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MissionsupportingSide missionModerate

The Ballad of Buck Ravers

A short Cyberpunk 2077 side mission in which V meets Buck Ravers, a passionate Samurai fan, and decides whether to indulge or challenge his devotion to Johnny Silverhand’s former band.

RoleOptional character and world-building mission centered on Samurai fandom, Johnny Silverhand’s legacy, and a possible street fight.
Statusavailable
Importancesupporting
RewardDialogue-based rewards and any loot obtained from the optional confrontation.
  • Mission typeSide mission
  • Primary locationJapantown
  • FocusDialogue and optional combat
  • DifficultyModerate
  • Main themeSamurai’s legacy
  • Combat requirementOptional

The mission’s difficulty depends largely on whether the player provokes the nearby NPCs into a fight.

Key takeaways

Use the encounter to decide whether you want a brief lore conversation or an optional combat sequence.

  • Look for Buck in Japantown The mission starts at a street market in Japantown rather than at a major story location. If the marker is not immediately obvious, explore the market stalls and listen for Buck’s discussion of Samurai.
  • Johnny’s presence changes the tone The conversation is also a small character moment for Johnny Silverhand. His reaction helps frame the difference between the band’s real history and the simplified image sold to its fans.
  • Violence is optional The encounter can remain a conversation, but provocative dialogue can turn Buck and nearby supporters hostile. Save before escalating if you want the option to compare both outcomes.
  • Do not expect a conventional quest chain This is a self-contained side mission with a short objective sequence. Its main value is dialogue, setting detail, and the choice between restraint and confrontation.

The Ballad of Buck Ravers

The Ballad of is a compact side mission about the continuing cultural impact of Samurai and Johnny Silverhand in Night City.

V encounters Buck Ravers in Japantown, where he is presenting himself as a devoted Samurai fan and selling merchandise connected with the band. The meeting is initially a conversation rather than a conventional combat objective, giving the mission a slower pace than many of Cyberpunk 2077’s street encounters. Buck’s enthusiasm also gives V an opening to ask questions about Samurai and Johnny Silverhand’s reputation.

Johnny Silverhand becomes part of the conversation, turning Buck’s fandom into a point of friction. The mission is less about uncovering a new conspiracy than about contrasting the public image of Samurai with Johnny’s own memories and attitude toward the band’s legacy. Dialogue choices determine whether V humors Buck, questions his authenticity, or pushes the encounter toward violence.

The mission is easy to overlook because it begins as an ordinary interaction in a busy market area. Players who want the nonviolent version should pay attention to the tone of the dialogue and avoid escalating the exchange. Players who choose to challenge Buck should prepare for a close-range street fight and search the area afterward for anything dropped by the hostile NPCs.

Where this sits

Open-world explorationFind the encounter in Japantown
Buck RaversTalk about Samurai and Johnny
ResolutionLeave peacefully or fight
  1. 1Explore JapantownlocationThe mission is encountered during free exploration.
  2. ●Meet Buck RaversencounterBegin the conversation at his market stall.
  3. 3Discuss SamuraidialogueFollow the dialogue and Johnny’s commentary.
  4. 4Resolve the confrontationchoiceChoose whether to walk away or escalate.

The Ballad of Buck Ravers is a short, optional encounter rather than a multi-stage campaign mission.

Requirements

No special build, weapon, or quest item is required. The important requirement is access to Japantown during free exploration.

  • RequiredAccess to JapantownV must be able to travel through Japantown and reach the market where Buck Ravers is found.
  • RecommendedA combat-ready loadoutRecommended only if you intend to provoke the optional fight. Any reliable close- or mid-range setup can handle the encounter without a mission-specific strategy.
  • OptionalA manual saveUseful before selecting openly confrontational dialogue, because the conversation can change into combat.

Objectives

  1. Find Buck Ravers in JapantownLocate the Samurai fan at the market and begin the encounter.
  2. Talk with Buck RaversListen to Buck’s claims about Samurai and decide how V wants to respond.
  3. Discuss Samurai with Johnny SilverhandJohnny’s comments provide context for the band’s history and Buck’s fandom.
  4. Resolve the encounterLeave the area without violence or deal with the hostile NPCs if the conversation escalates.

Walkthrough

  1. 01

    Find Buck Ravers

    Travel to the market in Japantown

    Open the map and head to the Japantown market area where Buck Ravers is stationed. The encounter blends into the surrounding stalls, so use the mission marker and listen for Buck’s sales pitch rather than searching for a large interior entrance.

    Location: Japantown

    TipApproach during free exploration and avoid starting unrelated nearby activities before speaking with Buck.

  2. 02

    Talk to Buck Ravers

    Speak with Buck Ravers

    Start the conversation and let Buck explain his connection to Samurai. His dialogue establishes that he is selling the band as a cultural memory, while the surrounding market makes the meeting feel like an ordinary Night City street interaction rather than a formal mission briefing.

    Location: Japantown market

  3. 03

    Discuss Samurai

    Examine Buck’s view of Samurai

    Continue through the available dialogue and ask about the band where the conversation allows it. The important context is that Buck’s enthusiasm is based on a public image of Samurai, while Johnny’s presence exposes the gap between fan mythology and the people who lived through the band’s history.

    Location: Buck Ravers’s stall

    TipRead the dialogue choices before selecting an insult or accusation; the mission’s main branch is determined by the tone V takes with Buck.

  4. 04

    Hear Johnny’s perspective

    Listen to Johnny Silverhand’s reaction

    Johnny comments during the encounter, giving V additional perspective on Buck’s merchandise and claims. This is a brief character exchange, so remain in the conversation instead of immediately walking away if you want the mission’s central lore moment.

