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Nearly a decade since its release, The Witcher 3 has maintained its status as one of the best open-world fantasy RPGs ever made. It not only ticked all the boxes in fluid gameplay, compelling narrative arcs, and immersive world-building but also for its intriguing characters. And one of the most mysterious, yet intimidating characters in the game is the enigmatic Gaunter O’Dimm.
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A major antagonist of the Hearts of Stone DLC, Gaunter O’Dimm immediately captures your attention with his charisma, dark aura, and unfathomable powers. A character that was never in the book series, the truth of Gaunter O’Dimm’s true nature became a subject of interest, and we’ll explore who or what Master Mirror is and the inspiration behind him.
Who Is Gaunter O’Dimm?
Although there was never any in-game confirmation regarding Gaunter O’Dimm, we can only go off of the clues provided throughout our playthrough of Hearts of Stone. Right off the bat, we can infer that O’Dimm has actually been taking a keen interest in us since the beginning, foreshadowing the events of the DLC in our brief conversation at the inn in White Orchard.
According to Professor Shakeslock, O’Dimm — also known as Master Mirror or the Man of Glass — has existed for ages in different cultures and under different names but is ultimately defined as Evil Incarnate. Based on what O’Dimm himself tells us, anyone who knows O’Dimm’s true name or nature is met with a terrible fate. O’Dimm also doesn’t appear to like those who probe too deeply about him, as evidenced by Shakeslock’s circumstances and eventual death.
The mysterious mirror merchant has demonstrated he is able to control the weather, stop time, and appear whenever he desires. But the most important aspect about O’Dimm is his ability to grant any wish… for a steep price.
O’Dimm loves to make deals with those foolish enough to agree, and while his victims may wish for riches or immortality, he asks for their souls in return. However, as they come to find out, every wish O’Dimm grants doesn’t go the way his victims want them to, since he loves tricking them through wordplay. In short, every contract has a silver lining and O’Dimm embodies this to a tee.
How To Defeat The Devil
O’Dimm may seem all-powerful and invincible, but he could be defeated at his own game. According to Professor Shakeslock, O’Dimm could never resist a duel of wits and must be challenged to one. As shown through Geralt’s attempt to save Olgierd’s soul, the witcher was spirited to the Realm of Rumination and must find O’Dimm within a set time, with the only clue being the riddle provided.
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Of course, as a known trickster, O’Dimm doesn’t play fair and sprinkles temptations along the way, such as gold and a rare silver sword. But Geralt was able to outwit O’Dimm, thanks to the clue Iris von Everec’s Black Dog supplied the witcher within a ‘glass that can’t be broken’, allowing Geralt to realise O’Dimm was hiding in the reflection of the water.
Despite his penchant for trickery, O’Dimm is also bound by the deals he makes and allows Olgierd and Geralt to go free as a result.
The Inspirations For Gaunter O’Dimm
Gaunter O’Dimm and the story told in Hearts of Stone are the definitions of a Faustian bargain, or, as you may commonly know it, the ‘deal with the devil’. The latter comes from a medieval German tale about the successful necromancer and scholar Faust, who made a deal with the demon Mephistopheles for arcane knowledge for 24 years.
Of course, the deal didn’t go the way Faust wanted it to, as he still ends up dissatisfied with his life, but has his soul taken anyway.
The Tale Of Pan Twardowski
Known as the Polish version of Faust’s legend, Pan Twardowski’s story has noticeable differences. Twardowski is a lauded physician but summoned the devil to ask for his power. The contract would last for seven years, and he only promised to surrender his soul to the devil in Rome.
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As you might begin to guess from these sorts of tales, Twardowski tries to escape the inevitable and avoids the city of Rome. However, the devil comes to him when he’s staying in an inn, an inn called ‘Rome’. Although the endings vary from different versions of the story, Twardwoski prays as the devil drags him to hell, only for an angel to intercede. As a result, Twardowski is sentenced to remain in the space between heaven and earth, unable to move on.
Is Gaunter O’Dimm God?
There is a theory that states O’Dimm as the god of The Witcher universe, and it doesn’t help that the name, Gaunter O’Dimm, is an abbreviation of God. Although O’Dimm does appear to be on another power level entirely, he has admitted that he isn’t omniscient. Deities are mentioned in The Witcher lore, but they are not investigated too deeply.
However, our concept of gods could differ from what is considered a god in this world. But what could be established is that O’Dimm is an immortal, ancient, and malevolent entity that really echoes the Devil.
Notable Characters Who Encountered O’Dimm
Olgierd Von Everec
Olgierd von Everec made a pact with O’Dimm after his family fell on hard times and his betrothal to his beloved Iris was cancelled. In return for his soul and the life of his brother Vlodimir, O’Dimm granted Olgierd’s three wishes: to marry Iris, have his family fortunes restored, and ‘live like there was no tomorrow’.
Naturally, his wishes come to bite him, and he’s unable to truly enjoy his winnings. As a failsafe, Olgierd also added the caveat that he and O’Dimm had to be on the moon before he could take his soul.
Professor Shakeslock
Professor Shakeslock was hired by Olgierd to delve into O’Dimm and find a way out of his contract. He went blind while investigating the entity, but ultimately found out how to defeat O’Dimm. However, his research drew the attention of O’Dimm and, as ‘repayment’ for his interest, O’Dimm imprisoned Shakeslock in a protective circle, implying that he would die the moment he stepped out of it.
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In a strange twist of events, Shakeslock dies after telling Geralt everything he knew about O’Dimm, though it’s not confirmed if O’Dimm had a direct hand in it.
The Spoon Collector
The Spoon Collector is a wight encountered in the Trastamara Hunting Cottage, who is later discovered to have been a human woman cursed into a monster. Formerly a wealthy, beautiful woman, she was cursed after refusing a beggar food, and can only break the curse if someone willingly chooses to dine with her and does the opposite of what the curse says.
It isn’t confirmed that the beggar was O’Dimm, but the mirror merchant was also a master of disguise. Furthermore, the third line of the curse, ‘never again shall you wish to spy your reflection in the mirror’, could also be a reference to Master Mirror.
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OpenCritic
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Top Critic Rating:
93/100
Critics Recommend:
95%
- Released
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May 19, 2015
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Expansions
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The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone
, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine - Metascore
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94