Solomon Reed: Difference between revisions

Created page with "= Solomon Reed = right|250px|thumb|Solomon Reed, NUSA sleeper agent in Night City '''Solomon Reed''' is a key character in the ''Phantom Liberty'' expansion. A veteran NUSA operative, Reed serves as the player’s primary contact during the Dogtown storyline. Known for his unwavering loyalty, discipline, and pragmatism, he is a living embodiment of the state’s shadowy cont..."
 
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= Solomon Reed =
{{GameIcon|2077}}
{{Infobox_Character
|title = Solomon Reed
|image = Solomon Reed.jpeg
|aka = Reed<br/>Sleeper Agent
|status = Alive (determinant; see Endings)
|home = NUSA<br/>Operational theater: [[Night City]] / Dogtown
|gender = Male
|hair_color = Black
|eyes = Brown
|affiliation = [[New United States of America]] (NUSA)<br/>Federal Intelligence Agency (FIA)<br/>Office of President [[Rosalind Myers]]
|role = Intelligence operative<br/>Sleeper agent<br/>Field commander
|voiced_by = [[imdb:nm0293063|Idris Elba]]
|appears_games = {{CP|2077|PL}}
}}
{{Block Quote|text=Sometimes it’s not about trust, it’s about duty. And duty means doin’ the job—even when it breaks you.|speaker=Reed|citation={{CP|2077}}}}


[[File:Solomon_Reed.jpeg|right|250px|thumb|Solomon Reed, NUSA sleeper agent in Night City]]
'''Solomon Reed''' is a veteran FIA operative and sleeper agent embedded in [[Night City]] during the events of ''[[Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty]]''. He serves as both ally and foil to [[Songbird]], embodying the New United States’ relentless grip on its operatives. His loyalty to President [[Rosalind Myers]] defines his existence, even as it erodes his humanity.


'''Solomon Reed''' is a key character in the ''[[Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty|Phantom Liberty]]'' expansion. A veteran [[New United States of America|NUSA]] operative, Reed serves as the player’s primary contact during the Dogtown storyline. Known for his unwavering loyalty, discipline, and pragmatism, he is a living embodiment of the state’s shadowy control over its agents.
== Biography ==
=== Early service ===
Born in the [[New United States of America]] after the Collapse, Reed grew up under the shadow of war and corporate domination. Identified as a candidate for intelligence service early on, he was inducted into the FIA and subjected to exhaustive conditioning—language training, cultural immersion, false-identity construction, and psychological hardening. His personal ties and history were systematically erased to forge him into a tool of the state.


== Biography ==
=== Sleeper years in Night City ===
Reed was born in the [[New United States of America]] after the collapse of the old United States in the mid-21st century. From a young age, he was drafted into military and intelligence services, eventually becoming a deep-cover agent (sleeper) in [[Night City]]. For years, Reed operated under false identities, conducting covert operations and monitoring hostile corporate activities.
Reed spent decades embedded in [[Night City]] as a sleeper agent, cultivating assets, disrupting hostile networks, and serving as the FIA’s invisible hand in a city beyond NUSA jurisdiction. Operating alone under deep cover fractured his sense of self. By the 2070s, he was little more than the mission that defined him.


During the events of ''Phantom Liberty'', Reed resurfaces as the last loyal contact to President [[Rosalind Myers]]. His sense of duty has consumed his life; he has no family, no ties beyond the state, and he identifies almost completely with his role.
=== Reemergence ===
During the Dogtown incident, Reed reemerged as the last loyal lifeline for President Myers after the downing of Space Force One. His fieldcraft, discipline, and reputation as incorruptible made him indispensable during the crisis.


== Role in ''Phantom Liberty'' ==
== Role in ''Phantom Liberty'' ==
Reed becomes a central figure when President Myers’ plane crashes in [[Dogtown]], a militarized district controlled by [[Kurt Hansen]] and his [[Barghest (faction)|Barghest]] troops. As V, the player can choose to trust Reed or oppose him depending on their loyalty to [[Songbird]].
=== Contact and handler ===
Reed is introduced as V’s primary point of contact once Myers survives the crash. He briefs, coordinates, and deploys assets throughout the Dogtown operations. Where Songbird guides from the Net, Reed anchors the team in meatspace, leveraging his connections and tactical experience.
 
=== Conflict with Songbird ===
Reed views Songbird not as a person, but as an asset vital to national security. Her desire to defect clashes with his absolute loyalty. To Reed, aiding her means betraying the state and destabilizing the delicate balance across the Blackwall.


* Reed seeks to capture Songbird, believing that her abilities are too dangerous to be left unchecked.
=== Branching outcomes ===
* If V sides with Reed, he oversees Songbird’s transfer to the NUSA and secures an experimental cure for V.
* '''Side with Reed''' → V delivers Songbird into NUSA custody. Reed personally oversees her extraction, ensuring her continued exploitation for the state. In return, V is promised a potential cure, though at great moral cost.
* His actions directly shape the so-called “Tower of Song” ending, in which V survives but is left impaired.
* '''Oppose Reed''' → If V helps Songbird escape, Reed becomes the embodiment of the state’s betrayal—furious but bound by orders. His survival and standing remain, but trust between him and V is shattered.


