Panam is one ofCyberpunk 2077’s most profoundly romanceable characters, but she’s more than just a bachelorette. She ties intoCyberpunk’s main questline in more ways than her initial introduction; she can lead the game’s ending down the best path. Whether or notV chooses to romance Panam, she becomes vital to obtaining the Star ending ofCyberpunk2077, which is also the most hopeful of all the endings and possibly meaning it could be considered the canon ending.
V first meets Panam Palmer after Rogue gives the mercenary a lead to find Hellman, which is vital to V gettingJohnny Silverhand’s construct removed from their head. But Panam even has her own foreshadowing moment where she can be seen arguing with Rogue in the Afterlife. Afterward, like all romance options inCyberpunk 2077,she calls on V for help with her own issues, specifically with the Aldecaldos. Unlike the other romance options, however, her friendship has the most meaning in terms of the overall outcome, and her romance is the most expanded upon in multiple ways.
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Panam’s Story
Unlike River, Kerry, and Judy, Panam’s story extends farther than a revenge quest. While River wants revenge on his nephew’s kidnapper andJudy wants revenge on the Tyger Clawsfor Evelyn’s downfall, Panam wants revenge on The Raffens for taking her truck and Kang Tao, but in the process, she puts her family’s lives in danger.
She has a full story arc where she struggles with responsibility for others and decision-making, ultimately leading to her becoming a leader of the Aldecaldos alongside Saul after they finally settle their differences. So rather than helping her just settle a personal blight, V helps Panam grow and, in turn, Panam helps V after learning that they’re dying from Johnny’s engram taking over their head. Additionally, Panam’s storyline is one of the longest and is the only one that features aCyberpunk 2077romance scene from a third-person perspective.
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The Star Ending
Many consider Panam and the Aldecaldos' ending, sometimes referred to as the Star ending after the achievement name, asthe best ending ofCyberpunk 2077. Though it’s not without casualties like inCyberpunk’s other endings, when V joins the Aldecaldos as they leave Night City for Arizona, it brandishes the most hopeful outlook.
V has just received word that they’ll die within the next 6 months as their body is starting to reject their conscious, but the Aldecaldos and Panam (andJudy, if a female V romanced her) seem hopeful that they’ll find a cure. The video messages during the credits echo the same message: that everyone is happy for—or with—V, which isn’t quite the same if V had chosen the Sun or the Devil endings. According to the Star ending, the Aldecaldos have many contacts and routes the group can try to stop V from dying, which is different from the Arasaka ending. Despite all of their technology and research, they claim they can’t stop V from dying. At least, that’s what they say to convince V to sign the contract.
But while Arasaka’s corporation is a symbol of prison and confinement, Panam and the Aldecaldos are a sign of freedom. This is further echoed with the strangeswallow that perches on Panam’s windowand greets V. Though it was previously thought that all the birds in Night City were exterminated, at least one has survived, meaning all hope is not lost forCyberpunk’s protagonist. And as V says it themself, this is a “new beginning.”
This could meana direction forCyberpunk 2077DLC to take: there are many avenues and storylines that haven’t been explored yet or could have been explored further, but finding V a cure is the next step in the process.
Cyberpunk 2077is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in development.
