Cyberpunk 2077, despite all of its problems, is still commendable for its massive size and engaging main story. Like any open-world RPG worth its weight in side-quests, there are numerous endings for V, the customizable protagonist, and Johnny Silverhand's journey. Eight exist in all within the cyberpunk science fiction adventure. Some vary greatly from each other, while a few are minor variations.

The following list ranks them all from worst to best. Fortunately for players, it is easy to go back and experience most of these endings after beating Cyberpunk 2077 once. Most of them have some sort of prerequisite, but almost all of them are obtainable from before the point of no return, so anyone who rushes through the story without engaging in side quests should not worry about missing out. It should also go without saying, but massive spoilers are abundant below.

Updated on October 26, 2023, by Anastasia Maillot: Cyberpunk 2077 has come a long way since a tough release. Thankfully, its latest content update has brought it in line with most expectations and has overall done wonders to turn the game into what it was originally meant to be. Not to mention, the newly released Phantom Liberty expansion adds a campaign that puts up stiff competition against the main storyline of the game, introducing a whole host of intriguing characters for players to discover. Another new piece of content is a brand-new ending, which offers a different kind of solution for V looking for a way out of the Relic's tightening grasp. Here's how all of Cyberpunk 2077's endings rank up now with Phantom Liberty released.

9 The "Easy Way Out"

• While contemplating on the roof, throw the pills away.
• There is no final mission and the game abruptly ends.

Like Joel from The Last of Us says, nothing about the easy way out is easy. Players can go down this path, foregoing any final mission in favor of ending their life and rolling the credits on the roof. Simply tell Johnny about another way and V throws the pills off the roof and will commit suicide. Johnny Silverhand shows disapproval but also does nothing to interfere, understanding it is V's choice. It is easily the saddest ending, not giving V or Johnny any hope.

That being said, it's a poignant ending that discusses whether V or Johnny's lives are worth the sacrifices of other people. As the other ending paths will prove, trying to secure V's future will lead to other people losing their lives in the process, and V directly talks about this while choosing to end his life. That being said, watching his friends be absolutely distraught at the idea of losing their friend without any warning whatsoever makes for a pretty saddening conclusion to the wild ride that is Cyberpunk 2077.

8 Uploading To Mikoshi

• Opt to upload V's consciousness to Mikoshi while on the Arasaka space station.
• This ending is only available if the player sides with Hanako.

Side with Hanako and it becomes impossible to have Johnny take over V's body. After helping her take over the Arasaka Corporation, V has the chip removed from their head and earns their body back. After some tests, Hellman tells the protagonist they have about six months to live.

The two options presented to V are leaving the space station and living the rest of their life on Earth or uploading themselves to Mikoshi and waiting inside until Arasaka finds a way to put this consciousness back into a body. Trusting the corporation may rub a lot of players the wrong way. There is also the ethical issue of stealing someone's body for the sake of prolonged life.

7 Take The Cure At The End Phantom Liberty

• Let Reed take Songbird, whether V sides with her or not, and call Reed about the cure on the rooftop.
• The only ending where V is guaranteed to live, but has to give up their life and identity in return.
• Exclusive to the Phantom Liberty expansion

Granting The Tower achievement for a reason (a Tarot card known for sudden, chaotic, near-destructive changes), Phantom Liberty offers an alternate ending path that V can take if they are truly serious about getting rid of the Relic once and for all. But as with everything in Cyberpunk 2077, this path comes with a steep cost.

V is carted off on a helicopter from the rooftop, despite Johnny's protests. It's a bittersweet goodbye to the city and to the rocker boy. Players then wake up nearly two years later from a coma, only to find out that their ailment has been cured, but that they are no longer able to carry any cyberware. This is a huge blow to V as they return to Night City, only to be beaten up by a few low lives. In an emotional final conversation with Misty, V is seen walking away into the crowd of Night City, solidifying the fact that V has essentially abandoned the way of the merc life and become just like everyone else.

This ending has been splitting opinions. Some consider it horrible, as V basically gives up the dream they set out to achieve in Act 1 with Jackie. Others, however, consider it a natural way to "win" the game against an unwinnable force like Night City. By not playing the game anymore, V can't lose and is essentially free. But is it worth the cost? And what of Songbird, now in the FIA's possession?

