The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, renowned for its expansive world and rich storytelling, is also a treasure trove of hidden gems and playful nods to pop culture. From subtle references to other video games and literature to clever homages to films, these easter eggs add an extra layer of depth and delight for keen-eyed players.
Here are our 16 favorite Witcher 3 Easter eggs.
Table of Contents
- A Reference To The Film 127 Hours
- Borat’s Infamous Catchphrase
- The Witcher 3’s Take On Fight Club
- A Cheeky Nod To Lord Of The Rings
- Monty Python’s Murderous Rabbit Makes A Guest Appearance
- The A38 Permit From Asterix & Obelix
- CD Projekt Red’s Take On Snow White’s Seven Dwarves
- Game Of Thrones’ Sky Cells With Tyrion’s Corpse
- A Nod To Dark Souls
- Portal’s Companion Cube And The Lying Cake
- A Meta Apology From CD Projekt Red
- A Gwent Archer Who Always Aims For The Knee
- A Picture Of All The Developers At The Top Of a Mountain
- The Three Farting Trolls Voiced By Famous YouTubers
- A Cheeky Reference To Schrodinger’s Cat
- CD Projekt Red’s Take On Puss In Boots
A Reference To The Film 127 Hours
Based on a true story, 127 Hours is a movie depicting the agony of a climber who gets stuck in the middle of nowhere when a huge rock falls on his arm and traps him, forcing him to take drastic measures.
The Witcher 3 shows what would’ve transpired if James Franco’s character couldn’t escape, with players finding a skeleton in a monster cave trapped in a similar situation. Clearly, this poor soul didn’t make it.
Borat’s Infamous Catchphrase
Beauclair is one of the most beautiful cities in The Witcher 3, but it’s clear that the area’s focus on wine-making has led to its fair share of drunkards appearing within the city limits. One such drunk sod appears near Lebioda’s Gate and utters the phrase “wawawee-wah”, made popular by Sasha Baron Cohen in his many personas, particularly Borat.
The Witcher 3’s Take On Fight Club
The Fists of Fury sidequest lets players engage in brutal fistfights. Players who check out this brawling tournament in Novigrad will come face to face with a character by the name of Durden the Tailor. Keen-eyed players will notice that this name is a reference to Tyler Durden, the protagonist of the cult classic Fight Club.
A Cheeky Nod To Lord Of The Rings
Gollum’s obsession with the One Ring is a huge part of what made The Lord of the Rings such an iconic piece of fantasy media. It’s easy to see why The Witcher 3 would pay homage to arguably the greatest fantasy story ever, with players finding a note penned by someone named Smigole Serkis lamenting the loss of his beloved golden spoon.
The first name is a nod to Smeagol, Gollum’s true name. The surname is the actor who portrayed the cursed character in the movies, Andy Serkis.
Monty Python’s Murderous Rabbit Makes A Guest Appearance
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of the greatest comedy movies ever, featuring numerous iconic scenes that have become enduring facets of pop culture. One such scene involves the Rabbit of Caerbannog, which looks like the cutest, fluffiest thing ever… only to viciously kill any man unfortunate enough to cross its path.
A nod to this murderous rabbit is present in The Witcher 3 just outside a cave near the village of Benek, where players can find the innocuous rabbit surrounded by a bunch of bloodied corpses.
The A38 Permit From Asterix & Obelix
Asterix & Obelix is a series of beloved comic books focused on two Gaulish warriors and their struggle against the Romans. One particular story tasks Asterix with completing twelve labors, involving an elusive A38 Permit that sends him on a wild goose chase.
Given the obvious French inspirations in Blood & Wine, it’s easy to see why Geralt has to go through a similar ordeal and obtain the same permit, causing him to run around in the Cianfanelli Bank branch time and time again until the misappropriation of his funds is finally brought to light.
CD Projekt Red’s Take On Snow White’s Seven Dwarves
Players who head to the Isle of Mists trigger what is essentially The Witcher 3’s endgame. They realize that Ciri is holed up in a hut here but must fulfill the demands of some dwarves who refuse to let the White Wolf enter the premises otherwise.
This is an obvious nod to the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, complete with a narcoleptic dwarf who is very much inspired by Sleepy’s character from this folk tale and Ciri taking on the role of the sleeping beauty.
