Tarot Cards

Tarot cards are a mechanic in Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty. They were also added in the Night City Tarot DLC for Cyberpunk RED.

Overview

There are a total 22 tarot cards in Cyberpunk 2077, plus 4 additional in Phantom Liberty. They first appear in Act 2 after V's mind becomes entangled with Johnny Silverhand's engram.

In Cyberpunk 2077, 20 of the 22 Major Arcanum tarot cards are linked to the quest Fool on the Hill. They can be found throughout Night City and the Badlands. The only two not included are Judgement, which is found in any ending questline involved in attacking Arasaka Tower (Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Belly of the Beast or (Don't Fear) The Reaper); and The Devil, which will become available after accepting help from Hanako Arasaka (Where is My Mind?).

In Phantom Liberty, the 4 King tarot cards are linked to the quest Tomorrow Never Knows. They can be found throughout Dogtown.

Major Arcana

The Fool

The Fool is everyone - including you and me. Each step he takes on his journey feels like stepping into a brave new world. Ultimately, the journey will change him. But as the card shows, he's a trustworthy lad whose tireless hope drives him toward his goal.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located outside V's Apartment.

The image shows a red industrial background of cascading metal buildings, wires, and infrastructure. At the center in the foreground lit in yellow is a punk walking on a roof top with a malnourished dog by his side, walking to the left, one arm stretched in front of him, and his other arm carrying a stick. His right leg is in front of him, hovering over the edge of the building, as though about to step off the building's edge, unaware.

The Magician

The Magician is the card of self-confidence and adapting to situations through intellect and sheer will. The Magician is a schemer who always has one last trick up his sleeve, who despite everything manages to stay afloat and remain in control of his own destiny.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near Lizzie's Bar where V meets Evelyn Parker during The Information.

The gold-jacketed, skull-faced Magician stands behind a table, a wall of red masks behind them. Like the classical Rider-Waite-Smith depiction, the Magician bears the infinity symbol, here below their chest. Similarly, objects representing the suits are laid on the table: several knives (Swords), as well as a beverage can (Cups) with a five-pointed star (Pentacles). However, notably missing from this depiction is any obvious object representing the suit of Wands.

The High Priestess

The High Priestess is a card of mystery. It shows how all our secrets hang by a delicate thread and the struggle between common sense and intuition. The High Priestess symbolizes the cold, calm waters as well as the mysteries hidden in their depths.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located at Takemura's hideout where V meets Hanako Arasaka during Search and Destroy.

The white-robed High Priestess stands in a T-pose, facing directly towards the viewer with her singular red eye. Like the classical depiction, she has horned headwear, and stands between a dark pillar on her left with the letter B, and a light pillar on her right with the letter J. These represent Boaz and Jachin, two metal pillars of Solomon's Temple.

The Empress

The empress is a card of femininity and motherhood. She is authoritative, knows what she wants, and exhibits refinement and sensuousness. The Empress symbolizes creativity and growth, and instructs us not to dismiss our unconscious impulses, but to trust our intuition.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near the Afterlife where V first meets Rogue Amendiares.

In the background, a mix of two towering skyscrapers tinted red against a pitch black sky at the top of the card, and from the middle down, floral, natural imagery with flowers, plant stems, and other such scenery about, tinted in a gradient from muted purples at the middle to reddish pinks at the bottom. At the center of the image and slightly to the right, a lone female figure tinted in blue stands, eyes closed, facing to the left. Long white hair flows behind her as her face is tilted upwards. On the left sleeve of her long kimono is a female-gender symbol, and grasped in her left hand is an unsheathed katana.

The Emperor

The Emperor represents patriarchal control and is pleased with the authority and power he possesses to shape the future. The Emperor makes the rules and enforces them for the common good. But prestige has its dark sides – the Emperor is dominating and ruthless and will climb over a mountain of bodies to achieve his aim.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near Konpeki Plaza where V and Jackie witness Yorinobu Arasaka's murder of Saburo Arasaka during The Heist.

