# Witcher 3: Anyone else struggle whether to romance Yennerfer or Triss? (SPOILERS) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 29, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511 "2017-04-29T17:10:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/1 "2017-04-29T17:10:51Z")
I know, I know…it’s my game and I need to play through it as I see fit. That said I am just curious what others chose and why because I am (weirdly) deeply conflicted about this choice. Yes, the game is a couple years old and I played to the end when it came out. My conflict existed then and I romanced both and suffered for trying. I am re-playing it now to experience all the DLC and again I am conflicted. I know, it is a game, who cares, doesn’t matter. Yet I find myself struggling with it nevertheless. To me a hallmark of a good game or story…I care about the characters. I have read the books so I know that Geralt and Yennefer are connected by a deep, if unusual, bond. It is referenced numerous times in the game but most poignantly when [Priscilla sings her song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bSk-8C76dc) (one of my favorite moments in a game with a lot of great moments). My struggle is the story has it that Yen and Geralt are destined lovers (and I do like Yen) but were it not for weird wishes and whatnot I really dig Triss. To me Yen is a bit distant and sharp edged and uncaring about the world at large. Triss is caring and seems to be more part of the team…so to speak. And of course both women are beautiful. For my money a near split on that with perhaps a slight nod to Yennefer but really…they are both stunning. So, who did you choose and why? (As an aside in the first Witcher game I went for Shani over Triss because she was a healer and I thought a kinder person who, I was dismayed to find, was completely forgotten in the following games.) ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/2 "2017-04-29T17:31:04Z")
Seems like the way you want to roleplay involves plowing Triss and not Yen. Nothing wrong with that, you don’t have to follow the canon if that’s not the way you feel comfortable playing the game. In any case, surely an upcoming DLC or mod will give the option of a threesome. That’d be my choice while singing the Witcher’s version of Row your boat: Plow, plow, plow her throat Roughly down the fleam Angrily, angrily, angrily, angrily Life is but a scheme ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/3 "2017-04-29T18:02:37Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Seems like the way you want to roleplay involves plowing Triss and not Yen. Nothing wrong with that, you don’t have to follow the canon if that’s not the way you feel comfortable playing the game. Who did you choose and why? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/4 "2017-04-29T18:29:03Z")
My first playthrough I went with Yen - both because of the books, and because when you _have_ read them, you know that Triss has been a very bad girl in Witcher 1 & 2. As Geralt’s memories are mostly back in 3, I figure he’d bear something of a grudge for her taking advantage. I also really like Yen&Geralt’s dynamic. Triss doesn’t challenge Geralt, but Yen won’t take _any_ of his shit silently. Some people find her bossy, I think she just stands up for herself and their trading barbs is just love written another way. Plus I’d let Triss get on the boat, so the romance option was closed to me :). Playthough 2 I went with Triss out of simple curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/5 "2017-04-29T19:52:50Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Triss doesn’t challenge Geralt, but Yen won’t take _any_ of his shit silently. Some people find her bossy, I think she just stands up for herself and their trading barbs is just love written another way. Hmm… Triss is no pushover and she does challenge Geralt. Yen just has harder edges than Triss. And Yen is bossy. Kinda who she is. If I had to pick a word to describe Yen I would call her “imperious”. Make no mistake…I love Yennefer and I like her strong character. Triss likewise is strong of character and no pushover but she’s nicer than Yen. One thing that is never explored much in the books is that Yen and (probably) Triss are using magic to make themselves look like they do. Basically they can pick some ideal. Their “real” forms are unknown to us. The implication being is they are actually ugly or worse (think of some horror movie where the guy is getting it on with the beautiful woman who is, in reality, nasty looking). Geralt knows this about Yen and has explicitly said he doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/6 "2017-05-01T13:36:38Z")
I’ve played through the game three times, and each time I found myself ending up with Yen. I guess I have a type. It’s funny: if she were a man, she’d be called “complicated”, but because she’s a women, she’s “bossy”. I don’t know. Maybe her general disdain and hostility toward the rest of the world makes the genuine affection she shows Geralt, Ciri and a few others more appealing. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/7 "2017-05-01T17:09:32Z")
I picked Yen. The Witcher 3 was my first Witcher game and I hadn’t read any books so didn’t know any backstory. I felt that, from the story I’d been presented with, Triss was a bit light weight, like Geraldt found her attractive but didn’t have any deep feelings for her. On the other hand Yen and Geraldton had a real, if a little turbulent, thing going on. ---
**Author:** ![pieceoftheuniverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@pieceoftheuniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pieceoftheuniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/8 "2017-05-01T17:49:11Z")
I chose neither of them, because the quests were ordered in the wrong way. First you meet up with Triss leading the underground resistance. If you follow that side-quest to completion as soon as you get it (and there’s a sense of urgency to it, so why not?), you have to choose whether or not to go with Triss. EXCEPT: story-wise, there’s a magical connection between Geralt and Yen. Until that bond is broken (much, much later), any relationship with anyone else - including Triss - is doomed to fail. If you want to romance Triss, for the sake of a complete narrative, you have to (well, for various definitions of the phrase “have to”) juggle the quests in a very meta way. Otherwise, it doesn’t seem to me like Geralt would even be able to comprehend making that choice. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/9 "2017-05-01T22:04:13Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’ve played through the game three times, and each time I found myself ending up with Yen. I guess I have a type. Same. To be honest Triss irritated me with her secrecy/plotting in Witcher 1 in particular. Yennefer _in game_ ( still haven’ read the books ) seems a bit more direct/mature and Triss comes off as trying a little too hard. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/10 "2017-05-02T02:21:43Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > n. > > One thing that is never explored much in the books is that Yen and (probably) Triss are using magic to make themselves look like they do. Basically they can pick some ideal. Their “real” forms are unknown to us. The implication being is they are actually ugly or worse I’m pretty sure there are _hints_ about Yennefer actual appearance in the books. In particular that she’s lame in one feet (or is it hunchback? or both?). Possibly also a bit plumpy. I don’t think that there’s any indication that she’s truly ugly, but since she’s much older than she appears (how old? I don’t remember any mention of it in the books, but it seems to me that it’s stated at some point in the game that she’s about the same age as Geralt, who himself is older than he looks), she might be like the “red woman” in game of thrones, who clearly lacks sex-appeal when seen in her real form, even though she’s not ugly, just old. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/11 "2017-05-02T02:28:27Z")
Too late to edit : after searching the witcher wiki, Yennefer was a hunchback. She’s also 99 yo when the witcher 3 starts. However, it’s unclear if her attractive look is a mere illusion, or her true appearance (altered by magic). I think the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2017, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-anyone-else-struggle-whether-to-romance-yennerfer-or-triss-spoilers/785511/12 "2017-05-02T05:39:53Z")
Well, to be fair, Geralt himself is pretty dang old and only looks like a dad because of his mutations. IIRC he’s about 100 by the time of Witcher 3. Pretty spry for a centenarian though.