Geralt
Background:
Like all witchers, Geralt is a professional monster hunter for hire. He possesses supernatural abilities and is a master swordsman. After surviving the Trial of the Grasses, Geralt exhibited unusual tolerance for the mutagens that grant witchers their abilities. Accordingly, Geralt was subjected to further experimental mutagens, which rendered his hair white and may have given him higher speed, reflexes, strength, and stamina than his fellow witchers.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Longevity (Due to witcher mutations expanding his lifespan, he is at least 90 years old),
Regeneration (Low-Mid, can regenerate a big hole in his neck in a few months. healed from getting brutally bitten in the neck by Dettlaff. Eskel explains that witcher's wounds heal much faster than normal humans'),
Supernatural Willpower (Has lasted more than a century fighting monsters and bandits for a few crowns and barely living. Has experienced the death of his friends, loved ones and himself but it hasn't demoralized him from still protecting the ones he still has. Fought the entire armada of the wild Hunt with the help of Letho of Gulet and a few other witchers and didn't give up until the battle ended in a stalemate, all of which was made so he could rescue Yennefer of Vengerberg. Other countless examples),
Master Swordsman and Skilled Marksman (Geralt is one of, if not the greatest swordsman in entire series, with skill matched only by a limited few. He also gained the reputation of "the best swordsman the North has ever seen". Is also a proficient and precise user of a crossbow),
Very proficient in unarmed combat and boxing (Completely outdone Striga in a fistfight, won many fistfights with fighting masters in tournaments around the world),
Enhanced Senses (Has night vision, highly enhanced senses of smell and hearing, and can see through walls with certain potions. Could casually notice that Scoia'tael members are aiming arrows at him and Zoltan without even seeing them and hear them breathing, knowing their condition, and can detect the scent of things used long ago. Straining his senses allows him to smell and hear things hundreds to thousands of meters away. His Medallion can sense Places of Power, magic and nearby items. Can even see, hear and interact with ghosts, as seen when he talks with the von Everec ghosts in Hearts of Stone. Normal humans like Shani couldn't sense them),
Non-Physical Interaction (Can harm the ghosts of the von Everecs, which are now mere souls and also intangible. Can also attack spirits while they are intangible with certain oils/materials, and attack beings with Elemental Intangibility),
Acrobatics (Geralt is incredibly agile, and can jump off castle walls with taking no damage. Expert at rolling and using complex maneuvers in battle, which he uses a lot),
Limited Body Control (As stated in The Witcher 3 Universe Compendium, witchers are able to regulate the speed of their pulse and the flow of adrenaline, giving them unparalleled reflexes and strength),
Analytical Prediction (Easily kept up with a speedy and powerful creature by predicting its movements, immediately knew Ciri's wrong move right before she failed it),
Minor Instinctive Reaction (Could instinctively block an unexpected blow in the dark, instantly dodged a creature's swing in sleep),
Information Analysis and Preparation (Every witcher prepares to their fights by creating potions/sword oils and analyzing opponent's weaknesses and powers. Geralt's preparation allows him to create numerous potions, oils and improve in physical aspects by training and mutations),
Self-Sustenance (Type 2. A witcher named Kiyan who was subjected to mage experiments didn't eat anything for years and could still fight, and was described to "eat and drink by himself"),
Stealth Mastery (Witchers are known for not leaving sound with their footsteps.Also Geralt can sneak to soldiers to stun them),
Magic (Can perform rudimentary but effective magic with his signs),
Pseudo-Time Slow (With Heliotrope, can slow down time in a bubble-shaped area),
Forcefield Creation, Purification and Attack Reflection with Quen (Reflects 50% of the damage it takes back at the attacker. Geralt can cast Quen as a body shield and bubble forcefield as described below and can remove status effects like burning, poison, or acid from him),
Fire Manipulation (With Igni),
Mind Manipulation (With Axii),
Telekinesis (With Aard),
Statistics Reduction, Poison Manipulation and Electricity Manipulation With Yrden. (Yrden significantly slows down enemies, and also can poison and shoot lightning, as well as force spirits to become tangible),
Sleep Manipulation and possibly Limited Memory Manipulation with Somne (Somne is a sign that puts enemies under sleep and can possibly erase memories of that. After Geralt used it on Nimue, she couldn't remember meeting and talking to him),
Sound Manipulation (With Supirre),
Illusion Negation (With the Eye of Nehaleni)
Weaknesses: Can only use a small number of signs consecutively before needing to recharge. Taking too many potions will poison Geralt to death (Though Heightened Tolerance somewhat negates this by stopping his health from decreasing, though he will still suffer from other Toxicity effects). Lethal injuries that would otherwise kill a man take him months to recover. Is quite honorable in battle. Euphoria mutation only works once Geralt starts to poison himself more with potions. Bloodbath requires Geralt to constantly keep hitting his enemies to reach its full potential and will only last as long as Geralt keeps fighting and doesn't get hit.
