The Johnny Silverhand appreciation thread

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Much like the other threads.

I think Johnny is a base breaking character because they do take a bunch of space up from the story of V and that could have been devoted to developing their personality. However, I just can't help myself, I absolutely love Johnny's personality and history. I'm a cyberpunk 2020 player and a huge fan of his before he was everywhere. I also love Keanu Reeve's interpretation of the character that I feel like passed some characters by.

Some thoughts on him:

1. Johnny is a failure

This is something that I think is interesting for a character like him in the fact that almost everything that Johnny tried to accomplish in life ended in ruin. He's a failed soldier, his music didn't inspire people to rebel, he failed to save Alt, and his attempt to destroy Arasaka industries (AT BEST) delayed it a few decades from world domination. His ending notably doesn't have any plans to continue the fight against Arasaka because he's realized that he doesn't have it in him anymore and what he did ruined the city he loved.

2. Johnny is unlikable

This is actually something in-universe as it becomes clear that Rogue, Alt, and Kerry were Johnny's best friends (if not ONLY) yet struggled with putting up with his shit. He was THAT friend who is only good in small doses. He's also a tremendous taker who heaped abuse and derision on the people who cared about him.

3. Johnny is aware of 1 and 2

The best part of Johnny's character is that his digital ghost has apparently learned some humility in the 50 years he's been in cyber-hell. A lot of his commentary and treatment of others is still pretty shitty but he has a much more self-deprecating view of himself. He knows he was a lousy friend and that his efforts caused more harm than good.

4. Johnny doesn't want to live

It's an interesting contrast to V in the fact that Johnny is completely resigned to death and I wonder if he never expected to survive the Arasaka Tower Assault in the first place. However, he's pretty much mapped out that this is your body, he's not going to take it, and isn't even tempted to do so.

5. V is Johnny's redemption

It's something that becomes incredibly clear if you keep playing and paying attention that Johnny wants to save one person, only one, and that is you. You're their second chance to be a hero and it's a monofocus that guides him. It's not really quite atoning because Johnny doesn't seem to care about other people but seems to think saving you will make up for the hundreds of thousands of other people he killed. It adds a different layer to the Sacrifice ending as Johnny may realize V feels the same way about themselves.

There's a lot of flaws to Johnny Silverhand in that he treated his friends terribly, was not great at all to his girlfriends (possibly even having something of a misogynist streak given how he talked of them and sex workers), and is unable to keep himself from snapping at V too. Yet, despite all of these things, he's trying to do the right thing and doesn't attempt to make a defense for what he did in the past.

People criticize the laid back performance of Keanu Reeves but I think it's a very deliberate one. Johnny is shell-shocked from the consequences of his actions and can't numb himself to the pain with booze or drugs. We got the biggest low of Johnny's life when he witnessed the mushroom cloud of Night City shown to him by Saburo and one of his victim's wives telling him that he killed her husband.

Powerful stuff.
 
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That's a really good breakdown,

I think Johnny is the perfect companion I always wanted for fallout 4, Get plenty of conversation and biting/sarkey comments but none of that door blocking malarky or getting in the way when I'm trying to take a shot. All of my characters have grown some interacting with Johnny one way of the other and johnny's attitude does seem to change depending on how I have treated him on various playthroughs.
 

Guest 3847602

Guest
Mhm.
His redemption arc is exactly what made a very good story - great, for me. Couldn't ask for a better scene than the one at the Oil Fields.

 
Mhm.
His redemption arc is exactly what made a very good story - great, for me. Couldn't ask for a better scene than the one at the Oil Fields.


Johnny seemingly wanted a kind of Jim Morrison-esque tribute from people but he's remembered as a monstrous terrorist or a notable niche rocker by old school punk fans rather than a freedom fighter or someone who genuinely inspired people. His grave is an anonymous pit where he was dumped with other victims.

Kerry Eurodyne may have been someone Johnny dumped on continuously for selling out but its probable that Kerry reached far more people with his music as we see with US Cracks.

Johnny wants to be John Lennon to Kerry's Paul McCartney and dismiss his later career as his "Wings" years. However, Kerry is much more like Keith Richards and the one who went on to be a rock legend for 50 continuous years--which only a handful of artists in RL or scifi have probably ever achieved.

Johnny? Johnny didn't even get the nuking of Arasaka Tower right. The nuclear bomb got stuck halfway down and wiped out downtown Night City versus the Mikoshi servers like he planned.

He's an interesting contrast to Rache Bartmoss as well. Rache wanted to wipe out all of the megacorporations by destroying the internet. Instead, he just made them more powerful like Tracer Tong in Deus Ex: Invisible War found out when he tried the same thing. Before, you could spread information beyond the corporate headline. Now? It's them in charge of all information. Its like wiping out the net and leaving only Fox News, Disney, and Facebook provided alternatives.

Really, if Morgan Blackhand became Blue Eyes and is now a cyborg slave then all of the heroes met grizzly fates.
 
