Since the game was revealed, way back in January of 2013, Cyberpunk 2077 has always had an air of mystery. That initial trailer seven years ago was confusing to say the least, with plenty of slow-motion, no-context scenes depicting the world of Cyberpunk. Things have changed a lot since then, but there's still plenty of mystery surrounding the game, especially when it comes to a certain elusive and charismatic character: Johnny Silverhand.
Unveiled during E3 2019, Johnny Silverhand is V's guide or some kind of AI companion throughout Cyberpunk 2077. Johnny's purpose in the story has largely remained a mystery, likely on purpose considering how Keanu Reeves' character was such a well-kept secret until last year. Johnny Silverhand is actually a prominent character in Cyberpunk lore, but his correlation with Cyberpunk 2077's story isn't obvious by any means.
Samurai's Frontman
Johnny was first introduced in the tabletop game Cyberpunk 2013 as an iconic member of the "Rockerboy" role. The Rockerboy role is essentially the punk rock equivalent of medieval bards in Cyberpunk lore. Rockerboys use their voice, instruments (typically electric guitars, obviously), and spirit of rebellion to empower the masses. Much like punk rock music itself, Rockerboys typically preach anti-corporate sentiments to characters in Cyberpunk to inspire them to fight. They're also very capable fighters themselves in some cases, most famously with Johnny Silverhand.
Frontman for the band Samurai, Johnny Silverhand was easily the most famous Rockerboy of his time. After fighting in the fictional Central American Conflict in 1990, Johnny lost his arm and left the military. That was when Johnny gained his new namesake, "Silverhand." His cybernetic arm would be a constant reminder of the pointless war he fought, fueling his desire for rebellion and not being subservient to corporations. Upon returning to society, Johnny Silverhand and a few friends formed his band Samurai, and went from playing bars to touring the nation as one of the most popular rock bands of all time.
Soulkiller and Arasaka
Cyberpunk 2077 seems to pick up long after Johnny's reported demise. Johnny Silverhand supposedly died in 2020 after a failed battle with Adam Smasher, a full cyborg man who works for the Arasaka megacorporation. Johnny's girlfriend Alt Cunningham was kidnapped by Arasaka in Cyberpunk lore and forced to produce a dangerous "Soulkiller" software that could download a netrunner's mind, killing them in the process. Johnny went to Arasaka headquarters to rescue Cunningham, but was far too late. He had supposedly died when the Arasaka facility was bombed by rival mega corporation Militech, but his body was never discovered. Then there's V and the events of Cyberpunk 2077's prologue.
Players meet Johnny at some point after the prologue of Cyberpunk 2077, though it's unclear how or why. After being betrayed and left for dead by Dexter Deshawn, the protagonist V awakens in a scrapyard to a digital representation of Johnny Silverhand standing over them. From there, Silverhand supposedly acts as a guide to Night City for the player and sticks around throughout the playthrough. This strange digital dynamic infers that Johnny Silverhand's physical body was killed, but he's somehow manifested himself as a digital "ghost" in the player's brain. That's really all players can infer at the moment, otherwise Johnny would be over 100 years old at this point if he was still alive.
Johnny Silverhand is Back
It's a question that's been on the minds of Samurai fans and players alike: Where's Johnny? The subject of Johnny's death has been discussed and debated over time when his body was never found after the Arasaka bombing. Johnny's grand plan to assault Arasaka and rescue his girlfriend presumably ended in his death, but it seems Cyberpunk 2077 is asserting otherwise. Keanu Reeves in an interview stated that Johnny is as much a part of the player's journey, as the player is along for Johnny's journey. Johnny wants to make a comeback, and may be using V as a vessel for his revenge.
There's a few theories as to what Johnny Silverhand may have been planning. It's very possible that same technology Cunningham was developing, the tech used to download a netrunner's mind to a local file, was used on Johnny himself prior to his death. Johnny Silverhand's conscience may have been ripped from his body prior to death, and through means unknown, may have been transferred to V. Acting like some sort of Silverhand backup, Johnny could be working with V to ultimately accomplish his goal of getting revenge on Arasaka. From what CD Projekt Red has shown from the prologue of Cyberpunk 2077, V doesn't have much love for Arasaka either.
Johnny and V have likely formed the classic "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" bond as a result, which given the context of Johnny's role in Cyberpunk 2077, seems likely. An iconic rockerboy like that wouldn't be relegated to the role of Night City's guide without an ulterior motive of his own. When Silverhand said "We've got a city to burn," pretty sure he meant it.
Cyberpunk 2077 launches November 19 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5, Stadia, and Xbox Series X versions also in development.
