The Witcher 3 ► King Radovid's Assassination, Dijkstra Dies - Reason of State

[@Raxyz_0]

This part is the only thing I think CDPR screwed up big time. Dijkstra is smart, very smart, even if betraying Roche and Thaler is something he would do, he would never do so with Geralt present.

[@darkmage4648]

Yea especially since he is aware of his limitations with a sword

[@Luismayer77]

That's a constant thing in the game like everyone knows who the butcher of Blaviken is yet they try to go 1v3 with Geralt it makes no sense

[@spoons250]

@@Luismayer77 As far as the peasants in the village know, Garelt got drunk and killed those 3 men unprompted and they had no time to act. Its implied several times throughout the series allot people dont think witchers are good at killing humans... More or less dumb morons sent out as sacrifice to kill a few drowners... Most think they are far smarter and more skilled than a monster. Sorceress's and mages, now thats another story.. They bring a sword to a firespitting teleporting AR fight and most of the time walk away winning.

[@dathunderman4]

I agree, this one of the few quests that cdpr really gets wrong and forces a storyline just to get to a certain narrative outcome. It makes 0 sense for Djikstra to try and kill Geralt like that, especially with what, like 6 henchmen? He’s smarter than that, and knows Geralt enough to know he’s a much more dangerous foe

[@rajarshide3511]

This part where cdpr shows their excellence...making the players a damn hard choice to pursue....one of the hardest choices...the one where players have to choose one of their emotionally attached allies.

[@Lechuga1815]

One thing that constantly annoys me is how everyone seems to know how dangerous one of the most proficient witchers in history is. Yet they are constantly under the impression they can kill him with a few army recruits. Like, bandits will sit there and watch you take out 5 wyverns then think they can take you with 3 guys.

[@somoapo9555]

Lechuga 1815 monsters and humans are different Witcher’s are trained to fight monsters not humans Geralt almost died after one man got a pitchfork and stabbed him

[@josepabloceniceros3483]

Somoa Po actually he died (in the books)

[@somoapo9555]

Jose pablo Ceniceros the books lore different from the games

[@josepabloceniceros3483]

Somoa Po I was helping you out dick

[@vadim.ka96]

@@somoapo9555 He got stabbed, after killing like 20 people.

[@Astronaughty03]

Dijkstra brilliant strategist, knows everything.. except how to understand Geralt.

[@vc180191]

Actually he understands Geralt perfectly.....problem is, he doesn't understand the player, that's a different ball game altogether, and it just so happens we players are making Geralt's decisions for him, so he's screwed XP.

[@Uncompromising_Mode]

Dijkstra expected Geralt to stay neutral when it comes to politics, but didn't count on him protecting someone he liked (well, kinda).

[@MegaJohnny]

I'm mostly surprised he, of all people, thought he could kill Geralt with half a dozen goons. That's something dumb bandits do, not a smart guy like Dijkstra.

[@Aywusgod]

This is the only part of the game where I think CDPR did a poor job. Not only does Dijkstra, one of the most dangerous and intelligent people in the North, think he can kill Geralt (The Butcher of fucking Blaviken) with a pack of your average for hire muscle, he also thinks Geralt will give up Roche who he for sure already knows he's had a past with. Makes no sense.

[@1000rogueleader]

Well this is a weird situation. Technically Geralt can either intervene and save Roche, Thaler, and Ves, or he can walk away and let them die. The decision implies that both would have been within Geralt's character, since he is a set character and not a blank slate, but a lot of people have issues with seeing how Geralt could walk away in that situation and betray friends he's known and fought alongside for a while now.

[@sortedevaras]

Roche is such a bro.

[@320FL]

sortedevaras broche

[@maxpayne1841]

LOL XD

[@thedarkwolf6967]

deVaras he’s your trusty horse after all in human form.

[@carsonroye792]

deVaras the dude is mad racist tho

[@mister_grizzlee5105]

@@carsonroye792 don't care, he still a Bro

[@xLetalis]

I wasn't completely sure about this but I think Radovid is ultimately worse than Emhyr... also couldn't let Dijkstra kill Roche :O especially not after he helped in Kaer Morhen

[@Leobreaker49]

xLetalis you made a good decision dude, saving Roche. He's done a lot for Geralt.

[@corruptgunslinger]

TheDarkSider Emhyr winning is the better ending.

[@walterc.dornez7672]

Yeah especially if you go with ciri becoming the empress, letting nilfgard take over the north can be the best thing for it.

[@CosmicChris]

+Leobreaker49 Roach is a fucking bro.

[@deadshot1995]

+xLetalis I think Emhyr is ruthless, but a pragmatist. Allowing Temeria to be a vassal state of Nilfgaard is pretty much the most peaceful way to end the conflict at this point. Radovid is a strategic genius, but cruel and irrational in his hatred of mages. Ciri would be a better ruler than her father, but she would be unhappy as queen and constantly in danger of plots and treason.

[@somerandomperson6511]

So funny how Phillipa is standing out in the public in Novigrad near a swarm of witch hunters in broad daylight and even polymorphs out in the open too

[@Tzukino14]

I thought I was the only one surprised by this :D

[@westrim]

Which is a bit of gameplay and story segregation I assume. In cutscenes we see magic users open portals and transform in the time it takes to turn around, so how do so many get captured and slaughtered instead of porting halfway across the continent?

[@Kingdomkey123678]

westrim Magic has its limits, they can only cast so much, so often. And not all mages are equally powerful. At this stage in the story the surviving mages are the ones that can do as you describe with ease

[@muhammedbs2967]

She’ll kill them before they can say oh shit

[@SCDJMU]

yeah it's so stupid. Even with Triss she wanted but just walks around the city totally easy to spot.

[@RyanSantos-cn5ij]

I Will Never Abandon Roche...

