May contain minor spoilers for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
Ghost in the Shell fans who played CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 may have noticed the many Ghost in the Shell references in-game, from Judy Alvarez's literal ghost in a shell tattoo to the Lt. Mower cyberpsycho quest given by fixer Regina Jones. This homage to the classic cyberpunk series Ghost In The Shell clearly carries on in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as seen by the many references, resemblances and similarities to the detective cyberpunk series.
However, it may be difficult to tell whether some of these similarities were simply inspirations, homages, coincidences or just cyberpunk-related. Here are some of the best Ghost in the Shell similarities and references that are featured in Cyberpunk Edgerunners.
Maine's Edgerunners and Public Security Section 9 Both Have Eight Members
The most badass gang in Night City led by Maine has the same amount of members as Major Motoko Kusanagi's best-of-the-best, counter-terrorist team Public Security Section 9. Maine's edgerunner team consists of Maine, Dorio, Falco, Kiwi, Lucy, Pilar and the fan-favorite, ride-or-die member, the eccentric Rebecca. Meanwhile, Public Security Section 9 consists of the top cyber warfare operatives in Japan, which include Major Kusanagi, Batou, Togusa, Ishikawa, Pazu, Boma, Saito and Section Chief Lieutenant Colonel Daisuke Aramaki.
Lucy Resembles Major Motoko Kusanagi
Lucyna Kushinada, referred to in the show as Lucy, wears a suit that resembles a cross between Kusanagi's Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex outfit and the one she wore in Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045. The former makes up the bottom half of Lucy's suit, while the suit worn in Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 makes up the top, turtleneck included. In a certain scene in Episode 3, she has the same exact pose as Kusanagi, with one leg off a building and the other bent with an arm over the knee. Lucy also shares the same hairstyle as the Major in Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, although parted to make the real-life hairstyle, typically called the idol hairstyle in video games. Interestingly, Yoh Yoshinari, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' character designer, has stated that he actually tried to avoid making Lucy resemble Motoko Kusanagi. Lucy shares the same previous hairstyle as her infamous Japanese voice actor Aoi Yuuki, although it's unknown if this was intentional.
Lucy Is The Team's Most Skilled Netrunner
Just as Motoko Kusanagi is the best netrunner on her team, Lucy is also the most talented netrunner on hers. Capable of deep diving, surviving in complex systems and getting through cybersecurity barriers that are thought of as being impossible, Lucy is highly appreciated in her team as a skilled netrunner. In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the amount of time Lucy spends in the ice bath meant for deep diving mimics Major Makoto Kusanagi's love and hobby of diving.
Maine Strongly Resembles Batou from Ghost in the Shell
Maine is the Batou of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners in nearly every way. They both share the same hulking muscular build. They have the same color of hair and nearly the same hairstyle, aside from Batou having a ponytail. Both Maine and Batou use cyber optics, with Maine wearing sunglasses that mimic Batou's futuristic sunglasses-looking cyber implants. What's most interesting is that they even share the same history of being former military soldiers.
Lucy and David Share a Scene Similar to the Boat Scene in Ghost In the Shell
Lucy and David's heart-to-heart moment is similar to the beautiful night boat scene in Ghost in the Shell. In this scene, Lucy sits exactly as Makoto does in her respective scene. Both Lucy and David and Makoto and Batou are love interests (although some may argue that Makoto and Batou's relationship is platonic). They also both discuss a person quitting the group, as Lucy tries to get David to quit, while Batou asks Makoto if she thinks of quitting.
The Top of the Arasawa Tower Scene Is an Exact Image of Makoto Kusanagi's Rooftop Drop Scene
When David reaches the top of Arasawa Tower, he looks over the top, and the imagery shown is an exact 1:1 image of the iconic rooftop drop scene in Ghost in the Shell. Not only does Cyberpunk: Edgerunners have the same imagery as the strangely graceful rooftop jump scene in Ghost in the Shell, but the situation David and Kusanagi face is the same. Two powerful figures are negotiating for some shady business reasons and are suddenly violently ambushed by someone they couldn't see.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunner's Outro Is an Exact Replica of the Intro to Ghost in the Shell
True fans of Ghost In The Shell would easily recognize that the ending sequence of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is the intro sequence in Ghost in the Shell (the 1995 film). In Ghost in the Shell, this sequence was to portray the making of Makoto Kusanagi's cyborg body. In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, it seems that this is Lucy going through some deep diving. Viewers also see the window scene of the intro to Ghost in the Shell, where Makoto Kusanagi is sleeping beside the window and starts her adventure. However, Lucy seems to show a lot more sadness and suffering in her body language throughout this ending sequence.
It's clear the teams of both Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners were fans of Ghost in the Shell and wanted to pay homage to one of the greatest creations to come out of the cyberpunk genre. CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger both did a beautiful job of being able to portray elements of Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell that fans could find as Easter eggs, all the while being as subtle as possible to make Cyberpunk: Edgerunners stand out on its own. With an extremely positive reception to the series, one last similarity is that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners will no doubt become a cyberpunk classic alongside the legendary and nostalgic Ghost in the Shell series in the years to come.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is available to stream on Netflix.