Something Ends, Something Begins in The Witcher 3: All 3 Ciri Endings and How to Get Them
Witcher 3 epilogue Something Ends, Something Begins: which choices give the Witcher, Empress or tragic ending, and how each version plays out.
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Updated October 2026. Something Ends, Something Begins is the epilogue of The Witcher 3 and the quest where you finally see what happened to Ciri. It comes in three versions: the Witcher ending, the Empress ending and the tragic ending. By now nothing you do changes which one you get; that was decided by choices made earlier. Here's which ending you get and why, and how each version plays out.
Quick answer
Ciri survives if at least as many of your Ciri choices were positive as negative.
Witcher ending: Ciri survives, and either you didn't take her to Emhyr, or you did but Nilfgaard lost the war.
Empress ending: 3+ positive choices, you took Ciri to Emhyr, and Nilfgaard won the war (via Reason of State).
Tragic ending: 3 or more negative choices. Ciri doesn't return.
Rewards: 150 XP (Witcher ending), 1,000 XP (tragic ending, from the final fight).
The Choices That Decide Ciri's Ending
| Quest | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Blood on the Battlefield | "Think I know what might lift your spirits." (snowball fight) | "Relax, you don't have to be good at everything." |
| Blood on the Battlefield, if you take Ciri to Emhyr | Refuse the payment | Accept the payment |
| Final Preparations | "You'll do fine on your own." (Ciri meets the Lodge alone) | Go with her |
| Child of the Elder Blood | "Go for it." | "Calm down." |
| Child of the Elder Blood, after the lab | Go with Ciri to Skjall's Grave | "No time." |
| Ending | What you need |
|---|---|
| Witcher | At least as many positive choices as negative. If you took Ciri to Emhyr, Nilfgaard must also lose the war: ignore Reason of State, or side with Dijkstra in it. |
| Empress | 3 or more positive choices, and you took Ciri to Emhyr in Blood on the Battlefield. Nilfgaard must win: finish the assassination quests, be diplomatic with Dijkstra in Blindingly Obvious to unlock Reason of State, then side with the Temerian patriots. |
| Tragic | 3 or more negative choices. |
The war and the rulers of the North are a separate set of endings; see our complete endings guide for those.
Witcher Ending Walkthrough
1. Report to Emhyr
Geralt returns to the Royal Palace in Vizima. Follow Mererid to the emperor's office. Geralt tells Emhyr that Ciri died defeating the White Frost and her body will likely never be found. The dialogue options don't matter. (150 XP)
2. White Orchard
In White Orchard, talk to the locals about the end of the war, then ride to the old Nilfgaardian garrison. On the way:
- If Radovid won the war: near Tomira's hut, witch hunters are about to burn her. You can save her by untying her (not by putting out the fire). There's no reward.
- The dwarves: on the eastern fork of the road, one of the dwarves from The Isle of Mists runs from you. Follow him to their camp. When soldiers or witch hunters come looking for them, you can cover for them, fight, or hand them over. Unless you hand them over, you can ask for 250 crowns.
At the garrison, Master Ort arrives late with what he calls the best silver sword ever made. Choose an inscription; one of the options is its name, Zireael. Then go to the village inn.
3. The Inn
Geralt approaches a hooded woman: Ciri, alive and well. He gives her the new silver sword, making her a witcher, and the quest ends.
Empress Ending Walkthrough
- It's winter at the White Orchard inn. If you romanced Triss or Yennefer, you talk to her first. Zoltan and Dandelion are there too; Dandelion updates you on Priscilla after Carnal Sins.
- Outside, a horse throws a peasant, which starts Faithful Friend. It's only available in this epilogue, so do it now if you want it.
- Meet the hunter Mislav near his hut, then find Ciri by the snares. She asks to see the griffin's nest from The Beast of White Orchard.
- At the nest, a forktail attacks. Draw your silver sword yourself: Geralt pulls the steel one by default.
- Go fishing at the frozen lake northeast of the Abandoned Village. Throw a bomb near the bear to scare it off (200 XP), then throw another into the fishing hole and collect four fish.
- Back near the village, Nilfgaardian forces are waiting. Ciri tells Geralt she is going to Nilfgaard to take the throne. She gives him her sword, hugs him and leaves with Morvran Voorhis.
Tragic Ending Walkthrough
Geralt is back in Crookback Bog, hunting the last Crone, who took Ciri's medallion (the one that belonged to Vesemir). He meets a werewolf first:
| Werewolf choice | What happens |
|---|---|
| Spare him | His name is Berem and he guides you. Help him against the hunters holding a wolf (200 XP) and he leads you to the Crone and later joins the fight. |
| Kill him | You go after the hunters and the Crone on your own. You can skip or walk away from the hunters, and there's no XP for them either way. |
At the Orphans of Crookback Bog, the Weavess fights with a grave hag, a water hag and some drowners. You saw how she fights when Ciri faced her in Bald Mountain. When she dies (1,000 XP), Geralt searches her house and finds the medallion. The quest ends with him sitting alone, holding it, as monsters close in.
After the Ending
Whatever ending you get, after the credits Geralt wakes up at Kaer Morhen and you can keep playing: contracts, side quests that aren't cut off, and both expansions (see our Blood and Wine endings). If you're playing Blood and Wine alongside the main story, its final quest, Be It Ever So Humble..., only triggers after this epilogue.
Video: Something Ends, Something Begins
Frequently Asked Questions
QHow do I get the best ending for Ciri?
Make at least 3 of the Ciri choices positive. For the Witcher ending, don't take her to Emhyr in Blood on the Battlefield (or make sure Nilfgaard loses the war). For the Empress ending, take her to Emhyr and make sure Nilfgaard wins.
QCan I change the ending during Something Ends, Something Begins?
No. The ending is already decided by the time it starts.
QWhat happens if my choices are tied?
The Witcher Wiki says an equal number of positive and negative choices still gives a good ending: Ciri survives.
QIs Faithful Friend missable?
Yes. It's only available during the Empress version of the epilogue, right after you leave the inn.
QCan I keep playing after the ending?
Yes. Geralt wakes up at Kaer Morhen and you can continue with contracts, side quests and the expansions.
Before this: Tedd Deireadh, The Final Age. More: all endings, endings explained and all Witcher 3 quests.
Sources: in-game quest text and journal; ending conditions, steps and rewards checked against the Witcher Wiki page for Something Ends, Something Begins and the Fextralife endings page. Screenshots: gameplay frames from YouTube walkthroughs by FTXM8, Hippo Reddy, TheBeefChief, Awinloo, Taz Oscar and Lone Wolf.
Kai Mercer covers game news, free games, release calendars and guides for xGamerss.
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