The background, tinted yellow, is almost entirely obstructed bar the upper left, which seems to emulate either warehouse windows or computer monitors stacked in a grid. Taking up the majority of space in dark hues of black, purple, and blue is machinery and wires forming a throne-like chair, viewed from behind and to the left. Hooked into the chair with many wires connecting to the head is a humanoid figure, head turned towards the viewer, with two bright red eyes, and no other clearly visible facial features. The figure is draped in loose, robe-like clothing.

The Hierophant

The Hierophant symbolizes a respect for tradition. It represents one who tries to maintain the established order, even though their very character is shaped by it. The Hierophant places his faith in institutions – for the alternative is pure chaos. Only by placing his faith in order can he draw strength.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located at the Japantown waterfront near where Goro Takemura arranges to meet Sandayu Oda during Down on the Street.

The background consists of cracked buildings and machinery tinted in hues of blue and purple, with some kind of smoke rising from the bottom left. At the center in hues of red is a figure, hovering in a cross-legged sitting position, a machine-like head with two bright red eyes, and tubes and wires snaking out of the front and back of the head, falling below and rising above the figure. On his chest are two keys, crossed against each other, their teeth pointing upwards, and in the figure's right hand is a staff with three key-like teeth at its tip, going across the entire stem of the rod. The figure's clothes are tattered and old.

The Lovers

The Lovers is the card of dichotomies. It points to the contradictions that clash within each of us and of the challenge of striking a balance between extremes. The Lovers is also the card of dilemmas, like The Fool who stands at the crossroads, unable to make his choice.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located on the back side of the screen at the Silver Pixel Cloud drive-in theater where Johnny and Rogue go on a date during Blistering Love.

The image background is abstract and in layers; the backmost layer is simply a shade of slightly dark orange, in front of that is a yellow circle, and in front of that is a black triangle. At the bottom of the background is some sort of plant, seemingly with small green and red flames on a few points on its snaking, jagged branches. The card's main feature are the upper halves of two skeletons, one coming from the bottom of the card look up, and the other coming from the top of the card looking down. These skeletons are facing each other, with unnaturally long and pointed tongues slithering from their mouths, curving such that they come into contact with each other. The top skeleton has a snake of purple and white stripes slithering from the mostly-unseen ribcage around the neck and to the left of the top skeleton's skull, just past its lower jaw. The bottom skeleton seems to have more damage, and seems to have cybernetic wires and nodes on the left half of its skull, the left half being most visible to the viewer.

The Chariot

The Chariot is always charging ahead despite being pulled by its steeds in opposite directions. The rider who steers it constantly reins in the light and dark sides of the soul with the help of Reason. To ride in The Chariot is to experience highs and lows – ups and downs.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near Tom's Diner where V and Takemura meet during Playing for Time to start off Act II.

The image background is abstract, dark purple, with light purple lines conveying a sense of momentum and speed. The main figure of the card takes up roughly the top two thirds of it, being a figure hunched over in thick, seemingly leather clothing, also tinted purple, with a black curved helmet that curves downwards to a point in front of where the figure's nose would be. The figure's open mouth is visible, its skin pure white and ghoulish. The figure rides a motorcycle, noticeably natural in its light grey, reflective, and metallic coloration, with only the center of the motorcycle's body visible and not the wheels, and the figure drives the motorcycle towards the left.

Strength

Strength is the card of resilience. It is associated with determination, bravery and internal struggle. One must have dedication in order to overcome obstacles and reach one's goal. Strength is about physical prowess and spiritual fortitude – the power that must be unleashed to achieve the impossible.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located at the Rancho Coronado Container Freight Station near to where V first meets Panam Palmer during Ghost Town.

The background is basically non-present, as a feminine figure from the chest-up takes up the majority of the image, bar dark, dirty yellow in the top two corners. The figure is hooded, but where their face would be is entirely visible. Instead of a face however, is only hollow metallic beams and supports criss-crossing to form a chasis-like structure, with two red dots for eyes un-centered, instead located shifted to the left and askew. The only human part of the face remaining is the chin and bottom lip. Below the head is clear human skin, as the neck leads to a partly bare chest, with a tattoo of a woman on the left prying open the jaws of a wolf at the center of the chest, the tattoo tinted deep blue. The clothes of the figure seem to be a hooded cloak with metallic features around either side of the torso's front, and the neck dips down to reveal most of the center of the female figure's chest, though her breasts are mostly covered by the U-shaped curvature of her robes.

