Heartwarming / The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Just a friendly heads-up: Whenever you hear "Yes I Do" start playing, you know that you're about to witness something that will turn even the toughest of the tough into mushy romantics.

Main Game

• If you play through the tutorial, you can get a scene of Geralt living in blissful domesticity with Yennefer and Ciri. He's surrounded by his fellow witchers, safe, and secure with nothing on the horizon to ruin their lives. So, of course, it's just a dream.
  • Come Blood and Wine, that dream finally comes true.
• Geralt can do something no Witcher has ever done in the history of his profession: refuse payment for killing monsters. This may not seem like a large deal, but given how few of the peasantry can afford his services, it can mean a major difference in their lives. Most of them are genuinely stunned when this happens.
  • One of the earliest missions has a man offering his daughter's dowry money to Geralt (because he, indirectly, saved her life). Geralt can say, "I'm not likely to get married any time soon. Keep it for her wedding and raise a glass to my health then". The man thanks him profusely and insists on at least giving him an amethyst for his troubles.
  • Another one in Velen has Geralt contracted to kill a basilisk by a man who has taken in a boy, the lattermost's father having been killed by it. Geralt can refuse payment so that the man has enough to take good care of the kid.
  • The game sometimes rewards the player with extra experience points for declining pay or other rewards.
• The general reaction to Geralt clearing out areas of monsters. The locals who come to inhabit them tend to react with more love and adoration than the rest of the game combined; and very often, go against the entrenched Fantastic Racism that still plagues witchers despite their heroic services. Additionally, after clearing an abandoned site, the camera will focus on Geralt for a moment to show his subtle smile of satisfaction for a job well done.
  • One of the most heartwarming? "If I ever have a son, I'll name him Geralt."
  • Similarly, "The next bloke that tells me that Witchers are cold, heartless scoundrels will get my fist down his lying gullet."
  • Another one: "Folks can say what they will, witcher. Me? I'll never forget what you did for us."
  • It's possible to end up with entire islands praising Geralt in Skellige, if you do right by their clans and liberate their hamlets.
• One of the first few quests you get in White Orchard revolves around a Temerian peasant having apparently lost his brother in a battle near the village. Geralt agrees to help him and after a short search they find his shield. You then follow the trail to an isolated, abandoned house where the brother is alive... along with the Nilfgaardian soldier that saved his life. Though his brother is less than amiable to the soldier for being part of The Empire invading his homeland, Geralt can persuade him to allow the man, a deserter from Nilfgaard, to live with them in gratitude.
• At one point, we find a scene of Ciri running, scared for her life, from what is presumably the Wild Hunt. She's not eaten for days and has slept even less. Her first reaction upon seeing a child in danger? To rescue the child then make sure she's seen safely home. The amazing thing? Ciri's act of kindness doesn't rebound on the girl in any way. She gets a job in the Baron's kitchens, where she's a lot happier than she'd be at home.
• The ending of "A Towerful of Mice" is a combination of this and Tear Jerker, as it turns out that Graham had only participated in the sacking of the tower because he wanted to live happily with Annabelle afterward, and he'd remained loyal to her ever since.
  Having learned there was a slim chance he could save his beloved's ghost, the fisherman set out at once to help the witcher lift the curse weighing down on the isle. Yet though the evil spell was indeed broken, this story still did not have a happy ending. Despite his courage and dedication, Graham died while saving the one he had never ceased to love.
• The Baron refuses to let you kill the Botchling that his unborn child has become. As terrified as he is of the monster, he agrees to the ritual which requires him to dig her grave as well as carry the monster to it before burying her. When he does, the Baron gives up drinking and proceeds to become a sombre, sober figure who resolves to atone for the wrongs he committed against his family.
