The fantasy genre is easily one of the most popular and beloved genres around, with most of the popular titles that come under this bracket being amazing due to the incredible world-building, well-realized cast of characters, and an enthralling story that keeps fans hooked at every step of the way. It's this excellence in all three aspects that has allowed The Witcher to stand on its own two feet as one of the greatest fantasy series of all time, and this success is in no small part due to the quality of the video games that CD Projekt Red released to widespread critical and commercial success.
One character that has been constant through all three of the games is Triss Merigold, one of the most beloved characters in the franchise even though her role in the books was fairly minor in comparison. Her character has been expertly adapted from the books by CD Projekt Red, although they have taken their fair share of liberties when it comes to this character as well.
Keeping this statement in mind, here are ten of the biggest differences between Triss in the books and the games.
10 She Is Incredibly Beautiful In The Games
By no means is Triss an unattractive sorceress in the books, but the games definitely went out of her way to make Triss as beautiful and marketable as possible.
This includes a bunch of changes to her physical features, out of which we'll look at the most notable ones.
9 Her Hair Is Chestnut Red In The Books, As Opposed To Fiery Red In The Games
In the books, Triss' hair is more of a muted chestnut red, making her look like she has brown hair instead of the eye-burning red she had in the games.
Perhaps this was done in a bid to make Triss' character design more distinctive and unique in the games.
8 Her Eyes Are Not Green But Blue In The Books
Another small change made to Triss' physical features appears in the form of an alteration in her eye color.
In the books, Triss' eyes are specified to be blue in color, while the games changed her eyes to be more compatible with her new hair color, turning them green in the process.
One must admit — Triss' looks in the games might not be anything like her book counterpart, but they're certainly quite unique and striking... which is perhaps exactly what CD Projekt Red wanted.
7 The Scar On Her Chest Is Completely Gone
Anyone who's read the books or seen the finale of the Netflix show's first season knows that Triss suffers a massive injury on her chest during a particular climatic battle. This scar persists throughout the story since Triss is allergic to any magical potions, including the ones that could fix this problem.
However, one need only look at Triss' character throughout the games to realize that this scar never really makes an appearance at all. Perhaps — just like with the other changes made to Triss' body — this was done in a bid to beautify her as well.
6 Way Too Weak In The Witcher 2
For one of the most powerful sorceresses on the Continent, it must be said that Triss shows absolutely nothing impressive throughout The Witcher 2.
The fact that she gets captured in the easiest manner possible and ends up being relegated to the role of being a damsel in distress goes to show just how weak she actually is in this game.
5 Way Too Strong In The Witcher 3
Fast-forward to The Wild Hunt, and it seems that Triss got a boost to her magical skills from some unknown source.
This allows her to become a powerhouse in combat, using her pyromancy to wreak havoc in the enemy ranks.
In fact, one might argue that The Witcher 3 makes Triss way too powerful, compared to her abilities in the books.
4 For Someone Who's Yennefer's Friend, Her Courting Of Geralt Is Quite A Betrayal
One thing that should definitely be pointed out about Triss' behavior is the fact that she's somewhat sly and manipulative in both the books and games. However, she still holds her friendship with the people close to her in high regard.
So, for her to completely disregard Yennefer's presence in Geralt's life and start a fling with him is quite a horrible and completely out-of-character move on her part.
3 Her Obsession With Geralt Is Still Pretty Muted Compared To The Books
However, her behavior in the games when it comes to Geralt doesn't even compare to how immensely obsessed she was with the witcher in the books.
The fact that she went so far as to use love potions and charms to entrap the witcher's feelings shows just how much she wanted Geralt to be with her... which was certainly quite disturbing.
2 She's Way More Introspective And Conflicted About her Thoughts
For all the terrible things that Triss has done in the books and the games, CD Projekt Red must be given credit for still turning Triss into a likable character that most players still choose as Geralt's partner, even after everything she has done.
This might be due to the fact that Triss seems more in touch with her feelings and regretful about her actions by the time The Witcher 3 came out. While being apologetic doesn't omit everything horrible she's done to Geralt and the people close to him, it's still a nice piece of character development to see Triss be so introspective about her actions, regardless.
1 Stands Up To The Lodge And Its Members More Often In The Games
In the books, Triss is under the thumb of Philippa Eilhart from the moment she joins the Lodge of Sorceresses. This is a particularly weak moment for the character, and it's only near the end of the books when she finally redeems herself.
However, in the games, it seems that Triss is way more outspoken and actively defies Philippa and the Lodge in the second game, which is certainly not in character with her behavior in the books.
That being said, one can't deny that it's moments like this that make Triss such a fan favorite.