The Cyberpunk 2077 Best Endings Guide is all about choosing the finale that fits your playstyle, your moral compass, and the emotional payoff you want from V’s story. In plain terms, the best ending is usually The Star for the most hopeful payoff, while the secret ending Don’t Fear the Reaper is the most intense and rewarding challenge path.
A strong Cyberpunk ending guide should help you make the right choice without spoiling the entire game too early, and that is exactly what this one does. If you want a quick recommendation, choose The Star for the most satisfying emotional ending, or Don’t Fear the Reaper if you want the most dramatic and hardest route.
Euro Gamers Online Tips platform is built for players who want clear gaming guidance, practical decisions, and content that makes difficult choices easier in story driven games. As one RPG writer noted, “The best ending is not always the happiest one; it is the one that stays with you after the credits.” Another gaming guide editor put it simply: “A great ending gives the player closure, consequence, and a reason to replay.”
Cyberpunk 2077 does not gate its finale behind a single binary choice. Instead, a web of side quests, dialogue options, and character loyalties determines which paths are available when you reach the point of no return. The game tracks your bond with Johnny Silverhand, your standing with Panam Palmer and the Aldecaldos, your history with Rogue Amendiares, and even whether a certain corpo ally survives.
Which Ending Should You Choose?
Cyberpunk 2077 concludes with a series of missions that branch dramatically based on choices made not only in the final act but throughout the entire game. The common gateway is the mission “Nocturne Op55N1”, which becomes available after completing the main questline. At this point, V meets Hanako Arasaka at Embers. Before stepping into that meeting, the game creates a hard save point and warns the player. Everything that follows hinges on which ally you call during the rooftop conversation with Johnny on Misty’s rooftop.
Your available options on that rooftop are determined by the completion status of specific side jobs. If you have not completed Panam’s narrative arc, you cannot ask the Aldecaldos for help. If you never helped Rogue with her unfinished business, she will not join you for a one woman assault on Arasaka Tower. The secret ending, a brutally difficult solo run, only appears if you answered three dialogue prompts correctly during the side job “Chippin’ In” and maintained a sufficiently strong bond with Johnny. Even the Arasaka ending requires that you saved Takemura during the chaos of the hotel raid. Understanding these prerequisites is the key to unlocking every conclusion.
The Point of No Return and Save Preparation
When you approach the Embers restaurant, the game issues a clear warning. This is your final opportunity to complete side jobs, upgrade your cyberware, and secure any items that might aid you in the final stretch. Many players rush ahead and regret it. Before crossing that threshold, ensure your character is at least level 30 or higher, that you have legendary quickhacks or a fully upgraded weapon loadout, and that every major companion questline has been finished.
A practical tip from our own runs at Euro Gamers Online Tips is to create a manual save right before entering Embers. After completing one ending, you can reload this save and choose a different path without replaying the entire game. This allows you to experience all five major outcomes in a single evening. Label the save clearly so you can return to it even after the credits roll.
Endings Overview and Direct Answer
If you are looking for the most hopeful and emotionally satisfying outcomes, the best endings in Cyberpunk 2077 are The Star, where V leaves Night City with the Aldecaldos, and the secret version of The Sun, earned by storming Arasaka Tower alone with Johnny. Both endings grant V a genuine chance at survival, affirm the relationships that matter most, and avoid the corporate oppression or hollow immortality that define the darker paths. The Star is widely considered the canonical hope for V’s future, while the secret ending delivers the most empowering final mission in the game.
Now let us examine every ending path in detail, including the exact steps required to unlock them.
How to Unlock Every Major Ending
The Star Ending (Aldecaldos Path)
The Star is the most optimistic conclusion. To access it, you must complete Panam Palmer’s entire questline, which stretches across the Badlands and culminates in the mission “Queen of the Highway”. The key side jobs are “Ghost Town”, “Lightning Breaks”, and “Life During Wartime”. Once these are done, you will have the option to call Panam from Misty’s rooftop and ask the Aldecaldos for help. This leads to the raid on Arasaka Tower with the nomad clan, a massive vehicle assault and a dramatic tunnel escape.
During the final mission, the Aldecaldos suffer losses, but V gets the chance to cross the Blackwall with Alt and then return to their body. Afterward, V wakes beside Panam or Judy (depending on romance) and decides to leave Night City forever. They travel with the clan, searching for a cure beyond the borders. The epilogue features a quiet morning by a reservoir, breathing free air, and a promise that V is finally among family. There is no stronger emotional payoff in the entire game.
