Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Violence is a constant and explicit element. In one instance, David's crew member Dorio is killed while attempting to protect Maine, who then brutally self-destructs due to cyberpsychosis. Later, the powerful cyborg Adam Smasher gruesomely crushes Rebecca to death and ultimately beats and kills protagonist David Martinez in a climactic battle. The show's opening scene itself depicts an enhanced individual massacring NCPD officers, with 'exploded heads' and 'brain matter splattered' shown in visceral detail.

The first episode features a highly graphic 'BD sex scene' (Braindance sexual encounter) which is highlighted as the most explicit sexual content in the entire series. Throughout the show, characters like Lucy and David are frequently depicted nude in domestic settings or while engaging in activities like netrunning; breasts and buttocks are shown, though full frontal nudity is generally obscured outside of the most explicit scenes.

Characters use strong expletives regularly. For example, after his mother's death, David utters 'fucking P mom damn it' in distress. General discussions and parental reviews consistently highlight the presence of 'excessive language' and 'derbe Sprüche' (crude remarks) throughout the series.

Lucy is often seen smoking, including what appears to be a blunt, in various scenes, sometimes even while engaging in complex activities like netrunning or in moments of reflection. The primary drug-related theme is 'cyberpsychosis,' a severe mental illness caused by excessive cybernetic implantation, which leads to violent psychopathic tendencies and the loss of individuality. Maine's slow and agonizing descent into cyberpsychosis, characterized by hallucinations and loss of control, is a major plot point.

The psychological horror of cyberpsychosis is a major element, demonstrated through characters like Maine, who experiences violent hallucinations and loses control of his actions as his mind breaks. The series also features frequent body horror, with doctors shown 'slicing into people, pulling out their body parts, and installing new metal,' often with visible blood and screams of pain, such as the installation of David's Sandevistan implant.

David Martinez actively rebels against the corporate-controlled society by dropping out of the prestigious Arasaka Academy, opting instead for the life of an 'edgerunner' – an outlaw mercenary who operates outside corporate law. An early example of direct disrespect occurs when David violently beats his school bully, Katsuo Tanaka, after Tanaka insults his deceased mother, leading to David's expulsion and further commitment to a rebellious path.