The Strongest Witchers

Highlights

• CD Projekt Red achieved critical and commercial success with The Witcher franchise, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
• The power and abilities of witchers vary, with some being exceptionally strong and legendary warriors.
• Witchers from different schools have their own unique stories and abilities, with some meeting tragic fates while others excel in their roles.

Every independent game developer dreams about creating a critically acclaimed game that is also a commercial hit, and the best example of this is Bungie with the Halo franchise, but CD Projekt Red achieved the same thing in 2007 when they released The Witcher. The game went on to have two sequels, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is considered by many to be one of the best video games ever made. The sheer amount of hype for this title was unmatched, and CD Projekt Red more than lived up to its promise of creating one of the largest open-world games ever made that’s positively jam-packed with content.

A witcher is a warrior who was mutated, trained, and conditioned as a child to fight monsters with standard medieval weapons and magic. For three games, players have seen several witchers from multiple schools, but none of them are the same in terms of overall strength, many candidates can boldly stake the claim of being the strongest witchers on the Continent. Given how much the ranks of the witchers have dwindled following the many riots that have taken place to wipe them out, the pool of mutants to select from has dwindled quite a bit.

Updated February 10, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Andrzej Sapkowski has constructed a wonderful world in The Witcher, with the deep lore and world-building present in the franchise becoming mainstream with the advent of the games.

Many witchers have made a name for themselves as powerful and legendary warriors, even if the public perception of these warriors is anything but flattering. Still, that doesn’t stop these individuals from displaying immense feats of power whenever the situation calls for it.

23 Aubry

Introduced In The Witcher Comics As A Side Character Who Dies During A Sham Tournament

• Status: Deceased
• Affiliation: School of the Wolf

The fight between the School of the Cat and the School of the Wolf is one of the major events in the book, with Geralt being the only survivor of this encounter. Many witchers lost their life here, including one named Aubry.

Affiliated with the School of the Wolf, Aubry met his death when his school was betrayed and he was forced into action against the rival school’s witchers and the King’s forces as well. Suffice it to say, this level of combat was beyond the witcher’s abilities, who succumbed to the blows of his enemies over time.

22 Kiyan

Abducted, Tortured, And Broken By A Mage Called Ireneus Var Steingard

• Status: Deceased (lived on as a husk until Geralt encountered him during his adventures)
• Affiliation: School of the Cat

The story of Kiyan is pretty tragic indeed. This witcher from the Cat School was abducted by Ireneus var Steingard and turned into a horrific monster whom the players can fight to put his soul to rest…but this battle is not an easy one in the slightest.

Mad Kiyan still has the reflexes of a witcher and can dish out some serious pain if the player isn’t prepared for his onslaught. Defeating him is a tough task but an admirable one since his suffering is finally over, courtesy of Geralt’s blade.

21 Auckes

A Member Of The Kingslayers Hired By Emhyr Var Emreis

• Status: Deceased
• Affiliation: School of the Viper

A witcher who serves as a side character in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Auckes is a fairly unremarkable character who mostly follows Letho’s orders and doesn’t poke his nose where it doesn’t belong. He also doesn’t seem to be all that powerful, with Geralt taking him down with ease if players follow Roche’s path instead of Iorveth’s.

There aren’t a lot of instances that show his competency as a witcher. So, it’s hard to gauge just how powerful Auckes is — after all, losing to the legendary Geralt of Rivia is nothing to be ashamed of.

20 Keldar

Tutored Students About Monsters

• Status: Alive
• Affiliation: School of the Griffin

The Griffin School is not explored all that much, with players only getting a few notes and pieces of armor as a keepsake of sorts from the history of this school. As a result, not many people knew about how this school functioned, although it’s safe to assume that any group of competent witchers would be strong enough to stand against any threat, monstrous or otherwise.

This applies even more for characters who are known to have high posts in these schools teaching other prospective witchers about the tricks of the trade. Such is the case with Keldar, a witcher who taught the ways of monster hunting to fledgling recruits. While his actual prowess in battle is unknown, any person familiar with The Witcher knows that battles here are a test of both a witcher’s might and their mind, and it’s clear that Keldar excelled in the latter category.

19 Brehen

A Rogue Witcher Known For His Cruel Nature

• Status: Deceased
• Affiliation: School of the Cat

The battle between Geralt and the Striga is one of the most iconic stories in The Witcher, being shown in the introductory cutscene of the first game and also referenced in a side quest later on. Fighting against this nightmarish beast is no slouch, and the worst part is that anyone who wants to undo the curse turning the person into a Striga doesn’t have the luxury of harming the beast fatally either. They have to remain in the same chambers as the beast for the night and prevent it from going back to its coffin until morning.

Before Geralt attempted to undo the curse, a cruel witcher by the name of Brehen assumed that he was up to the task. Unfortunately, Brehen bit off more than he could chew despite his great combat abilities and became a victim of the Striga even though he tried his hardest to kill her off, having no interest in undoing the curse.

18 Ivar Evil-Eye

The Founder Of The School Of The Viper

• Status: Deceased
• Affiliation: School of the Wolf

One would assume that a witcher responsible for founding a School deserves to be talked about in high regard. Like Geralt, this witcher underwent further mutations that turned his left eye into a medium for looking into other worlds.

This led him to see visions of the Wild Hunt, prompting him to try and make Arnaghad, the grandmaster of the School of the Bear, see reason and combat this threat. He was unsuccessful and betrayed his former school to form the School of the Viper. His obsession with The Wild Hunt never reached a definitive conclusion, and he was long gone by the time Geralt took out this imposing threat.

17 Reinald

Contained The Red Miasmal At The Cost Of His Own Life

• Status: Deceased
• Affiliation: School of the Wolf

Reinald’s story is one of strife and misery. He’s a new character added in the next-gen update for The Witcher 3, allowing players to go uncover a completely new tale that serves as one of the most interesting sidequests in the entire game will also grant players access to the garb Geralt wears in the Netflix series.

While taking a contract to clear the mines of Devil’s Pit, Reinald is affected by the red miasmal and manages to contain the worst part of the epidemic in his own body while ensuring that this deadly plague didn’t ravage the entirety of Velen in the process. After centuries, Geralt arrives to put an end to his misery, with the witcher showing his strength by keeping the miasmal limited despite his body being in constant pain.

16 Arnaghad

The Founder Of The School Of The Bear

• Status: Deceased
• Affiliation: School of the Bear

The legendary founder of the School of the Bear certainly deserves his place on this list. However, not much is known about Arnaghad aside from a few descriptions of this legendary witcher’s exploits.

He was a giant with monstrous strength who could cleave enemies in half with his mighty sword swings. It’s a shame that no one has witnessed this legend in a fight, which is why there’s no real way to measure his raw power.

15 Coen

Stayed In Kaer Morhen, With His Death Being Foreseen By Ciri

• Status: Deceased
• Affiliation: School of the Griffin

Coen came from the School of the Griffin, and although he did not play a major role in the series’ main story, he was still one of the witchers who helped train Ciri, and this happened when they both found themselves at Kaer Morhen. Witchers are known for being immune to diseases, but Coën had disease-related scars under his beard, which means that he became a witcher later in life.

Sometime after their training concluded, Ciri saw Coen die in a vision, and much to her dismay, this vision came to fruition. Coen died after getting stabbed with a twin scythe during the Battle of Brenna, one of the Second Nilfgaard War’s most famous battles.

14 Jad Karadin

Started A New Life As A Family Man

• Status: Dependent (Can be killed or spared depending on Geralt’s decision)
• Affiliation: School of the Cat

Jad Karadin comes from the School of the Cat, which was more or less eradicated by humans who were not fond of the questionable actions committed by the feline witchers. Jad survived because he was not at the massacre, and he went on to become the leader of a band of assassins who at one point murdered Aiden, another witcher from the same school.

In Witcher 3, Geralt agrees to help Lambert track Karadin down to avenge Aiden, and Lambert does get his vengeance, even though Karadin left the assassin’s life behind to start a family.

13 Gaetan

Betrayed By Villagers Who Contracted His Services, Causing Him To Go On A Murderous Killing Spree

• Status: Dependent (Can be killed or spared depending on Geralt’s decision)
• Affiliation: School of the Cat

Gaetan is another witcher from the Cat School, and players run into him during the “Where the Cat and the Wolf Play” quest in Witcher 3. It turns out that Gaetan was betrayed by the villagers of Honorton following a job, so he decided to murder them all.

When Geralt tracks him down, he has a choice to make. However, the two fight no matter which path is chosen, and Gaetan manages to hold his own against the White Wolf, hence his appearance on this list.

12 Berengar

A Man Disillusioned By His Life As A Witcher Who Challenges Geralt To A Duel

• Status: Dependent (either killed by Geralt or Azar Javed; in the latter scenario, it’s possible to save him but this reaps no benefits)
• Affiliation: School of the Wolf

Like Geralt, Berengar is from the School of the Wolf, and the two briefly work together in the first game. It is during this quest that players learn that Berengar is not fond of witchers because the order robbed him of his humanity.

These feelings cause Berengar to challenge Geralt to a duel, and if Geralt chooses to spare him, he aids the player in defeating a powerful alchemist. However, if players kill him, then they can collect a very powerful medallion from his body. Either scenario though proves just how strong the resentful witcher was.

11 Ivo Of Belhaven

Helped Out Queen Meve During His Travels, Who Was Impressed By His Speed And Lethality

• Status: Alive
• Affiliation: School of the Bear

It’s only a given that a witcher who’s made it to the history books has done something remarkable to earn this noble achievement. Such is the case with Ivo of Belhaven, a witcher from the School of the Bear who was active during the 13th Century and made quite a name for himself at the time. He studied the art of combat and other trades that a witcher needs in Haern Caduch, the Bear Keep.

His agility and effectiveness in combat made him a competent witcher who went on the road to practice his trade and kept to himself, most of the time. His toughest and most famous foe is a legendary monster named Gernichora, who wounded him heavily. Thankfully, he survived and teamed up with Queen Meve to take care of this threat once and for all. His combat skills impressed the Queen, who offered him a spot in her army… but Ivo declined, choosing to be a lone wanderer once again.

10 Warritt

A Blind Witcher Who Used A Modified Supirre Sign To Use Echolocation

• Status: Alive
• Affiliation: School of the Viper

Most witchers need to hone all their senses to fight against their enemies, which is what makes Warritt’s achievements all the more incredible. He managed to make a name for himself as one of the strongest warriors around despite being blind.

To “see,” he used a modified version of the Supirre Sign, which lets witchers enhance their hearing. He used this to unlock a form of echolocation, which made him deadly in battle to the point of being a living legend.

9 George Of Kagen

A Legendary Witcher Known As The Dragonslayer

• Status: Deceased
• Affiliation: School of the Griffin

The School of the Griffin was known for producing witchers who followed higher standards of social etiquette, but they were also efficient in magic and fighting multiple opponents at once. George of Kagen may have not appeared in the main Witcher games, but he is mentioned in GWENT: The Witcher Card Game, which is where players learn that he was a legendary warrior.

George looked like a knight, and he died shortly after sustaining fatal injuries from a green dragon. Defeating the dragon was a spectacular feat because he went into battle with just one sword, as he forgot to take the diagram of his new silver sword before heading out.

8 Erland Of Larvik

Founder of the School of the Griffin

• Status: Unknown
• Affiliation: School of the Griffin

Every witcher school had a founder, and Erland of Larvik is the man who founded the School of the Griffin. This happened when he and thirteen of his closest friends decided to leave the remnants of the order, and he made sure that his school would adhere to the noble knightly goals that the witchers were originally meant to follow.

As a grandmaster, Erland was highly respected, to the point that kings invited him to court for his council. He may have been a teacher, but Erland continued to hunt monsters, and he managed to take down the cyclops of Ard Skellig. When he and his fellow witchers eradicated most of the monsters, kings began to suspect their motives, and this allowed sorcerers to attack the school’s headquarters. Erland wasn’t there during the attacks, but when he saw what happened, he wrote all his knowledge in a journal and left it in a cave. His current whereabouts are unknown.

7 Deglan

Vesemir’s Mentor Who Unleashes Monsters Upon The Lands To Keep Witchers Relevant

• Status: Deceased
• Affiliation: School of the Wolf

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is a decent addition to Netflix’s Witcher universe, allowing fans to witness a new chapter in the lore of the series. It helps that this animated movie focuses on the adventures of Vesemir, a character whom fans love and want to know more about. Seeing his younger self is a blast, and fans even get to see his interaction with his mentor, Deglan.

However, it turns out that Deglan is nothing short of a criminal who artificially tried to increase the number of contracts witchers can get by releasing synthesized monsters onto innocent people and forcing them to hire these cat-eyed specialists. His reasoning for doing this for the good of their own kind is a shallow one at best, but Deglan is a hard character to hate because of his relationship with Vesemir. As the sacking of Kaer Morhen begins, this dishonored witcher uses the last of his strength to protect as many witchers as possible while killing the witch who started this mess, Petra.

6 Letho Of Gulet

A Kingslayer Who Serves As The Central Antagonist In The Second Game

• Status: Dependent (Can be killed or spared depending on Geralt’s decision)
• Affiliation: School of the Viper

The School of the Viper is the most secretive of all the schools, but it produced a very well-known witcher by the name of Letho, who led a small group of witcher assassins in the North. Their mission was to spread chaos in the Northern regions by assassinating kings and sorceresses.

Letho is massive, as he stands over 6 feet tall and weighs nearly 300 pounds. His arms are thicker than most men’s torsos, and seeing as he is the final boss of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, it’s clear that the Temeria native has to be strong. If Geralt chooses to spare him though, the protagonist actively searches for Letho to recruit him for the battle against the Wild Hunt. If Geralt can recognize his strength, so can we.

5 Eskel

One Of Geralt’s Steadfast Comrades From Kaer Morhen

• Status: Alive
• Affiliation: School of the Wolf

Eskel was born in 1175, and although he is almost 100 years old, he looks like a 6 ft tall man in his late 30s. He possessed a strong magic aura, and although he was not as renowned as Geralt, he was still known for being a very reliable and responsible witcher. He and Geralt were like brothers, and if you’re a former student of Vessemir, it automatically means that you’re a formidable fighter.

Eskel showed his strength in The Witcher 3, where he managed to stand toe-to-toe with Caranthir, one of the Wild Hunt’s best fighters, for a time before being defeated and subsequently saved by Ciri.

4 Lambert

A Hotheaded Companion To Geralt Who Ends Up With Keira Metz If She’s Alive After The Battle Of Kaer Morhen

• Status: Alive
• Affiliation: School of the Wolf

By all accounts, Lambert is a very young witcher, and although he is known for being quite rude at times, he is a very skilled fighter. Players get to see just how skilled he is in Witcher 3 during the Battle of Kaer Morhen.

During the battle, Lambert can be seen taking on the forces of the Wild Hunt alongside Geralt, and the pair end up fighting side-by-side in one of the series’ best fight scenes. If he can keep up with Geralt, he must be a very talented fighter.