20 Best Quotes From Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2024)

The best Cyberpunk: Edgerunners quotes highlight the most memorable moments and characters from the acclaimed anime series. The Netflix adaptation of the popular AAA game Cyberpunk 2077 delved into an action-packed story full of layered and exciting characters. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners depicts the story of David and his newfound friends as they embark on a new, dangerous path. Along the way, they share a number of meaningful lines that reflect their personalities and capture major events on the show.

Released in 2022, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners won the award for best adaptation at the Game Awards 2022. Though the series is filled with thrilling action and stunning animation, it was also praised for its characters and worldbuilding which is reflected in the show's best quotes. From David’s frustration about his humble origins to Lucy’s heartbreaking confession, these lines help to take the audience on this journey within this strange, dangerous, and fascinating world.

20 "This Is It. It’s The End Of The Line For Me. But Not For You."

Maine - Season 1, Episode 6

Maine's death was something that had to happen in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. On the hero's journey, the hero eventually has to lose his mentor and make his own way, and this is that moment. Maine never had to take in David and teach him, but this is what he did, and he is responsible for helping David become the person he became. However, Maine died after succumbing to cyberpsychosis. Luckily, before his death, he was able to deliver one more line to David before passing on.

Maine constructed a pyre of sorts for Dorio out of explosive canisters. He planned to kill himself along with several Maxtac officers after he detonated the canisters. However, he wanted to save David, and Maine passed along some great advice to him at this point. Instead of just going out with a bang, he made sure to let David know that he might be going away now, but David had to keep running, keep fighting, and never give up. This was a huge turning point in the story for David.

19 "Use The Cyberskeleton If You Want To Survive."

Lucy's Voice - Season 1, Episode 9

This was a huge moment for David, and while this quote never came from Lucy, it was her voice that convinced him to do something really bad. Lucy told him that he needed to use the cyberskeleton to survive, which ultimately doomed him. The scene leading to this moment saw Faraday and Kiwi learn that Lusy was hiding Tanaka's data on David as a potential test subject. Faraday then decides to offer Lucy and David to Arasaka, and he sends David on a mission to assault an Arasaka convoy.

However, when David sees the main cargo, he sees it is a cyberskeleton. That is when they use Lucy's voice to trick him into installing the cyberskeleton, which was the last thing he should have done. But when the real Lucy warns him about what is happening, David reacts in anger and uses the cyberskeleton to annihilate the Militech force. This takes a huge toll on his body, and he seemingly lost everything from his waist down, needing to relay on his friends to finish the mission.

18 "Whoa! Check This! I Can Feel The Sun."

David Martinez's Voice - Season 1, Episode 10

In easily one of the saddest yet tender moments in Cyberpunk: Edgeruners, Lucy finally makes it to the moon, but without David. He had sacrificed himself to ensure that she made it to safety. When she was there and looked out from her landing spot, she pictures David living out their dream together. While he didn't make it, she hears his voice saying this quote, and it is absolutely heartbreaking.

She had great optimistic views of the future when they were starting out, and before Night City and Cyberware destroyed David, he was also light-hearted and joyful. This sounds exactly like what David would have said when he stood on the moon with Lucy if he had lived to the end. She stares out, imagining David standing beside her before he ends up an edgerunner. After this quote, the final song played over the series' end credits, and it all ends with tears.

17 “Bout Time I Chrome The F Up.”

David Martinez - Season 1, Episode 1

The first episode of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners introduces viewers to David Martinez. He is mostly a light-hearted guy, but he gets pushed around and eventually hits his breaking point, all within the confines of the first episode. He has a terrible time, when he loses his mother, gets kicked out of his own apartment, and gets beaten up at school. He figures he has taken enough, and he wants to fight back. That leads him to the Ripperdoc’s clinic.

When he gets there, his anger and frustration build up, and he decides he isn't going to take it anymore. As he bursts through the door, he delivers this quote, believing he will get "chromed" up. This way, he won't have to rely on his organic human body anymore. Of course, David is doing this out of an act of spontaneity, and he doesn't know where this implant comes from, but at that moment, he has lost so much that he is willing to risk everything to become something more.

16 "You Afraid Of Getting Caught? Cuz I Know I Sure As Sh*t Ain’t."

David Martinez - Season 1, Episode 2

When David shows up to get his implants in the first episode, he wants to fight back against the people who hurt him. He lost his mom and his apartment, but he can still get revenge against the bullies who beat him up at school. This includes one of his biggest billies, Katsuo. David leaves with his implants and seeks out Katsuo, and when the bully makes another aggressive move, David delivers this quote as he accepts the challenge to a rematch, but in a public place.

Katsuo is taken aback by this quote because not only is David unafraid, but he isn't willing to let his bully act out his aggression in a private place where he knows he won't get caught or get into trouble. It is a great line because David not only calls out Katsuo but also makes it known that he realizes that Katsuo is a coward, as most bullies are. David had finally reached his limit, and he might have killed Katsuo if something inside hadn't stopped him, proving he was always the better man.

15 “No Kid From Santo Will Ever Be A Suit.”

David Martinez - Season 1, Episode 1

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, creating a scenario in which David feels that it is hopeless to escape. It makes for the kind of journey the audience can really get behind and root for this hero who no one believes in and who is fighting against the odds to prove himself.

14 “You’re Breaking My Heart, Miho.”

Gloria - Season 1, Episode 1

From Spider-Man to Batman, there are so many examples of heroes in pop culture who have been thrust into their journey with the death of a parental figure. Such is the case with David. The loss of his mother is a tragic moment in the first episode of the anime series and leads to David entering the criminal world to make a new life for himself.

Ultimately, it is his mother's final words to him that really sell the tragedy of this moment. Like every good mother, Gloria Martinez wanted her son to have a better life. She works extremely hard to provide him with as much as she can, nurturing his intelligence and sending him to a good school.

However, with David's assertion that no one like him will ever amount to the levels that she envisioned for him, she confesses how heartbroken it makes her. These final words motivate David in both good and bad ways.

13 “You’re The Guy Who Jumps Into The Fire.”

Lucy - Season 1, Episode 4

David may not be the most likely hero at the beginning of his story, but he has a hero's spirit in him, which is easy to see. 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.” The way Lucy delivers the line is a mix of pointing out the foolishness in David's actions and also respecting the bravery and selflessness he has in him.

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.

12 “I’ll Take You To The Moon! I Promise!”

David Martinez - Season 1, Episode 4

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 — despite the price of a ticket being beyond unaffordable to him.

He later remarks that it’s a small amount, emphasizing how much has changed in the years since then. It is a moving line made all the more impactful by the end of the story. It strengthens the connection between these two as Lucy is willing to share her biggest dreams with David, and David wants to be the person who helps those dreams come true.

11 “Just Keep Running.”

Maine - Season 1, Episode 6

The intimidating leader of the gang of Edgerunners David joins is Maine, who goes through one of the most interesting arcs in the course of the story. 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. It is a powerful moment of Maine using his final words to encourage David to move forward when such motivation did not always come easy. Behind his tough exterior, Maine truly cared.

10 “Time To Learn.”

Maine - Season 1, Episode 3

When it comes to coming-of-age stories, Cyberpunk Edgerunner is one of the most exciting ones audiences could ask for. David enters into a wild world of mayhem and danger, having to adapt as he is pulled along at a breakneck pace. However, one of the most satisfying things in the series is seeing how effective he is at adapting to these situations.

Once David is brought into Maine's crew, he is quickly put to the test on a job. He and Maine find themselves in the midst of a shootout and need to make a quick getaway. With David behind the wheel, he admits that he doesn't know how to drive to which Maine tells him that it's "time to learn." This is a big part of David's journey in the series as he has to hit the ground running yet finds himself able to keep that pace and become more formidable.

David Martinez - Season 1, Episode 7

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.” 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. Though he says it as an empowering revelation about the way he lives now, this is a heartbreaking line that shows David is slipping away and succumbing to the addiction that claimed so many others.

8 “There’s No Place Like Night City If You Wanna Hide.”

Lucy - Season 1, Episode 7

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 this happening decades ago, Lucy is still terrified that the Corpos will find her and put her back in that frightening room again. It is a line that cements her as a strong and resilient character who nevertheless comes from a dark past.

