The game, for which the entire gaming community had been waiting with bated breaths is finally here. CD Projekt Red's latest AAA title is packed with explosive action, extensive customization with a comfortable amount of lore to back it all up. Almost all the main characters have been introduced in trailers and other footage prior to release. But all of it is surface-level knowledge. In the world of Cyberpunk 2077, there is always something more than what meets the eye. From Johnny Silverhand to Saburo Arasaka, the game has some interesting main characters.
You may not have been aware of some of the finer details about them.
10 Johnny Silverhand: Ziggy Played Guitar
Johnny Silverhand is arguably the most popular character in Cyberpunk 2077. A lot of it has to do with the fact that he is portrayed by Keanu Reeves in the game. But, the original idea for Johny Silverhand was inspired by none other than David Bowie from the 1986 fantasy film, Labyrinth. Considering the influence Bowie had on modern pop culture, it is no way surprising. One can only wonder what Johnny Silverhand would have been like, had he been portrayed by the late David Bowie.
9 Alt Cunningham: Neural Transfer Pioneer
Alt is Johnny Silverhand's beloved girlfriend who also happens to be a highly skilled Netrunner. Alt is one of the smartest characters in the Cyberpunk universe, mostly known for her breakthrough in AI and neural transfer. Her invention allowed the transfer of the human mind onto the net, allowing them to explore it without requiring a physical body. As one would expect, a couple of baddies got their hands on this new tech and used it to imprison the minds of people. All of this ultimately led to the death of Alt and Johnny in 2013.
8 Saburo Arasaka: The Plot Against America
In Cyberpunk 2077, Arasaka Corporation is a mega-conglomerate that also happens to have one of the biggest privately owned armies in the world. Saburo Arasaka, the acting CEO of the company is 158 years old but still as sharp as ever, mentally, that is. Arasaka is a maniac who created the company to destroy America's economic prowess.
In 'Corporation Report 2020 Volume 1' Saburo Arasaka is quoted as saying- "I hate America. I will bring them to their knees by supplying them with everything they want, and then strangling them with their own dependency. I will sell them the chain with which they will bind themselves to me."
7 Hanako Arasaka: Conceived At Eighty
Hanako Arasaka is the CEO of Arasaka Corporation in 2077. In name only. She is described as smart as well as exceedingly kind and gorgeous. Being the third child of Saburo Arasaka, she was conceived when he was eighty. The memory is bittersweet because her mother died right after giving birth to her. Hanako plays a major role in Cyberpunk 2077 but is largely unaware of the dark side of her father's corporation. A protective childhood has further reduced her knowledge of how to world works.
6 Adam Smasher: Ended Silverhand
Straight out of a Terminator movie, Adam Smasher is a cyborg with no human qualities except a part of his head. CD Projekt Red did a good job on his design because it does give players the shivers especially considering that he was the one who turned Silverhand from rocker boy to rock-a-bye. Staying true to his name, Adam Smasher was smashed to mush during an unfortunate RPG blast and in order to save himself, he had to take up Arasaka's offer to turn him into a full-body cyborg.
5 V: Their Story
CD Projekt Red initially decided that V's backstory would be based on a different system than lifepaths. These ideas include childhood heroes such as Johnny Silverhand and Saburo Arasaka, an impactful life-event which included the death of a sibling or committing murder or reasons for visiting Night City.
This system was scrapped in favour of the current one which has been widely praised and mingles well with the core game. If they had gone with the original plan, it would have been interesting to see how the Silverhand-V dynamics would have played out.
4 Johnny Silverhand: Guns For Hands
The rugged rocker boy Johnny Sliverhand has an interesting past. From being part of the rock band Samurai to taking on heavy megacorporations, he has done it all. But he is also an army veteran. This resulted in him being exposed to the harshest realities of the world at a nimble age. It is quite likely that his life in the army led him to become the kind of man he is while equipping him with essential combat skills. Silverhand fought in The Central American Conflict which was led by a morally corrupt, manipulative government. This cemented Johnny Silverhand's anti-corporate views.
3 Yorinobu Arasaka: Like Father Unlike Son
The Arasaka Corporation has deep family roots but not all are of the same opinion as the grand old man, Saburo Arasaka. Yorinobu Arasaka was introduced to the true nature of his father's corporation at the age of 21, but he hid his disagreement behind his silent face. Since that day Yorinobu has been on the run and is determined to bring down his father's corporation.
But he swiftly realized that he couldn't even make a dent in Arasaka from the outside...
2 Saburo Arasaka: Monolingual
Cyberpunk 2077 boasts over 10 supported languages including voiceovers. High-end software was used to lip-sync characters across various languages but there is one exception to all of this. Saburo Arasaka. CD Projekt Red insisted that Saburo will only speak Japanese in the game, even when players choose other languages. This makes him the only character with only one voice actor. This ties in perfectly with Arasaka's Samurai heritage and his ambition to take Japan to new heights.
1 Jackie Welles: A Tough Childhood
Jackie Welles has a tough-guy persona, but things weren't always so cool. Having an alcoholic and abusive father made life difficult for Jackie throughout his childhood. He joined gangs to find solace, and when he was able enough he beat his old man too. The father left Jackie and his mother to fend for themselves, never to be seen later. Being close to his mother, Jackie left the Valentinos to prevent her displeasure.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available for PC on GOG.COM, Steam and Epic, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Stadia from December 10, 2020. When you buy Cyberpunk 2077 on GOG.COM, 100% of your money goes to CD PROJEKT Group and supports their future projects.
These articles are posted in affiliation with GOG.COM. TheGamer received compensation from GOG Sp. z o.o. for affiliating these articles with their brand.