• Generally, the Witch Hunters of the Church of the Eternal Fire are presented as cruel and senseless fanatics. But the group that the Baron's daughter joins immediately agree to help her rescue her mother from the Crones. They don't ask for anything, either, and carry themselves like professional soldiers rather than bigoted torturers; rescuing an innocent life from evil witches and horrible monsters is all they care about. As self-righteous and cruel as all the other chapters are, the Oxenfurt chapter of the Witch Hunters are the only morally upstanding Witch Hunters in the entire game.
• In Velen, there are various hidden side-quests Geralt can stumble upon, including a houseful of children (west of the bridge to Novigrad) being menaced by a wild dog. After killing the dog, the kids reveal that they hadn't eaten in a week — if Geralt gives them food or money, he'll be given a book and a doll in gratitude.
• Outside of Oxenfurt, Geralt can get a job from an old woman who believes a werewolf has made off with her chickens. Following the footprints leads to a small camp of children with wolves'-paw boots, orphaned by the war. After a brief talk with them, Geralt will go back to the woman and tell her it was the kids, and can convince her to take them in. She'll tell you she'll think about it. If you go back later, she does.
• Geralt might encounter an old woman in Velen who asks that he banish the ghost of her husband by putting her wedding ring on his grave. Once you do, you return to her home in the village... and discover the woman herself was a ghost who wanted to offer forgiveness to her husband, whom she scorned after learning he'd had a string of lovers, and be returned to him in death. After dealing with so many tortured and enraged spirits who died in sorrow, regret, betrayal, grief or despair, encountering a pair of totally non-malicious ghosts reminds you that even in this world, people can still live well and die peacefully.
  • What's more, if you use the Magic Lamp Keira Metz gives you in the "A Towerful of Mice" quest near the husband's grave afterwards, you'll find the woman's ghost telling her husband that she forgives him.
• The troll outside of Oxenfurt, who was recruited by the Redanian army to look after a bunch of peasant boats the army stole. He asks for your help in letting people know that the area he is guarding is a fort now. If you ask where the soldiers are, he'll tell you he accidentally killed the soldiers and peasants trying to separate them, then ate their corpses in a stew. If you hold off on attacking him, and continue with his task, he will ask that you bring him some paint to put the army official colors up on the fort. You can paint yourself, or have him do it. Either one ends with him thanking you for helping him, and him telling Geralt that he is so much nicer than most people.
• The Baron's men are some of the most scummy people in the world, with many of them being very unkind to women. When you get a flashback to Ciri, you find...they respected her, liked her, and considered her a comrade-in-arms. Of course, slaying a werewolf on your way in helps.
  • It seems that they are ill-disposed to peasants in general (with occasional dialogue like "Let's flog a peasant for laughs after our watch") and seem to authentically respect anyone who can pull one's weight in combat. Being a personal guest of The Bloody Baron does not hurt, either.
• In Novigrad, you have a mission to investigate a haunted house. Inside, you find out the "ghost" is a godling who is tormenting a sorceress with bad dreams. The godling fails to realize the sorceress is a dream-mage and this is terrifying to her. If you help the godling keep her home then the dream mage will be free. Said mage comes back, moves in, and becomes the godling's surrogate mother. It becomes doubly heartwarming when you realize the "haunted house" is the perfect home for a mage on the run.
• In "Of Swords and Dumplings", you eventually have to get involved in a dispute between Sukrus and his brother-in-law. You first see them brawling where the latter is beaten down, then have to either blow up his merchandise or convince him to pay Sukrus back what he owes. Later on, however, when he sees Sukrus being threatened by Ernst van Hoorn, he says no one gets to beat his brother except him and joins the two of you in the fight. The two reconcile right after.
• Priscilla's ballad, singing of the love between Geralt and Yennefer, gets even Geralt to become introspective. And the King of Beggars, one of four crime bosses in Novigrad, can be seen doing a Double Take before stopping to listen outside the window.
• The side-quest to help a former soldier in Novigrad get a rare black pearl for his wife is one, as he's determined to fulfill a promise he'd made at the start of his military career. Unfortunately, the end of the questline reveals that his wife suffers from a form of dementia — likely Alzheimer's — and he was hoping that getting the pearl, which was a long-standing joke between the couple, would help snap her out of it. Suffice to say, it doesn't.
