Cyberpunk 2077 Best Endings - All Endings Explained
RPG games which decide outcomes based on character choices are instantly likable in the gaming community. There’s just something unique about making decisions based on a lifestyle and exploring its outcome – a feeling that words can’t describe. Cyberpunk 2077 offers a similar experience and has the potential to hook the player from the beginning of the game to its very end. What’s better, is that the game’s ending is decided on how you chose to lead V through Night City up until that point. There are a bunch of different endings the game offers. We will be exploring all those ending possibilities right here, ranked from the worst, all the way to the best.
Before getting into the thick of it, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind. Some of these endings have another option or an “ending” of their own which is triggered based on your decision at that point.
Let’s get into it.
The Path Of Least Resistance
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L22U8f9id_o&list=PLMpNwDjXWh0y2vWc0wTNuqBzt9caIskd3&index=6
Probably the worst ending and ending sequence the game offers. After meeting Hanako at Embers, which is the “point of no return” mission of Cyberpunk 2077, you sit on the roof with Johnny Silverhand and have a brief exchange about how far you’ve come and what your next plans are. Here, the player is given two overall options, excluding the endings. These options are either give the body to Johnny or keep it to yourself. But there’s a third option where you choose to do neither and instead throw the pills away which would’ve given you the option to choose. V talks about how this is the “cleanest, least bloody option” and puts no one to risk. Johnny isn’t totally on board with this plan but doesn’t push back. After their discussion, V commits suicide.
It is worth noting that after every Cyberpunk 2077 ending sequence, you get video feeds from all of your friends which vary depending on the ending choice. The suicide ending has one of the most gut-wrenching messages from your friends. Moreover, it feels like the game deliberately makes you feel bad about this option only because of how bad of a decision it was. From V’s perspective, it was a noble thing to do but when you look at the grand scale of things, you realize how badly they [or you, the player] messed up.
How To Get This Ending:
- Meet Hanako at Embers and trigger the Nocturne Op55N1 Mission.
- Pick any of the options when Johnny asks what you plan to do.
- Choose the option “Could also put all this to rest”
- Pick “ [Toss Pills] I know. Exactly what we’re gonna do.
This ending option is offered no matter how you play the game. There are no specific main or side quests to follow to unlock this ending.
The Devil
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/d2PsBCthez4?list=PLMpNwDjXWh0y2vWc0wTNuqBzt9caIskd3
In this ending option, V decides to take Hanako’s offer and side with her to take down Yorinobu Arasaka and put an end to his evil schemes. Johnny is visibly frustrated if you make this decision and advises you to go against it. After calling Hanako, V learns that she’s held by Yorinobu in a state. You then engage in a rescue mission and join Hanako in going to the Arasaka tower. Here, you also have the pleasure of meeting Saburo Arasaka who cheated death by having his conscience stored in an engram. After the theatrics of Hanako and Saburo with the rest of the Arasaka board, a battle ensues and you set on to find Yorinobu. After being successful, V gets the biochip removed from their system and Johnny’s engram is shredded. The final conversation between both V and Johnny is extremely unpleasant because Johnny feels betrayed. After a sequence that feels like a lifetime, V learns that their condition is lethal and they don’t have a lot of time to live. From here on, you can either choose to sell your soul to Arasaka and become an engram in Mikoshi or you can choose to live out the 6 months of your life and have a painful death.
In all the playable endings, “The Devil” ending takes the spot of being the worst of all particularly because you go against your morals. Not only do you betray Johnny, but you also betray everything you stand for. Your friends have no idea where you are and to them, you just packed up and left without saying goodbye. Arasaka becomes more powerful than ever and in the grand scheme of things, V’s fate is unknown no matter what end they choose.
How To Get This Ending:
- Complete all main quests, meet Hanako at Embers, and trigger Nocturne Op55N1 Mission.
- Pick the “Think it’s worth taking a chance on Arasaka” when talking to Johnny.
- Pick the “[Take Omega-Blockers] Yeah. Don’t be mad.” dialogue option.
