The Witcher 3 Letho Quest: How to Actually Find the Kingslayer and Why It Matters

You’re riding through Velen, probably miserable because the rain won't stop and the mud is everywhere, and you see a notice about a haunted manor. Most players just think it’s another contract. Another ghost. Another day in the life of Geralt of Rivia. But if you played The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and made a specific choice—or lied about it during the interrogation in Vizima—this isn't just a ghost hunt. It’s the Witcher 3 Letho quest, formally known as "Ghosts of the Past."

Finding Letho of Gulet is honestly one of the best "blink and you'll miss it" moments in the entire game. It's also incredibly easy to screw up before you even start the game.

Did You Actually Spare Him?

Here is the thing. If Letho is dead in your world state, this quest literally does not exist. You go to Reardon Manor, you fight some wraiths, you find some loot, and you move on. You'll never even know he was supposed to be there.

To get the Witcher 3 Letho quest, you must have spared his life at the end of the previous game. If you're starting a fresh save in The Witcher 3 without importing a file, you have to select "Simulate Witcher 2 Save." When Morvran Voorhis is shaving your beard in Vizima and grilling you about your past, you have to tell him that Letho is still alive. If you say you killed him, or if you didn't simulate a save and let the game pick a default, Letho is gone. Poof. Dead in the lore.

It’s a brutal realization for players who realize twenty hours in that they clicked the wrong dialogue option. You can't fix it later. You’re stuck with a world where the School of the Viper is basically extinct.

Reardon Manor and the Hidden Trap

Once you’ve confirmed Letho is alive, head to the village of Lindenvale. You’ll find a woman named Dolores Reardon. She’s crying about her family estate being overrun by monsters. This kicks off "The Fall of the House of Reardon."

When you get to the manor, Geralt starts noticing things. Things that don't look like monster work.

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The barn is rigged. If you have your Witcher senses on, you’ll see tripwires. There are ladders positioned specifically. It’s a defensive perimeter. If you go into the barn and climb up to the loft, a cutscene triggers. Instead of a wraith, you find a massive, mountain-of-a-man sitting in the shadows.

Letho.

He’s not there to fight you. He’s hiding. He’s been through hell since the events of the second game, hunted by bounty hunters and betrayed by the very empire he tried to serve. The conversation here is gold. It’s two old veterans of a dying profession just tired of the noise.

The Bounty Hunter Ambush

The Witcher 3 Letho quest doesn't end with a chat. While you're talking, the bounty hunters Letho has been dodging show up. They’ve tracked him to the manor.

You have a choice. You can help him, or you can let him handle it. Honestly, if you’re playing Geralt, you help him. It leads to a frantic horse ride to a small camp where the rest of the hunters are hiding.

This is where the quest gets nuanced. Letho has a plan. He’s tired of running. He wants everyone to think he’s dead so he can finally just exist without a target on his back. He goes to a village called Lindenvail to meet a man who supposedly can help him "die."

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It’s a setup.

The "friend" betrays him to more bounty hunters. When you arrive, you see Letho get hit with a crossbow bolt. He falls. He looks dead. The hunters are standing over him, ready to take his head back to Emhyr’s men for the reward.

To Kill or Not To Kill

This is the climax of the Witcher 3 Letho quest. The hunters want the head. You can step in.

Geralt knows something is off. If you look closely, Letho was hit with a bolt coated in specialized paralytic toxins. He’s not dead; he’s in a magically induced coma.

• Option A: You kill the bounty hunters. This is the "safe" route for your conscience, but it ruins Letho’s plan. If the hunters die, their bosses will just send more. The cycle continues.
• Option B: You let the hunters take his medallion but convince them to leave the body. You tell them that taking a rotting head is messy and that the medallion is proof enough.

If you choose Option B, Letho eventually wakes up. He’s pissed that you meddled, but he’s alive and, more importantly, "dead" to the world. This is the only way he gets any peace.

The Kaer Morhen Connection

The real reason you want to complete the Witcher 3 Letho quest isn't just for the XP or the nostalgia. It’s because of the Battle of Kaer Morhen.

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If you finish this quest and Letho is alive, you can invite him to the Witcher fortress. He’s one of the most powerful allies you can have during the Wild Hunt invasion. Having a giant, dual-wielding kingslayer on the battlements makes a massive difference in the feel of that final stand.

Plus, the interactions between Letho, Roche, and Ves are incredibly tense. Remember, Letho killed Roche’s king. The dialogue at Kaer Morhen if all three are present is some of the tightest writing in the game. It’s awkward, it’s hostile, and it’s perfectly Witcher.

If you don't do his quest, or if you let him die during the bounty hunter ambush, he won't be there. You’ll be down one of the strongest fighters in the Northern Kingdoms.

Practical Steps for Your Playthrough

Don't just rush into Velen. If you want the full experience, follow these steps exactly:

1. Check your save: If you’re on PC and have a Witcher 2 save where Letho lives, use it. If not, make sure you choose "Simulate" when starting a New Game.
2. The Vizima Interview: Tell Morvran Voorhis: "That alliance is still in force? What happened to Letho?" and then confirm he escaped.
3. Lindenvale Notice Board: Grab the "Fall of the House of Reardon" quest early. It’s a Level 6 quest, but you can do it a bit later if you want the combat to be easier.
4. The Barn Loft: Don't just clear the traps. Go up. If you don't trigger the cutscene in the loft, the quest won't progress correctly.
5. Let him "Die": When the bounty hunters surround him in the final stage, don't draw your sword immediately. Convince them to take the medallion. This ensures Letho survives the questline and remains available for the endgame.
6. Recruit him: After the dust settles, talk to him. Tell him to go to Kaer Morhen. He has nowhere else to go anyway.

Missing this quest is one of the biggest regrets for first-time players. It bridges the gap between the political intrigue of the second game and the personal journey of the third. It turns a "villain" into a complex, weary survivor. It's peak CD Projekt Red storytelling. Go get it done.