[@WorkGalaxy47]

since I'm a faithful follower of the bro code, I make sure to follow the tenets of the bro code, NEVER LEAVE A BRO BEHIND!!!

[@enexe6229]

Roche always looked like a piece of shit for me. He uses Geralt when it benefits him in TW2 and TW3. I'm glad he died in my second playthrough (in my first playthrough Radovid won the war). Also Siegfried is better than Vermin. Devs should have put Siegfried and Iorveth in TW3 instead of Vermin Roche.

[@TheJupiteL]

WorkGalaxy47 bro code > witcher's code

[@TheBeastr]

Roach and Roche coincidence? I think not

[@lunareclipse-]

I don't like Roche that much, but i defended then for Thaler :( hes a precious boy

[@jaycewithed5156]

Wasn't hard for me to kill Djikstra. Because no one messes with Broche and live to tell about it.

[@Slim2Flo]

I always liked iorveth more anyway. Plus i think its a better world state with djimstra in charge of the north.

[@SpookyMarine]

Niccolò Ivarson Until another Northern monarch shows up to fuck it all up again.

[@DevilHunter1994]

@@SpookyMarine Yep...even the best possible world state will only last a few decades at the absolute most. Then new rulers will take the thrones of the world and proceed to fuck EVERYTHING up.

[@DylanBegazo]

He understands Geralt perfectly. Which is why it annoys Geralt sometimes. But Roche just used geralt to sell out the other northern kingdoms just so that his Temeria could be a vassal state... That's the lesser evil. No cool. Geralt hates picking the lesser evil or the greater evil too. That's very clear. So Letting Roche win here isn't the right choice on multiple fronts. Not just one front. Selling out the north just so Temeria can be Niflgaard's bitch?? NAH. Cause if that happens, Nilfgaard will be at Kovir's doorstep AND GUESS WHO'S IN KOVIR? ALL THE MAGES YOU SAVED DURING THE QUEST NOW OR NEVER WITH TRISS. So no. Can't help Roche betray EVERYTHING we've worked for like that. That's undoing everything we've worked for. That would put Keira Metz in danger. That would put Triss in danger. That would put all the other mages in danger too. Djikstra winning will provide safety for all the mages including the ones you freed in Now or Never. Djikstra winning will provide safety to Ciri too because Ciri has friends who are mages and Ciri herself isn't exactly a normal non-magical human being.

[@ThatGuy-en2nn]

@@DylanBegazo The player base isn't gonna think about this as deeply as you. This is why I wish the choices at this part were better designed OR part 3 was better made to show Roche more undesirable traits. This situation was very poorly designed not taking into consideration how a new player vs a player with foreknowledge (like yourself) would react.

[@Gachimon2000]

Philippa: *Transforms into an owl* Also Philippa: flies at 1KPH

[@jqa16]

That made laugh more than it should....

[@jqa16]

Wait your profile picture isn't that Filthyfranks friend on the loser reads hater comments 3 or 4.ネギさん

[@ayaseshiawase]

She just transformed in front of a witch hunter in my game, and the witch hunter just keep walking like it was nothing

[@intelfx86]

Terminal velocity of an unladen owl.

[@synystershadows5989]

@@ayaseshiawase He was on his lunch break.

[@martynborthwick1845]

"Oh, look! Its the superhuman monster slayer nicknamed the Butcher of Blaviken. Lets kill him for his orens!" "Eh, we're poorly equipped bandits, not soldiers, and there's only 4 of us, chief." "And your point is?"

[@paleface171]

"I'z think it might be a bad idea to jump the freak."

[@MyPrideFlag]

There's three of us and only one of him! It won't matter... Sad B1 droid noises.

[@RaawHax]

LOL look at Thaler's face when Geralt says he won't let Dijkstra kill them

[@tatejamo]

What an incredibly well done emoting by the CPR. Thaler was so relieved upon hearing Geralt's words haha

[@Thelionpaladin]

tatejamo basically knows they can’t die then. “Okay we have Roche, Ves: two elite guirella fighters and now Geralt whose probably killed like 5 vampires before this quest just to get an oil diagram- yeah we’re safe.”

[@louisarius9672]

@@Thelionpaladin "Saw Geralt killed a dozen bandits all by himself, just for some chicken sandwich. We'll be okay."

[@chaz-e]

Haha yes I noticed that

[@Wagner1934_PL]

Even though I've always liked Talar, I'm not able to sacrifice Redania and Dijkstra. Anyone who has read the saga and played The Witcher 2 will understand why Dijkstra's choice is the best one

[@naitch5365]

Did Dijkstra assume Geralt was gonna leave Roche behind? What was he smoking? For a really calculated guy, that was a really dumb move. I actually liked the guy up until that point. Not killing Broche!

[@williamdrouin8063]

Ali Hou in the books, it would be pretty plausible for geralt to leave

[@avatarreusi.2509]

in the books he wouldnt have even Close to getting involved with radovid. but he sure as hell would help a Close friend like vernon.

[@sevach]

@@avatarreusi.2509 They fixed Roche for W3 where he does nothing wrong. If you remember him from W2 makes it a lot more plausible to let the idiot die... He fucks up your plan to catch the kingslayer, almost gets you killed in the process. He causes the death of his entire squad with his political manouvering. Everything he touched turned to shit.

[@masterexploder9668]

He counted on the witcher's neutrality, but if that was true, Geralt wouldn't even take part in the whole Radovid coup. Geralt can stay out of this and not even begin the quest, but this condemns the Northern Realms to tyranny of Radovid and his witch hunts. Now I believe Nilfgaard was whitewashed in W3 compared to previous games and books. Sure, the North is a shitty place anyway, but Nilfgaard is portrayed with a Roman Empire/Nazi tendencies, which is worse. Radovid wasn't supposed to be insane. Stern, hard ruler, yes, but that didn't imply insanity. However, leaving Roche after he helped at Kaer Morhen? Nope, nope, nope. Dijkstra can help with gold, it just happens that in the game it's not that much, in reality it was actually a solid sum which could be well invested. What else he could do, if he wasn't a fighter.