Temperance
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/fua_BY-H2Tc?list=PLMpNwDjXWh0y2vWc0wTNuqBzt9caIskd3
One of the better endings of the lot, this ending option sees V give their body’s driving seat to Johnny Silverhand. It is essential to maintain a better relationship with Johnny throughout your playthrough and complete side missions revolving around him. During the rooftop conversation, Johnny gives V the option of temporarily taking over their body and storming Arasaka tower with Rogue. V then agrees and Johnny goes straight to Rogue to convince her to join his quest. After romancing Rogue, Johnny talks to Alt Cunningham to let her know about his plan while Rogue prepares for the raid. Afterward, Rogue, Johnny, and Weyland set towards the Arasaka tower and the raid ensues where the group is majorly successful. Sadly, Adam Smasher makes an appearance, and Rogue is killed by his hand. After defeating Smasher, V and Johnny meet up in Mikoshi where Alt explains that V's body is too far gone and they cannot be saved. Here, you can choose one of two options. Either V gives control of their body to Johnny Silverhand and becomes a blackwall entity with Alt Cunningham or chooses to live out the rest of their life in the hope of another shot at a cure. Giving the body to Johnny Silverhand unlocks the “Temperance” ending where we see Johnny packing up and leaving Night City – starting a new life. Choosing the other options unlocks “The Sun” ending sequence. This ending sequence works better with another ending option so you’re gonna have to wait. If you don’t feel like waiting, navigate to the final “Don’t fear the reaper” heading where I’ve explained this ending in detail.
Overall, Temperance is a decent ending and a conclusion to V’s life. They maintain a firm relationship with Johnny Silverhand and ultimately decide to give him control in hopes he will live out his life better than before. Johnny also gets another shot at a better life and promises to never forget V. It is implied here that he personally wants V to maintain their body but doesn’t push back if V decides otherwise. V becomes a blackwall entity with Alt Cunningham and their fate is unknown.
How To Get This Ending:
To get this ending, you must complete all quests revolving around Johnny Silverhand before meeting Hanako at Embers. These include:
- Tapeworm [maintain a conversation with Johnny]
- Chippin’ In
- Blistering Love
Afterward, during the rooftop conversation in Nocturne Op55N1 mission, pick the following dialogue options:
- “Think you and Rogue Should go.”
- “I am. Do your thing.”
The Star
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/6dO6Hp1BthI?list=PLMpNwDjXWh0y2vWc0wTNuqBzt9caIskd3
The star ending -- -- all possibilies.
Arguably the best ending this game offers. There’s a fair bit of debate on which ending remains the best between “The Star” and “Don’t Fear The Reaper”. Personally, I prefer this one only because of how hopeful, wholesome, and beautiful it is. During the rooftop conversation with Johnny, V has the option of calling Panam who lets them know that she has their back. Here, V lets Johnny know that they’re going to go with Panam and the Aldecaldos option. Panam will then take you to the Aldecaldos camp where you will go over the plan to raid Arasaka tower from below. There’s also a heartwarming ceremony where the nomads accept V as one of their own. The group then prepares for the raid and rides out to the Arasaka tower. After a long battle, the nomads lay their hands on a NightCorp SERC which helps them dig through the Arasaka towers lower levels. V, Saul, and Panam set out alone and with the help of Alt Cunningham, disable the gist of Arasaka’s security forces. Almost near the end of the line, Adam Smasher attempts to stop the group and kills Saul in the struggle. After defeating him, the Mikoshi sequence is kicked off and here, V has the same two options as before. Give Johnny their body or live out the rest of their life. Giving Johnny the body unlocks the “Temperance” ending. On the other way around, Johnny stays behind with Alt Cunningham. In the ending sequence, we see V and Panam giving one last look to Night City before finally setting out in hopes of finding a cure with Panam and the nomads’ help. This ending is even better if you romance Panam with male V or Judy with female V because they will set out with you on your journey.