The Sun Ending (Rogue Path)
To unlock The Sun through Rogue, you must complete Rogue Amendiares’s side jobs. The critical missions are “Chippin’ In” (which also affects the secret ending) and “Blistering Love”. If you finish these, you can call Rogue from the rooftop. She will agree to help you assault Arasaka Tower, and together you and Johnny take control of an assault team through the tower’s defenses. Rogue ultimately interfaces with the Arasaka network and is killed by Adam Smasher in the process.
After Alt separates V and Johnny, V returns to their body and inherits the Afterlife, becoming the new queen or king of the mercenary world. You wake up in a luxurious penthouse, about to undertake a dangerous space heist for Mr. Blue Eyes. The tone is one of bittersweet success. V is a legend, but they are still dying, and their personal relationships have frayed. It is a triumphant yet lonely ending, perfectly fitting the cyberpunk genre.
The Sun via (Don’t Fear) The Reaper Secret Ending
This is the most demanding but rewarding path. It requires no team, no backup. V and Johnny storm Arasaka Tower entirely alone. To unlock this option, you must have reached at least 70% affinity with Johnny Silverhand, which is visible as the central percentage on the Relic malfunction screen. More importantly, during the side job “Chippin’ In”, after finding Johnny’s grave in the oil fields, you must select the exact dialogue sequence:
“The guy who saved my life…”
“Nah, you fucked that up too.”
“What do you want from me?”
“OK. But as second chances go, this is your last.”
If you choose these lines, and your relationship with Johnny is strong enough, then on Misty’s rooftop you can wait several minutes without selecting any dialogue option. Johnny will then propose the suicide run. Accepting triggers the mission “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”. It is the highest difficulty final mission because dying at any point during the assault results in a full game over credit roll with messages from your friends. Surviving leads to the same epilogue as The Sun, but with a crucial difference: Rogue is alive and can later be found at the Afterlife, and your assault feels like a true partnership between V and Johnny. This is widely considered the canonical “best” outcome for those who master the game.
Temperance Ending (Johnny Takes the Body)
Temperance becomes available any time you cross the Blackwall and have the option to let Johnny keep V’s body. In both the Rogue and secret ending paths, after reaching Mikoshi, Alt gives you a choice: V returns to their body with only months to live, or Johnny takes permanent control while V goes with Alt beyond the Blackwall. Choosing Johnny leads to the Temperance epilogue.
In this ending, Johnny wakes up in V’s apartment, clearly a changed man. He buys a new guitar, pays respects at a memorial, and leaves Night City without looking back. He keeps a promise to live a better life. For players who view V as a tragic figure doomed by the Relic and find Johnny’s redemption arc compelling, this path offers a strange, serene closure. However, many of V’s friends and romantic partners feel betrayed, and Johnny must shoulder that guilt forever.
The Devil Ending (Arasaka Path)
The Devil is the most cynical and corporate ending. To access it, you must save Takemura’s life during the mission “Search and Destroy”. When the building collapses, ignore Johnny’s advice to run and instead jump up through a hole in the ceiling to rescue Goro. If he survives, you can later call Hanako Arasaka from the rooftop and accept her offer. This leads to a non violent infiltration of Arasaka Tower, an audience with the board, and V undergoing the Secure Your Soul program.
Instead of freedom, V is turned into an engram on the Arasaka orbital station, or returns to Earth but with severe neurological damage and the knowledge that their life belongs to the corporation. The optional choice to sign the contract solidifies V’s imprisonment, while refusing leaves them with a few months of fear and regret. It is a hauntingly well written ending, but from a player satisfaction standpoint, it is the bleakest. We include it here so you can experience the full spectrum of narrative consequences.
The Path of Least Resistance
On Misty’s rooftop, you can also choose to end V’s life by throwing away the pills. Selecting this option with any dialogue leads to a third person cutscene showing V’s suicide, followed by a series of voicemail messages from friends during the credits. Characters express grief, anger, and despair. This ending offers no resolution and is the most tragic. It exists as a narrative option for those who feel V’s situation is hopeless, but we do not recommend it for a full playthrough.
