These are the primary protagonists of The Witcher saga: the unlikely family of witcher Geralt, sorceress Yennefer, and their adopted child Ciri.
Geralt of Rivia
The protagonist (or co-protagonist) of all the media set in the Witcher's world. He's a witcher - an artificially created mutant, a monster-hunter devoid of emotion. At least, that last part is supposed to be true, too. He made his name removing the curse from Temerian princess Adda, and over the years became a legend in the Northern Kingdoms.
The Butcher: a kind of Jerkass behaviour left him with this sort of reputation.
While he is certainly a Jerkass in this regard, the specific incident that actually acquired him the title of Butcher had extenuating circumstances (hence the title of the story: The Lesser of Two Evils).
Mr. Fanservice: YMMV whether he qualifies, but it seems to be what the devs were going for in the second game, as he loses his Carpet of Virility from the first game and was given plenty of shirtless scenes to show off his chiseled physique.
Fan Disservice: On the other hand, his extreme scarring causes this for some. Even one of his nipples has been torn out!
He has one of Elric of Melnibone's epithets as well, "The White Wolf". Word Of God states that he isn't based off of Elric, though.
Famed in Story: though not every person he meets recognizes him (obviously, as befitting a society lacking in visual media).
Genius Bruiser: Part of Witcher training involves years of formal education in chemistry, biology, animal behavior, history, magic, and other subjects, and Geralt apparently did exceptionally well. He's more then capable of having a surprisingly eloquent intellectual discussion when the situation calls for it.
Hell-Bent for Leather: his usual outfit. With lots of silver trim. It's all awesome yet practical, since it is essentially his protective worksuit. Particularly the silver, considering the kinds of creatures he deals with.
Heroic Albino: "total loss of pigmentation". As the result of the mutations and experiments that made him a Witcher.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: by the nature of their mutations (they tend to paralyse higher emotions), all witchers are supposed to be jerks. The fact that he's not annoys him constantly.
He'll lose his way, start to philosophize and pity himself, then he'll do something heroic but pointless and get killed, presumably stabbed in the back.
Last of His Kind: some sixty or eighty years ago the base of the Witchers, Caire Muirehen castle, was attacked and destroyed by an angry mob incensed by some demagogue (suspected to be a rogue sorcerer). Equipment, laboratories and elixirs required for creation of the witchers survived, but everybody in the castle was killed. As the process required a skilled magic user, and the sole survivor of the staff was Vesemir, a fencing teacher (he was away at the time), no new witchers were created ever since.
Technically, it's more like "one of the last of his kind", because other Witchers still exist.
Magic Knight: Witchers are created through magic, and thus have some affinity to it, giving them an ability to use simple combat spells called "signs" in battle. This is generally it, but Geralt, being the son of a druidess and inheriting The Gift, had the requisite ability to take up magic in full, but refused, and was even called up on it.
Master Swordsman: Considered to be the best swordsman in the Northern Kingdoms. In the games, it seems like he lost some of his technique due to his amnesia (Serrit, one of the witchers who attempt to assassinate King Henselt, writes in his journal that Geralt's swordsmanship makes him laugh, but also mentions that Geralt still manages to be a fearsome opponent regardless). It is assumed that Geralt recovered most - if not all - of his former skill with a sword by the end of the second game.
Meaningful Rename: the "of Rivia" part of his name was added by picking out of a bundle of sticks with different city names written on them. Initially, Geralt chose Geralt Roger Ericdu Haute-Bellegarde as his first choice for the name, but Vesemir "explained" it'd be awfully cheesy. The point of all of this was to make his name sound more impressive, which eases contacts with important employers.
Papa Wolf: towards Ciri. He gets to the point where he sees Ciri in any hurt girl, only to wonder later how could he not notice the difference.
Parental Abandonment: a prerequisite to becoming a witcher. Sapkowski published a later short story about his parents and his mother made a brief cameo in one of the novels.
Really Gets Around: he seems to be rather popular with the ladies. Though it has to be noted the game exaggerated it quite a bit.
Red Baron: known as the White Wolf in the Nordling Kingdoms, also Gwynbleidd (Elvish for White Wolf), the Butcher of Blaviken, and others.
Spanner in the Works: he has a tendency to get in the way of other people's convoluted plans, then slash his way out.
Super Soldier: created to fight monsters, though, not people.
Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon
A Cintran princess, the Unexpected Child, Child of Elder Blood, and a stepdaughter of Geralt, Ciri is an unassuming girl who is a notable nerve, even more notable political asset, and a descendant of a really unique legacy. She appears first in the short stories, but becomes a co-protagonist in the Saga. She's but a child during her first appearance, but the events of the Saga lead (and force) her to grow up.
Break the Cutie: You've got to admit the girl has her reasons. Let's count: Orphan? Check. Princess In Rags? Check. Being hunted? Check. Forced to leave her foster parents when things seemed to improve? Check. Her newly-found True Companions get a Total Party Kill? Check. Brutalized by a psycho? Check.
There was what could have been a second, marginally more appealing chance, but she turned it down (roughly) on her own.
In a different way, witchers intentionally tried to invoke the forces of Destiny to this end, believing that such a child might become their equal even without using Super Serum.
Doom Magnet: even if it's just a side effect of her MacGuffin-ness, by the end of the Saga, she begins to believe it's fate.
Embarrassing Nickname: Yennefer is fond of calling her "my ugly one", probably because she's aware that Ciri is envious of her looks, and that she has absolutely no need to be.
Princess In Rags: after Cintra gets conquered and her grandmother, Queen Calanthe, commits suicide.
Kick the Dog: at one point, lost and deprived of her surrogate parents, she joins a band of highwaymen and lets off the frustration by dog kicking.
Last Of Her Kind: double — as a last of the royal house of Cintra, and as a descendant of a long line of Elven eugenic experiments, designed to open the pathways between the worlds.
Romantic Two-Girl Friendship: Her first (and, as far as we know, the only one consummated) romantic involvement in the novels is with a fellow Rat, Mistle.
Tangled Family Tree: see the entry above about Elven genetic experiments. This Troper needed two pages to trace her basic lineage from the explanation by a knowledgeable background character in one of the books.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: She is the girly girl to Mistle's tomboy. Despite the fact that she is better with the sword than her.
Waif-Fu: Geralt arranged her (heavily modified) witcher's training, and it pays off.
She hasn't received any heavy magical or chemical modifications, required for full witchers, because witchers lacked the skills needed for that, and it was probably a good thing, too, as a) these modifications were designed for boys, not for girls, and b) survival rate was about 10% even with the skilled operator and care.
With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: during the desert incident. She was warned not to play with Fire magic. However, that was due to the nature of Fire magic, and her other powers did not have an impact on her psyche.
Yennefer of Vengerberg
A sorceress whom Geralt loves. They met each other long ago, and afterwards had a truly legendary string of breakups and makeovers, as befitting a moody killer and a strong-willed sorceress. Though they are in separation at the beginning of the Saga, at Triss' advice Geralt asks her to help with Ciri's training, and so she becomes stepmother to Ciri.
Bi the Way: according to her, it's a natural consequence of being Really 700 Years Old — after a century or two, you will have tried everything.
She's not even a hundred yet, though, only 93 (98 in the game).
It is heavily implied that their Love Triangle with Geralt and Triss, her best friend, is actually Type 8, although it doesn't save them from the intense jealousy.
I Was Quite a Looker: Inverted. She's a looker right now, and has been ever since becoming a sorceress. Before, she had a hunchback.
She uses magic to make herself look beautiful.She formerly had hunchback, as Geralt figures this out when he puts his hands on her shoulders and realizes they aren't even. Discovering this doesn't change Geralt's feelings for her.
Law of Inverse Fertility: most magicians are infertile, but Yennefer qualifies by being really dissatisfied with this fact.
Tsundere: their breakups and makeovers with Geralt were legendary in the North, and the rumor was that Geralt survived only by being a witcher.
Vain Sorceress: even if a good character, she's still a sorceress, y'know.
Your Favorite: how they've met with Geralt. He needed a sorcerer to help Dandelion, injured by a jinn, but stopped to bring her apple juice to help with her hangover.
A famous bard and Geralt's old friend. He was a character introduced back in the short stories, and appears in the Saga as well, following the witcher in his quest despite cowardly tendencies and a lack of combat abilities.
Ironically, his original Polish nickname is Jaskier — or Buttercup in English.
The Dandy: which is only natural in his line of work.
Everyone Went To School Together: unsurprisingly, as Oxenfurt Academy was the best and most prestigious university in the North, so it's only natural that many significant characters studied here, including him.
