Ahead of its reveal, the greatest question surrounding The Witcher 4 was its narrative premise. Speculation and rumors suggested all manner of unique twists on the core Witcher storyline, with notable theories involving time travel or Witcher schools far removed from the School of the Wolf, which Geralt and his allies belong to.
As revealed in its cinematic trailer at this year’s Game Awards, The Witcher 4‘s narrative is decidedly less radical and experimental, at least when it comes to its chosen protagonist. Indeed, as more conservative theorists had posited long ago, The Witcher 4 will be helmed by none other than Ciri herself, the adoptive daughter of Geralt. Speaking to IGN about this decision, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga called it a matter of “logic,” which makes a lot of sense: Ciri has been a core part of The Witcher since its inception as a book series, and with Geralt having effectively retired at the end of The Witcher 3, it’s a bit of a no-brainer to slot her in as the new hero. And yet, some audiences may be disappointed that CD Projekt Red went this pedestrian route, when more out-there ideas, like a customizable hero, could have been realized.
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Ciri’s Powers in The Witcher 4 Explained
The trailer for The Witcher 4, as Ciri enters battle, showcases some exciting changes alongside familiar elements from previous games.
Why Having Ciri As The Witcher 4’s Protagonist Makes Sense, Even If It’s Predictable
Ciri Has Been Primed for the Protagonist Role
While notions about a player-created character or someone from a totally different corner of The Witcher‘s universe are certainly intriguing, nothing can beat the prospect of a lead who is already important to the story. That’s precisely who Ciri is, as her status as Geralt’s surrogate daughter, not to mention her incredibly vital role in The Witcher 3, makes her a prime candidate to carry the series’ legacy. She’s even been playable before, arguably serving as a secondary protagonist in The Witcher 3, so putting her at the center of this upcoming game should make for an easier transition.
From a semantic perspective,
The Witcher 4
suggests that it’s a direct follow-up to
The Witcher 3
. Therefore, a more direct narrative link, in the form of Ciri, seems apt.
Ciri being the protagonist of The Witcher 4 means that the game can have a firm and meaningful link to the previous entries without feeling overly stale. Moreover, Ciri’s story is just beginning at this point—it was by no means over at the end of The Witcher 3. In the aforementioned interview with IGN, Mitręga went on to note that Ciri is still a young adult, meaning that there will be more opportunities for the player to shape her story. In other words, there’s more potential with Ciri than with a character like Geralt, and her relationship to the previous games may actually open more interesting and unexpected narrative doors.
Why Ciri Being The Witcher 4’s Protagonist May Not Be so “Safe” After All
Were The Witcher 4 to go with a brand-new protagonist, be they player-created or predetermined, it may have actually been a more simple and straightforward choice, at least with respect to narrative construction. CD Projekt Red’s developers essentially would have been able to adopt a fresh start, looping in however much of the original trilogy’s narrative elements they wished. But with Ciri, things are considerably messier and, hopefully, more interesting.
For instance, The Witcher 4 now must establish a canon ending to The Witcher 3, both on the macro and micro scale, as players can influence a number of smaller in-game factors, like the ruler of Skellige, before credits roll. There’s also the matter of Ciri ostensibly being a Witcher now, which calls into question the lore of both the Witchers themselves and Ciri’s Elder Blood powers. There’s always a chance that CDPR could fumble these narrative elements, but they nevertheless leave the door open to more creative and scintillating storytelling, in ways that wouldn’t apply to a brand-new hero.
The Witcher IV is a single-player, open-world RPG from CD PROJEKT RED. At the start of a new saga, players take on the role of Ciri, a professional monster slayer, and embark on a journey through a brutal dark-fantasy world. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, it aims to be the most immersive and ambitious open-world Witcher game to date.