The Best Written Antagonist in Gaming History?

[@maxderrat]

Here's where you tell me which villain is better written. Some solid, reasonable alternatives people have already suggested are Gaunter O'Dimm, Andrew Ryan, Senator Armstrong, Dutch, and GLaDOS.

[@TealWolf26]

I'd recommend looking at the Hearts of Stone DLC with Gaunter O' Dimm, the Man of Glass. One of my favorite villains.

[@lukasgraesslin]

@@TealWolf26 Was gonna say the same. Gaunter O'Dimm.

[@thmistrapillay1811]

The choice to romance Yennifer or Tris, I think both options have more depth to them than most people realize

[@ElodieHiras]

Yomiel from Ghost Trick, simply for how real he is. Spoilers ahead. Extended social isolation and PTSD do weird shit to your brain, especially if they go untreated. The guy died a pretty traumatic death, came back as a ghost (whose PTSD obviously was't treated), and developped possibly the worst ghostly powers possible in his situation as they "nicely" complemented his deteriorating mental state by enabling him to act on his worst impulses. And then someone was nice to him. So he set out to fix everything that went wrong due to his actions, and ended up leveraging a pretty big loophole involvng ghostly powers to undo the entire disaster that the game was... Turns out that when he got the support he needed, he could actually salvage the wreck his life was... Also, a victim of police incompetence. Who could have possibly guessed that a cop threatening a guy who *REALLY DIDN'T DO IT* with serious, life destoying consequences unless he ratted out his *NONEXISTENT* accomplices would drive him to reckless actions?

[@negative6442]

Gaunter O'Dimm

[@thesageofktn3296]

"Folks can't depend on Witchers to save them from themselves" is the best quote said by Geralt at the end of the Bloody Baron quest. It encapsulates everything you do in the Witcher 3.

[@mojonojo3]

I just find myself profoundly sad for the character, for both the choices he actively had to make and the choices forced upon him by both circumstance and addiction, i feel profoundly sad for his family and the choices they had to make because of him, he is not a villain or a hero, just a man who made some profoundly shitty choices in a pretty shitty circumstance.

[@ByakkoFox]

100% agree

[@TheGreatAndMightyGoBo]

Agreed

[@CopperKnight027]

I really enjoy a piece o dialogue and the delivery Geralt gives Tamara when meeting her in Oxenfurt, "I know evil men, he is not one of them". People can agree or disagree with the statement but I believe it

[@bakters]

There's more to it. 1. He did know that Anna was cheating on him. It was a small world, full of servants who see everything and tell everything. He was basically like Augustus, who also knew about the antics of Julia, but *chose* not to react. But once those guys were *forced* to react, they were also forced to react excessively. Which both of them did. 2, If Anna was still fertile in her forties, how come they had only one child? 3. He admits to his domestic violence, but Geralt discovers it went both ways. Tamara knows nothing about it... She blames the father for precisely *everything* . 4. Yes, he drunk heavily, but he never harmed Tamara. That's not how domestic abusers work. 5. Despite all that, Philip is still willing to help Anna as best as he can, and if you do your choices right, he will also help Tamara. When he's gone for a time, I bet everybody misses him in Crow's Perch.

[@bakters]

@@CopperKnight027 That's correct, that's what the devs tried to tell you. Anna is the real villain in this family. Philip is pretty much a victim. And Tamara, and Dea.

[@mateusgreenwood1096]

It doesn't even end there: Tamara, his daughter, becomes a lackey for the witch hunters; a corrupt band of cutthroats who were desperate to end the abuse of power brought by the kingdom's sorcerers and end up burning innocent mages in pyres. She may be forced to do more unspeakable acts of violence and will hate Phillip no matter the outcome of his story...

[@AlexisTheDragon]

Remember, before he ever hit her, after he killed evan, she tried to kill him multiple times for years before he finally defended himself. And when he did the first time, it just snowballed from there. But he shoulda just let her go.

[@Skavem]

He would never accept to let her go, he killed Evan to show this.

[@manashieldworld]

​@@SkavemNo he killed Evan for having an affair with his wife... you ok buddy?

[@KaNoMikoProductions]

If he let her go, he would've lost his child too.

[@Exile_Sky]

This... I'm just like "Wait.. abuse? their relations were largely toxic from her side and only after she decided that she was unsatisfied.. She never tired to stay faithful to him. As soon as there was an opportunity instead of LEAVE while he was away she continued to enjoy the benefits of being in his home AND boinking her friend. Like.. are we just going to skip over just how wrong that is?" P.S. Turns out the answer was yes. Woman does wrong = It's the man's fault.

[@Nobody32990]

I don't think Filip could let her go, not after she was cheating on him for 3 years. Due to his position as military commander, letting her go without doing something after her affair would make him look weak and incapable of leading his men. On the other hand if he would let her go, due to my previous point, he would have to kick her out of his life in a harsh way, making her effectively a beggar and up to the mercy of the war torn world. That's not a decision towards the loved one one makes lightly. Truth is there was no "good" way out of this, Baron was doomed either way. While he might want to make things right (since we clearly see his willingness to admit fault and try to rectify it the best he can) actions of his wife were vindictive at every step.

