Content Type: Gaming Guides
“It was about fifty years ago — around 2020 — when this subculture first hit the streets and sparked a totally new style, philosophy, and rebel movement. … The cyberpunk ideology also hit Night City with a huge impact that shattered at least one of its towers into ruins. That’s right, I’m talking about the destruction of Arasaka Towers by one of the most notorious cyberpunks of that era, Johnny Silverhand.” (The World of Cyberpunk 2077).
Legendary rockerboy. Hero to some, terrorist to others. V’s unwilling co-protagonist. Johnny Silverhand is many things, and for your first playthrough he might be a rather tense mystery. When your body and mind are at stake, your opponent is time and an aggressive anti-corporate rebel, and you are constantly out of answers, what do you do?
Johnny Silverhand’s quests in Cyberpunk 2077 are:
- Playing For Time (Flashback Sequence)
- Transmission (Flashback Sequence)
- Tapeworm (Side Quest)
- Chippin’ In (Side Quest)
- Blistering Love (Side Quest)
- Holdin’ On (Side Quest)
(In this guide will also cover Johnny Silverhand’s Point-Of-No-Return quests like For Whom the Bell Tolls and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door. We will also discuss how Johnny is featured in the other epilogues.)
Note: This guide is still in progress as we work hard to update it!
To help you navigate this guide right away:
- In this guide we will discuss Johnny Silverhand’s significant plot points and flashbacks in section “1 – Johnny Silverhand’s Story and Flashbacks” to make sure you have a solid grasp on Johnny’s history and personality as it appears in the game’s main storyline and know which choices are available to you.
- We will walk you through Tapeworm and series of quests that follow right after, in the section “2 – Johnny Silverhand’s Side Quests”, along with how Johnny affects the epilogue quests and endings: this is where your friendship with Johnny will get a chance to truly develop and you will get some extra options for the game’s ending.
- In section “3 – More Interactions with Johnny” we will discuss all of the other bonus material in the game which involves Johnny to make sure you don’t miss out on anything interesting!
If you are just getting started, proceed to our section “Johnny Silverhand Ultimate Checklist”!
Johnny is somewhat of a co-protagonist in Cyberpunk 2077 and following along with him will get you through an interesting line of side quests in the game. How you deal with Johnny will also have a major effect on the ending of your main storyline. In other words, unless you absolutely despise Johnny and don’t care to follow along with his character growth, there are many reasons for you to hear him out and work with him.
Let’s get started!
Quick Note About Spoilers:
Watch out for SPOILER WARNINGS in this guide.
We will preface each section with a summary that is mostly spoiler-free that should guide you in the right direction but save you the fun of discovering of what happens by yourself. Only catch is, try not to read the Minimum Spoilers Summary sections before you catch up to the quests being discussed for the best experience. Feel free to follow along with this guide as you progress through the game at your own pace!
Recommended use of the guide:
- Read the Minimum Spoilers Summary and complete the quests mentioned in the section on your own (for full experience).
- (Optional) Review the “Read More” section if you feel confused while completing the quests.
- Read the “Read More” section after you complete the quests to make sure you did not miss any important information.
Johnny Silverhand Ultimate Checklist
(Start here unless you are looking for a specific section!)
Johnny Silverhand Checklist:
This section is a Minimum Spoilers Summary of the rest of the guide.
- Pay attention to the story told by Johnny Silverhand’s flashbacks during Playing For Time and Transmission.
- Dialogue choices you make will not affect the outcomes.
- Pay attention to dialogues with Johnny at the end of some of your main jobs.
- You should only worry about accepting and going through with Johnny’s request towards the end.
- Play through Chippin’ In, Blistering Love, and Holdin’ On — Johnny’s side quests.
- These are optional, but will bring a few hours of story-rich fun and allow you to get to know Johnny more intimately. These will also unlock a new epilogue path that you can try out.
- Make conscious (but fairly self-explanatory) dialogue choices to become friends with Johnny during Chippin’ In in order to unlock Blistering Love and get the full Johnny Silverhand experience.
- There are a few more secrets in the game which involve Johnny in various degrees. Explore around the city to find them or check out the last section of our guide for help.
⫸ 1 – Johnny Silverhand’s Story and Flashbacks
Before Johnny’s sidequests come into play, you will be dealing with Johnny’s flashbacks as a part of your main questline.
