King of the Wild Hunt

In The Witcher computer game

No enemy is more terrifying than the King of the Wild Hunt, who leads a horde of ghastly riders across the sky. Doom incarnate, he fears no opponent, for he can always decide that his adversary is doomed, which usually determines the outcome of any clash. Over the course of the game, Geralt has several opportunities to meet the King, as his every step is dogged by the specter.

Spoiler warning: Significant plot details follow.

Over the course of the game, the King appears to Geralt again and again, taunting him each time and twisting everything the witcher has done in an attempt to have our hero doubt himself and his own motives.

We first get a glimpse of the King and his minions near Kaer Morhen in the Prologue. In Chapter I it appears again, this time in the Outskirts along with the ghost of Leo. In Chapter IV, Geralt must be careful not to summon him while completing a quest for the Hermit. These encounters culminate at the end of the game and true to form, the witcher is faced with another dilemma.

The King of the Wild Hunt is in fact Eredin, an Aen Elle elf. In his world, Eredin leads Dearg Ruadhri, the 'Red Riders'. In Tower of Swallows, he and Avallac'h lured Ciri to the titular tower which led to her imprisonment in the world belonging to Aen Elle. There the duo tried to force her to beget a child with Auberon Muircetach in order to harness her powers; but, Eredin ruined the plan by unwillingly murdering Auberon. Ciri managed to escape with the help of the unicorns. It is quite possible that King of the Wild Hunt sought Yennefer and Geralt in order to find Ciri once again.

Associated quests

• Dead Hand of the Past
• Frozen Reflections
• Hunting the Wild Hunt

Journal entry

I am persecuted by the Wild Hunt, a cavalcade of ghostly riders on skeletal steeds. Leading them is the King of the Wild Hunt, the harbinger of war and despair. I know he seeks me, but I don't know why.

The King of the Hunt appeared again and appointed one of his wraiths to fight me. He exploited a weakness — the wraith was the specter of Leo.

The spectral sovereign appeared in the village of Murky Waters near Vizima. I'm certain his appearance heralds disaster.

The King of the Wild Hunt appeared in the Grand Master's vision. I now know that I'm not the only one haunted by fate. The ghostly king seeks Jacques de Aldersberg as well, and wants his soul perhaps even more than he wants mine.

I fought the King of the Wild Hunt for the soul of Jacques de Aldersberg — in the Ice Plains, I defeated the specter.

Video

Significant plot details end here.

In The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

A journal entry about the Wild Hunt in general is given by reading The Wild Hunt book. For more information, see "Wild Hunt".

Monsterbook

Developer CD Projekt's characterization of the King of the Wild Hunt taken from the monsterbook, which was enclosed with the Collectors Edition of the computer game The Witcher for Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic:

"This powerful being leads a retinue of wraith raiders in their mad rush across the sky. The Wild Hunt, like a comet, is considered an ill omen, a harbinger of disaster and war. The King of the Wild Hunt is an unusual opponent, if only because he is from another world — a fact well known to Sapkowski's fans.

"When we decided that the King of the Wild Hunt would appear in the game, we knew he had a serious part to play. From beginning to end, this nightmarish ruler appears on Geralt's path as an oppressor and portent of misery. The King of the Wild Hunt is linked to the forces of Destiny: he hovers just outside the main narrative, only appearing to remind the witcher of painful events or to provoke difficult discussions.

"Our protagonist's most powerful opponent is thus one of the game's most important and mysterious characters.
The King of the Wild Hunt wields a scythe — an attribute of death. Beneath his ragged robes, he wears elements of an ancient suit of armor. The ornaments on his clothing and crown evoke associations with flesh—eating maggots."

Astride the horse skeletons sat skeletal riders wearing rusty plate armor and chain mail, shredded coats, and dented and corroded helmets adorned with bullhorns and headdresses of ostrich and peacock feathers. Beneath their raised visors glowed the specters' bluish eyes. Their tattered banners rustled. At the head of the demonic cavalcade galloped an armed wraith, a crown upon his helmet, around his neck a pendant beating rhythmically against the breastplate.

— Andrzej Sapkowski, Wieża Jaskółki

Note

• Legends and myth about the Wild Hunt have origins in ancient Northern and Central Europe folklore, in our real world. According the myth, the Wild Hunt is a hunt\chase of spirits and other supernatural beings, all completed with hounds, horses and huntsmen. It represents an omen of danger, misforture of catastrophe, or simply the personification of human fear. It also cited in cinema, music and literature.

Gallery

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  A silver sword may not be enough to defeat this foe.

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  A sketch of the King of the Wild Hunt

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  The King of the Wild Hunt with the scythe — an attribute of Death

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  In a cutscene of The Witcher 2

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  Flashback from The Witcher 2

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  Concept art from The Witcher 3