MediaWiki

Mikoshi: Difference between revisions

Created page with "= Mikoshi = '''Mikoshi''' (Japanese: 神輿, lit. "spirit/god litter") is a critical piece of cyberspace infrastructure in ''Cyberpunk 2077''. Controlled by the Arasaka Corporation, it serves as a digital fortress and the final destination for several major narrative arcs. thumb|center|400px|Representation of Mikoshi in cyberspace == Overview == * '''Ownership:''' Arasaka Corporation * '''Nature & Loca..."
 
No edit summary
 
Line 1: Line 1:
= Mikoshi =
= Mikoshi =


'''Mikoshi''' (Japanese: 神輿, lit. "spirit/god litter") is a critical piece of cyberspace infrastructure in ''[[Cyberpunk 2077]]''. Controlled by the [[Arasaka Corporation|Arasaka Corporation]], it serves as a digital fortress and the final destination for several major narrative arcs.
'''Mikoshi''' (Japanese: 神輿, lit. "spirit/god litter") is a high-security cyberspace fortress in ''[[Cyberpunk 2077]]''. Controlled by the [[Arasaka Corporation]], it is the only known location where engrams created by the [[Soulkiller]] program can be stored, altered, or released. Mikoshi plays a pivotal role in the game’s narrative and is central to several of its endings.


[[File:Cyberpunk2077_Mikoshi.jpg|thumb|center|400px|Representation of Mikoshi in cyberspace]]
[[File:Cyberpunk2077 Mikoshi1.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Digital visualization of Mikoshi’s data fortress]]
[[File:Cyberpunk2077 Mikoshi2.jpg|thumb|left|350px|In-game representation of Mikoshi’s access bridge]]


== Overview ==
== Overview ==
* '''Ownership:''' [[Arasaka Corporation]]
* '''Ownership:''' [[Arasaka Corporation]]
* '''Nature & Location:''' A secretive, high-security cyberspace repository hosted on Arasaka’s orbital servers. It contains digitized personalities created through the [[Soulkiller]] program and stored as part of Arasaka’s "Secure Your Soul" project.
* '''Purpose:''' Repository for digitized personalities (engrams) extracted by [[Soulkiller]].
* '''Etymology:''' In real-world Japanese culture, a ''mikoshi'' is a portable Shinto shrine, a vessel for divine presence. In ''Cyberpunk 2077'', Mikoshi becomes a vessel for human souls.
* '''Location:''' Deep in Arasaka’s orbital server infrastructure, accessible through the '''Izanagi terminal''' beneath [[Arasaka Tower]] in [[Night City]].
* '''Meaning of name:''' In real-world Japanese culture, a ''mikoshi'' is a portable Shinto shrine, symbolizing a vessel that carries divine spirits. In cyberpunk lore, Mikoshi is a vessel for human souls trapped as data.


== Access — The Izanagi Terminal ==
== Historical Background ==
* The main access point to Mikoshi is codenamed '''Izanagi''', located beneath [[Arasaka Tower]] in [[Night City]].
=== Origins ===
* Access requires "Kisen" authorization, special session permits, and strict logging.
Mikoshi was developed by Arasaka in the early 21st century as part of its "Secure Your Soul" initiative. After [[Alt Cunningham]] created the original Soulkiller program in 2013, Arasaka weaponized it to harvest and imprison consciousness. Mikoshi became the digital vault where these stolen engrams were stored.


== Role in Quests ==
=== Fourth Corporate War ===
Mikoshi features prominently in late-game storylines, most notably during:
During the [[Fourth Corporate War]], Arasaka expanded Mikoshi to safeguard corporate elites and political allies. By offering “immortality” through digital preservation, Arasaka reinforced its influence across the globe.


* '''[[Belly of the Beast]]''' – V and their allies breach Arasaka Tower, confront [[Adam Smasher]], and reach the Mikoshi access point, where they reunite with [[Johnny Silverhand]] and [[Alt Cunningham]].
=== 2077 and Beyond ===
* '''[[Changes]]''' – Once connected to Mikoshi, V faces a critical choice: return to their body with limited time to live, or allow Johnny to take over permanently.
By 2077, Mikoshi had grown into a myth within the [[Net]]. Few outside Arasaka’s inner circle even knew it truly existed. For netrunners, Mikoshi symbolized the final destination of captured minds, a place between life and oblivion.