There are two major flashbacks that you should understand to get a grasp of Johnny’s history and his relationship with Arasaka: they will come up during Playing For Time and Transmission quests.
In this section we will cover major points of these flashbacks that will come into play later in your main quest, in case if the irregular timeline or high-paced action got you a little confused or if you worry about how your choices during these flashbacks will affect your playthrough.
First, we will quickly cover the question of when you will meet Johnny in the first place.
When Will V Meet Johnny Silverhand? The Heist Quest
Let’s start at the very beginning before we jump into Johnny’s flashbacks — at what point will V meet Johnny?
Minimum Spoilers Summary:
- You will meet Johnny Silverhand in the game once the job you do for Dexter DeShawn with Jackie goes wrong.
- Johnny will stay with you for the rest of the game and be a major part of your main quest.
(Do not read the rest of this section to avoid story spoilers as we expand on the bullet points above. You can re-visit this section after you complete the quest yourself.
We recommend you read “What Happens During Playing For Time Flashback?” summary, since the two quests are tied together.)
MAJOR SPOILERS for The Heist and Playing For Time!
Johnny Silverhand is intimately intertwined with the central story of Cyberpunk 2077 — so much so that he qualifies as V’s co-protagonist, following the events of the prologue quests.Once Jackie and V are caught in a tricky situation during The Heist and the biochip they are after is damaged, Jackie inserts the chip into his head to preserve its integrity.
Jackie does not make it to the motel where they were supposed to meet with Dexter, so V is the one carrying the biochip in their head. Deeply distressed, Dexter shoots V to improve his chances of avoiding being caught by Arasaka.
That’s when Johnny’s engram on the chip saves V’s life by intervening when V’s brain gets fatal damage from the bullet.
And that’s how V’s battle against the biochip taking over their body begins.
Of course, V doesn’t just learn about what’s happening to their brain on the spot. Before they find themselves on Viktor’s operating table they will experience the flashback story of Johnny Silverhand (see the section “What Happens During Playing For Time Flashback?” below), wake up in a landfill, and meet Takemura soon after.
Here is what you should take away from this sequence in regards to your story with Johnny:
- The biochip has saved your brain, but in turn began to overwrite it with the contents of Johnny’s engram. The chip can no longer be removed without inflicting lethal damage on your brain. You are racing against clock to find a solution to rescue your consciousness.
- You can see Johnny’s engram. He can interact with you physically and could try taking over your body. Omega blockers (blue pills) block Johnny’s influence over your body.
- Johnny has a plan and something that sounds like an unfinished business that involves Alt Cunningham and Mikoshi. He will not be sharing a lot of details as to what that means yet, but you will learn more about it prior to and during the Transmission quest.
What Happens During Playing For Time Flashback?
Minimum Spoilers Summary:
- You will get a chance to experience Johnny’s memories from 2020 as flashbacks.
- The choices you make during flashbacks will not affect any of the outcomes.
(Do not read the rest of this section to avoid story spoilers as we expand on the bullet points above. You can re-visit this section after you complete the quest yourself.
Proceed to “What Happens During Transmission Flashback?” after you are done.)
MAJOR SPOILERS for Playing For Time!
Even before meeting V, Johnny has quite a history to boast of. The player will experience parts of it as flashbacks where they are in control of Johnny’s body and dialogue responses. In Playing For Time the player will witness Johnny’s assault on the Arasaka HQs accompanied by his allies, as well as Johnny’s encounters with Adam Smasher and Saburo Arasaka, which led to him being separated from his body and converted into an engram. However, many pieces seem to be missing from this story, some of which V will have to wait to learn about.
[Which choices matter?] It’s up to the player how they want Johnny to treat people around him in these memories, but it will not have an effect on the story both within the flashbacks or your questline. Johnny will either treat people with more or less respect depending on what dialogue choices you pick, but it will only affect people’s responses and not the events you will witness.
Here is what you should understand out of Johnny’s flashback in Playing For Time:
- This flashback covers more recent events of Johnny’s life, including the story of how Johnny ended up as an engram on the biochip. Johnny’s consciousness was treated with something called “Soulkiller” (you can see that briefly appearing on the screen during the last minute of the flashback) prior to his transfer onto the chip. You will learn more about it during Transmission.
- Johnny’s bandmate is a character named Kerry. You might want to remember this name.
- Johnny went on a suicidal mission along with Rogue. You might want to remember this name.
- Johnny brought devastating destruction into the heart of the Night City, vaporizing Arasaka headquarters along with a major chunk of the city, spanning multiple districts. He is considered a terrorist by corporations because of his actions.
What Happens During Transmission Flashback?
Minimum Spoilers Summary:
- You will play through Johnny’s memories that precede the events of the Playing For Time flashback.
- The choices you make during flashbacks will not affect any of the outcomes.
(Do not read the rest of this section to avoid story spoilers as we expand on the bullet points above. You can re-visit this section after you complete the quest yourself.
Proceed to “Johnny Silverhand’s Side Quests” after you are done.)
MAJOR SPOILERS for Transmission!
After you complete I Walk the Line for Voodoo Boys (regardless of the decisions you make) and enter cyberspace with Brigitte, Johnny’s second second flashback sequence will start. This time V will witness Johnny’s memories regarding Alt Cunningham that come before the events V witnessed in Playing For Time. This sequence will feature the couple’s tense relationship, Alt’s Netrunning expertise and connection to the Soulkiller AI previously unknown to Johnny, and Johnny’s organized attempt to rescue Alt from Arasaka.
This will be the last of Johnny’s flashback sequences in Cyberpunk 2077‘s storyline, but V will get a chance to discuss some of the events witnessed with Johnny right after, as well as meet Alt’s free AI and secure her help.
[Which choices matter?] Just like in Playing For Time, the player is free to affect the extent of Johnny Silverhand’s temper during the flashback, but aside from the responses he gets in return the events will remain unaffected. For example, there is no way to prevent Johnny’s aggressive outbreak at the end of the flashback sequence.
Here is what you should understand out of Johnny’s flashback in Transmission:
- This flashback will fill in some of the details that were missing when V witnessed Johnny’s assault on the Arasaka Tower in Playing For Time: we can infer that the tragic events of Alt’s kidnapping by Arasaka became one of Johnny’s core motivations for his suicide mission.
- Johnny’s relationship with Rogue seems to be complicated, involving brief romantic past that seems to have been plagued with as much tension as Johnny’s relationship with Alt. You might want to keep this in mind if you intent to pursue Johnny’s sidequests.
- You will probably spot Kerry enjoying company of a male while Johnny is chasing after Alt. This foreshadows Kerry’s sexuality in the game.
- Johnny will begin to discuss his former personality with V as their friendship progresses. If you haven’t been picking Johnny’s more rude dialogue lines, Johnny’s emotional response at the end of this flashback (when he turns on Thompson), as well as his relationships with Alt and Rogue should serve as fair examples to the topics Johnny brings up.
⫸ 2 – Johnny Silverhand’s Side Quests
As you complete Automatic Love and other main quests you will already be making progress towards Johnny’s future questline through a series of dedicated dialogues. However, aside from the first of the dialogues, you will not get fully involved until after you go through the events of Playing For Time and Transmission. See the section above for what details you should be paying attention to.
This section is the one you can follow starting at the end of Transmission and onward, making choices to acquire Johnny’s questline and complete it.
Johnny’s sidequests will be titled Chippin’ In, Blistering Love, and Holdin’ On and will affect some of your endings, but will mostly provide you with some exciting story-rich content surrounding Johnny Silverhand.
They are optional, but we highly recommend that you complete all three at least once.
First, let’s discuss what you should be paying attention to in order to begin Johnny’s questline.
From Tapeworm to Chippin’ In
Tapeworm will be tracked as a Side Job, but its format a little unusual: it will be featured as four involved dialogues you have with Johnny as you progress through the main storyline, prior to unlocking Chippin’ In.
Minimum Spoilers Summary:
- When the chip starts making you feel sick at the end of some of the main quests, pay attention to what Johnny is talking about (look at the first bullet-point list under “Read More” if you are lost, but you should experience all of these dialogues as a part of the main story).
- Don’t worry too much about your choices.
- Agree to go along with Johnny’s plan concerning Rogue.
(Do not read the rest of this section to avoid story spoilers as we expand on the bullet points above. You can re-visit this section after you complete the quest yourself.
Proceed to “Johnny Silverhand’s Questline: Chippin In, Blistering Love, Holdin’ On” after you are done.)
MAJOR SPOILERS for Tapeworm!
Here are the four dialogues you should pay attention to:
- After you leave Clouds during Automatic Love, taking the elevator to the ground floor.
- After you walk out of the chapel following the events of Transmission in Pacifica.
- After you leave Anders Hellman following the events of Life During Wartime in Badlands.
- Following your remote conversation with Hanako Arasaka at the end of Search and Destroy.
[Which choices matter?] It doesn’t really matter what you tell Johnny during these exchanges. Picking “blue” dialogue options, hearing Johnny out, and not ending conversations early will probably be a more rewarding experience (especially since conversations will feel quite a bit friendlier), but what matters the most is agreeing to go along with Johnny’s plan to meet with Rogue in the Afterlife after you talk to him inside Pistis Sophia in Pacifica.
If you agree to let Johnny do his thing inside the Afterlife, Chippin’ In will automatically begin.
You can technically end the game without going along with Johnny by approaching Hanako (this will initiate the Point of No Return), but without completing Panam’s questline you are only left with two choices for the ending (and you probably won’t be satisfied with at least one of them). Of course, there is also the option for the secret ending questline, (Don’t Fear) the Reaper (we have a separate guide for getting this option!), which we will discuss in a later section.
Even if you do not ultimately plan on going along with Johnny’s plan with Rogue for the ending, it’s a good idea to continue onward — the side questline that follows comes with exciting story and a lot of opportunities to learn more about Johnny and his former friends.
Here is what you should understand out of Johnny’s dialogues in Tapeworm:
- Johnny does not like the idea of your identity being erased. Johnny wants you alive and he wants to join forces with you as an opportunity to get back at Arasaka for the damage they have done to him (consider Alt’s story) and the society as he sees it. He happy to help you locate and get inside Mikoshi as a part of that plan.
- Johnny learned that he can take over your body if you take the “red” pill and he wants to use this knowledge to provide you with an alternative to dealing with Hanako. He doesn’t know how this will look like yet, but his plan is to get in touch with Rogue to discuss the possibility of getting at Adam Smasher — their shared enemy and a major security gatekeeper of Arasaka.
Johnny Silverhand’s Questline: Chippin’ In, Blistering Love, Holdin’ On
Minimum Spoilers Summary:
- Once Johnny starts talking about himself with you at the end of Chippin’ In, pick friendly dialogue lines to acquire the Blistering Love quest.
- If you are really interested in acquiring a secret ending with Johnny, (Don’t Fear) the Reaper, we suggest that you read the first section of Read More below.
- When making decisions about sparing characters in Chippin’ In, be merciful to acquire an iconic reward.
- Your dialogue choices during Blistering Love and Holdin’ On do not affect your main questline.
- Completing Blistering Love will unlock an additional ending for you.
(Do not read the rest of this section to avoid story spoilers as we expand on the bullet points above. You can re-visit this section after you complete the quest yourself.
Proceed to “Johnny In Point-Of-No-Return Quests and the Epilogue” after you are done.)
MAJOR SPOILERS for Chippin’ In, Blistering Love, and Holdin’ On!
(Chippin’ In) Important Note About (Don’t Fear) the Reaper, the Secret Ending
Many players have reported not being able to get (Don’t Fear) the Reaper dialogue option after 10+ minutes of waiting during the designated dialogue sequence later in the game.
Your friendship percentage with Johnny doesn’t seem to make as much of a difference as previously thought (the 70% mark does not seem to solve the issue).
It seems like KUNG IX was able to reconstruct a reliable dialogue progression for the end of Chippin’ In that was tested and confirmed by a great number of players.
To ensure that you get the secret ending later in the game you can pick these dialogue options exactly after reaching the oil fields at the end of Chippin’ In:
- “[Sit] D’ya expect a headstone?”
- “[Inscribe Johnny’s initials] Let’s do something about that.”
- “The Guy who Saved My Life.”
- “Nah, fucked that up too.”
- “What do you want from me?”
- “OK. But as second chances go, this is your last.”
- “You were a real sick in the beginning.”
- “When you said you let down your friends…”
- “Smasher biz really got to her.”
- “Yeah, I’ll call Rogue.”
Credit: KVNG IX
1 – Chippin’ In
This quest is all about you and Johnny Silverhand. It’s about giving Johnny control, forgiving him for his unique methods towards solving problems, calling in on his old friendships, confronting his past, and having crucial conversations.
