Witcher 3 Olgierd von Everec : Villain or Victim?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 มิ.ย. 2024
- Should you save Olgierd? In the witcher 3 hearts of stone you can either save olgierd von everec. But is it morally right? In today's video I discuss whether you should save olgierd in the witcher 3 and what you should consider when deciding.
The Witcher® 3: Wild Hunt is a story-driven, next-generation open world role-playing game, set in a visually stunning fantasy universe, full of meaningful choices and impactful consequences. You play as Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter tasked with finding a child from an ancient prophecy.
Geralt of Rivia, is a witcher, or monster hunter for hire, a white-haired and cat-eyed legend in his own time. Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength and reflexes, witchers like Geralt are a natural consequence of and counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live. As Geralt, you’ll embark on an epic journey in a war-ravaged world that will inevitably lead you to confront a foe darker than anything humanity has faced so far-the Wild Hunt.
Built exclusively for next-generation hardware, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt marks a new era in RPG visual quality. Raising the bar for the entire genre, with its deeply integrated 5.1 audio and jaw-dropping graphics powered by CD PROJEKT RED’s proprietary REDengine 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt promises an entirely new kind of experience.
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For me, Hearts of Stone is the story of Olgierd's redemption. He's suffered for his mistakes, shown remorse, learned his lesson, and after you save him he gives up his old ways.
Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Morgan...
I'd be inclined to agree if he actually did anything actionable in the story instead of just being arrogant emo and meeting up with Geralt between quests
@@TaxFraudTutorials Taking action is Geralt's job in the story. Olgierd is basically a prisoner, trapped in purgatory, awaiting release or condemnation.
@@dramaticwords right, but does suffering equal redemption? Maybe he's humbled, but ultimately he is the one left alive, the same cannot be said for the people who used to be a part of his life. Caused by his heart of stone, sure, but all the result of pacts he made of his own volition, even if out of desperation. His choices got him where he was so I don't necessarily think letting him die is evil. That being said, O'Dimm is literally a nightmare demon who I wouldn't trust whatsoever, it's pretty obvious how malicious he is, and damning Olgierd to suffer at the hands of Gaunter probably isn't the morally good choice, even if it's not strictly *bad*.
@@TaxFraudTutorials Well, what is redemption if it is not recognizing one's mistakes, grieving them, and being resolved never to repeat them? Olgierd is a different person in the end than he was in his youth. Giving up his sword is a sign that he has changed and will not return to his old life. He is older and wiser. And he will have to live with the fact that his selfishness cost him the two people who meant the most to him -- his wife and his brother.
Gaunter absolutely is a demon who takes advantage of people's weaknesses -- their selfish desires, their pride, etc. to manipulate them into making choices that cost them their souls. On the one hand, he could do nothing if people didn't have such weaknesses. On the other hand, he will deliberately put people in situations that bring out the worst in them.
If Olgierd had learned nothing, then you could probably let Gaunter take his soul and that would be justice. But because Olgierd has changed, Gaunter's desire for his soul is pure evil. And I don't think Geralt would want evil to win.
“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” Big lotr fan as well as a Witcher fan 😭🙌🏽
Yeah, about that... As corrpited as he was, Gollum was sort of victim of the ring. This douchebag of olgierd was a pillager and murderer way before encountering O'Dimm. I do believe theres truth on what gaunter says about giving back people their own evil.
@@tipodeincognito5660 oh yea gollum was definitely a victim, I was just putting the direct quote since it was mentioned in the video lol
@@HylianWitch U have a good taste. I like u.
Tolkien was a master of lore.
@@naebhor6931 100% agree 🙌🏽
Olgierd's conversation with Geralt after beating O'Dimm gives me hope he'll find redemption. Plus with the way I normally play Geralt I don't think he'd just sit back and let a person lose their soul if there was a way he could intervene.
As Charismatic as O'Dimm is, he's definitely got that villainous vibe more than Olgierd could ever be.
He definitely will, and I believe everything O’Dimm gave him is gone now, including his gang and immortality. He will have to stand on his own two feet and suffer for what he’s done
The 10 year anniversary video makes me really believe. Same as how the ending for BaW with both sisters living is the right choice
I always wonder if Olgierd turned suicidal after he was saved. I probably would.
Olgierd is one of the best characters in the witcher.
true!!!
No dawg
@@diegooo548 really? Give me a reason why he's not. I think his story is one of the best and tragic in the Witcher.
Maybe he means "No dawg, he IS the best character" lol
Olgierd deserves forgiveness and death.
Given Olgierd's past actions the brilliance of this story is that it really tests morality. How far does someone have to go before they are beyond redemption? What does someone deserve? Does Olgierd truly repent? Who should be the judge? The context of this game presents them in a very thought provoking way, and Geralt's role in this puts a unique spin on the way these ideas are presented. Great writing.
And this is why even though Blood and Wine was the better expansion in terms of the new location, more quests, more gear, etc. I still think Hearts of Stone has the better story. Both expansions have great characters though, however even in terms of characters, Hearts of Stone really shows how great it actually is when they’ve created two original characters that are so good it’s like they’ve been adapted right off the pages of the books. Olgierd and Gaunter have become iconic in the Witcher fandom even though they do not exist in the books
I would argue absolutely YES. And here’s why:
1. First we must ask, does Olgeird deserve to be saved? The answer here is quite clear…NO. O’Dimm was not wrong when he said that Olgeird was a man, worse than most, who deliberately caused suffering in others. Even before O’Dimm corrupted him, he was a bandit who would go on raids, destroying innocent peoples’ lives.
But here’s the thing: isn’t the point of mercy to give people who do not deserve it a second chance? What kind of mercy would it be if you gave it to someone who deserved it…that wouldn’t be mercy at all! And Olgeird clearly goes through a massive change of heart when he is given a second chance. He even says “ I cannot live as I did before”…he finally understands the suffering and evil he caused and turns for the better.
