The Witcher 3: Major & Minor Character Ages, Explained

The Witcher 3 features a wealth of characters who seem way younger than they are. From the titular witcher enjoying an enhanced lifespan to sorceresses looking extremely young even if they are centuries old, there are many reasons why some of the best characters in the series are way older than what most people would assume.

On top of that, there are many mysterious characters who are incredibly old or defy any speculation. Here’s what we know and don’t know about the ages of major (and minor) characters in Witcher 3. Spoilers ahead!

Geralt Of Rivia: 98 Years

The legendary protagonist of the series, Geralt was apparently born a year later than Yennefer according to the lore of The Witcher 3. This means that he was born in 1174, making him 98 years old when the story of this game kicks into full gear. Given his immense physical skills as a witcher, it’s hard to believe that he is almost around a century old! But that’s normal for witchers, whose mutations slow the aging process. 

Yennefer Of Vengerberg: 99 Years

The raven-haired sorceress who will move heaven and earth to save the people she loves was born in the year 1173, making her just one year shy of a century old in The Witcher 3. Clearly, a sorceress’ magic makes them look extremely young.

Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon: 20 Years

Ciri is Geralt’s ward who was born in the year 1252, destined to be with the White Wolf because of the Law of Surprise. While this officially places her to be 20 years old, her physical age may be a few years ahead of what her birth year would indicate, landing at around 22 or 23. This is because of her dimensional-travel shenanigans, with time moving differently in other worlds compared to that of The Witcher. 

Triss Merigold: 37 Years

A red-haired sorceress who has made a name for herself over the trilogy of Witcher games, Triss Merigold is one of the youngest sorceresses in the series, with her birth year being 1235. This makes her closer in age to Ciri than Geralt or Yennefer. She was noted for being the youngest member of the Lodge of Sorceresses, which shows just how youthful she is when compared to her peers.

Vesemir: 200-300 Years

Given that Vesemir has been stated to be the oldest living witcher by many, it’s easy to see why his being 200+ years old is hardly a surprise. The book states that witchers were made 300 years before the events of the books. On top of this, Vesemir was already an extremely experienced witcher by the time the sacking of Kaer Morhen occurred. This makes him somewhere in the ballpark of 200-300 years old, making him an unrivaled mentor and father figure to all witchers. 

Eskel: 97 Years

There’s a reason why Eskel and Geralt are such steadfast friends. Both met as young boys and took the Trial of the Grasses together, becoming witchers in the process. Eskel is only about a year younger than Geralt at 97, although he did seem to keep his youthful hair color unlike the White Wolf. 

Avallac’h: +400 Years

The ages of the Aen Elle elves are hard to nail down, given that any information surrounding the year of their birth is scarce at best. This is true in Avallac’h’s case, although one piece of information that sticks out is that he’s been educating himself about the Elder Blood for 400 years. This makes him older than four centuries since he would’ve needed to be an adult with an understanding of this concept before trying to learn about something so complex.

Eredin Breacc Glas: 400+ Years

Eredin is the main antagonist of Witcher 3 and one of the oldest characters in the series. A member of the Aen Elle who sought Ciri’s Elder Blood to secure its power, it’s clear that the elf has been alive for at least several centuries. Although his exact age is unknown, the fact that he and Avallac’h were close friends and had influential positions in Aen Elle society seem to suggest that he should be around the same age as the elven sage, putting him in the 400+ category. 

Gaunter O’Dimm: Unknown

The Witcher 3’s first expansion introduced players to arguably the best antagonist in the series: Gaunter O’Dimm, a demon who traps people into unfair contracts, forcing them to bend to his will. His exact age may be unknown, but given his status as an immortal demon, it’s not far-fetched to assume that he’s a timeless entity or at the very least tens of thousands or even millions of years old. That would make him the oldest or one of the oldest beings in the Witcher universe.

Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy: 433 Years

A higher vampire with a heart of gold, Regis survived a near-fatal attack by Vilgefortz in the books and appears to aid Geralt in The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine. He was born in the year 839, making him 433 years in the in-game timeline. Four centuries was more than enough for him to control his thirst for human blood and become a stalwart ally for Geralt and his friends.

Dettlaff Van Der Eretein: +300 Years

The reason why Regis survived Vilgefortz’s brutal assault was because he was nursed back to health by another higher vampire to whom he owes his life. Dettlaff is a fascinating character whose age is unknown. However, his actions to stop the Brute of Lyria in 964 make it clear that he’s more than three centuries old before meeting his end at the hands of Geralt and Regis after he loses his mind and almost destroys the city of Beauclair.

The Unseen Elder: +1,500 Years

The Conjunction of the Spheres is an event that took place about 1,500 years before the events of the novels, causing various races and monsters to be transported to the dimension of The Witcher. The fact that the Unseen Elder has witnessed this event makes him one of the oldest characters in the series, with this higher vampire’s immense power likely being far too great for even the likes of Geralt. 

The Crones: Unknown

The Crones are some of the most despicable characters in The Witcher 3, having no problems with eating children to enhance their lifespan. Their age is unknown, but it’s stated in the game by the godling Johnny that they’re as old as the forest they inhabit. This makes these villainous witches thousands of years old, at the very least.

Philippa Eilhart: +300 Years

As someone competent enough to be the leader of the Lodge of Sorceresses, we can expect Philippa to have quite a bit of life experience under her belt. Dandelion stated that this sorceress was no less than 300 years old in the year 1267, showing once again just how young a sorceress can look despite their real age.

Emhyr Var Emreis: 50-60 Years

As a regular human being, the Emperor of Nilfgaard is about as old as he looks in Witcher 3. He’s around 30 years old when he appears as Duny to take Pavetta’s hand, with Ciri being born soon after. Given that his daughter is around her early 20s, we can expect Emhyr to be in the 50-60 range, with our bet being around 53 at the time of the games.