It can be said that all three quests deal with some of these, but Chippin’ In is definitely the most important when it comes to your relationship with Johnny and will determine whether he will trust you with some of his more intimate issues (i.e., whether you can get Blistering Love). This is also the quest where you can acquire Johnny’s iconic Porsche 911 II (930) Turbo.
[Which choices matter?] If you care about acquiring Johnny’s car and securing your friendship, there are two moments during the quest you should watch out for:
- Spare Grayson’s life after defeating him at the far end of the ship (pick, “Got lucky today”) for him to both give you an access card and explain what it is for. (You can technically shoot him after.) This is what will help you acquire Johnny’s Porsche.
- We discuss this in more detail in our guide on how to acquire Johnny’s gun and his car!
- When you reach oil fields with Johnny, pick friendly dialogue options in order for him to ask you to help him with Rogue. Agree to go along with his plan. (Yeah, I’ll call Rogue.)
- As long as you aren’t directly dismissive of Johnny, you should have no problems with this dialogue.
- If you care about getting the secret ending later in the game, we listed the exact dialogue options you can try to pick in the previous section.
Here is what you should note from Chippin’ In:
- Johnny is still Johnny when it comes to approaching the world in his own manner (perhaps not all of those drinks and pills were necessary), but he is definitely willing to change some of his ways for you. He will start to show his less egocentric approach with Kerry and Rogue.
- Johnny continues to observe the variety of ways in which Rogue has changed, and her business with Maelstrom seems to be one of these ways. She is not willing to disclose all of the reasons behind her interest in Adam Smasher, nor is she talking much about what happened to her following the assault on Arasaka HQs.
- Aside from tying some loose ends, Johnny’s central mission in his current form continues to be helping you survive and reach Mikoshi.
2 – Blistering Love
This quest is about Johnny trying to make things right with Rogue. No matter how the events unfold within, completing this quest will unlock an additional ending for you that involves Rogue. (We will discuss For Whom the Bell Tolls and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door in the section “Johnny In Point-Of-No-Return Quests and the Epilogue”.) Also, you will get Johnny’s iconic jacket!
V’s willingness to give Johnny control over their body one more time allowed him to deal with a rather intimate matter, but how intimate it gets is up to the player.
[Which choices matter?] During the quest, as Johnny and Rogue watch their movie, you can indicate Johnny’s interest in her to get an opportunity for a brief romantic scene.
Here is what you should note from Blistering Love:
- Rogue remembers Johnny’s Porsche vividly (provided you pick her up while driving that car) and she acquired a replica of Johnny’s jacket, supposedly just for you.
- Rogue does seem to have some romantic interest in Johnny, but decades of figuring out her own life haven’t gone by without leaving their mark. There seems to be something in the way of the two just enjoying each other’s company (aside from Johnny needing to borrow your body).
3 – Holdin’ On
Just like Johnny wanted to do his best to get things right with Rogue while he has a chance, he wants to check in on Kerry. What starts as Johnny’s worries about Kerry’s mental state turns into an opportunity for the pair to partially reassemble the Samurai band, just for one night.
This quest won’t cover the process, but the resulting scene in A Like Supreme will definitely be worth it, even if you don’t want to complete the rest of Kerry’s side quests after (note for the future: it won’t matter whether you pick Denny or Henry). If you care about romancing Kerry, check out our dedicated guide to Romance (you need to be a male V).
[Which choices matter?] As long as you agree to give Johnny control when he asks you about it by the North Oak sign, how you infiltrate Kerry’s mansion and how you talk to him will not affect the outcome.
To go through with the task of getting the band together, call Nancy after Johnny and Kerry are done and then complete Second Conflict.
Here is what you should note from Holdin’ On:
- Johnny told Kerry to leave Samurai and go his own way soon before his death. Kerry acquired great fame and wealth by doing so, but still has great memories of his more independent times with the band.
- Kerry signed with MSM Records, a large entertainment corporation. It’s probably not the way Johnny expected Kerry to go, considering Samurai’s rebellious beginnings, but this is the path Kerry chose to acquire significant wealth and fame from his musical talent. In contrast, Samurai seems to have been nearly forgotten by Night City. If you will continue Kerry’s questline, this is something you might want to remember. Pay attention to how Kerry describes feeling next to Johnny in the old days of Samurai.
