For someone who is relatively young and new in the video game industry, The Witcher's Geralt of Rivia's journey as one of the most recognizable video game protagonists to date has been rapid. He went from a discount Elric of Melniboné to a household name across many generations of gamers. It did help that Geralt was also a relatable yet neutral blank slate - something that many characters can see themselves in.
His character has also done many feats both gallant and polarizing through the players. Regardless of who he kills, threatens, or argues with, Geralt of Rivia is a true badass and his witticism and retorts reflect his character well. So, to remind everyone that Geralt is his own character, here are his most stunning quotes.
Updated August 30, 2023 By Ben Jessey: The third season of The Witcher Netflix series has recently been released. Like the previous two seasons, Geralt provides several good quotes throughout the eight episodes. Yet, do these lines match up with the classic ones he's delivered in the other seasons, books, and games?
That's a difficult standard to reach because Geralt has had some wonderful lines in every Witcher project. We put the best ones on this list, and we've now updated it to include a few more greats.
23 "Hatred And Prejudice Will Never Be Eradicated. And Witch Hunts Will Never Be About Witches. To Have A Scapegoat – That’s The Key."
The Witcher might be set in a fantasy world, but it shares some similarities to the real thing. For instance, prejudice also rears its ugly head in Geralt's universe.
In The Witcher 3, prejudice is at the heart of Triss' questline, where Geralt helps her get the mages out of Novigrad to escape the Witch Hunters. Once they do, the Witch Hunters begin to target elves and dwarfs instead. It's at this point where Geralt delivers the powerful line about Witch hunts not being about Witches. This is a quote that would still ring true in the real world.
22 "Fear Is An Illness. If You Leave It Untreated, It Can Consume You."
In season two of The Witcher Netflix series, Geralt teaches Ciri plenty of things. Some of them are physical moves to use in battles, but he passes along general wisdom at times, too. One such occurrence comes when he attempts to help Ciri control her fear.
He does so by delivering an impactful line about fear being an illness. It's the sort of quote that is relevant to the viewer, too. After all, fear isn't just for those with Elder Blood in their veins. Everybody gets scared sometimes, and Geralt is right about how you have to deal with it.
21 "I'll Carry On Killing Monsters In The Ruins Of This World Until Some Monster Kills Me."
Even if the world lies in ruin—which does not seem likely to me—I'll carry on killing monsters in the ruins of this world until some monster kills me.
Geralt in the books just hits differently. He's more stoic, more introspective, and more thoughtful there. That Witcher quote above is just one example of just how much he values his work as well as his general attitude towards the world and his life.
It's also quite sad. Geralt doesn't seem to value his life at all, since there have been many instances in the books where he rushes headfirst into danger and nearly gets killed. Being a Witcher is all he knows about and it's all he was born into. Nothing else comes close to giving him a sense of purpose.
20 "I Run Into Dilemmas All The Time... This Is Not One Of Them. You Disgust Me. And Deserve To Die."
I run into dilemmas all the time. Situations where it's hard to judge, hard to know what's right, make a decision. This is not one of them. You disgust me. And deserve to die.
There are many moments in the games where Geralt adjusts to become more understanding or empathic about his supposed prey. There was one instance though where he truly loathes a monster and that's with the vampire, Orianna from the Blood and Wine expansion.
It turns out she was hoarding some orphans for nobody knows what (presumably as a food stockpile) so Geralt blurted out that those harsh words above. He was even ready to combat Orianna on the spot at that very moment. We can only assume that he killed her in a future encounter as was portrayed in one of the cinematic trailers for the game.
19 "You Know F*ck All, Dandelion."
That's the full quote. It sounds like regular best bros banter between Geralt and Dandelion but it has a deeper context since Geralt is a mutant and Dandelion is his ever-judgy pal. They had this talk during a desperate Witcher job where Dandelion tags along.
Not much was happening on the road so Dandelion decided to open up his perception about Geralt. He claims Geralt's biggest problem is that he thinks he's different. To this, Geralt replies with a dismissive retort. To be fair, Geralt needs to open up more about his woes so that his friends don't just assume that he's a cantankerous mutant.
18 "You'd Better Pay Up, Or The Invisible Hand Of The Market Will Smack You So Hard You Won't Sit Down For A Week."