7 “What’s Up, Choom?”

Rebecca - Season 1, Episode 5

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.

There is something childlike about her as well as intimidating in her warrior spirit. However, it is simple greetings like this that establish her greatest quality is how good of a friend she is. Even amid the mayhem of their world, she is always just happy to be with the people who she loves.

6 “Looks Like A Prison From Here, A Cage Of Light.”

Lucy - Season 1, Episode 7

Night City is a fascinating location for the series and reflects the balance of good and bad that is all over the story. It is a place where there is so much potential to climb to great heights and to find success, but there is also corruption and brutality. In fact, there are some who find the allure of the city to be a trap in itself as what it offers is not worth the price of what it will take from them.

Later in the story, when David has proven himself and become the leader of the mercenaries, he and Lucy look at the city from afar. He still sees it as something to be conquered with him getting closer to that goal. However, Lucy sees it as a prison that might look pretty but is darker at the center of it all. While Cyberpunk Edgerunners might not have the happiest of endings, having it built to a conclusion in which Lucy is able to escape is satisfying.

5 "To The Top, Then."

Rebecca - Season 1, Episode 10

One of the things revealed in Maine's horrific death earlier in the series is how the relentless augmentations can destroy a person's mind. He was seen hallucinating only to have random moments of lucid thinking. That makes it all the more tragic when it is revealed that David is experiencing the same thing and that it is likely pointing to the same tragic end for him.

In one of the most heartbreaking moments in the finale, it sees Rebecca confronting David as he is on a rampage. She initially thinks she can snap him out of it, but then he begins speaking to his mother. He proudly tells her that he is on his way to the top of Arasaka tower, just like she always wanted for her. Rather than try to stop him, Rebecca simply sighs sadly and encourages him, resigned to the fate they both have waiting for them.

4 “There Is But One True Measure Of Success In Night City.”

Faraday - Season 1, Episode 9

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.”

In some ways, it makes him an interesting villainous mirror to David as they are both characters who come from worlds in which it seems unlikely they will be able to reach the next level, but it is terrifying to imagine what he is willing to do to try.

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.

3 “You Don't Make A Name As A Cyberpunk By How You Live.”

Lucy - Season 1, Episode 4

While Lucy praised the way in which David was willing to put his life on the line for others, she was far less impressed with him risking his life for a meaningless pursuit. One of the most memorable quotes in Cyberpunk: 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 is 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.

2 “Sorry, Wish We Could Go To The Moon Together.”

David Martinez - Season 1, Episode 10

Though it is not a genre that is known for delivering happy conclusions all of the time, Cyberpunk Edgerunner is one of the darkest anime endings of all time. With so many of the main characters being killed off, there were some who held on hope that David and Lucy could still have their happy ending and fulfill David's promise of taking her to the moon.

However, with this sad line, David shows that he is resigned to his fate and knows he is not going to make it out of this alive. His regret about not fulfilling that promise is heartbreaking as it is a reminder of the path that he went down and how things went so wrong.

He had so much potential and a whole life ahead of him but it was all over now. Yet his line also holds onto the solace that he is going to ensure that Lucy makes it out of this alive.

1 “You Never Had To Save Me.”

Lucy - Season 1, Episode 10

Another quote that goes back to that earlier moment of David risking his life to save Lucy, this quote suggests the path these two were on was inevitable even if they couldn't see the bittersweet ending ahead. 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 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 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.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Animation

Action

Adventure

David Martinez (Kenichiro Ohashi) is a streetwise kid living in the slums of Night City in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. To survive, David becomes an edgerunner, also known as cyberpunk, taking on mercenary jobs outside the system. Together with a group of new and veteran edgerunners, David will shoot for the moon to escape the underbelly of the increasingly cyber-obsessed city. Unfortunately, the law isn't the only group that the edgerunners will have to contend with, as other heavily cyber-augmented humans will pose an even more significant threat.

Cast

Aoi Yuki , Kenichiro Ohashi , Kenjiro Tsuda , Kazuhiko Inoue , Tomoyo Kurosawa

Release Date

September 13, 2022

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix