The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt was well-received, and its two expansions, Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone were no different. Each expansion provides very different experiences, while opening the world of The Witcher in many different ways.
Some of those ways were the characters introduced to the series, particularly the villains of each expansion. Gaunter O'Dimm from Hearts of Stone throws open the door to possibilities in the lore of the series. Syanna provides a closer, more intimate look at what makes a villain. Both are an interesting departure from the Wild Hunt as antagonists.
10 O'Dimm Expands the Lore of The Witcher
O'Dimm stands out as a powerful character who doesn't appear in the books, and so is an original character to the games. Even players familiar with the books will find him to be an enigma, piquing curiosity about his nature and origins.
O'Dimm's very existence creates a wealth of potential for the lore of The Witcher. While we never truly understand who he is or what he's capable of, players are given enough clues to understand the power he possesses. It's that we don't have all the answers to O'Dimm that makes him so interesting, and makes Hearts of Stone a compelling addition to The Witcher's lore, completely unique to the games.
9 Syanna is a Sympathetic Character
Syanna's cold and ruthless, but her story is that reflects the unfairness of the world of The Witcher. While most of us aren't cursed under a Black Sun, Syanna's refusal to give in to the cruelties of her situation and the lack of mercy the world shows her makes her both compelling and sympathetic.
Syanna's drive for revenge, while not ethical, is certainly understandable. From certain points of view, it's even admirable. That the player approaches her from the perspective of Geralt, a witcher, places the player in a position to understand being an outcast in society. While there isn't much Geralt can do to change people's opinions of him, Syanna tries to better her life against the odds.
8 O'Dimm is Cloaked in Mystery
O'Dimm's true nature is only hinted at and never revealed in full. We don't know his age or purpose, and his nature as presented in Hearts of Stone is beyond understanding.
Although he grants wishes much as a djinn does, he's clearly not an elemental creature and he denies being one. While this makes it dangerous to deal with him, the cunning can gain an advantage over him by beating him at his game. O'Dimm's farewell, where he promises to return, only deepens his mystery.
7 Syanna's An Unlikely Antagonist
While the obvious antagonist for Blood and Wine would be the higher vampire Dettlaff, the enemy behind the curtain was actually Syanna. The older sister of the Duchess, Syanna was thought dead for decades, and her return was a shock to her family and the witcher.
Syanna proves to be a person of her circumstances. While an antagonist, she and Geralt may have a friendly relationship, and there's even the possibility of romance. Syanna's sudden return, her likeable nature, and her motivations are what make her an unlikely antagonist, especially when pitted against Dettlaff.
6 O'Dimm's Presence is Found Across The Witcher
O'Dimm is one of the first characters Geralt meets in The Witcher base game, where he points Geralt to Yennefer's location, then seemingly vanishes into thin air. This isn't the only time O'Dimm appears in unlikely situations, and his ineffable presence across the continent is only noticed by those in the know.
The most obvious incident is in Hearts of Stone, where a woman was cursed by a beggar with a spoon into a wight. The beggar is clearly O'Dimm - his theme song plays as Geralt recounts the story later, and the beggar breaks his spoon to seal the curse. For those who haven't played Hearts of Stone, the story would be unremarkable, just as O'Dimm's appearance in the beginning of the game for first time players.
5 Syanna's Connection to The Black Sun
The eclipse responsible for the Curse of the Black Sun was prophesized years before the event. It said that 60 girls born under the Black Sun would grow up to end the world. The prophesy naturally created paranoid suspicion towards the girls, and brought up questions of nature vs nurture as most of them were abused or abandoned by their own families.
Women born under the Black Sun occasionally feature in The Witcher, particularly the books and TV series. That Syanna is one of them expands this part of The Witcher's lore.
4 O'Dimm is More Interesting Than The Wild Hunt
Some players were disappointed with the main antagonists of The Wild Hunt, who were built up over the game to be a terrible force but were defeated in a fairly easy boss battle. The Wild Hunt's motivations to end the world are also fairly simple, a stark contrast to the rest of the game where characters are complicated and nuanced.
O'Dimm remains close to Geralt as they work together, and the final confrontation with him ends up being a question of morality. If Geralt chooses to oppose O'Dimm, the final battle against him is a desperate search and puzzle to solve against the clock, with O'Dimm sabotaging every step of the way. O'Dimm proves to be so much more interesting than the Wild Hunt, and he's so powerful that there isn't even the option to face him in battle.
3 Syanna Has Great Chemistry With Geralt
Both outcasts, Geralt and Syanna prove to have as much in common as they have differences. Although their status in the world are similar, they've responded to their hardships in very different ways. Geralt has made friends and acquaintances across the continent in his travels, choosing to focus on the people he cares about.
Syanna, instead, chooses to use the people who love her, which leads Dettlaff to tragedy. While this ultimately makes her the antagonist of Blood and Wine, this contrast of ideals creates chemistry between her and Geralt, rather than antagonism, creating a villain you might want to romance rather than defeat.
2 O'Dimm Could Be A Future Antagonist For Ciri
While Geralt is a mutant, most of his abilities are rooted firmly in the mundane. His encounter with O'Dimm was largely the same, where they made their deal, and moved on. O'Dimm's banishment reveals his more sinister side beneath his humanlike façade, and hints at the supernatural.
Ciri, on the other hand, is a character who jumps between worlds, carries the Elder Blood, and is inherently magical. While Geralt isn't powerful enough to face O'Dimm, a future Witcher game could feature Ciri as a protagonist, with O'Dimm as the force to defeat.
1 Syanna is Unique in The Witcher
The fact that Syanna and Geralt are forced to work together, and where Geralt is forced to rely on her, makes her a unique villain in the series. Syanna isn't a monster. She doesn't have magic, she isn't a mythical creature. She's merely a victim of her circumstances who has a harsh view of the world because it was all she was taught.
Geralt sees this firsthand, and understands Syanna's motivations. Their relationship, where the protagonist becomes friends or lovers with the main villain, is one unique in the game, and makes a refreshing break from the boss battles (though Dettlaff was happy to still provide one).