This was a quote from the game, specifically The Witcher 3 which explains the slight fourth wall break where Geralt mentions the basics of capitalism. It also explains a lot of his frequent predicaments with his customers. Some of them, from lowly country folk peasants to even rich fat nobles always try to swindle him.
They're quite lucky that Geralt gets rather creative and witty when he's losing his temper. This time around, he seems to have had enough of customers' stinginess so he talks in a language that he will surely remember.
17 "Lambert, Lambert, What A Pr**k."
This clever comeback was brought to you by a long boat ride in a placid lake with two Witcher bros whose constant tension took a creative turn. Geralt always found Lambert's company too tense so when the two of them went on a Witcher errand near Kaer Morhen, Geralt took the opportunity to talk to Lambert about his demeanor and attitude about the Witchers.
Too bad Lambert doesn't want to drop the bitter bad boy act and continues to be abrasive toward his fellow Witchers. So Geralt gave us this heartful and smart limerick about Lambert and his ever-grouchy mood about Witchers despite having the freedom to leave anytime.
16 "Beware Of An Old Man In A Profession Where Men Usually Die Young."
This is the most badass Geralt quote there is as it sums up his skills and abilities. The job of being a Witcher isn't an easy ride. We're told that many don't survive the training and those that do often don't last much longer.
Witchers frequently face monsters of all types and the danger is high. This means an old Witcher is very rare. Just the fact Geralt is still fighting shows that he possesses tremendous skills.
15 "This World Doesn't Need A Hero. It Needs A Professional."
Being a hero comes with expectations. Heroes are often perceived as needing to behave in specific ways, set good examples, and be friendly and well, heroic. Geralt doesn't consider being a Witcher being a hero, he considers it being a professional and suggests this is better.
Witchers aren't liked but they are (usually) respected. They don't take sides or worry about what people think of them. They simply do the jobs that need doing in exchange for coin. Witchers are skilled, trained professional killers and while Geralt does try to cling to his humanity, the main focus is simply to do the jobs that need doing, many of which a hero wouldn't touch.
14 “It Is Easy To Kill With A Bow, Girl."
It is easy to kill with a bow, girl. How easy it is to release the bowstring and think, it is not I, it is the arrow. The blood of that boy is not on my hands. The arrow killed him, not I. But the arrow does not dream anything in the night.
This Sword of Destiny quote is a stark reminder of how it can seem easy to kill when you use a weapon such as a bow that allows you to detach from the process. Geralt is recalling that detachment here before bringing in the stark reminder of consequences.
As he goes on to talk about dreams he's reminding (Ciri in this case) that there are always consequences and your subconscious will remember, even if you try to hide from them. The lesson is to be aware of all your actions and make sure you can justify them.
13 “You Can Do Anything. Doesn't Mean You Have To.”
One constant in most tales about Ciri is that people are after her, whether it's Nilfgaard or The Wild Hunt. This is because of her special blood and the things she's capable of. A lot of the time, she struggles with the power she has and feels like she must use it.
In season two of The Witcher, Geralt doesn't seem to care too much about her abilities, nor does he feel she has any obligation to do anything with them. This is what he expresses using the quote in question. At the time, he says this to her when she's trying to nurse her own wounds. Yet, he's clearly also referring to her power in general. It's a nice quote because it goes against the "with great power comes great responsibility" idea seen in many different films, TV shows, and books. It works for Spider-Man, but it's nice to see a different take.
12 “Well, We’re Afeared. And What Of It? Do We Sit Down And Weep And Tremble? Life Must Go On. And What Will Be, Will Be. What Is Destined Can’t Be Avoided, In Any Case.”
Another Geralt quote from Sword of Destiny, this one is a great life lesson, especially in these current times of uncertainty. Geralt reminds us that giving up will not change what is happening. Life will go on regardless.
Nobody can avoid the unpleasantness life throws at them and they cannot change everything that scares them. All they can do is pick themselves up and do the best they can. Wise words indeed.
11 “Mistakes Are Also Important To Me. I Don’t Cross Them Out Of My Life, Or Memory. And I Never Blame Others For Them.”
This quote from Geralt is taken from Blood of Elves and is actually a profound life lesson. Mistakes can often be a source of growth and this is especially true for Geralt. He's made many on his journey but he never glosses over them.