2. Just to spite O’Dimm. For all his moralising about “oh I’m just a wish granted, it’s not my fault if people have bad wishes teehee”, O’Dimm truly is a twisted, evil being. He asks for blood sacrifices, gets Olgeird to kill his own brother just for his own fun. With all his power, imagine what O’Dimm could do. He could have offered help to better people, made the world a nicer place. He could snap his fingers and the kids of Crookback Bog would be saved. But instead he uses it to make the world worse. So even if you don’t want to save Olgeird, denying O’Dimm a soul to torment out of spite against him is more than worth it.
Damn Friendshipmagic, I was going to not help Olgeird, but after your speech, I changed my mind. This really hit the mark: " isn’t the point of mercy to give people who do not deserve it a second chance? What kind of mercy would it be if you gave it to someone who deserved it"
he tried to get us killed twice,... Master Mirror see though peoples bullshittery even if we or anyone cant in witcher world. realistically speaking O'dimm helped us multiple times with nothing asking in return except for once with this olgeird.
" he was a bandit who would go on raids, destroying innocent peoples’ lives. " Key words, bandits and raids. He and his band used to kill innocent folk and take their women and belongings. What is the point of being "educated" or having a "noble code" if you conduct and lead others to conduct immoral atrocities against other living things?
@@francisdaleburnsgutierrez1569 if I have to choose between evil and evil, I'd rather not choose at all. But that would mean not playing Hearts of Stone altogether. And since I've bought the DLC, the choice between helping a practicioner of evil and helping *a literal embodiment of evil* seems rather easy to me.
He is literally an evil incarnate as said by the professor
Olgierd is such a great character. I adore how closely he represents a Polish nobleman - Szlachta.
he's one of the coolest characters in the game to me. everything he says is interesting
And I though he is Cossack, because of his title Ataman
Szlachta? Never heard of him.
@@Novas9510 he is mostly inspired by two well-known characters from polish culture: Andrzej Kmicic protagonist of a book called "The deluge" (PL: "Potop") written by Henryk Sienkiewicz. There's probably a lot more similar details about these two, but im gonna count some of them: his looks, temper (impulsive, aggressive, but loving, honorable and brave), his crew (this one is exactly as described in the books, a bunch of bandits, that like to drink and do stupid things for entertainment; btw burning mansion is also a clear reference to the book), his love arc (Kmicic did some bad things, so his fiancee exiled him, then he redeem himself and became a glourious warrior> In the book, in contrast to the game, love story has a happy ending though) and kinda redemption arc ( if you save Olgierd ofc). The second character is Pan Twardowski (Mr Twardowski). Using his blood he signed a pact, selling out his soul to the devil. He gained wealth and fame, but there was a catch: Devil could only take his soul in Rome. After several years Twardowski, sure that he's never going to give up his soul to the devil, unknowingly went to a tavern called 'Rome' and the devil came for him. But Twardowski started praying to the mother of god and singing religious songs, so the devil abondoned him on the moon. He is still there for this day.
@@Novas9510 they are wery well-known amongst polish people ofc
Remember the "Killing Monsters" trailer. Yes the witch most likely an evil person who did many evil things, but the Niflgaardian soldiers were way worse and committed many, many more evil deeds. Who did Geralt choose to kill...the greater of the 2 evils. Olgierd and Gaunter O'Dimm are the same situation. Great video WitcherGeorge, always nice to see you taking a break from walking the path.
I would save him every time too, but not only because I think he could become a good person, but the quest what we get with the riddle it's actually pretty fun and there's more playtime we can spend with experiences
Save him as a middle to the face of Gaunter. Even if banishing Gaunter isn't permanent, it's serves as a reminder to not mess with Geralt/humanity. The ending cutscene is also the chef's kiss.
Great video.
I personally saved Olgierd once on my first playthrough. Currently I'm on my seventh. And on all other times i leave him for Gaunter. Man has to pay the bill. Otherwise he just slides out of a pact he made. A pact he himself brought up on him and Iris. People say this the bad ending, but i dont feel that way. There are a lot of tough choices in TW3. Geralt recognizes the lesser evil, but he'll do all that he can to avoid doing it himself. Evil is evil, and he prefers not to choose at all. But this means that Geralt would allow a greater evil to take place, rather than commit a lesser or a middling evil himself.
Gaunter O’Dimm is the single most evil creature that Geralt has ever met. It makes NO sense for him to just stand there and let someone’s soul get taken to be TORMENTED FOR ETERNITY. Oh and don’t give me that bs about “he’d rather not choose at all”. He constantly makes tough choices between evils. Even the trailer where he said that obnoxiously misused line has him CHOOSING to kill three soldier rather than let them kill one person he didn’t even know.
So you let a literal demon that has terrorised people for literal thousands of years get his way instead?
@@H240909 yes. that is the way i coose to play the game. why make such a fuss about it?:D
Yes, for next thousands of years lmao.
@@guntars5281 My problem isn’t how you choose to play the game. I don’t care about that in the slightest. My problem is claiming it’s in character for Geralt to act that way. That’s just blatant misinformation.
Big plus to saving him is that it just feels good to stop Gaunter and that Olgeird’s genuine remorse at the end is a feeling he would not have been allowed otherwise
I was thinking that, all this regrets now with a real human heart and body again. The dude even gives up his sword, in a sense swearing to never return to his old life again.
but gaunter will come back and olgeird deserves death because he is a as*h*le
Ya but u dont stop gaunter . U just stop him from stealing his soul.
The thing I consider is that by the end of it when he says only now that he has his heart back does he truly realise how much he's lost, I assume he's been humbled by the experience and has truly learned his lesson. I also try to think that even with the bad he's done, does he deserve eternal suffering and torture at the hands of gaunter o'dimm? Like, eternal? I don't think so
He abused his wife, locked her and left her to die alone.
