V

V is the player-controlled protagonist of Cyberpunk 2077, a mercenary whose identity, background and personal relationships are shaped through player choice. V can be Valerie or Vincent, with a Corpo, Nomad or Streetkid lifepath that changes selected dialogue and the circumstances leading into the main story. Those variations are intentional parts of the character, so no single appearance, temperament or life history represents every version of V.

After the Konpeki Plaza heist, V carries an experimental Relic biochip containing the engram of Johnny Silverhand. Damage to the chip begins replacing V’s neural patterns with Johnny’s, creating the central conflict of the game: finding a way to survive without losing personal identity. V’s search connects the city’s fixers, nomads, corporations, netrunners and political actors, and can extend into the NUSA/FIA struggle depicted in Phantom Liberty.

V’s friendships, romances and final decisions are player-dependent. Judy Alvarez, Panam Palmer, River Ward and Kerry Eurodyne may become romantic partners under compatible conditions, while Jackie Welles, Viktor Vektor, Misty Olszewski, Johnny and others form the character’s emotional foundation. The endings deliberately produce different answers to what V values and what survival means; none should be presented as the only canonical outcome.

Cherami Leigh performs the female voice and Gavin Drea the male voice in English. V’s visual marketing versions are recognizable designs, but the in-game character remains extensively customizable.