Talion
Background:
A Ranger of Gondor during the 3rd Age of Middle Earth, Talion was captain of the rangers who were guarding the Black Gate of Mordor until his people were attacked by Sauron's forces. Though he died, Talion was revived to find himself bonded with the spirit of the Elf-Lord Celebrimbor who offered his aid in return to settle his own affairs with Sauron. This led to the two intending to hold Mordor at bay by creating their own Ring of Power to combat Sauron's minions, but Talion learns he and Celebrimbor have differing intents as the ranger eventually traded one cursed existence for another.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Genius Intelligence,
Stealth Mastery (Can sneak around fortresses and strongholds populated by Uruk-hai without being noticed once. Can stealthily kill Uruks without drawing any attention),
Weapon Mastery,
Martial Arts,
Acrobatics (On top of leaping across ledges and and quickly scale entire buildings, Talion can also vault over his foes to evade attacks and leave them disoriented),
Regeneration (Mid-Low: Can regenerate from cuts on his body),
Teleportation (Via Shadow Strike, which allows him to instantaneously appear and attack targets. Talion can also use Shadow Strike Chain to teleport and attack several targets at once),
Mind Manipulation (Likely his greatest ability, which is to Brand and Dominate his foes. Talion can Brand targets by grabbing their head, then forcing his control over them. Afterwards, Talion can command them to fight on his side or carry out death threats or assassinations. Additionally, he can also read the minds of those he is Dominating, which he can use to learn valuable intel about his targets. Can also Brand targets meters away by holding out his hand. Before using it on the Uruk-hai, Talion can brand the wild creatures of Mordor, such as the Caragors and — later in the story — Graugs),
Life Absorption, Healing, and Death Manipulation (When Branding, Talion can drain his opponent's energy in-order to fuel his Focus and restore health. Doing this also has a chance of exploding a victim's head, killing them instantly),
Time Slow (When using his Focus, Talion is able to slow time around his environment while in Range Mode),
Light Manipulation (Via Wraith Flash and Wraith Blast, which blasts the area with a bright flash of light that blinds and stuns enemies that are caught in it),
Fire Manipulation (With Fire Arrow and Wraith Burn: Talion can set his spectral arrows ablaze, which engulfs a target with a blue wraith-like flame. Wraith Burn can burn those who are either stunned or knocked down),
Fear Manipulation (Abilities such as Wraith Burn and Drain can cause a normally bloodthirsty and ill-tempered Uruk-hai to flee in terror),
Limited Explosion Manipulation (Via Detonate: Talion can detonate grog barrels and campfires by shooting them with his arrows. He can also double the intensity of the explosions by using Fire Arrow),
Supernatural Willpower (Resists being drained by the Tower of Sauron, overpowering the latter in the process),
Resistance to Fire Manipulation (Can withstand the detonation of grog barrels and explosive arrows, which sets Uruks ablaze),
All previous abilities, minus mind control, but much greater. The following enhanced abilities are as follow:
Martial Arts (Capable of beating down an Uruk with his bare hands),
Teleportation (Can teleport enemies to him using Shadow Strike Pull),
Acrobatics (Can now double jump to cover great distances),
Stealth Mastery (Silent Running allows him to freely sprint without making any footstep sounds),
Supernatural Willpower (Holds strong enough willpower to not only hold back Sauron's corrupting control, but continued to do so while waging war with his forces as he continued to resist his influences in a span of decades),
His newer abilities include:
Ice Manipulation (With Flash Freeze, Talion strikes an opponent and instantly freezes their body, which he can then shatter after damaging it enough. Winter's Breath allows Talion to create a blast of frost, which freezes entire crowds that are caught in its effect. Can fire a Mighty Shot that generates a frost explosion. Can pin his opponent's legs with arrows, freezing them as a result),
Poison Manipulation (Can fire a Mighty Shot that generates an explosion of poison. Poison Blast allows Talion to create a blast of poison. Can poison grog barrels from afar. Bursting Toxin explodes Uruk-hai after consumption),
Curse Manipulation (His weapons can inflict the curse status ailment, which drains an opponent's health for some time),
Limited Power Nullification and Purification (Type 2) (Talion is able to purify the Haedir Towers, ridding them of Sauron's control. He can also purify Zog's necromancy totems, draining it of its power to reanimate deceased Uruk-hai),
All previous abilities, now with:
