The Blue Stripes are the special forces of the Kingdom of Temeria, a small, hand-picked unit led by Vernon Roche and answerable only to King Foltest. They do the jobs a regular army can’t or won’t: hunting Scoia’tael commandos, guarding the king and making problems vanish quietly. They are tough, efficient and fiercely loyal, and they are not famous for their manners.
The Blue Stripes in The Witcher 2
In The Witcher 2, the Blue Stripes guard Foltest during the siege of La Valette castle, only to watch their king die at the hands of the Kingslayer Letho. They then follow Roche and Geralt to Flotsam, where they hunt Letho and Roche’s old enemy Iorveth. If Geralt sides with Roche, the unit travels on to the Kaedweni camp, where King Henselt shows them just how little an ally’s word is worth.
The Blue Stripes in The Witcher 3
With Temeria occupied by Nilfgaard, the surviving Blue Stripes fight on as partisans. Roche and his second-in-command Ves lead raids against the occupiers from their hideout, while Temerian agent Thaler helps plan their boldest move yet. If Geralt helps them, Roche and Ves join the defence in The Battle of Kaer Morhen, and in Reason of State the Blue Stripes become the key to a deal that could bring Temeria back to life.
Fun fact: despite the name, the Blue Stripes are not a fashion statement. Mostly.