Should I Help Dijkstra Kill Radovid?

When It Makes Sense

• Good fit: You want the Northern Realms to remain independent. Letting Dijkstra eliminate Roche, Ves, and Thaler leaves him in control of a unified North. In the game’s epilogue, this path can lead to a Northern victory or a negotiated peace that keeps Nilfgaard from conquering the region. It suits players who distrust Emhyr var Emreis and prefer the North to chart its own future.
• Good fit: You are playing a pragmatic or ruthless Geralt who values results over personal loyalty. Radovid’s assassination ends the witch hunts regardless of what happens next; siding with Dijkstra sacrifices a few allies for what he presents as a colder but more stable post-war order. If you see Dijkstra as the lesser evil compared to Radovid’s religious tyranny, this route fits your roleplay.

When You Should Avoid It

• Warning sign: You are attached to Vernon Roche, Ves, or Thaler. Roche in particular has fought alongside Geralt since The Witcher 2, and all three have meaningful recurring roles. If you let Dijkstra kill them, you lose those relationships and the Temerian resistance network they represent.
• Warning sign: You want the Ciri-becomes-Empress ending. That outcome generally requires Nilfgaard to win the war, which in turn needs Radovid dead and Roche alive so Temeria can survive as a Nilfgaardian vassal. Letting Dijkstra kill Roche changes the political outcome and removes the empress route. It also ends any hope of a Temerian restoration led by Roche.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Radovid’s assassination ends the witch hunts, which improves conditions for mages, sorceresses, nonhumans, and anyone tied to magic in the Northern Realms.
• Dijkstra’s path can leave the North independent from Nilfgaardian occupation, creating a pragmatic if morally gray political future rather than an imperial conquest. This is appealing if your Geralt favors Northern self-determination.

Cons

• Roche, Ves, and Thaler all die, removing three established allies and effectively ending Temeria’s hopes of restored sovereignty through Roche’s underground network.
• Dijkstra is portrayed as ambitious and self-interested; his rule is not framed as democratic, kind, or idealistic. You are trading one group of allies for a ruler whose primary loyalty is to his own power and the stability of the state.

Decision Checklist

• Do I want Nilfgaard to win the war, or do I prefer a strong independent North? A Nilfgaardian victory favors the Ciri-as-Empress ending, while a Dijkstra-led North favors Northern independence.
• How much do I care about Roche, Ves, and Thaler? If you have completed their side quests and see them as friends, letting Dijkstra execute them will feel like a major betrayal.
• Am I aiming for a specific world state or ending? Double-check how Radovid’s death, Roche’s survival, and the war outcome connect to Ciri’s fate and the epilogue slides you want to see.

Alternatives to Consider

The main alternative is to defend Roche, Ves, and Thaler when Dijkstra turns on them. This kills Dijkstra, keeps your Temerian allies alive, and still leaves Radovid dead. That path typically leads to Nilfgaard conquering the North and Temeria surviving as a vassal state. A third option is to skip or refuse the Reason of State quest entirely, leaving Radovid alive. That usually results in Radovid winning the war and intensifying the witch hunts, which most players consider the worst political outcome. Finally, some players simply decide based on roleplay or the ending they want rather than trying to optimize the world state.

Final Recommendation

Help Dijkstra only if your top priorities are an independent Northern Realms, an end to Radovid’s witch hunts, and a pragmatic but ruthless new ruler. If you value Roche, Ves, and Thaler, want the Ciri-as-Empress ending, or prefer a Nilfgaardian victory with Temeria preserved, defend Roche and kill Dijkstra instead. Because this is an in-game choice with no real-world stakes, the best answer is the one that matches your Geralt’s values and the ending you want to experience. If you are unsure how this choice interacts with your current Ciri and war decisions, consult a current Witcher 3 quest guide before committing.