King Incognito: a viscount, actually. His real name is Julian Alfred Pankratz, viscount de Lettenhove, and he's a runaway noble from a small mountainous princedom of Toussaint (accidentally, a Nilfgaardian dependency), famous for its wines. He had to run from home when in his teenage years he seduced the wife of the Prince, who then promised to Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon, and is Walking the Earth ever since.
Knowledge Broker: not above some little spying on the side to augment his troubadour income.
The Load: Dandelion is of pretty much no use to the party (until Toussaint), on the occasions his connections or talents could help, they don't by external circumstances or the problem is solved in a different way anyway.
Wandering Minstrel: Hey, he's the Bard in their world, easily the most popular and famous poet, musician, and writer of his time — and beyond.
Milva
A young woman with great bowmanship skills, acting as agent of forest-dwelling dryads among humans. She joins Geralt after his visit to Brokilon forest. Despite her tough, no-nonsense exterior, she is softer inside than she would like.
The Big Guy: she's contributing mostly by shooting up the baddies, so I guess she qualifies.
Not really. She's most definitely not a Chick, but just isn't buff enough to tank it.
She has enough strength to One-Hit KO a grown, strong man, and her expertise at range makes her the second most useful party member (after Geralt) in a fight.
Young Nilfgaardian knight under orders to capture Ciri. After his failure and to escape the inevitable punishment, he joins Geralt's party, who only reluctantly accepts his company. But his dreams prove that there is more to that than simple life debt, and that meeting the Child of Elder Blood leaves a mark on individuals.
Black Knight: he's not that bad; most of it is the colour of Nilfgaardian armours and the fact that they're the bad guys.
Insistent Terminology: he's not Nilfgaardian, he's Vicovarian. In the Empire, only those born in the Empire's heartland call themselves Nilfgaardians, and... (the party stops listening).
I Owe You My Life: this is the reason why he joined Geralt's party; Geralt unknowingly saved him from You Have Failed Me. Later he admits other reasons beyond that, though.
The Lancer: in line with Five-Man Band standards, he's the hanse's second melee fighter, and the younger, more optimistic counterpart to older, angsty Geralt.
Love Before First Sight: He fell for Ciri, after seeing her once as a child (and fueling her Black Knight nightmares ever since), and a second time in combat (she almost killed him). Both times he was under orders to capture her.
Psychic Dreams for Everyone: he has the same dreams of Ciri as Geralt, proving Destiny has him more than a mere background.
Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy
A medic and herbalist who joins Geralt's party, supposedly, because he was already planning to go their route. Though friendly, he is an enigmatic individual, a man of intellect who lives in the middle of nowhere and has a share of habits someone paranoid might consider very suspicious.
The Alcoholic: a part of his backstory is that he got out of his addiction. His drug was actually blood.
Cowardly Lion: He calls himself a coward. If not for that, you'd never think of him as one.
Evil Smells Bad: Subverted, inverted, zigzagged or whatever. He smells of all manner of herbs and perfumes (as befitting a herbalist and medic) to prevent animals from identifying him as vampire.
Our Vampires Are Different: There are several kinds of vampires in the Witcher world. Regis belongs to the so-called "high" vampires. For one thing, the sunlight doesn't do any harm to him.
Pet the Dog: He drops The Masquerade and saves an innocent girl from burning. It conveniently turns out he's not in the slightest harmed by the trial-by-fire the fanatical priest requested.
Unusual Euphemism: occasionally delves in it when talking about blood.
Angouleme
A young girl, around Ciri's age, who joins Geralt's party on his request as a part of his deal with local Nilfgaardian authorities to locate and remove a band of highwaymen to which she once belonged. Though Nilfgaardian law is harsh, she is granted parole - the local governor saw Geralt through, and knew better than the witcher himself that he would not leave without her.
Princess In Rags: not a princess, but somewhat surprisingly, she was a girl of relatively decent upbringing but ended up on the street during the Nilfgaard invasion of Cintra.
Whether for her political status, or her other qualities, capturing Ciri was a crucial part of these people's nefarious plots. Their actions are behind many of the Saga's events.
Vilgefortz of Roggeveen
One of the most talented magicians in the world, very young (less than one hundred years, which is barely out of childhood in the wizarding world), but incredibly talented and powerful, traits which also won him a seat on the governing body of Northern Kingdoms' magicians. His participation in the coup during the magicians' symposium on Thanedd Island revealed his Nilfgaardian backing, but his real motives are more sinister.
Bishōnen: Described as "classically beautiful". Later, though, he gets badly scarred in a magical explosion, ending with a freakish artificial eye in one of his eye sockets.