@@itisyerdad like he said, can't really judge what he did once his heart was literally stone. Also all of that kinda pales in comparison to his other misdeeds
RP wise, Geralt has no idea what kind of challenge he'd be set in order to save Olgierd, but does know it would likely be near impossible. Oh, and his own soul would be on the line. Meanwhile, Olgierd was just a terrible person who hadn't exactly treated Geralt well either. Seems like a pretty obvious decision honestly.
Absolutely agree. If W3 was a permadeath based game (like Detroit Become Human / Until Dawn etc.) I would absolutely let Olgeird die.
Only reason I chose to save Olgeird in my W3 playthrough is the knowledge that if anything goes wrong (which it did, I failed first time) I just reload previous save.
But if I were playing W3 with permadeath stakes, the only character I'd be willing to risk Geralt's life (and soul) to save (against a threat as great as O' Dimm) is Ciri.
Yeah I didn't save Olgeird and knowing how Master Mirror fucks with people and wishes I don't think geralt would ask for a reward either.
@@CayeDaws I really think they should have made "Geralt fails O' Dimm's challenge" as one of the possible canon endings to hearts of stone (aka the true "bad ending"), given the huge narrative significance of the moment.
After the credits roll, a message could pop-up saying "due to the nature of your ending for the hearts of stone DLC, these events took place in a separate timeline to the main game and the blood and wine DLC. In the current timeline, the resolution of the hearts of stone questline will remain ambiguous".
Fair point, but Gaunter is a demon and I hate demons.
Glad to see you back George.
Good video. Save him or leave him to the fate of the pact he made? Having read the books, I can honestly see Geralt doing either thing. Yes, he is a hero, especially when he empathises with potential victims. I personally like to have that climactic sequence with Gaunter, to give the flawed Olgierd a shot at redemption, that is my preferred ending BUT I do lean towards that actual Geralt would leave Olgierd to his fate. Book Geralt could easily go not my monkeys, not my circus. Too much risk to save this person (who has done atrocious things for selfish reasons) by pissing off such a powerful, unpredictable being. Olgierd knowingly brought this on himself and hurt countless people along the way. Book Geralt is smart and picks his battles according to his capabilities, known threat level, and his personal investment. Citing Witcher neutrality for a scrap he's just not up for.
Especially if not getting on Gaunter's bad side could help him find Ciri with the wish reward, should you not have saved her yet by the time you finish the Hearts of Stone story.
I also think book Geralt would leave Olgierd to his fate. Especially after his encounter with Iris and everything at the mansion.
interesting point of view!"
Geralt literally died saving random people in the books. He wouldn’t stand by and let someone’s soul get stolen and taken to be tortured for eternity.
I liked to rollplay as to what I think Gerolt's choices would have been. And I don't think Gerolt would have let O'dim, an eldrich being who is evil itself made manifest, just casually take someone's soul if he could do something about it.
So, reguardless of what Olgeird did, Gerolt would save him just to keep O'dim from getting his way.
Gerolt?
I'm pretty sure the Geralt from the books wouldn't meddle, risk his life in an extremely dangerous riddle with a being he doesn't comprehend. No real reason for Geralt to forfeit his soul for what is effectively a stranger.
@@MaciejuCz Sorry, I keep getting the spelling of Geralt of Rivia confused with Gerolt The Blacksmith from Final Fantasy 14. They're both pronounced the same way.
@@Grintock He's done riskier things with worse odds.
@@kaimagnus5760 Name one.
Edit: Also don't ignore the "stranger" component, but also be accurate to who Olgierd is, and modify to add "selfish piece of shit with a long history of evil acts"
I saved Olgierd the first time because I felt that the narrative wanted me to, not from my own volition, which didnt feel sit well with me. So the second time I played the expansion a year later, I just gave his ass to Gaunter. Gaunter is a horrendous monster but he is way more polite to Geralt and really he did save Geralt from Olgierd's bullshit quest so it really is more than fair that he asked Geralt to do something for him...
Von Everec is an absolute monster. The only reason to save him is for Iris and the legendary viper venomous sword.
Olgierd is completely beyond redemption, at least in this life. The gods can sort him out.
@@editorrbr2107 The problem is, he won't be sorted out by Gods since Gaunter took his soul.
@@ketas300 bold of you to assume O'Dimm isn't a god...
@@onetwothree9 he is a devil
@@editorrbr2107 I think it's better to save him because that way you can ban Gaunter and stop him from doing this to other people, without him Von Everec would have never done anythinh to Geralt
Been around since early 2018. I’m really glad to see you uploading again. Maybe you could make a decision video based on the different endings for Ciri? Or the Pros/cons of each potential ruler for Skellige?
I also think a lot of people would love to see a return of the Witcher George Bestiary vids.
Hearts of Stone is easily my favorite part of the whole game not only because of the rather grim atmosphere it has, but also the heavy emphasis on moral ambiguity. The choice at the end, as simple as it is, is still brilliant because it allows you to interpret the story your way and pick the conclusion you prefer. You either let Olgierd be punished for his many crimes or free him from his dept. I usually pick the former because even though I love Gaunter O'Dimm like everyone else, it's nice to see a man in great pain and misery who's made many mistakes start a new life and hopefully become a better person.