The Hermit

The Hermit is a card of self-imposed isolation. It represents an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, a turning away from constant newness toward Ye Olde ways. For the hermit, solitude is the road to the sublime – a road that is taken not with great bounds and strides, but with small, concentrated steps.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near Pacifica Serenity Bible Church where V communes with Alt Cunningham during Transmission.

This card takes place in metallic beams and supports, with a gradient of a deep red the further away from the focused scene the background is, to a brighter yellow from mostly unseen illumination. Towers and support beams make up the upper background, whereas the central background is of a short wall, and the bottom of the card features a concrete ledge with unseen lighting below. A cloaked figure with staff in right hand and torch in left stands on the ledge, facing towards though a bit facing to the left of the viewer. Their robes are dark and the figure seems to wear a gas mask with a tube that snakes downwards and behind their torso. One eye of the gas mask is partially visible under the figure's hood, and it is a mild yellow in hue.

Wheel of Fortune

The Wheel of Fortune means that change is coming. One's destiny could turn out for the better or the worse, yet it also bears the promise of new possibilities. The Wheel reminds us that nobody remains at the top forever, but also that not every situation is hopeless.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located at the Sunset Motel, the site where V and Panam Palmer devise their plan to interdict Anders Hellman's AV during Lightning Breaks, V and Takemura interrogate Anders Hellman during Life During Wartime, and V meets a proxy for Hanako Arasaka during Search and Destroy.

The background of this card is a wall or pillar riddled with bullet holes. The eponymous Wheel of Fortune is inscribed on the wall, consisting of an eight-spoked wheel surrounded by a ring. The bottom spoke has the alchemical symbol of Water, the left Salt / Earth, the top Mercury / Air, and the right Sulfur / Fire. The ring has eight symbols; the symbols in the cardinal directions can be read as TAROT, TORA, or ROTA. The other four symbols are the Hebrew letters י-ה-ו-ה: Yahweh, the name of God.

In front of this design, a figure lays dead against it, slumped over to the left. Bleeding bullet wounds riddle the figure's torso and blood pours from the neck and mouth, while an open briefcase full of credit cards sits near the figure's legs, seeming to have just fallen from their hands. The figure is clad in green and white the tablet behind them is a muted orange and the floor below is purple, pink, and red.

Justice

Justice is the card of conflict resolution. It proclaims the need for order, to see through lies and deceit, and a return to the natural state of affairs. Justice implies a just sentence, but also due process.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near the Electric Corporation power plant where V and Judy Álvarez rescue Evelyn Parker during Disasterpiece.

The background is abstract but somewhat symmetrical; the bottom of the card is a haze of orange, the top of the card splits down the middle, with black taking the center, and two purple, towering buildings with various pipes and wires coming from them rise out of the orange hue below. At the center of the card stands a figure, back to the viewer yet head turned left as though to look behind, at the viewer. The figure's body is entirely black, with some light purple accents. On the figure's back is a bone-like design, slightly emulating typical skeletal structure until the shoulders and arms are noticed, whereupon the viewer realizes that the bone designs form the shape and form of scales, such as in the idea of the scales of justice, with the scale plates being skulls. The figure's left hand is clenched, right hand holding a sword, both arms at his side. The figure's head has numerous wires, tubes, and cables stemming from the back of the skull, and what seems to be the left eye of the figure looks like a muted grey, as though looking through goggles of some sort.

The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man is the card of sacrifice. It says that a price must be paid in order to achieve enlightenment. The Hanged Man's forsakenness opens the path for rebirth into a new life, though this path is wrought with pain suspended in time and ultimately ends in death.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near Johnny Silverhand's grave in the Northern Oilfields where he and V have a critical conversation during Chippin' In.