Or "you've mistaken the stars with their reflection in the pond".
Evil Genius: Easily the most smart and powerful wizard in the North, and he let it get into his head.
Evil Plan: Like that of Emhyr, it involves Ciri, but some details of execution differ, and it's for personal-megalomaniac reasons rather than imperial-dynastic.
Vilgefortz's Dragon and errand boy, a wizarding school dropout expelled for theft and taken in by Vilgefortz to do the things not really suitable for respectable sorcerer. His background shows he was up to no good from the start, but as merely a servant, he pales in comparison to the rest of the villains.
Karmic Death: during the battle on ice in the penultimate book. Made doubly awesome by the way it was done — Ciri cut his fingers that were clutching the ice (he slipped and fell into the water) with her skates.
The Dragon: he's actually Co Dragons with Schirru the half-elf, but the latter gets less screen-time.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a huge burn on his cheek, from Yennefer's fireball and Vilgefortz's refusal to heal it.
Smug Snake: He loves to gloat at his victims and generally be a jerk, knowing that his boss will always support and cover him.
Leo Bonhart
A bounty hunter tasked with eliminating Ciri's highwaymen friends and capturing her herself, what he does efficiently and without any incident. He then brutalizes her throughout one or a half of a book. As a good fighter and an intelligent man, he is a true professional, but the key to his choice of profession is something very different indeed.
For the Evulz: His main motivation. He's a psychopath and proud of it. When a psychic scans him once, she compares the experience to putting her head into a freshly opened grave.
Psycho for Hire: as he claims, he's lucky like nobody, save perhaps certain whores. He's paid for work he truly enjoys.
Villainous Crush: he develops one on Ciri, after witnessing her fighting skills. While probably not averse to sex, he may even be asexual as what really turns him on is fighting and killing. It means he'd like to impale her on his swordon an arena and feel her die, though raping her before or afterwards would be nice as well. And his last words are that their fight would be a great show.
Villainous Valor: the people he kills, he tends to kill in combat.
Wicked Cultured: Though not exactly in the sense of refined taste, this trope (or its cross with Genius Bruiser) does appear in that Bonhart is actually quite intelligent.
Emperor Emhyr var Emreis
Emperor of Nilfgaard, an expansive power from the south. His invasion of Cintra pretty much starts the whole Saga, and even after that he's the driving force behind many of the events.
Affably Evil: he's a ruthless evil emperor and he's fine with it, but it's important to note he's not The Caligula either. Though he avoids Complete Monstership only by a sudden change of heart at the last moment.
In fact, he considers Geralt his friend and is still grateful to him for his role in removing the spell that made him into a giant hedgehog knight in his youth. It still doesn't stop him from his machinations and conquests (and trying to kill Geralt — nothing personal, of course, only business), though.
The Emperor: of the Evil Overlord type (though more in image than in actual brutishness). Yeah. Out of the bad guy collection, the only one who's not an irredeemable Complete Monster is the Evil Overlord. Talk about GRIMDARK.
Gambit Pileup: what happens when everybody (and their little dog too) have plans upon the plans, and are determined enough to see to their completion.
The Man Behind the Man — he had a hand (well, not exactly everything went Just as Planned, but, hey, he tried!) in just about everything that happened, although the true extent of his involvement doesn't become apparent until late into the story.
He is also behind the chaos that Letho causes in the second video game.
Noble Demon: cruel, despotic, and ruthless as he is, he still has some basic decency left in him.
Overly-Long Name: Emhyr var Emreis Deithwen Addan yn Carn aep Morvudd. It's more of an overly long title/nickname, though. Doubles as Names to Run Away From Really Fast, as it means something along the lines White Flame Dancing on the Barrows of His Enemies.
White Flame Dancing on the Barrows of His Enemies is actually his title that is supposed to be added after all of the previous names. It's never really explained in relation to Emhyr but if you read the explanation Cahir gave on the topic of Nilfgaard nobles names Deithwen is most likely the name of his mother while aep Morvud stands for son of Morvud and somewhere in there should be also the name of his grandfather though your guess is as good as mine as to which one it is.
Geralt and the others met many people, not all of whom were hostile. Some of them were. Others were friendly. Others yet were both or neither, clashing or cooperating with the heroes for their own reasons.