[@War_Numen]

I found the baron's questline to be profoundly human. What incredible writing, sadly I can only imagine such quality to stem from lived experience.

[@thelastminuteman7513]

Why good art is a barometer for the world we live in.

[@ClockworkGearhead]

Look, many would judge him. But not a single person would say to themselves, "Okay, you stay home, I'll handle your hardships." The reason people see him as _grey_ is the writers sold how easy it was to throw him away and why it was horrific. Everyone did. Even Geralt, at first. The botchling wasn't a metaphor for his sins, the botchling was a metaphor for the _Baron's entire life._

[@b-KvazaR]

It is also important to note that, according to Baron, he has never hit his wife before the childhood friend incident. And the first time he hit her was when she attacked him with a knife. Not defending him, but i think it's an important bit of context. I also doubt that after the first time he'd beat her out of the blue, he said something along the lines of "she knew how to make it sting". I know that most people will think that "it's just words and not an excuse to hit your wife", but the words of your former loved one, of someone who had seen you at your lowest aimed to hurt you can be very vile and hurtful. A stable man can have a hard time taking that, but if you say that to a drunk with ptsd, you know what you are doing

[@joeclarke7982]

Unfortunately your loved ones that you might emotionally confide in can use that to purposely say the most hurtful things possible

[@Romapolitan]

Didn't she attack him after he murdered her childhood friend? I think it's pretty understandable she would try to murder him after that. Many would do the same.

[@Sarcastic_Sophist]

I agree that is a pretty big and important bit of context. I am kinda sad it wasn't mentioned in this video.

[@Electronica27]

​@joeclarke7982 would you rather tell your feelings to a tree or a woman?

[@blueberriestea]

Yes, its hurtful, but he still beat her and killed her. No matter what someone says, this is still not an excuse. "If you say that to a drunk ptsd man, you know what you are doing" What the f are you trying to say here? Huh? That she wanted to be killed??? That she got what she deserved? Please explain how you know what you are doing thing. This is insane. No matter what this woman said or argued with her husband she did not "deserve" to be beat and killed

[@thomascannone3111]

Didn't Anna ask the crones to make her miscarry because she didn't want to give birth to Phillips kid? Because if so I would say she is to blame for her death just as much as Phillip if not more so since her decision was pre-meditated. Honestly both Anna and Phillip are awful in their own ways but to me I always end up sympathising with Phillip more than Anna for a few reasons. 1. her infidelity appears the be the start of the toxicity in their relationship at least that we know of. 2. we see Phillip not only regret his actions but actively try to make amends although he knows it is likely pointless. 3. we do not see Anna express any regret or take any accountability for her side of things. (although that is likely due to her wishing to keep her identity a secret, it is a shame we never got to hear her talk about her perspective on their history.) what do you all think though?

[@richard_from_england333]

100% true.. Even though both handled their relationship wrong but the Baron was ready to move mountains to make it work and make everything right and he got nothing in return and no one was interested in hearing his side of the story except for Geralt (you)

[@Nobody32990]

​@@richard_from_england333 yeah, if we tally up their actions it turns out his wife's were selfish or vindictive at every step of this tragedy.

[@CopperKnight027]

Agree with everything but number 3. From the moment we meet Anna she has already lost her mind from all the trauma she endured during her life, miscarring by evil magic, being captured by a fiend and forced to serve the Crones and all, so she never has a sane moment of screen time to trully process the situation. We simply cannot know how she feels

[@thomascannone3111]

@@CopperKnight027 that's fair, I always assumed she was still sane until the death of the Orphans but she is clearly not all there even the first time we meet her.

[@CopperKnight027]

@ that's fair aswell, but to quote Geralt himself when Johnny the Godling asks if the woman at the bog (Anna) seems confused, Geralt responds "Nuts. Completely" lol

[@skvor12d35]

He's not a villain He's an average guy in a wrong place and in a wrong time, who faced the consequences he's not able to handle and to deal with. Great story in its simplicity.

[@TITANia69420]

One of the best unforeseen consequences within this game is Geralt pushing Djikstra aside. Forcefully.

[@sldarwin5615]

😂😂

[@FATxAZZxGONExCRAZZZY]

This is more of an after thought as its never mentioned in the witcher. During medival times most people spent a lot of time intoxicated by watered down beer, cider and the likes. It was safer than drinking the water. More than one time during the Witcher 3 game something related to drinking water being tainted (by corpses resting in it upstream) is brought up, its not unreasonable to think that Philip acquired a stronger than usual taste for alcohol by his proximity to battlefields even before it became a coping strategy.

[@sir.raphimrevelator8644]

Yow. This is another trouble for the already hard life people strive to survive on. ❤

[@TheMrShnickers]

Yes definitely, I can imagine all those battles and wars Phillip probably looked forward to two things in his life, his home and his drink.

