The following contains major spoilers for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, available to stream on Netflix.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners ended on something of a bittersweet note for a lot of fans. Main character David went out in a blaze of glory to save the love of his life, Lucy who, along with Falco, are the only remaining members of the titular Edgerunner crew, and it was all thanks to one man: Adam Smasher.
Fans who have played the tabletop role-playing game or otherwise know the lore of the Cyberpunk 2077 universe through the video game already knew that Adam Smasher was akin to a force of nature in Night City, and the final battle between him and David proved just that. Although David was thoroughly defeated, is it possible that Smasher against the entire crew could have been a different story?
Adam Smasher's Past Is Written in Blood
Smasher is a legend in Night City, famed for his brutality and unmatched prowess for wanton destruction and killing. Joining the military in the early 2000s, he was dishonorably discharged for bad conduct, turning to the life of a mercenary afterward, where his infamy began to grow. There was no task he couldn't accomplish and no level of violence he wouldn't resort to for victory.
Smasher only refused jobs for two reasons: if they were obvious attempts to kill him or if he wasn't allowed to cause civilian casualties. One job, however, changed Smasher's life forever, as he was met face to face with a barrage of rockets, in the most literal sense. His body was completely destroyed -- and yet somehow, he clung to life.
Enter the Arasaka Corporation, which saw the value a man like Smasher could hold for them and offered him a choice between servitude in a cyborg body or death. Smasher performed a number of jobs for the company before eventually rising to the head of security for Arasaka, as well as the personal bodyguard of Yorinobu Arasaka, son of Saburo Arasaka, the leader of the Arasaka Corporation.
Maine's Edgerunner Crew Could Have Been Formidable Opponents
Maine's Edgerunner crew proved to be nigh unstoppable during their time together, usually only suffering setbacks due to their own hubris. They boasted considerable firepower and good teamwork, and they had individual abilities that covered a variety of areas. David's speed and eventual strength, Lucy and Kiwi's hacking abilities, Dorio, Rebecca and Maine's firepower, and Pilar and Falco's supportive abilities were what made them a successful group of Edgerunners in the first place. An underrated aspect of a team environment like the Edgerunners is the fact that they would go to any lengths to help one another.
Dorio and Maine went out in explosive style because Dorio refused to abandon Maine during his cyberpsychosis, Rebecca was with David throughout his suicide mission in the final act of the story, and of course, David attempted to move heaven and Earth to get Lucy back from Faraday. However, is good teamwork, bonds and the skills to back them up enough to defeat a man like Adam Smasher?
Is There Any Number of People that Could Defeat Adam Smasher?
Unfortunately, the odds are far too stacked in Smasher's favor for the Edgerunner crew to have had any real hope of defeating him. In the final battle, David was equipped with the cyberskeleton, which he used previously to effortlessly wipe out a platoon of Militech soldiers, including several heavy artillery vehicles. However, during the battle with Smasher, the cyberskeleton was rendered useless once the anti-grav devices were disabled, and even with his Sandevistan, David was unable to keep up with Smasher. Lucy, proven to be one of the greatest hackers in the Cyberpunk universe, was unable to make any impact on Smasher with her hacking abilities, meaning both she and Kiwi would be useless in the fight as well.
As for Maine, Dorio and Rebecca, they might have boasted the most firepower in the crew, but it's nothing compared to what David was capable of with the cyberskeleton, which paled in comparison to what Smasher was doing at the same time. Falco and Pilar, who played mostly supportive roles, would similarly have nothing to offer in an all-out brawl with Smasher.
Although Edgerunners is a fantastic anime, the classic anime trope of friendship equaling power means nothing to a man like Adam Smasher. Just as his name implies, he destroys everything and everything before him, and with his own Sandevistan, usually at speeds too fast for most people to even comprehend.