How to Get Aerondight in The Witcher 3: Five Virtues and Hermit Fight Guide

Aerondight is the sword of legend in The Witcher 3 – a silver blade handed over by the Lady of the Lake herself, and one that keeps getting stronger the more you use it. It's tied to the Blood and Wine expansion, so you'll need that DLC (included in the Complete Edition), and you can't buy or craft it. Instead, Geralt has to prove he's a true knight of Toussaint by showing five virtues, then beat a mysterious hermit in a duel.

The good news: you'll earn most of those virtues just by playing through Toussaint's side content. This guide covers what the sword does, how to start the quest, the easiest way to tick off each virtue, and the final fight.

What Aerondight does

Aerondight has a unique passive that rewards aggressive play:

• Charges on hit. Every blow you land builds a charge, and each charge adds 10% damage.
• Guaranteed crits at full charge. Once the charge is maxed, every attack lands as a critical hit.
• Permanent growth. Killing an enemy while the sword is fully charged permanently raises its damage, so the blade scales the longer you use it.
• Charges don't last. They drain over time and are lost when Geralt takes damage, so the sword is at its best with a dodge-heavy, combat-focused build.

Requirements

Step-by-step: how to get Aerondight

1. Pick up the quest. In Beauclair, read the note about testing yourself with the Trials of the Virtues on the Gran'Place notice board. You can also skip the note and ride straight to the lake near Corvo Bianco, Geralt's vineyard.
2. Find the hermit. He waits on a small isle in the middle of Lac Celavy – you can walk across the water to reach him. Just before his pool you'll find standing stones that explain each of the five virtues; reading them is also worth a little XP.
3. Earn all five virtues. Each one only needs to be proven once, and good deeds count even if you did them before you met the hermit. See the list below for the easiest routes.
4. Return to the hermit. Once he judges you worthy, he challenges Geralt to a duel.
5. Win the fight. After you beat him, the Lady of the Lake appears and gives you Aerondight, leveled to your character.

The five virtues – easiest ways to earn them

There are several ways to earn each virtue. These are the simplest options that guides agree on:

Compassion

• In the main quest The Beast of Toussaint, spare the shaelmaar instead of killing it.
• In the side quest Big Game Hunter, show concern for Count Beledal's family when he talks about his daughter, and don't harm the panthers.

Generosity

• Early in the main story, a boy delivers a letter to Geralt in Beauclair – give him a tip.
• In Where Children Toil, pay the bootblack the 500 crowns he asks for without haggling.
• In A Portrait of the Witcher as an Old Man, buy Geralt's portrait.

Honor

• In The Warble of a Smitten Knight, enter the tourney as Geralt and win the mounted duel.
• In the same quest, keep Vivienne's secret all the way to the end – the virtue is credited when the quest wraps up.

Valor

• Keep competing in The Warble of a Smitten Knight and win the tournament. Partway through you'll be asked whether to carry on – say yes.
• In Feet as Cold as Ice, help the knight Francois slay Grottore.

Wisdom

• In La Cage au Fou, lift the Spotted Wight's curse by eating the meal with it the "proper" way – without spoons.
• In Father Knows Worst, resolve the brothers' quarrel without anyone dying.

If you're aiming for maximum efficiency, The Warble of a Smitten Knight alone can cover Honor and Valor, which is why it's the quest most players recommend starting with.

Beating the hermit

The hermit fights with a quarterstaff and water magic. His ranged water attacks are the main threat, but they're well telegraphed – watch for the wind-up, dodge, and close the distance to punish him between casts. Quen is a good safety net if you're struggling with the projectiles. Being close to the quest's recommended level is enough; no special build is needed.

Once he goes down, the duel ends, the Lady of the Lake rises from the water and Aerondight is yours, along with some XP.

Tips and common mistakes

• Don't quit the tourney. In The Warble of a Smitten Knight you're given the option to stop competing. Walking away there costs you an easy Valor.
• Don't spill Vivienne's secret. Telling Guillaume the truth throws away an Honor credit.
• Choices are one-way. Each virtue option above is a decision inside a specific quest. If you kill the shaelmaar or haggle with the bootblack, use one of the other routes for that virtue.
• Swap it in for real fights. Because charges reset when you get hit, Aerondight shines when you dodge well. Pair it with damage and critical-hit skills, and keep a backup silver sword in mind if your build relies on tanking hits.
• Farm the damage bonus. Every kill at full charge adds to the sword permanently, so it's worth using Aerondight against monsters as often as possible once you have it.

Is it worth the effort?

Absolutely. Most of the virtues come naturally from Blood and Wine's best side quests, so the "grind" is really just playing Toussaint the way it's meant to be played. In return you get a story-rich silver sword that keeps growing with you – a fitting reward for Geralt's final big adventure.