[@specialnewb9821]

My understanding is most of the time, it was watered down enough they weren't drunk.

[@mateusgreenwood1096]

Goddamn, youtube doesn't even let the word "abuse" slide?

[@TealWolf26]

@@mateusgreenwood1096 I clocked that as well. Demonetization has creators over a barrel. Not just revenue but not get promoted in the algorithm. Makes it hard to operate genuinely on the platform.

[@mateusgreenwood1096]

@TealWolf26 which is just absurd consideting how huge the website is, they just want more corporate thinking for the sake of greed

[@lazyholl0w831]

And it will get worse.

[@mykelmellen2378]

​@TealWolf26 every time I see any of my once favorite creators (not Max) engage in garbage clickbait, I have to remind myself that I don't have any idea how hard it is to not pander to the algorithm and survive.

[@a13m34]

It's not very advertisers friendly word

[@fohawk871]

I remember villainizing him up until the point where he reveals she was cheating on him for years. Just like with the other reasons to like or dislike him, as someone whos been cheated on, I can understand his rage, while only about 40-50% condoning his response

[@fs5866]

Baron wasn't even a bad man, beating his wife for cheating was not even bad considering he went through a war and had men die under him on the front and then to come home and find out his wife was having fun with someone else. A lot of people in the real world did more than that in such scenario.

[@Nimajneb406]

@@fs5866 something distinct too is that, from what he says, anytime he did hit her it was intentionally provoked by Anna. I do not condone the baron’s actions, but neither is he exclusively at fault. The first time occurred after he killed her lover and she tried to kill him. Many times that we know of after that she dug her claws into him, goading him and enraging him. She’s also attacked him many times if I recall correctly. Considering the ending where he hangs, he still cares about Anna, so all of her attacks would have cut deeper. Not to mention she is the only one we know of him hitting. We know he never touched Tamara, and the barn incident we see is explainable by the extremity of the events around it. This type of action isn’t the pattern for habitual abusers. They will punch down whenever given the chance, and with him as a baron that opportunity should be exceptionally easy, but mostly he’s a decent person. His name references an event where red paint was spilt into the river rather than referring to violent tendencies. The bloody baron is such an amazing morally grey character. He has made bad choice and done things he regrets, but all of his actions are understandable even if not excusable.

[@fs5866]

@ Honestly from the interaction he had with Geralt, he seemed to me like a good man, he treated Ciri like his own daughter, he loved his family in his own way, it was just the circumstances that he went through that turned a good man into making bad choices. To me he wasn't a grey character, just another scarred man but he had genuine good intentions in most of what he did. Ending the man that cheated with his wife, under those circumstances and times, is really understandable and neither is slapping his wife if she was the one initiating the violence.

[@p_serdiuk]

It's a very Eastern European story. Problems with alcohol, domestic violence, war, and PTSD, are endemic here.

[@Clarity0yx]

Yep my family story

[@HandelGothicEnjoyer]

Max Derrat on a Sunday? Hell yeah!

[@AlexisTheDragon]

There's far worse than violence, I'd argue, emoitional/psychological abuse is all the more ruining. I've been through both and it's not even close.

[@wyatt8315]

Moral greyness is an effective tool in making the audience question who they’re willing to give their sympathy to

[@soccerandtrack10]

...

[@kylemull842]

I’m on my very first playthrough! And wow, I have no words for this game so just wow. The bloody baron, Dijkstra, The tower of mice. Every hour of this game is meeting characters and hearing tragic stories I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

[@richard_from_england333]

And so many fairytale references near the end of the story and DLCs lol.. Oh yeah, both DLCs are amazing so prepare yourself for that and don't think the story is over just because the main story ended. You'll be pleasantly surprised and out of the 2 DLCs, I like Hearth of Stone better but that's just my opinion

[@UnseelieFaelass]

The Bloody Baron reminds me of Joshua Graham in some ways. Though there are obvious differences as well. 1. Both the Baron and Joshua were men who fought in numerous battles. Though their reasons were vastly different, it's hard to say that Joshua wasn't affected like the Baron was just because he was perpetrator. 2. Both of them have done things most others would condemn them for. None more so than themselves as well. But both also seek to do right when in their respective right minds. 3. Both men had to be either talked or calmed down from an outburst/regression by the player characters. 4. Both have lost family members with their actions being only partly to blame alongside the actions of others. As for the differences... 1. Joshua only ever hints at staring down the barrel of a 45(listen to 45 by Shinedown to get the ref), the Baron will actually commit to that fate depending on the ending. 2. Joshua has his faith and uses it to deflect some of the responsibility of his actions during the Honest Hearts questline and to justify his past to himself as he puts it. Where as the Baron only lies by omission about the truth and when confronted about it once calmed down, doesn't really deflect, like you said. 3. Joshua, for all his rage, does try not to let it consume him. He unfortunately also fears of his Shadow, gives it openings to attack and pull him under. The Burned Man, his Shadow, is an ever present force in Zion, even if he's not around the player. It ever burns the man Joshua wishes to be, and eventually bursts forth after being repressed for too long without proper confrontation. The Baron however, was already consumed by his Shadow. It's in the title he bears, the actions he commits both under the influence and not, and frankly how he views himself. The Baron already feels as though he cannot go back, that he cannot change. Only Geralt's interventions and the proper choices with his help can bring him out of those thoughts. Where as the other endings, have an unfortunately tragic, and permanent fate in store. Joshua hasn't yet given up on himself though. He's fighting tooth and nail to be better than the Malpais Legate, and after player intervention, he strives to be better than even the Burned Man. The fact he says in the end narration that the Burned Man was exorcized, feels like a nod to the Shadow being properly confronted, and its ashes finally released on the wind. This was a fun little thought exercise for me. If anyone has more to add on similarities vs differences between these two, feel free to add em. I'm good myself for now though. Toodles and blessed be.