• If Geralt chooses to be open about his memories of Ciri when Corinne is helping him to find her through an Oneiromancy session in Novigrad. The sheer warmth and parental love in Doug Cockle's voice is so fuzzy, plus it's fantastic to hear about the pivotal moments in the book series recounted by the former amnesiac.
• The romances are of course excellent per the trilogy's standards, mainly because they juxtapose quite nicely against the Darker and Edgier atmosphere.
  • With Triss, it can be rekindled at a Masquerade Ball, which she even notes is a major departure from her usual hangouts in the sewers of Novigrad while trying to evade the Witch Hunt going on, and culminates at a kiss beneath fireworks while at the party.
    • Later, after helping Triss get all the mages out of Novigrad, Geralt can give her a Love Confession... only for her to get on the boat anyway. Sigi offers his condolences and, if indulged, an anecdote about The One That Got Away from him, Philippa Eilhart — only to pause halfway through to say "Geralt, turn around." Triss had gotten off the boat, and Sigi graciously takes his leave. The ensuing playful banter is the icing on the cake.
  • With Yennefer, it involves Yen asking Geralt for help to find a genie. At first she doesn't tell him why she wants to look for it, but as the quest progresses, she finally tells Geralt her reason. Turns out it's about Geralt's wish in the final part of the Witcher short-story collection The Last Wish. Geralt's final wish to the genie was to bind Yennefer and Geralt together forever, so that no matter where they are, they will always be together and love one another in the end. She doesn't want this and she wants to break the spell to find out if Geralt and her truly love one another even without magic preordaining it. After finally finding the djinn and breaking the thread that binds them on a shipwreck on top of an ice mountain, it turns out nothing has changed between them afterwards. They don't become total strangers once the spell has been lifted. They really are in love after all! The dialogue afterwards is truly heartrendingly, blissfully, undeniably reciprocal.
  Geralt: Djinn might have cheated us after all...
  Yennefer: Why?
  Geralt: 'Cause I don't feel that anything's changed either. ... I love you, Yen.
  Yennefer: And I love you. (Big Damn Kiss)
  Geralt: Strange. Done that so many times, but... it felt like our first kiss to me.
  Yennefer: It was in a way. Besides, once you say 'I love you', a kiss must taste differently.
• Before the Hunt attacks Kaer Mohren, Ciri tells Geralt, "I like it when you smile."
• The Big Damn Reunion when Geralt returns to Kaer Morhen with Ciri; Vesemir, Yennefer and Triss are all clearly overjoyed to see her. Special note to Vesemir lifting Ciri off the ground in a bear hug the minute he sees her, all while Ciri giggles with pure joy, and Yenn running from halfway across the courtyard, screaming Ciri's name at the top of her lungs before pulling her into a massive hug and remarking on the beautiful young woman her surrogate daughter has become.
  Vesemir: Welcome home, child.
  Yennefer: CIRIII! [Yenn embraces Ciri] My, you've grown beautiful!
  Triss: Little sis! [hugs Ciri]
  • In the Polish dub, Yennefer outright calls Ciri daughter.
• The snowball fight between Ciri and Geralt is particularly adorable, as it succeeds in cheering up Ciri and later giving her motivation to live.
• In Skellige, Geralt can pick up a contract to banish the wraith of Ulle the Unlucky, an arena combatant who never won a single match until, infuriated by a Jarl's Unsportsmanlike Gloating, stabbed him in the back, earning a curse to "lose for all eternity". The only way to banish him is to Sheathe Your Sword and let him win.
  Ulle: What's that? I hear... I hear... laughter and joyous cries... the clanking of chalices... And a voice... summonin' me to the feast of heroes.
• While helping Ciri recover from her wounds, Skjall becomes smitten with her and she finds him cute and charming in return. If the player chooses, Ciri can give Skjall his first kiss. One of the dialogue options even implies that Ciri was about to help Skjall lose his virginity to her, but the Wild Hunt attack interrupts them before anything can happen.
