Anna Henrietta is one of the small characters in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, who makes a huge impact on the game. Along with the lore of the franchise. Her story DLC Blood and Wine. Geralt encounters her in the arena, and she remains a main character for the rest of the quest.
Some players have asked why Anna Henrietta is not romanced in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. You can, after all, romance her sister Syana! There are many things that make her compatible with Geralt. Although, there are some things that show how others are a better match for him.
Updated on March 15, 2022, by Talha Bin Rizwan: Geralt has the chance to romance a few characters throughout The Witcher 3. First, there is Yennefer, the raven-haired sorceress with whom Geralt has had a complicated, on and off relationship. Then there's Triss, Geralt's ex-girlfriend from the previous games, Keira Metz, another sorceress and an old friend of Geralt's, Shani, another old flame from the books, and a few other NPCs. However, certain characters show up during the game that could potentially be a great partner for Geralt if only they were romanceable. The Duchess of Toussaint, Anna Henrietta is one such character and features prominently in the Blood and Wine DLC. She's beautiful, confident, smart, has great taste, and has great chemistry with the titular Witcher. Assuming it had been possible to romance her in the game, there are both some pros and cons for doing so.
14 She Should: Anna Stands Up For Herself
Despite being a great fighter and a funny character, Geralt can be really annoying. Especially when it comes to female characters! But Anna would never stand for any of his dodgy innuendos or lame sarcasm. Unless of course, she was giving him her own sarcasm!
She's a single ruler, with her own priorities and goals that don't include romance. Geralt needs someone like that who can put him in his place and tell him when he's being a jerk. There are certainly other female characters who do this, but it's worth noting for Anna.
13 She Shouldn't: Anna Has Her Own Love Interests
Although none have been prominently featured in The Witcher game franchise so far, Anna has her own love interests in the fandom. The most notable of these is Dandelion the Bard, who she was in love with and had an affair with.
This affair is a key part of her story in the books and should she return in future Witcher games, it would be more interesting to see this relationship focused on, rather than a romance with the main character. Geralt could also play a part in reuniting Anna and Dandelion later on.
12 She Should: Anna is a Beautiful Red Head
It's sad that "ginger hair" is still often used for the typical "nerd" or for ugly characters. It's not used all the time certainly, and things have improved in the last ten years. But it still comes up often enough to be noteworthy.
While Triss has red hair, it's vibrant and a more literal red. While Anna's is more traditional ginger. It suits her very well, along with her style. Being able to romance a beautiful ginger, like Anna, would have been fun! Although she does reinforce the stereotype of the "angry red-head."
11 She Shouldn't: Her Story Has Too Many Twists
Like many quests in The Witcher 3, the choices the player makes along the way in Blood and Wine affect the ending and the result. Because of this, there are a lot of different twists and possibilities for Anna Henrietta's character.
Adding a romance into the game might have made this a little too complicated and harder to follow. Having said that, if a romance between her and Geralt was included it could have been used as a contributing factor for the end goal. But given the twists and surprises the story throws at you, it certainly isn't necessary.
10 She Should: Anna and Geralt Have Great Chemistry
As mentioned already, Anna is no stranger to sarcasm or speaking her mind. Much like Geralt. When the two characters speak, even in anger, the conversation between them flows so easily. It's true that Geralt has good charisma, so the conversation between him and others does come easily anyway.
But when he speaks to Anna they seem to have this easy connection.Flirtatious conversation with the characters would presumably be just as entertaining. This however might also work as a negative argument, as it's not good to be with someone too similar.
9 She Shouldn't: It's Not in the Book
Anna Henrietta's character is very different in the games than in the book. (Although she certainly isn't the only one!) So it wouldn't necessarily be considered out of character for her to have a romance with Geralt. The timeline and story in the game of the third game are set after the book anyway.
But, ultimately, a romance between Anna and Geralt would not be part of the book canon. Given Anna's important role in the books, adding this romance may stray too far from the canon and book story.
8 She Should: They Have Small Things in Common
Along with their obvious chemistry, conversations between Geralt and Anna show the small details they have in common. Which is important in any relationship! A good example of this is when they are searching a wine cellar.