The background of this card consists of four onlooking figures with singular, cybernetic eyes against abstract shades of varying orange, brown, and pink from top to bottom. In the foreground is a man, upside-down, with legs tied and bound from some location above and outside of the scene of the card, the figure hanging by the legs. The figure's clothes are plain black paints, white shirt, and a black jacket of some sort, almost like a business-suit type outfit. The figure is bald, and their face gone, instead with a golden skull in place of where the facial features would be.

Death

Death is the card of becoming. It signifies an imminent and difficult transition – the conclusion of one phase of life and the beginning of another. Inevitably, something gets lost during the transformation, but something else will rise and take its place.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near Embers where the final act begins with Nocturne Op55N1.

The background of this card is flat, light red. The card's entire focus is on its central figure, a left-facing cybernetic or robotic figure with a skull-shaped metallic head with spikes atop it and glowing yellow eyes. Out of the back of the skull, many wires and cables extend out of sight. The figure, with a forked organic tongue, seems to lick a short, angular sword held upright in its right hand, and the figure is adorned in samurai-like plated armor, creating harsh angular silhouette effects.

Temperance

Temperance is the card of balance. It may symbolize self-restraint or the gradual shift toward a more mature state of equilibrium. Temperance is associated with being in control of oneself as well as the desire to achieve inner peace.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near the Columbarium, which Johnny visits during New Dawn Fades in the Temperance ending.

The primary figure is a seated cyborg man. He wears a grey tank-top with a black triangle inscribed within a white square. This symbol matches the one worn by the angel in the classical depiction: the triangle represents spirit, while the square's four corners represent the four elements of the physical world.

At the feet of the primary figure lies a second, unconscious person. Where the classical depiction has the angel pouring liquid between two cups, here the two figures themselves are the vessels: a tube is strapped to the right arms of both figures, connecting their bloodstreams. The mixing of liquid has been interpreted variously as the dilution of wine with water, the harmony of the psychic and the material, or the flow of time between past and future. Additional tubing runs to the clenched jaw of the primary figure, then to various piping in the background.

The Devil

The Devil is addiction, craving and passion. He brings fame and fortune, but at the price of losing oneself to a world of material distractions. The Devil lures unsuspecting souls into traps, but always grants them a choice. One can try their luck and take him up on his offer, but one should always know when to call quits.

 — Tarot Card Journal

The Devil is obtained after completing the Devil Ending. The actual tarot card can only be seen in-game during Where is My Mind?, when V breaks the Rubik's Cube in half.

The Devil is portrayed as a cruel face of a man on a blood-red background, hungrily smiling, teeth barred. His many eyes are red, their placement copies the shape of optic implants used by members of Maelstrom gang.

The Tower

The Tower is an omen of radical change, chaos and destruction. The lightning striking The Tower signifies a return to the old order that lies buried under the ruins, and a new order that will rise from it. It is a symbol of tragedy, apocalypse, and self-destruction.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located at the Arasaka Memorial near Arasaka Tower.

This card is distinct from many other cards; it in its entirety consists of one primary, obelisk-like pillar or tower in dark purple rising at a slight angle to the left in the center of the card, with industrial infrastructure in abstract, transparent manifestations on either side at the center and bottom. From the top right is a sparking, jagged bundle of lightning crossing down through the middle of the image.

The Star

The Star is the card of hope. In the darkest of nights there is a light that shines the path to home. The Star is inspiration, motivation and gives us strength to move forward.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near the Solar Arrays, from where V and the Aldecaldos depart Night City during the eponymous ending.

The background here is an abstract and unclear setting, dark, with purple sparkles about the scene. Numerous figures shrouded in darkness look onto the central figure with cyclopse-like singular purple eyes. The central figure, upon a crystalline-seeming purple stage, is in the midst of what looks like a dance, in this moment on her knees. Her dress, extremely open down the middle, shows much of her breasts and torso, with the edges just covering her nipples. She is posed facing to the right of the card, both arms up, right arm stretched higher, her purple hair flowing back, and her face obscured entirely by her right arm.

