Cyberpunk 2077 is a very quotable game, thanks to its cast of well-written characters, such as V, Panam, Judy, and Johnny Silverhand. By far, the character with the best lines is Johnny, as he manages to balance crass humor and genuinely heartfelt moments, creating some of the most memorable lines in Cyberpunk 2077. Johnny’s dialogue would be nothing without the fantastic line delivery by Keanu Reeves, who flawlessly brings out the character’s humanity and deep-rooted anger.
Despite being the most consequential character to 2077‘s story, Johnny Silverhand actually has the second most dialogue in the entire game. Originally, Silverhand was planned as more of a cameo, but his role was expanded significantly, resulting in over 15 days of voice recording for Keanu Reeves. With that many lines of amazing dialogue, it’s no surprise that Johnny Silverhand is one of the best things about Cyberpunk 2077.
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“Here Lies Johnny Silverhand”
Grave Reflections
The mission to track down the final resting place of Johnny Silverhand is entirely optional, but well worth checking out. Once V find his “grave” in the middle of a dump, Johnny asks V for help coming up with his own memorial.
Hearing Johnny start off his own epitaph is definitely strange, but a reminder that Night City is a place where anything can happen. Provided it’s bad or upsetting, of course.
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“To Bring An End To The Madness You Wreak.”
Johnny Silverhand’s Final Words
In Cyberpunk 2077, just before Johnny Silverhand is turned into a biochip destined for V’s head, he meets Saburo Arasaka, the head of the Arasaka corporation. The doctor who is transferring Johnny’s consciousness to the chip asks him why he did what he did. His response is, “To bring an end to the madness you wreak.”
It is a powerful quote, one that perfectly summarizes both his deep hatred for Arasaka and corpos in general, as well as his general mission statement. It also shows his utter lack of sympathy for anyone outside his cause, as well as further reinforces his tunnel-visioned warpath that influences much of V’s character growth throughout Cyberpunk 2077. “The madness you wreak” certainly applies to the Arasaka corporation, but it could easily be said of Johnny and his once erratic and explosive ways.
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“So Go Out And Play. Just Don’t Get Played.”
Solid Advice From A Talking Corpse
Johnny Silverhand may not be the most morally scrupulous character, but he understands Night City and its residents better than most. In the excellent Phantom Liberty expansion, Silverhand isn’t quite as large a presence. But when he does pop up to give V advice, it’s always pretty solid.
While weighing up whether to get involved in what promises to be yet another lengthy conspiracy, Silverhand tells V to “go out and play”, while warning them not to get played themselves. Possibly the best advice you could give anyone starting Cyberpunk 2077 for the first time.
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“Only Two Willing To Spread Their Legs For You? Sad.”
Johnny Chastising V In Clouds
During the mission “Automatic Love” in Cyberpunk 2077, V heads to Megabuilding H8 to try and find information about Evelyn’s whereabouts. However, in order to do so, they need to infiltrate Clouds, a place where people go to have wild and unpredictable experiences with Dolls, a Cyberpunk slang term for people whose job requires personality-altering doll-chips, most commonly sex workers. The receptionist gives V the option between two Dolls, Skye and Angel, which prompts Johnny to tease them.
Contrary to Johnny’s joke, the meeting with either Skye or Angel is not particularly explicit, and no one “spreads their legs.” However, it does lead to some interesting character development for V.
This quote may not have a lasting impression on players in Cyberpunk 2077, but it’s emblematic of V and Johnny’s early relationship, lightly teasing one another to get a rise out of them. It’s also a fun way to defuse some tension. Clouds itself is a relatively seedy place covered in dangerous Tyger Claw members who’ll shoot before asking questions.
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“I’ve Processed Some Sh*t, Changed My Mind. Don’t Want You Dead Anymore.”
Johnny Realizes V Is More Useful Alive
After the discussion with Takemura, Arasaka’s former bodyguard, Johnny begins to realize that V is more useful to him alive than dead. This quote, said as V sits in a diner with Johnny, marks the beginning of this new relationship. In this scene, Johnny begins to realize that V and Rogue can help him, rather than be a nuisance.
