9. Geralt Of Rivia & Triss Merigold - The Witcher
One half of one of the more complicated romantic relationships that the medium has seen, Geralt of Rivea, the hero of CD Projekt RED's phenomenal The Witcher series, has a way with women. Being a mutant who was specifically engineered to be a slayer of monsters, he is also sterile and immune to human diseases, putting him into an ideal position to slay the hearts of women across the world as well. In the prologue of the first Witcher game, Geralt awakes in a castle after having been found unconscious and having lost nearly all of his memories. The beautiful, powerful, red-haired sorceress Triss Merigold is the first one at his bedside, and her presence stirs feelings inside of him that are undeniably real, yet ones that he can't quite identify. From that moment on, their relationship unfolds into web of twists and turns that at times seems to mirror the plots of these fantastic games. What distinguishes Geralt's and Triss from the rest of the relationships highlighted in this article is that much of what the relationship becomes is shaped by player choice. In the first game, Triss is a romantic option for Geralt, but she is not the only option, and how Geralt chooses to let Triss into his life plays a major role in the game's story. This is even truer in the second game, where entire chapters of the game can be significantly different depending on how the player chooses to develop Geralt's relationship with Triss as he slowly starts to learn what happened to him before he lost his memory. But what never flails is the undeniable bond that these two characters have, despite what actions Geralt takes. Whether she is his lover, his most trusted friend, or if she remains a mystery, Triss Merigold is always a welcome companion through the dark world of The Witcher. Her strong magic, her devotion to what is right, and her deep love for Geralt are one of the key foundations of this series. With Geralt's saga concluding next year with The Witcher 3, the most significant chapter in the saga of Geralt and Triss is yet to come.