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The sequel instinct is strong in entertainment. If something worked the first time – and by “worked,” we usually mean 'made a lot of money' – then why wouldn’t studios go back to that well? It is why we have a hundred Mission: Impossible movies where Tom Cruise keeps proving the missions are just really hard, or several dozen Final Fantasy games. However, sometimes a sequel feels like the wrong choice. Sometimes you wrap up your story so neatly and so beautifully that going back feels almost sacrilegious.

That’s how I felt about Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. That ending is so perfect that, even though I love the setting and so many of the characters, I didn’t want Netflix to do anything else there. There is tragedy and love and violent rebellion against the oppressive corporations that aim to strip us of our very humanity; everything that makes a cyberpunk story wonderful. 

So, I’m skeptical the need for a sequel series to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The series was one of my favorite anime of 2022 and continues to be a standout among the original offerings of Netflix. I liked it far more than I did Cyberpunk 2077, even after it got patched into playability. I loved it because it felt contained in a way few things are allowed to be these days. Everything must set up what comes next, but here we had a show that didn’t just wrap up its story in a tight bow but killed one protagonist and sent the other to the moon. Bittersweet, beautiful, and brave.

The idea that a second season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was coming caught me off guard, not because I didn’t think it was possible but because I simply hadn’t considered that anyone would want it. True, rumors started swirling when Netflix teased another team-up with CD Projekt Red, the studio behind Cyberpunk 2077, back in September 2024. And yet, here I am; brainstorming ways that it could work and quietly building hype in my heart for a show that I know should not be. Because I have a weakness and its name is the endless fight against capitalism. Also shows that ooze style from every frame.

Even though my two favorite characters from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners got killed in the final episode – my girl Rebecca deserved better – there is still so much more to explore. Night City is a marvel of worldbuilding. Even if you have never touched any Cyberpunk media in the past, it is all presented in a way that you know what is happening. Mankind is augmenting itself into oblivion. Corporations are eating away at our rights in the name of profit. Connection – true connection between people – is rare and fleeting. While the colors feel alien and the technology is far more advanced than we have now, these themes are so easily digestible.

But then the rumors were all confirmed and a new season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was confirmed at Anime Expo 2025. The teaser trailer confirms what we already know. David is dead… but Night City lives on. There are more stories to tell. More oppressed to save. More morally grey heroes to step into a world that does not care for morals at all. This is, after all, a stand-alone story that just takes place in the same Night City we know and love. The possibility for greatness is there, even if I’m afraid Trigger won’t be able to capture lightning in that bottle a second time. My hope is that no one from the original series is even mentioned; Night City is big and their stories were just a small part of it.

The fact that Trigger is back on board with the animation is a blessing, of course. And original director Kai Ikarashi is returning to make sure the new season is just as frustratingly stylish and gorgeous as the first. A new cast of characters is ready to try their luck against a world that is designed to rob them of hope at every turn. Will their story be tragic like David's? Will anyone be as memorable as Rebecca? I’m scared of the answers but I find myself helplessly desperate to find out.

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