[@mrgaudy1954]

@@masterexploder9668 To use Game of Thrones as a proxy: Witcher 2 Radovid is book Stannis and Witcher 3 Radovid is show Stannis

[@MrDarkProtoss]

13:39 Thaler is like.... Phew Geralt is gonna stay... Holy fuck we are saved! Oooh and his smile.... He looks so cute :3

[@Aedrion-]

+Jim Raynor Is it such a symptom of a great game that little bit, I hadn't even seen that. But it makes total sense ;D

[@SrMano]

Maaaaan, I never saw that detail, now I love this game even more.

[@yourmatesteve2434]

I know right! So cute! ^_^

[@lytherael2309]

Haha, haven't seen that.

[@AthenaCannon]

Jim Raynor How many Zerglings can Geralt fight? What about an Ultralisk?

[@12ca]

Dijkstra: Too bad, you will die with them Also Dijsktra: dies like a common bandit

[@Jajo240YT]

Dijkstra must knew Geralt would never agreed to let his friends die, why the hell didn't he wait until the super-human monster slayer left before killing Roche and the others?

[@Exantius9]

Jajo240 That irritated me like hell as well. Dijkstra is supposed to be a really intelligent man, and he sure as hell knows how tough Geralt is, but still he acts like every other random bandit etc, doesn't even try to negotiate after Geralt joins Roche. He should at the very least have some serious second thougts and carefully think if he wants to fight him before attacking, not just "oh, well, then you die as well" like Geralt was just a common man

[@ilovethatkatielovesclassic8771]

roche isn't a friend, he's an acquaintance. he would kill you in a heartbeat if he thought it would help temeria.

[@fwsa3874]

He thought Geralt will not get involved in politics.

[@Slowpoke3x]

no he didn't, he just helped kill a king because of his political sanctions that threatened his friends. Killing a king is a huge political move

[@spyrath1935]

He probably counted on Geralt leaving, but even if he didn't, Geralt would find out eventually, and he'd come for him. It was an opportunity to leave no loose ends, he had to take his chances with killing Geralt with the others.

[@DakoterArtworks]

As clever as Dijkstra is, he bet his plan's success on Geralt's aversion to politics, despite his common involvement with them, and winning a sword fight with Geralt. Moronic.

[@nicholasbelz3988]

14:15 dijkstra put up quite a fight XD

[@xLetalis]

Nicholas Belz oh yea :)

[@nicholasbelz3988]

Woahhhhhhhhhh he replied. This is better than getting first.

[@xLetalis]

Nicholas Belz :) you must be new to the channel, I usually respond

[@Exodon2020]

+Nicholas Belz I chopped his head off which went 5m straight up in the air and was never seen again

[@TrupraizeBand]

+MrRammsteinKicksAss that's true. I didn't find his head. It just disappeared.

[@Oh_hey_Khajiit]

Even when Radovid fantasised about breaking Phillipa’s neck in his very palms for most of his life, he could never do it. He hated her, sure, but fear resides in memories as well. As soon as she swung that door open and strutted over to him, he was absorbed by fear and was caught up in his horror. This shows how pathetic Radovid truly is. Strong enough to punish men and burn innocents who have only tried to help or blend in, but freezes up on killing one who is his dream target. Never judge a person on their actions entirely, judge them by how they act when those stronger than them approach them to settle their score. For Phillipa, this was to blind Radovid and stab his heart.

[@xLetalis]

well said

[@mihneaiordan1813]

Radovid = small dick energy

[@xenon8117]

@@mihneaiordan1813 Can't trust a man that suck flaccid cock. Justice for Kalkstein, the only Bothan in the Witcher world. Many Bothans died to bring us this line.

[@vineet9291]

Honestly, in that moment his fear is justified. Your men are compromised, you are a king in public alone with nothing to defend. In that moment you meet your worst enemy that happens to be a pretty strong mage .

[@Oh_hey_Khajiit]

@@vineet9291 yes, but not only did he not try to stand up to her and grab her, he just backed away. Her confident strutting and sudden appearance shocked him, so the mixture of his men being absent and being surprised by the sudden appearance of a powerful sorceress would cause that amount of fear. Doesn’t take away how pathetic he is, though.

[@Guoenyi]

7:55 lol the city guard gives no shyte about his comrade going down.

[@chrisjohnston2043]

It shouldn't be an option to let Djkstra kill roche. What a stupid option, especially since they have such a close relationship. It'd be like the witch hunters coming after zoltan to burn him at the stake with geralt right there, and having the option to be like "WELL THIS ISNT MY BUSINESS ZOLTAN HAVE FUN GETTING BURNED TO DEATH NONHUMAN SCUM". So out of character.

[@PossessedbyPhoenix]

Chris Johnston Well, the difference is that Roche made a deal with Nilfgaard behind Geralt's back, which can be seen as a major betrayal. Part of the dissonance though is that apparently it's like Star Wars where modern spinoffs show there are good people in the Empire and even the Sith isn't all bad, whereas in the original Trilogy they were pretty much pure evil. In the original Witcher book series and previous games, Nilfgaard was pretty much THE evil empire that will kill/enslave/rape everyone. Don't forget who was behind the events of Witcher 2, assassinating Foltest, ect. In this game though we got to see a better side of the Nilfgaardians, so it seems like less a big deal that Roche made a deal with them. To quote Dandelion: "Not this war, Geralt. After this war, no-one returns. There will be nothing to return to. Nilfgaard leaves behind it only rubble; its armies advance like lava from which no-one escapes. The roads are strewn, for miles, with gallows and pyres; the sky is cut with columns of smoke as long as the horizon. Since the beginning of the world, in fact, nothing of this sort has happened before. Since the world is our world... You must understand that the Nilfgaardians have descended from their mountains to destroy this world." Thus, while it can be considered out of character for Geralt to abandon an ally, at the same time depending on how you interpret Geralt's feelings towards Nilfgaard and Emhyr one might also consider it out of character for him to agree to anything remotely supporting it.

