The Witcher 3: Why the 'King's Gambit' Quest is Biased Towards Cerys (2024)

There are plenty of quests in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that are morally gray, making player choice that much more impactful within the game’s established universe. That said, there are also morally straightforward quests, where it’s easier to discern the best course of action. These often come in the form of cut-and-dry monster contracts, though there are also a few main story quests that fit the bill.

One example of this is “King’s Gambit,” which is one of the last quests in The Witcher 3’s Skellige coronation questline. Geralt’s actions throughout this series of quests will ultimately influence who Skellige’s new ruler will be, and this, in turn, influences the main game’s ending. For many reasons, Cerys appears to be the best option.

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The ‘King’s Gambit’ Quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

This quest only becomes available when the player completes the quests “Possession” with Cerys (one of the most disturbing quests in The Witcher 3) and “The Lord of Undvik” with Hjalmar. If the player neglects these prerequisite quests, Cerys and Hjalmar will die in an attempt to drive back the oncoming Nilfgaardian fleet. Svanringe Tuirseach, late King Bran’s firstborn, then becomes king. However, by completing the an Craite siblings’ quests, both stake their claim to become the next ruler of Skellige.

In undertaking “King’s Gambit,” the player must report to Crach an Craite in The Witcher 3 to collect a reward for assisting his children in their tasks. During this time, the jarls had gathered at Kaer Trolde to decide on the new king (or queen), and no outsiders were allowed entry. Geralt was an exception. Unfortunately, things would quickly turn sour when a group of werebears appeared and killed nearly every person in the hall.

After this comes a crucial decision point in The Witcher 3. Cerys and Hjalmar have two very different methods of dealing with the situation. While Cerys wishes to stay in the hall and investigate the werebears’ bodies, Hjalmar claims to know who the guilty party is already and wants to exact vengeance swiftly. Geralt can choose which of the two an Craites to support, and the person he sides with will inevitably become the ruler of Skellige.

Cerys an Craite is the Obvious Choice

Many players in The Witcher 3 community easily choose Cerys in “King’s Gambit,” and this proves to be the more rewarding option. Aiding Cerys in her investigation leads the two to discover the culprit behind the werebear fiasco — Birna Bran. The traitor is then punished, clearing the an Craite name. Hjalmar’s route, on the other hand, doesn’t reveal Birna as the culprit, but only provides him with enough evidence to clear his family’s name.

Though even before this point, the game leans heavily toward promoting Cerys as the wiser ruler. In “Possession,” she showcases how she can use her smarts to triumph over difficult problems, even those involving fearsome monsters. This stands as opposed to “The Lord of Undvik” quest, where Geralt finds Hjalmar’s band of warriors already in shambles, showing that he had sailed to Undvik without truly considering what he was up against. Granted, neither of the an Craites would have succeeded in their quests without Geralt’s help, though there’s something to be said about Hjalmar’s seeming lack of foresight.

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Crowning the Ruler of Skellige

Given the an Craite siblings’ track records, a majority of players believe Cerys to be the best choice for Skellige’s ruler. She thinks before she acts, in stark contrast to her brother. Additionally, she sees the value of intellect and wisdom in leading a nation, while Hjalmar would much prefer drawing his sword before anything else. That’s not to say that Hjalmar is a bad person (in fact, the player can recruit him for “The Battle of Kaer Morhen”), but rather that he’s less suited to don the crown.

When Cerys becomes the queen of Skellige in The Witcher 3, she pushes for peace among the islands, which is a far cry from what it once was — a land ruled by raids and violence. When Geralt asks her what she’s planning, Cerys, true to her character, emphasizes her intent to listen to the people and unite the clans against Nilfgaard. Finally, in her illustrated cutscene, it’s said that Cerys stopped Skellige’s tradition of foreign raids, focusing instead on agriculture. Though its military arm grew weak, the island and its people prospered.

Again, this stands in contrast to Hjalmar. If he becomes king of Skellige, he continues raiding to provide for the people of Skellige, putting particular emphasis on the Nilfgaardian Empire of The Witcher 3. This is revealed in his illustrated cutscene, where it’s also said that this course of action was “drowning his people in their own blood.” Additionally, if Hjalmar is crowned king, he still relies on Cerys’ help to rule. Should the player speak to the new king after the “Coronation” quest to ask about civilian matters, he’ll simply say that he has Cerys dealing with it.

There’s also a third option, wherein Svanringe is crowned king. A number of players consider this to be the second-best option after Cerys. Though, at first, Svanringe appears to be nothing but a figurehead going along with his mother’s schemes, he openly opposes her when she arranges for a treaty between Skellige and The Witcher 3’s Emperor Emhyr, killing the Nilfgaardian envoy in the process. This ultimately unites the clans, and they band together to fight against Nilfgaard with Svanringe heading the charge as the first king in Skellige’s newly established dynasty.

For many, Cerys is the best option for the new ruler of Skellige, and for good reason. Though her time as queen weakens the nation’s military arm, this brings about a more sustainable means of living for her people. Instead of raiding foreign lands for food and resources, The Witcher 3’s Skellige can rely on its own produce. The only problem then is the threat of a Nilfgaardian invasion. However, if Cerys truly sticks to her word and unites the clans, then Skellige has a much better chance of surviving a war against the Black Ones.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

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