The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's acclaim transcended its time considering the excitement surrounding the upcoming remaster. Part of that acclaim is thanks to the game's cast of characters. As a sprawling, dark-fantasy RPG, it can't do without a dense cast with unique backgrounds, motivations and associated lore.
Some have more likable personalities than others, but most of Geralt of Rivia's supporting cast have their own endearing qualities. Whether it's Geralt's complicated love interests or his surrogate father, there are plenty of compelling characters drifting in and out of the titular monster hunter's quests across The Continent.
Lambert
Lambert is a special case for how much fans have come to like him as a character. There aren't many witchers left in the monster and the war-plagued world of The Continent, meaning Geralt has come to grow around a unique set of characters in the years of his training.
Lambert has become bitter in his years as a witcher, understandably feeling he was robbed of a regular life, much like Geralt and company. It makes him sympathetic, and even his sarcastic and condescending ribbing is part of his charm. It's great to see Geralt and Lambert banter with each other like brothers at heart, and it's also hard not to love his admiration of Vesemir.
Dandelion
Dandelion, aka Jaskier, is a fun case when it comes to how likable his character is throughout The Witcher. He and Geralt met out of circumstance, with the colorful bard following the witcher on his exploits to write songs and tales about them.
It's not strange to see him embellish certain things about their travels as well. Dandelion is one of those characters that's a lovable and charming nuisance in his own right, with the bard often getting himself into trouble (romantically or otherwise) and his banter with Geralt always being entertaining.
Yennefer Of Vengerberg
As in the books, Yeneffer and Geralt's complex relationship is one of the best romances in video games as well. Veteran fans coming from Andrzej Sapkowski's books will likely attest to this, as they're pairing is the most impactful and true to the Polish author's source material. "Complicated" is putting things lightly, as both Yennefer and Geralt have tumultuous and unstable lives, with Yennefer being especially push-pull with him.
She has good intentions but can do some surprisingly dark things to achieve her end goals, but her motherly relationship with Ciri and tender moments with Geralt make her a welcome personality. It especially helps that The Witcher 3 gives players the chance to cement Yennefer and Geralt's relationship.
Eskel
Witchers are well into being an "endangered species" by the time Geralt's main story begins, which makes sticking together all the more important. That certainly applies to the remaining members of the School of the Wolf, and Eskel is one of the best brotherly figures in Geralt's tight circle of loved ones.
Eskel is a big man with a gruff, battle-hardened exterior, but he has a warm big-brother-like relationship with his comrades in arms. He hardly appeared in Sapkowski's books and has more of a spotlight in The Witcher 3, but the only thing keeping him from being more beloved is his relatively brief role there as well.
Vernon Roche
Vernon Roche is a mainstay throughout much of CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and 3. He's a key part of one of The Witcher 3's best side quests as he continues to fight for Temeria and free the Northern Kingdoms from the sadistic King Radovid's vice grip.
Depending on choices made in the second game (or in the third) Geralt joins up with Roche in his freedom fight for Temeria. He's a loyal and honorable man and friend, with Roche and Geralt becoming a strong pair should the player choose to fight for his cause. Roche is a consistent ally in a world that's filled with humanity's worst.
Shani
The Witcher 3 is widely acclaimed for having some of the best video game DLC of the last decade. In this case, the Hearts of Stone DLC took the time to flesh out another side character of Sapkowski's beloved books in the form of Shani.
Geralt originally met Shani in the books when she was 17 and studied medicine in Oxenfurt Academy, helping the witcher track down the nefarious wizard Rience. In Hearts of Stone, she's fully grown and a fiercely dedicated and accomplished field medic for Redania's army. Shani has a very endearing personality and is a close friend to Geralt, making it hard not to find her character likable and admirable.
Zoltan Chivay
Similar to Vernon Roche, the dwarf Zoltan Chivay is one of the most easily likable characters in The Witcher 3's supporting cast. He's even closer to Geralt as a friend than the former, having been a part of his life since the earlier portions of the books.
Zoltan has done a lot for the witcher and vice versa, with the dwarf having forged one of Geralt's swords and Geralt having fought alongside him against a race riot against non-humans. Even in The Witcher 3, though, he's a big helping hand in Novigrad to help track down Ciri. He's a staunch supporter of Geralt and essentially acts as extended family to Ciri.
Ciri
The Witcher 3 has some great role-playing-game villains across its story and the prophetic and titular Wild Hunt serves as the crux of the game's plot alongside Ciri. Thankfully, though, Ciri isn't some cheap McGuffin to move the plot along, as the Lion Cub of Cintra has an investing character arc throughout.
She's the strong-willed surrogate daughter of Geralt and Yennefer as well as the biological daughter of the cruel Emperor Emhyr. Ciri's sheer determination and hopefulness are inspiring in such a bleak world. Likewise, she's a friendly and passionate person who's humble in her faults as she is confident in her strengths. It's no surprise she quickly became such a fan-favorite character in the franchise, especially with her heartwarming dynamic with Geralt.
Triss Merigold
The relationship between Triss Merigold and Geralt in The Witcher 3 is noticeably different from the books, and it's even a sort of redemption from things she's done in CD Projekt Red's earlier games. She initially tries to take advantage of an amnesiac Geralt in the first game out of jealousy for what he had with Yennefer, but she's owned up to her mistakes by the time Wild Hunt begins.
Triss is also incredibly compassionate and is determined to be a champion for the persecuted mages of The Continent. It's easy to be enamored by her warm and accepting personality and is a great alternative romantic interest for someone like Geralt.
Vesemir
Geralt has several important people in his life for someone who walks such a lonely path in life, but for all the romances and platonic friendships he has, none can directly compare to his dynamic with Vesemir. It would've been extremely easy for both Vesemir and Geralt to be written in as stereotypical, uber-macho, and borderline antagonist pairing, but there's a tenderness in their relationship.
Since his job as the head of the School of the Wolf is to turn frightened and traumatized boys into witchers, he's come to develop a deep fatherly bond with them. Of course, fans see his dynamic with Geralt the best, and it's done tastefully well. It feels as genuine and emotional as fans would expect, making his sacrifice even more gutwrenching.