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Nice posts, I felt that it would be only proper to add something good about Johnny for a change. Great character with a bit difficult personality and an interesting "redemption" story through interaction and (optionally) growing frienship with his unexpected host.
I played polish and english version of the game, with better voice acting of Johnny being the polish one to me, yet somehow I grew appreciative of Keanu Reeves' "laid back" performance in time.
This game certainly wouldn't be the same without Johnny.
 
He has a fantastic introduction moment too and I don't mean the Arasaka Tower assault to rescue Alt. No I mean his breakup sex with Alt actually is a good scene for character development vs. fanservice. Problems with ratings boards aside, few moments tell you more about what a self-centered asshole a person is than making love to a beautiful woman and preferring to watch yourself in the mirror while you do it than focus on your partner.

There's a reason that's an iconic moment from American Psycho.

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I like that expression, really. It says to me, "Why did I put up with you so long? Oh right, you look like Keanu Reeves and are in a band."

The rest of the mission where he "rescues" Alt are also defined by his narcissism. Because Johnny can't accept that Arasaka is more interested in Alt Cunningham (world's greatest computer hacker) than occasional street merc and rockerboy, him. Nor can he accept that Alt Cunningham can take care of herself and that she almost was ready to crash Arasaka as a whole and save herself: accomplishing what he failed to do with his life's work.

It's like a serious version of Monkey Island's climax where the Governor reveals she's already freed herself and Guy ruined her plans (Note: This is me showing my age).
 
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Excellent OP, nailed it / him. Superb character, written well, portrayed perfectly. That Reeves guy has come a long way from the bored-looking young man seemngly faking it on stage with Dogstar at some festival in the mid 90s. Not to mention that godawful Dracula performance. Takes an awful lot for my cynical mind to recognise the quality of a 'superstar' performance. Managed it effortlessly, respect (y)
 
Some more Johnny Silverhand, thoughts:

1. Johnny and Rogue

I like how one of the things that Johnny wants to do when he gets out is to reconcile with Rogue. However, it's been fifty years and he's nothing more than a pleasant (?) memory for her. So his attempts to woo her are painfully out of date. Johnny also has no plan to attack Arasaka but basically his exact same one as before with Rogue 50 years later. Except he doesn't have Santiago or other backup anymore. Rogue also feels guilt for selling out to Arasaka that Johnny plays on and will, sadly, get her killed.

2. Johnny and Kerry

I actually like that Johnny's primary concern, well more than Rogue or Alt, is that he wants to make sure his band member's mental health is taken care of. Even then, it's notable that V is actually the one who does the heavy lifting with Johnny. He can't really talk his friend out so it falls to V to get the band back together, sink his manager's yacht, and also wage war on babymetal. By the end, Kerry has a bigger friend in V than Johnny themselves.

Johnny loves his "friends" but he has to lean on them.

3. Alt and Johnny

For all the fact Johnny seems to genuinely care about Rogue, he really is devoted to Alt most and he expects that she will help him (just like he expects Rogue to) despite everything that's happened. Alt does a lot to appear as a Computer GoddessTM and Beyond HumanityTM but I admit my interpretation is that she's actually exactly the same person struggling with her attraction to a complete asshole.

She's willing to help Johnny/V both but it is something that she tries to get something out of it too and even then it's with great reluctance. At the end, Johnny gets to go be with Alt for all eternity but that may or may not be because he's being absorbed into her.

4. Johnny and his fans

Johnny has a lot of contempt for the people who still listen to his music because he apparently envisioned himself less like a performer and more like a rock messiah destined to overthrow the man. When you try and cheer him up by getting some of his original music, all he can lament is that he's remembered by a guy selling bootleg merchandise.

5. Is Johnny a better person because of you/Are you worse?

An interesting element of the Engram is the two of you are merging to an extent. It should be just one way but the chip is damaged and Johnny is getting exposure to everything V is. It's nice to think Johnny secretly had a heart of gold and does care about Rogue, Alt, and Kerry as much as he shows himself to. However, it's also possible that Johnny only starts to care about them beyond his "mission" because he's merging with someone who has a lot more closer relationships like V. V, no matter their origin, loves Jackie, Misty, and Victor.

Similarly, V's ruthlessness and willingness to blow up Arasaka and kill everyone there might be because Johnny is egging them on. I roleplayed this out by having my V wear Johnny's pants (ew), shirt, dog tags, and drive around his car because they were being possessed.
 

Guest 3847602

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4. Johnny and his fans

Johnny has a lot of contempt for the people who still listen to his music because he apparently envisioned himself less like a performer and more like a rock messiah destined to overthrow the man. When you try and cheer him up by getting some of his original music, all he can lament is that he's remembered by a guy selling bootleg merchandise.
True, but I think he's less bitter about his legacy by the end of the game and this change is evident in the Temperance ending.
 
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"THE JOHNNY SILVERHAND APPRECIATION THREAD"

I really appreciate Johnny not being present throughout the entirety of Act 1. Appreciate the, "Ohh SHiiiTT!!!", on the rollercoaster. The, "How about we take the wheels, V? That van could give us the slip any second.", in my top favorite gig. I very much appreciate Johnny getting totally shredded to bits in the end, and getting the **** out of V's live. How I wished for that to be actual gameplay. Would've pressed the button myself.
I'll em... leave it like that.
 
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