You’re standing on top of a snowy mountain in Skellige. It’s freezing. There’s a shipwreck—literally a boat snapped in half—resting on a peak where no boat should ever be. This is the setting for The Witcher 3 Last Wish, and honestly, it’s probably the most emotionally heavy side quest in the entire game. If you've played through the main story, you know the stakes aren't just about killing monsters; they’re about the messy, complicated history between Geralt of Rivia and the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg.
Most people treat side quests as XP fodder. Don't do that here.
This quest is a direct callback to Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story, The Last Wish. In that book, Geralt saves Yennefer’s life by binding their fates together with a djinn’s magic. But in the game, Yennefer has a nagging doubt. She wonders if they actually love each other or if they're just puppets of a spell cast years ago. It’s a classic "nature vs. nurture" argument but with high-level sorcery and a giant, angry air spirit.
Finding the Djinn: The Hunt in Skellige
To even start this, you have to help Yen with her primary tasks in Skellige first. Once she asks for your help, you meet her in Larvik. She’s obsessed. She’s looking for a specific djinn, and she’s not being particularly "nice" about it. That's just Yen.
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We dive. We find half a seal. We fight some drowners.
The search eventually leads to the top of Hindarsfjall. The atmosphere here is incredible. CD Projekt Red nailed the feeling of isolation. You aren't saving the world right now. You aren't looking for Ciri. You’re just two people trying to figure out if their relationship is a lie. When you finally encounter the djinn on the ship, the fight is surprisingly tough on Death March difficulty. It’s fast, it hits hard with lightning, and you really need to keep Quen up or you’re toast.
But the fight isn't the point. The point is what happens after the magic fades.
The Choice That Actually Matters
Once the djinn is defeated, Yennefer uses its power to break the original spell. The "bond" is gone. The magical thread connecting your souls? Snapped.
This is the moment of truth.
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Yennefer looks at Geralt and says she still feels the same. She still loves him. Then, it’s your turn. This is where the branching path of The Witcher 3 Last Wish hits like a freight train. You get two options. You can tell her you still love her, which locks in her romance path for the rest of the game. Or, you can say, "The magic's gone for me, too."
Ouch.
If you choose the latter, the silence on that boat is deafening. It’s one of the most realistic portrayals of a breakup in RPG history. No screaming, no fireballs—just two people realizing they don't fit anymore. If you’ve been aiming to romance Triss Merigold, this is the moment you officially "dump" Yennefer. You can't have both. Well, you can try, but the game will punish you for it later in a very funny, very humiliating scene at the Kingfisher Inn.
Why This Quest Is a Masterclass in Narrative Design
What makes this quest stand out among a thousand other "go here, kill that" missions? It’s the subtext. CDPR isn't just giving you a choice; they’re asking you to define who your Geralt is.
In the books, the relationship is toxic, passionate, and exhausting. By giving the player the chance to break the spell, the game moves past the source material. It gives Geralt agency. Some fans argue that Geralt would never leave Yennefer, while others feel the Triss romance is more stable. The beauty of The Witcher 3 Last Wish is that it validates both feelings by stripping away the supernatural excuse.
Also, can we talk about the logistics? Yennefer teleported half a ship to a mountain. The sheer power move of that alone explains why people in the Continent are terrified of sorceresses.
Common Mistakes Players Make
- Missing the Window: If you go to the Isle of Mists before doing this quest, it fails automatically. You lose the chance to romance Yennefer. Period.
- Underestimating the Djinn: If you have "Enemy Upscaling" turned on in the settings, the djinn becomes a god-tier nightmare. Turn it off if you keep dying in one hit.
- Thinking It’s Mandatory: It’s a side quest, but it’s essentially a "main" story beat for the ending you want.
The Fallout: Post-Quest Consequences
If you stay with Yen, the dialogue changes in the final acts of the game. There’s a tenderness there that isn't present otherwise. You get a different ending slide. You get a different guest at your vineyard in the Blood and Wine expansion.
If you reject her, the interactions at Kaer Morhen become... awkward. Yennefer is professional, but there's a visible coldness. She even tosses a certain bed out of a window. It’s a great example of how the game remembers your choices. It doesn't just forget because the quest log says "Completed."
Honestly, I've played this game four times. Every time I get to the boat, I hesitate. There’s something about the way the music swells and the wind howls that makes the decision feel permanent. It’s rare for a game to make a "romance option" feel like a genuine life pivot, but here we are.
What to do next in your playthrough
If you’ve just finished the quest and committed to Yennefer, make sure you don't accidentally trigger the "Now or Never" romance locks with Triss in Novigrad. If you told Triss you love her earlier, and you just told Yen you love her now, you are headed for the "Three to Tango" quest.
It ends badly for you. Trust me.
To keep your Yennefer romance on track, focus on the following:
- Complete the main Skellige arc to move the story toward Kaer Morhen.
- Avoid kissing Triss at the Vegelbud masquerade if you haven't done that yet (though usually, people do Novigrad first).
- Prepare for the "Ugly Baby" quest, where the Kaer Morhen dynamic really starts to shift based on your relationship status.
The Witcher 3 Last Wish isn't just a quest. It’s the heart of the game’s identity. It proves that the most dangerous thing in Geralt’s world isn't a Griffin or a Bruxa—it’s a conversation on a cold boat.