• Combined with a Tear Jerker. If you allow Ciri to return to Skjall's grave, she finds that he's been thrown in a pit (the locals believed he was fleeing from the Hunt and stripped him of his honour and name. He ultimately died in a trial by ordeal attempting to restore his honour). Ciri promptly reburies him respectfully. When the villagers come to harass her over it, she proceeds to PUNCH ONE IN THE FACE then give a massive The Reason You Suck speech about Skjall's heroism: he didn't just save her, his actions led the Wild Hunt away from turning the village into ashes. The villagers then have a collective My God, What Have I Done? moment when they realize that not only did they dishonor one of their clansmen, they drove him to his death. They agree to leave the grave alone from that point on.
• Pretty much any interaction between Geralt and Ciri that underscores their closeness despite the lack of biological ties.
• Should you pick the grey mare Canterella for the horse race against Movran, Geralt cites the fact her father being named Cahir as a reason. A nice little nod showing that the non-Regis members of the Hanse aren't entirely Forgotten Fallen Friends, even if they unfortunately aren't mentioned much.
• When Geralt finally brings Ciri to the Emperor, he brings forth a hundred gold pieces for Geralt, who can choose to refuse. Ciri is pretty offended if you take the money, but rejecting causes her and Geralt to quickly hold hands during the scene.
  • As well, the Emperor immediately gives Geralt a fine horse instead, as it's implied he feels like he can't let Geralt go without some reward.
• When Geralt and Lambert are getting drunk in Kaer Morhen, the player can get Geralt to tell Lambert that he can be a jackass, yet despite this, he loves him like a brother. And Lambert, who has never fully embraced the fact that he is a witcher, will call Geralt a real blowhard but then says he would go to Hell and back for his fellow wolf and tries to give him a Man Hug. The fact that they are both completely sloshed only diminishes the sweetness slightly.
• The surprise last-minute hookup of Lambert and Keira Metz, should she survive, not only somehow manages to work, but is also quite sweet in and of itself, with an embittered self-deprecating witcher and an egoist sorceress finally finding their share of happiness in the otherwise bleak world. Judging from anytime you bring up the topic, either with her or with any other onlooking NPC, it seems to be working out well for both of them. Geralt and everyone else's slight bewilderment pushing it to the funny territory makes it even sweeter.
  • There's another happy ending to that story. At the end of Keira's quest line, she gets some notes from a virologist mage, who used unwilling human test subjects. Geralt is leery about allowing her to keep the notes, and only grows more concerned when Keira mentions using the research as a bargaining chip to get amnesty from king Radovid. Keira mentions that the information could be used to make a cure for virulent diseases, but Geralt cynically notes that it is more likely she'd help develop a biological weapon, or that Radovid would rather use that information for that purpose. If Geralt dissuades her from that path, not only does she end up finding love with Lambert, but Dandelion's narration also mentions that Keira did in fact use that information to discover the cure for the Catriona Plague, earning her eternal adoration and making her a hero across the Continent.
• In the DLC quest 'Where the Cat and Wolf play,' you end up finding Millie, a little girl who's the Sole Survivor of her town's massacre. At first she's terrified of Geralt because he's a Witcher, like the one who slaughtered her village. However, if Geralt is kind to her, when he takes her to her aunt in a near-by village, the girl asks if she can ride on his shoulders. Geralt's reply: "As long as you promise not to pull my hair."
  • Going to Oreton later has Millie stop Geralt at the bridge leading out of town.
    Millie: I... I've a gift for ye. 'Cause mummy always said if someone's nice, ye gotta thank 'em! (She hands him a hand-drawn "Thank You" card)
    • The card itself is a drawing of her and Geralt holding hands and smiling, and the item description is "Present from a grateful young girl".