- If this helps your decision for Second Conflict: Johnny remembers Denny as someone with a strong spine and a lot of talent. Meanwhile, he expects that Henry continued on with his drinking habit to his own detriment.
Johnny In Point-Of-No-Return Quests and the Epilogue
Minimum Spoilers Summary:
- You will get a chance to play through all of the available Epilogues, provided you can meet their unique requirements (if you aimed for completion during your playthrough, the secret ending will likely be the only one to give you any trouble.)
- This means that there isn’t a “wrong decision” in regards to these endings and you don’t have to worry about your choices.
- However, some endings have different implications for your relationship with Johnny than others. Allow yourself to get truly immersed in the various complex situations you end up facing to get the best experience.
(Do not read the rest of this section to avoid story spoilers as we discuss different endings, especially the ones that deal with Johnny more directly. Re-visit this section after you complete as many endings as you can by yourself.
Remember to check out “More Interactions with Johnny” after you are done.)
MAJOR SPOILERS for NOCTURNE OP55N1, Totalimmortal, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, Belly of the Beast, Path of Least Resistance, and (Don’t Fear) the Reaper!
Note: After entering the Point-Of-No-Return with NOCTURNE OP55N1 and playing through one of the available Epilogues you will be able to reload the game back to before your meeting with Hanako. After that you can try to follow through with all of the endings you didn’t lock yourself out of.
In Cyberpunk 2077 you will have 4 general paths — “Point-Of-No-Return” questlines — to achieve 3 different endings (with unique variations within) — Epilogues.
There is also a special shorter ending, the “Path of Least Resistance”.
1 – Epilogues Where Johnny Plays a Secondary Role
2 out of the aforementioned paths and 3 out of these endings involve Johnny mostly as a secondary character, and these are the ones we will be briefly covering in this section.
These are:
- Totalimmortal (Hanako’s path)
- “Where is My Mind?” Epilogue (V’s ending with Hanako and Arasaka)
- Belly of the Beast (Panam’s/Nomad path)
- “All Along the Watchtower” Epilogue (V’s ending with Panam if they keep their body)
- “Path of Glory” Epilogue (V’s ending from Rogue’s path or the secret ending [see next section])
[Which choices matter?] All of these quests have special requirements.
For example, you have to complete Panam’s questline (we have a guide for the Romance version of it) to be able to get Nomads to help you out with your infiltration of the Arasaka Tower. On the other hand, you have to ignore Johnny and follow through with Hanako to acquire the Arasaka ending with some slight variations (Hellman or Takemura, Secure Your Soul program or returning to Earth).
However, we will not be covering these in more detail in this guide.
Instead, we will talk about how these endings affect your story with Johnny:
- For all of these endings you will block Johnny’s presence with pills. You won’t see him until you are inside Mikoshi.
- Picking Hanako’s path will lock you out of all Epilogues but “Where is My Mind.” Johnny will be disappointed with you picking this path. You will not meet with Alt in Mikoshi. Johnny’s engram will be permanently shredded along with the chip.
- V’s “All Along the Watchtower” as well as “Path of Glory” will happen if player lets V keep the body, regardless of whether the ending is being played through Johnny’s (Rogue’s path) or V’s perspective. Johnny will be left behind in cyberspace.
- In all of these scenarios, Johnny is happy to return the body back to V, despite the uncovered complications. He will leave V with a parting, hopeful remark.
- If Johnny is the one making this decision, V will fight Johnny similarly to how Johnny fights V in the opposite scenario.
- In “Path of Glory” V can commemorate Johnny by drinking to his name in the Afterlife.
2 – Epilogues with Johnny as the Main Character
In this section we will be covering the quests and endings where Johnny plays a major role:
- “Path of Least Resistance” Epilogue (special shorter ending)
- For Whom the Bell Tolls and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (Rogue’s path)
- “New Dawn Fades” Epilogue (Johnny’s ending from all paths except Hanako’s path)
- (Don’t Fear) the Reaper (secret ending)
[Which choices matter?] Let’s go over each of the endings and how they affect your story with Johnny.
Path of Least Resistance
“Path of Least Resistance” is your special little ending with Johnny where you eliminate the problem and the need to risk anyone else’s life by ending your own. Yes, this is a direct suicide ending and you will get a chance to pick it if you backtrack on your choices during the balcony dialogue and either look at your hand with the pills or towards the gun.