[@Cold_Zero_The_Wise]

He is the definition of Human, a fictional character amd NPC so not like the others so morally grey they do bad things but qe root for them, he's an excellent depiction that the jokder from bat man was right, no matter how good and moral tou try to be, we are all one bad day or series of events from being the worst version of ourselves. If he was being hanged for his sins id never fight to defend him, i wouldn't make enemies with the law for him, but if i was the hang man i wouldn't pull the leaver either, because he truly isn't a hero or a bad guy, he's just.....Human.

[@kirigherkins]

I still regularly think about this questline. It's haunting.

[@Furebel]

He is a monster. A pathetic barely human thing. Yet why did I cry when he spelled the formula with the botchling in his hand? Why did I feel empathy for him? They really did stellar job with writing a character so complex that you can feel both rage and empathy for.

[@povilzem]

Both the Baron and his wife were abusive towards each other. The difference being that one tried to do the right thing, but lashed out physically when his willpower and mental faculties were impaired by alcohol, and is prepared to take responsibility for his actions, while the other cheated on her husband, psychologically abused him without end (driving him to alcohol in the first place), committed abortion, sold her soul to demons in the woods and did it all with a clear mind. "By their fruits you shall know them." As we find them, the Baron is keeping a semblance of order in Velen and helps out Ciri when she stumbles into his home. Anna is fattening up orphan children for the witches to devour.

[@thmistrapillay1811]

This entire questline is soaked in areas of grey and I love it. Could you also do a video on Odin. I feel Odin in GOW:R is the BEST portrayal of a real-life liar and manipulator. He's charismatic, feeble and kind looking, CONSTANTLY talks with double meanings and forked tongues and even lies when there's literally _zero_ reason or even benefit to lying, he just does it naturally now. I think there's a BUNCH of nuances to his character that goes under the radar of most people

[@INSANESUICIDE]

I find the portrayal of the Norse Pantheon to be degrading and shitty. Never touched the game due to it personally.

[@BurghezulDjentilom]

@@INSANESUICIDE thank sweet baby inc

[@JRBDWD]

The Baron was NOT a villain.

[@richard_from_england333]

Definitely.. Also, his wife is far worse than him

[@povilzem]

Yeah, he's a friendly NPC.

[@Nobody32990]

Yeah, calling him a villain is a stretch. Broken man? Sure, but not a villain.

[@Ikati-ny8fr]

he wasn't even an antagonist

[@LordHonkInc]

I think the best, game-wide "trick" CDPR pulled with the Witcher (not to mention the legwork already done by Sapkovski's books) is that you get introduced to many (maybe most?) characters through a) contradicting information by b) unreliable narrators. That combination puts your mind on edge during scenes with those characters; is [insert character] a spy or just a deserter? Can you guess by how he acts in this scene? If it's the former, is he more bite than bark or are the stories of slaughter you've heard true? Does his equipment/outfit belie a skilled fighter, or is he really as run-down as he looks? I'd say "intuition," for lack of a better word, is what I'm trying to describe more so than abductive reasoning, but the term for it is inconsequential for my point. The point is _getting_ somebody to intuit pixels on a monitor and lines recorded in a studio is a non-trivial task because it involves more than characters with motivation and a backdrop setting, you need movement, you need a living world with living people. Conway's Game of Life, complex multi-agent systems, emergent behavior. All the buzzwords. It's what separates the Witcher from Elex, Metro2033 from Colonial Marines, you get the point. It's more than simple passive suspension of belief, it's active engagement with the fictional as if it were real. You didn't see a real spy in the game, sure, you know that, but why would you think about his motives, his equipment, his history, if you could've just sat back and watch the story of the game play out as it is programmed to? Why did you think? Anyways, thanks for coming to my TEDx talk...

[@PinchyTheKittyGirl]

This video is excellent. One of the best I've watched of yours, and I've seen most of them.