Blaming others is never a good thing but Geralt also makes sure to keep his mistakes in mind, to help prevent repeating them in the future. Mistakes are also inherently human in nature so their importance to Geralt may be as a link to his humanity, something easy to lose sight of as a Witcher.
10 "Damn, You're Ugly."
You will hear it once and a thousand times more. It's one of Geralt's favorite lines in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Geralt, upon seeing any monster he needs to slay with a silver sword or some random human bandits out and about, will usually blurt out this insult.
It's hilarious and yet bold at the same time - insulting your enemy a few seconds before you dissect them is just pure cold Witcher mannerism. Sometimes Geralt will say it after receiving a solid hit from an enemy, it has great tactical and entertainment value.
9 "Nonsense...And What's More, It Doesn't Rhyme. All Decent Predictions Rhyme."
Geralt has always been a skeptic and cynic despite all the freak monsters and religious cults he deals with on a daily basis. In the books, he constantly displays a certain abrasiveness toward superstition and prophecies, at one point even rejecting Ciri's prophecy despite the evidence.
Geralt lets these words slip out of his mouth in The Last Wish story compilation novel while talking with a sorcerer named Stregobor. The sorcerer was justifying his decision to ruin a child's life based on a cursed prophecy, something Geralt doesn't buy, and easily dismisses the sorcerer's input with a sarcastic reply.
8 "I've Overcome The Vanity And Pride Of Being Different."
Geralt's conversations with Dandelion (Jaskier, for you book purists) have always been one of the most profound in the books. That's because the bard tends to talk to Geralt about his feelings towards his profession or humanity (or the lack thereof). During one of their joint work travels, Geralt spills the beans on how he dealt with being different.
As it turns out, he's quite callous about it and no longer prides himself on being a mutant. Such an outlook is pretty understandable once you remind yourself that Geralt is nearly a century old and has seen much life has to offer. He has no illusions about covering his difference under the guise of pride and knows being a Witcher is neither a good or bad thing; it just is.
7 "Why Men Throw Their Lives Away Attacking An Armed Witcher...I'll Never Know. Something About My Face?"
This one is from the games and shows Geralt's peculiar sense of humor. From a historical standpoint, peasants and even uppity nobles have always tried to take on a Witcher out of ignorance or contest. It's like this for both the games and the books.
In fact, Geralt has killed a lot more men than monsters and that's saying something for a Witcher. With the way people rush at him and die within a few seconds, one would think the stories would be enough to deter anyone from crossing Witchers. Still, one peasant boy with a pitchfork did manage to succeed against Geralt.
6 "I Believe In The Sword."
I don't believe in Melitele, don't believe in the existence of other gods either...You ask what I believe in, in that case. I believe in the sword.
The ironic thing about this quote is that Geralt said it while taking refuge in a monastery or church in one of his flashbacks in The Last Wish. He was there because some of the wounds he sustained while Witchering were quite severe. Geralt also said this to a devout of Melitele who took a vow of silence.
That means she never was able to reply to Geralt's atheistic ideals. Even so, Geralt revealed that not many things matter to him anymore in the world other than the purpose for which he was made. That, and it has mostly always been his swords that saved his life.
5 "Keep The Gods Out Of It. Swear On Your Heads. Which I Will Take If You Break Your Vow."
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One could wonder what kind of individuals could warrant such a threat from Geralt. Turns out, they were cannibals from the Hearts of Stone expansion in The Witcher 3. Instead of swearing on the gods, Geralt made them swear on their heads that they'd stop cannibalizing.
It's a straight-up promise of decapitation if Geralt finds out they broke their vow upon returning. Depending on your choices for the associated quest, you can actually forego the threat and murder them right away.
4 "It's Said, Spitefully, The Silver One Is For Monsters And The Iron For Humans. A Lie, Of Course."
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As a continuation of Geralt's conversation with the silent girl in Melitele's monastery back in The Last Wish, Geralt kept deliriously spewing most of his life's woes and eventually said this without expecting any reply from the girl.
It's pretty much Geralt saying that humans can be just as (or even more) monstrous as the monsters they want Witchers to slay. In reality, he equally deals with both kinds of monsters.