The Moon

The Moon reminds us that reality is not always what it seems at first glance. In a world of appearances and illusions, the best course is often charted by one's own intuition. The Moon is also the card of dreams, desires, and of course, sleep – Death's nightly ritual.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near the Arasaka Estate, the site of Last Caress during the Arasaka ending.

The scene of this card is a hectic urban mess; the full moon tinted a light yellow illuminates and takes up much of the top center of the card, with infrastructure wires and cables tinted in fiery pinks and blacks crossing just over it, and a mass city scape in the distance framing the bottom of the moon. Close to the viewing angle are two wolves, the one on the right howling, amid a collection of scrap metal and bones, with one skull in the pile of rubbish.

The Sun

The Sun symbolizes success. It is a card of freedom, renewal and a bright future that lies ahead. The Sun also represents truth, for its light will always pull back the curtain of shadow that hides the world's secrets. It is^[sic] also represents greatness and splendor.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located below V's Penthouse, which is featured in Path of Glory during The Sun ending.

Where the classical depiction has a child on a white horse, this card has a white-clad cowgirl sitting on a golden motorcycle, this Western aesthetic described by Bryce Mosley as representing a "simpler, better time". Behind her, several space stations, reminiscent of the Crystal Palace of the eponymous ending, are silhouetted against a full moon or perhaps a planet. A brilliant glint reflects off the cowgirl's metallic face, presumably from the Sun itself.

Judgement

Judgement is the card of renewal. The angel blowing into the horn heralds resurrection and liberation. This card foretells an important change that will result in healing or fulfillment. It is also a symbol of self-worth.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Judgment can be obtained after completing any ending except for "The Devil" and "Path of Least Resistance", but in order to obtain it you need to inspect it in the area where you fight Adam Smasher, before the entrance to Mikoshi.

As with the classical depiction of Judgement, this card features a great trumpeter, under which numerous nude figures emerge from grave-like holes, called to resurrection. However, instead of the angel of the classical depiction, this trumpeter is a cloaked, skeletal figure. Where an angel's wings might have been, there are a pair of dark shapes behind the trumpeter. Each sports an intently-gazing eye and teeth-like spikes, forming a vertical maw-like shape between them.

The World

The World lies at the end of The Fool's long and winding journey. Wiser and more world-weary than he started out, the Fool faces a moment of reckoning. Some of us accept where our journey has led us to, while others embark on a new challenge. One thing in this World is certain – you can't have it all.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located on the rooftop near Misty's Esoterica, where V makes the final decision on which ending to take.

This image consists of the silhouette of a person with a singular, yellow, cybernetic eye against a pink background, the pink only taking up small portions of either top corner. The silhouette itself, however, is not just dark; it is filled wit vibrant yellows, oranges, and greens of city lights along city streets, creating the images of numerous building facades along the bottom of the silhouette's torso up towards its shoulders. Around the neck area, buildings fade away into vein-like jagged and contorted lines that all seem to stem from or lead towards the eye-like circle at the center of the silhouette's head.

Minor Arcana

King of Cups

A King of Cups is a creative and emotionally-driven person. They are strong individuals, who realize the importance of feelings. Intuition helps them navigate their lives. When fate is in their favor, compassion guides their actions. When they're at odds with fate, it'd be unwise to trust them.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near Dogtown's northern entrance where V first meets Song So Mi during Dog Eat Dog.

King of Pentacles

The King of Pentacles is imperious. They represent entreprise, pragmatism, but also attachement. From such a person one can expect coldness or attachment to material possessions; they are likely to turn your world upside down sooner or later.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located on the same level as the Kress Street Hideout where V and Rosalind Myers hide out during Lucretia My Reflection.

The King of Pentacles is a green, cloaked figure with various cabled devices hanging from their clothes. While their hands and arms are not shown, in the background is a glowing five-pointed star befitting this King of Pentacles, possibly also reminiscent of the star of the New United States. Likewise the King of Pentacles' mask has five glowing dots, unlike the other three Kings.

