You’re standing at the edge of a cabin. The Narrator is whispering in your ear, telling you that if you don’t kill the girl inside, the world ends. It sounds simple. It’s never simple. In the surreal, hand-drawn world of Slay the Princess, the "Witch" path is one of the most visceral examples of how trust—or the complete lack of it—shapes reality. Black Tabby Games didn’t just make a visual novel; they made a psychological mirror. If you’ve encountered the Witch, you know exactly what I mean. She isn't just a monster. She’s a consequence of your own paranoia.
How the Witch Actually Happens
Getting to the Witch isn't an accident. It’s a choice. To see her, you have to try and slay the Princess in Chapter One but then hesitate or fail. Specifically, you usually have to show a lack of trust. You bring the blade, you act like a threat, and then you try to play it both ways. The game punishes indecision with sharp teeth. When you return in Chapter Two, the Princess has transformed. She isn't the soft, pleading girl from the start. She’s crouched in the corner of the basement, feline and predatory.
She has a tail now. Her movements are erratic. She’s spiteful because you brought a knife to a conversation. This is where the game’s "recursive transformation" logic kicks in. The developer, Tony Howard-Arias, has often discussed how the Princess is a reflection of the player's expectations. If you think she’s a backstabbing monster, she becomes one. Honestly, the Witch is probably the most honest version of the Princess because she reflects the messy, deceptive nature of the player-Narrator relationship.
The Voice of the Opportunist and Internal Conflict
Once the Witch manifests, your internal monologue starts to fracture. You get the Voice of the Opportunist. He’s a greasy little guy. He wants to survive at any cost and thinks everyone—the Princess, the Narrator, even you—is running a con. This creates a three-way psychological tug-of-war. The Narrator wants her dead. The Opportunist wants to kiss up to whoever has the upper hand. You? You’re just trying to figure out if she’s going to claw your eyes out.
The writing here is brilliant because it captures that specific "toxic ex" energy. You don't trust her. She definitely doesn't trust you. Yet, you're stuck in this basement together. The Witch path often leads to the Wild or the Beast if you keep playing into those primal fears, but as a standalone encounter, she represents the death of diplomacy.
Why the Witch Matters for the Narrative Arc
People talk about the heavy hitters like the Tower or the Adversary, but the Witch is where the game’s themes of "perception as reality" really click. If you try to give her the blade to prove you trust her, she might just stab you. Why? Because you've already established a baseline of violence. You can't just undo a betrayal by handing over a weapon. It’s a lesson in consequences that most branching-path games shy away from.
In many RPGs, you can "fix" a relationship with a single gift or a dialogue choice. In Slay the Princess, the Witch remembers. The game's engine tracks these shifts in "mood" across chapters, influencing how the Shifting Mound perceives the "vessels" you bring her. The Witch is a vessel defined by bitterness. When the Shifting Mound absorbs her, she’s absorbing the concept of spite.
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The Actual Mechanics of the Fight
There isn't a traditional combat system here. No health bars. No mana. It’s all about the narrative checkmate. If you try to kill the Witch, it’s a frantic, ugly struggle. She’s quick. She hides in the shadows of the basement. Unlike the "Adversary" who wants a fair fight, the Witch wants to win. She wants you to feel as trapped as she is.
- If you leave her in the basement, you’re basically admitting you’re a coward.
- If you kill her, you feel like a bully.
- If she kills you, well, you start over.
The "Betrayal" ending within the Witch’s path is particularly haunting. It happens when you try to cooperate only to double-cross her at the last second. It leads to one of the most chilling lines in the game, where the Princess realizes that your cruelty isn't a mistake—it’s your nature.
Breaking the Cycle
Eventually, you have to realize that the Witch is just one facet of a much larger godhood. The game is essentially a debate between the Narrator (who represents stasis and the fear of death) and the Princess (who represents change, even the scary kind). The Witch is "change" manifesting as a defense mechanism. She’s what happens when life is backed into a corner.
Real Insights for Your Next Playthrough
If you want to see the full breadth of what the Witch offers, don't just play it safe. Most players try to be "good" or "bad." The Witch path is most rewarding when you are inconsistent. Be a hero in one breath and a traitor in the next. Watch how the Voice of the Opportunist reacts to your flip-flopping.
- Watch the background details. In the Witch's basement, the geometry starts to feel wrong. The shadows are longer. The "shabby" nature of the cabin becomes "moldy" and "rotting."
- Listen to the music. The score shifts from the haunting melody of the "Hero" to a more discordant, plucking sound that mimics a predator stalking prey.
- Try the "Thorn" path next. If you manage to find a sliver of mutual understanding with the Witch—despite the stabbing—you can branch into the Thorn. It is arguably the most emotional and redemptive arc in the entire game. It’s the "enemies to lovers" trope but with actual stakes and blood.
The Witch isn't an obstacle to be cleared. She’s a conversation you’ve already ruined, and now you have to deal with the fallout. That’s the brilliance of Black Tabby Games' design. They don't give you a clean slate. They give you a mirror and ask if you like what’s looking back.
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Next Steps for Players
To fully master the nuances of the Witch and her subsequent transformations, you should focus on the following actions in your next session:
- Experiment with the Blade: Intentionally bring the blade but refuse to use it until she attacks first. Observe how the dialogue shifts from "The Witch" toward the "Thorn" or "The Wild."
- Analyze the Voices: Pay close attention to the Voice of the Opportunist’s advice. In the Witch route, following his suggestions almost always leads to a "lesser" version of yourself, highlighting the game's critique of self-preservation over empathy.
- Document the Shifting Mound's Dialogue: After completing the Witch path, listen carefully to how the Shifting Mound describes the "vessel." She will explicitly mention the "sting of betrayal" or the "bitterness of the cage," which provides deep lore context for the game's cosmic ending.