Who is Gaunter O'Dimm in The Witcher 3?

Almost a decade since its release, The Witcher 3 has maintained its status as one of the best open-world fantasy RPGs ever made. Not only did it tick all the boxes in fluid gameplay, compelling story arcs, and immersive world-building, but also for its intriguing characters. And one of the most mysterious, yet terrifying characters in the game is the enigmatic Gaunter O'Dimm.

A key antagonist of the Hearts of Stone DLC, Gaunter O'Dimm immediately grabs your attention with his charisma, dark aura, and unfathomable powers. A character that was never featured in the book series, the truth about Gaunter O'Dimm's true nature became an object of interest, and we will explore who or what the Master Mirror is and the inspiration behind him.

Who is Gaunter O'Dimm?

While there was never any in-game confirmation regarding Gaunter O'Dimm, we can only distance ourselves from the clues throughout our Hearts of Stone walkthrough. Directly, we can conclude that O'Dimm has actually been very interested in us since the beginningwhich foreshadows the events of the DLC i our brief conversation at the White Orchard inn.

According to Professor Shakeslock, O'Dimm – also known as Master Mirror or The Man of Glass – has existed for ages in different cultures and under different names but is ultimately defined as Evil Incarnate. Based on what O'Dimm himself tells us, anyone who knows O'Dimm's true name or nature meets a terrible fate. O'Dimm too doesn't seem to like those who probe him too deeplyas evidenced by Shakeslock's circumstances and eventual death.

The mysterious mirror merchant has shown that he can control the weather, stop time and appear whenever he wants. But the most important aspect of O'Dimm is his ability to fulfill every wish… at a high price.

O'Dimm loves to do business with those stupid enough to get alongand while his victims may wish for riches or immortality, he asking for their souls in return. But when they come to find out, every wish O'Dimm grants doesn't go the way his victims want them to, as he loves to trick them through puns. In short, every contract has a silver lining and O'Dimm embodies this to a tee.

How to defeat the devil

O'Dimm can seem all-powerful and invincible, but he could be beaten at his own game. According to Professor Shakeslock, O'Dimm could never resist a duel of wits and must be challenged to one. As evidenced by Geralt's attempt to save Olgierd's soul, the witcher was eager for the realm of the ruminant and must find O'Dimm within a set time, with the only clue being the riddle provided.

Of course, as a known trickster, O'Dimm doesn't play fair and sprinkles temptation along the waysuch as gold and a rare silver sword. But Geralt was able to outwit O'Dimm, thanks to the clue Iris von Everec's Black Dog provided the witcher with an “unbreakable glass”, which allowed Geralt realized that O'Dimm was hiding in the water's reflection.

Despite his penchant for tricks, O'Dimm is also bound by the deals he makes and lets Olgierd and Geralt go free as a result.

The inspirations for Gaunter O'Dimm

Gaunter O'Dimm and the story told in Hearts of Stone is the definitions of a Faustian bargain, or, as you may know it, “deal with the devil”. The latter comes from a medieval German story about the successful necromancer and scientist Faust, who made a deal with the demon Mephistopheles for mystical knowledge for 24 years.

Of course, the deal did not go as Faust wanted it to, as he is still dissatisfied with his life, but has his soul taken anyway.

The Tale of Pan Twardowski

Pan Twardowski's story, known as the Polish version of Faust's legend, has noticeable differences. Twardowski is a famous doctor but called the devil to ask for his power. The contract was to last for seven years, and he promised only to surrender his soul to the devil in Rome.

As you might begin to guess from these kinds of stories, Twardowski tries to escape the inevitable and avoids the city of Rome. But the devil comes to him when he stays at an inn, an inn called “Rome”. Although the ending varies from different versions of the story, Twardwoski prays as the devil drags him to hell, only for an angel to intercede. As a result, Twardowski is doomed to remain in the space between heaven and earth, unable to move forward.

Is Gaunter O'Dimm God?

There is a theory that places O'Dimm as the god of The Witcher universe, and it doesn't help the name, Gaunter O'Dimm, is short for God. Although O'Dimm seems to be on another power level entirely, he has admitted that he is not omniscient. Gods are mentioned in The Witcher lore, but they are not explored too deeply.

However, our concept of God may differ from what is considered a god in this world. But what can be determined is that O'Dimm is an immortal, ancient and malevolent creature that truly echoes the devil.

Notable characters who met O'Dimm

Olgierd Von Everec

Olgierd von Everec made a pact with O'Dimm after his family fell on hard times and his betrothal to his beloved Iris was broken off. In exchange for his soul and the life of his brother Vlodimir, O'Dimm granted Olgierd's three wishes: to marry Iris, have his family fortunes restored, and “live like there's no tomorrow”.

Of course, his desires will bite him, and he can't really enjoy his winnings. As a fail-safe, Olgierd also added the caveat that he and O'Dimm must be on the moon before he could take his soul.

Professor Shakelock

It was Professor Shakeslock hired by Olgierd to delve into O'Dimm and find a way out of his contract. He went blind while examining the entity, but in the end he found out how to defeat O'Dimm. But his research caught the attention of O'Dimm and, as “repayment” for his interest, O'Dimm imprisoned Shakeslock in a protective circle, implied that he would die the moment he stepped out of it.

In a strange turn of events, Shakeslock dies after telling Geralt everything he knew about O'Dimmalthough it is not confirmed whether O'Dimm had a direct hand in it.

The spoon collector

The Spoon Collector is a weight found in Trastamara's hunting lodge, later discovered to be a human woman cursed into a monster. Formerly a rich, beautiful woman, she was cursed after refusing a beggar's foodand can only break the curse if someone willingly chooses to dine with her and does the opposite of what the curse says.

It is not confirmed that the beggar was O'Dimmbut the mirror dealer was also a master of disguise. Also, the third line of the curse, “never again shall you wish to spy your reflection in the mirror”, may also be a reference to Master Mirror.