10 Best Quotes From Cyberpunk: Edgerunners – Screen Rant
There’s no shortage of unforgettable quotes from the series, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Which are the best lines from characters like David and Lucy?
Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Netflix show Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
The Netflix adaptation of the popular AAA game, Cyberpunk 2077, delved into an action-packed story full of badass characters. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners depicts the story of David and his newfound friends, which soon lead them down a dangerous path. Along the way, they say some unforgettable lines that reflect their personalities and capture major events on the show.
From David’s frustration about his humble origins to Lucy’s heartbreaking confession, there’s no shortage of powerful quotes from the animated series. Whether it’s because they sum up life in Night City or capture the depth of a relationship, these are bound to leave a lasting impression on viewers.
The dystopian setting of Night City is one dominated by corporate greed and corruption. Only a few Corpos have control and true power over resources. This is the kind of background David is referencing when he tells his mother that “no kid from” Santo Domingo “will ever be a suit.”
David comes from one of the poorer areas of the city, which is known for its abandoned factories and crumbling mega buildings full of struggling inhabitants. Those who come from there have limited choices, which include joining the local gang or accepting a grueling and underpaying job – no wonder David feels hopeless.
After a stressful and deadly encounter with a “raging psycho,” Lucy and David are shaken, with the protagonist declaring that he would’ve jumped headfirst into the perilous situation for her. Lucy isn’t shocked by this at all, responding by saying that David is just “the guy who jumps into the fire to rescue someone, anyone” even when he knows he’s “going to get burned.”
It’s a telling line that is eventually proven to be true, as David sacrifices his life for Lucy’s sake. He sees more value in her fulfilling her dream rather than a chance at him being able to live a meaningful existence.
During one of their earliest interactions, Lucy foreshadows the ending of the series when she reveals her secret dream to David. They virtually travel to the surface of the moon and David soon understands Lucy’s obsession with escaping and going there someday.
It’s after that sequence that David makes an earnest promise to “take” Lucy “to the moon.” At that moment, the price for a ticket is still unattainable for the protagonist. He later remarks that it’s a small amount, emphasizing how much has changed in the years since then.
The intimidating leader of the gang of cyberpunks David joins is Maine. The Sandevistan implant was meant for him, but he took a chance on David instead of punishing him for taking it. Their bond develops and culminates in a climactic moment depicting Maine’s demise.
Maine succumbs to cyberpsychosis after irresponsibly adding more cyberware than he could handle. In his last conversation with David, he admits that “it’s the end of the line for” him, and implores him to “keep running” right before he blows up the room with Dorio’s corpse.
Years after Maine’s gruesome death, David finds himself following the same path and having to be put on “a strict diet of immunoblockers” to manage his cyberware. He shrugs off Ripperdoc’s concerns and confesses he feels “better in metal.” The Doc has no choice but to agree that David’s “affinity for cyberware is f**king nuts.”
The first time David got a military-grade Sandevistan installed, it convinced him that he was special. He was achieving impossible feats and ignoring advice from Maine and Doc. This continues until the warnings become a reality, and it’s soon too late for David to turn back.
Netrunners are a crucial part of the cyberpunk city in Edgerunners. They have the unique ability to retrieve information beneath layers of malware and rogue AIs. This barely touches the surface of Lucy’s horrifying experience as a young netrunner trained by Arasaka. She was part of an elite group tasked with diving into the Old Net to recover lost data – most of them never made it out alive.
Lucy’s backstory explains why she had to roam from “place to place,” but she points out to David that “there’s no place like Night City” for those who want to hide. Despite happening decades ago, Lucy is still terrified that the Corpos will find her and put her back in that frightening room again.
The experienced edgerunner, Rebecca, is a lovable character. She’s a trigger-happy and foul-mouthed fighter who’s also fiercely protective of her friends. She refers to close friends like David as “choom,” which is an adorable way of letting them know they matter to her.
Rebecca is initially impressive to the naive David. She doesn’t hesitate to pull out her gun during mundane but potentially risky situations. She also tips an outrageous amount for simple tasks, which soon becomes part of the norm for David when he assumes leadership.
The cyberpunk-themed city and story wouldn’t be complete without a scheming villain, and Faraday is the perfect annoying antagonist. He gives a classic villainous speech while explaining his plan to his supporters, describing fixers (counting himself) as “glorified pet owners who keep their mercenary hounds well-fed.”
According to Faraday, the “one true measure of success” is to be able to stand “in the corporate world.” Fixers like him can only dream of being assimilated by the Corpos, who are notoriously elitist and are made up of only the richest and most powerful people in the city.
One of the most memorable quotes in Edgerunners comes from a concerned Lucy, who warns David against the life he’s trying so hard to pursue. She offers thought-provoking advice by reminding him that cyberpunks “make a name by how” they “die.”
The edgerunners follow a lifestyle full of risk and danger, with each new job usually being worse than the last one. David can’t seem to see that he’s going down the same route Maine and so many others did before him. Their futile attempts at attacking Arasaka rarely result in meaningful change, as the unfair system is ingrained in Night City.
David walks right into a trap and falls for Arasaka’s trick by wearing yet another piece of cyberware that will further endanger his life. He’s immediately on the verge of cyberpsychosis and is only snapped out of it by Lucy, who tells him that he “never had to save” her, she just wanted him “to live.”
The heartbreaking moment only becomes sadder when David admits that he’s “got nothing left.” After losing so many people – his mom, Dorio, Maine, and others – the protagonist uses what little fighting spirit he has left to make sure Lucy has a shot at going to the moon.
Saab has been a freelance writer for Screen Rant since 2021. Before SR, she worked as an editor for a digital marketing company. She’s based out of Metro Manila, Philippines, where she lives with her partner, two fat cats, and two hundred houseplants. She’s passionate about all things pop culture and design. When she’s not typing, she’s tending to her indoor garden or watching true crime stories on Netflix.