King of Wands

The master of planning and unorthodox ideas. An individual who brings people together and radiates inspiration to those they consider friends. However, their enemies will soon find they are an impulsive, devastating force of nature, capable of breaking oaths and crossing any line, just to see their goals achieved.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located near the basketball court at Tranquil Terrace where V first meets Solomon Reed during Lucretia My Reflection.

King of Swords

Two things matter above all else for a King of Swords: logic and conviction. They represent a person with a precise moral compass, who is known for their caring demeanor. However, enemies beware - the King of Swords is a ruthless opponent, who will not rest until you are punished and left to be torn apart by hounds of fate.

 — Tarot Card Journal

Located on the outside wall of The Moth bar, next to the alternative entrance.

Card Appearances

Throughout the game, V can ask Misty Olszewski for a tarot reading, with her tarot-divination foreshadowing and foretelling what V may encounter in the main story of the game. This all comes to a close in the epilogue phone messages, where in almost every ending Misty provides what seems to be a three-card spread for the player to see how their life may turn out. The card results for each ending is listed below.

Storyline

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Nocturne Op55N1

During the final part of Nocturne Op55N1, if you choose to call Panam Palmer and the Aldecaldos for help in breaking into Arasaka Tower, Misty will offer you a tarot reading before leaving, having set up a special pattern for you and Johnny, a type of four-card draw. The first two cards seem to refer to the "now", and in this case, the "who", as Misty draws first "The Fool" and second "The Magician", the former referring to "the inner child -- curious of the world, but also naïve and reckless", and the latter "a person of great talent and charisma, a leader", but reversed, implying "a tendency towards addiction [and] mental instability". The last two cards, Misty says, are "about your futures", the first card for V, the second for Johnny, drawing "The Lovers", meaning "Balance, friendship, [and] love", and further revealed if playing as female V, that "it can also mean difficult choices ahead". The final card, implied to be the card foretelling Johnny's future, is "The Moon", which is described as "mystery", essentially the unknown, an allusion to the fact that Johnny's fate is truly undetermined, regardless of the choice V makes in the end.

Endings

Each ending (other than the suicide ending) is named after one of the cards, possibly hinting the overall message behind it, and what it means for V's and/or Johnny's future. Additionally, Misty draws three cards for V in the credits scene for most of the endings, though inversion of the cards is not detailed.

The Devil

In The Devil ending, Misty draws the cards "The Fool", "The Moon", and "The High Priestess". She says that ("those are bad cards"), and that V should ("keep a close eye on [their] new friends").

The Sun

In The Sun ending, Misty draws the cards "Strength", "The Emperor", and "The World", remarking ("the world's gonna hear about you") to V, implying positivity.

The Star

In The Star ending, Misty draws the cards "The Chariot", "The Lovers", and "The Sun", remarking ("Looks like you've got a good life ahead of you in the badlands").

Temperance

In the Temperance ending, Misty draws the cards "The Hanged Man", "The Magician", and "The Star". Misty says that ("those are not good cards"), and that they mean ("something like death, but not quite").

Suicide Ending

While Misty appears in the credits of this ending, she does not do a drawing, as V's final fate has already passed.

The Tower

In The Tower ending, Misty closes her shop and leaves Night City, implying she has resigned from tarot reading ("I couldn't help other people find balance if I'd lost it myself"). Therefore, this ending does not have a drawing.

Related Achievements

Cyberpunk 2077

• The Wandering Fool - Find all the tarot graffiti for the job Fool on the Hill.
• The Fool - Become a mercenary.
• The Lovers - Steal the Relic.
• The Wheel of Fortune - Interrogate Anders Hellman.
• The High Priestess - Talk to Hanako Arasaka.
• The Hermit - Find Alt Cunningham.
• The World - Complete the main storyline.
• The Devil - Help Takemura avenge the death of Saburo Arasaka.
• The Sun - Become a legend of the Afterlife.
• The Star - Leave Night City with the Aldecaldos.
• Temperance - Let Johnny Silverhand keep your body.

Phantom Liberty

• King of Cups - Fulfill Songbird's request.
• King of Pentacles - Refuse Songbird's request.
• King of Wands - Take Songbird to the stars.
• King of Swords - Take Songbird home.