[@Kefkaownsall]

Jek Porkins in the games books Nilffgard is Nazi

[@Nikita772001]

I love the comparison :D

[@IVAN3DX]

In the game Redania is way more Nazi

[@amalin3644]

Nha that's redania

[@TheMarcHicks]

Philippa blinding Radovid was so beautifully poetic.

[@chungusbooper]

When I played this quest, Philippa spoke to me in the street outside the warehouse at midday. It was busy, and people were walking past, yet nobody pointed and shouted, "F--k, that's Philippa Eilhart, someone fetch the f--king witchhunters!"

[@xLetalis]

:D Hah, well...

[@Fr0st1989]

Roche's line about Ves with a crossbow reminds me of the scene in Witcher 2 where Ves kills Geralt with a crossbow if you try to attack Roche lol

[@jSONrEEE]

i was surprised how heartbroken i was to kill dijkstra. he was a bit of a douche but he was one of the best characters in the witcher 3 series and always made me laugh. he himself said he didnt want to kill geralt and that probably added to my broken heart. at least he was earnest

[@xLetalis]

Yeah I felt the same way :(

[@sergiomendoza4850]

Dijkstra was surprisingly pretty straight and to the point with Geralt. That’s the main reason why I liked him, he was an asshole sure but he never hid the fact that he was always out for himself. Which is refreshing in a world full of people who are selfish and coy about it.

[@r3ll282]

@@sergiomendoza4850 djikstra knows that any lie he says to geralt can bite him in the ass later so he does noy bother lying to geralt which i appreciate

[@billyjean3118]

I never liked roche, he was so arrogant and full of himself. Had no trouble choosing djikstra over him!

[@toastx_]

@@billyjean3118The only reason why I side with Roach is just so I can see the expression on Thaler’s face when Geralt says he won’t let Djikstra kill them…if not for that I would side with Djikstra every time

[@Guoenyi]

13:41 That relieved look on Thaler. That is why I love CDPR so much.

[@trevorp8124]

I had this amazing unintentionally cinematic moment during this scene. Dijkstra jumps down from the stage and starts fighting and all his men are going down, and about a second after he finishes saying something like "I always liked you, Geralt", I did the finisher where you drop the person to their knees and behead them.

[@Avenus112]

This quest was a low point in the game. It's as if they lost something or they forgot about this quest thread but at the end they rushed it through. Dijkstra's sold as a master strategist, a tarantula in the corner. Geralt messed up his leg years ago and he admits he's no fighter. Why would he ever try to duel three professional killers? He would have them poisoned at lunch or knifed in the dark. This was incredibly stupid and I pretend in my head that Dijkstra never died he just stumbled off, humbled and ruined, to a private distant estate in Kovir and drank away his failure.

[@CERap22]

This ending actually bothered me, initially. I was bothered with the idea of Djikstra being reduced to a b-list villain. I could see him orchestrating this subterfuge, just not in such a "comic book villain" kind of way-- essentially gloating about his plan in front of the heroes while they can STILL stop him. I'd have MUCH preferred an Ozymandias type of ending, one in which the deed was already done, and even if he died, the plan was already done.

[@dgrundman7499]

CERap22 ”Ozmandias” Bro, is that a Stephan King Talisman reference? Totally cool if it is . . . 👍

[@jamie_d0g978]

@@dgrundman7499 More like a Watchmen reference

[@mrxxbrian]

A large content was cut late in development that really makes Dijkstra odd and week in this quest. Basically this cut content was going to be with a main character from Witcher 2 Iovoreth trying to fight a plague and having to team up with former rivals Roche/Ves. They'd have to work with Thaler and Dijkstra as well.

[@FosterC144]

Djikstra personally watched Geralt slaughter an army, and then some, and then he acts like he’s got the upper hand with a band of petty thieves between him and geralt? Stupid AF

[@handsomejack8797]

Killing Radovid was super satisfying but I wish I didn't have to kill Dijkstra or Roche. I liked them both. Roche is a badass and Dijkstra is in my opinion the funniest character in the game.

[@terrylee9720]

i'll never forget his offer to play the violin and fetch some bon bons before asking triss to stay. would have even supported him to rule the north if it didn't mean literally standing aside and letting him slaughter my friends.

[@blacksalena0]

When Dijkstra said stuff about what is a strong nation, i came to like him, but roche is broche too. How i wish they all could just sit down and talk and open all their cards or something

[@_skaadii]

i didnt kill Radovid he maybe is like Hitler bud hes Also a Genius and smarter then Emhyr :3

[@mrxxbrian]

A large content was cut late in development that really makes Dijkstra odd and week in this quest. Basically this cut content was going to be with a main character from Witcher 2 Iovoreth trying to fight a plague and having to team up with former rivals Roche/Ves. They'd have to work with Thaler and Dijkstra as well.

[@atuakgaming1444]

Yea when i thought that triss didnt comeback, ma boi djikstra try to calm geralt n says that they r in the same boat coz he got rejected too by philipa xD

[@Iamnotabug]

I wasn’t paying attention first time I did this mission and accidentally went the “leave me out this” route. The look of betrayal, utter betrayal was haunting. I immediately reloaded my save.

[@TheFiresloth]

Dijkstra should have stayed a halberdier

[@amazinggaming7284]

If you think about it Dijkstra was kind of right. The original plan was extremely flawed. If I was a mastermind villain I'd do exactly what Dijkstra did. If I had no connection to Roche then I would have totally sided with Dijkstra.