The scene is one-sided, though, as V is still unconvinced about Johnny’s sincerity, questioning his motives and expressing annoyance at the sudden shift in tone. Any semblance of cooperation is immediately brought to an end when V responds with, “Go f**k yourself, d*ckwipe!“
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“Johnny Silverhand. Rock Legend, Voice In V’s Head.”
Johnny Pretends He Exists
This scene takes place when V is introducing themselves to the MaxTac agent at Jinguji after fending off a cyberpyscho. As he talks, Johnny appears perched on the couch opposite of V and makes his own introduction.
The way he chooses to talk about himself is telling, describing himself as a “rock legend” but also being defined by his captivity in V’s head. When V responds in bewilderment to Johnny’s entrance, Johnny responds in what seems like a joke but is actually somewhat sad: “Lemme pretend I exist sometimes, OK?”
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“You Just Discovered What It Takes To Become A Legend.”
Johnny Approves Of V’s Decision
The ending of Cyberpunk 2077 hits hard, as even “winning” the game doesn’t quite feel like winning, no matter which ending is achieved. There’s one ending, though, which has a different outcome than the rest and doesn’t require V to throw anyone else under the bus with them. The secret Cyberpunk ending has V choosing not to send anyone but themselves to their death.
In this ending, V says, “If I gotta die, rather fall into my grave gun in hand and on fire. And not drag anyone down with me.” This line shows how much V has grown over the course of the game, as they nobly choose to make the mission a suicide run instead of taking anyone else into the line of fire. Johnny’s response shows that he approves of V’s choice, calling them by a title that Johnny had used to refer to himself: a legend.
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“We Fought For Beauty. Not Knowin’ What Was Good Or True, Was Only The Beautiful That Meant A Damn Thing To Us.”
Johnny On The Meaning Of Beauty
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Custom Image by: Katarina Cimbaljevic -
Custom Image by Katarina Cimbaljevic
Throughout Cyberpunk 2077, Johnny is shown to have an eye for beauty, in his own way. From music to actual art (thanks to an old ex, as Johnny tells it), Johnny knows his way around the beautiful. This quote, said while taking the elevator to the Netrunner’s nest, shows that beauty isn’t just something Jonny knows; it’s an ideal worth fighting for.
In the scene, Johnny asks Rogue if she ever wonders “why we did it,” why they rebelled against the corps. Rogue responds that she’s not sure, that it might be something all young, idealistic people do. In response, Johnny says this quote, which puts the rebellion into focus. The line shows the world through Johnny’s perspective, where the ideas of “good” and “bad” are ambiguous, but the idea of beauty is universal.
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“F**k V. I’ve Been Dead The Last Half Century.”
A Vulnerable Moment For Johnny
Johnny Silverhand rarely has a vulnerable moment in Cyberpunk 2077, often choosing to put on a brave face and bat away any attempts at discussing his feelings. This changes throughout the course of Cyberpunk 2077, as he gradually becomes more like V. One such vulnerable moment is when he lashes out at V, saying, “F**k V. I’ve been dead the last half century. Sorry if I’m unable to hand you all the answers on a chrome f**king platter when you snap your fingers.”
How V responds to Johnny Silverhand’s more vulnerable moments is actually one of the decisions that impact Cyberpunk 2077’s many endings. V is often clueless and relies on Johnny a lot to fill in the gaps, but here, it’s clear that Johnny is often just as much in the dark as V is. It is a sobering moment, one that manages to actually bring the two closer together in the long run.
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“Know What? You’re Starting To Remind Me Of Me.”
Johnny And V Are One And The Same
During the mission “Lightning Breaks” in Cyberpunk 2077, while driving with Panam, Johnny appears in the backseat. He remarks on how V is becoming more and more like him, largely due to V’s growing rebellious and anti-corporation attitude. Johnny compliments V on this, albeit a little crassly, by saying, “Know what? You’re starting to remind me of me… fifty years back. Minus the charisma… and impressive c*ck.”
Johnny Silverhand is certainly not one for complimenting others, so it’s refreshing to see him praise V. While it’s certainly done in a very Silverhand way, the quote sticks as being memorable thanks to its crass humor and importance in V and Silverhand’s development. Players can always tweak their character’s appearance if they feel a little insecure about his comments.