== Endings Involving Mikoshi ==
== Role in Cyberpunk 2077 ==
Mikoshi plays a decisive role in most endings of ''Cyberpunk 2077'':
Mikoshi is encountered during late-game storylines:
 
* '''[[Belly of the Beast]]''' – V and their allies infiltrate Arasaka Tower, fight [[Adam Smasher]], and gain access to Mikoshi through the Izanagi terminal.
* '''[[Changes]]''' – Within Mikoshi, V confronts a choice of identity and mortality with [[Johnny Silverhand]] and [[Alt Cunningham]].
* '''Endings''' – Mikoshi determines which of the multiple [[Cyberpunk 2077 endings|endings]] unfolds:


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Ending
! Ending
! Summary
! Role of Mikoshi
|-
|-
| [[The Star Ending|The Star]]
| [[The Star Ending|The Star]]
| With [[Panam Palmer]] and the Aldecaldos, V connects to Mikoshi and returns to their body.
| V enters Mikoshi and chooses to return to their body, aided by [[Panam Palmer]] and the Aldecaldos.
|-
|-
| [[The Sun Ending|The Sun]]
| [[The Sun Ending|The Sun]]
| V (or Johnny) connects to Mikoshi and emerges as a living legend of Night City.
| After passing through Mikoshi, V becomes a living legend of Night City.
|-
|-
| [[Temperance Ending|Temperance]]
| [[Temperance Ending|Temperance]]
| V sacrifices their body, allowing Johnny to continue living.
| V sacrifices their body to Johnny, who continues living.
|-
|-
| [[New Dawn Fades Ending|New Dawn Fades]]
| [[New Dawn Fades Ending|New Dawn Fades]]
| A darker variation where Johnny takes full control after Mikoshi.
| Johnny assumes permanent control after the Mikoshi transfer.
|-
|-
| [[The Devil Ending|The Devil]]
| [[The Devil Ending|The Devil]]
| In cooperation with Arasaka, V enters Mikoshi and faces a corporate deal.
| V cooperates with Arasaka, entering Mikoshi under corporate supervision and awakening in an Arasaka clinic.
|-
|-
| [[Secret Ending|Secret Ending]]
| [[Secret Ending|Secret Ending]]
| A hidden “suicide run” into Arasaka Tower leads to Mikoshi, branching into ''The Sun'' or ''Temperance'' depending on choices.
| A hidden "suicide run" through Arasaka Tower leads to Mikoshi, then to either ''The Sun'' or ''Temperance'' outcomes.
|}
|}


== Themes and Significance ==
== Themes and Symbolism ==
* '''Digital Afterlife:''' Mikoshi symbolizes a technological afterlife, storing engrams of souls indefinitely.
* '''Digital Afterlife:''' Mikoshi represents a technological version of heaven and hell, where consciousness is preserved but stripped of agency.
* '''Corporate Power:''' It demonstrates Arasaka’s dominance over identity, mortality, and human freedom.
* '''Corporate Control:''' Through Mikoshi, Arasaka maintains dominance over life and death, promising clients immortality while keeping them captive.
* '''Cultural Allusion:''' The name reimagines ancient Shinto practices of carrying divine spirits as corporate digital prisons.
* '''Cultural Roots:''' Its name invokes Shinto spirituality, contrasting the sacred vessel of tradition with the corporate prison of cyberpunk dystopia.
 
== Notable Inhabitants ==
* [[Alt Cunningham]] – Resides within the Net and uses Mikoshi as a bridge to contact V. 
* [[Johnny Silverhand]] – Temporarily housed in Mikoshi during the climax of the game. 
* Numerous corporate executives and victims of Soulkiller are implied to be imprisoned within.
 
== Legacy ==
Mikoshi remains one of the most iconic symbols of ''Cyberpunk 2077''. It combines cyberpunk’s core themes—mortality, identity, and corporate dominance—into a single location that forces the player to decide the ultimate fate of V and Johnny.


== See Also ==
== See Also ==
Retrieved from "https://wiki.cbrpnk.eu/Mikoshi"