Game Of Thrones’ Sky Cells With Tyrion’s Corpse
Game of Thrones was all the rage in 2015 when Witcher 3 came out, so it’s not surprising CD Projekt Red added a nod to this series in the game.
Players must head to the dilapidated fortress of Kaer Almhult in Skellige to find a version of the iconic Sky Cells of the Eyrie, with the body of an all-too-familiar dwarf in one of the prison cells. Thankfully, the original version of Tyrion escaped this grisly fate in the series after securing his freedom following a trial by combat.
A Nod To Dark Souls
The Land of a Thousand Fables is one of the most fantastical and beautiful locations players can explore in Witcher 3. They must find and bring Syanna back to the real world, but not before fighting a Cloud Giant to secure a safe passage.
While you can leave after the boss fight, following a nearby Will o’ the wisp can lead you to a powerful sword, coupled with an on-the-nose reference to the iconic bonfires from the Dark Souls series.
Portal’s Companion Cube And The Lying Cake
Players who want to unlock mutations must complete the quest Turn and Face the Strange. One of the stages in this quest involves Geralt having to guess the correct portal to go through, with the statues in this area hinting towards the answer.
It’s a relatively easy puzzle to complete, but players who look into the other portals will find one with a blue and orange hue, referencing Valve’s popular puzzle game Portal Portal. Entering this portal reveals a reference to the game’s companion cube and the famous “the cake is a lie” line.
A Meta Apology From CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt Red is no stranger to bugs, with the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 making this issue quite evident. While The Witcher 3 was quite stable in comparison, people who played this game at launch were unable to get their hands on the base version of the Wolf School Gear because of a bug.
This issue was patched out and a meta apology letter was placed in an old signal tower just south of Kaer Morhen, which makes for an interesting find.
A Gwent Archer Who Always Aims For The Knee
Skyrim took the world by storm when it launched, with players being bombarded with an infamous piece of dialogue by numerous guards who were adventurers just like the Dragonborn, before taking an arrow to their knees.
The phrase became so popular that CD Projekt Red couldn’t stop themselves from referencing it with a cheeky line in the Gwent card for the Black Infantry Archer in the Nilfgaardian deck.
A Picture Of All The Developers At The Top Of a Mountain
One of the most well-hidden easter eggs in The Witcher 3 that can’t be found without mods or console commands is present at the very top of Mount Gorgon in Beauclair.
Players who manipulate the camera or find other ways to reach the peak will discover a picture of all the developers who worked on The Witcher 3. It makes for a heartwarming sight that gives credit to the many people who created one of the greatest RPGs of all time.
The Three Farting Trolls Voiced By Famous YouTubers
A hidden cave in Skellige houses one of the funniest moments in the entire game. While exploring this area, players can hear juvenile farting sounds followed by a meandering conversation between three flatulent rock trolls. These enemies will continue to pass wind and converse until Geralt interrupts them, leading to a fight.
What adds to the hilarity of this moment is that these three trolls are voiced by popular YouTube personalities —Jesse Cox, Joe “AngryJoe” Vargas, and Brooke “Dodger” Lawson.
A Cheeky Reference To Schrodinger’s Cat
Schrodinger’s Cat is a famous thought experiment that illustrates quantum physics. There’s a cat sealed in a box with a radioactive atom, a Geiger counter, and a vial of poison. If the atom decays, the Geiger counter detects it and breaks the vial, killing the cat. If the atom doesn’t decay, the cat lives. According to quantum mechanics, until the box is opened and observed, the cat is simultaneously alive and dead.
During his adventures, Geralt can find a note detailing the fall of the School of the Cat and how one witcher named Schrodinger may or may not be dead.
CD Projekt Red’s Take On Puss In Boots
Blood and Wine’s Land of the Thousand Fables is chock-full of references to popular fairy tales, including the infamous Puss in Boots. This cute feline can be seen near the Little Flint Girl, decked out in the iconic hat and tiny boots that have turned this cat into a household name, complete with a Disney franchise.
I’m a passionate gamer with a soft spot for RPGs who has been writing about all things gaming for seven years and counting. The Witcher is one of my favorite franchises that I can’t get enough of, with Geralt’s adventures embedded in my brain ever since the first Witcher game blew my mind!