The Bloody Baron is not a villain, who made bad choices. He is not evil; just a broken man who tried too late to fix his past. Depending on your choices, he can disappear looking for a cure, but if you chose to save the orphans, then The Bloody Baron loses his wife, and consumed by guilt, he decides to hang himself. Among the saddest deaths in Witcher 3, his feels the most real, full of pain and regret rather than glory.
7. Anna Henrietta and Syanna (Avoidable)
The Blood and Wine DLC delivers one of the most devastating outcomes in the series. Even if you choose to save Syanna and eliminate Detlaff, Syanna murders Anna Henrietta in cold blood, only to be shot dead herself right after. The entire fairy-tale setting collapses into tragedy. It is easily one of the saddest deaths in Witcher 3, turning a story that could have ended happily into bloodshed and love into devastation.
Even though this death is technically optional, it feels unavoidable considering the long list of conversations that you need to go through to reconcile the sisters. Most players would easily miss “the best ending” on their first playthrough.
6. Skjall
Skjall is one of the few who helps Ciri when she lands up in Skellige while trying to escape the Wild Hunt. For that kindness, however, people brand him a coward and exile him. He later dies trying to prove his bravery, alone and forgotten. He does not even get a proper burial, unless you make the choice to go with Ciri and give him the respect he deserves. Although we don’t feel that much for him due to his less screen time, it is still one of the saddest deaths in Witcher 3 because Skjall never got the honor he deserved, despite his brave actions at an early age.
5. Roche and Ves (Optional)
If you choose to remain neutral after the Radovid assassination quest, Dijkstra orders Roche and Djikstra killed since they have decided to side with Nilfgaard as Temeria was promised a Vassal status. This doesn’t align with Djikstra’s political vision and he decides to get them eliminated. Although their death is less tragic because we don’t see them die on screen, we still feel the pain because they both helped Geralt defend Ciri with their lives. They were not perfect, but they were loyal and brave, soldiers who fought for something bigger than themselves. Their deaths remind players that politics in Witcher 3 is as cruel as any monster. It is one of those Witcher 3 deaths that feels unfair because it is painfully human. However, most players decide to go against Djikstra and kill him instead because they understand that the loyalty of Vernon is not easily replacable, although saving Roche and Ves leads to a worse political ending.
4. Dettlaff van der Eretein (Optional)
He may be a higher vampire, but Dettlaff’s death hits hard. He was not a typical vampire who consumed humans, he was someone with a heart. Unfortunately he was betrayed by the one person he loved and trusted, Syanna, and his rampage was born from heartbreak, not evil, when her sister Anna decides to protect Syanna instead of letting her face him. Even though the fight against Detlaff is considered the hardest boss fight in Witcher 3, his death is quite tragic.
Even though when you finally strike him down, and Regis puts the final blow, it does not feel like justice, you only feel sorrow. Among Witcher 3 characters, few villains have made players feel such mixed emotions.
Check out 7 video game villains who actually have a point
3. Lambert (Avoidable)
Lambert might be sarcastic and prickly, but he is still a brother to Geralt. He shows his kind-hearted and caring side from time to time, such as during the Battle of Kaer Morhen, where he risks his life trying to fight and defend Ciri. However, if Keira Metz is not there, and if you do not reach him in time and protect him Lambert dies fighting the Wild Hunt. You see his body later, and it hurts because it was avoidable. Among all saddest deaths in Witcher 3, his feels the most personal, as he was one of the Geralt’s Witcher brothers.
Check out some of the most tragic characters in Witcher 3.
2. Ciri (Optional)
If you make too many wrong choices, i.e. being too strict with her, Ciri dies facing the White Frost. Geralt’s reaction afterward, hollow and broken, is pure devastation. Players spend the whole game finding her and then protecting her, only to watch her fade away into nothing. Although it is less tragic because it is avoidable, this ending is not just among the saddest deaths in Witcher 3, it can also be considered one of the most haunting endings in gaming history.
1. Vesemir
The death that shattered every Witcher fan. Vesemir is more than just a character; he is the heart of Kaer Morhen, the last true father figure in Geralt’s life. This is why his death is tragic despite him having only an hour or two of screen-time throughout the game.
He trained witchers, protected Ciri like his own child, and carried the wisdom of generations. When he dies defending Ciri from the Wild Hunt, it is not just another tragic death, it is a turning point for the entire game. His sacrifice triggers Ciri’s awakening, unleashing her true power in a moment that burns with grief and fury.
The aftermath is pure silence. We see Geralt’s face, hollow and broken, while Ciri’s rage shakes the world. You feel the loss in every line that follows, in every quiet scene back at Kaer Morhen. It is not just one of the saddest deaths in Witcher 3, it is the one that defines the soul of the story. No matter how many times you replay it, that scene never gets easier to watch, because Vesemir was never just another NPC. He was family.
What makes them the saddest deaths in Witcher 3
What makes the saddest deaths in Witcher 3 unforgettable is not the blood or gore, but because each loss carries meaning, consequence, and emotion. In most games, death is just a mechanic. In Witcher 3, it can be a scar that stays long after the credits roll. Even though some of these Witcher 3 characters might be gone on your playthrough, they make the world and us feel more alive than most games ever could.
