The Psychology of Bogeymen: Cyberpunk Edgerunners: What Makes a Legend? - Therapist Reacts!

[@aidanjones5799]

It's heavily implied that cyberpsychosis is tied to one's ability to empathize with others and the reason adam smasher is able to handle so much Chrome is because he never had any empathy to begin with

[@checkoutmyplaylistsforente8054]

It is also connected to mental trauma. Having a lot of chrome isn't the only requirement for Cyberspychosis you also need to experience mental stress in comparison to the amount of chrome someone has. So someone with a lot of chrome needs just a small push to snap while someone with a basic operating system needs to go through some serious stuff. Adam doesn't care about anything or anyone despite killing meat and proving his point that metal is better than meat. And he likely thinks of the RPG's that tore him apart as a positive thing because he's now a complete borg and is constantly getting contract that allow him to cause even more slaughter so there ain't much that can cause him to snap even harder than he already had.

[@Masterche18]

The other similar idea is that he is a cyberpsycho with experience, he knows how to not go ballistic but still has no empathy, still a cyberpsycho but controlled for self interest

[@TheDCT0]

yep. Dude was a psychotic murder machine before becoming a cyborg. All that 'Chrome' didn't change much, except his ability to deal out more death.

[@andrewgodly5739]

Adam has already fallen ill to cyberpsychosis but he's so consumed by it that it basically is him now. His personality is cyperpsychosis

[@Spark_Chaser]

This has always been my working theory for him. He was so checked out from his connection to humanity that chroming up was just the next step in fulfilling his own superiority to lesser people. I'd also not be surprised to find out there are personality inhibitors installed in his brain that likely help prevent him from just flatlining his "superiors" within the corporate structure.

[@connorbestbarlow1043]

Your right about Adam not having much humanity to begin with. He used to pick jobs based on the likelihood of there being civilian casualties.

[@GeorgiaDow]

oh goodness that is worse than I thought

[@SHEANGOMES]

@@GeorgiaDow apparently he also went out with the granddaughter of the Arasaka CEO, makes you wonder what someone can see in a sociopathic machine

[@MrDestroys]

True

[@eugene12310mobile]

​@@SHEANGOMES according to the creator of the Cyberpunk world it started as a haha funny joke for one of their campaign sessions. But canonically before Adam Smasher looked like that he was pretty good looking lol His less combat ready cyborg body too looks attractive according to the author. Something close to Elvis Presley in appearance

[@poutiepanda9022]

@@GeorgiaDow its in his contract that he must be able to do as much colateral damages as possible. Else he wont even lift a finger

[@BLKW4RDR3M0N]

Y'know what's really crazy? the ripperdoc was really looking out heavy for David the whole time. He could've easily just done the job and said nothing more but he gave David crucial information on multiple occasions.

[@GeorgiaDow]

that's a true statement

[@Solqueen86]

The fact that when he didn't give David any numbing or the pills to handle the pain at the start might have been his twisted way to make David give up on the Sandevistan real quick but then Lucy came in and told him its NORMAL even for a rip doctor to numb and give meds after a job is done and even when paid a lot more he gave the bare to still let him struggle with it cus I doubt David went/CAN go to anyone else for upgrades or the pills cus they might just rip the sandy out of him and kill him like the EMP try to. Sadly David became numb and it was too late

[@jooot_6850]

repeat customer

[@BLKW4RDR3M0N]

@@jooot_6850 repeat customer or not there's certain things that show his concerns. like when Ripperdoc mentions that he doesn't want to do anymore surgeries for David and for him to scale back his chrome. David literally threatens him for more meds just because he has the money to pay for it instead of taking the advice of the person that knows his body almost as well as he does....If not better.

[@thefriendlywendigo6161]

Doesn't want to see hard work gone to waste.

[@Kushrada]

A few things to Note on Smasher. He goes out of his way to cause or be in an environment to cause casualties while on the job. He doesn't go out of his way to kill people in an open environment but to cause as much death while on the job and with in the legality of the system. He is meticulous with his augmentations, how much tax they would provide, the order they are installed and the level of usage. He is well aware the risk of cyberpsychosis and minimalizes the risk as much as possible. He is a massive fan of Elvis Presley, even has a spare body modeled after him. He did have a romance with Michiko Arasaka a few decades before edgerunners. And he has a rivalry with Morgan Blackhand where he wishes to prove Steel over Flesh in terms of superiority.