Mind Manipulation (His ability to Brand should be just as potent as before),
Empathic Manipulation, Statistics Reduction, and Madness Manipulation (Type 2) (Via Shaming: When Dominating, Talion has the option to Shame his victims, weakening both their strength and willpower while making them more susceptible to Domination. Worse than Death has a high chance of breaking their minds, leaving them as a catatonic and deranged shell of their former self),
Act 3 Talion has:
Enhanced Mind Manipulation (1 Layer: At their peak, both Talion and Celebrimbor would have succeeded in Dominating Sauron, which Shelob foresaw had the two still worked together. Enforced even further as both Eltariel and Celebrimbor's attempt at Dominating Sauron failed in their final battle. Moreover, Talion had almost Dominated Isildur, meaning he would have overrode Sauron's influence on the latter had Talion not chose to free him from the Ring of Power instead),
Same as before, minus Multiple Selves, now with:
Necromancy (Can reanimate the dead, turning them into mindless minions completely subjugated to Talion's will),
Soul Manipulation (Controls and summons the spirits of Gondorian soldiers, and commanded them to siege Minas Ithil along with him),
Resistance to:
Fire Manipulation (To a degree: Talion can withstand being on fire, taking minimal damage until it is eventually extinguished. Withstood being caught in a fireball. Can increase his resistance with armor),
Poison Manipulation and Corrosion Inducement (To a degree: Talion can still fight while inflicted with a Ghûl's venom, which is described as being acidic. Talion can also resist the poisonous weapons of the Uruk-hai, which is strong enough to rot an Uruk's body after being forcefully ingested. Can increase his resistance with armor),
Curse Manipulation (To a degree: Talion can take curse-inducing attacks which slowly sap a target's health. Can increase his resistance with armor),
Ice Manipulation (The Frost Graug's ice breath, which can freeze entire groups of Uruk-hai, is unable to freeze Talion. Unbothered by a mountaintop blizzard, and can fight in the cold and harsh climate of Seregost),
Mind Manipulation and Corruption (Type 2) (Even as he wears Isildur's Ring, Talion resisted the corrupting influence of Sauron for several decades),
Deconstruction (Can resist the full blast of Eltariel's Light, which disintegrates an Uruk-hai upon infusion),
Weaknesses: Without the New Ring/Isildur's Ring, he will eventually die. It's possible for those with sufficiently strong enough Supernatural Willpower to resist Talion's Domination, and it is also possible for them to break out of his control if successfully Dominated. It should be noted that Talion is able to circumvent this via Shaming, which can greatly weaken their willpower. He loses this weakness by Act 3 due to Shelob's statement of both Talion and Celebrimbor successfully Branding Sauron, and potentially taking over Middle-earth.
Song: ?
Geralt of Rivia, the renowned Witcher of the 13th century, had now thrown himself into a new quest. Reports had reached his ears of a strange being known as the Gravewalker, a unique wraith unlike any other entity ever encountered by Witcher before. Intrigued, Geralt set out, determined to locate this undead mortal and do what must be done to protect the safety of all from its potentially dangerous existence.
It was night time, the best time to sneak through the fortified walls of Minas Morgul and sneak into the stronghold, its guards and minions all brought under the spell of the Gravewalker's mind control powers. Yet, Geralt was still cautious and ready for whatever may come. He silently crept in, the half-light of the moon illuminating his passage.
The Witcher descended into the main chamber, his eyes fixated on the central pedestal adorned with a swirling orb. He quietly approached the main chamber's center, the center of the room containing a set of stairs just opposite of him. Emerging from the opposite side of those stairs was the Gravewalker himself: Talion of the Black Gate, a once honorable hero now corrupted and doomed by the malevolent influence of the Ring of Isildur.
The Gravewalker's somber voice echoed through the chamber in warning, his eyes fixed on the uninvited visitor before him, his hand firmly gripping the handle of Urfael, his personal sword, tightly.
"You are trespassing, mortal. To enter my presence is to court with death."
The Gravewalker solemnly declared, taking a step forward, his body now on the first stair of the lower level. Geralt drew his silver sword, its blade shimmering with a metallic sheen and glinting under the dim light of the room. Its edge was meticulously sharpened to maximum sharpness, the blade coated with spectral oil.
"My profession is that of a monster slayer. Dead, alive, or somewhere in-between, people like you have no place walking amongst the living realm, seeking peace."