[@Mandorle21]

The fact that you can completely miss things like this and finish the game without even knowing they were a possibility, makes The Witcher 3 one of the greatest game ever made.

[@Felix-ee2ob]

if you do this quest before ending the main quest people still saying on the street "long live radovid" and phillipa doesnt even remember that she killed him, such a fail

[@abdullayaser700]

@Sándor Tóth tywin lannister style

[@KayderimGameplays]

@Sándor Tóth Im my playthrough where Ciri became a witcher, Radovid killed Emhyr, is this the normal ending?

[@SpeedKiller198]

Kayd Zeal there is no normal ending, but the ending you got is the most “neglectful” ending where you decided to avoid any political quest entirely

[@Blackhawk211]

@@SpeedKiller198 i did the exact same as this video. Nilfgaard won, Roche survived and temeria became a vassal state. Ciri became a witcher because she would be a poor leader and the lodge would be manipulating her. Geralt lived with yen, cerys rules skellige

[@elijahstubel5288]

The Volcanic Masochist I can honestly say that the best nondisputed ending is having Cerys rule Skellige. You can make points for, and against every ending except that one.

[@lunafencoven]

14:07 LOL, Dijkstra is in complete denial of the situation.

[@osiris0413]

I usually let Dijkstra live, because in the scheme of things I think he's the best ruler for the North. Radovid obviously has to die, and Emhyr is a narcissist who rules an empire where slavery is still legal, for all their talk of "civilization". Dijkstra is the closest thing the North has to an "enlightened despot" who will keep a tight grip on the reins of power but promote science and the arts in ways that improve the lives of his subjects. The ending sequence says as much about his rule. I hate to let Thaler, Ves and Roche die - I wish there was a compromise to keep them safe. It's true that Book Geralt wouldn't let his friends die, but Book Geralt wouldn't let Nilfgaard take over the known world if he had a way to stop them either - they are in many ways the primary antagonist in the books.

[@uncleflagzz]

True, but Ciri can become the Empress of Nilfgaard so under her rule, things can be changed in the future. I personally prefer killing Diijkstra and let Nilfgaard annex the Northern Kingdoms with no further "official" bloodshed and then make Ciri become the successor of the Nilfgaardian throne

[@sergiomendoza4850]

@@uncleflagzz I think that’s a pretty peaceful ending, I typically shoot for the same. But I think over time I’ve started to lean more towards Dijkstra’s side. It makes a lot more sense from a purely logical standpoint to side with Dijkstra. Yes things can change under ciri, but that’s a long way off and it’s tough to say how much she could change about nilfgaard during her lifetime. With Dijkstra’s rule I feel it’s more realistic that he’ll unify the north rather than wishful thinking that things will be better under ciri. Not that ciri would turn evil or something but I think Dijkstra’s idea of ruling probably has less long term bloodshed than Ciri’s.

[@uncleflagzz]

@@sergiomendoza4850 Yes, I agree, but how the writers did a poor job showing us the choices, and Dijsktra just telling his 'evil' plan out of nowhere makes no sense because he would never say anything like that. I legit thought he got drunk when he started telling everyone his intentions. If the writers showed us the situation differently, not just out of nowhere, then it would be evenly balanced. It really sucks to kill of Dijkstra like that during combat as well. But, since we can't really change the past, I'd rather have faith in Ciri making the North a better place, plus I really like Roche, so I don't want to kill Roche

[@Auzzie015]

I really wished there was a quest about Anais in some way. A rescue or something, so she can become the Queen under Nilfgaard.

[@Fr0st1989]

+Auzzie015 maybe in the upcoming DLC set in Nilfgaard :D

[@Auzzie015]

+Fr0st1989 Set in Toussaint. Toussaint exists within Nilfgaard however it is not part of it. It is independently run.

[@SalvLav]

The word youre looking for is vassal, and yes Toussaint totally is a subject of Nilfgaard, like the resurrected temeria

[@jimcanterak7349]

Yeah Roche, how the fuck could an all-powerful sorceress who can transform into an owl appear out of nowhere, kill Radovid and then disappear just as fast. Such a fucking riddle.

[@d0m574]

13:40 Thaler *when someone saves your ass*

[@blackonefifty]

Absolutely loved Phillipa’s little strut coming out of the door and closing in on Radovid after blinding and eventually killing him 😂

[@Lyr00]

some times i wonder why the all underastimate gerald xD. no one is scared of him and i have heard that line : "youll die with them" like a thousend time , but they never think about the possibilaty that gerald is a monster in combat :D

[@terrylee9720]

yea its not like people in that world don't know what witchers are. And Geralt is supposed to be a famous one. But they just go " hey, you genetically enhanced mutant who hunts werewolves and leshens, I'm going to kill you."

[@Redemperor0019]

Our in game Geralt is just too OP, that's all.

[@mazanakaUA]

@@Redemperor0019 while Geralt does not look invincible in the books-he's often injured,when he does go all out people and monsters alike stand no chance.Like in Blaviken,when Renfri's cronies died before they could even process how screwed they all were,or during Tanned coup-where it not for Vilgefortz,Geralt would go through it without getting so much as a scratch.

[@ZenHorakti]

You know what even makes no sense? In Yakuza Series there our MC Kazuma Kiryu. If you walk around the street and so many, I MEAN so many low thugs try to fight him. He can beat 50 man for fuck sake. You san see it in Yakuza 5. And people still try to do somethings stupid. Okay, maybe in witcher not many people know geralt. Even some innkeep not know what witcher are. But in Kamurocho, city in yakuza series. When someone suppose to never got beaten by anybody. that bullshit.

