Johnny Silverhand is a very prominent character in Cyberpunk 2077 and even in the tabletop game that inspired CD Projekt Red’s title. From a different lens, he is the main protagonist of this world even though his actions and words say otherwise.

Beneath the character of Johnny Silverhand is a man full of interesting backstory and details. Outside of what’s explained in the game’s main story, there are more things about Johnny Silverhand that makes him an even more complex character than initially portrayed. This goes not only for his motivations and personality but also for his history and interests.

10 His Real Name

Before the name Johnny Silverhand was known far and wide, the name itself didn’t exist at all. Johnny Silverhand’s real name is Robert John Linder – born on November 16, 1988. This technically makes him 89 years old around the events of Cyberpunk 2077.

Robert John Linder changed his name to Johnny Silverhand when he returned to Night City after the war. Wanting to forget his past and move on to a new future, he changed his name to Johnny Silverhand. His last name would be representative of his prosthetic limb which replaced his severed arm as a result of the war.

9 Johnny’s Family Background

Robert John Linder was born into a military family. Growing up, he had a very disciplined family structure. This would later drive him to join the military himself. When he was young, however, John lost his father during a riot.

This tore his family apart and, as a result, he was left to fend for himself on the streets. His life alone on the streets taught him how to survive, use a gun, and play an instrument. All of these things would become instrumental (heh, get it?) to the man he would later become.

8 He Enlisted With The U.S. Military

Johnny Silverhand, then Robert John Linder, enlisted into the military at a very young age. His first action came very soon as his enlistment was immediately followed by the Central American Conflict. This war, also known as the Second Central American War, saw the US invasion of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

It was during this war that Johnny Silverhand saw the corruption of the government first-hand. The war later ended with the U.S. giving up the conflict, but the aftermath would be much more devastating for Johnny and many of his fellow soldiers.

7 Johnny Silverhand Is A Deserter

Johnny Silverhand was distraught when he found out how corrupt, malicious, and manipulative the government was. During the end of the Central American Conflict, many of the secrets of the government were exposed.

After the revelations, many of the soldiers deserted the military as retaliation; Johnny was one of those deserters. Amidst the mass desertion, the U.S. government went full blast with its propaganda campaign to make sure the public would resent deserters.

6 From Soldier To Rockerboy

When Johnny Silverhand returned to Night City, he was fueled by a different passion. He would spread the word of the injustices of the government and the corporations that run the world through music. This birthed the band Samurai and turned Johnny into the world’s first Rockerboy.

A Rockerboy, while often associated with a musician with an anti-establishment message, doesn’t always need to be a person who plays music. A Rockerboy can be a musician or not – as long as they believe in a message and spread that to everyone around them. This can be a musician, an artist, or just an average fan. Johnny Silverhand started this movement.

5 The Band Samurai

Johnny Silverhand’s Rockerboy persona would not be born if it were not for his band: Samurai. Johnny started the band alongside his friend Kerry Eurodyne. The other members consist of Nancy (who later changed her name to Bes Isis), Denny, and Henry.

During the early days of the band, they used to play at small local bars. While playing at a place called the Rainbow Cadenza, a man willing to sign them made them an offer. This man turned out to be Jack Masters: the president of Universal Music. This marked the beginning of Samurai’s world-renowned success.

4 Eventual Band Split Up

During the height of Samurai’s success, their keyboardist, Nancy, was in a particularly abusive relationship. At one point, Nancy snapped and she ended up throwing her husband out a window from their 83rd story apartment building. This led to Nancy’s arrest; with her out of commission, the band eventually split up.

While the rest of the band’s members remained supportive, each member went on to have different interests. Henry, the bassist, left the world of music. Denny, the drummer, joined another band. When Nancy was released from prison, she changed her name to Bes Isis and became a media personality. Johnny and Kerry started their respective solo careers – both of which would be successful. They’d often tour together as double tickets.

3 Johnny’s Solo Career

After Samurai’s split up, Johnny went on to pursue a solo career to continue his anti-establishment message. One label, DBS Music, was so desperate to sign Johnny that they blackmailed him to reveal his identity as a deserter if he refused.

Unwavered by this, Johnny instead signed with Universal Music once again where he released a full album detailing his military life. This included the reveal of him being a deserter. He also revealed all the awful things the government did during the war. This resulted in the public being more empathetic towards deserters, ultimately shifting the overall perception.

2 Johnny’s History With Rogue

Rogue Amendiares is a character who has a deep history with Johnny Silverhand. In 2077, she is known as the best fixer in Night City and the owner of the Afterlife nightclub. Prior to that, she worked as a Solo and, at one point, was in a relationship with Johnny Silverhand.

Rogue was alongside Johnny during the Arasaka HQ Assault that led to Johnny’s death. They wouldn’t be reunited until 2077 when Johnny’s engram would be implanted in V’s mind. Johnny will often remark that their relationship was pursued by him. However, Rogue will recount a different story, stating it was her who pursued Johnny and that he constantly ignored her except for missions.

1 Impact In-Game

The quest descriptions in Cyberpunk 2077 are seemingly written by Johnny himself as is evident from the descriptions of quests where Johnny is involved. His ending will vary depending on the player’s choices. If the player agrees to give up his body to Johnny in the end, he’ll leave Night City and give up his rebellious nature after the mission.

There’s also an ending where Johnny will join Alt, his former lover, through the Blackwall of the net. Interestingly, if players managed to obtain the game before it was released on December 10 of last year, Johnny instead appeared and told the players to “go to sleep” as it wasn’t December 10th yet.

NEXT: 10 Major Differences Between The PS4 & PS5 Version Of Cyberpunk 2077