[@bakters]

It's not true that the Witcher 3 "ridicules" having a moral compass. There is never a question of what is good and what is evil, we just don't know how to achieve the good outcomes. No matter how much we try, they always come out bitter-sweet at best. Your analysis of Philip is fair, but there is still more to it. Anna cheated on him for years and he *did* know about it, but he chose not to react to it. Anna forced his hand in the end, and that's why his reaction was excessive. Philip did what he did mainly to keep his reputation intact, because he absolutely had to keep his people in hand. I bet he also wanted to do it that way, however, he chose not to, for years, so it's not like he couldn't control himself, as long as he wanted to control himself. Think some more about it. They had one child at the beginning, but at the end of their marriage a fairly old Anna was still fertile. How come? Easy answer. Philip was not welcomed in the alcove. But that other guy (or guys?) definitely were... The domestic violence thing is also more nuanced, since Geralt discovers that Anna was violent toward Philip too. Philip takes responsibility for his actions and never accuses her, but we still know that it went both ways. If you condemn Philip, you also should condemn Anna for the very same reason. Either that, or admit that we can't judge men and women equally for the same actions. She also took away his child from him. He never harmed Tamara, no matter how drunk he was. Anna used her in order to harm him. There is more to it still. In the end, I consider Philip to be the victim here. A good guy, who would easily make a perfect husband and father, if he was given a half of a chance. He still did very well, all things considered.

[@jimofthejungle02]

The Baron always reminded me of my own father. On one hand, a fatherly and pretty friendly guy, on the other absolutely consumed by alcohol and when under the influence pretty horrible. Although the Baron was in every single way worse, and my own father never laid a finger on me or my mother, that jekyll and hyde portrayed in The Witcher by the Baron struck home. I've always sympathised with the Baron because of that, because he reminded me of my dad (who is now 3-4 months sober! Albeit because his liver can't handle alcohol any more, it's nice to have my dad back)

[@mcastream]

This game has actual art in it ,in the sence that it moves people to make amazing videos like this one . I loved this video and the Witcher ofc .

[@jesusp.1344]

Geralt was beating the baron with "righteous fury"??😅 C'mon now...

[@thelastminuteman7513]

Gotta lighten the mood with corny jokes while discussing the Bloody Baron quest.

[@robmoore3176]

Not sure if others have made the claim, but the villian of Suikoden II is probably the best villian of the pre-2000's as far as console gaming. I really like Krelian from xenogears as well because even if he didn't transcend humanity with Elly, he still technically achieved what he meant to do, even if he lost the battle, he won the war, from his own end.

[@raresoana672]

"... of course this wasnt an acceptable outcome" - I'm dying

[@tommyk7061]

I still love the fact that we can see him again just chilling in Geralt's home in "Celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Witcher" short video from The Witcher official channel.

[@8REIS8]

Don't you think it was important to mention that the guy found his wife with another man in his bed after a battle??? And after ending hiis wife's lover, she spend the next years inflicting psicological violence against him and even some murder attempts??? That probably made him an alcoholic

[@maxderrat]

He was an alcoholic beforehand and I literally mentioned the fact that he found his wife in bed with another man.

[@8REIS8]

@maxderrat you are right. But the varon also mentions that his wife tried to kill him and was emotionaly abusive with him

[@agopessimist1335]

While I would still argue that characters like Kreia, Griffith, and the main antagonist of the manga Monster are much better and well-written villains and antagonists, the Bloody Baron is without a doubt an incredibly well written and complex character. I don’t think I’d necessarily characterize him as a ‘villain’ in the traditional sense, as he doesn’t really impede Geralt or affect the overarching story of Witcher 3 in huge ways. Nevertheless, props to the writers of Witcher 3 for writing a character this way and giving the Baron enough nuance to make the player question their judgment of him

[@Doudeee]

Of those you mention, I only know Griffith, and even if Griffith is really well written and we can't really compare them equally, the barron talks more to me because what he did and his situation is deeply human, and at human scale, no gods, no monsters, only him, his wife, and their pasts.

[@Pollozapatos]

“Motivate all to choose non violence, and extend mercy to those who fail.” That’s the most powerful closer I have ever heard. You truly are a ray of sunshine Max.

[@raulvito6246]

Never felt the BB to be an enemy or even an antagonist, a tragic flawed man but no evil Gunther O Dimm… Oh and more Witcher content would be really welcome

[@F4nTom_II]

Why on Earth does a video as philosophically and insightfuly valuable as this, made of all people by Max Derrat, have to suffer this amount POINTLESS censorship?? I've lost count of how many words get muted out here, completely harmless, fitting and absolutely adequate words that deserve and need to be stated in the context!! This is disgusting, KZbin staff, do you read me? This word snatching censorship is pointless, counter-productive and ultimately stupid!

[@joshuanowlin443]

He really aint even a villian, he is just a miserable drunk. People like him as a character because we have all met this guy.

