Triss Merigold is one of the most popular characters in The Witcher franchise who probably doesn't deserve all the spotlight she's getting right now. That's because she's never really meant to be a major character in the books written by Andrej Sapkowski. It was only under the behest of CD Projekt RED that Triss was transformed into a major character-- Geralt's love interest, even.
There's no doubt that her character had gotten bigger than intended, which was why there were tons of comparisons when Netflix made its own version of Triss Merigold for The Witcher show adaptation. On the one hand, we have a subjectively satisfying Triss from the show; on the other hand, one cannot simply forget Triss from the games. So we're here to compare both characters so you can weigh which one is better.
10 TRISS IN THE GAMES: YOUNGER
Triss in the games is no doubt more youthful than the one in the show. This is a rather important facade since Triss is considered as one of the youngest sorceresses in the Lodge of Sorceresses. In fact, the books even made it clear that she was akin to a teenager sometimes especially in behavior and decisions.
Triss in the show might be beautiful but she does look considerably older than the Triss in the games. She certainly doesn't radiate with the same innocent display and mannerisms as the Triss in the games. Of course, the games had the luxury of designing Triss from scratch, something Netflix and The Witcher showrunners didn't have.
9 TRISS IN THE SHOW: CANON
No matter how much you like Triss in the games better, you'll have to keep in mind that that version of her might have strayed too far already from the original intended character. that's because there's still an ongoing debate whether The Witcher games should be considered canon or not.
That very well means that the Triss from The Witcher is currently the most faithful adaptation of the character from the books. She also follows the same storyline albeit with a few changes such as appearing earlier in the plot. Beyond that and her physical appearance, it's pretty much what the author of the books intended.
8 TRISS IN THE GAMES: CHEMISTRY WITH GERALT
The games made it so that Triss took advantage of Geralt's amnesia by posing as his lover and basically replacing Yennefer. This sort of set up bloomed very well in The Witcher 2 where Triss and Geralt were almost inseparable and were like rabbits (though due to circumstances, Triss got kidnapped).
CDProjekt RED went out of their way to make the Triss and Geralt romance viable and even spectacular, essentially salvaging the disastrous start of their relationship in the first game. In any case, this chemistry was something that rivaled Geralt's connection with Yennefer, his supposed official romantic partner based on the books. That's a commendable feat on the part of the writers of the games.
7 TRISS IN THE SHOW: MORE ACCURATE PERSONALITY
As good as video game Triss might be, she's still not canon and that means her personality is quite far from what the books portrayed. She's like a different version of Triss and was made more pleasant. In the source material, she's a lot more cunning than the innocent sorceress in the games.
She also takes sides and is quite strong-headed depending on which stage you're reading in the books. Now, since the show is still currently in the first season, Triss has yet to show the rest of her personalities in the books. Even so, this makes her personality in the show more accurate than the noble mage savior in the games.
6 TRISS IN THE GAMES: MORE INVOLVEMENT
One great thing CDProjekt RED did with Triss in the video games is to give her a better involvement in the story and the proceedings of the narrative. She was even part of the main quest in The Witcher 3 and tracking her down was also a main quest in The Witcher 2.
In fact, it even looks like the developers themselves prefer Triss more than Yennefer for Geralt given how much spotlight they gave Triss. When you count it, Triss' total appearance time in the games is even lengthier than Yennefer's as she only appears in one Witcher game.
5 TRISS IN THE SHOW: IT SHOWS HER FINEST MOMENT
Triss is actually considered as a hero in the books due to her participation in the Battle of Sodden. During the last stand of the said battle, Triss was among the final 22 mages who stood their ground against the Niflgaard's onslaught. It is said that 14 of them died but in truth, there were only 13 since Triss actually survived with a considerable injury.
However, she played a large role in that battle and was even considered as a war hero. Thankfully, the show pays homage to this side of Triss. They also played out the Battle of Sodden in live-action and showed Triss in her full magical glory. Needless to say, it was one of her crowning achievements.
4 TRISS IN THE GAMES: MORE ACCURATE APPEARANCE
One of the biggest complaints with The Witcher show is how some of the cast were not accurate to their game or even book counterparts in terms of physical appearance. Triss Merigold is no exception to this since the actress who was cast to play her was Anna Shaffer.
Many fans believe that Triss from the games is still a better representation of what she physically was in the books minus the crimson red hair. Her hair was supposed to be chestnut and neither Triss from the games or the show managed to get this right. Even so, Triss from the games having a younger and more teenage appearance makes her preferable for many.
3 TRISS IN THE SHOW: NO LOVE TRIANGLE
Geralt is already in a romantic mess in the first season of the Netflix adaptation. Adding another party into that mess will most likely deprive the witcher of what little peace he has left. Thankfully, Triss in the books hasn't fully committed to ruining Geralt and Yennefer's relationship just yet-- even though she grew infatuated with Geralt.
In the games, she enacted upon this infatuation and turned it into a romance with Geralt, something that will either go down in flames or will be a chance for the witcher to settle, depending on your choices. Apart from not being canon, this will likely ruin the narrative of Geralt and Yennefer's relatable and imperfect relationship.
2 TRISS IN THE GAMES: MORE "LIKABLE"
So, we mentioned that video game Triss was made more pleasant before, right? She's definitely sweeter than her book and show counterpart and the games have cranked up her sweetness to 11. This makes her a lot more likable for many fans. There's also the fact that she's already quite intimate with Geralt in the games, making her more transparent.
The fact that she's even a main romance option against Yennefer if proof of how her personality got a good rewrite. She's almost the exact polar opposite of Yennefer due to her warmth, integrity, and friendliness. Of course, we've yet to see more of Triss from the show so plenty could still change.
1 TRISS IN THE SHOW: GOOD ACTRESS
Despite the fan objection with how Netflix presented Triss in their show adaptation, there's no doubt that the actress, Anna Shaffer did well. She captured a bit of Triss' sweet and playful teenage sorceress side especially with that conversation with Yennefer about Geralt of Rivia.
Moreover, it also looks like Shaffer even dyed her hair chestnut though it didn't come out how it's supposed to look like. In any case, Triss in the show will most likely improve a lot more as the story goes on and she gets bigger roles in the later seasons.