Should I Help River Kill Anthony?

Note: This guide covers a fictional story choice in the video game Cyberpunk 2077. It is not advice about real-world violence or harm.

When It Makes Sense

• Good fit: You are roleplaying a ruthless, emotionally driven, or “eye for an eye” version of V. If your character views Anthony Harris’s crimes as unforgivable and believes Night City justice is broken, helping River can feel like the only honest outcome.
• Good fit: You want to deepen River’s romance or friendship arc on a darker, more personal level. River is traumatized by the case and the victims; agreeing with him in this moment validates his grief and rage, even if it compromises his badge.

When You Should Avoid It

• Warning sign: You are playing V as someone with a moral code, especially a merc who avoids unnecessary killing or believes even monsters deserve due process. Pulling River back from murder preserves his integrity as a cop and keeps the line between hunter and killer clearer.
• Warning sign: You are uncomfortable with emotionally heavy content involving child victims, torture, or vigilante executions. This quest is already grim; choosing the kill path makes the ending of the scene more disturbing and may affect how you feel about River afterward.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The choice aligns with River’s emotional state and can strengthen your bond if you want V to stand beside him without judgment.
• It delivers a grim form of narrative closure for the victims’ families and lets V participate in a revenge-driven ending to the questline.

Cons

• River crosses a moral line that can tarnish his character and your relationship with him, especially if you later reflect on what he became in that moment.
• It goes against several of V’s possible value systems and may feel out of character for a player who has consistently avoided cold-blooded killing elsewhere.

Decision Checklist

• What kind of V am I roleplaying: mercenary-with-rules, ruthless edgerunner, idealist, or something else?
• How do I want my relationship with River to feel afterward: loyal co-conspirators, or partners who kept each other from going too far?
• Am I okay with the darker emotional weight of this scene, or would I prefer a less violent resolution?

Alternatives to Consider

The main alternative is to talk River down and leave Anthony alive for the NCPD or the legal system to handle. This keeps River from becoming a murderer and fits a V who values restraint. You can also simply refuse to participate and let River make the choice himself, though the scene is designed to push you toward one side or the other. Whichever path you take, the quest completes and you can continue River’s storyline; no major gameplay item or ending is permanently locked behind this single choice.

Final Recommendation

Help River kill Anthony only if your V would logically support vigilante justice and you want to explore the darker side of River’s grief. In most other playthroughs, talking him down is the more balanced and less morally corrosive choice. Because this is a fictional game scenario with heavy themes, pick the path that fits your character and your own comfort level. If real-world thoughts of violence, vengeance, or harm are affecting you, consider speaking with a mental health professional or a crisis support resource.