[@KayderimGameplays]

@@ZenHorakti Well, if the japanese movies / games wouldn't make their goons so retarded, they would be able to beat Kiryu if they gang on him instead of watching their friends get slaughtered in their faces. Look at Majima when he was having a breakdown, he got beaten by 3 pricks that probrably would get their ass kicked by Haruka..

[@IkHebGeenSwagg]

7:27 gwent quote! 7:39 gwent quote 2 10:38 gwent quote 3

[@micheledellaira4306]

Two things that I always do during this quest: 1) Laugh at Radovid's face when he sees Philippa 2) Let Roche, Ves and Thaler kill Dijkstra while I stand aside :(

[@michaelzatarga5157]

I never particularly cared for nor liked Roche but I certainly could not allow Thaler to bite the dust...

[@MrGiselbart]

Usually I always choose this option on my playthroughs. Reasons are obvious: Geralt cares about his friends, and Roche and Ves helped him against the Wild Hunt, and I always made Ciri Empress so being under Nilfgaard's rule wouldn't be so bad. Then though I played Thronebreaker and I can't help but feel bad to just hand over the North like that after all the shit they went through to keep it during the first two wars. So I may let Dijkstra rule next playthrough. That said though, after having read the books, I can't help but think that this whole situation is so un-characteristic for Dijkstra. Book-Dijkstra would have mentioned right off the bat that handing Emhyr the rest of the North so Temeria can be a vassal-state was a bad deal. He would've made sure that Thaler and Roche understood this too, and they would've still killed Radovid, but then continue the war against Nilfgaard together, I believe. Not to mention, Dijkstra had first-hand experience with what Geralt can do, after all the man broke his leg on Thanedd, and then mowed down Scoia'tael and a sorceror. And even if he -did- plan to kill Geralt, he'd have gone about it smarter, like using men with crossbows, about twenty. Geralt can at best deflect two arrows but not more.

[@enexe6229]

they helped him because geralt had helped them. dijikstra gave me money as for ciri she won't be their empress, she tells geralt it is not her buissness in toussaint. also roche wanted to kill geralt in iorveth path and used his weaknesses about witches to kill radovid.

[@firefox30570]

"then youll die with them" yeah ofc, because no one ever did this move before, and it always worked out pretty well. its not like we are the witcher geralt.

[@brdnmlna]

Phillippa is such a badass

[@xLetalis]

yes

[@handsomejack697]

she is a bitch in the books, but i gues this is appreciated thing now being a "badass"

[@susandontdeletemyaccount3863]

@@handsomejack697 *I gues this is appreciated thing now being a “badass”* Yeah, except the “badass” is a annoying Mary Sue bitch meant to please feminists.

[@ReinerIsDaddy]

@@susandontdeletemyaccount3863 oh shut the fuck up dude

[@susandontdeletemyaccount3863]

@@ReinerIsDaddy Ladies first, little lass.

[@RadagonTheRed]

It always confused me as to why after 9:28 when Philippa burns his eyes with magic, we never see his eye sockets thereafter? Not for a second. It’s almost like they didn’t want to go to the effort of retexturing his character model just for that. But it would have been satisfying to see his smug grin wiped away and his eyes as empty red sockets.

[@recht_voor_zijn_raap5506]

I think its more an artistic choice. Looking at the insane amount of effort and detail CDPR put in every aspect of this game I think they wouldn't be to "lazy" to make a small remodel to his face.

[@FosterC144]

It would have been satisfying if he was burnt at a stake with the stake impaled up his ass. Now. That is ultimately satisfying

[@TeemoQuinton]

@@recht_voor_zijn_raap5506 then we have the insane amount of cut content..

[@IVAN3DX]

9:08 He could have run under the gate...

[@Mihail4444]

Sh!t You're right!

[@GTisJAVO1996]

fun fact, in medieval castles those kinds of gates could often be pulled up by a normal mans strength because they're commonly balanced with counterweights. you could cut the counterweights loose so it'd be incredibly difficult to lift though.

[@ibnlion1406]

Djikstra : brilliant Strategist, Political genius, Excelled in Combat, Knows Nearly Everything, Glitch :

[@scoots987]

I wish I would have listened to KZbin and actually did all the side quest instead of plowing through the main quests.

[@christopherfleming1091]

Man, look at the terror in Radovid's eyes when he sees Phillipa. It's even worse when you bear in mind that A) she was an authority figure/mentor throughout his childhood and B) he's only like 18-20 years old in TW3.

[@RafisMetalhead]

Djikstra has a point. Roche was willing to let Nilfguard keep Brugge, Cintra, Rivia, Kaedwen, Aedirn, and Redenia in exchange for Temeria. Foltest wasn't a saint either, he had planned to marry ciri when she was a child to acquire Brugge and Cintra and when he couldn't get his hands on her agreed to have her assassinated. All of the Northern Monarchs had it coming but Djiskstra always had a conscience and hated that he had to have people tortured or killed. Unlike the others, he recognized that his actions were a necessary that he should still feel guilt for. Roche is a random add on from the games. In fact I chose Iorverth in Witcher 2 so being forced to have Roche pissed me off. If you let Djisktra win, he pushes the Nilffuardians back out of the north and unifies the north once and for all and Emyr dies, causing the collapse of the current regime that was hell bent on world conquest, and emyr deserved to die too for the stuff he pulled in the books

[@landlockedcroat1554]

dafuq did emhye do in the books

[@wholesome_masochist4113]

@@landlockedcroat1554 He basically tried to impregnate Ciri. A lot. It never planned out since he wanted an heir he could control with the elder blood considering Cori's mom was already dead. That's the tip of the iceberg.

[@MyCrafcik]

@@wholesome_masochist4113 Wow wowoow hold up here. He planned to marry her yes, but he never even take it that far after seeing her cry when she thought that Geralt and Yen would die. He never was one to stick to his plans.