Johnny will be calm about your decision, which will come as a surprise to V. Most of V’s friends, however, will be upset, enraged, or deeply sad about this choice during the end credits.
(Don’t Fear) the Reaper
This quest is a more satisfying solution to the same dilemma you face with the “Path of Least Resistance.” See our detailed guide on how to acquire it, or at least read our note for Chippin’ In earlier in this guide. Instead of a direct suicide, V chooses to avoid sacrificing lives of his friends by assaulting Arasaka HQs with Johnny’s guidance (more of an emotional support, actually).
Johnny will be cheering you on actively and will briefly remember his own assault of the tower. Following this path will not affect your Epilogue experience, unless you die during the assault. The game will treat that specific version of events similarly to “Path of Least Resistance.” However, completing this path is a great test of your V’s skillset, so it is rewarding in its own way.
If V lives on afterwards, the only person that is guaranteed to be negatively affected will be Takemura, if you saved him during your main questline playthrough.
Rogue’s Path
You will be able to acquire For Whom the Bell Tolls and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door if you completed Blistering Love in Johnny’s questline (see Johnny Silverhand’s Questline section earlier in the guide). This path will give you an opportunity to play as Johnny in V’s body for a long stretch of time, as well as inside Mikoshi.
Rogue’s path is a bit more direct than Nomad’s path, but not quite so like the secret ending. This has its advantages, including helping yourself to a stash of weapons and ammo behind the bar, including retrothrusters. Alt will help you on your journey as well.
If you would like to save Weyland to have him during the mission, quietly take out the patrolling guard by the conference table inside Arasaka’s Tower jungle during Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door. There will be a unique hammer leaning against a tree nearby, The Caretaker’s CyberSpade.
During this questline Rogue will be the one to become the victim to Adam Smasher (as opposed to Saul in Panam’s path). You can collect a Liberty pistol called Pride after the battle.
New Dawn Fades
This is the one and only true Johnny Silverhand ending. It can happen only if you let Johnny keep V’s body. You can do so at the end of all paths with the exception of Hanako’s questline and, of course, the “Path of Least Resistance.” Johnny will try to stop V from crossing the bridge to cyberspace, unless Johnny is the one making this decision by entering the well. Johnny will be deeply emotional (in a touching way) as V heads towards the end of the bridge. Later we will discuss more bonuses to having V be in charge of this decision.
During this ending Johnny will have a series of interesting interactions with a teenager by the name of Steve. Johnny will pay V some respects inside a colombarium (as well as Rogue if her path was followed towards this Epilogue). The dialogue lines will vary depending on whether V was in charge of the decision or Johnny took their body himself (Johnny will be much more grateful to V if they were in charge).
The end credits will demonstrate that Johnny didn’t keep in touch with V’s friends, with only Panam aware of what happened. If Rogue is alive, she will berate Johnny for his selfishness. If Takemura is alive, his last words will be similar to those in the credits of (Don’t Fear) the Reaper.
⫸ 3 – More Interactions with Johnny
Aside from the main questline and Johnny’s side quests, there are plenty of personal (or just amusing) interactions you can experience with Johnny throughout the city. Why not take Johnny for a rollercoaster ride in Pacifica or see how he reacts to you adopting a stray cat?
We will tell you which secrets, side quests, and gigs to look out for to get more Johnny interactions in the “Read More” below.
However, beware that this is not a complete list — Johnny drops little comments here and there throughout your exploration of Night City, and we simply chose the ones that seem to be extra interesting or involved.
There aren’t that as many spoilers revealed in the section below (and we won’t show you the best moments), but if you really want to discover these by yourself, here is a Minimum Spoilers Summary:
Try to locate quests where Johnny:
- Reacts to you adopting a stray cat.
- Shares a rollercoaster ride with you.
- Shares false SAMURAI trivia with you, making you look like an idiot.
- Narrates your pursuit of a target, as if in a detective movie.
- Gives you two middle fingers with a grin on his face.
- Is enjoying a hacked fortuneteller AI.
- Watches you wake up after you have been kidnapped.
Note: of course, to get these interactions you would need to meet Johnny in your main questline following The Heist.
If you would like to learn how to acquire these quests, continue reading below!