I feel like I like to save Olgierd purely so I can show I beat O’dimm on Geralt’s behalf if you get me because it’s like a flex beating him for Geralt in a way
I love when you decide to save the Wicht (in blood and wine) and then check on her Hearts of Stone theme starts playing
Thanks for the video! Iv'e always liked how many decisions you can make throughout the whole game & dlc's and how you can see immediate effects :) so thanks for giving some insight into the Hearts of Stone story! Would love to see more like this :)
Olgierd was trouble even before he made the deal. He already was born into a family with money but rather than take an honorable path he chose another path. His brother and him became criminals who even before things went south did a number of criminal acts. When the odds turned against him, olgierd turned to magic. He used black magic to find a way to summon gaunter. As part of those deals he had to sacrifice his own brother. A fact that Gaunter actually tried to tell Vlodomir about but he refused to accept it.
Now as for the wish Olgierd made, you can actually infer a lot by looking at what he offers geralt in return for his wishes. While he could take a direct route, Gaunter instead gives what he feels is what that person actually could use. Geralt being super fast would only affect his abilities as a witcher so instead he gives him a special saddle. Geralt asks to never be thirsty or hungry so he gives a simple tool that provides what ever is needed at the proper time. He even tries to help geralt save ciri by being smart about his decisions making. As for how this applies to Olgierd, clearly Olgierd wanted the power to satisfy his ambitions without any risk so thus he was stripped of his limits and given immortality but the caveat was he also lost his humanity so thus he lived life like a machine. He didn't care about others or how things would affect them. He just did anything he could to get his way. In the process he destroyed everyone around him until all he had left was just his criminal acquaintances. He couldn't go back to iris as he felt no attachment to her.
Then when it came time to closing the deal he still took the brutal logic approach even though it was a bad decision. He made geralt bring vlodimir back but vlodimir was never gonna give up on who he was and if not for gaunter it is likely that vlodimir would have never let go of control of geralt. He would have done terrible things to shani then went off to enjoy his new life but gaunter knew this was a bad decision so he wisely freed geralt before things got worse. As for the borsodis, he knew there was bad blood in that family and he sought to exploit it to the destruction of a family that with time could have healed on its own. Then there is Iris. She could have and should have passed on into the next world but he crafted the magic to keep her there. A prisoner in her own home living in sadness as she can't bare to face the end that she fears awaits her. The one thing that could have brought her release was the one thing Olgierd denied her, his love. He could have gone there himself and freed her to pass on it peace but instead he sent geralt to extract a meaningless bauble but still one of the few things that tied them together, a flower which was a symbol of their undying love for each other.
Then at last we come to the finale. Olgierd if you save him is racked with grief but rather than try to attone for his sins he choose instead to run away. Even if you allow iris to remain he still doesnt mention wanting to go see her. All he wants to do is just run away from his problems as he did when he made that deal with gaunter. Sure you should give people redemption but redemption is often best given to those who show a willingness to make amends. Olgierd makes no such promises nor does he truly do that as we see his gang still carrying out their plans in his name. Olgierd deserves the fate that awaited him and Gaunter even gave Olgierd one last mercy. He gave him back his emotions so that he could realize the mistake he made so he could feel the errors of his ways one last time before the end. That is why I feel Olgierd deserved his fate. He was an unrepentant monster who only towards the end realized just how much of an evil man he was. He got what he deserved in the end.
TLDR: Olgierd is a dick who got his comeuppance , and I 100% agree with you.
Only reason to save him is the 2 swords you can't get otherwise.
@@SmithYorkinster Olgierd was a monster. But O'Dimm is a monster too who harmed innocents. I banished him because of the innocent victims and not to save Olgierds soul.
❤
@@SmithYorkinster Nah, that's what console commands are for. LOL
He’s both a villain and victim. But it’s kinder to let him die than to live with his actions. He has nothing left.
He gets tortured for eternity if he dies. So… no.
Deff not. He’s a great character and I feel sorry for him. But even in his suffering, he risked and took the life of so many ppl. Giving up your brother for a girl he liked? When there are millions…he was a cold man before what Gaunter did to him
This is why I love Witcher 3, so many of the story lines are more adult and dark existing mostly in the grey area, sometimes it seems there are no good choices
Would you be open to doing a new Witcher 3 play through but this time with alternate choices like Empress Ciri and Triss Romance? Keep up the great videos bro
Love Your page! Thank you for your content….Also FIRST!!
I can't wait for Witcher next Gen. Olgierd will look awesome in next Gen.
if you are talking about the next witcher game,i don't think we will see him
@@Kyriakos095 There is a upcoming Next Gen release of witcher 3 with some new content. Might be updated graphics aswell but idk
@@Kyriakos095 not next Witcher. Next Gen Witcher with improved graphics
Hope your playing it
It's a difficult thing to quantify because there is very little information on what Olgierd was like before his deal with O'Dimm. It was known that he and his brother headed a group of rich hooligans but very little is known of what they got up to. They didn't go about raping and pillaging as bandits do, both brothers disapproved of that sort of behavior, and Olgierd still does.
Chivalry was important to them.
He certainly couldn't have been all that bad, since Iris and her family approved of him. Indeed, in what snippets are seen of him before his feelings were taken from him he's downright sweet. Hell, Iris still loved him in the end after all that had happened.
There is also some question how much Olgierd even knew what he agreed to when he made that deal with O'Dimm. Certainly he didn't ask for his emotions to be slowly stolen away.
I just love how CDPR just casually create characters of their own who not onyl rival the book characters but in some cases exceeds them. The Bloody Baron, Gaunter O’dimm, Olgierd Vom Everec are without a doubt the best examples that come to mind.
I literally just finished HoS for the second time and this popped up, so nice timing!
I feel like it’s a choice between a monster that can change, and the devil.
I think with Olgierd either choice is fine, because yeah he was wronged by O'Dimm but even before he made the deal he was already a ruffian and was responsible for murder, he also willingly sacrificed his brother, and then to save him means that you believe redemption exists
Absolutely! That was really well said
He didn't just kill her father, he fed her father to his beasts. That's pretty heartless.