Talion, in a swift and calculated move, effortlessly shifted his stance, preparing to enter battle. In response to Geralt's proclomation, he released a brief chuckle that echoed throughout the room. Then, with a cold yet authoritative tone, he declared,
"There is no peace, for any living creature so long as Sauron exists. Over a thousand have tried to kill me, yet none have succeeded."
The gravewalker's black and yellow eyes, filled with icy determination, scanned the figure before him, carefully studying his opponent's stance and body language.
"None of them were me."
Geralt muttered in response, his instincts responding in lightning-fast precision. Just in the blink of an eye, he countered Talion's first attack - a swift shadow strike resembling teleportation - with a swift and graceful movement, blocking the attack with his body. Talion's surprise was evident by the flicker of astonishment that flashed in his eyes, but he quickly dismissed it, eager to continue the intense clash of swords.
In a swift and athletic motion, Geralt sidestepped, launching a precise diagonal slice at the Gravewalker's back. With remarkable speed, Talion ducked under the blow, effectively avoiding the attack. Yet before Geralt could complete his follow-up with a powerful overhead strike, Talion swiftly delivered a strong kick to his chest. The kick sent the experienced warrior staggering backward, momentarily thrown off balance.
The Gravewalker, propelled by supernatural grace and agility, launched a powerful leaping assault from above. However, his strike was met with a defensive parried by a silver sword, the blades locking together in a metallic clash. Unwittingly, the unsuspecting Witcher found himself momentarily incapacitated as he was abruptly kicked hard in the groin by the Gravewalker, a move that left him momentarily stunned, reeling from the unexpected blow. Sensing the moment, the Gravewalker's mind clicked into hyper-awareness, causing time to slow down around him as he prepared to unleash a devastatingly lethal finishing strike.
With a swift and deliberate movement, Geralt executed the Aard sign, releasing a powerful telekinetic force that slammed the Gravewalker forcefully against the furthest wall. Forced to the ground, the Gravewalker quickly grabbed his sword and used its blade to prop himself back onto his feet. The two warriors began to circle each other, their eyes locked in a tense exchange of assessments, each one analyzing the current situation, and both anticipating the next move.
In a seamless and synchronized manner, both competitors drew their respective bow-type weaponry and released a swift sequence of arrows. While Talion was proficient in quickly nocking and firing his arrow with Azkâr, Geralt showcased his skills by swiftly firing multiple bolts from his repeating crossbow, quickly dodging out of the way of the incoming arrow. Talion managed to dodge the first two, but the third arrow lodged deeply into his shoulder, causing him to wince slightly in pain.
Ignoring the pain of pulling out the arrow embedded in his shoulder, Talion attempted to fire another arrow, but found the string cut by one of Geralt's earlier bolts. Frustrated, he threw the broken weapon aside without noticing the Witcher placing a Yrden trap in front of him. Talion switched back to Urfael and activated the Shadow Strike ability, charging towards the Witcher with a burst of speed, determined to end the fight decisively.
However, as Talion stepped onto the Yrden trap, the resulting shock was unlike anything he had experienced before. He found himself crying out in pain, unable to move as he was forced to remain still, frozen in place. This momentary moment of vulnerability ended up being the perfect opportunity for Geralt to launch a rapid and deadly slashing combo, with his silver sword slicing deeply into Talion's chest, causing a grievous wound.
However, something unexpected unfolded before Geralt's eyes. Talion's eyes snapped open, and the Gravewalker reached out and gripped Geralt's head with a chilling strength. The world around them transformed into darkness as Talion attempted to use his Branding ability on the Witcher, shouting with a chilling authority,
"You are a lowly, pathetic adversary! I only kill true warriors!"
Despite Talion's attempt to overpower him with demoralizing words, the Witcher remained undaunted. With determined effort, Geralt pressed his hand onto the Gravewalker's chest and cried out,
"Get back, wraith!"
A burst of fire spewed from his palm, blasting Talion and flinging him back hard against the farthest wall. The Gravewalker hissed in pain, his form visibly smoking and smoldering in the darkness as he quickly retreated into the shadows, seeking cover from the searing flames.
Geralt took a brief moment to catch his breath, feeling the effects of the Gravewalker's mind manipulation, even if it hadn't fully taken hold of him. He knew that he needed an edge to counter the Gravewalker's powers, and so he took out three alcoholic decoctions, drinking them back to back: the Ekhidna Decoction, the Ekimara Decoction, and the Water Hag Decoction. The combined effects of these strong potions began to take hold, dulling Geralt's senses and yet also fueling his strength and energy. Not only that, but Geralt found himself further empowered thanks to his Euphoria mutation. As the strong alcohol flooded his system, his strength increased exponentially, multiplied by the mutation's power. However, moments later, Talion returned, seemingly having found a way to heal his wounds during their brief respite.