“Feed Teh Cat” – Adopting a Furless Little Friend in Night City
We won’t cover the instructions to this one in extreme detail because we have a detailed guide for this quest on our website! The instructions on where to find the bowl to feed the stray kitty are under the section entitled “How to Get a Cat”.
Johnny’s reaction to Nibbles will be quite cute, even if he doesn’t have much to say.
Love Rollercoaster Quest – Johnny Can Happy?!
Head to the coast in Pacifica at the edge of the Coast View subdistrict, to the pier that has a deserted rollercoaster attached to it.
Here is where to find the Love Rollercoaster:
Here you will find Jean, trying to repair the car. Scan it to locate the control panel. Rewire it and enjoy your fun ride with Johnny.
The Ballad of Buck Ravers – Challenge From the True Fan of SAMURAI
This is a little dedicated quest for Johnny Silverhand and SAMURAI. All you need to do to start it is to head to Jig Jig Street in Japantown (Westbrook) and find a Street Musician at one of the Undiscovered map points. It will be in the market area nearby.
Here is where to find The Ballad of Buck Ravers:
Johnny will stop you and call you over to the musician, triggering the start of the quest. You will get a free SAMURAI concert recording at the end of this quest (sadly, just a Miscellaneous item worth no money, despite the description claim), as well as hear Johnny ramble on about change and meaning of life.
Raymond Chandler Evening – Something Out of a Pulpy Noir Thriller
Visit El Coyote Cojo in the Glen. You will witness a corporate employee harassed by some Valentinos. After you deal with the gang members and the man rewards you (reply “‘Cause I knew you were in trouble” for a greater reward), talk to the bartender. Pepe will ask you to trail his wife, Cynthia.
Go to her workplace between 8 AM and 6 PM and trail her — Johnny will be narrating!
Losing My Religion – Double Finger!
Head to the Northside docks, on the eastern side of the Arasaka Waterfront. Locate the section number 4 and look for a monk in distress by the name of Bhikkhu.
Here is where to find Losing My Religion:
After Bhikkhu assigns you the job of rescuing his brother, listen to Johnny ask you a question about your approach. When he flips you off, respond in kind! Then Johnny will give you a double middle-finger with a smile on his face.
After you complete the quest, Johnny will comment on the approach you chose to take. The monk will greatly appreciate you not killing anyone, but Johnny will be snarky (as usual).
Killing in the Name – Come All for the Prophet of Night City!
You can’t get this quest until you finish A Like Supreme – see Holdin’ On in our section “Johnny Silverhand’s Side Quests.” Make sure to have some points in your Intelligence Attribute as well.
This quest might feel like a bit of a pointless chase at times, but Johnny’s comments throughout should spice it up for you a little. Really, that’s the biggest reason to complete this one!
At a certain point you will receive some messages from Swedenborg-Riviera, the last of which will contain a link, starting the mission. Open it up from any computer and then call Nancy (you would have met her during Second Conflict.)
She will get you set up with coordinates from Rancho Coronado — head over and scan the area for clues, locating the fuse box to your right (or just follow the sound up the staircase after Johnny stops grumbling). Go up three flights of the metal staircase and locate the pirate router. You will have to jump across the rail towards it.
This is in case if you get lost looking for the router:
Breach into the router (any Datamine will do) and get Badlands coordinates. Once at the location, neutralize the Wraiths (this will complete an NCPD gig) or sneak past them, and then scan the power cables and follow them to the roof of a trailer nearby. At the base of a tall antenna will be the second router and another signal source.
Go to the designated site in the Biotechnica farm to find the last signal source. After you park your vehicle, look directly above you and scan the broken railing. Climb all the way to the top to find the last router near the “N” in the Biotechnica sign.
Finally, at the Pacifica’s amusement park locate the fortuneteller bot across from a set of vending machines not far ahead from where you talk to Johnny. Johnny will be the happiest if you don’t disconnect if from the net.
Jack into it and either mess with it more (you will discover some interesting details) or promise Johnny to not mess with it. You can check timetowakeup.web again after you complete this mission.
Sweet Dreams – V Does an Oopsie
You need to complete I Fought the Law, advancing the investigation until you leave the Japantown market.
Pass by Stefan on your way out and let him sell you his virtu. Follow him into the nearby room and enjoy.