I did just to see what would happen. I actually like the "duel" of wits between Geralt and Gaunter O' Dimm
i mostly save olgierd just to get the viper sword
I would like if you did a video on runes and runewrights.
The only reason I saved him once was to get that viper sword and also to participate in gaunter's game
Beside all that he's just another common bandit and cutthroat
loved that video, would like to see a similar one with syanna ^^
I usually always let Olgierd die in the 1st run to get the special stuff for roach which carry on to the ng+, then in the ng+ run i save olgierd, to get the viper silver sword from the "dream" sequence. so yes, both of those choices i make for a selfish reasons, but both olgierd and gaunter used me, so it is better i get something out of it too..
First, I like to help Gaunter O'Dimm and then get roach's saddle (Caparison of Lament), which makes her run fast and stun enemies. NG+ is when I save Olgierd, and make things right.
The first time I let O’Dimm take Olgierd. The second time I did it purely for the Viper Venomous sword and most importantly Iris. Then I got to thinking about it. Olgierd has a lot of duality to me. On one hand, he’s a vile person. But on the other hand, he’s a victim and worth my mercy. O’Dimm, however, is evil incarnate as Shakeslock says. He’s easily one of the most evil video game characters there is. So the decision for me wasn’t a “lesser of two evils”, because Olgierd is not evil when compared to O’Dimm. Olgierd is vile in some ways, but not necessarily evil. His band, the Redanian Free Company, is an elite cavalry unit composed of irregulars. Mercenaries on the payroll of Redania, so while they profited off of their raids, they were doing it in the name of the fatherland. Likely their targets were in countries that Redania was either at war with or at least not friendly with. It’s implied that it wasn’t until O’Dimm turned his heart to stone that him and his crew became more cruel and merciless. He loved Iris and wanted the world for her, but in wishing for that he unknowingly cursed her, himself, his brother, and everyone else he came in contact with.
The rewards they call it for letting O`dim kill Olgierd are not worth it, the Saddle being the only real reward among them is not worth my allowing this Deamon to roam the land cursing people. He is responsible for killing who knows how many people through his curses, the case in Toussaint alone resulted in the deaths of several people at least and an entire family broke apart. That witch is scared of him, she's obviously had dealings with him in the past and is scared of him. He stabbed a guy in the eye with a wooden spoon for offering a round of drinks, he has no loyalty to anyone but himself, he doesn't care of what he does harms innocent people, he killed that other guy in jail on the Ofieri ship, Iris died of a broken heart, 3 other Deamons were trapped in Iris's house to keep her company that wouldn't have been there if not for O`Dim, the list goes on and on. I don't enjoy having to kill the Caretaker even if we do get to keep his spade, he was just doing his job. I confess I free the Spirit in the Tree and allow the Village of Downwarren to fall and become host to some Wraiths, but I feel that is a lesser evil to allowing those servants to Evil live and send more children to their doom. At least Olgierd had a code of ethics and honor with loyalty among his ethics.
The series has a lot of characters like that. The writers went out of their way to avoid characters being clear cut "bad guys" to make sure the choices involving them wouldn't really have a clear answer. Dijkstra, the Bloody Baron, Olgierd, Letho and the likes are all characters who have done and do bad things but they're not evil in the traditional sense. Dijkstra being the type to do anything and everything necessary to ensure his people's safety and prosperity. The Baron being a broken man who wants to do the right thing but keeps failing, haunted by the traumas of warand his family's apathy and hatred for him, he ended up retreating into the bottle for years. Olgierd, who did terrible things in pursuit of being able to feel again. And well, Letho, who just got stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Could you do a Witcher 4 speculation/wish list
Imagine meeting Olgierd in The Witcher 4 where we finally get to know what kind of a person he really is. It would really be amazing 🤩
I like that by helping Gaunter you can refuse you payment and ask him how to save Ciri. Thgis makes the neutral witcher way very interesting in my eyes. I cant decide the ending every time, because of the deeds Olgierd did.
iris is the name of sword i think has by far top 3 animation in game and you get it so early too and guilt free , with rend and all it look magical
I personally saved Olgierd not because he‘s a good person rather because it is the only way to kill or at least hurt Gounter O‘Dim
For me it's a very simple choice actually, coming down to a singular concept. Does the punishment meet the crime? Is Olgeird a bad dude? Absolutely. Should he be punished for his crimes? No question, but does the punishment of your soul being the play thing of a daemon for all eternity meet the requirements for what he did? That's where I believe his crimes do not meet the threshold for that. Besides, everyone should be allowed a chance at redemption. I offer that to Ogierd each and every time, whether he takes the opportunity he's presented is entirely down to him.
For me it was difficult.
If I'd just look at the character Olgierd, before you'd save him I'd say he does not deserve it.
While it is true that he does seem to change or seek redemption IF you save him, you can't really know before you actually do it. And while some things he did where after he was cursed by Gaunter, what he did before was pretty bad already. The fact alone that he basically kills his brother for his own gain is something that I personally dislike alot - it is again true that Gaunter does it for his own amusement and also pretty much plays with Olgierd and the wishes it still stands that he DID knowingly want them even at the cost of his brothers life.
Knowing what he seems to try after saving him as a player of the game might give some reason to do it, the first time playing it is an unknown.
On the other hand, there is Gaunter himself. Would you (or Geralt) try to stop him. In general I'd say Geralt would try to stop something that is clearly unnatural and clearly evil to the core. Since it is also a sentient being that you could not turn the only option would be to stop or kill him - however even Geralt would know he is immensly powerful, getting on his bad side is also something to take into consideration.
I decided to help him in the end. The fact that you can stop Gaunter was enough for me. It was a matter of the smaller evil. Olgierd was not a good guy, what he did was terrible - in comparison though letting Gaunter still do what he wants is way worse. Olgierd isn't the only person Gaunter played with as well.
Of course you don't actually know if and for how long your actions would stop Gaunter - because I really don't think you can actually kill him. And you don't know if he actually will hold a grudge or not.
could olgierd beat the wild hunt ?
like if Geralt disappeared or something and a saviour had to be chosen
which characters could save the world from the wild hunt, im sure they would like to as they live in the world
or what about the unseen elder
gaunter might not as he can willingly travel between realms it seems
but who else could defeat the wild hunt
Did everyone here just forgot how Olgierd curse an Ofieri prince into a frog and then gives Geralt a contract to kill it? If not for Gaunter saving Geralt he would have been killed in Ofier or an even worse fate. Yes he had a stone heart but he still can think properly
also he cursed the prince before getting an heart of stone
I agree, except for the cursing of the Ofieri prince. In the world of the witcher, any person can cause someone or something to be cursed, even unintentionally. Remember in the mission of Towerful of Mice? Graham, the poor fisherman who was in love with a princess, unintentionally cursed his love to stay in the tower forever when he thought she died. This was also the subject of a book on curses you find in the world.
Of course, Olgier wouldn't take back the wish even if he could, but the curse was still made unintentionally. And by the time he had Geralt kill the frog prince, his heart had already turned into stone, though I suspect he had no hate left, and his actions were caused by sheer boredom as his condition leaves him with zero care for anything or anyone.
Unless I'm pursuing one of O'Dimm's special items - usually the bottomless carafe - then I save him. He's a variation on Philip Strenger, and I can't bear to leave either man suffering.
Here's the thing
I believe that Olgierd does deserve to be saved. He's vile, and not a good man, but he tries to do good where he can. From the first moment we meet him, scolding that man for harassing that woman, we see that he tried to do good. This is amplified by the fact that he would visit his brother's grave and talk of old days, the fact that he helped the beggars in novigrad through stealing the borsodi's will, and last but not least, through what we see in the haunted house.
In that house, we see two sides of Olgierd. We see the man, the one who smiled widely when Iris's father said they could marry, we see the happy husband who loves his wife, but only for a brief moment. Then, all we see is a man with a heart of stone, the work of O'Dimm, an evil, cruel man who practically keeps his wife captive, who conjures demons as sentries when they themselves yearn for freedom. We see a husband who kills his wife's father, who doesn't care about his wife, about anything. This isn't Olgierd, this is what O'Dimm left in Olgierd's place when that desperate man made a foolish wish. And even then, the real Olgierd, the true Olgierd, slipped through the cracks. In the way he conjured up those demons to protect his wife, in the way he left, leaving her a rose and a letter explaining that she would be better off without him. Despite the fact that his heart of stone was what killed Iris, even then he tried to do right. In truth, Olgierd's heart was deeply unhappy, he had lost all he wanted to maintain, as Geralt said, he was unhappy, and sought out sensations that could make him feel alive. Olgierd may have been a bandit, but he tried to give that life up, he tried to make his wife happy, he failed miserably when he asked Gaunter for help, but in all honesty, he isn't the problem. The problem is Gaunter O'Dimm. This vile thing has destroyed countless lives for centuries, Olgierd was just another run of the mill contract, nothing special aside from the fact that he was able to escape his pact. Gaunter ruined his life, Iris's life, killed Vlodimir, and all because he could. He is evil incarnate, and a world where he doesn't get his way is a better world. That's why Olgierd deserves to be saved
However, I let him die
Lemme explain why
Gaunter O'Dimm is a presence unlike any other in this medium of video games. His simple appearance contrasts with his omnipotence, his word traps and contracts are the only weapons he he has, but he wields them with such precision that he can ruin lives with but a few flicks of his tongue. Hearing the dog demon say that standing in his way would lead to a fate worse than death, seeing the old blind man die the second he stepped outside the circle, seeing the poor drunk guy get a spoon shoved into his eye, it made me fear O'Dimm so strongly, that when given the choice to help Olgierd, I noped the fuck out. I didn't help, even though I wanted to save Olgierd, and when he asked me what I wanted, I asked for nothing, sure that asking him for something would only end up coming back to haunt me. Gaunter is such a brilliantly crafted character. His presence pierces the screen and makes me afraid. Not many do that, but Gaunter O'Dimm does it with ease
Hey! Long time no see!
I never save him. Honestly Gaunter's taking of his soul always seemed just to me. And having a demon that thinks well of Geralt and helps guide him to the best game outcome seems like the right call to me.
Your back. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!
TRUELY THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU THE REMAKE HOPEFULLY WILL OFFER DIFFERENT PERSPECIVES
I swear I've played this game to completion more than 10 times but everytime I come to this character I still need TH-cam to make the decision.
I thought about it but it boils down to this for me: in the end Olgeird realises that he can't libe the way he has, while Gaunter won't change because he doesn't have to. So going forward the only way to minimise damage is to save von Everec
well after seeing the 40th anniv video of the witcher, my head cannon is affirmed, Ogierd talking to the dutchess possibly investing on a vineyard (redemption) even the Baron, probably found the healer in the blue mountains and got his wife back visiting Geralt. With so many terrible things a character can do, there is always the strong possibility of redemption and for the better.
great video♥ although i disagree with you here. Olgierd shouldn't be saved. Yes he shows remorse and feels bad after you saved him but you have to consider that he lost everything because of his own actions. He was already a bad person before he met Gaunter, which is what we learn throughout the story, like him killing Iris' father for the marriage annullment, sacrificing his brother to get his wish fulfilled, neglecting his wife and abusing and abandoning her for his own wish/goals just to name the main ones. He seems to be a nice guy that can change but i honestly believe that, if he truly changed and felt remorse for his actions in the end, he would just end up depressed and suicidal bc he basically destroyed his own world and support system. He has nothing in the end and no one will help him bc of his bad reputation (which he already had before he had a heart of stone, it just made it worse) and he would just end up dead.
