Who is Geralt’s True Love?

“In ‘The Witcher’, like the Arthurian legends, love is messy.”

The 2020s are shaping up to be a great decade for fans of The Witcher. We now have three epic mediums through which to experience the fantastic story and world – The Books, the Show, and the Video Game – each offering its own take on the story. But after watching the show, or reading the books, or even just playing the games, one might find themselves wondering – who is Geralt’s true love?

Even though this might seem to be a pretty obvious answer, there has in fact been very little said definitively about the subject. So let’s try and do our best.

*spoilers ahead for the books, games, and TV show.

What is True Love in Fairy Tales and Stories?

It may seem funny to ask this question, but it is a very central theme to the story of The Witcher. In many ways, The Witcher universe turns what we thought we knew about fairy tales and fantasy on its head. Take, for example, the love Aragorn and Arwen have for one another in The Lord of the Rings. Aragorn is the white knight who fights for his fair lady’s hand. He is loyal, faithful and chivalrous to her. In the end, he wins her heart.

If only things were this straightforward in The Witcher – then so many people wouldn’t be wondering who is Geralt’s true love.

In fact, themes of chivalry run throughout literature of all kinds, especially in stories surrounding King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table.

However, not all is so well in Camelot. After all, if you remember, even though Arthur marries Guinevere, she isn’t faithful to him, instead having an affair with Lancelot.

In the King Arthur Stories, Love Was Messy

Why are the Arthurian legends important to discussing The Witcher? First of all, the theme of a “white knight” and a “dark knight” are important ones in The Witcher. Geralt, for example, cannot help but play the white knight, no matter how much he may or may not want to. Likewise, characters like Cahir who appear to be dark characters, even being described as “the black knight” up until the end, are also contrarily white knights.

Chivalry is alive and well in the world of the Witcher, but it looks different than it does in our stories about knights. Women don’t always need to be saved, with many of the strongest characters in the story being incredibly powerful. And for Geralt, he is not only indebted to chivalry towards Yennefer (his lady) but to Ciri, his daughter, as well.

Of course, the Arthurian legends play a major role in “The Lady of the Lake”. So it’s important to keep this in mind when discussing love in The Witcher.

Do Triss and Geralt Love Each Other?

Similarly, love is messy in The Witcher.

In the books, as well as the games, Geralt gets around. He sleeps with several women, and has intense relationships with about two (Yennefer included). In the games, Geralt also has a very intense relationship with Triss Merrigold. While many point to the fact that the games are not considered “canon” by the author, it seems that when it comes to the Witcher, what is and what isn’t canon is a bit loose.

The Netflix show, for example, pulls inspiration from both the books and the video game, while also making up some of their own stuff, too.

However, the show seems to have sided more with the books on the issue of Triss and Geralt. In fact, they take things even a step further. Whereas Geralt and Triss do have a fling in the books, they are not given one in the show. It’s clear that there is a fondness between them. But that’s all it is.

Is Yennefer Geralt’s True Love?

In a word, yes. Mirroring the relationship between Guinevere and Arthur, things are not always the cleanest between the two of them. However, infidelity does not seem to be as big of an issue, with Yennefer knowing that Geralt has slept around, mostly likely with Fringila. For some reason, this doesn’t bother her in the books. But then again, the two have something of an on again off again relationship.

The Witcher cleverly subverts our innate ideas about true love from the stories and challenges us by showing this other love. The love between Yennefer and Geralt that is not always perfectly chivalrous, not clean and well wrapped with a bow, but just as real, just as life changing, regardless.

As it is shown in the show, the two are often apart, and are certainly not “waiting” for each other the way we think of couples doing.

But it is quite clear that Yennefer is the one and only true love for Geralt, and vise versa. Yennefer does love her witcher, too.

Ciri Binds Yennefer and Geralt Together

Beyond their own attraction and compassion for one another, Geralt and Yennefer are further bound together due to their parental tie to Ciri. Geralt is very much a father to Ciri, and Yennefer is very much a mother, with Ciri even gladly greeting her as “momma” in the final book, and Yennefer calling her “daughter”.

The Wish Made to the Djinn Isn’t a Big Deal

In the Netflix show, as well as in the games, the “last wish” made to the Djinn is a major driving force for the plot. Yennefer and Geralt’s relationship seems doomed due to whatever it was that Geralt wished for – that being a wish that binds their two lives together.

However, in the books Yennefer is grateful for this wish, and it’s precisely Geralt’s willingness to save her life that causes her to fall in love with him.

Perhaps the most touching moment from The Witcher 3 video game is the mission entitled, “The Last Wish”. In this arc, we see Yennefer and Geralt track down and fight a Djinn, simply so that Yennefer can undue the wish Geralt made. This way, she can finally know whether or not they truly are in love.

In the game, it makes no difference. The wish was not the reason for their love. In the books, as well, this is the case – Yennefer and Geralt simply love each other. It’s just that easy.