[@GeorgiaDow]

geezus worse than I thought even

[@gentleman_oni]

So he's the worst type of player you could get in a TTRPG group: A min-maxer murderhobo.

[@avroarchitect1793]

@@GeorgiaDow go diving into his lore, you won't sleep well for days

[@gerardlacroix6015]

@@gentleman_oni I knew one of those on Shadowrun. Fully augmented troll in Alphawear punching his problems into oblivion.

[@iffer9431]

you say that yet his current borg body causes instant cyberpsychosis(in the ttrpg it costs more humanity than what one can have) to everyone who could be considered normal, he doesn't need to be meticulous since he is already a cyberpsycho albeit high functioning(this was said by mike pondsmith), nothing he did in his merc days can really be called within the legality of the system, he admitted to mowing down a mall filled with 500 people and bragged about it surely that can't be legal.

[@Mediados]

"It's a child's toy reliant on antigrav training wheels. Not even worth my time." Funny thing. He knows this, meaning he analyzed his enemy and read the mission briefing, but doesn't even care to inform himself about Faraday. He knows exactly what he needs to win, and nothing more or less. And I love how Smasher respected David until he started shittalking.

[@josefstalin9678]

If I remember correctly the skeleton thing David has was originally meant for Adam Smasher but I may be wrong

[@Bowiiihowdy]

@@josefstalin9678 probably why he knew so much about it. The very faults are probably why they started testing it on others because Adam wanted nothing to do with it. To many weakness. Look how easy he took it apart and with out the anti grav the skeletons so heavy it collapses leaving the user helpless

[@proffesornugget1613]

@@josefstalin9678 David was supposed to be a field test he was supposed to die in that desert

[@Mediados]

@@BowiiihowdyIt is a powerful warmachine, but the problem is the weight. After taking out the antigrav support, David couldn't even stand. It's a major weakness that can easily be exploited by an experienced combatant.

[@MidWitPride]

@@Mediados Maybe Mk.2 of that suit that is designed to be an accessory instead would be more successful. Like Smasher wearing that thing on top of his own body, so he can use the grav field thingy. If it is countered, oh well, he still has his inner body, just shed it off like a lizard would its skin. But yeah, Cyber skeleton seems to embody the sins of German engineering tbh. Have a cool super high tech idea, but in order to make it work you have to make it so finicky and ultra specialized, that the moment anything happens that's outside of what it was designed for, it completely fails. Like Porsche's WW2 tank, which on paper was basically scifi magic, but in practice just seeing the schematics and the spare parts list shortened the lifespans of the maintenance crew by 5 years from stress alone. Cool showpiece, but no one would ever want to actually rely on the thing.

[@WingZero-us5df]

The way they went about Adam Smasher in the anime, was the same way they did John Wick in the first movie. Someone with little backstory, except for the basics beyond his legendary accomplishments. Simple, terrifying, and uber-strong. Awesome series, with an amazing villan to match

[@GeorgiaDow]

yes I got the same vibe as well

[@WingZero-us5df]

@@GeorgiaDow Right? He just appears out of nowhere, more than lives up to the rumors about him, and just dominates the battlefield, then afterwards, he just disappears like he was never there.

[@RokkitGrrl]

@@WingZero-us5df It was hilarious, watching reaction videos to people just blowing off Adam Smasher stories, and thinking that David was going to be on equal footing with him. lol Sweet summer child, no.

[@cinema_simio2727]

Can we have a video about John wick on grieving?

[@Veqtronic]

The funny thing is that the real John Wick equivalent in the Cyberpunk setting is Morgan Blackhand. He's basically the GMPC of the setting and is more around the lines of "extremely skilled professional" that Wick is rather than "Cybermax Bloatlord" that Smasher is.

[@geoffgreen2105]

It's worth noting that Adam Smasher is an Army combat vet of several dirty wars. Normally I'd say he's a walking case of PTSD, but: 1. He was already a killer when he joined the Army 2. Eventually he was discharged because the Army couldn't handle him 3. For something to be a Disorder, it has to actually cause you distress. Adam Smasher isn't suffering from a psychosis, he LIKES it.