With a powerful use of the Shadow Strike ability, Talion telekinetically drew Geralt closer, stabbing him forcefully in the abdomen with the broken blade Archen. As the blade sank into Geralt's belly, Talion attempted to dominate the Witcher's mind once more, exclaiming in a menacing tone,
"Surrender to me, or die!"
However, due to Geralt's potent combination of inner strength and intoxication, the command came across as mere background noise. Geralt shook his head, firmly stating,
"You do not command me."
With a sudden burst of energy, the Witcher executed the Quen sign to erect a protective, yellow force field around himself, propelling Talion backward, creating some distance between them.
Enraged that his Branding powers weren't having the intended effect, Talion conjured a formidable glaive and imbued it with powerful magic and fearsome runes, vastly augmenting its potency. With a furious swing, he struck against the protective force field, prepared to cut through it. However, to Talion's astonishment and physical shock, the glaive's force was repelled back, a quarter of the power rebounding upon him and causing him to stagger in disbelief.
Seizing the opportunity provided by the backlash, Geralt launched a counterattack, his blows striking with an increased force compared to before. Punctuating the assault with a powerful stab from his silver sword through Talion's body, he then attempted to use the Axii sign and harness his own mind manipulation powers.
"Enough. Continuing is futile. Rest now, mighty wraith."
However, Talion possessed an incredible willpower, having endured constant whispers in his mind from Sauron himself. As he impaled himself further on the silver sword, he managed to wrap his hands around Geralt's throat, determined to strangle the life out of him. With a defiant tone, Talion declared,
"I will neither yield nor be vanquished until my mission is fulfilled, even if it costs me my life many times over."
However, Geralt's raw strength prevailed, freeing his throat from the tight grip. As he grappled with Talion, Geralt noticed a glowing ring on the wraith's hand, recognizing it as Isildur's Ring. Suddenly remembering the potential weakness of wraiths and their connection to mortal tethers, Geralt swiftly retrieved the dropped Urfael dagger to sever Talion's hand wearing the ring. Lacking the power infused from the ring, Talion cried out in absolute desperation.
"No, you fool! What have you-"
However, before the man could complete his question, his voice was interrupted by a fatal wound, as a cut across his throat began gushing blood, the very slit that the ring had been preventing from taking his life up until that moment. Gasping and gurgling on his own blood, Talion collapsed in a heap onto the cold hard floor, mortally injured and defeated.
Geralt took a step back from the fallen wraith, a flicker of surprise crossing his features that such a supposedly immortal foe could meet their end through a rather mundane means. As he gathered Talion's severed hand, he carefully removed the Isildur's ring from the wraith's finger, safely tucking it into his pocket with the intention of letting Yennefer study it before it was inevitably destroyed. With a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction, the Witcher walked away, having successfully survived another challenging encounter, much like many others in his long career.
Strength: Both are fairly even in attack power. Talion is strong enough to contend with the Legendary Graug, who can bust down fortress walls with sheer size that would require at most 10 tons of force to break through. But not only has Geralt fought many other foes and monsters that boast similar power, he can make himself stronger by becoming drunk with the Euphoria mutation, helping him be about 3.4X stronger.
Speed: This was much wider. Sure, Talion can dodge shockwaves, meaning that he has reflexes faster than the speed of sound, but Geralt has dodged natural storm lightning from a djinn, the speeds of which can travel at Mach 352.
Skill: Geralt has the better training, as he's been fighting for nearly a century while Talion would've originally died in his 20s or 30s, and there's nothing to suggest that any length of time passed to let him close the gap in training.
Experience: Even discounting how long they've been fighting, Geralt has fought a wider variety of monsters than Talion has, and while the Witcher has never fought someone exactly like the Gravewalker, Talion is similar enough to other beings that Geralt could find a workaround.
Powers: Talion's greatest weapon was his Branding, subjugating his will on others to force them to join him, or be shamed and give up. But Witchers have high resistance to mental manipulation, as it took a mage half an hour to break a Witcher. Beyond that, Talion didn't really have anything that Geralt couldn't answer with his signs, or the plethora of items at his disposal. Sure, he may not be able to carry everything that he could possibly hold, but in the hands of a Witcher, any advantage of any given item they're holding at the time can and will be used to ensure victory.
The winner is Geralt of Rivia.
"I swore to Maria I would protect the billions of individuals on the planet below. The people she loved unconditionally. Prepare for your end!"
"When a person has someone they care about that much, giving their life is sometimes the least they can do. And maybe that's what makes us human."