In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, there are plenty of different ways things can end, and this holds true for side characters like Phillip Strenger, the Bloody Baron. Introduced early on as the player runs around Velen, the Baron is a key part of Geralt's quest to find Ciri, and will only give aid if the witcher helps him find his missing wife and daughter.
Like most people in the grim fantasy world of The Witcher franchise, Phillip is neither a happy nor good person, and how his story ends depends less on Geralt's personality, and more on how events unfold. The order that Witcher 3's main quests are completed is what will determine the outcome. A depressed and violent alcoholic who drove both his wife Anna and daughter Tamara away with his abuse, Phillip is a vile but incredibly human man, and his story can end with him either seeking to help those he's harmed or committing suicide. From a perspective of minimizing death and suffering, the former is the 'best' ending. From a narrative standpoint, of telling a complex, thematic, and emotionally deep story, the latter is the 'best.'
Bloody Baron Best Ending
While the details can change, the end of the Bloody Baron's story is largely a binary, and he will disappear from the game when done. So if the player is gathering Gwent cards in Witcher 3, they should make sure they beat him first. With that out of the way, they will need to progress through the main quests Bloody Baron, Ciri's Story: the King of Wolves, and Family Matters. While it has little effect on the main story, it's a better narrative to turn the botchling into a lubberkin rather than killing it.
Once the player has done that, they can either do the main quest The Whispering Hillock, or the Secondary Quest Return to Crookback Bog. This is the major turning point in the Bloody Baron storyline. If the player goes and completes Return to Crookback Bog first, they will find Anna cursed into a water hag.
She will die when the curse is broken, none of Geralt's alchemy in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can prevent this, and the Baron will commit suicide. If the player completed The Whispering Hillock quest first, she will instead have been driven mad. Phillip, already remorseful by this point with a chance to redeem himself, will take her to find a sage in the Blue Mountains.
Source: YouTube/GameSpot
