Cyberpunk: Edgerunners writer Bartosz Sztybor has revealed that the acclaimed anime's first season nearly had an even more tragic conclusion than the one ultimately presented. While the final episode sees protagonist David Martinez killed by Adam Smasher and his girlfriend Lucy escaping to a moon colony, earlier drafts explored significantly bleaker outcomes for David.
In an interview with Anime Corner, Sztybor explained that a happy ending was never on the table for the series. "There were even worse endings," he stated. "There was one ending in which David doesn’t die entirely. Arasaka gets him and he ends up fighting in Africa or South America in Corporate Wars."
This alternate scenario would have seen David become a tool for the very corporations he fought against, participating in the armed conflicts that define the Cyberpunk universe. The core theme of Cyberpunk often revolves around the exploitation of human life as a mere commodity by powerful corporate entities. While David's death in the final version is undoubtedly tragic, it allows him to die for his own convictions, a stark contrast to being forced to fight for a cause he opposed.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is expected to introduce a new cast of characters. Details about the new season are set to be revealed by Netflix and Studio Trigger on June 29.