[@wholesome_masochist4113]

@@MyCrafcik Still he was pretty scummy in the books

[@karlfranzemperorofmandefil5547]

@@wholesome_masochist4113 he did what needed to be done to assure nilfgaards supremacy, but he would have never hurt his daughter.

[@slappyandslappappy3457]

I'm really sad I failed this quest on my first playthrough, I went to the isle of mists and not knowing it would fail all of my side quests

[@chaz-e]

With all the interesting conversations, I found Thaler's words bloody ploughing catchy. Cursing and bluntly straight to the point, one of the unique characters in the game.

[@counterfett]

I'm with you on these decisions. Dijkstra's a savvy administrator, but he's pretty evil. Also, is it just me, or did Ves say the most sensible thing in the whole game at 10:02?

[@xLetalis]

counterfett hmm I agree ;]

[@westrim]

This is how you know Roche is a bro, even though it imperils the plan he prioritizes saving Geralt over killing Radovid.

[@Alfredox314]

Dijkstra put one hell of a fight at the end.

[@xxDrain]

I fucking love Philippa. If I have a daughter, I seriously consider naming her after this bold, arrogant and to the point sorceress.

[@xLetalis]

I do oto ;]

[@Rigby350]

I really hope you didn't actually name your daughter that

[@BlueLightningSky]

Roche should have been fine even if Geralt just walked away. He and Ves fought the Wild Hunt and survived.

[@jUppers]

quite the anti-climactic ending with just him standing there

[@bladegtr34]

I kind of liked Dijkstra ..... A shame he had to back stab everyone to try and serve his own end. hurt me a bit to kill him off, but if the choice comes down between Roach or Dijkstra, I choose Roach.

[@abigail5114]

Bit late, but I believe Roach would be fine, just chilling outside of Novigrad and eating grass

[@NiccoloHamlin]

I, too, choose Geralt's horse.

[@corruptgunslinger]

Wish I could have romanced Phillipa.

[@xLetalis]

***** me too to be honest :) she's interesting

[@Agrelm]

+xLetalis Actually, in the books, there are hints that Geralt had slept with Philippa. It was mentioned in 4th book I think.

[@xLetalis]

+Agrelm hmm I haven't read them

[@Agrelm]

It's my favorite fantasy series :D

[@xLetalis]

+Agrelm I've heard good things about it also ;]

[@Revanchist]

12:23 I love Ves' reaction... Priceless...

[@ThunderTheBlackShadowKitty]

Did anyone else feel such joy, happiness, and pure genuine pleasure when you saw Radovid die? That mad, mage-murdering arsewipe was finally put down, along with a very good number of his Redanians, Witch Hunters, and even a few members of the Eternal Fire's Temple Guard to boot. This was seriously one of the most satisfying quests in the game. Now mages and non-humans can finally roam the North freely.

[@moaazmedhat467]

Imagine if there was mages in real life u little bitch. Wouldn't u want them to be hunted down?

[@gregoriopern2835]

Moaaz Medhat Not at all

[@moaazmedhat467]

Okay let them destroy everything for their own good

[@gregoriopern2835]

Moaaz Medhat Yeah like Triss who obviously isn’t an advisor to a Queen

[@Beastman44]

I was surprised when I had this same scenario in my game. It surprised me when I beheaded Dijkstra and I thought a cutscene was gonna get him to stop me before I did. Was disappointed his character went so far to go against Roche and Geralt.

[@simonzhang7843]

I still think it's just really stupid how Dj would attempt to kill Roche right in front of Geralt. It makes much more sense for him to assasinate Roche and Thaler than to do it in front of the best swordsman of the north who happened to be Roche's bff. The head of the redanian intelligence, who have worked with Geralt extensively and knows him fairly well (definitely aware of his devotion to his friends), decides to confront him directly with only a few bandits. His unmatched intelligence and brilliant strategies just vanished. It really sucks to see that the writers at CDPR decided to kill such an amazing character in such a sloppy way... It's understandable but... Could be better, much better. Well, at least Dj is good in Gwent I guess

[@aidangamalieltayao3297]

am gna say this, the revelation of 'phil' having relations with djikstra was shocking to say the least.

[@tjp353]

Dijkstra didn't die. He went to Skellige & worked undercover, spying on Geralt wherever he goes. His disguises are good. His accent - not so much. You can hear him in every village, disguised as a guard, a smith, a random islander & more, but his best disguise is Donar an Hindar - the oldest Jarl.

[@xLetalis]

[@ameliuslantea1789]

Fun Fact: The game's default choice is a Dijkstra Win! Here's why: When you get to the part where Radovid is killed in a cutscene and use the console to teleport yourself away (to Skellige for example) the cutscene with the Theater plays regardless shortly afterwards; If you then teleport yourself away again during the dialogue the quest will auto-complete with a Dijkstra win even before you made a choice (no matter if you tp immediately after arriving in the theater, before the choice or during the choice) 🤔 Also, if you use console commands during the part on the bridge where you have to get to Radovid & follow Roche while fighting the King's soldiers to teleport yourself to Skellige (or somewhere else), the quest breaks and gets stuck at "follow Roche". You can't use your horse or meditation since the game thinks that you are in a scripted event; You can still do quests though and in theory, Reasons of State would fail if you'd get to "On thin Ice" ❄

[@BigMarcello100]

Pro Tip to get the Quwest: Do not try to break Dikjstras legs. Learned that the hard way

[@tranminhhieu9492]

8:00 I like how there's one redanian soldier standing outside cheering instead of joining the fight.

[@xenon8117]

I assume he was one of the ones paid off.

[@xenon8117]

Radovid could have crawled through the gate, it has massive gaps.