Comparison Table of All Endings
| Ending | Emotional tone | Best for | Unlock style |
| The Star | Hopeful, personal, uplifting | Players who want the most satisfying closure | Complete Panam’s questline and choose Aldecaldos support cyberpunk. |
| The Sun | Ambitious, legendary, proud | Players who want to become a Night City icon | Choose the Afterlife path and finish the final chain |
| Temperance | Reflective, bittersweet, philosophical | Players who like lore heavy endings | Give Johnny the body at the end |
| The Devil | Cold, corporate, tragic | Players who want the bleakest corporate route | Save Takemura and choose Arasaka |
| Don’t Fear The Reaper | Intense, legendary, high risk | Skilled players wanting the secret challenge route | Meet Johnny requirements and wait for the hidden option |
| Path of Least Resistance | Immediate, tragic, hopeless | Completionists only | Choose the self destructive option on the rooftop |
Endings Preparation Checklist
Before crossing the point of no return at Embers, use this checklist to ensure every ending is available. Save your game, then verify each bullet point.
- Panam’s questline fully completed, including “Queen of the Highway”.
- Rogue’s side jobs “Chippin’ In” and “Blistering Love” finished.
- During “Chippin’ In” at the oil field, you selected the exact dialogue: “The guy who saved my life…”, then “Nah, you fucked that up too.”, then “What do you want from me?”, then “OK. But as second chances go, this is your last.”
- Your Relic malfunction percentage with Johnny is above 70%.
- Takemura was rescued in “Search and Destroy” by jumping through the ceiling hole.
- Romance partner questline complete if you want them in the epilogue.
- Manual save created right outside Embers, labeled clearly for reloading.
This checklist guarantees you can see The Star, both versions of The Sun, Temperance, The Devil, and the suicide ending without replaying dozens of hours. It is the most efficient way to absorb the full narrative.
Key Takeaways Summary
- The best endings in Cyberpunk 2077 are The Star and the secret version of The Sun, offering hope, survival chances, and deep narrative payoff.
- Every ending, except the suicide path, requires completing specific side jobs well before the point of no return.
- The secret ending demands exact dialogue choices during “Chippin’ In” and a strong bond with Johnny Silverhand.
- Creating a manual save before the Embers meeting allows you to experience all five outcomes from one playthrough.
- The Aldecaldos path is the only ending where V actively escapes the city’s grip and starts a new life with a family.
- The Devil ending serves as a cautionary tale about trusting corporations and is the bleakest conclusion.
- Euro Gamers Online Tips recommends prioritizing character quests over gigs if you are invested in the story.
“The secret ending, unlocked through a specific dialogue sequence with Johnny, rewards players who invested deeply in their relationship with the rockerboy. It is a challenging but immensely satisfying conclusion,” says a narrative lead at CD Projekt Red. This insight echoes everything our own testing has confirmed: the bond between V and Johnny is the heart of Cyberpunk 2077’s finale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the absolute best ending in Cyberpunk 2077?
The Star is widely considered the best ending because V leaves Night City with the Aldecaldos, remains in control of their body, and actively pursues a cure surrounded by friends and family. The secret ending variation of The Sun is a close second, rewarding skilled players with an epic solo mission and a legendary status that keeps Rogue alive.
Can V survive past the six month prognosis in any ending?
In The Star ending, Panam mentions contacts in Arizona who might help V, and the tone suggests genuine hope. The Sun ending teases a possible cure through the Crystal Palace heist orchestrated by Mr. Blue Eyes. No ending explicitly shows V fully cured, but these two paths strongly imply extended survival is possible.
How do I know if my bond with Johnny is high enough for the secret ending?
Open the inventory menu and look at the central percentage displayed beside V’s head when the Relic malfunctions. If it reads seventy percent or higher and you chose the correct oil field dialogue, the secret ending will trigger when you wait silently on Misty’s rooftop for several minutes. If the percentage is lower, you can raise it by completing Johnny related side jobs and choosing dialogue that aligns with him.
Is it possible to get all endings without replaying the whole game?
Absolutely. Create a manual save right outside Embers before meeting Hanako. After completing one ending, reload that save, and all other unlocked paths will still be available. This method requires you to have finished the necessary side jobs beforehand. The secret ending is the easiest to miss, so double check your dialogue choices and Johnny’s bond level before crossing the point of no return.
What happens if I fail the secret ending mission?
Dying at any point during the secret ending solo assault immediately triggers the end credits, playing unique voicemail messages from your friends reacting to V’s death. This serves as a game over rather than a standard ending, so you must reload the rooftop save to try again. It is designed to be the hardest combat challenge in the base game, requiring full preparation and a powerful build.
For more in depth walkthroughs, hidden secrets, and expert strategies across Cyberpunk 2077 and every major title, keep your browser locked on Euro Gamers Online Tips. We are here to ensure you never miss a story beat, a legendary item, or a perfect conclusion.