Yarpen Zigrin and Zoltan Chivay
Two dwarves, each with his own merry company, with whom Geralt travels at different points of the story. They meet each other only much later (or more like are shown to, as they appear to know each other well), but are put here together due to playing a similar role in the story.
Knight in Sour Armor: Zoltan strongly encourages this mindset, especially in the first game. As he says (reminiscing events of the Saga):
"Let me tell you something, witcher. Once we lead a group of women and children through a war-torn land. They slowed us down. We had to feed them, protect them, and we had to hide in the woods to pee instead of pissing by the road. In short, they were a burden, and ungrateful at that. Know why we helped them? It was the right thing to do."
Sophisticated as Hell: Zoltan. While it's a case with many of the main characters, his Warrior Poet tendencies blending with his blunt manner of speaking stand out the most.
A group of highwaymen that adopts Ciri, who captured by local authorities after her jump through the portal at Tor Lara, found herself imprisoned together with one of them and helped with the escape. Separated from her friends and stranded in a foreign land, she finds a company among them.
Just Like Robin Hood: when you are a robber, there is only so much to do with the cash. When you've wasted enough on luxuries, you may as well give some away.
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: they came from all parts of society - soldiers of opposing armies, peasants, nobles, even an elven exile.
The spymaster of the Kingdom of Redania, and later its regent after the death of the king. His duties make him occasionally clash or cooperate with the protagonists, and even later he remains a background character important not only to the world, but also the story itself.
Acrofatic: often described as a walking mountain of fat, he's nevertheless implied to be surprisingly agile for his bulk.
Genius Bruiser: he is described as a polar opposite of stereotypical cloak-and-dagger small-crooked-guy spy, yet he runs an extensive spy network and serves as an actual ruler during the Redanian regency.
Isengrim Faoiltiarna, an Elvenspec ops commander from Dol Blathanna, a man of considerable fighting prowess (he once bested Geralt himself), was visibly relieved when he found that Dijkstra is non-hostile during their encounter in less fortunate times.
Foil: he's somewhat of a foil to Geralt, also a man from outside the system (Dijkstra received the title of Count for practical reasons) having to mingle with highborn and deal with worldly affairs.
I Did What I Had to Do: despite his job, which includes things like a gulag-like (or at least that's how other characters react to it) prison, he is a rather decent guy in person, even with a Cincinnatus streak.
Does Not Like Men: she did like them, only she switched to lesbianism and decided to start up an all-female magicians' conspiracy. On the other hand, she is not hostile towards men, she just thinks that women (read: her circle) would make better rulers.
Man Behind the Man: she through Dijkstra (it's usually more like friendly deals and cooperation than manipulation, though), also her co-conspirers through similar or less voluntary means.
Out Gambitted: for a scheming, power-behind-the-throne, conspiratorial sorceress, quite a number of people managed to trick her out.
Spell My Name with an S: the novels call her Filippa, while the game uses the Anglophone spelling Philippa.
Characters expanded in the games
Some of the story's characters were carried over to the video games. While they appeared in the books as well, they were there mostly minor or background characters, and their roles in the games were more pronounced than in writing. That does not mean the characters mentioned above don't appear or have no role in the games - what matters here is the difference in notability between their role in novels and in games. Triss Merigold is a specific example - she is an important character in the Saga, but her role in the games is a lot more important to their plot.
Triss Merigold
Another sorceress, a friend of Yennefer and former lover of Geralt (mostly during his breakups with Yen). She makes the witchers realise they can no longer just keep Ciri hidden in their castle, and thus has her hand in starting the events of the Saga. Later she also becomes a member of the Lodge of Sorceresses. Triss is a good friend to the main protagonists, and is always there to help when they need it.
Beauty Is Never Tarnished: in the books, she mentions boasting some impressive burnmarks on her body that prevent her from wearing low-cut dresses. There isn't an inch of her body that the second game doesn't show, and there isn't even a hint of this visible.
Cool Big Sis: to Ciri, whom she befriends during her visit to Kaer Morhen.
Defictionalization: An odd example. A series of nude digital pinups of her were printed in the Polish Playboy as marketing material for the second game. Similarly, models posing as her and Geralt shot for a calendar in Russia, also for marketing purposes.
Distressed Damsel: While not as bad as Shani in the needs-saving department, by the second game she becomes a repeat offender.
It's even more jarring if you really compare Witcher 2's Triss to Shani. In Witcher 1, Shani will fight along Geralt when she's in danger. As for Triss, by the time of chapter 1, she will be rendered mostly defenseless.
Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: she fought in a battle during the Nilfgaardian invasion of Cintra, got wounded and disfigured, and nobody recognised her before her name got carved on a memorial. It kind of weighs on her.
A female doctor and one of Geralt's old friends. In her first appearance, a student of medicine; later, a veteran of the Battle of Brenna, where she served in a field hospital. She appears as well in the first game, where she is one of Geralt's contacts and a potential love interest.
Action Girl: She may lack the mutations of a witcher and the spells of a sorceress, but she can still hold her own in a fight.
The 'arrogant, sister humping, warmongering' king of Temeria, as well as a whole bunch of other places he beat into submission. A major presence in the first game, and his death starts the plot of the second.
A Father to His Men: His popularity among his people varies. His soldiers, on the other hand adore him, and he is quite capable of recognising a common solder from a battle fought near four years ago.
Authority Equals Asskicking: Though his exact level of skill is hard to place, he certainly is no amateur with a blade.
Bling of War: Averted in the first game with some eminently practical platemail. The sequel then takes it to the extreme without becoming tacky or impractical◊. I mean, it looks like it could be used as a loot for a dragon, but sturdy and well packed for a war.
Sir Swears-a-Lot: Everyone does in the Witcher of course, but Foltest stands out by being a king. Amusingly, his pet name for his capital city is ‘the Whorehouse’.
Bodyguard Crush: Implied with Saskia. Bodyguard is a little bit of a stretch, though.
Dark and Troubled Past: alluded to on several occasions (the Hydra Valley), though it's kinda in the job description.
Defrosting Ice King: Iorveth mellows out a lot thoroughout the second game, at least towards Geralt. Culminates in a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming when, once they meet again after Geralt defeats the dragon, the usually grumpy Iorveth greets his friend with a friendly pat on the shoulder and a smile (arguably the first time he smiled genuinely in the entire game).
Escape Artist: got out of every trap the Temerian special forces (and Roche personally) set for him.
Noble Bigot: He makes no efforts to hide his hatred of humans, but he is willing to fight to create a country where humans, elves, and dwarves can live side by side in peace.
Fighting For A Homeland: That's what he made Scoia'tael do, instead of just fighting, period.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: They look like evil scars, but he is more along the lines of morally ambiguous.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Iorveth is not the most approachable individual, acting very mistrustful and hostile to anyone outside of his Scoia'tael unit. He is also very vocal about his prejudice towards humans on top of being a ruthless, remorseless killer. However, he very much cares about the elves under his command and, compared to someone like Yaevinn from the first game, who wants to flat out overthrow the humans, he has a much more reasonable and grounded goal: he simply wants a place where elves can live in peace, far away from the discrimination that non-humans have to face in places populated by humans. Also, for all his prejudice, he is fair: once Geralt accused one of his best swordsmen, a young elf named Ele'yas, of murdering innocent humans on Vergen, Iorveth demanded proof. Should Geralt find evidence that proves Ele'yas's guilt, Iorveth will seek the young elf out intending to punish him.
The Power of Friendship: To Geralt: "You're the most honorable d'hoine I've ever known... my hatred for the species has abated for a while".
Older than They Look: Comes with being an elf. Has apparently been fighting humans for close to 100 years.
The ruler of Kaedwen, the largest of the Northern Kingdoms. Plans to conquer the Pontar Valley, which he claims to be his birthright, but first he has to defeat the resistance led by Saskia the Dragon Slayer.
Even Evil Has Standards: Despite being a ruthless and manipulative individual, he was absolutely disgusted by Sabrina Glevissig's decision to cast a powerful fire spell on the battlefield of his previous campaign on Aedirnian ground, slaughtering a large number of soldiers, both friend and foe alike.
Although it has to be remembered that Sabrina's spell also cost him the victory, which probably influenced his decision.
Of course, in Medieval myth, unicorns were dangerous beasts that only a maiden could approach safely. Henselt's lineage probably refers to the Badass old school unicorns.
Smug Snake: Really makes you want to let Roche kill him just to wipe that smile off his mug.
Ungrateful Bastard: Even though Geralt and Roche saved his life and Geralt freed him from Sabrina Glavissig's curse, Henselt orders Roche's men executed, without a trial, for being part of a conspiracy they knew absolutely nothing about (only Roche was part of it), and tries to kill Geralt as soon as he meets him on Vergen, even though he had all but taken over the town already and Geralt was not fighting for either side.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Invoked by himself when Geralt and Roche call him out on his villanious acts. Indeed, barring a few exceptions, everything he did was meant to benefit his kingdom in some way.
Dethmold
A powerful sorcerer who serves as King Henselt's advisor during the events of the second game. Has little in the way of morals, but is devoted to his king.
Asshole Victim: On Iorveth's path, he gets executed by a mind-controlled Saskia without any trial. Not that you'll feel any sympathy for him.
A sorceress from the kingdom of Creyden who is known for her reserved nature. In the second game, she was sent to Kaedwen and tasked by King Henselt with finding a cure for his infertility.
Absolute Cleavage: It's actually not *that* crazy like most examples, but it stands out because of her amazing tits and the tattoo she's got on her chest, which was no doubt put there to draw the viewer's attention.
Hoist By Her Own Petard: She can ultimately be killed by her own teleporter; the very one she was intending on using to escape.
Ship Tease: With Geralt in Flotsam, assuming the player chooses the correct dialogue choices. Also overlaps with Defrosting Ice Queen. It doesn't last.
Smug Snake: She snidely taunts Geralt about his impending death just as she's about to leave Loc Muine and everyone in it for dead before stepping into her teleporter...which then begins to tear her apart. She has no choice but to beg the man she intended to die to save her.
Vain Sorceress: For being known as the "Koviri Loner" and infamous as a reclusive ice queen, she sure does seem to spend a lot of time taking care of her appearance. Her habit of wearing heavy make-up and Pimped Out Dress had Bernard Loredo comment that she looks like "a whore on parade day".
In fact, she puts on makeup for the fight with the kayran. Geralt snarks at this, saying that the kayran cannot see in color.
A young boy whom Geralt rescues from Barghests right in the outskirts of Vizima. By all appearances, he’s a perfectly normal child, but he is also a Source, and has great potential for magic and especially a thing for seeing into the futureand traveling through time.
Chekhov's Gunman: He's introduced as some random kid rescued from certain death by Geralt. And ultimately becomes the Big Bad.
A mysterious Witcher from the School of the Viper who murders kings. Geralt seemed to know him, before the loss of his memory. It turns out that they chased the Wild Hunt together. After Geralt offered himself to the King of the Wild Hunt in exchange for Yennefer, Letho and two fellow Witchers took care of the weakened sorceress. Eventually, the Nilfgaardians captured them, and the Emperor himself promised to rebuild the Viper school if the Witchers killed the monarchs of the Northern Kingdoms as preparation for a future invasion.
Anti-Villain: YMMV, but he is ultimately trying to secure a safe place for fellow witchers to live in due to the huge discrimination they receive.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He betrays just about every alliance he makes, including Iorveth and the Scoia'tael, and Síle and the Lodge of Sorceresses.
Dumb Muscle: Subverted. But he looks like he's one and knows how to use it to his advantage.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a rather large, deep, and ugly V-shaped one on his forehead.
I Owe You My Life: Geralt saved his life while chasing the Wild Hunt. So when Letho gains the upper hand during the duel in Chapter 1, he just lets Geralt go.
Knife Nut: He has a pair of daggers that we never see him use in the game proper. The animated introduction in the Enhanced Edition, however, shows that he's no less dangerous when he uses them.
Lightning Bruiser: Compared to humans, all witchers are very strong and fast, but Letho stands out for being, in Geralt's words, "a mountain of meat", and yet he is every bit as agile as his fellow witchers, who are a lot smaller and leaner by comparison. Letho's speed is even lampshaded in more than one occasion, first by Ciaran, the dying elf in the barge, and later on by a dying Cedric.
Manipulative Bastard: He was able to trick the Lodge of Sorceresses into helping him. A member of the Lodge even hired him to kill one certain king, thinking he was just a Dumb Muscle.
Mr. Exposition: At the end, he'll happily explain to you the reasons for his actions, finishing up the Backstory and cluing you in on what's really going on in the grand scheme of things.
Pet the Dog: Several instances of this. One, he doesn't kill Geralt after their first fight, due to feeling he owes the latter, and in general does not consider him his enemy. Second, in the past, he watched over Yennefer for a while after Geralt made his Deal with the Devil. Third, if Geralt does not rescue Triss in Chapter 3, then Letho does, and he protects her from the sorceress-hunting soldiers.
Skippable Boss: At the end of the game, the player can fight him or let him walk away.