When discussing the wine, Geralt mentions that he enjoys "Erveluce" wine. Anna replies saying that she too enjoys that wine and that Geralt has "good taste." It's small moments like this that make players wonder why Anna couldn't be romanced. Enjoying a common wine is a great date starter!
7 She Shouldn't: She Likely Has Trust Issues
Despite her affair with Dandelion and her attraction to Dorian Vilesse, people who have read the books will know that she had a less than ideal relationship with her husband. Her husband and Anna were both having affairs during their marriage. Despite this, Raymund was furious about Anna's relationship with Dandelion and abused her because of it. She was threatened and imprisoned by him.
Anna may be a powerful, confident leader, but these events would leave scars. This would certainly make any relationship Anna is in much more complicated. Especially as Geralt's relationships don't always go well.
6 She Should: Anna Has Great Style!
Anna is often seen in regal, Tutor-era-esque dresses. Which suits her rather well! The colors she wears suit her hair perfectly and unlike many video game NPCs, her outfits change through the game.
Sure, it's probably easy to look your best when you're a noble, beloved Duchess. But with the amount of effort that was put in her style and appearance, it would make sense for her to be a love interest. Still, she looks amazing in her noble dresses, and her sneaking around the wine cellar spy outfit. Geralt probably likes both!
5 She Shouldn't: Not All Women Need to be Romanced
While The Wicher has a great cast of strong female characters, far too many of them become the subject of stupid jokes or the male gaze during the game. There are many factors that make Anna a great match for Geralt. But her strong personality, along with her being a good ruler, make her an amazing female character. Turning her into a love interest could ruin that.
If all characters like Anna are romanceable, it encourages the idea that women can't be in games without being part of a romance. It also makes their stories rather repetitive. Anna's story is fine without her being a love interest and Geralt has enough of them anyway!
4 She Should: Anna Is Not Manipulative
Most of Geralt’s possible romance options have at one point attempted to manipulate him in various ways. In the trilogy, Triss took advantage of his amnesia and pursued a relationship with him. Yennefer and Keira Metz manipulated Geralt into doing things for them too. Even Syanna attempts to take advantage of the Witcher at certain points during the DLC.
However, Anna seems to be the exception to the rule. Throughout their interactions, she remains very direct with Geralt, friendly, and sticks to business. She never tries to manipulate or coerce Geralt into doing anything for her and remains very honest with him. Although a romance is never explored between the pair, players can assume that Anna would not try to coerce Geralt into doing her bidding.
3 She Shouldn't: Anna Will Die Before Geralt Due To Old Age
Due to their mutations, Witchers age slowly and can live for a very long time. By The Witcher 3, Geralt is between 90 and 100 years old, despite looking like he’s 40. Even Vesemir, the oldest Witcher players get to see and interact with, is at least 300 years old by the events of the third game.
It is easy to theorize that Geralt has at least 200 years more to live and will outlive most of the people he knows, including Anna Henrietta. If Anna and Geralt were to ever get together, then Anna would probably die before Geralt, leaving the Witcher sad and alone.
2 She Should: Anna And Geralt Will Enjoy A Royal Lifestyle
Being the Duchess of Toussaint, Anna Henrietta enjoys a royal lifestyle. She wears the finest clothes, eats the best food, and drinks the best wine. She also has a considerable amount of wealth and doesn’t have to worry about making coin.
Geralt, on the other hand, has limited employment opportunities and can earn a limited amount of money per contract, assuming, that is, that he can even get a contract. If Geralt and Anna got together, the Witcher would be able to enjoy this royal lifestyle as well. He wouldn’t have to work anymore and could finally relax.
1 She Shouldn't: Geralt Will Not Like The Formal Ceremonies
Geralt has a deep dislike for formal occasions, which he voices several times during The Witch 3. Every time he has to dress up for a formal event, the Witcher complains and wishes he was still in his armor or wearing something casual. If Geralt and Anna got together as a couple, then the Witcher would be required to attend a lot more formal events as the Duchess’ date.
He could perhaps tolerate these events for a little while just to make Anna happy, but would almost certainly come to loathe them over time. This could in turn lead to problems in their relationship, with Geralt potentially coming to resent Anna's wealth and status.