BD.14: Conclusion - The True Nature of the "Sense of Loss" Left by Edgerunners

Introduction: A Fleeting Echo Carved in the City of Void, and an Unfading Loss

There is an emotion that struck viewers worldwide the moment the original animation Cyberpunk: Edgerunners came to a close, an emotion that continues to smolder deep within people’s hearts, refusing to fade. It cannot be expressed in mundane terms such as mere “sentimentality over a tragic ending” or “sympathy for the loss of loved ones.” It is an overwhelming, suffocating “sense of loss,” as if one’s throat were being constricted and a physical void had been hollowed out within one’s chest.

In this article, the final installment of our 14-part series of reports, we will summarize the gruesome trajectory taken by David Martinez, Lucy (Lucyna Kushinada), and the Edgerunners who dashed through the darkness of Night City alongside them. Why does their story gouge our hearts so deeply? To unravel the true nature of this sense of loss, merely following the superficial plot of the story is insufficient. We must comprehensively and meticulously decipher the visual metaphors (metaphors of color design and composition) that Studio TRIGGER has woven into every corner of the screen, the duality of prayer and despair contained within the music that colors the series, and the philosophical structure in which the youthful omnipotence of believing “I am special” is mercilessly crushed by the system of a city that stands at the absolute zenith of capitalism.

The conclusion they achieved by burning their lives away brought about no revolution in the face of the colossal monster that is Night City. The evil Megacorporation was not overthrown, nor was the unreasonable disparity of society rectified. A single girl was merely delivered to the cold, quiet surface of the moon. The coexistence of this absolute “sense of futility” and the breathtaking “beauty” residing within it is precisely the singularity this work has reached as visual literature, and the root of the sense of loss we harbor.

1. Night City as the “True Protagonist” and the Structure of Absolute Consumption

In fundamentally understanding the narrative structure of this work, the statement by executive producer and showrunner Rafal Jaki that “Night City is the ‘Hero’ of this story” serves as an extremely important guideline. These words explicitly state the cruel rule of this worldview: no matter how vivid the love, friendship, betrayal, or ambition the characters display, they are ultimately consumed indiscriminately by the system of this massive city and vanish into the darkness of history.

1.1 The Collapse of the Illusion of Being “Special” and High tech, low life

From the beginning of the story, David Martinez attempts to survive a harsh reality by relying on the intense self-suggestion that “I’m built different.” In his life, which begins with the unreasonable losses of bullying, poverty, and the sudden death of his mother, this sense of omnipotence of being “special” was the sole and final armor for a young man with nothing to maintain his dignity. Even when warned by Jimmy Kurosaki that “like every other Cyberpunk, you’ll eventually become a Cyberpsycho,” he explicitly denies it, claiming he is different from the rest, and continues to install Chrome (Cyberware) beyond his limits.

However, in the “High tech, low life” (highly advanced technology coupled with extremely low ethical and living standards) that flows at the foundation of the Cyberpunk worldview, an individual’s “specialness” holds value only as a cog to be more efficiently exploited by the system and to bring about greater ruin. The process of him transforming his flesh into a resilient machine and growing into a leader commanding a crew appears, at first glance, to be a success story. In reality, however, it was the very process of tragic self-loss, mutating from an innocent boy into a “walking weapon” destined to be consumed by society.

1.2 Rebecca’s Death and the “Natural Phenomenon of Violence” Embodied by Adam Smasher

The most cruel symbol of this city’s ruthlessness and the cheapness of life is the abrupt end of Rebecca in the story’s final stages. Rebecca did not exist in the initial script prepared by CD Projekt RED; she was a character added due to the strong requests and creativity of Studio TRIGGER. As the purest flower blooming in a chaotic city, she continued to offer unconditional love and loyalty to David, even at the cost of sacrificing herself.

When such a devoted and beloved character meets her death, viewers unconsciously expect a corresponding catharsis, dramatic parting words, or a meaningful development of self-sacrifice to be prepared. However, her final moments were granted absolutely none of such sweet embellishments. Crushed in an instant like a mere insect by the descent of Arasaka’s ultimate weapon, Adam Smasher, her life comes to an end. As pointed out in deep community analyses, Adam Smasher functions not merely as a narrative villain, but as an unstoppable force of nature—an incarnation of the “inevitable death” and “overwhelming Corpo violence” inherent in Night City.

