Goro Takemura is one of the companions that players can have in Cyberpunk 2077. As the former bodyguard to Sabura Arasaka, Takemura has plenty of reasons to accompany V on their mission to defeat Yorinobu. Players will even have the chance to get to know Takemura if they’re so inclined.
But Takemura himself is a bit of an enigma. There is only so much players can get out of him, and even then, they can miss key details. What are some easy to miss details about Goro Takemura?
10 Street Kid Background
Though it might seem unbelievable, Takemura is actually a street kid. Born to the Chiba-11 slum, Takemura and his family were a part of the poorest class in Tokyo. The only way to escape that particular slum was through Arasaka recruitment.
Takemura was lucky enough to be picked among the children of Chiba-11, and he quickly worked his way up the ranks. He can no longer be considered poor, but Takemura will never be able to forget his roots either.
9 The Cyberpunk Boomer
Though Takemura might seem like the stoic ninja on the outside, it becomes readily apparent that an intimidating persona hides a rather unique fact. Takemura is Cyberpunk 2077’s example of a Boomer. Not to say that Takemura is stuck in the past, but he does have some hilarious technological mishaps.
Takemura might blame the new interface, but it’s quite clear he might not know how to use a phone. Sometime during the game, he will text V a few search questions for food and then complain that he can’t find any food in the city. He’ll even accidentally send a rather unflattering selfie.
8 Don’t Underestimate Him
Don’t let his hilarious tech mishaps fool you, Takemura is just as deadly as the famous Adam Smasher and Oda. Trained from a young age to be an elite soldier in the Arasaka forces, Takemura excelled. His success brought the attention of the Emperor himself, Saburo Arasaka, and he became the bodyguard of Saburo not long after.
If that wasn’t indication enough, Takemura also managed to survive an elite assassination force while dragging around V’s unconscious body. His skills in combat and out are undeniable. It’d be a mistake to forget that.
7 Loyal to a Fault
If it were anyone else, the actions of Yorinobu and the Arasaka corporation would be enough to cut ties entirely. This cannot be said for Takemura. Maybe it’s due to Arasaka bringing him out of the slums, or even the special attention of Saburo Arasaka himself, but Takemura is a diehard loyalist to the end.
Other than Yorinobu, Takemura considers the Arasaka family with the greatest respect and will even come to blows with those with anything bad to say. It’s a shame that this loyalty can bring about Takemura’s end in-game if the player isn’t careful.
6 Who Can Say How Old He Is?
For those who wished they could have romanced this stoic bodyguard, his age was never an obstacle. Probably because the question of his age was never answered. It’s not something most players would even think about, but as he has become a fan favorite since the game has come out, those who looked might be surprised to find that his age is never mentioned.
From his own words, it can be assumed that Takemura was a child after Arasaka rose to fame under Saburo. With the combination of Takemura’s looks as well as the knowledge that Saburo Arasaka recruited him, it would be a safe assumption that Takemura is well into his 50s or 60s. But given how great Hanako Arasaka looks at 78, Takemura could be a great deal older than we assume.
5 Corporation’s Number #1 Fan
This might be a more obvious one, but players might have missed how deep Takemura’s consideration of corporations goes. Takemura believes that corporations bring order to the chaotic world. It’s not an unreasonable belief once you take his background into consideration. Anyone would believe in the corporation that brought them out of destitution.
However, this might have blinded Takemura a bit. Even if the player brings Takemura’s attention to the fact that corporations also cause a large portion of the population to be destitute, he’ll blow it off. To him, corporations are the better evil, or worse, the heroes of the story.
4 Picky Eater… Or Is He?
Maybe it’s just Night City, or maybe Takemura is just homesick, but he is a firm believer that the streetfood of Night City is garbage. During the Gimme Danger quest, the street vendor receives Takemura’s ire due to the subpar quality of his food. It probably didn’t help that said vendor loudly declared his Yakitori was the best in the city.
If the player decides to go with Takemura during the Gimme Danger mission, he’ll ardently decline any fast food to be delivered during their stakeout. Oh, what he wouldn’t do for a traditional home-cooked meal? But it seems even V can talk down a disgruntled old ninja, as not moments later, Takemura will be sitting in front of the very pizza he shot down before.
3 Longs for a Nomad Life
Despite being Arasaka’s most loyal supporter, it seems even Takemura wishes for a different life. During the Gimme Danger quest, he’ll tell V how much he wishes to become a Nomad and leave his life behind. Living a life free of his corporation obligations and riding into the sunset does sound better than facing Adam Smasher any day after all.
But as Takemura would put it: “One cannot teach an old dog new tricks.” As much as the freedom of a Nomad life appeals to Takemura, his honor and loyalty trap him on his path. A path that can end in tragedy if he’s not careful.
2 Softy at Heart
If V takes the time to befriend Takemura, the protagonist will have the opportunity to see how much of a softy he really is. It might be hard to believe because he acts like a stubborn and harsh grandpa at the best of times, but underneath all that is a mush of a man.
Takemura’s moments of mush mostly come out in his texts. Sometimes he’ll apologize for a well-deserved outburst, and other times, he’ll quote philosophers to imply the respect he has for V. It’s hard to remember there is a heart under that cold exterior, but one cannot deny even Takemura has his soft moments.
1 Black or White. There Are No Exceptions
Takemura might be taking the whole cyber ninja requirement of his job too seriously. Ninjas are stereotypically known for wearing all black, and apparently, even in 2077, that stereotype hasn’t changed. Keen players might have noticed that all the times that they’ve seen Takemura, he wears no colors other than black or white.
It’s a little unusual when compared to the bright and colorful clothes of Night City. Though this could be his way of showing respect for the death of Saburo Arasaka. Japanese culture has funeral-goers wear modest black clothes in order to show their respect for the dead. Knowing Takemura, his choice of clothes might have more to do with their utility, but it would be understandable if he used his attire to keep his connection with Saburo.
