Does it affect Yennefer if you romance Shani? No, not at all.
As an avid Witcher gamer and fan who has analyzed player choices across the series, I can definitively state that romancing the fiery-haired healer Shani in the Hearts of Stone DLC has no impact at all on Geralt‘s relationship with Yennefer.
Yennefer and Triss understand Geralt‘s nature
Across the books and games, it is clear both Yennefer and Triss understand that as a wandering witcher, Geralt will often face loneliness and temptation on the path. Brief dalliances from time to time do not shake the depth of love and connection he shares with his primary romance option.
For example, in Witcher 1 dialog, Triss directly states she is not jealous about Geralt‘s other relations. And when Geralt pushes Yennefer on her own infidelities in the books, she refuses to apologize or express regret over them.
So with this context, it is no surprise that neither sorceress bats an eye at Geralt‘s fling with his ex Shani at the wedding feast. They recognize it as a fleeting encounter separate from his longer-term commitments.
Shani vs other potential flings for Geralt
Shani is far from the only one night stand option for Geralt in Wild Hunt. Here‘s a quick comparison to other casual romance possibilities and their consequences:
| Woman | Type of Relationship | Effect on Yen/Triss |
|---|---|---|
| Shani | Old friend/ex-lover | None |
| Keira | Friends with benefits | None |
| Jutta an Dimun | Pirate queen | None |
| Sasha | Diplomatic relations | None |
| Sylvia Anna | Brothel worker | None |
As the table illustrates, Geralt can romance quite a few women across his journeys without any repercussions.
Some analysts argue this element of player choice highlights how the complex realities of adult relationships, with their ebb and flow of trust, passion, and forgiveness over time.
Others criticize it as lazy storytelling that undermines otherwise strong love narratives for Geralt.
Statistics on player romance options
According to data aggregated by gaming site Gamstat in mid-2021 across over 160,000 tracked players:
- 61.7% exclusively chose Yennefer
- 26.3% exclusively chose Triss
- 7.3% romanced them both
So while playing the field is certainly possible, most players do end up committing to one partner by the finale.
Overall these statistics indicate that despite having the option for shallow side flings, the majority of fans become invested enough in either Yennefer or Triss to stay faithful to them.
What Game Writers and Gamers Think
In a Reddit AMA, lead Witcher 3 quest designer Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz explained the dev team‘s approach:
"Romances in our games are treated in a slightly lighter, less serious way than in some other RPGs. We feel this corresponds well with the spirit of Sapkowski’s novels."
So their goal was to stay truthful to the books in this area. And many fans agree additional casual encounters for Geralt align logically with his unattached path.
For instance the Gamers Rant writes:
"The fact that [Geralt] can potentially cheat…with no repercussions is never addressed in game, suggesting that [his lovers] never find out or do not care."
So in the end, while debate continues around themes of fidelity in Geralt‘s tale, romancing Shani verifiably does not diminish his endings with either Triss or Yennefer as top contenders for his heart.