    Location: Japantown market

  5. 05

    Decide how to resolve the conversation

    Choose whether to challenge Buck

    V can treat Buck as an enthusiastic fan and end the meeting without starting a fight, or use more confrontational dialogue that questions his authenticity. The peaceful resolution is the safer route, while the hostile route turns the nearby supporters into enemies.

    Location: Japantown market

    Watch outConfrontational dialogue can begin combat; save beforehand if you want to preserve the nonviolent outcome.

  6. 06

    Survive the confrontation

    Defeat the hostile group if combat begins

    If the exchange escalates, move away from the densest cluster of market stalls and use cover where possible. Focus on the nearest attackers first, watch for enemies trying to flank V through the market, and avoid firing into civilians or unrelated NPCs if the fight spreads.

    Location: Japantown market

    TipThe area is cramped, so short bursts and repositioning are safer than standing in the open while several attackers close in.

  7. 07

    Complete The Ballad of Buck Ravers

    Leave the market and complete the mission

    After the conversation ends or the hostile NPCs are dealt with, move away from the stall and follow the updated objective. Check the immediate area for dropped loot before leaving, because the optional confrontation is the only part of the mission that creates a meaningful opportunity for combat rewards.

    Location: Japantown

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

The mission uses dialogue escalation as its central mechanic. Buck’s enthusiasm is not presented through a separate puzzle or investigation system; instead, the player reads his claims and chooses whether V responds with curiosity, tolerance, or hostility. That makes the encounter a useful example of how Cyberpunk 2077 turns ordinary street conversations into small role-playing decisions.

The optional fight is space-dependent. The market has stalls, pedestrians, and tight paths, so the safest approach is to create room before committing to a long firefight. A ranged build can use the lanes between stalls, while a melee build should avoid being surrounded and should keep moving around the edge of the encounter.

There is no known mission-specific mechanic involving hacking a terminal, finding a key, or solving a timed traversal section. The route is deliberately simple: reach Buck, complete the conversation, respond to the escalation, and leave the market once the objective updates.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • Provides a focused look at Samurai’s reputation among ordinary Night City residents.
  • Uses Johnny Silverhand’s commentary to add context without requiring a large combat arena or lengthy quest chain.
  • Lets the player decide whether the encounter reflects a diplomatic or confrontational version of V.

Weaknesses

  • The mission is brief and does not develop into a broad investigation.
  • The market layout can make the optional combat harder to read once several NPCs become hostile.
  • The value of the mission is primarily narrative, so players seeking a large reward or major story revelation may find the outcome modest.

Best uses

  • Complete it while exploring Japantown for additional Johnny- and Samurai-related world-building.
  • Choose the peaceful route for a short lore-focused interaction.
  • Choose the hostile route only when prepared for combat in a crowded market.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

  • Respond respectfully or indulge Buck’s Samurai fandom.

    The conversation can end without turning the market into a combat zone, allowing V to complete the encounter through dialogue.

  • Challenge Buck’s authenticity or mock his connection to Samurai.

    The exchange can escalate into a fight with Buck and nearby supporters. This creates an additional combat sequence and an opportunity to collect dropped loot, but it removes the peaceful resolution for that playthrough.

    Spoiler
  • Walk away before finishing the exchange.

    V can leave the area without completing the full conversation. The mission remains a short, optional encounter rather than producing a major change to the main story.

Checklist

  • Reach the Japantown market where Buck Ravers is performing his sales pitch.The stall is surrounded by ordinary market activity and can be easy to pass while travelling.
  • Speak with Buck before leaving the area.The mission begins as a conversation, not as a forced combat encounter.
  • Hear the discussion about Samurai and Johnny Silverhand.Remain in the dialogue long enough to receive the mission’s main context.
  • Make a deliberate choice about escalating the conversation.Save first if you want to compare the peaceful and hostile outcomes.
  • Search the area after an optional fight.Any combat loot is tied to the enemies defeated during the confrontation.Optional

Failure conditions

  • V is defeated during the optional combat encounterIf the conversation becomes hostile and V loses the fight, reload from a save or checkpoint and approach the confrontation more carefully.
  • V leaves before completing the conversationWalking away early can leave the interaction unresolved. Return to Buck if the mission marker remains active.
  • The player attacks unrelated civilians or nearby NPCsThe market is crowded, and stray shots can create additional hostility or complicate the encounter beyond Buck’s intended confrontation.

On failure

The game’s exact checkpoint behavior can vary with the timing of the escalation, so a manual save before the dialogue is the most reliable way to preserve both outcomes.

Rewards

  • Mission completion reward
    Completing the encounter provides the normal side-mission completion outcome, though the exact payment or experience value is not specified here.
  • Combat loot
    If V chooses the hostile resolution, defeated NPCs can leave behind ordinary loot that may be collected after the fight.
  • Samurai lore
    The principal reward is narrative: Buck’s fandom and Johnny’s reaction add context to Samurai’s place in Night City’s culture.

Characters in this mission

AftermathSpoilers

The outcome is local, not campaign-defining

The peaceful and hostile resolutions primarily change how the Japantown encounter ends. Neither route is known to produce a major alteration to Cyberpunk 2077’s main ending or to replace the larger Johnny Silverhand missions; the meaningful difference is whether V leaves Buck’s fandom intact or answers it with violence.

Trivia

  • The mission’s title echoes the language of a rock song or folk ballad, fitting Samurai’s status as a remembered counterculture band.
  • Buck Ravers represents the way Samurai has become a product and identity in Night City, rather than simply a band from Johnny’s past.
  • The encounter is one of the game’s smaller Johnny-related activities and can be completed without following a long chain of objectives.

Relationships

Characters