Whether it's in The Witcher games, books, or Netflix series, Geralt of Rivia is a true badass. He puts an end to monsters, bandits, and whoever else gets in his way, usually in a quick and brutal fashion too.
However, one-person wrecking crews are not unusual to gamers, as they've seen plenty of protagonists put an end to hordes of enemies. Which brings up the question, how tough is Geralt? In the Witcher universe, he's insanely deadly, but how would he do against other video game characters? So for this list, we've given that question some thought, and come up with five video game protagonists who could best Geralt in a fight and five who couldn't.
10 Could: Raiden - Metal Gear Series
For this entry, we are talking about Cyborg Ninja Raiden, from Metal Gear Solid 4 and Revengeance, not Raiden from MGS2 as he would get destroyed by the Witcher. Ninja Raiden, on the other hand, is an even better swordsman than Geralt. His ability to use either his hands, feet, or even mouth, to control and swing his sword makes Raiden an unpredictable opponent.
Plus, the pure agility of the Cyborg would be too much for the Witcher to handle as he bounced from wall to wall. That's not to say it would be an easy fight, as Geralt's use of signs and edge in experience would mean that he'd land some blows of his own, but Raiden's enhanced abilities would win out in the end.
9 Couldn't: Nathan Drake - Uncharted Series
Nathan Drake is a survivor. He's managed to persevere against treasure hunters, armed soldiers, and cursed creatures, which shows he is a tough dude. Yet, none of the obstacles he's come up against are as perilous as going toe to toe with a Witcher.
Drake would have the advantage of range due to the use of multiple different firearms. However, while he has no experience against guns, Geralt has plenty of experience facing long-range attacks, such as arrows and certain monster's projectiles. The Witcher will likely know how to cut the distance between him and the adventurer, and then in close range, Drake's hand to hand combat won't compete with a steel sword.
8 Could: Cal Kestis - Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
Cal has been selected for this list due to Jedi Fallen Order being a recent game, but pretty much any strong Jedi would get the better of Geralt. This is because the Witcher's swords would be cut in half by a lightsaber, that's why imperial troops use blasters and stun batons instead of broadswords.
Geralt would have to try to use his signs to defeat Cal, but the Jedi's Force powers would be able to match them. In a fistfight with no powers allowed, Geralt would win, but this list is taking weapons and powers into account, thus the Witcher would struggle.
7 Couldn't: Marcus Fenix - Gears Of War Series
Marcus versus Geralt wouldn't be too dissimilar to The Witcher going against Nathan Drake as Marcus would require distance to stand a chance. Once again, Geralt would be crafty enough to get close to his opponent, however Marcus would be more difficult to dispatch in close combat than Drake.
The gear is often equipped with his trusty chainsaw lancer so he could try to saw the Witcher in two. Although anyone who has played a Gears game knows that getting the chainsaw out and using it, isn't always a quick process, and Geralt would've downed the soldier before he's managed to rev it up (as long as he aimed for the unarmored parts of Marcus that is).
6 Could: Commander Shepard (As An Adept) - Mass Effect Series
Now, you might be thinking if Nathan Drake and Marcus Fenix can't beat Geralt, why is fellow gun user Commander Shepard any different? The answer is biotics. Shepard using the soldier class would likely face the same fate as Drake and Marcus, but as an adept (or Vanguard or Sentinel), the Commander could use their biotic powers to keep Geralt at bay.
The Witcher wouldn't be able to close the distance if he keeps getting lifted up in the air or thrown backward. Signs won't help Geralt either as they have a much shorter range than Biotics. Shepard could just keep switching between using biotics and firing their gun until Geralt is put down.
5 Couldn't: Ezio - Assassin's Creed Series
During the three Assassin's Creed games Ezio is in, he proved himself to be a talented swordsman, yet he is still not on Geralt's level in that regard. Yet, most of Ezio's main adversaries weren't taken out in one on one combat, he usually caught them by surprise, by hiding in crowds, jumping from rooftops, or simply sneaking up behind them.
Unfortunately for the assassin, that wouldn't work against Geralt either, as even if Ezio managed to temporarily escape from the Witcher (perhaps with the use of his superior free-running abilities), Geralt's enhanced senses would mean he'd sniff the assassin out before he had time to strike.
4 Could: Kratos - God Of War Series
A lot of the fights on this list have been about a contrast in styles and/or weaponry, this one is different in that Kratos and Geralt are more similar. Yet, Geralt would be defeated, as Kratos would be too powerful for The Witcher.
Geralt spends his time putting an end to monsters like vampires and werewolves, whereas Kratos brings down gods. You could make a case that Geralt might be more tactically savvy than the Demigod, still the difference in strength would be too great for the Witcher to overcome.
3 Couldn't: Bigby - The Wolf Among Us
Bigby spends most of his time in The Wolf Among Us as a relatively normal Sheriff (despite being a wolf). When the violence picks up though, he becomes a huge, ferocious, and much more dangerous wolf.
Even if Bigby was in full wolf mode, Geralt would be the clear favorite in this fight, as dealing with dangerous monsters is second nature for a Witcher. Especially as in The Wolf Among Us, it's made very clear that Bigby has a weakness to silver, and Geralt always keeps a silver sword on hand. The Big Bad Wolf is the sort of opponent the Witcher is perfectly suited for.
2 Could: Ciri - The Witcher 3
This is a contentious pick as Geralt versus Ciri would likely be the most evenly contested fight on the list.
Geralt has the experience advantage, and he can sustain more damage, however Ciri's speed would be difficult for him to handle. Plus, if she were able to tap into more of her power as she did during the Battle of Kaer Morhen, then Geralt could be outmatched. Still, there is little between them, and if they had ten fights, Ciri would probably win six of them, and Geralt would win four. They'd certainly be enjoyable battles to watch.
1 Couldn't: Mario - Super Mario Series
No list about video game protagonists would be complete without the most famous one of all time. Although let's be honest, he would get absolutely destroyed by Geralt. Mario has shown he's got some fighting ability in the Smash Bros. series, and he's certainly a survivor as he's managed to defeat the Bowser countless times despite the villain being much larger and stronger than him. Nevertheless, the plumber would struggle to survive a one on one battle with the deadly Witcher.
That's not to say Mario has no chance at all because if he managed to pick up a Super Star during the fight then he would be temporarily invincible and he would only have to touch Geralt to kill him, however Geralt would take him down before he could even find a star.