[@richard_from_england333]

He's relatable because we all were him at one point in our lives or will be.. People have relationships where both parties are toxic, where we fight and argue to justify our actions while both parties think they're right and the other is wrong. We've been cheated on, we've cheated and in the end we went on a redemption journey and got nothing in return

[@XonixDerps]

I'm quick to pause on the mention of drinking and choice at about 21:30 - as I believe I've read somewhere that the studies during that kind of case involving the mind were extremely based on effectively the brain showing a light in that instance hence 'choice' but not considering the choices affected by the drink/mix/and scenario leading to it. Not saying it isn't but it always feels extremely based on the person. I've seen happy drunks wallow and sleep while 'trying' to choose to action, others make an action that had no sensibility at all besides being amusing. Edit: I do agree with your mentions of it being dishonest to ignore everything leading to this! Overall I do love this quest-line and it saddens me many choose to mod it out or skip it for how long it is in the game :T (Before anyone comes at me emotionally, I COME from a household that had this exact problem as well - and seen it turned someone completely different from how they were raised as the brain went into mush effectively.)

[@kaiwardinofficial9686]

Man, KZbin is really going overboard with these censorships. You can't even say abuse without getting demonitized? Good Grief! give me a break!

[@rohitharidas91]

Bloody Baron carried the entire first act

[@fafikommander1903]

The whole questline is one bad choice by both after another. And even their daughter joining the Witchhunters for comfort is tragic and futile. God damn it, I hate Velen.

[@bryanwhelan351]

love how youtube hates the use of descriptive words

[@smeepUCA]

Man you make some great videos.. I would definitely put him up along side Emet-Selch from FFXIV.

[@OddButCools]

Always tune into your videos. Video games can be deep.

[@hummingpylon]

There is no escape, only an illusion of it. All must be confronted. No one is innocent.

[@Dragnarok1]

This literally the phrase "I'm a villain, not a monster" manifested.

[@EXchange01]

Love ur vids man. Going through a rough patch my self, 22yo getting kicked out the us Air Force for alcoholism, alcoholisms no joke. Attended a rehab with fellow veterans and I’m attending AA meetings occasionally. Separation takes a bit in the military. So I’m sort of waiting on the day I actually separate and the anxiety’s slowly building and it’s got me in a depression for the last week. All this responsibility’s new to me, got my first car, lease and I messed up an engine part and replacing its expensive and both this and getting kicked out at the same time is rough for me and throw in my new struggle with alcohol. All ik is that I wanted freedom when I was stuck living with my parents and now I got it so I’m happy but it’s okay for me to feel anxious and scared with what’s coming. I was just depressively binging shows and watched an episode of American Dad where George Bush talked about his alcoholism and I immediately switched to KZbin and then saw your new video. Just gotta get my self out of this rut, control what I can control and trust I’ll be fine. Thanks MD

[@valipunctro]

This is why witcher 3 is the GOAT of AAA rpgs . This aspect of the game is so much above even mass effect or bgs 3.

[@MrGogi4aaa]

That title belongs to Kreia

[@kangaroocaliphate1577]

I absolutely agree.

[@BurghezulDjentilom]

100% agree about Kreia. The title of this video reeks of cheap clickbait

[@PavltheRobot]

Who's Kreia?

[@kangaroocaliphate1577]

@PavltheRobot The anti-villian/mentor in the Star Wars RPG Knights of the Old Republic II. I highly recommend playing it if you like RPG's with good writing. Don't let the dated graphics turn you away, the art direction and ambience makes up for it.

[@BigBagofHorses]

This side quest is better than most games main quest.

[@MansourAlfredi-j6e]

The quest of precilla attacker is also top tier

[@PavltheRobot]

I don't like this quest just for the fact, that she had to suffer for no reason. But I agree that it's really good for its writing and suspense.

[@MansourAlfredi-j6e]

@PavltheRobot Quite the opposite man. I love it for that specifically for reason. I like precilla a lot and loved her voice and singing seeing her suffer so suddenly with no reason charged me emotionally to the point i swore to revenge her and stopped everything to finish the quest. Precilla is a background charecter a random NPC that you dont see much of her in the whole game but i cared for her. Now compare that with games with main and side charecters that fail to make me care and feel sad or any emotion towards them

[@Ashkandi88]

I remember this quest. I usually grind thru everything for XP, but i stopped here and started reading and listening to people because it was interesting.

[@henrique88t]

Given the depth of this game, I find it baffling there's not much content like this out there.

[@zachakers4385]

Soon as there’s a new max video. You know I’m watching.

[@LuciferHunter-kt7pm]

The philosophical GENIUS of the Bloody Baron!!

[@jonhstonk7998]

I think the Baron is entirely blameless by the end of it: he takes responsibility for his mistakes, he does the ritual to appease and aleviate the suffering of the spirit of his second child that through his drunken agression he has accidentally murdered, not to mention how he tries his best for his men and for his family, and i dont think that his slaughter of Ethan was unjustified at all, specially considering the medieval setting, if anything he could have done worse to that bastard, as for his wife? she was unfaithful and jeopardized both herself and her daughter by her actions, not to mention how that bitch tried repeatedly to kill him before he defended himself! there were many ways to go about the Barons drinking problem: having an affair with another man for 3 years and then threatening to leave her husband that had been in war experiencing the loss of friends and the horrors of constant medieval combat on the daily and in no small part FOR THE SAKE OF HIS FAMILY(as "fighting for ones kingdom" also meant "fighting for one´s family safety" by proxy in this period) wasnt the best way to go about it no. For me the Baron is a tragic character but ultimately a good man with heavy flaws, he is fundamentally, in final analysis: Heroic in his character, even if in a very flawed way.

