The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Remastered: All Monster Trophies Guide

TL;DR

• Monster trophies are won from Witcher contracts and some story quests — you equip them to Roach’s saddle slot for a passive bonus.
• Only one trophy can be active at a time. Swap them based on what you are doing.
• Trophies that give +5% bonus gold are the most consistently useful throughout the game.
• Trophies that give +5% XP from monsters are great during levelling, contract clears, and nest clearing.
• Several trophies are missable — tied to one-time quests or choice-based kills that lock out if skipped.
• The complete game including DLC has around 35 distinct equippable trophies.
• Do not sell trophies. Their sell value is low and you cannot re-acquire most of them once they are gone.

Monster trophies are one of the most overlooked systems in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Most players pick them up, glance at the description, and drop them in a chest somewhere. That is a mistake.

Every trophy you win from a Witcher contract or a boss kill goes into Roach’s saddle trophy slot. Equipped there, it provides a passive bonus for as long as it stays on. Bonus gold from every sale. Bonus experience from every kill. Extra chance to find herbs on looted bodies. You are constantly doing all of these things — so the right trophy, equipped at the right time, adds up to a meaningful advantage over a full playthrough.

This guide lists every monster trophy in the game, the bonus it gives, where it comes from, and which ones are worth keeping versus which you can safely sell.

How Monster Trophies Work

When you kill a contract monster or certain story bosses, you receive a unique trophy item. It goes into your regular inventory like any other item. To activate its bonus, open your inventory, navigate to Roach’s equipment panel, and place the trophy in the dedicated Trophy slot. Roach then carries it visually strapped to her saddle — most appear as a bloody sack, though a few large monsters like the Wyvern display the actual severed head.

Only one trophy can be equipped at a time. Its bonus is always active while it is in the slot. You can swap trophies freely at any point outside of combat — there is no cost or cooldown for switching.

The bonuses are passive and work constantly in the background. A +5% bonus gold trophy applies to every Crown you receive from selling items, collecting contract rewards, or looting. A +5% XP trophy applies to every kill you make. These percentages are small individually but compound across hundreds of transactions over a full playthrough.

Should You Sell Monster Trophies?

No. Almost never. The sell value of most trophies is very low — between 30 and 500 Crowns — and you cannot get them back once sold. Many trophies come from one-time contract monsters that are permanently gone after the quest ends. Selling a trophy for 300 Crowns and losing its passive bonus for the rest of the game is never a good trade.

The only trophies worth considering selling are duplicates, which happen when a contract monster type matches one you already fought randomly. Even then, hold onto them until you are certain you will not want to swap between bonus types.

For better ways to earn Crowns, our Best Money Exploits and Crown Farming guide covers every efficient method.

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Remastered All Monster Trophies Guide

All Monster Trophies — Base Game

+5% Bonus Gold Trophies

These are the most consistently valuable trophies in the game for general use. Every Crown you earn — from contracts, selling gear, looting bodies — gets 5% added on top. Over a full playthrough this adds thousands of Crowns.

• Foglet Trophy — +5% bonus gold | Contract: Swamp Thing (Velen) | Sell value: 50 Crowns
• Ekhidna Trophy — +5% bonus gold | Contract: Here Comes the Groom (Skellige) | Sell value: 50 Crowns
• Succubus Trophy — +5% bonus gold | Contract: Deadly Delights (Novigrad). Note: Only available if you choose to kill the Succubus. Sparing her forfeits this trophy permanently. | Sell value: 150 Crowns
• Doppler Trophy — +5% bonus gold | Contract: An Elusive Thief (Novigrad). Note: Only available if you choose to kill the Doppler. Sparing him forfeits this trophy permanently. | Sell value: 150 Crowns
• Shaelmaar Trophy (Blood and Wine) — +5% bonus gold | Contract: The Hunger Game (Toussaint)
• Conserved Shaelmaar Trophy (Blood and Wine) — +5% bonus gold | Contract: The Hunger Game — alternate version if spared

+5% Experience from Killing Monsters

These are the best trophies for active levelling. Equip one of these any time you are farming experience — clearing monster nests, doing contracts, or grinding an area. The flat 5% bonus stacks with all other XP sources.

• Fiend Trophy — +5% XP from monsters | Contract: Missing Son (Velen) | Sell value: 500 Crowns
• Leshen Trophy — +5% XP from monsters | Contract: Lord of the Wood (Velen) | Sell value: 500 Crowns
• Ekimmara Trophy — +5% XP from monsters | Contract: The Mystery of the Byways Murders (Velen) | Sell value: 500 Crowns
• Katakan Trophy — +5% XP from monsters | Contract: The Oxenfurt Drunk (Novigrad) | Sell value: 500 Crowns
• Chort Trophy — +5% XP from monsters | Contract: Mysterious Tracks (Velen) | Sell value: 250 Crowns
• Wyvern Trophy — +5% XP from monsters | Contract: Patrol Gone Missing (Velen) or Contract: Phantom of the Trade Route | Sell value: 300 Crowns
• Forktail Trophy — +5% XP from monsters | Contract: Dragon (Novigrad) | Sell value: 350 Crowns
• Cave Troll Trophy — +5% XP from monsters | Obtained from Troll encounters | Sell value: 100 Crowns
• Wight Trophy (Blood and Wine) — +5% XP from monsters | Contract: A Surprise Inheritance (Toussaint)
• Slyzard Trophy (Blood and Wine) — +10% dismember chance | Contract: Following the Thread (Toussaint). Note: check current bonus in-game, some sources list +5% XP variant
• Umbra Trophy (Blood and Wine) — +5% XP | Contract involving an invisible phantom in Toussaint

