Characters Who Should Stay Out of Cyberpunk 2077's Sequel, Let Their Stories Rest

Just finished my umpteenth playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty, and honestly, I'm already hyped thinking about Project Orion, the sequel that's hopefully a few years away now (it's 2026, come on CDPR!). But as much as I love Night City and its residents, there are some characters whose stories felt so complete in the original game that bringing them back would be a total disservice. Their endings were powerful, sometimes devastating, and that ambiguity is what makes them so memorable. Let's talk about these legends who deserve their peace, or at least their mystery.

First up, Songbird. Oh man, her story hit me right in the feels. It's a mirror to V's own struggle, a desperate fight for survival against forces way bigger than yourself. That Phantom Liberty DLC was a whole mood. She was forced into the FIA, her body and mind scarred forever from touching the Blackwall... until it touched her back. 😰 Her ending options are all so heavy:

• Kill her (ouch).

• Hand her back to the FIA (double ouch).

• Send her to the Moon (a glimmer of hope?).

No matter what you chose, her story should stay ambiguous. It's a core part of Cyberpunk's vibe—not every ending in Night City is a happy one. Is she alive? Merged with the Blackwall? Cured? We should never know for sure. That mystery is her legacy.

Speaking of needing peace, let's talk about Judy Alvarez. My girl Judy has been through the absolute wringer. She lost her partner Evelyn in the worst way possible, and then, depending on your playthrough, she might lose V too. Her final act is to leave Night City behind, finally going to visit her grandparents. She's done.

Pulling her back into the sequel's drama would be, IMO, a crime. She's earned her rest! No more Mox drama, no more Tiger Claws, no more getting mixed up with the wrong people. She deserves to mourn, heal, and find some semblance of a normal life far away from that neon hellhole. Let her have her happy ending, even if it's a quiet one.

Now, Panam Palmer. The queen of the Aldecaldos and an absolute force of nature. She's a hot-head, sure, but that's exactly the kind of leader her family needs. The beauty of her ending is that she and the Aldecaldos finally leave Night City for a brighter future. They ride off into the sunset, maybe with V, maybe with their Basilisk tank, heading toward a new tomorrow.

Her story is so beautifully and tragically entwined with V's. Bringing her back would just raise too many questions and potentially undo that perfect, hopeful exit. Her dreams were always bigger than Night City. Let her live them.

Then there's Goro Takemura. Johnny Silverhand called him a lapdog, and... he wasn't entirely wrong. Goro's loyalty to Arasaka is his defining trait, for better or worse. Even after everything Saburo and Yorinobu put him through, he never wavers. Whether he's alive or dead after the 'Search and Destroy' mission, his fate is sealed by his own code.

He's not a major corporate pillar, so unless the new protagonist does something to seriously piss off Arasaka (which, let's be real, is likely), there's no organic reason for him to return. His story is one of unwavering service. He's better left serving his masters or resting in peace. His arc is complete.

And of course, the legend himself, Johnny Silverhand. His music alone gives people shivers and sparks revolts. Even though he died in 2023, his spirit lived on in rock, and then literally in V's head. His possible endings are all iconic and deeply personal:

• Merging with Alt beyond the Blackwall.

• Being deleted from existence.

• Starting a new life in V's body.

This ambiguity is everything. Everyone has their own canon ending for Johnny. The sequel should definitely mention the rockerboy legend—his impact on Night City is eternal—but to physically bring him back would diminish his integral role in V's story. He's a ghost of the past, and some ghosts are best left as legends.

Finally, we have to talk about V. Our merc, our avatar, the heart of Cyberpunk 2077. I know, I know, we all want to see them again. But honestly? V's story has been told, and it was told elegantly. Whether they survived, became a legend, or died on the way to their final gig, their journey reached a conclusion. That conclusion might not have been happy, but it was theirs.

There's a layer of hope in not knowing for sure. It allows V to remain the Legend of Night City in their absence. Giving us concrete closure—seeing them in a side mission or hearing a definitive fate—would unravel that mystery. Some plot threads are best left to the fans, who will keep V's legend alive forever. Let the new protagonist carve their own path. V's time is done, and what a glorious, devastating, unforgettable time it was.

So, CDPR, for Project Orion... give us new faces, new tragedies, and new legends to love. Let these iconic characters rest. Their stories were perfect. Don't @ me. 😉

TL;DR: Songbird, Judy, Panam, Takemura, Johnny, and V had perfect, ambiguous, or conclusive endings. Bringing them back risks ruining their legacy. Let's meet new legends in the sequel. #Cyberpunk2077 #ProjectOrion #GamingThoughts #LetThemRest