What Cyberpunk 2077's Happiest Ending For V Really Is (2024)

There are several endings available in CD Projekt Red's open-ended action RPG Cyberpunk 2077, influenced by both main story dialogue choices, side quests, and character romances, and they range from devastating to bittersweet. In the end, Cyberpunk 2077's protagonist V's fate is determined by the player, with the caveat that for all but one of the endings, if V survives Cyberpunk, they only have six months to live due to the Relic. Despite the difficulties they face, V can manage to secure a happy ending - or at least the closest thing to a happy ending that exists in the dark Cyberpunk 2077 universe.

[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077.]

Early in the game, Dexter DeShawn asks the player whether they'd rather "live in peace" or go down in a "blaze of glory." When it comes to happy endings, those are the only options. One must decide whether V wants the quiet life, sinking into serene obscurity, or go out as a legend. Thus, the happiest endings are either "The Star," where V gets a peaceful existence knowing they will die, or Cyberpunk 2077's secret ending, "The Sun," where V becomes the living legend they always wanted to be. There is also a third ending in the Phantom Liberty DLC, "The Tower", where V can be cured of the Relic at a steep cost.

The Worst Endings In Cyberpunk 2077

Which Cyberpunk 2077 Endings To Avoid

The easy aspect of narrowing down V's happiest ending is that most endings are disqualified off the bat. The suicide ending, known as the "Path of Least Resistance," is particularly morose, and about the most on-the-nose "bad ending" a video game can have, and ends the game in an extremely abrupt and harrowing manner. A good rule of thumb: any ending that could be straight out of Silent Hill is probably best avoided.

"The Devil" ending is a similarly sinister end to the Cyberpunk 2077 story and has V side with Arasaka, one of the game's main villainous megacorporations, to remove their biochip. Either V gets trapped in cyberspace with no assurance they'll return, or they go back to Earth after being Arasaka's lab rat, only to find they've been abandoned by their friends.

The "Temperance" ending - yet another outcome that sees V die in Cyberpunk - doesn't make the cut either. Here, V's consciousness is erased and Johnny Silverhand returns to Night City in V's body, but many of V's allies, especially Panam, hate Johnny for this outcome, calling it "sick" that Johnny would be walking around in V's body, and Panam threatens to kill him and get revenge for what is essentially the death of V.

Cyberpunk's Best Ending Is "The Star"

As Happily Ever After As V Can Get

"The Star" is the most traditionally good ending in Cyberpunk 2077, and could even be considered something of a "happily ever after" tale, especially if the player takes Panam's romance route. In this ending, V leaves Night City with Panam and her clan of nomads after discovering their life has an expiration date. Panam reveals she has a friend who could help save V from their fate, so V rides off into the sunset having joined one of Cyberpunk's less violent factions.

This ending allows V a peaceful existence, hope for a longer life, and a romance with Panam. For any player who believes V just wants to settle down, "The Star" is undoubtedly V's happiest ending.

Cyberpunk's "The Tower" Ending Is Bittersweet

Only Accessible With The Phantom Liberty DLC

During the Phantom Liberty expansion content for Cyberpunk 2077, if players can spare Songbird's life and hand her over to Reed, there is an option for a new ending to the overall game that will save V's life, but at a cost. Reed will contact V after the DLC is over and, when the player is ready for the ending to occur, V will be able to have surgery to cure them of their terminal disease. They wake up and find that two years have passed. All their cyberware is gone, but they are alive.

What makes this supposedly happy ending so gut-wrenching is the fact that Johnny is lost in the process, with his final goodbye left echoing in the air. That, combined with realizing that everyone else had assumed V was dead and moved on, is a very sad concept, and some may argue it undoes a lot of the relationships players had invested so much time in throughout the game, which has caused some controversy among the fanbase. V no longer has Johnny, or anyone else. They are alone and powerless.

Cyberpunk 2077's "The Sun" Ending Is Pretty Good

A Heroic Farewell To V

Perhaps it would be better for V to burn out than fade to black. Being a legend in Night City requires sacrifice, and that's what "The Sun" ending entails. V takes over the Afterlife and becomes a legend in Night City. V ends up alone, but the whole city knows their name, and in the end, they set off on one final mission: a heist of the Crystal Palace Casino, on behalf of a client who claims they can save V's life.

This ending is best experienced if it follows the secret "Don't Fear The Reaper" ending, where V and Johnny raid Arasaka without their allies. Going in alone is extremely risky, but it means nobody dies during the final mission. The V who commits to a life of violence is selfish; they forsake their relationships to attempt a suicide mission, and embrace the resulting fame rather than leave Night City behind. If, however, a player's version of V wants nothing more than fame and fortune, this is V's happiest ending.

V finishes their job like a true renegade, spares their friends from danger, and becomes Night City royalty. They may have lost their romantic interest, but they have Night City in the palm of their hand, a way to escape their fate, and the world's most epic job ahead of them, truly embracing the gritty and glamorous spirit of Cyberpunk 2077.

The world that Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in is far from cheerful, which is visible throughout every interaction in the game. The darkness that hangs over Night City and the hopeless, bleak feeling in the world does not lead to many happy endings. For V, whether it is better to live their final days in peace, be cured but alone, or go out as a hero are all possibilities that have an element of sadness. Cyberpunk 2077 has many different paths that players can take, with philosophical consequences that can be considered with each.

Source: xLetalis/YouTube, PowerPyx/YouTube

Cyberpunk 2077

RPG

Action

Franchise

Cyberpunk

Platform(s)

PC , Xbox One , Stadia , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X

Released

December 10, 2020

Developer(s)

CD Projekt Red

Publisher(s)

CD Projekt Red

Engine

REDengine 4

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol