Should I Give the Body to Johnny or Keep It?

When It Makes Sense

• Good fit: You want to experience Johnny Silverhand’s “Temperance” ending. Giving Johnny the body resolves his redemption arc and produces a quieter, reflective epilogue that many players find emotionally complete.
• Good fit: You are roleplaying a self-sacrificial V who prioritizes someone else’s survival over their own. If your V has accepted their limited lifespan and wants to let go, this choice fits the character arc.

When You Should Avoid It

• Warning sign: You want V to survive with their loved ones. Keeping the body is required for the “Sun” and “Star” endings, where V continues their story alongside key allies.
• Warning sign: You are invested in a romance or friendship with Panam, Judy, River, Kerry, or other major characters. The Temperance ending largely moves past those relationships in favor of Johnny’s perspective.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Unlocks a unique ending cinematic and narrative resolution centered on Johnny’s growth and departure from Night City.
• Removes the looming six-month lifespan pressure from V’s story, reframing the ending as a deliberate sacrifice rather than a race against time.

Cons

• Effectively ends V’s playable story and prevents access to the ending variants tied to V’s allies, romances, and faction choices.
• Once the body is given, that save file cannot pivot back to V-focused outcomes without reloading an earlier save.

Decision Checklist

• Which ending do you most want to see on this playthrough: V’s future, or Johnny’s second chance?
• Have you completed the side quests tied to your preferred allies, since those unlock additional ending options?
• Did you create a manual save before the point of no return, so you can reload and experience the other outcome?

Alternatives to Consider

Other major endings include siding with Hanako Arasaka for the “Devil” ending, teaming with Rogue for the “Sun” ending while keeping the body, leaving Night City with Panam for the “Star” ending, or attempting the secret solo path “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” If you want to see more than one outcome, make a hard save before meeting Hanako at Embers or before the Mikoshi upload choice.

Final Recommendation

Keep the body if you want V-centric endings, continued relationships, and a story that flows from your playthrough choices. Give the body to Johnny if you want the Temperance ending and prefer a resolution built around Johnny’s redemption. Because this is a fictional role-playing decision, the “right” answer is the one that matches your story goals. To avoid regret, save before the final mission so you can explore both paths.