So saving him is definetly, from that perspective, the worse option.
When you look at Gaunter and his actions throughout the story you will notice that, yes he is an otherworldly being that we don't know anything about with great powers who likes corrupting people and taking their souls through tight contracts, but you will also notice, that when you don't seek out for him he will leave you alone, he will mostly only do stuff to people who pissed him off or are already bad and unmoral people in his eyes. The professor also notices that beating him in his riddle only bans him from this particular realm or world for a undefined period of time. Looking at the research of the professor it gets evident, that that never actually happend or no one succeeded before, or it happend but most of the professors recourses aren't - relatively speaking - very old, especially when you look at the fact that Gaunter quite possibly is immortal. So banning him doesn't make much of a difference in a long term perspective anyway, bc Gaunter can still basically go to other realms or worlds, wich is canon bc of Ciri's time and space travel, and he will just come back after a while, which could be for us maybe 100s or 1000s of years but for him it's only a short amount of time bc of his age and immortality.
On top you have to consider, that Gaunter always stuck to the contract he made with Olgierd. It was Olgierd who wanted to prolong the time he had or break the contract and escape from Gaunter. Adding to that, in the end you can get very good rewards from him and he sticks to the contract made with Geralt.
This is just my own personal opinion though. When i played the expansion for the first time i saved Olgierd like many others here in the comments did too, bc i felt this was the ending the game wanted from me and bc i wanted to see the riddle part where you 'fight' Gaunter which was very interesting to me, but it never felt right. Since then i always sided with Gaunter bacause it just felt better as a conclusion to the story and obviously on top you get a much better reward than just some sword (yes it looks cool but the stats aren't as good as they seem and especially when you go into BW expansion it gets outpowered by all the grandmaster-set swords)
I do have to add to this that i am a huge fan of cosmic horror, so Lovecraft and that kind of stuff, and Gaunter always gives off eldrich god vibes like you would get from Nyarlathotep or Yog-Sothoth and others (not Cthulhu, it's overrated) and i know that you can never outsmart those entities and making them mad at you or pissing them off is the worst thing you can ever possibly do. This and Olgierds bad desicions and behaviour that i already mentioned in the beginning are the reasons why i don't view Gaunter as the bad guy in this story, bc he isn't a humanic creature but he isn't a monster either. For something like him good end evil are only human concepts. And in the end this story never had a bad guy or villian with nefarious or unmoral motivations, like the main story or the other expansion.
I save him just to defy and spite gaunter o dim. G.O.D shows us how much power he has over us at every opportunity, and we have one chance to turn the tables, why not take it?
Very based.
For some reason, the first time I saw olgiered, I thought he looked like a rougher version of David Beckham
I think when life throws bad at you, then you lash out at life then I don't think you're truly evil
i hope they'll include him in the witcher 4 as well
the way it has been structured is that both ways of dealing with olgierd is right, you can either let him choose to suffer for his crimes or give him the chance at redemption that everyone deserves, personally on a new playthrough i get that sweet horse armour to keep geralts ass warm in the swamps and the north and on the following playthrough i will choose to let him live
Olgeird cursed the Toad prince, every person killed by the Toad was his fault. He killed his wife's father and fed his corpse to the "beasts". He cursed his wife to never leave the house, turning her into a wraith.
Oh he was villain. Lets notforget that even before the whole thing he was perfectly fine raiding, killing and pillagining villages together with his brother. When things turned hairy instead of trying to take responsibility he sought for an easy way out with magic. So make no mistake he was always a villain. He is just a villain who fell into a certain mirror merchants trap.
I always killed him in my first play through for the saddle, aka never lose a race. Then the new game+ i saved him. Personally liked him
Olgierd, Syanna and Strenger are pretty much all similar characters, tragic/redeemable antagonists, but antagonists nonetheless.
There is a novel, don't remember author neither name of the story, but it does resembles game plot a lot:
A man decided to sell his soul to a demon in exchange for immortality, with a condition, that demon can gat the soul only after his death. What a stupid idea and no demon would agree to this terms. But demon said yes with a condition, that he will keep pledge. Demon didn't tell the man what pledge was. Man enjoyed his life, become wealthy and rich, committed horrible crimes and got away with it. No one could harm him - he was immortal. But after many decades he lost a taste for life. Nothing could please him. Then he decided that demon tricked him a took his soul away. Then he decided to go to church for a God. Demon said that he will return the pledge, but man should not go to church. And demon did return - the pledge was man's conscience. As soon as he got conscience back, he remembered all the crimes and bad things he did. All at once they fled him. He immediately wished to end the life... and demon have been right there to remove immortality and to retrieve man's soul...
So, for the game, possibly the worse end for Olgierd is to live and remember his deeds, especially to his wife.
Hell yeah I'd save him that's my home boy
On my original game i didn't save him, he had a debt and it's the moral in all stories with wishes (be careful what you wish for and you shouldn't make deals with the devil) but latter i save him for the viper sword
Good to upvote Witcher 3 content 🫶🏻
Olgierd von everec is a cool character that could be awesome part of the witcher game
If you want to see a lot of what the story of Olgierd and Gaunter is, look up the relationship between faust and mephistopheles from the book Faust. What erased any doubt that this was their inspection for the two characters is the professor who is hiding in the pentagram in his house and the use of blood to sign contracts or letters. Geralts presence is the only real change, where you can play god and decide to help Faust/Olgierd or let his sole belong to the devil. They also change a few things, but definitely 90% of it is straight from the book Faust.
While there are Faustian references, the actual source reference for Olgierd is Sir Twardowski from Polish folklore, not Faust.
This is true right down to Olgierd's requirement of meeting on the moon and how that was handled by Gaunter.