[@edwinniwed3222]

6:32 "Yeah Geralt you damn right"

[@peppercat1887]

Roche helped me defend Ciri in the battle against Wild Hunt at Kaer Morhen. I had no qualms about killing Dijsktra and siding with Roche, at all.

[@carlomolina7858]

The holes in the gate is literally large enough for the king to crawl into but he chose to knock the door.

[@Remington510]

Well, Thaler was right. Dijkstra's virtues do not include combat xD

[@jediflamaster]

The saddest part of this is that Dijkstra's plan was better.

[@chrisnguyen5922]

9:50 How did she--?! Where?! Why?! How the fuck--?!

[@ritsukalee6932]

I remember Radovid was younger than Ciri. Dijkstra and Philippa turned the boy into a monster.

[@ParanoidPixel]

I liked Dijkstra as a person. Didn't like his end game. I was disappointed when he died, but was happy to see the ending i got over the one where he takes over the city.

[@sevach]

This whole mission is a bust, Roche and Thaler basically want to sell the entire north to Emhyr for scraps and Djikstra is a douche.

[@welestgw]

To be fair, Toussaint has done ok as a Vassal state of Nilfgaard.

[@mrxxbrian]

A large content was cut late in development that really makes Dijkstra odd and week in this quest. Basically this cut content was going to be with a main character from Witcher 2 Iovoreth trying to fight a plague and having to team up with former rivals Roche/Ves. They'd have to work with Thaler and Dijkstra as well.

[@BioMatic2]

the problem with this scene is that they couldnt figure out (or didnt have the time to) a way to leave the choice and not make Djistra act dumb. Because is an unecesary risk that the character wouldnt take especially with the precedent that Geralt is willing to break neutrality to protect people he cares about. But i bet people would complain if the game killed roche and co without a way of saving them. I dont think is a decission made out of incompetence but out of lack of time to put more work into this side quest. Im sure that if given more time they could've come with a better solution, like leaving cluess to Djikstras ulterior motive and the option call him out if you discover the truth or something similar. that said for me it wasnt even a choice, never liked Roche. Sided with Iorveth in witcher 2 and enjoyed Djikstra a lot more.

[@rajarshide3511]

Djistra helps the mages to flee from novigrad, he helps to find dandelion...he provides geralt the pass fr crossing the gate...I can't kill him..and on the other hand vernon roche is one true brother in arms in geralt... It's one of the hellish tough decisions in game..

[@SilentButDudley]

If Dijkstra just helped Geralt in Kaer Morhen or chose not to kill Broche, he could have lived.

[@AdrianUzumakii]

I missed this quest because I broke his leg(didn't want to just chosed the wrong dialogue 😅) but killing Radovid and then having to choose between Dijkstra and Roche... I didn't even have to think after Dijkstra refused to help me fight Wild Hunt and I liked Roche from witcher 2 so no way I'm killing him.

[@canerozdemir4195]

I regret failing that mission. I forgot to complete it and it was automatically failed. This mission is quite an interesting one.

[@rutecabriz8563]

I can't believe Djikstra actually quoted Shakespeare's Macbeth... CD Projekt Red at it with the details again

[@R4Y2k]

It was too late when I realized that Dijkstra actually had a point when he said that we're giving up on three countries for the sake of one country^^

[@farmacerhaiden7979]

In the end I've never ever known which ending was the best (spoilers below). If you kill Radovid it seems to be a good thing, considering that : 1 = once Nilfgaard beaten, he becomes himself a dicatator and the North still isn't free anymore ; 2 = he is a crazy lunatic who will make non-human and witch live a freaking hell. But somehow if you chose Vernon Roche after that you can be half happy, considering that Temeria is "free" but the rest of the North isn't, and yet Temeria becomes an independant vassal, but still, a vassal... If you chose Djikstra it means that the war will continue, and all of its horrors will follow for an unknown amount of time. In my own game I decided to support Roche for a was a real friend, a loyal fellow, a guy ready to protect his men, and sincerly devoted to his country. To betray him who was finaly savinf the honor of his country and gaining independance again was too painful. I mean, he was in Kaer Moren for the fight vs the Wild Hunt, Djikstra was not (not in my game at least). Considering how I hate Nilfgaard I can't be fully happy that they "won", but it was this or having a chief of mafia ruling over the country and continuing a war, or a complete sadistic lunatic who would havec ommited horrors... I really think Radovid's death and to chose Roche's side was the less harmful option, don't you think ?

[@dredgewalker]

This is one part of the Witcher that disappoints me. Dijkstra would never be this stupid thinking Geralt would let his Roche just die. The choice felt too forced plus no one wants any of these characters to die. I avoided this mission in all my playthroughs.

[@shadowkage6403]

You avoided the mission but they say emyhr dies at the end

[@theillusiveman2139]

i hate the fact that Philippa killed Radovid , the kill should have been of Geralt or Roche, sadly in the game Geralt can' t kill her.

[@doggolad2341]

When roche said "come to vizima you'll be received with honor" will you actually see him there? Like is there a dialogue with him?

[@rStrange]

Finally a worth watching, I've been looking for this

[@demi-fiendoftime3825]

I guess you can say they didn't see eye to eye XD

[@yashpatil1799]

Geralt looks very very pissed at 7:45

[@xLetalis]

indeed :)

[@theamelia4580]

If anyone’s interested, Djikstra is actually quoting Macbeth when he walks out.

[@Canterburypilgram]

I assumed so. Thanks for the confirmation however!

[@Canterburypilgram]

Macbeth to be exact.

[@ZanderCageF50]

It’s crazy the difference from PC to ps4 pro Textures look so much sharper, especially the hair. It’ll be interesting to see how well consoles run Cyberpunk

[@neros398]

one blind girl did what the whole nillfgaardian army couldn't

[@lulugert266]

Technically she can still see but yes

[@ayberkaksoy4626]

"Because you too are a patriot." Such an amazing line.