[@richard_from_england333]

The Baron is fundamentally human

[@Trathien-]

Baron didnt even kill the unborn child, and it wasnt his fault

[@Nobody32990]

Calling him a "villain" is a misnomer. He is most definitely a broken man that can't cope with his circumstances while trying to be for his family but calling him a "villain" is a stretch. I also think you really are underselling how abusive behavior of his wife affected him.

[@illyaismail6413]

The bloody Baron quest is amazing! P.s: pawel sasko, the designer behind the quest, is associate director of the next cyberpunk

[@MrNikArt]

I really hope the next video will be about STALKER 2. The way the quests are designed makes it so no matter what you chose, the result you get might not be the one you planned for, thus deepening the moral dilema.

[@stitchfan93]

Nice work!

[@aaroncano826]

From what I got the baron isnt a villain, hes a victim in the world he lived in, he had a duty to fulfill to his country because of he fails everyone loses, he tried to withstand the strategies he witnessed with alchohol and the love of his wife and children expecting to be loyal, the betrayed him and and the problems he had escalated, the wife didnt had to go through all this, all she had to do is be loyal wife

[@MazuiLakon]

W*men being w*men and this channel simpin

[@krishanubanerjee6955]

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion tune in the background perfectly fits the video's sensitive subject matter!

[@boldbearings]

Great write-up. Subbed. ✅

[@kevinmccalister4602]

Hey Max it was an amazing video thanks for making it : )

[@michaeloliveire75]

This video is the ointment on the wound that is waiting for joseph anderson's witcher 3 video.

[@engineerofthemachine]

Super deep as always, Max.

[@iexistforsomereason76]

Just finished the Witcher 3 for the first time in my life 5 minutes ago. What a coincidence.

[@Elemak501]

In this case I genuinely believe providing the full context would have made for a more useful and compelling analysis.

[@Dante-tf2et]

Unforseen consequenses of most quests were torturing my brain since Witcher 1. I even became obssesed with completing the whole game with side quests best way possible. Or at least most acceptable way for me, since many of outcomes are emotionally/morally grey anyway. T_T

[@FiliusFidelis]

Mmmm, this was absolutely a questline that let my very conflicted and with long lingering thoughts.

[@JaCKal_0000]

i still not finished the witcher 3 but i finished the baron's side quest and i would say that quest line are goated it make us always on edge for legendary witcher, even geralt is troubled

[@er4din903]

My favorite part of the witcher 3 story by a notable margin. Thoigh the best quality about the Baron, or at least how I see him, is that above all other characters in the game, he feels like a person. He’s not even an antagonist. Just a person.

[@filipvadas7602]

The Bloody Baron was easily the most interesting antagonist in the game. He was a man shaped by war, made worse by drinking and then fully broken when his relationship with Anna soured due to her cheating on him for years, which is when he first hit her to defend himself. Worse is that Anna consistently provoked him intentionally whenever he got drunk since then. Whether it was out of hate, a desire to finally make him kill her or just because it was the only way she thought she could fight back a marriage she felt trapped in is up for debate. Obviously, I'm not defending the Baron's terrible actions. The game itself even has him fully acknowledge that he's *not* a good person, but that the fault isn't entirely his own. Leaving most of the *moral* judgement on the player. The Bloody Baron is the type character you would expect to see in freaking GoT ,back when it was at its peak, for how genuinely complex he is.

[@wojszach4443]

My judgement upon baron was as such: "you are worth each other"

[@misternebojsa]

I wonder....why geralt didnt axii baron to tell him where ciri left? Is there explanation? 😂

[@Zeta0104]

The evaluation to the Baron's response to Anna cheating must also consider Evan. He knowingly slept with a married woman for years, he wronged the Baron as much as Anna had. Whatever one thinks of the violence the Baron was capable of, it was not unleashed against the innocent.

[@numenoreaneternity6682]

Some key arguments weren't presented. 1. Anna's infidelity is the origin of the downward spiral of their relationship and he never hit her before she lunged at him with a knife. 2. Phillip not only regrets his actions but actively tries to make things right although he knows it is likely pointless. 3. Anna doesn't express any regret or attempt to take any accountability for her actions, while the Baron is willing to move mountains to make things right. 4. Phillip is definitely not an antagonist, let alone a villain.

[@Azure4Shore]

It's always an awesome day when Max drops a deeply thought provoking video. Please do one that discusses the Witcher 3's immersive worldbuilding and the potential the fourth game has for the series!

[@0987ggggg]

Hey max, very well done video! You should do the same character studies from other games as well!