== Personality ==
== Personality ==
Reed embodies the traits of a lifelong intelligence officer: calm, professional, emotionally restrained, and fiercely loyal to his cause. While he respects V, he places the survival of the state above individual freedom. Many players interpret Reed as a tragic figure—a man who gave everything for the NUSA, losing his humanity in the process.
Reed is calm, precise, and unflinchingly professional. Unlike Songbird, he rarely indulges emotion—yet beneath the surface lies fatigue and resignation. He is a man hollowed by service, his personal life long ago sacrificed to his oath. His morality is instrumental: the mission comes first, regardless of collateral damage.
 
== Abilities and equipment ==
* '''Fieldcraft expertise''' – deep-cover infiltration, counterintelligence, and clandestine tradecraft.
* '''Combat proficiency''' – firearms, close-quarters, and small-unit tactics honed by decades in the field.
* '''Command authority''' – coordination of FIA and NUSA assets under high-pressure operations.
* '''Sleeper conditioning''' – trained to suppress personal identity, operate autonomously, and endure psychological isolation.
 
== Relationships ==
* '''[[Rosalind Myers]]''' – ultimate superior; Reed’s loyalty to her personifies his loyalty to the state.
* '''[[Songbird]]''' – partner and ideological opposite; Reed sees her as vital asset, she sees him as jailer.
* '''[[V (character)|V]]''' – operative, pawn, or ally depending on choices; Reed respects V’s competence but measures them against duty.
* '''[[Kurt Hansen]]''' – local adversary; Reed seeks to destabilize Hansen’s hold on Dogtown.


== Themes ==
== Themes ==
* **Loyalty vs. Freedom** — Reed is the opposite of Songbird; where she desires escape, he seeks obedience.
* **Loyalty vs. Freedom** — Reed embodies submission to state power, contrasting Songbird’s desperate defiance.
* **State Power** — He personifies the reach of the NUSA into Night City.
* **Identity vs. Role** — A man stripped of selfhood, existing only as “agent.
* **Tragedy of Duty** — Reed’s sacrifice is not of his body but of his personal life and identity.
* **Tragedy of Duty** — His sacrifice is not death, but the erasure of his personal life and humanity.
 
== Database Entry ==
{{DBChar
|title = Solomon Reed
|image = Solomon_Reed_Database_CP2077.png
|transcript = Solomon Reed is a career operative of the FIA, the silent blade of President Myers. Decades of cover work in Night City have stripped him of anything resembling a personal life. Where Songbird sees escape, Reed sees only betrayal. To follow Reed is to side with the state itself—cold, enduring, and merciless.<ref name="PLwiki">{{Cite web|title=Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk_2077:_Phantom_Liberty|website=Wikipedia|date=}}</ref>
}}
 
== Associated Quests ==
Reed features prominently in all mainline Phantom Liberty jobs:
* [[Dog Eat Dog]] • [[Hole in the Sky]] • [[Spider and the Fly]] • ''Lucretia My Reflection'' • ''The Damned'' • ''Get It Together'' • ''You Know My Name'' • ''Birds with Broken Wings'' • ''I've Seen That Face Before'' • '''[[Firestarter]]''' → branches into:
** '''King of Swords route (side with Reed):''' '''Through Pain to Heaven''', with V delivering Songbird to NUSA.<ref name="MainJobs">{{Cite web|title=Main Jobs (Phantom Liberty list)|url=https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Cyberpunk_2077_Main_Jobs|website=Cyberpunk Wiki|date=}}</ref>
** '''King of Wands route (oppose Reed):''' Reed is opposed during Songbird’s attempted escape in '''[[The Killing Moon]]'''.
 
== Notes ==
* Reed is voiced by Idris Elba.<ref name="Shacknews">{{Cite web|title=Cyberpunk 2077 voice actors & cast list|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/137246/cyberpunk-2077-voice-cast|website=Shacknews|date=2023-09-26}}</ref>
* Unlike Songbird, Reed’s deterioration is not physical but existential—he is consumed by the system rather than broken by it.
 
== Trivia ==
* Reed’s surname is symbolic: a reed bends in the wind but never breaks, mirroring his ability to survive through adaptability without ever leaving his rooted loyalty.
* His design intentionally contrasts Songbird: where she is disembodied, spectral, and unstable, Reed is grounded, physical, and methodical.
 
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Solomon_Reed.jpg|Promotional key art
Solomon_Reed_InGame.png|In-game model
Reed_and_Myers.png|With President Myers during Dogtown events
</gallery>
 
== References ==
{{Reflist}}


== See Also ==
<!--Navigation-->
* [[Phantom Liberty]] 
{{Navbox Cyberpunk 2077 Characters|Story}}
* [[Songbird]] 
* [[President Myers]] 
* [[V (character)]] 


[[Category:Cyberpunk 2077 characters]]
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Cyberpunk 2077 Characters]]
[[Category:Phantom Liberty]]
[[Category:Phantom Liberty]]
[[Category:NUSA]]
[[Category:Intelligence Agents]]