[@Rygat]

he's not suffering, he's enjoying every minute of it

[@chocomaniac2069]

It​ is​ usually associated with​ distress, but​ the​ on​e​ who​ is​ distress​ed​ doesn't​ always​ have​ to​ be​ the​ person​ with​ mental​ disorder.

[@Broomer52]

I love that he was always a monster, he just looks like one now

[@mongooseunleashed]

Can't get PTSD if you enjoy the violence.

[@gespenjaeger2370]

His arch rival is Morgan blackhand who is the opposite Adam Smasher.

[@Captain_Confused]

In the tabletop version of the game, it actually does give some explanation on Adam Smasher, and you're 100% right at 7:15 when you say there wasn't much humanity in him in the first place. He was supposedly born in the 1990's or maybe earlier, and was active during the 2000s, which is when he was injured so severely he was replaced with a metal body. And even when he was fully organic, he was apparently a complete and total psychopath. And considering Edgerunners takes place in 2076, that makes Adam very old, and he hasn't been organic for a very long time.

[@kevind3974]

he was also someone who apparently had vary little to no empathy to begin with so he was naturally able to adapt to things like cybersycosis as he was already a sociopath to begin with.

[@josefstalin9678]

Damn so Adam Smasher is either a millennial or gen z

[@GhettoJohnWick]

With all of that, I'd imagine that he's either never had to deal with cyberpsychosis or he was able to adapt to it and keep on mission.

[@keuwlcat1319]

@@kevind3974 he also do be kinda bald tho

[@Damien_N]

In the videogame continuity - Smasher was Arasaka's enforcer in 2023, I believe he lost most of his remaining organics with the Nuclear Attack on Arasaka tower

[@SilenceInd]

Adam is immune to cyberpsychosis because you can't catch what you already have. Adam's soul was pitch black from his earliest days thus he had no humanity to lose. He's "special" because he was already so far gone that nothing could affect him. Add in the best doctors Arasaka money can buy, and a whole host of other bodies he can use, Adam is the ultimate enforcer for Arasaka. Also add in genuine tactical thought and intelligence, Doc warns David he can at most use the Sandevistan 3 times before side effects start occurring, Adam notably only uses his Sandevistan 3 times.

[@caralho5237]

You did good to remember that he's also a very tactical and experienced mercenary. He's been fighting in wars for 80 years. The legendary soldiers with countless kills we have irl only fought for 2-10 years

[@darnell7871]

Well also add in that Adam calls the Sandevistan a “rudimentary implant”

[@lornbaker1083]

I think he meant rudimentary as in it's a basic implant ( Not the one david has but other kinds that are less experimental and more stock produced off the shelf) that every corporate soldiers are given and trained to use properly.

[@shizachan8421]

@@lornbaker1083 I think its more to express on how much of a different league Adam plays. For him, some experimental military grade Sandevistan is rudimentary, because as the Top Boogey Man of Arasaka, he naturally would feature nothing but state of the art cyberware, the best humanity can at the moment even create and so would many of those he actually interacts with on a regular basis.

[@SayShelo]

The irony of the entire thing is hes incredibly underwhelming in the final fight of 2077

[@ajtheva6694]

Adam Smasher in the anime is ten times the beast compared to the video game version. He literally is a monster.

[@SomeGuy1234X]

In the table top he’s about the same as the anime except his voice is a machine Elvis Presley.

[@AndreTheCrab]

@@SomeGuy1234X I dont know if that makes him less or more terrifying.

[@emmasnow29]

Not really. In the anime they give him abilities he shouldn't have. In the game V is much more powerful than the edgerunner crew. Lucy doesn't have anything close to the quick hacking skill that a net running V has. V can use their Sandevistan almost without limit which David and Smasher cannot....

[@MisterCynic18]

@@SomeGuy1234X In the table top he's specifically vulnerable to hacking, in the anime he just shrugs it off. They turned him up to 11 in the show so they could have a better climax.

[@seiety1244]

@@emmasnow29 David vs v , David winning that match imo. Yes v doesn't have to worry about cyberpsychosis but that doesn't make him more powerful or stronger than David. David w the cyberskeleton all his implants and the sandy ...idk

[@chuckb8514]

Love the custom made glowing collar. Sound designers are so talented. Love that fact that they make a subtle sounds can install great fear.