• The DLC quest 'Skellige's Most Wanted' rewards you for staying your blade in a rather satisfying manner, when Geralt lists the names of monsters he has spared throughout his journey, claiming Witchers are protectors of both worlds rather than just the realm of men. The fact that your opponents recognize some of those you mention doubles the feeling, when you realize that by being merciful, you spared someone's friend, acquaintance or partner.
• A short but simple quest has a bunch of crude Skelligan raiders taking over a brothel and drinking them out of house and home. One of the strumpets asks Geralt to help. When he agrees, she gratefully declares that there are good people in the world. She and the girls took up a collection to pay Geralt for his services. If he tells them the girls need the money more than him, she's nearly tearful and declares such a man could restore her faith in humanity.
  • If you complete certain objectives beforehand, you can convince the raiders to leave peacefully and respectfully.
• Sigi and his vault guard, Bart the Rock Troll. Sigi truly doesn't hold the blast-through robbery against Bart, having not anticipated it himself, and tells Bart to stop self-flagellating over it. You can also see that Sigi has provided Bart with a little den with a sizeable hunk of meat for food, and is savvy enough to interpret Bart's primitive Hulk Speak to find the meaning he's trying to convey.
• Despite just how horrifying and bleak the quest Cardinal Sins is, there is a moment of this. When talking to the Corpse collector you find that his stealing from the dead has resulted in him literally planning to wipe his ass with a clue left by the killer. One that said that Priscilla was going to be the next target. When Geralt calls him on this he says "What do I care what happens to some whore." You have the opition to punch him. The way the animation plays out is so fast that it implies that Geralt didn't even have time to think about it. He decked him purely out of instinct as he already considered her one of his True Companions.

Ending-related

All your struggles have been leading up to this.

• Geralt and Ciri's meeting on the Isle of Mists, the first time they've seen in years, after a long time not knowing whether the other is dead or alive. That scene is just handcrafted to be as emotionally powerful as possible, especially since it's preceded by a massive (though false-alarmed) tearjerker where Geralt believes she's dead. The kindest moment is a scene where Geralt and Ciri as a child reunite in a beautiful Meadow Run, as they hug in the present day.
• Right near the end, Ciri is facing down the White Frost's origin point, and on the verge of death... until she remembers how supportive Geralt can be, finding the strength to persevere and succeed.
• The Witcher Ciri ending. After spending years running from the Hunt and from her father, Ciri finally finds respite from both. Geralt gives her a new silver sword, and together they embark on adventure, with Geralt finally completing her training. Ciri walks the Witcher's Path, and becomes known throughout the land. Made even poignant by the fake-out where Geralt tricks Emhyr and the player into thinking Ciri is dead.
  Ciri: May I?
  Geralt: Not here. You'll have ample time later, witcher.
  Ciri: Let's try it out then, shall we?
• While bittersweet, Ciri leaving Geralt behind to become Empress of Nilfgaard counts as this, since she's doing it in the hopes of improving the lives of as many people as possible, and Geralt will reassure her that she'll do a great job, and can promise that they'd be able to keep in touch.
  • This entire ending is laced with heartwarming moments as Geralt and Ciri make up for lost time together. Of note is when Ciri reminisces on how Geralt never gave her piggyback rides at Kaer Morhen. For a moment, Geralt goes silent and looks sad... only for Ciri to unexpectedly tackles him and climb atop his shoulders. Geralt then promptly runs around in circles as though he's giving a small child a piggyback ride, laughing the whole time.
• The endings Geralt can have with either Yen or Triss. With Yen, Geralt finally finds freedom from politics and lives happily with Yenn in a small remote village. With Triss, he finds steady income and happiness with her, as she secures an advisor's position in Kovir.
  • The setup to the latter is especially sweet, as Geralt finds out when she performs a bit of Hydromancy, which always shows the inner-thoughts of the mage casting the spell before solidifying on the actual target. Triss didn't know how to broach the topic, and Geralt can tell her "Of course I'll go", or say that he needs time to decide — a fact she supports and even shows ambivalence about taking the position, as her priority is being with Geralt, which is enough to convince Geralt to go along with it.
