The Witcher 3: Which Ending For Ciri Is Better - Empress Or Witcher?

The "best" ending for Ciri has always been a subject for debate among fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. To be exact, there are three endings: the one where she dies, the one where she becomes a Witcher, and the one where she becomes Empress of Nilfgaard.

Of course, the first is just a terrible outcome, and watching that final cutscene is absolutely heartbreaking. If you have a heart, you don't want to see the bad ending. This means you're probably left debating which ending is better for Ciri: Empress Ciri or the one where Ciri becomes a Witcher.

10 As Empress: It'll Help Her Mature

There's no denying that Ciri is way wiser than her years, given the amount of strife she's dealt with at such a young age already. However, the loss of a precious childhood has led to Ciri channeling her more childish side at times, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

This becomes an issue when Ciri needs to become an Empress since she needs to show maturity and poise while ruling a kingdom. It also needs to be said that maturing is never a bad thing per se, and having these major responsibilities will help Ciri become a capable and beloved Empress who everyone in the kingdom would adore.

9 As A Witcher: It's What She Chose

In the Witcher ending, Ciri is visibly happier, with her connections to the royal family effectively being cut off after Geralt makes her demise official. It lets her finally breathe free, and pursue a life where she can stay close to the Witchers who helped her grow up. It also allows her to put her talents to good use, for the sake of innocents who are being hounded by monsters and even humans who have stepped out of bounds.

It might be more dangerous as a Witcher, but Ciri knows what she's signing up for, and she has the family that raised her to help. Plus, she gets a new sword in this ending, and who wouldn't want a sword?

8 As Empress: She'll Probably Live Longer

Royalty are huge targets for those who look to destabilize a regime or ruin a kingdom, but that's why they have armies of guards standing around them at all times. By contrast, Witchers tend to be alone and face the most bloodthirsty examples of both humans and beasts.

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Despite her powers, Ciri hasn't undergone the Trial of Grasses, so she doesn't have the enhanced physical prowess or longevity of a Witcher. Being an empress is a safer option for Ciri, and the comforts, protection, and amenities such a lifestyle provide mean she'll probably live a far longer time.

7 As A Witcher: More Exploration Of Her Powers And Heritage

Being a ruler is busy work if you're serious about the profession—which Ciri certainly would be. A rich and powerful kingdom like Nilfgaard probably has loads upon loads of books about magic, elves, the Elder Blood, and more, but Ciri would almost have no time to pore over such things.

By contrast, being a Witcher means she can explore the world for more information about the Elder Blood, and she'll have the chance to seek counsel from friends such as Yennefer and Triss to help guide her down her hunt for knowledge and further training.

6 As Empress: It Was In Geralt's Contract

From the very beginning of the game, Geralt's goal has always been to find Ciri at Emperor Emhyr's behest. This is regardless of how you accept Emhyr's proposition or whether you take the reward.

Ciri is back, his real father wants her back on Nilfgaard, and he hires you to track her down and get her back. Violating this contract and then opting to hide Ciri would probably result in an "on sight" policy between Geralt and Nilfgaard if Emhyr ever found out she was alive.

5 As A Witcher: She Gets To Be With Her Family

One of the obvious reasons why some players prefer Ciri to be a Witcher instead is that the vocation won't be as lonely. Sure, she might become poor and hungry periodically, but at least she'll be with the only real family she knows, which is Geralt and the other Witchers along with the Sorceress you paired Geralt up with.

When the Wild Hunt was hunting her down, the School of Wolf and Sorceresses stuck firmly to Ciri's side without (many) complaints. She was their first priority, so it only makes sense she'd care for them more than Emhyr.

4 As Empress: She Can Bring Peace And Security

Sadly, adoptive familial ties pale in comparison to what Ciri can do for all the nations of the realm in The Witcher universe. It has been said in one of the endings of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (through Dandelion's remarks) that Ciri inherited Emhyr's political instincts while still preserving the basic human decency she learned from Geralt, basically getting the best from her two fathers.

What this means for Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms or any of the neighboring kingdoms is that Ciri is the perfect monarch. She can end wars while still making everyone's lives better, whether peasant or lord. Plus, she's no sitting duck on the throne; Ciri's powers pretty much insulate her from any assassination attempts.

Also, given all the help she's received from Sorceresses, it'd be a little surprise if she didn't provide a safe haven for magic and the Lodge.

3 As A Witcher: More Freedom

Anyone who's had responsibilities will know that those are essentially invisible chains that restrict anyone's sense of personal freedom. Now, imagine if you're responsible for millions of lives while also looking over your shoulder periodically for any extra-dimensional anomalies. A Witcher's life, for that matter, is a lot more carefree than the life of an Empress.

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You often only have to worry about monsters whose appearances are gradually becoming rarer based on the book's and the game's lore. Being a Witcher also means getting to travel a lot for odd jobs here and there, certainly something Ciri will enjoy better. Plus, she won't be constrained by the requirements of a "polite" society, which means she can be free to be crass and not deal with the complicated political games that ruling will demand.

2 As Empress: A Powerful Friend

Ciri is already a powerful friend as she is, but a time-and-space-jumping Empress is something else entirely. Ciri will practically become a goddess of her particular dimension if she chooses to become an Empress and can change the world on a whim. If you can recall, she did stop an apocalypse (the White Frost) near the end of the game.

Having a goddess as your closest friend is definitely no small achievement. Geralt, Dandelion, Triss, Yennefer, and all the other Witchers might as well be part of Ciri's court; there's no reason to think that she wouldn't come to them for advice or respite, making her their friend in a really high place.

1 As A Witcher: Because Emyhr Is Horrible

Depending on your choices in-game, Emhyr actually can get assassinated (if Djikstra lives); that is a great outcome for Ciri if she becomes Empress because the books explicitly tell of Emhyr's twisted plans for her own daughter: impregnating her to make a child who he can raise that will defeat the White Frost.

It's not clear if this is actually canon for the Witcher 3 Empress Ciri ending, but it's best to avoid the possibility entirely. Plus, as long as Emhyr is around, the chances of Geralt being able to pay regular visits are very low.

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Like Follow Followed RPG Action Adventure Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 93/100 Critics Rec: 95% Released May 19, 2015 ESRB M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content Developer(s) CD Projekt Red Publisher(s) CD Projekt Red Engine REDengine 3 Cross-Platform Play yes Cross Save yes

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One of the most critically acclaimed RPGs in recent history, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt sees Geralt searching for Ciri of Cintra. However, he's not the only one looking — the pair must also contend with the Wild Hunt, supernatural beings of great power. CD Projekt added two expansion packs, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, and brought an enhanced version of the game to modern consoles in late 2022.

Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) RPG, Action, Adventure Powered by

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