The Witcher 4 is coming, and Geralt of Rivia is stepping aside, while his adopted daughter Cirilla, better known as Ciri, takes the protagonist slot. Little has been revealed about how Ciri as a protagonist will differ from Geralt - she is a younger, less experienced witcher and has her own unique magical powers that Geralt does not, but shares her father's skill in swordplay, belief in doing what's right, and taste for hot-tempered women. There is one area in which The Witcher 4 could make Ciri stand out from Geralt: character customization, as it would make narrative sense for Ciri to have more outfit and hairstyle options compared to the White Wolf.
The Witcher 4 Shouldn't Rush Its Ciri Tale
Since CD Projekt Red confirmed The Witcher 4 is the start of a new saga, it shouldn't be too excited to rush past Ciri's story and onto a new lead.
Geralt Had Only Limited Customization Options
Geralt of Rivia is not someone who particularly cares about his appearance. He's rarely seen outside his standard witcher armor (unless he's naked in the bath, of course) and doesn't do much grooming beyond keeping his beard tripped and sometimes putting his hair up in a ponytail.
However, The Witcher 3 did offer some customization options for the White Wolf. Players could visit barbershops and select from several hair and beard styles, and could put Geralt in a variety of (mostly armored) outfits. The Blood and Wine DLC also offered the opportunity to dye Geralt's clothing, which provided a welcome respite from the drab blacks, grays, and browns which generally characterized his armor options. CD Projekt RED also released DLC which included alternate looks for Geralt as well as Ciri, Triss, Yennefer, and Dandelion.
More Customization For Ciri Would Not Be Out Of Character
Ciri shares her adoptive father's tendency towards practical clothing, armor, and hairstyles - but it would still make sense for her to have more customization options. Her longer hair naturally encourages the game to include more hairstyles, and she would probably be more willing than Geralt to wear more colorful armor or sometimes go around in casual clothing.
In the original The Witcher novels, Geralt initially raises Ciri to dress and groom herself similar to him and the other witchers of Kaer Morhen. However, Triss Merigold, who serves as Ciri's first magic tutor, also teaches her how to dress fashionably and wear makeup, a skill she feels that Ciri needs to know due to her birth status as a princess of Cintra. Ciri grows to enjoy dressing up every so often, and the Rats, a criminal gang she joins later in life, dress in bright colors and often steal jewels and other luxuries to wear. Having a few more formal or dressier outfits for Ciri would not be out of character - perhaps there could even be a few customizable makeup options, something which Geralt, of course, lacked.
Customization options for Ciri in The Witcher 4 are also a great opportunity to throw in references to the books and games. Ciri should definitely have outfits inspired by her father's to honor her close relationship with Geralt, while looks based on Triss or Yennefer of Vengerberg would also make sense, as Ciri respected both women as mentor figures. Ideally, Ciri's wardrobe should be more colorful and varied than Geralt's, possibly utilizing something similar to Cyberpunk 2077's clothing transmogrification system.
There could be a "joke" outfit referencing a painting of a child Ciri in a fancy dress which Geralt can purchase to hang in Corvo Bianco in Blood and Wine. Perhaps Ciri could even have a bowl cut haircut option - a reference to a similar awful haircut players can select for Geralt when visiting barbers in Toussaint. Ideally, Ciri, as The Witcher 4's protagonist, will be a mix of elements players are familiar with from their time with Geralt and new, expanded elements to represent her individuality - and character customization is one area in which Ciri could really stand apart from her adoptive father.
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- The Witcher
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
