9 anime to watch if you like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has become one of the most popular anime series of 2022. Set in the dark future metropolis of Night City, the narrative revolves around a street kid named David who strives to become an edgerunner—an elite cyberpunk mercenary. With its neon-soaked visuals, gritty storytelling, and dynamic characters, Edgerunners has captivated audiences worldwide.

For enthusiasts who are seeking more of the high-octane cyberpunk action found in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, there are several other compelling anime that explore similar themes of technological excess and the shadowy aspects of human nature. Here are nine anime to watch next if you enjoyed Studio Trigger's smash hit.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and is not ranked in any particular order.

Beyond Night City: Anime series for fans of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

1. Akudama Drive

Akudama Drive (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Akudama Drive takes place in a futuristic, dystopian Japan where war has ravaged the country. Society is sharply divided between ordinary civilians and criminals, known as Akudama. The gritty sci-fi series follows a group of Akudama who carry out an impossible heist at the government's high-security stronghold.

With its cyberpunk aesthetic, violent action, and a diverse crew of antihero characters, Akudama Drive echoes the same volatile, high-stakes atmosphere as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The animation style also utilizes CGI similarly to give intense motion and depth to the setting and action scenes.

2. Psycho-Pass

Psycho-Pass is set in a dystopian world where individuals' mental states and criminal tendencies are quantified and tracked. The narrative revolves around a police unit that hunts down criminals using weapons that can instantly analyze anyone's "Psycho-Pass." Centering on cops and criminals with cyberpunk and sci-fi elements, the show aligns nicely with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ setting and subject matter.

It also features dark storylines that explore the moral ambiguity between upholding justice and committing immoral acts. Like many in Night City, protagonists Akane and Kogami wrestle with staying true to their values or giving in to corruption in an unjust system.

3. Bubble

For a sci-fi anime film with eye-catching artistry, Bubble is a fantastic choice. Set in Tokyo after bubbles have rained down on Earth, the story follows a young girl who has lost her memory and a young man battling monsters inside an anarchic city sealed off by bubbles.

Much like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Bubble immerses viewers in aesthetic visuals and animated sequences. The film combines 2D and 3D animation, anchored by beautiful background art. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners fans will appreciate Bubble’s similarly vibrant colors, futuristic setting, high-concept action, and emotional character moments anchored in dazzling animation.

4. No Guns Life

In a gritty cyberpunk future where humanity depends on extendable arms called Extensions, No Guns Life follows the journey of Juuzou Inui, a former soldier turned mercenary with a gun for a head. He takes on cases involving Extended-related crime in the seedy underworld.

No Guns Life mirrors the dark, worn-down aesthetic of Night City with strange technology run amok. The sci-fi series features gritty characters surviving amorally in the depths of tech-noir despair. Like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, it also balances its dreary setting with occasionally lighthearted moments.

5. Ergo Proxy

In a post-apocalyptic future where androids known as Autoreivs have fused seamlessly with human society, blurring the line between robots and humans, Ergo Proxy follows an investigator hunting a mysterious being called a "Proxy."

Like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Ergo Proxy features gorgeous sci-fi visuals mixed with a noir atmosphere. It’s mature, philosophically complex, and anchors its social commentary around compelling characters. The series also utilizes CGI similar to Edgerunners to create a fully immersive sci-fi environment and intense, cinematic action sequences.

6. BLAME!

In a vast, technologically advanced future where self-replicating machines have wiped out almost all life, BLAME! centers on the lone wanderer Killy as he traverses thousands of miles of endless steel labyrinth in search of human presence.

Fans who loved Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' stunning CGI virtual environments will be blown away by BLAME!’s fully 3D CGI animation style. Like Night City’s hulking mega buildings, the show's setting stretches endlessly high around small characters.

7. Akira

Akira (Image via Tokyo Movie Shinsha (TMS) Entertainment)

Akira is considered one of the foundational cyberpunk anime classics. Set in dystopian Neo-Tokyo in 2030, the film centers on Shōtarō Kaneda, leader of a local bōsōzoku motorcycle gang, whose friend acquires telekinetic abilities. Kaneda must save his friend when the military and other bad actors try exploiting his powers.

As one of the progenitors of sci-fi anime, Akira pioneered the gritty, darkly atmospheric signature that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners emulates. From biker gangs to anti-establishment tones, the series takes clear inspiration from Akira’s groundbreaking cyberpunk style.

8. Serial Experiments Lain

Serial Experiments Lain (Image via Triangle Staff)

A classic anime series from 1998, Serial Experiments Lain centers on an isolated, socially awkward 14-year-old girl who becomes obsessed with the virtual world of "The Wired." She becomes immersed in the connections, secrets, and conversations found there, blurring the lines between real life and digital spaces.

While less overtly gritty and punk than Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Serial Experiments Lain explores similar intersections between consciousness, identity, and artificial realities. It conveys subtle dread and mystery around technology's grip on society in ways Black Mirror fans may appreciate.

9. Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell (Image via Production I.G)

Regarded as one of the most acclaimed and influential cyberpunk anime franchises, Ghost in the Shell centers on Public Security Section 9, an intelligence department that combats technology-related crime. Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg agent, leads an elite team comprising hackers, sharpshooters, and surveillance experts.

Like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Ghost in the Shell revolves around themes of transhumanism and innovative technology, uplifting selected parts of society while leaving others behind. By blending sci-fi concepts with a noir atmosphere, the series explores political intrigues and philosophical mysteries around artificial intelligence's expanding role.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners delivers an electrifying rollercoaster fusion of vivid animation, kinetic action, and extreme sci-fi concepts anchored in human connection. These nine anime explore similar signatures, whether it's pioneering landmark aesthetics like Akira, thematically questioning technology’s unforeseen impacts like Serial Experiments Lain, or building epically immersive cyberpunk settings like BLAME!

For fans who crave more innovative animation styles, thought-provoking commentary on digital futures, larger-than-life characters hustling decadent and colorful underworlds, or simply more of everything that made Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the selection of anime presented here offers a rich array of options to explore further.

Edited by Shubham Soni