[@GeorgiaDow]

I totally agree! thanks for appreciating the collar

[@Ulrick657]

One other thing to mention about Smasher, is that he doesn't lack humanity, it's that for him, he is not human to begin with. You can hear him talk about "organic people" as "meat" in the anime and the game, and when Lucy tries to quick hack him, you can see his Cyberspace avatar; which is a representation of ourself in the cyberspace, usually just what we look like; and he looks like a literal monster.

[@kikosawa]

That's a symptom of cyberpsychosis, actually. People start referring to others as lesser beings, animals, meat. No compassion + overwhelming power of implants

[@IceSilent]

You really need to check out a Johnny Silverhand compilation! He is a main character from the Cyberpunk game, one of Adam’s longtime enemies, and I would love to hear your take on him.

[@htaylor9677]

Game him sure ttrpg him not so much

[@IMCS8]

Adam real nemesis is Morgan Blackhand. In TT lore (which is what actually happened and not Johnny's "memories" that made him seem more important that he actually was) Adam looks at Johnny for like 2 seconds, kills him with 0 effort, and focuses again in Morgan. But that's something really interesting to analize too tho!

[@The_Funniest_Cut]

@@IMCS8 As we see he kept a lot of Johnny’s possessions once killing him. Pretty sure he cared a lot more about Johnny then you think. This is still keeping in mind his memory’s are definitely skewed.

[@Veqtronic]

For what it's worth, in the original tabletop game that he originated from, Smasher's in-game Empathy stat was listed as "Yeah, right...". The creator of the Cyberpunk setting has also stated that Smasher's effectively a high-functioning Cyberpsycho who has the personal benefit of having a job that allows him to kill with impunity.

[@xt4enk790]

Glad someone mentioned the fact that Smasher is technically a "High-functioning Cyberpsycho". Not that everyone else's comments were wrong, but it is a rather important distinction between Smasher and David; David has a tolerance to cyberpsychosis, whereas Smasher can handle the effects of it. May seem similar, but it is technically different -- no one is immune to cyberpsychosis. Smasher is full cyberpyscho, he can just handle it due to how he was before chrome. David can resist the onset of cyberpsychosis, but we don't really get to see how well he could handle it, especially in the long term; David could've been a literal Smasher 2.0 if he had the same mental-state as Smasher pre-chrome -- what a terrifying concept. After all, it is an anime, and what is more anime than a literal anime protaganist, that's a dweeb-y little nerd, eventually 1-up'ing essentially a super villian. For some unrelated extra info: I've been told (without verifying, myself), that cyberpsychosis can present in the same ways as normal real-life pyschosis; the way it is only really shown in-game, and in Edgerunners, is violence. It'd be interesting to see cases with non-violent cyberpsycho's.

[@kikosawa]

​@@xt4enk790psychosis in real life often leads to self-harm, and what makes it different from cyberpsychosis is that the latter has a few additional symptoms. The quantity and "quality" of implants makes you detach from people around you, see them as lesser being, soft and fragile. You start feeling special, and as illness grows, you see others as worthless. So in the end you're a human-loathing machine with immense combat capabilities. Nothing stops you from unleashing your psychosis on those around you anymore.

[@thememeilator2633]

@🌸kikosawa🌸 that sounds amazing! Also does that mean that Nerodivergent people would already be less affected by implants? I mean there is already a social detachment from nerotypical people just due to society.

[@guyrza5537]

Adam is a psychopath, and he did enjoy causing as much casualties as possible, but he did have a romance at one point. It was with Michiko Arasaka (a person he bodyguarded) but not much known about how much it lasted. And by the events of anime it has been around 40-50 years since then, but still interesting detail.

[@brockly7916]

man that was decades ago...

[@commanderjason7786]

Makes you wonder what she saw in him...

[@themangledwither]

I'd say sociopath moreso than psychopath. He has no empathy no emotions he can fake them but he doesn't feel them

[@rot6662]

i get the impression that was less romance and more one-night stand

[@ramon4184]

@@rot6662 nah he gets the jollies from violent one night stands

[@alttaab]

I love the little details like Smasher’s eyes not turning or angling. They stay fixed. It adds to the feel of a shark or predator.

