Every monster fight in The Witcher season 3, ranked from worst to best

3. The Sand Monster

Ciri’s journey through the Korath Desert in Episode 7, “Out of the Fire, Into the Frying Pan,” features more creatures than any other episode this season. From tracking the unicorn Little Horse to evading the antlion-like monster that tries to devour Ciri whole, the fledgeling witcher faces no shortage of challenges during her time in this scorching crucible.

But by far the most dangerous of the desert creatures is the enormous sand monster that Ciri fights late in the episode. This towering monster emerges from beneath the sand to attack Ciri and Little Horse with its numerous sharpened legs and maw filled with teeth. It also has a hardened carapace for protection. The sand monster isn’t just big, it’s fast. One slip up and Ciri would be a kebab.

Fortunately, her witcher training from Kaer Morhen serves her well. Little Horse gets some action too, kicking the sand monster with its hooves before the creature impales it with one of its sharpened legs.

This fight features a unicorn kicking a sand monster. For that reason alone, it deserves a place of honor on our list. But this battle also represents a crucial turning point for Ciri. It’s the first time she has to defeat a monster on her own. The stakes are kill or be killed, and Ciri has no choice but to step up to the challenge. After using some acrobatics and ripping off a piece of the monster’s own carapace in order to bash in its head, Ciri ultimately prevails.

This is an exciting encounter with slightly jumpy animation reminiscent of old school Ray Harryhausen stop-motion creatures. It’s not the most breath-taking monster fight in The Witcher season 3, but it’s still a good time. It belongs right smack in the middle of the list.