In the fast-paced world of Cyberpunk 2077, Placide often doesn’t get the attention he deserves when it comes to discussing the game’s most villainous characters. While figures like the imposing Adam Smasher or the influential Arasaka Corporation often steal the spotlight, Placide lurks in the background, a master manipulator with a chilling disregard for human life. His role in the Voodoo Boys isn’t just that of a common thug. He’s a strategic mastermind who deeply influences the game’s narrative and the moral complexities that arise.
Placide is ruthlessly determined, and his loyalty lies solely with his goals rather than any alliances or relationships. This mindset makes him a vital player in the Voodoo Boys’ operation, and his significance can’t be overlooked in a city brimming with countless adversaries. Even though his actions are often overshadowed by more overt displays of brutality, his cold manipulations leave a lasting impact on the storyline.
Examining Evelyn Parker’s situation reveals Placide’s tactical ruthlessness. For him, she’s merely a pawn in a larger scheme—to remove unwanted outsiders and control the tech they might unearth. Her survival is inconsequential unless it benefits Placide’s objectives, underscoring his insidious nature in a narrative already rife with treachery. He acts strategically, intervening only when his interests are directly threatened, and when he acts, it’s with swift, chilling precision.
Take, for instance, the treacherous mission Placide assigns to V. It’s clear he anticipates failure when he sends V to confront the Animals gang at the Grand Imperial Mall. His aim is twofold: to retrieve valuable data and to test V’s mettle. If V survives, they become a valuable asset; if not, their death conveniently eliminates a potential liability. This cold calculation presents a different kind of villainy, distinct in its quiet, methodical execution compared to the louder, more violent threats elsewhere in the game.
The events at the Grand Imperial Mall further illustrate Placide’s malevolent cunning. It’s a well-crafted trap where he fully expects V to perish. The mission has V confronting Night City’s fiercest gang members, while Placide watches, unfazed by the risk to V’s life. His cold satisfaction at contemplating V’s potential demise highlights his villainous edge, often understated but deeply unsettling.
Unlike the flashy foes like Adam Smasher, Placide operates in the shadows. He’s not interested in notoriety or flamboyance; instead, he relentlessly seeks power and control, content to let others bask in the limelight as long as he achieves his aims. His actions, driven by a quest for advantage—even at the cost of betrayal and murder—paint him as a figure of dark pragmatism within the Voodoo Boys, a testament to his faction’s self-serving nature.
Players who encounter Placide may initially expect an uneasy partnership, only to realize that alliances mean little to him without clear benefits. His methods expose a harsh reality: in Night City, the most dangerous enemies aren’t always the loudest or most visible but those like Placide—quietly ruthless, discarding lives that don’t support their ambitions. Placide’s presence in Cyberpunk 2077 might not be marked by explosive confrontations, but his cold, calculated actions make him one of the game’s most quietly terrifying characters.