[@Ziegrif]

Fun fact! Smasher actually had a romantic relationship with Michiko Arasaka the grand daughter of Saburo Arasaka the head honcho of the top corp. He did so in an alternate gemini body and apparently was cordial with her.

[@gaffgarion7049]

Granddaughter

[@MadMaxx570]

I feel i require to add that the gemini body looked like an overmuscled young and blonde Elvis

[@josefstalin9678]

@@MadMaxx570 whats funny is that despite the fact that its an artificial elvis body it has Elvis's natural hair color instead of what he was almost always seen with

[@kikosawa]

Michiko has... specific tastes

[@quannguyenle9775]

i would not say it is romantic, more like friend with benefit type of relationship

[@Sefaso]

In my opinion, the reason the show was so devastating by the end is this: When you think it through, the Moon was merely an escape fantasy, an excuse for Lucy to push herself forward after escaping Arasaka. She then met Kiwi, who introduced her to the crew and, by extension, David. The crew then became her surrogate family, who she ends up losing. David took her dream as a literal instead of the figurative it was, and sacrificed himself to accomplish it, much to Lucy's dismay since she was willing to die to keep him safe. He was her new reason to live, and she lost him too. Now, on the Moon, you realize along with Lucy that she has no good reasons left to go on, since in his abnegation to her, David unknowingly committed the ultimate act of selfishness. A reiteration of Juliet's plan in the 3rd act of "Romeo & Juliet". And Lucy is now in an even WORSE place she was before meeting Kiwi, since she now not only has very compelling reasons not to trust the next Kiwi that may come along, even if their intentions are pure, but she fulfilled her "dream", her lifeline, and it tasted like dirt with David gone. And now she has nothing. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Not that I like the idea, but if I was in Lucy's place by the end, I'd kill myself after the trip. Not because of a deathwish, though I couldn't fully deny it, but because you have to wonder: Where does she even BEGIN to pick up the pieces if she even wants to?

[@madstar44]

id argue she is even below the place was before she met kiwi because not she doesnt just have a reason to distrust the next kiwi, but she also doesnt have that dream to push her to keep going, she was already on the moon and cant pretend it will help anymore

[@karolinakuc4783]

But that's what she does she commits neurodegeneration at herself after the trip on the moon. She thinks she will not see David on her trip as the memory is painful. But at the same time it is also pleasurable. So she learns that it is pain that makes one remember. Too late cause she neurodegerates herself so she will remember that she lost something she will notknow what

[@Sefaso]

@@karolinakuc4783 What?

[@grandsome1]

Well, corpo revenge is plate that never goes cold, that's what I'd do even if half my soul isn't into it.

[@ordo_draigo_assault_ham]

I seem to recall Romeo and Juliet ending in death because Juliet decided to fake her death without bothering to warn the one guy who would react the worst to it. Western women are clueless as to how people think.

[@victortang7610]

Adam Smasher is basically Terminator plus Darth Vader minus everything human about him.

[@Trafoder]

When you talked about Smasher’s mysterious nature, you spoke every complaint I had about Smasher in the 2077 game. He shows up like a normal video game brute in the tutorial, and frequently is seen just standing around like a normal man throughout the story. Smasher’s presence in Edgerunners in far better: appearing as the mythical figure you describe him as.

[@Bowiiihowdy]

Shows up for maybe 5 minutes takes everything the main characters throw at him and pretty much slaughters all of them. If it wasn't for the cyberskeleton Lucy and Falco would have died to

[@renebismarck8265]

@@Bowiiihowdy Yes and that is more then enough.

[@curtismcpsycho8212]

I wish smasher would just stand RIGHT outside a door or something that way you shoot him by reflex and he chases you till you enter a safe area or hide from him using quick hacks, from what I've seen he's just there no presence at all it's like he's coded in by mistake.

