Summary
The Witcher 3is a lot of things, but easy definitely isn’t one of them. As well as a somewhat complicated combat system that incorporates both magic and physical attacks,The Witcher 3also features a wide variety of enemies that can each provide their unique challenges and problems. Some, however, are a lot more difficult than others.
Throughout the game, players will come across some incredibly fearsome foes that have been specifically designed to test players' mastery of the game’s combat mechanics. Many will require players to fully utilize their signs while others will instead call for them to memorize attack patterns and movements. With enough perseverance though, they can be defeated.
Updated on June 02, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:The Witcher 3 is one of the greatest open-world games ever made, letting players experience Geralt’s epic quest in all its entirety as he finds Ciri and takes out The Wild Hunt for good, ensuring that his ward won’t be hunted down by these elves anymore. During this journey, Geralt must face off against some of thehardest Witcher 3 bosseswho take no prisoners and cause multiple gameovers if players don’t know what they’re doing. Utilizing Geralt’s suite of combat abilities to its fullest and smashing enemies to a pulp is necessary to take out these hard Witcher 3 bosses without getting too frustrated.
19Jenny O' The Woods
A Wraith Encountered Early On That Can Throw Players In For A Loop
One of the earlier monster contracts that players can get in the game, Geralt can ask around to discover that a wraith named Jenny has been plaguing villagers. The story surrounding her death is tragic, leading to her becoming a powerful Nightwraith.
At this point, most players aren’t too accustomed to battling specters, making Jenny a pain to deal with. As long as players rely on the Yrden sign and have a strong silver sword, they should be able to take care of this wraith with enough perseverance.
18Griffin
Fought At The End Of Geralt’s Adventures In White Orchard
The griffin is the first major boss that players will come up against inThe Witcher 3and therein lies its difficulty. Were it to arrive a little later on in the game then it would be a lot easier, but, as mostplayers are still learning how to play the gamewhen they first encounter it, it can be quite the challenge.
The battle takes place in White Orchard as part of the main quest “The Beast of White Orchard” and can very easily catch players unprepared. Thankfully, however,the Aard signis particularly effective against the griffin, as too is the crossbow that Vesemir conveniently gives to Geralt just a few minutes before the fight begins.
17Ulrich, The Fallen Knights Grandmaster
A Fight Against The Leader Of The Fallen Knights And His Henchmen
Ulrich, the grandmaster of the Fallen Knights, is one of the many characters who don’t like Geralt and blame him for their problems. Once Geralt enters the Fallen Knights' hideout and the cut-scene starts playing, it’s impossible to stop the fight from happening. The good news is that even though Ulrich has a lot of men at his disposal, by this point in the game, the player has most likely fought a larger number of enemies and survived.
Geralt can increase his chances by using bombsand signs against his enemies, separating them into smaller clusters, and not letting himself be backed into a corner. It can be a tough fight but not so much for the experiencedThe Witcher 3players.
16Nithral
The First Member Of The Wild Hunt Who’s Fought Along With Keira Metz
Nithral is the first member of the Wild Hunt that players will come up against and is fought in Velen as part of the “Wandering in the Dark” main quest. Like many of the bosses inThe Witcher 3,he has two phases that he’ll shift between, so his being down once doesn’t mean that he’s down for the count.
While still challenging, the fight is made quite a bit easier thanks tothe assistance of Keira Metz. She doesn’t deal much damage, although by putting some distance between Geralt and the Wild Hunt member, it’s possible to make Nithral target the sorceress instead, thus giving players a little extra breathing room.
15Botchling
A Tough Fight Many People Aren’t Aware Of
Most people will find it monstrous to fight the botchling when the ritual is a more humane way to deal with this threat. It doesn’t help that players who go down the violent route will find themselves in a battle with one ofThe Witcher 3’s hardest boss fights.
The botchling is only open for a few strong attack hits before it sets up defenses and summons challenging wraiths. Most players won’t know how to deal with these ghostly threats and will be bombarded with attacks over and over again before they even figure out Yrden’s use. Even then, Geralt must stay on his toes and avoid unnecessary damage if he wants to take out the nightmarish botchling for good.
14The Bruxa Of Corvo Bianco
A Powerful Vampire That Lurks In The Cellar Of Corvo Bianco
The bruxa Geralt encounters in the cellar of his new home ends up killing several humans. However, Geralt has the added advantage of his superior skill as well as witcher potions and signs. The most dangerous power the bruxa has is her sonic scream. It has a limited range and Geralt can avoid its impact by rolling out of the way or using the Quen sign.
He should also drink the potion Black Blood so that his blood hurts the bruxa if she tries to drink from him. The bruxa looks scary but since it’s possible to one-shot her under the right conditions, she’s not the most powerfulvillain in theBlood and WineDLC.
13Wicked Witch
A Fairytale Being From The Land Of A Thousand Fables
The Land of a Thousand Fables is full to the brim with some iconic figures from popular fairy tales. This includes the Wicked Witch from Hansel and Gretel who can be fought, but players should keep in mind that she’s one of thehardestWitcher 3bosseswho’s no joke in battle.
The Wicked Witch flies around on a broom and has the annoying habit of poisoning Geralt. Using Aard or bombs to make her fall off her broom when her defenses are down is important if players want to destroy the broom, since doing so will make the Wicked Witch easier to deal with in battle.
12Shaelmaar From The Emperor Of Nilfgaard
A Special Shaelmaar Who’s Pretty Hardy
Most enemies introduced inThe Witcher 3’s expansions are notably tougher than foes in the base game, withBlood & Winebeing no exception to this golden rule. Even with good equipment and a high level, Geralt can fall prey to these tough enemies in no time if he doesn’t take these battles seriously.
While players will encounter several shaelmaar during their adventures, one special version of this beast is fought in a tournament where the monster can cause no end of problems for Geralt. Its spinning attack can one-shot Geralt if players don’t dodge this attack in time, and its armored exterior means that players must stay content landing minimal damage unless they manage to flip it over and expose its soft underbelly.
11Olgierd
Geralt Engages In Battle With Him If They Choose To Honor Gaunter O’Dimm’s Wishes
When Olgierd is first introduced duringHearts of Stone,he’s presented as a potential friend or ally. It quickly becomes apparent, however, thatthe stone-hearted immortalis a powerful adversary and not one to be trifled with. Geralt can find this out for himself during the “Evil’s Soft First Touches” quest.
Olgierd is considered by many to be the toughest human boss in the game, so most players will need to have reached at least level 30 to stand a chance. The fastest way to defeat him is to counter his critical hits, although this can be a little risky. Signs can also be incredibly useful here, particularly Quen.
10Iris' Greatest Fear
Takes On The Shape Of Olgierd In Her Nightmares
Defeating one Olgierd is difficult. Defeating six of them, however, is damn near impossible. Granted, the Ethereals are not quite as powerful as the real thing, but their fighting style is similar, and together, they can be just as deadly, as players will find out during the “Scenes From a Marriage” quest in Gustfields.
The trick to defeating them is to only attack the Ethereal that’s targeting Geralt. Many players find this fight extremely difficult because they try to attack all of them at once, but only targeting one of them will lead to the others hanging back. It requires quite a bit of patience, but taking them on one by one is the best approach for this fight.