This relentlessness is the pinnacle of the cold realism possessed by the Cyberpunk genre. By vividly depicting how cheaply and meaninglessly human lives are consumed, the city swallows even the desperate struggles of David and Rebecca as mere everyday noise.

2. The Boundary of the “True Self” Residing in Color Design and Animation Philosophy

What grants a thread of beauty and salvation to the despairing narrative of this work is the outstanding animation philosophy and meticulously calculated visual direction of the production studio, TRIGGER. TRIGGER visually imprints the characters’ complex psychological states and essential changes into the viewers’ subconscious through the repetition of color design and composition, without relying on excessive verbal explanation (verbalization).

2.1 The Duality of “Blue” and “Green” Depicted by the Sandevistan

The most prominent and brilliant metaphor for this is the color of the light emitted by the military Cyberware, “Sandevistan,” implanted in David’s spine. As a clear fact within the animation, whenever David activates the Sandevistan, the light around his spine flashes “Blue” for an instant, before immediately shifting to “Green” as it leaves an afterimage—a visual direction that is repeatedly shown.

This color shift, which at first glance seems to be nothing more than a typical Cyberpunk neon expression, carries an extremely profound meaning. According to detailed visual analyses and discussions within the community, the “Blue” immediately after activation symbolizes David’s original, pure Humanity—his “True Self” that loves Gloria and is drawn to Lucy. On the other hand, the subsequent “Green” is interpreted as symbolizing the bloodstained life he stepped into as an Edgerunner, the violence, the dependency on Chrome, and his state of being integrated into Night City’s consumption system.

As the story progresses and he grows (or mutates) into the leader of the crew, his body becomes grotesquely hypertrophied, covered in green armor. He crosses the boundary into Cyberpsychosis, becoming completely encroached upon by the “Green” of an Edgerunner. However, no matter how much his outward appearance degrades into an inhuman monster, at his core, there always remained that “Blue” shining for just a fleeting moment.

2.2 The Clouding of Blue and the Love for Lucy in the Ending Sequence

This color metaphor brings a decisive meaning to the interpretation of the ending sequence that plays at the conclusion of every episode. In the ending visuals, blue light and liquid-like substances are depicted flowing into and mingling within the naked silhouette of Lucy’s body in a decadent and sensual manner.

This serves as visual proof of the fact that, although David surrendered himself to the “Green as an Edgerunner” in the real world and was ultimately destined to sink into the darkness of Cyberpsychosis, his fundamental “Blue (True Self)” was always with Lucy. Alternatively, it is an expression of deep trust and affection, showing that in the cruel world of Night City, he revealed his disarmed, defenseless, and true self only to Lucy. The Humanity he lost is preserved eternally in blue, solely within Lucy’s memories and soul.

3. The Boy Who Wears the Dreams (Curses) of Others: Self-Absent Love and Salvation

When looking back on the life of the young man named David Martinez, the most tragic and simultaneously most sublime paradox emerges. That is the fact that “from beginning to end, he never had a dream for himself.”

3.1 A Vessel Without Dreams and the Inherited Curses

In a neon-lit dystopia where kicking others down to satisfy one’s own desires and survival instincts is considered common sense, David’s behavioral principle was always directed toward “fulfilling the dreams of others.” Early in the story, he attempts to shoulder the dream of his mother, Gloria: “I want you to stand at the top of Arasaka Tower (to become an elite).” Even after that path is severed by her death, her words to “be special” continued to bind him like a curse.

After entering the world of Edgerunners, he inherits the dream of the leader, Maine: “Keep the crew alive and make a name in this city.” After facing Maine’s gruesome death, David transplants Maine’s massive arms (Chrome) onto his own body. This was not merely an enhancement of combat power, but a self-sacrificial and ruinous ritual of physically engraving Maine’s dying wish and the heavy burden he carried into his own flesh.

And ultimately, he makes the dream of his beloved Lucy—“to go to the moon, to escape Night City”—the entirety of his reason for existence. In some community discussions, a nihilistic view is presented regarding David’s way of life, stating that “he never learned to live for himself” and that “he is a tragic character who merely kept chasing the dreams of others.” Indeed, it is undeniable that he lacked a vision for self-actualization and was an “empty vessel” who ruined his mind and body as a result of continuously installing the desires of others one after another.