  • Just before the climactic battle, Triss and Geralt engage in some more playful banter, with Triss expressing faux-surprise that Geralt actually said something romantic before saying "I love you, you know." As Triss walks away, Geralt quietly murmurs "I love you, too".
• Restoring Temeria's statehood is heartwarming as well, as the peasants who suffered for a year as pawns in a war-torn no-man's land are finally free to go about their lives in peace.
• Even the Downer Ending has its moments. Despite his gruff and uncaring treatment of the werewolf named Berem, once they locate the Crone, Geralt foregoes killing the supposedly weakened beast. He turns down Berem's offers for help and urges him to take his last cub, go somewhere far away, and live. The werewolf does not comply and eventually joins Geralt in finishing Weavess off.
• A very short quest that only occurs in the ending where Ciri becomes Empress starts as soon as you walk out the tavern in White Orchard. A horse will buck off its rider then take off down the road. Turns out it picked up the scent of its owner, a soldier who had been gone for a year and had finally come back. After chatting a little, Geralt says he sees the horse is in good hands, and tries to leave, but before he does, the soldier, appreciative that Geralt followed the horse to make sure it was okay, gives him a few crowns as a token of thanks.

Hearts of Stone

Truly a bittersweet ending for Olgeird.

• In Hearts of Stone Olgierd and Vlodimir's brotherly love is quite touching. Vlodimir speaks with great pride and affection for Olgierd, in spite of his jealousy. Olgierd could have chosen any type of impossible wish, but decided on one that would benefit his deceased brother, and is uncharacteristically moved when given a letter from him. With strong shades of Tear Jerker, of course, especially after learning the cause of Vlodimir's death.
• In the "Side with O'Dimm" ending, Gaunter offers Geralt whatever he can think of. One of these (assuming Geralt does this before the Isle of Mists) can be to ask where Ciri is. Gaunter can't tell him — some things even he can't do — but he does offer Geralt some advice, essentially telling the players what they need to do to keep Ciri alive in the good endings. Gaunter's tone is unusually soft in this scene, indicating he's aware of how much Ciri means to Geralt.
• In the "Side with Olgierd" ending for Hearts of Stone, Olgierd is so utterly humbled that Geralt would risk so much to save his own soul, despite everything he put Geralt and many others through, his wife included, that he swears off his criminal lifestyle. He then gives the witcher his sword, an ancient family heirloom named after Iris, and insists that Geralt take it after turning it down. Even in the cruel world of The Witcher, the wicked can find redemption.
  • More so is when Geralt accidentally cuts Olgierd's hand as he accepts Iris. Geralt says, "I'm sorry", but Olgierd simply stares at the wound, taking in the fact that it no longer heals as his wounds did when he was under Gaunter's power. The smile he sports as he tells Geralt, "You needn't be," says everything about the joy he feels at finally being free, with the wound being the proof that Gaunter's influence over him is truly gone.
  • Olgierd's gift is truly a deserved reward - Iris is among the best steel swords in the entire game.
• Do a bit of digging in the auction house during Open Sesame! and you can find a note that reveals that Iris' artistic pseudonym was van Rogh and that she is the mysterious and "little known painter" whose piece you can buy. The same piece the book dealer is thrilled to buy. Iris' greatest fear, that she wouldn't be remembered, proved wrong: at least one person will cherish her work and remember her.

Blood and Wine

• Just seeing the conditions in the Duchy of Touissant. It's certainly not a perfect nation by any means, still plagued by monsters and conspiracy, but even peasants can live a relatively stable life here. Compared to Velen and Novigrad, the place is almost like a paradise. It serves as a much needed reminder that there are still things worth fighting for in this world.
• The story of Vivienne and Guillaume. Vivienne has been cursed since before she was born. Geralt tells her it's possible to transfer the curse onto a new host, giving it a much weaker hold on them. She immediately refuses to condemn another person to that sort of fate, even if it would mean that the alternative would shorten her life to seven years... at best. Even then, she tries to use a cracked egg rather than a healthy one to spare a chick.
