The Witcher 3 is easily one of the greatest video games of all time, providing gamers with a definitive role-playing experience in an engrossing fantasy world full to the brim with everything one might expect from a modern game, and then some. The combat is engaging, the story is breathtaking, the world is incredibly detailed, and the characters are easily some of the most well-realized people any gamer will encounter in a video game. One of these characters that made their first appearance in the third game is Ciri. The search for this elusive girl spans a good portion of The Witcher 3's storyline, and interacting with her for the very first time is a treat in every sense of the word.
However, while CD Projekt Red might've done an admirable job of bringing Ciri to life from the books, the fact of the matter is that there are still several aspects of this character that seem completely unrelated to how she's portrayed in the works of Andrzej Sapkowski. To illustrate this, here are five ways in which Ciri's incarnation in the game is loyal to that shown in the books, coupled with five more instances where she feels like a completely original character.
10 ACTED OUT OF CHARACTER: Her Scar Actually Looks Aesthetic In The Games
The scar that Ciri receives in the books disfigures her face to the point where she just looks downright ugly. Ciri is well aware of this, using bangs for the longest time to try and draw attention away from his horrible disfigurement.
However, in the books, Ciri's scar looks almost perfectly placed and falls right into the trope of a cool facial mark.
9 JUST LIKE IN THE BOOKS: Her Untapped Potential Is Quite Apparent
Ciri's proficiency when it comes to using the Elder Blood powers might be way more developed in the games that in the books, but it's by no means fully understood by anyone.
This turns Ciri into a loose cannon of sorts, with her unpredictable ability having the potential to come loose at any time.
8 ACTED OUT OF CHARACTER: Knowing How To Activate Her Power
However, while Ciri might be aware of the Elder Blood powers, activating them is an entirely different thing altogether. Experimentation with a power that no one knows about is a very dangerous thing to get into... and yet, Ciri manages to channel her power somewhat in The Witcher 3 without any prior training.
How did Ciri even get the time to hone her skills? After all, she was constantly on the run from The Wild Hunt, so this just seems wildly unlikely.
7 JUST LIKE IN THE BOOKS: She Looks Exactly How She's Described In The Books... Mostly
If there's one thing that CD Projekt Red should be commended for — aside from making one of the greatest video games of all time — it's nailing Ciri's physical appearance to a T.
Her ashen-gray hair, green eyes, facial scar, and pale skin are all completely accurate to her physical description in the books. However, it's not like Ciri's physical features are completely accurate...
6 ACTED OUT OF CHARACTER: She Looks Way Too Good In The Games
Ciri might look somewhat elegant in the books, but the fact of the matter is that she doesn't look anywhere near as beautiful as she's depicted in the games.
We've already touched upon her facial scar, but — for the most part — Ciri's physical appearance makes her look fairly idealized, and nothing like the person we see in the games.
5 JUST LIKE IN THE BOOKS: She's Incredibly Resilient And Self-Sufficient
If there's one thing that Ciri is good at, it's having a hardy personality and taking care of herself no matter what. The fact that she was on the run from the Wild Hunt and still managed to take good care of herself — for the most part — is proof enough of this.
In the books, Ciri also has to take care of herself and does so admirably... well, for the most part. There is a moment when she joins a group called the Rats and commits some heinous crimes, but one can write it off as teenage angst that wasn't channeled properly.
4 ACTED OUT OF CHARACTER: Lacking Her Psychotic Edge
Speaking of the time she spent with the Rats, it must be said that engaging in banditry brought a dark side out of Ciri that has stuck with her in the books ever since, no matter how hard she's tried to suppress it.
However, in the games, Ciri seems like a level-headed individual for the most part, with none of these objectionable characteristics shining through. This is majorly why most people like Ciri's video game incarnation way better than her book half.
3 JUST LIKE IN THE BOOKS: A Highly Adept Fighter
The witcher training Ciri received in Kaer Morhen was one of the more entertaining aspects of the books... and also the most practical for Ciri. This training provided her with the means to hold her own in battle, which — combined with her Elder Blood powers — allowed her to become a force to be reckoned with.
This is expertly reflected in the games, with Ciri laying waste to anything and everything in her path with her superb combat skills.
2 ACTED OUT OF CHARACTER: The Dynamic Between Yennefer And Ciri Is Non-Existent
One of the biggest missteps in The Witcher 3 is the fact that Yennefer and Ciri don't really interact as much as they should.
This is quite odd, since Yennefer is basically Ciri's surrogate mother in the books, and both of them are really fond of each other. Yet, the games never really flesh out their interactions any further than the bare minimum required.
1 JUST LIKE IN THE BOOKS: Her Affection For Geralt
However, while the interactions between Ciri and Yennefer in the games might be muted, there's no denying the bond that Geralt and Ciri share.
Geralt is definitely a father to Ciri, and it shows in the various ways the player can interact with her throughout the game. The mere fact that the ending is solely dependent on how much trust Geralt instilled in Ciri is proof enough of this.