[@juliencero]

The Witcher 3 is a masterpiece

[@KazeVongola]

There is NO excuse for abuse, but at the same time there is NO excuse for infidelity either. So the way I see it, both halves did something inexcusable and the only victims here are the children who payed for their parents' mistakes. That said, in all honesty, knowing that the miscarriage wasn't done by the baron's hands, yet he still had to live with that horrible false knowledge eating away at him, makes me feel more sympathetic towards him than Anna

[@doxdorian5363]

He went to war, she cheated on him, he killed her lover, she tried to kill him, he beat her, she went to the crones to get a misscariage, and so on. What should he have done? Let her be with her lover while he was in a war?

[@user-vl7nu5pr2e]

Two wrong don't make a right. However, Max is clearly omitting all that context

[@Al-Basha_]

Some groups of people would say yes to your question! Tbh, the fact he didn't kill shows his love to her alas she just never wanted to open a new page and regret what she did

[@doxdorian5363]

@@user-vl7nu5pr2e The moment she cheated on him, things could never be right again. He killed her lover to regain honor in the eyes of his men. If he didn't do it, they would disrespect him, thinking that he's a cuckold. I mean, he killed him because he was angry, but the effect was not losing his honor.

[@doxdorian5363]

@ The moment she cheated on him, things could never be right again. He killed her lover, because otherwise, his men would disrespect him. He would show that things can be taken from him without consequences.

[@jayyy1677]

Baron and “ antagonist” in the same sentence 💔

[@thelastminuteman7513]

I have to point out how repugnant it is we have to self censor the word "abuse" when having an adult conversation about mature entertainment media. When will people recognize the behavioral modification social media is attempting and in some cases successful at and acknowledge it's getting out of hand? Reminds me of one of my favorite movie quotes. "I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".

[@sharktoothman96]

Releasing the forest spirit is the best option. The barron and anna both dug their graves and end up laying in them. The innocent and abused children are freed and the crones cult is destroyed. Its not a hard choice

[@user-si3cl9tf9v]

So being a drunk is a crime now?😂😂😂

[@Sakaki98]

Love your content, Max, but these transitional fade to white flashbangs are going to be the death of me 😂

[@spencerdokes6056]

Don't censor yourself for youtubes sake, stand up to them! Say the work "abuse"

[@user-vl7nu5pr2e]

It's seems he cares more about monetization

[@asteria9963]

@@user-vl7nu5pr2e He has to. It's his job. Get real, people.

[@crimsonraven7602]

Hey Max, have been a big fan ever since 2024, there is one quest i would like to have your insights on if you ever try out this game. The quest is named for sinnerman from cyberpunk 2077. It was a very hard hitting quest that one of the few times a video game disturbed me. *Spoilers* In this questline, we are tasked to assist a person who has to kill someone who murdered his family, things go south and you are now helping this aforementioned murderer in making a tape of how he found god and is walking towards redemption. What disturbed me about this quest is at least to me, it made me feel one of the worst ways a religion could end is due its complete commercialization. I would like to see your thoughts on this quest. Keep up the good work!!!!!

[@Trathien-]

barons men werent there to kill the pellar, they were there because pellar gave another man wrong medication

[@thelastminuteman7513]

It was definitely the most memorable and emotionally jarring, in a good way. Well as "good" as subject matter that depressing can be.

[@wikigoba]

I recommend playing it in Polish as the devs intended, it adds to the atmosphere and voice actors are just so much better.

[@counter13100]

absolute cinema

[@ShadowHunter002]

A great character for sure, but to be the best in video game history? Respectable choice I think, but I will disagree. My favourite villain, I think, is Morgana from the story: The House in Fata Morgana. Still the best story I have ever read to date, even better than berserk. I think the character writing is even better there personally. Other notable mentions from me (possible spoilers): Metal Gear Rising Revengeance: Senator Armstrong Persona 5 Royal: Maruki What remains of Edith Finch: grandmother Edi(th) Bioshock: Andrew Ryan There are probably a lot more, but these stick out to me personally.

[@maxderrat]

Christ, those are some good choices. Andrew Ryan and Senator Armstrong are likely in my top 10 as well...

[@ShadowHunter002]

@@maxderrat hahaha thanks for the reply. Since I have not seen a video on the House in Fata Morgana, I hope you will give it a go. More people need to know about it, especially those who are into deep philosophical stories about the human condition. I also have a personal ranking of video games and I have a few more great suggestions, if you are interested, if we also consider antagonists: Tales of Symphonia: Kratos Talos Principle 1: Elohim Talos Principle 2: Athena Mass effect series: Illusive Man Far Cry 3: Vaas Ender lilies: Mother I could consider any "tales of" game to be honest, because most villains there are good. But symphonia stuck out to me in that department.

[@Duckman8213]

Just replayed this game before starting the Book series. I’m on the Blood of Elves book 3/8. Started the series last week.

[@verbatim3752]

stg there better not be any alchemy snuck into this one