Man, when I finally got Cyberpunk 2077's best ending after three playthroughs? Felt like I'd run a damn marathon through Night City. Everyone online kept shouting "Don't Fear the Reaper is the ultimate cyberpunk best ending!" but nobody explained why it's so brutal to unlock. Today? We're slicing through the hype.
See, most guides give you the basic steps but miss why this ending feels different. It's not just about shooting your way to glory – it's about what V becomes. Let's grab a synth-coffee and break this down properly.
Why "Don't Fear the Reaper" Hits Different
Okay, straight talk: calling any ending "best" in Cyberpunk is subjective as hell. Some folks want V to live no matter what. Others want Johnny to find peace. But the cyberpunk best ending? It's the only one where you don't betray yourself.
Think about it. In other endings:
- The Devil: Sell your soul to Arasaka
- Panam's Nomads: Depend on others to save you
- Rogue's Blaze of Glory: Live Johnny's dream, not yours
The Reaper route? You walk through Arasaka Tower's front door alone. No backup. No distractions. Just V making their final stand. That's peak cyberpunk – the lone rebel against the megacorp machine. CDPR nailed that feeling when your health drops to 5% and Johnny whispers "Never stop fighting". Chills every time.
Personal Take: My first playthrough I took Rogue's path. Felt hollow afterwards – like I'd hijacked someone else's funeral. When I finally unlocked the secret ending? Didn't even realize I was holding my breath during the lobby shootout. That's how you know it's special.
Brutal Requirements (No Hand-Holding Here)
Getting this cyberpunk best ending isn't about level grinding. It's about choices that actually matter. Mess up one dialogue tree? Locked out. Here's the real checklist:
| Must-Do | Deadline | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Johnny's side quests | Before meeting Hanako | Chips Away, Tapeworm, etc. shape your relationship |
| Choose specific dialogue during "Chippin' In" | Graveyard scene only | The "70% friendship" threshold is real |
| Wait 5 minutes silently | Rooftop decision point | Most players quit at 3 mins - brutal design |
That graveyard conversation? Crucial. When Johnny asks what you'd do with his body:
- Wrong: "Cross that bridge when we come to it"
- Right: "The guy who saved my life? Yeah, I'd do that for him"
Miss this? Doesn't matter if you have level 50 and legendary gear. The option won't appear. Found this out the hard way when I rushed my netrunner build playthrough.
The Suicide Run: What Actually Happens
So you waited out the clock on the roof. Now comes Night City's hardest solo op. Let's compare routes:
| Path | Difficulty | Allies | Enemy Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don't Fear the Reaper | Extreme | None | 300% (no exaggeration) |
| Rogue's Path | Hard | Rogue & crew | Standard |
| Nomad Path | Medium | Panam's clan | Reduced |
During my stealth build attempt? Got shredded by Smasher's rockets in 37 seconds. Lesson learned: bring projectile launch system mods. The cyberpunk best ending doesn't care about your playstyle – it demands perfection.
Pro Tip: Max out "Cold Blood" perks. When you're fighting 20 Arasaka elites while bleeding out, those automatic health boosts literally save runs.
Endgame Consequences (Spoiler Territory)
Beat Smasher? Congrats! Now the real choices hit. Here's what changes if you took the cyberpunk best ending path:
- Johnny's Farewell: He admits you're "one helluva merc" – never says this in other routes
- Misty's Tarot: Draws The Sun instead of The Fool (major symbolism shift)
- Solo Crystal Palace Heist: Post-credit tease feels earned, not desperate
But here's the ugly truth nobody mentions: V still dies. Just slower. That "6 months to live" diagnosis? Doesn't magically vanish. Saw so many forum posts from angry players who missed this. The cyberpunk best ending isn't a fairy tale – it's a pyrrhic victory.
Reality Check: If you want V to hold hands with Judy/Panam/River and ride into the sunset? This ain't it. The tower mission costs you everything. But man, that final elevator ride up from Mikoshi with Johnny gone? Pure cinematic agony.
Why Players Debate the "Best" Tag
Scroll through Reddit debates about the cyberpunk best ending and you'll see three camps:
- Reaper Loyalists: "Only ending where V keeps their agency!"
- Nomad Romantics: "V deserves peace with their love interest"
- Temperance Advocates: "Letting Johnny live in V's body is true sacrifice"
Personally? I think the nomad ending feels too clean for Night City. Like they forgot to add the usual dose of dystopian bitterness. But here's objective differences:
| Ending | V's Survival Chance | Freedom Level | Sacrifices Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don't Fear the Reaper | Low (6 months) | Total | All relationships |
| The Star (Nomad) | Unknown | High (with clan) | Night City life |
| Temperance | Zero (V gone) | Johnny's freedom | V's existence |
Builds That Actually Survive
Want to attempt the real cyberpunk best ending? Your pistol-stealth hybrid won't cut it. Based on my four failed attempts:
- S-Tier: Sandevistan katana build (obvious but reliable)
- A-Tier: Tech-weapon engineer (cover destruction essential)
- C-Tier: Pure netrunner (too slow for timed sections)
Essential gear I wish I'd known earlier:
- Second Heart cyberware (auto-revive when health hits zero)
- Epic Ping quickhack (through-wall targeting saves runs)
- Thermal mantis blades (shreds robots in lobby)
And seriously? Save before the roof choice. My first successful run crashed during Smasher's phase 2. Nearly threw my controller through the screen.
What CDPR Got Wrong (No Sugarcoating)
Look, I love this ending – but the execution frustrates me. Two big flaws:
1. The Friendship Meter is Invisible
Why hide relationship percentages? I wasted 60 hours on a "friendship" run only to find I was at 68% because I insulted Samurai during a flashback. Brutal.
2. No Difficulty Scaling
Playing on Very Hard? Enjoy getting one-shotted by drones. Wish they'd balanced it better instead of pure stat inflation.
Still...when you finally stand in Mikoshi and choose between V and Johnny? That raw emotional payoff makes the suffering worth it. Mostly.
Your Burning Questions Answered
Can you save Takemura in this ending?
Nope. You never contact him during the solo run. He'll still send angry texts calling you a fool. Kinda miss that grumpy old man.
Do romance options change anything?
Only in the epilogue messages. Judy still leaves town. River still gets depressing. Kerry's the only one who sounds genuinely happy for you. Silverhand's influence, I guess.
Is the secret ending worth replaying 80 hours for?
If you care about V's legacy? Absolutely. If you just want closure? Watch it on YouTube. The journey's brutal.
Final Reality Check
After 400+ hours in Night City, here's my take: the true cyberpunk best ending isn't about "winning." It's about choosing how V goes out. Blaze of glory or quiet fadeaway? Neither fixes the corrupt system. That's the genre's tragic heart.
But man... when you're sprinting through smoke-filled corridors with "Never Fade Away" blaring? For those 90 minutes? You are Night City's legend. Just maybe tell your friends to clear their schedules before attempting it. You'll need the emotional support afterwards.
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