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Johnny Silverhand is a fictional character and the main anti-hero of the futuristic action-adventure video game Cyberpunk 2077 created by CD Projekt RED. An influential rock star (in-game; rockerboy) who was once the lead vocalist of the fictional rock band Samurai, Silverhand is famously known for his cybernetic hand which grants him his surname and known for his anti-conformism against society and its systems, which marked the signature of the band he led in the past, and, comes into assisting V ,the game's playable protagonist, in his quests and missions throughout the game's storyline yet he does can be playable as he is a virtual spirit.

Portrayed and voiced by Keanu Reeves, this is Reeves' first motion-capture or video gaming role he has ever played.

Fictional biography

Origins

Silverhand is said to be born before or in the 1990s, and, the Central American Conflict started. It was a bloodbath, ran by a corrupt and manipulative government. But when their secrets were exposed, many of the American soldiers dropped their red, white, and blue weapons. Instead, they fought back by deserting the military. The government used its power to create powerful propaganda to make the public hate deserters.

But Johnny Silverhand would not fight a corrupt war, resulting him went back home to Night City and began his life anew. The military changed his life forever, and even changed his name into Silverhand due to a cybernetic arm that replaced the arm he lost at war. His every movement would remind him of his mission: rebellion.

2000s

His rebellion came in the form of a rock band called Samurai. Samurai was a band made up of these members: Silverhand, Kerry Eurodyne, Denny, Nancy/Bes Isis, and Henry. His music was revolutionary, and the world loved him. He rose to the top of the charts in record time with his band. But Samurai could never last forever.

Their keyboard player Nancy was in an abusive relationship at the time. When she could not take it anymore, she pushed her abusive boyfriend out of a window and was taken to prison and without her, Samurai split up in 2008.

Johnny Silverhand was still one of the most popular musicians at the time. He planned to use his star power to begin a solo career and continue to push his anti-corporation and anti-government messages. Fictional record company in the game, DBS Music wanted to sign him so desperately that they threatened him and even blackmailed him. They threatened to reveal that he was a deserter.

Instead, Johnny Silverhand signed with Universal Music, and released an entire album calls SINS of Your Brothers admitting that he was a deserter, and revealing all the terrible things the government ordered. The album was wildly successful, and changed public perception of what it meant to be a deserter. And Johnny Silverhand was not even at the height of his career yet.

In 2020, everything changed for Johnny Silverhand. He was on a walk with his girlfriend, Alt Cunningham when she was suddenly kidnapped by thugs working for the mega-corporation Arasaka. They wanted to use Alt Cunningham for her incredible talent as a programmer. They wanted her to make a software called The Soulkiller that would be able to copy and download any netrunner’s mind. It was a dangerous software, that would have killed anyone whose brain they wanted to copy.

Johnny Silverhand made a plan. He gathered a strike team to infiltrate the Arasaka offices so that he could save Alt Cunningham. On top of that, he called in a favor from all the members of his old band. Samurai gathered together and performed an entirely free show. The show was right in front of the Arasaka Offices in Night City.

The strike team made it there just moments too late. Cunningham was dead. However, while her body was left as a husk, her mind became trapped inside of the Arasaka mainframe. And Johnny planned to get it back.

Death and Hiding

He went to find Cunningham, but there were more than a few obstacles in the way. The biggest obstacle was a Borg, Adam Smasher, a once man who is now more machine than flesh.

According to an urban legend told in the game, Adam Smasher gunned down Silverhand with a rifle. His body was never found though, because Militech, a company fighting against Arasaka, launched their attack at the same time as they dropped a bomb on the Arasaka building and nothing was left to find.

Legacy

Ever since he disappeared, people have mourned Johnny Silverhand. There is graffiti all throughout Night City that simply says, “Where’s Johnny?” Even decades later, people hold out hope that Johnny Silverhand is somewhere out there, ready to raise some hell and lead the revolution.

Cyberpunk 2077

During the E3 2018 trailer, several pieces of graffiti can be seen asking "Wheres Johnny?", alluding to the false reports of his death. During the E3 gameplay reveal, V can be heard listening to Johnny's song, Chippin' In, as well as wearing a Samurai jacket.

At the Microsoft E3 2019 conference, Keanu Reeves was revealed to be playing Silverhand. He is appearing at the end of the 2019 Cinematic trailer, helping V after they were left for dead in a dump site. In interviews it was revealed he had been approached a year prior to the announcement.

Story

Silverhand acts as V's guide to the city and will be with him or her for most of the game. Throughout the game, the player will be haunted by the "digital ghost" of Silverhand, suggesting that he is physically dead.

The full gameplay scope of Silverhand's involvement with the character is not fully known, but he will make comments on the player's actions through voiceover, and will occasionally appear in game as a hologram. Figuring out the mystery of Johnny Silverhand's digital ghost is a large part of the main plot line.

Casting Keanu Reeves

Reeves reportedly approached auditioning the character on June 2018.

Design

Silverhand was designed and created simply according to the physical likeness of its actor Keanu Reeves, who has the second most dialogue in the game. Reeves later expressed his excietment portraying the character, stating; "Well, it’s CD PROJEKT RED too, right? They’re pretty renowned, and I think there’s a lot of excitement for the people who knew that this title was going to be there". Reeves in addition, described Silverhand as "A rebel and a cool character".

The character firstly emerged as Mr. Fusion in order to reportedly keep the secrecy of the character.

Reeves reportedly recorded his dialogues for only 15 days, with CD Projekt RED promising his character's dialogues would be doubled.

Personality

Johnny Silverhand is an extremely rebellious individual, making usage of his rock music in order to call out the people around Night City to create mutiny and anarchy around the streets against the systems which so rule or govern the people.

References

1. ^ "[Watch] Cyberpunk 2077 new trailer gives a glimpse of Keanu Reeves, new gameplay and more". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
2. Cyberpunk 2077: Keanu Reeves Cast as Rocker Johnny Silverhand - E3 2019 - IGN, retrieved 2020-06-26
3. ^ "Keanu Reeves on 'Cyberpunk 2077,' getting into gaming, 'John Wick,' and more". EW.com. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
4. ^ "Cyberpunk 2077 At E3 2019: Keanu Reeves Has Second-Most Spoken Dialogue In The Entire Game". GameSpot. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LeYWTjUMoM. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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