3.2 The Substitution of Purpose Through Affection: The Supreme Joy of Becoming Fuel

However, the reason this story does not fall into mere nihilism but is elevated to a beautiful literary tragedy is that David’s self-sacrifice was not forced upon him, but was the “supreme form of love” chosen by his own absolute will.

According to analyses based on deep insight, David’s true desire had transformed—not into “standing at the top of Arasaka Tower” or “ruling the city as a legendary Cyberpunk,” but into “becoming the fuel for someone else to fulfill their dream.” He could only confirm his own reason for existence through the act of fulfilling the dreams of others. His love for Lucy, in particular, had reached a state where, upon her reaching her destination (the moon), he would not end up as a mere victim, but would perfectly conclude (fulfill) his own life through her success.

It is not a “story where dreams come true,” but a “story where love is proven to be real.” That is the essence of Edgerunners. In a corrupted city that pursues only self-interest, David’s innocent madness of completely devoting himself to another was the sole, and most beautiful, resistance against Night City.

4. The Metaphor of Emotion Presented by Music: Two Crossing Requiems

When discussing the greatest factor behind why this work left such deep scars in the hearts of viewers, the presence of the in-show music absolutely cannot be separated. In particular, the two songs—the ending theme Let You Down and the insert song I Really Want to Stay at Your House—transcend the boundaries of mere background music, functioning as cruel requiems that speak for the deep psychology of David and Lucy respectively, depicting their crossing souls.

4.1 David’s Atonement and Powerlessness: Let You Down

Let You Down, produced over two years by Dawid Podsiadło, a top Polish artist and friend of Rafal Jaki, functions as a track written entirely from David’s perspective.

In the show, this song is inserted at decisive moments when David despairs that he “couldn’t protect someone” or “let someone down.” In Episode 1, during the scene where he returns to his dark apartment holding the cheap urn containing his mother’s ashes, and the scene where he receives a call from Katsuo Tanaka mocking his mother’s death, the heartbreaking phrase “let you down” is repeated over and over.

Furthermore, the lyric “I guess I’m not strong enough… Right now” indicates the absolute sense of powerlessness lying in his depths. No matter how much Chrome he implanted in his body to attain a towering, massive physique, internally he was constantly tormented by the boyhood fear that he “might not be able to fully protect the ones he cares about.”

In the verse “Tell me where’d you’d rather be / I can hardly see the moon / Hope we’ll get there pretty soon,” there coexists the madness and pure love of him relying solely on sending Lucy to the moon as his emotional anchor, even as he gradually loses his vision and Humanity to the onset of Cyberpsychosis. He abandoned the option of escaping to the moon (surviving) together with Lucy. This was the result of accepting the fear that if he continued to live, he would eventually become a Cyberpsycho and hurt her, as well as the ruinous fate of an Edgerunner that dictated he could not abandon his crew and go into hiding alone.

4.2 Lucy’s Fragile Dependency and Eternal Loss: I Really Want to Stay at Your House

On the other hand, I Really Want to Stay at Your House by Rosa Walton was originally written as a radio track for the game Cyberpunk 2077, but by being integrated into the context of the anime, it came to hold perfect meaning as Lucy’s heartbreaking cry after losing David.

The interpretation of the lyrics hidden within this track, with its pop and upbeat melody, is far too cruel. According to detailed lyric analyses in the community, the line “I really want to stay at your house / And I hope it’s all right” demonstrates Lucy’s highly human and fragile dependency—the desire to cling to the warmth (home) of a loved one even after being hurt and losing everything. The lyric “But you know how much you broke me apart” is an outpouring of unplaceable anger and deep sorrow toward David, who threw his own life away to save her.

Furthermore, there is a very heavy real-world context behind this track. It is said that the experience of the artist involved in the production of this song, who lost her partner (a young man named Billy) at a young age to the inevitable, fatal disease of osteosarcoma, is reflected in it. The true themes of the song—“an unwanted separation that came too soon” and “the one left behind trying to look forward, yet still searching for the other’s shadow”—perfectly overlap with Lucy’s circumstances of having David stolen from her by an unreasonable world, generating an extraordinary level of persuasiveness and emotion.

5. The Silence of the Moon and the Tombstone of Edgerunners: The Ultimate Consequence of the Sense of Loss

In the final act of the story, after everything has ended, Lucy finally realizes her dream of traveling to the moon. With the Earth shining blue in the sunlight behind her, she walks alone through the lunar craters in a spacesuit. However, there is not a shred of the joy or sense of accomplishment of one who has fulfilled their dream. As the heart-rending melody of I Really Want to Stay at Your House plays, she sees the phantom figure of David bouncing along the lunar surface with her in the blinding light of the sun. He merely smiles gently, and in the next moment, vanishes without a trace.

Why does this conclusion carve such a deep, trauma-like sense of loss into our hearts? It is due to the following three structural and philosophical consequences.

5.1 The Ultimate Irony Through the Reversal of Means and Ends

For Lucy, “going to the moon” was originally a mere physical escape (the end) to flee the madness of Night City and Arasaka’s endless pursuit. However, by meeting David and loving him deeply, her true place to belong (her dream) had completely shifted from the “cold lunar surface” to “by David’s side.”

Despite this, David, who had made self-sacrifice his supreme imperative, made “sending Lucy to the moon” his sole purpose, and consumed his own life as the means to achieve it. By the time Lucy reaches the moon, she has eternally lost the “person she should be with,” whom she desired most. She obtained physical safety and the place of her dreams through David’s death, but at the cost of being robbed of her very meaning to live. Here lies the overly cruel irony that the moment a dream comes true becomes the moment of greatest despair in life.

5.2 The Disappearance of Noise and Vivid Colors, and Eternal Silence

The Night City that TRIGGER depicted throughout the entire series was colored in vivid, almost venomous neon colors, overflowing with the driving sounds of Cyberware, the sounds of gunfire, and the noise of the desires of the people passing by. This is a symbol of vitality and madness.

In contrast, the lunar surface in the final scene is a “soundless space” dominated by a nearly monochrome tone of black and white and the cold darkness of space. When the momentary spark of them desperately burning their lives in that noisy, quagmire-like city is contrasted by the overwhelming silence and solitude of the moon, viewers are thrust into a physical sense of emptiness: “Ah, they are nowhere to be found anymore.” The lunar surface functions simultaneously as the culmination of her dream and as a massive, lonely tombstone for David and the other Edgerunners who died.

5.3 The Complete Absence of Catharsis and the Acceptance of Powerlessness

In typical visual works, the protagonist’s death brings about some sort of revolution in the world, or becomes a legend passed down to future generations. Viewers unconsciously expect David’s self-sacrifice to deal a massive blow to Arasaka, or to shake the city’s unreasonable system even a little. However, he could not change a single thing in the world. Far from saving the world, he could not even defeat the evil Corpo.

The city pays absolutely no mind to their deaths, and the next day it will shine its neon lights just the same, continuing to consume new youths. This “lack of influence on the world (the absolute powerlessness of the individual in the face of a massive system)” is exactly what makes the sense of loss harbored by the viewers all the more profound and real.

Conclusion: Proof of a Void That Will Never Be Filled

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a masterpiece that fully depicts the fleeting yet pure resistance of youths who will never be rewarded, set on the stage of Night City—a “system that consumes humans” representing the worst possible future where capitalism and technology culminate.

They could not become “special.” David may have left his name on a cocktail at the bar (The Afterlife) as a legendary Merc, but he could not become the hero he himself desired to be—one who protects everything without hurting anyone. He did not possess any special tolerance; he was merely a clumsy, overly kind boy who continued to destroy himself beyond his limits for the sake of the one he loved. Yet, in a world destined to treat people as disposable by the system, his way of life—choosing by his own will to “become fuel for someone else”—was the sole proof of pure Humanity in a Night City dominated by thorough egocentrism.

The heart-wrenching sense of loss we feel at the end of this story. It stems from a “perfect sense of futility”—that the trajectory taken by David and Lucy was far too tragic, far too full of love, and ultimately left not a single trace upon the world. From the perspective of Night City’s eternal history, they are nothing more than noise that vanished in the blink of an eye.

A true sense of loss is born only in the process of not just measuring the magnitude of what was lost, but accepting the absolute severance that it will “never return.” The blue light that vanishes along with David’s final smile, and the figure of Lucy left all alone on the overwhelmingly silent lunar surface, simultaneously presented us with “the cruelty of living and the beauty of a momentary spark.” The void this work left in our chests is an eternal scar, ensuring that we ourselves continue to remember the fact that they truly existed there and loved each other. This is precisely the true nature of the purest, most agonizing “sense of loss” that Edgerunners has engraved into the history of visual literature.