Commander of the Blue Stripes, a temerian special forces unit tasked with handling nonhuman threats. Helps Geralt break out of prision in the Prologue under the condition that he'll help Vernon capture the kingslayer.
Affably Amoral: Roche commands a brutal and ruthless death squad, and has personally killed more than a few innocents and ordered the deaths of countless others. Despite this, he's a genuinely friendly and likable guy, treats his soldiers well, and is extremely loyal to those he considers his friends. Even if Geralt starts actively working against him, he simply acts hurt rather than angry.
He Who Fights Monsters: One of the reasons why Iorveth hates him so passionately is that Vernon, unlike his predecessors, becomes increasingly more vicious and accomplished the longer he leads the Temerian special forces division. There are even rumors that Vernon feeds on Elven ears.
Jerkass WoobieWith a Heart of Gold: He's a brutal spymaster in a Crap Sack World. But he genuinely cares for Geralt and his men. He later gain a woobie point when his squad gets massacred by Henselt.
Kick the Son of a Bitch: His main primary goal. It could be said that his route is composed entirely of this. In the end, Geralt can kill or witness the murder of Loredo, King Henselt, and Dethmold. All of them are Complete Monsters, which makes those moments a candidate for Crowning Moment of Awesome.
Undying Loyalty: Even their deaths won't sever his loyalty to those who managed to earn it.
Ves
The Blue Stripes' second-in-command. She was rescued by Vernon from a gang of elves when she was a teenager and has been working for the Blue Stripes ever since.
Butt Monkey: First she is used as bait by the Blue Stripes to ambush Loredo, almost getting raped in the process; then she has to deal with discrimination on Kaedwen's camp for being a female soldier, and finally she literally gets raped by Henselt and is forced to watch her friends get executed even though Henselt said he might let them live if she behaves (and she does). And then there's herbackstory.
Fantastic Racism: Subverted. Even though she hunts non-humans and suffered a lot at the hands of elves in the past, she claims that she does not begrudge the race as a whole and that she simply kills who she is ordered to, and that she makes no distinction between human and non-human targets.
Only Sane Woman: Arguably the most stable-minded member of the Blue Stripes, Vernon included.
Rape As Backstory: She was held captive for years by a gang of elves. The leader took a liking to her. Vernon and the Blue Stripes rescued her eventually, but unfortunately the damage had long been done.
What Happened to the Mouse?: After being raped by Henselt at the end of Act II, Geralt mentions that she's lying about something. Roche sends her off to meet up with them later, and then she's never seen again for the remainder of the game.
Saskia the Dragon Slayer
Leader of the Aedirnian resistance. She dreams of a land where humans and nonhumans can coexist in harmony. Actually the dragon Saesenthessis, who came to sympathize with the other races and wants them to live in peace with each other. Ultimately ends up becoming an Unwitting Pawn to Philippa Eilhart and the Lodge of Sorceresses.
The Ace: She is a beautiful, brave young woman who is just as smart as she is charismatic, and rumor has it that she killed a dragon single-handily. She turns out to be the dragon all along, and the bit about slaying a dragon was invented by Iorveth to make her seem even more like an ace.
Interspecies Romance: Geralt can be implied to ship Saskia/Iorveth through one dialogue opinion in one of the endings. Saskia notes that she had heard many lewd things said about the two of them, but finds dwarves most interesting. Which apparently is a dragon thing. She does put some thought into the idea, though.
Mind-Control Eyes: How Geralt notices that something is off about her behavior.
Morality Pet: For Iorveth, who is fiercely loyal to her.
Our Dragons Are Different: Golden dragons in The Witcher can shapeshift into virtually any form they want, but because Saesenthessis is only partially a golden dragon, (her father is a golden dragon and her mother is a green dragon) she can only shapeshift into one human form.
Virgin Power: What a lot of people seem to believe she has. Since as Triss correctly notes, virgins are a dying breed in the Witcherverse, it isn't that crazy an argument from a peasant's POV.
Siegfried of Denesle
A knight of the Order of the Flaming Rose. He is one of Geralt's contacts in the first game. A well-meaning knight who just so happens to be terribly misguided.
The leader of Vizima's Scoia'tael. Like Siegfried, he is one of Geralt's contacts in the first game. He wants to overthrow the humans because he believes the world would be better off under the leadership of the elves.
Break the Cutie: According to him, he once tried to live peacefully among humans. The humans would have none of that and made his life miserable. He eventually got fed up with human ignorance and decided to rebel.