+5% Experience from Killing Humans and Nonhumans

These are best equipped when clearing bandit camps, fighting Fallen Knights in Blood and Wine, or doing quests with many human enemies. Less universally useful than the monster XP trophies but valuable in specific situations.

• Noonwraith Trophy — +5% XP from humans and nonhumans | Contract: Devil by the Well (White Orchard) or Contract: The White Lady (Velen) | Sell value: 250 Crowns
• Nightwraith Trophy — +5% XP from humans and nonhumans | Contract: Jenny o’ the Woods (Velen) | Sell value: 300 Crowns
• Grave Hag Trophy — +5% XP from humans and nonhumans | Contract: The Merry Widow (Velen) | Sell value: 300 Crowns
• Wraith Trophy — +5% XP from humans and nonhumans | Contract: The Phantom of Eldberg (Skellige) | Sell value: 350 Crowns
• Water Hag Trophy — Bonus varies by version | Found across Velen water areas | Sell value: 50 Crowns

+5% Chance to Find Additional Herbs

These trophies add a chance to find extra alchemy ingredients on looted bodies. Useful early in the game when crafting materials are scarce. Less valuable in the late game once you have a full stock of ingredients from years of looting.

• Nekker Warrior Trophy — +5% chance to find herbs | Contract: Waylaid Transport (Velen) | Sell value: 30 Crowns
• Arachas Trophy — +5% chance to find herbs | Contract: Missing Brother (Velen) | Sell value: 250 Crowns
• Earth Elemental Trophy (Therazane) — +5% chance to find herbs | Contract: Doors Slamming Shut (Novigrad) | Sell value: 250 Crowns
• Spriggan Trophy (Blood and Wine) — +5% chance to find herbs | Contract in Toussaint involving a Spriggan

+10% Chance to Dismember Enemies

Dismemberment trophies are mostly cosmetic in effect — they increase how often enemies are cut apart during kills. This affects visual satisfaction more than combat outcomes. They are the weakest bonus category in practical terms but can satisfy players who enjoy the visual finisher system.

• Griffin Trophy — +10% dismember chance | Awarded automatically for killing the Griffin in the main story quest in White Orchard. This is the very first trophy most players receive. | Sell value: 250 Crowns
• Cockatrice Trophy (Shrieker) — +10% dismember chance | Contract: Shrieker (Velen, near Crow’s Perch) | Sell value: 150 Crowns
• Basilisk Trophy — +10% dismember chance | Contract involving a Basilisk in Novigrad or Skellige | Sell value: 150 Crowns
• Silver Basilisk Trophy (Blood and Wine) — Unique multi-part bonus: five separate 1% bonuses to different stats | Contract: To Bait a Forktail… (Toussaint)

Special and Story Boss Trophies

These trophies come from key story encounters or unique one-time contract monsters rather than from repeatable contract boards.

• Nithral Trophy (Hearts of Stone) — Won from defeating Nithral during the Hearts of Stone main story quest. One of the few trophies earned through a story boss fight rather than a contract.
• Gaunter O’Dimm Trophy (Hearts of Stone) — Unique trophy tied to the resolution of the Hearts of Stone storyline. Extremely rare to find listed separately — verify in-game on collection.
• Shaelmaar Trophy / Conserved Shaelmaar Trophy (Blood and Wine) — Obtained during the opening Blood and Wine quest. Which variant you receive depends on whether you kill or spare the Shaelmaar in the arena. Both give +5% bonus gold but one is labelled differently. You can only get one per playthrough.
• Knight for Hire Trophy (Blood and Wine) — Earned by completing all Knight for Hire tasks in Toussaint. Gives a combined bonus: +1% monster XP, +1% human XP, and +3% bonus gold. The best general-purpose trophy for players who do not want to swap constantly, since it combines three bonus types in one slot.

Missable Trophies — Do Not Skip These

Several trophies are permanently missable. If you complete a quest in a way that prevents killing the target, or if you miss a contract entirely, the trophy is gone for that playthrough.

• Succubus Trophy — Locked to the kill route in Contract: Deadly Delights. If you spare the Succubus, this trophy is permanently unavailable. Decide before taking the contract.
• Doppler Trophy — Same situation in Contract: An Elusive Thief. Killing the Doppler gets the trophy. Sparing him does not. You cannot get both outcomes in one playthrough.
• Conserved Shaelmaar Trophy vs Shaelmaar Trophy — Your choice in the opening Blood and Wine arena determines which version you receive. You get exactly one. The bonuses are identical but collectors note the difference.
• Any contract monster trophy — If you advance the main story past the point where a quest giver NPC disappears or is killed, the associated contract may lock out. Do not let contract quests sit incomplete for too long, especially in Velen where the political situation changes.
• Nithral Trophy — Tied to the Hearts of Stone expansion main quest. Cannot be obtained without starting Hearts of Stone.