@@itisyerdad I never read that book, I will have to look it up. Thank you for the reference.
Olgierd doesn't have to be good, he only has to be better than the devil himself, everything is preferable to Gaunter O Dimm.
I only once did not save Olgierd, which was the very first time and I didn't know better
I saved him because I thought Geralt would've saved him not because of his pity for the guy but because of his professionalism. Geralt would've never let a monster like Gaunter O'Dimm get away and keep killing people.
My geralt never succumb to threat from anyone. Gunther forced him to do stuff just because relasing geralt once doesn't sit well for me.
the only reason why would i let him die in one of the games is that cool horse you get from Gaunter
For me not saving Olgierd is the better choice, just from knowing he curse the toad prince strike one he's out. Is not because I care about the toad prince, but the side effects that having curse the toad prince cause for Oxenfurt. The toad prince kill a lot of citizens in the Oxenfurt sewers, and even starting poisoning the drinking water, and that's the reason Shani went down there to find a cure to a disease that was spreading, if left unchecked who knows how many more people would have die in that city. Olgierd curse the prince without O' Dimm's help, that makes him dangerous even without immortality he could curse someone later down the line, and cause another event like the toad prince.
Second strike, Olgierd didn't give me any information that would help me lift the curse or kill the toad prince. I didn't even know the toad prince was a curse creature to use the right oil before the fight or even tell me anything about the toad prince tactics. Olgierd essentially send Geralt there to die, third strike is when you duel Olgierd and Geralt has no idea he's fighting an immortal. Olgierd abuses his immortality to get a surprise fatal stab on Geralt.
After that duel I was done with Olgierd, I just wanted to remove his immortality, so I can decapitate him again.
Save is a relative term, either way Gaunter O'Dimm wins, saving him only would live him feeling misery and guilt for the people that he lost, like his wife and brother, and all the people that he killed. So Geralt really save Olgierd, he didn't, at least when Gaunter take his sold is quick and painless, but living the rest of your life with misery and guilt, for everything that you have done, Olgierd not come out of this untouched, free of the consequences of his actions.
I just find it hard to imagine that Geralt would risk his own soul fighting a demigod for a man like von Everec. For Ciri or any other close friend/ innocent person yes but a stranger with a shit past? I doubt it. The only reason why I saved him was so I could complete the viper set. I wouldn’t bother otherwise tbh.
Last mission name of Hearst of Stone: "Whatsoever a man soweth"
(must continiue) "that shall he also reap"
How did I never understand what the name Hearts of Stone is refering to until today?!? Now I feel stupid.
In my path I made a lot of bad decisions , but for Olgierd I thought that master mirror was the evilness incarnation while olgierd was only a human being who took wrong decisions and couldnt have enough dicernation between good and evil . When he talked there was a lot of noble words he said even tho he was savage in his daily life but confronted to master mirror the decision is already taken . Kill the demon
First run I did not save him. I wanted that Caparison of Lament to win all the race quests :D
If I had the choice I would cower and allow gunanter to see me a good asset rather a enemy since he's way too over powered
Honestly, the only reason for me to save Olgierd is because it's the only way to get the Venomous Viper Silver Sword, and Iris sword.
But for me, canon wise, Geralt is a hero, but he is not suicidal, so I don't think he would risk his ass for someone as awful as Olgierd. He would 100% do it if it was Ciri or Yen, but why would he risk to anger what at that point he would consider an almost omnicient being, to save a guy that cursed and killed several innocent, and even tricked Geralt himself, into killing?
If Olgierd was facing a ghoul or something, ok, sure. But I think that even Geralt would know that, facing O'Dimm, he is way in over his head.
Really wish Olgierd could have popped up in Corvo Bianco
Olgierd is evil, period. Whether his evil is lesser or greater than that of the demonic being he made a pact with in exchange for power is irrelevant. He wasn’t deceived into making that pact, he isn’t Gaunter O’Dimm’s victim: he is just his customer. He got what he paid for, and so he must pay the price.
O’Dimm doesn’t do anything to harm Geralt, and he lives up to his word and fulfills his bargain. As a Witcher who fulfills contracts, doesn’t Geralt expect those for whom he takes contracts to likewise live up to their end of a bargain?
On my first play through I saved Olgierd only for the Loot I could get from defeating O’Dimm; but I loathed Olgierd. Saving him from the consequences of his own evil actions and breaking his contract for him was a real violation of conscience and character. The second time I played it through I allowed O’Dimm to collect on his contract and I felt no remorse for Olgierd as he met his well-deserved fate…. And make no mistake: The leader of a band of Rapists and murderers deserves everything he gets.
The Borsodi's would not just lose their estate, it would go to a charity, which is also a good thing, even if Olgierd said he didn't care about that. But he actually might have cared deep inside that heart of stone.
I was really sleepy when I did the final quest and I didn't want another boss battle so I let him die. He rubbed me the wrong way anyway. I also didn't take a reward from Master Mirror so talk about anti climax lol
Even though the gifts Gaunter O’Dimm offers if you let him take Olgierd’s soul are tempting, I think I’m just fine with playing without any “life-hacks” if you know what I mean. Plus Olgierd is a cool fellow with a badass sword. Don’t get me wrong, O’Dimm is an awesome character and perhaps the best villain in the game but he’s just creepy asf. I just want stay as far away from him as possible no strings attached especially when comes to choosing to save a life over his voodoo gifts.
I don't think beating Gaunter stops him from hurting anyone, the deal was that if Geralt won, he'd let Olgeard go. Nothing about doing his stuff elsewhere
I think Olgierd is templated on the Bloody Baron--both have done terrible things, but both seem to genuinely want to change when given the opportunity. The question for players is whether they think they deserve that chance, or if what they've done is beyond the point of redemption. Personally, I think that desire for change is enough to give both their 'best' endings.