  • The other path is even better. If you choose to tell Guillaume about the curse, he immediately volunteers to have the curse transferred onto him. What's more is that this is one of the few unambiguously happy endings in the Witcher series, with Guillaume not suffering any ill effects from the curse and getting together with Vivienne. Geralt himself is a bit flummoxed that true love prevailed and was the key.
  • Better yet, Geralt can, instead of saying happily ever after, opt to give them advice about the two deciding their lives for themselves. He also warns them that the curse may not be completely broken, telling them to be vigilant and to find him should the curse reappear, readily offering his help. It should also be noted that it would be far easier to break the curse of someone who had it recently than someone who's had it since birth, thus the reason Geralt chooses to comply with Guillaume's offer.
  • There's also the small detail Geralt suggests that Guillaume's preference would only work if real love or affection existed between those involved with the process. Plus, Vivienne even tells Guillaume that if the curse appears on him instead, she'd never leave him.
• In the first encounter between Geralt and the Beast of Beauclair, they're prevented from killing each other by none other than Regis, an old friend Geralt believed was dead. While the Beast insists that Regis continues to regenerate, Regis gets the Beast to retreat by telling him, "No! He's my friend!" Once he departs, Geralt and Regis share an honest-to-goodness hug, overjoyed to see each other again.
  • Regis is the only member of Geralt's True Companions whom he's shared a (sober) hug with. Think about that.
• In one quest to gather the ingredients needed to track down Detlaff, you can choose to either kill a spotted wight, or break her curse. Choosing to break it requires that Geralt dine with the wight as a willing guest, eating a noxious wight's brew that stresses even his resistance to toxins, and having her look at her reflection. Once the curse breaks, Geralt brings the ex-wight to Corvo Bianco, where she eats her fill for the first time in over a hundred years, and he can allow her to stay permanently as the cook. Even though she's old now and has lost her youth and beauty, the woman named Marlene is just so grateful to feel human again, and is happy enough to simply spend her final days of life pursuing her passion for cooking.
  • How gentle Geralt is with Marlene, the cursed one. In her wight form he talks very calmly and gently to her, explaining what he wants to do. Then, when he finally finds her returned to human in the graveyard he craddles her in his arms and takes her back to his home, promising her that she is safe now and he will protect her.
• The Golden Ending for the main quest where Anna and Sylvia reconcile after decades of estrangement. Sylvia says that she wanted to kill Anna for her betrayal and abandonment of her. But rather than be angry with her, Anna admits to her wrongdoing, voices how she has always regretted not standing up for her older sister when she needed her the most, and begs forgiveness. It hits all the right notes, and after some coaxing, Sylvia returns Anna's hug, finally letting go of years worth of anger and resentment. Geralt of all people is so moved, that he struggles to maintain a straight face.
• The "Be It Ever So Humble Quest" ending where Ciri comes to visit Geralt. The reunion is nice, but it's doubly heartwarming if Ciri chose to become empress of Nilfgaard. Geralt and Ciri's tearful goodbye at the end of the main game was not permanent after all.
  • The ending where Ciri decided to become a Witcher is nice too, since Geralt can offer to let Ciri to move in. It's so comforting to see that, even if Ciri is out travelling, she has a home to return to, and Ciri and Geralt can finally be a family together.
• If you had a romance with Yennefer, she will come visit you at Geralt's new vineyard after the events of Blood and Wine. You can almost hear the delight in Geralt's voice when, after asking Yen if this vineyard is good enough for the two of them to run away to together, the sorceress accepts. It's a hell of a retirement, and much deserved.
  • Doubly heartwarming if you're a book fan, as the ending is exactly what Yennefer hoped for her and Geralt.
  "A beautiful dream." Yennefer lightly stroked his arm. "A house. A house built with your own hands and in the house you and me. You would raise horses and sheep, I would take care of the garden."