For a complete list of everything you can permanently miss across the game, see our Witcher 3: All Missable Gwent Cards guide, which also touches on other missable collectibles. For a broader achievement and completion overview, our Ultimate Achievement Guide covers every unlock condition.

Best Trophies to Keep Equipped — Ranked by Use Case

You can only use one at a time, so here is the best choice for each situation you will regularly find yourself in.

Best for general play (early and mid-game)

Equip a +5% bonus gold trophy — Foglet, Ekhidna, Succubus, or Doppler. Every transaction in the game benefits from it. You are constantly selling loot, collecting contract rewards, and buying items. A Foglet Trophy from Velen’s Swamp Thing contract is among the earliest you can get and one of the most useful for the rest of the game.

Best for active levelling and XP farming

Equip a +5% XP from monsters trophy — Fiend, Leshen, Ekimmara, Katakan, or Chort. When you are grinding monster nests, clearing contracts for XP, or working toward the level cap, the monster XP bonus compounds quickly. See our Level Up and XP Sources guide for the fastest ways to gain experience.

Best for bandit camp and human enemy clearing

Equip a +5% XP from humans and nonhumans trophy — Noonwraith, Nightwraith, Grave Hag, or Wraith. If you are systematically clearing bandit camps, Fallen Knights in Toussaint, or question mark locations with human enemies, swap to one of these before starting.

Best all-in-one trophy for late game

The Knight for Hire Trophy from Blood and Wine is the best single trophy for players who want a passive bonus that works in all situations without swapping. Its combined gold and dual-XP bonus is modest in each category but covers everything at once.

Best for alchemy builds and ingredient gathering

Equip an herb-finding trophy — Nekker Warrior or Arachas — during extended looting sessions or when crafting materials are running low. This is most useful in the early game before you have a full stock of alchemy ingredients. Later in the game it is rarely worth the slot over a gold or XP trophy.

How to Equip a Trophy

The trophy slot is part of Roach’s equipment, not Geralt’s. Here is exactly where to find it.

• Open the Inventory menu.
• Navigate to the Roach panel — this is usually shown as a horse icon or a separate equipment tab within inventory.
• You will see four equipment slots for Roach: Saddle, Blinders, Saddlebags, and Trophy.
• Click or select the Trophy slot and choose the trophy you want to activate from your inventory.
• The bonus activates immediately and persists until you swap it out or unequip it.

You can swap trophies at any time outside of combat. There is no cost to switching. The best approach is to swap actively — use an XP trophy during combat-heavy quests and switch to a gold trophy before turning in contracts or selling loot.

For more on Roach’s other equipment slots and how to upgrade them, our Witcher 3 Remastered: Roach Fixes and Horse Riding Changes guide covers everything about Roach’s gear system.

Visuals — What Trophies Look Like on Roach

Most trophies appear as a blood-stained sack hanging from Roach’s saddle rather than a recognisable head. This is intentional — the game avoids showing decapitated humanoid heads on the horse. Monsters with very distinct shapes like the Wyvern and some larger creatures display a more recognisable piece of the monster.

The Wyvern Trophy is widely considered the most visually striking of the base game trophies, with its distinctive V-shaped horned head rendering clearly on the saddle. If you want Roach to look impressive, the Wyvern is the trophy to keep visible.

Trophy Tips for Contract Runs

A few practical tips for maximising trophy value during your contract run.

• Do contracts in order of region. White Orchard and Velen contracts are available earliest and their trophies — Noonwraith, Foglet, Nekker Warrior, Ekimmara, Arachas — are the ones you will use for the longest portion of the game. Get them early.
• Swap to a gold trophy before turning in contracts. The contract reward payment itself is a gold transaction. A +5% gold trophy means you get slightly more from every contract payout. Do not forget to equip it before you speak to the quest giver.
• Check choice-based contracts carefully. Before every contract that has a kill-or-spare decision, check whether the kill route gives a trophy. If you want the trophy (Succubus, Doppler), commit to that path before speaking to the quest giver.
• Do not dismantle trophies. Some trophies are classified as Relic-tier items and can be dismantled. Never do this — the materials from dismantling are worth far less than the trophy’s passive bonus value over the rest of the game.

For everything related to combat prep and monster hunting, our Witcher 3: Bestiary Guide — All Monsters and Weaknesses covers every enemy category and how to fight them. For combat builds that pair well with an active contract-running playstyle, see our Best Builds guide.

Monster Trophies in Witcher 3 Remastered

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered on all platforms includes the full trophy system unchanged from the original. All base game trophies, Hearts of Stone trophies, and Blood and Wine trophies are available. The equip slot, bonus types, and trophy sources are identical. Everything in this guide applies directly to the Remastered version.

For more guides, see our All Console Commands guide which includes the addtrophies command for PC players, our Gear Reforging guide, and our Weapon and Armor Repair guide.

Frequently Asked Questions