6 Attack Arasaka With Rogue, Lose V

• Let Johnny temporarily take over and ask Rogue for help.
• There is an extended cutscene with Johnny Silverhand afterward.

Taking on Arasaka with Rogue while Jonny controls V is a double-edged sword. It is awesome to fight alongside Rogue, but heading into the tower with her always ends with Adam Smasher killing her.

Considering her connection to Johnny, losing Rogue is devastating. With this in mind, choosing to have Johnny fully control V undoubtedly leaves him with some heavy guilt for having gotten her killed. The only positive here is at least Johnny lives on, with V's body wasting away otherwise if they decide to spend the six months they have on their own terms.

5 Siding With Hanako, But Not Uploading To Mikoshi

• Side with Hanako and choose not to upload to Mikoshi.
• This is the worst ending to not directly involve V's death.

Uploading V to Mikoshi is one of the worst endings because of how unsure the protagonist's life will be after handing themselves over to an evil corporation. The alternative is not uploading V to the server and leaving the space station.

While one can judge V for siding with Hanako at all, at least she upholds her end of the bargain. However, one has to wonder if Arasaka retaining its power is a positive thing for the world. The last shot sees V in the orbital station staring at Earth. This is the worst of the endings where V lives because they have nothing to their name or any alternatives for solutions. The fact that he loses part of his personality after Johnny is purged from his body is another huge negative in its own right.

4 Attacking Arasaka With Aldecaldos, Losing V

• Do not let Johnny control V and receive help from Panam and the Aldecados.
• Letting Johnny take over V at the end plays out largely the same regardless of who helps attack Arasaka.

Attacking Arasaka with help from Panam and her group offers a different method of infiltration than going in as Johnny, which makes it worth doing separately. The Adam Smasher fight remains similar, only this time the monstrosity kills Saul instead of Rogue.

If the player chooses to let Johnny Silverhand take over V's body, the ending will mostly line up with the events that would have transpired if V had attacked Arasaka with help from Rogue. Consequently, there is little incentive to play out this conclusion twice, aside from the post-ending holocalls where Panam lambasts Johnny for taking over V's body and swearing that she would destroy him once she managed to hunt him down.

3 Attacking Arasaka With Rogue, Keeping V

• Have Rogue help attack Arasaka, but let V take control of their body.
• V takes over Rogue's bar, the Afterlife.

Playing through the attack on Arasaka with Rogue a second time is hard because it means watching Adam Smasher kill her twice. However, the woman made her living as a hitman and always understood the risk in this line of work.

If the player has V return to their body, they take over the Afterlife bar. The epilogue sees V take a mission to go into space, with the final shot looming over their face as they float in zero gravity. V's life will certainly end soon, but at least they became a Night City legend. However, the cost Jackie had to pay to establish himself as a legend is something that might not be worthwhile in the eyes of many, and the same can be said for V and his exploits after reaching this status he and his best friend had been coveting for the longest time.

2 Attacking Arasaka With Aldecaldos And Keeping V

• Attack V with the Aldecaldos, and take out Johnny's consciousness.
• Easily the most optimistic ending.

Of all the normal endings, this one is probably the happiest. Instead of V going off on their own and living out their life with an uncertain fate, Panam promises to help V find a way to beat the ticking clock and help them live more than six months.

Even if the Aldecaldos are unable to help V live longer, at least the protagonist can face mortality with friends. All the other endings have the hero tackling the unknown alone, although the idea that everyone would potentially have to watch V waste away over the course of these months if they don't find a solution can be slightly unnerving.

1 The Hidden (And Best) Ending

• Constantly be on Johnny Silverhand's good side.
• It is the only missable ending in Cyberpunk 2077.

This ending is the hardest to access, and even harder to beat, though many consider it the best ending because of its secretive nature. If the player's relationship with Johnny is at its peak during the decision to give control to him or not, V can wait at this dialogue option for several minutes for Johnny to offer another option.

Johnny proposes V take on Arasaka by themselves. The ensuing bout is incredibly difficult, and dying once ends the game. Beating it unlocks some specific cutscenes, but the decision at the end remains similar to the other endings where players choose between Johnny and V. The fact that no one has to lose their life in this ending is a great compromise to make for players who wanted V to reach Mikoshi successfully without letting anyone else lose their lives in the process.