The Star remains in the top spots for the best ending to Cyberpunk 2077. V and Johnny depart on good terms. The ending sequence implies that V still has hope and even if they do end up dying, they will be surrounded by people they love. Johnny tells V to “never stop fighting” in their last moments and we see V doing just that – ready to begin a new chapter of their life in hopes of finding a cure.
How To Get This Ending:
- To get this ending, you need to complete all Panam Palmer and the Aldecaldos side quests before meeting Hanako and Embers. These include:
- Life During Wartime
- Riders on the Storm
- With a Little Help From My Friends
- Queen of the Highway
Afterward, during the rooftop conversation in Nocturne Op55N1 mission, pick the following dialogue options:
- “Gonna ask Panam for help.”
- [Take Omega-Blockers] “Yep. Gonna do this with the nomads.”
Don’t Fear The Reaper / The Sun
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/xT2iqJCe5jA?list=PLMpNwDjXWh0y2vWc0wTNuqBzt9caIskd3
This is a secret ending unlocked by completing several dialogue choices throughout the game with Johnny Silverhand. There’s a bar that shows the percentage of your “friendship” level with Johnny and to achieve this ending, you need to make sure the bar is capped at 70% before meeting Hanako at Embers. During the rooftop conversation with Johnny, you need to pick a dialogue option and wait about 5 minutes in silence before Johnny finally speaks up about how hard of a decision it is. He then gives you the option to grab the best weapon, load up, and storm the Arasaka tower by yourselves. Doing so puts you right to the main gate of the Arasaka tower and you begin your rampage, tearing through Arasaka security forces and forcing your way down towards Mikoshi which is located in the basement. Your final hurdle, as always, will be Adam Smasher who will be a tough fight here. Defeating him, you’ll finally reach Mikoshi and unlock “The Sun” ending as opposed to “Temperance” which is also offered here. This ending shows V achieving their lifelong dream of becoming a living Night City legend. The ending sequence shows V living in a lavish penthouse with their partner – who breaks up with them the same day as V embarks towards the Afterlife. Here, V meets a mysterious client who gives them details on their final mission. V then sets off toward the crystal palace in orbit and prepares for the mission of a lifetime in hopes of success because if they make it out alive, it is implied that the mysterious client knows how to cure V’s problem.
“Don’t Fear The Reaper” is regarded as the best ending mission and conclusion to V’s final push to live a complete life. Through this path, none of V’s friends are put at risk and it is kinda symbolic of how both V and Johnny Silverhand team up to take down Arasaka. There’s a catch here though – if you die, it’s game over. The ending sequence is then regarded as V committing suicide and you don’t get any do-overs so make you’re well prepared. But trust me when I say it, it’s totally worth it. The Rebel Path plays in the background as you’re mowing down Arasaka troops who are genuinely scared of you as implied through their dialogues.
How To Get This Ending:
To get this ending, you must complete all quests revolving around Johnny Silverhand before meeting Hanako at Embers. These include:
- Tapeworm [maintain a conversation with Johnny]
- Chippin’ In
- Blistering Love
During Chippin’ In, make sure to follow the following dialogue options when you and Johnny are sitting on his grave:
- "Let's do something about that."
- "The Guy Who Saved My Life"
- "Nah, fucked that up too."
- "What do you want from me?"
- "Okay. But as second chances go, this is your last."
- "You were a real dick in the beginning."
- "When you said you let down your friends..."
- "Yeah, I'll call Rogue."
Failure to do so will cap your friendship with Johnny at 60% and you won’t get this ending. Afterward, during the rooftop conversation with Johnny, pick the dialogue:
- Think you and Rogue should go.
Wait for about 5 minutes and Johnny will break the silence and tell you that he has a plan. Pick the dialogue:
- Let’s hear this plan.
And voila! You have just discovered what it takes to become a Night City legend.
With all that covered, what do you think is the best ending to the game? For me, I prefer “The Star” ending over all the rest but overall, “Don’t Fear The Reaper” takes the number one spot. Bonus points if you sync your lifepath with the ending. No go out there and show Night City what you’re made of.