• The very end of Blood and Wine with Geralt's subtle, warm glance towards the player. After countless adventures with Geralt, it's time for the titular Witcher to get some well-deserved rest.
  Regis: After all that toil, I believe we deserve some rest.
  Geralt: That we do. (Beat before casting an Aside Glance at the screen)
• The Golden Ending of the "Father Knows Worst" quest: two brothers are looking for a third who was lost after a monster ambush in a cave. When Geralt finds the third, he learns that the three had been set up by their late father to share their inheritance rather than fight for control over it. The third brother reports that his two siblings planned to 'cut him out' of his part of the deal. Upon leaving the cave, Geralt sees the two brothers with a group of armed men; the third assumes that they are hired thugs. If Geralt refuses to go in swinging, and instead opens up talk, the two brothers reveal that they wish to end the conflict entirely, because they couldn't live with themselves if family were harmed from the squabble. The armed men? Hunters from a nearby camp who offered to help mount a rescue when Geralt didn't return from the cave quickly.
• Earning Aerondight is a serious validation for a noble and good Geralt, as he needs to exhibit the five chivalric virtues of compassion, wisdom, generosity, valor, and honor in order to obtain the most powerful sword in the entire game. Doubly for a player who has been playing as a good Geralt who refuses rewards and spares his enemies the entire time, and simply activates the quest without even realizing there was a reward for it. And for longtime fans of the game series, they get to briefly reunite with the Lady of the Lake herself.
• While most of the "Big Game Hunter" contract is fairly funny, talking to the Count's bodyguards afterward can have them reveal that the Count's daughter, Clarissa, used to go on the wildlife excursions with him, but a tumble off her horse left her paralyzed about 10 years prior. Her father's trips since then are all in an effort to record, paint, and bring back examples of the animals she used to love seeing in the wild.
  • Geralt and Count Beledal end up getting along well together. Geralt never makes fun of him and actually is considerate of what is needed to make a great picture. He even comes to his art show and asks about the Count's daughter. The Count, meanwhile, is highly respectful of Geralt, is down to earth (even mocking the rich suck-ups and revealing a prank he pulls on them), and heeds the Witcher's advice when danger is around. At the end of their hunt Beledal states that if Geralt ever gets into wine making he should come and see him... considering that Geralt does just that at the end of the DLC it is likely the two of them did end up as partners.
• Subtle as it is, but the Golden Ending of the "A Knight's Tales" counts: the tormented spirit is released to the hereafter peacefully and without a fight, the lumberjack realises that sometimes just being part of the legend is enough, and the Witch of Lynx Crag kept her part of bargain to the T. But most importantly, it is all achieved via being nice and respectful to everyone, including the Wicked Witch semi-responsible for the whole story.
• As strange as it may sound, Geralt's relationship with his new majordomo, Barnabas-Basil. One would expect this to be a disaster — Geralt, who hates the trappings of the rich, insulting and mocking the man; and the majordomo looking down at his new rough-and-tumble mutant of a lord. However, the two quickly hit it off; Geralt asks about the history of the estate, is utterly polite to the man, and asks him to help him out with what amounts to his first real house. In return, Barnabas-Basil is delighted to run the estate, and even shares some funny stories about its past caretakers. After you repair the estate fully, the two of you share a bottle of wine while looking over the estate, planning the future. One gets the sense that Geralt has made a new friend that will eventually join the ranks of Dandelion and Zolton.
  • Probably helped by Basil's caring for Marlene the cured wight, especially if you break her curse before visiting Corvo Bianco at your own leisure. When Geralt brings an old, starving woman to the vineyard, Basil doesn't blink or hesitate. Instead, the majordomo immediately ensures that their guest is well-fed and safe, taking Geralt's comments about her century without food and her previous wight-state in stride, while Geralt can get back to tracking the Beast. After meeting all too many jerks and assholes in the world, it's nice to meet a man who is genuinely kind and understanding.

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