[@BalthusHomewood]

I was surprised and delighted to see you were taking a look at Adam Smasher! He, in certain ways, represents the ideal people like David were striving to be: above it all, untouchable, unstoppable, beyond human. He was a legend, just like they wanted to be. That ideal, though, was a cold and merciless one. While David was nearly driven to the same extent as Adam, he managed to hang on to the idea of valuing others, of empathy. Even with all he lost and gave away, he didn't become like Adam. Adam represents an idea of how far a person can go when they lose their humanity, David represents how far a person can go as they fight to hold on to it.

[@nokturnali]

Love the hair and outfit for this upload Choom! Loving these Cyberpunk videos so much.

[@GeorgiaDow]

Thanks Choom = )) I did try to get the right feel

[@lemao2222]

Hit the nail on the head about Adam Smasher. His lack of empathy, care and humanity is what allows him to handle that much cyberware. In a way, Adam reminds me of Dexter Morgan, from the tv show Dexter: A sociopath who's manipulated by his father into hunting other criminals. Except here it's a Megacorporation enabling and using a sociopath for their own goals. And the sociopath is built like a Gundam.

[@rainmanslim4611]

I don't think I've ever seen a show do justice to a villain like edgerunners did to Adam Smasher. They built him up and his goddamn introduction was him backing up his cockyness by showing even at David's peak, he's nothing against smasher, and smasher proceeds to wipe the floor with EVERYONE. In the end, to him, it was just a fun night out as our heroes lie dead all around him. Chills. That's how you do a villain right.

[@floofiestmuffin6945]

I love how accurate your take on adam smasher was and then I love how many people were filling you in on why u were right lore wise. Really dig your channel

[@GeorgiaDow]

thanks I am learning so much of his back story it is wonderful. happy you enjoy it here

[@rendanfuls]

Once I finished watching the show, I felt like there was something I was missing. Something I couldn't describe. A week later it hit me. Lucy *really* cared about David. Their meeting was the main motivator for everything that happened, yet we know that everything that happened to the crew would happen anyway, but these two brought the heart to their drama. This came to me at random and made me tear up out of nowhere...

[@comyuse9103]

well, they'd die eventually, but without david the crew would likely have never have been specifically targeted by arasaka.

[@rendanfuls]

@@comyuse9103 But Maine would prolly still go cyberpsycho which would lead to a slow and steady downfall. Dorio would be a good leader but she'd definitely die because of his psychosis. The rest would probably keep taking jobs but they'd miss "the leader." What I meant was more about how I loved the depiction of Lucy's feelings towards David. Even though she had her walls up, he managed to get through just by being himself. Not because of his abilities or chrome but with being a decent person in a world where it's not easy. My emotional reaction stem literally from how she cared about him and how it came to be

[@flamingchicken44]

I really enjoy your analysis videos on Cyberpunk! It's the reason I subscribed. Adam Smasher is terrifying to me for the reasons you mention about how he's simply better than David in terms of combat capability, but also because he was a psychopath before getting borged out. Adam is the ultimate villain in my opinion because he is capable of going beyond what humans can endure in the worst ways. The fact he kills Rebecca makes him instantly vilified by the fan-base. She was the best friend any empathetic human could ask for, yet to the cold dehumanizing streets of Night City she's just another stain on the sidewalk.

[@Kenoi_]

I was as hype to see this video as I was seeing avengers, I love these.

[@GeorgiaDow]

OH Kenoi that is the best compliment ever. Thank you

[@Kenoi_]

@@GeorgiaDow you’re welcome! Thanks for making such interesting yet educational content. It’s helped me and I’m sure a lot more people as well

[@Avenus112]

In the cyberpunk tabletop Smasher worked as a 'stay in the boundaries' mechanism if players caused too much havoc. He was initially unstatted so he was basically invincible and players encountered him they could either flee or die. He was so strong that he was legitimately the game master's standin. His job was for the GMto say, 'you are ruining the game so either stop or the game is over.' I guess my point is this entire video is thematically and literally exactly right. AS was a means to control Night City's populace- but more importantly for GMs to control their players.

[@CianaCorto]

Adam Smasher is the literal Bogeyman of the Cyberpunk universe. In the board game, he's the character that gets sent after the players to end the game because he is literally unbeatable. In the 2077 lore, he is 97% machine. He's a brain and a little bit of spine in a jar, controlling a full cyborg body that's modified for maximum destruction. He's a high functioning cyberpsycho who's addicted to murder, on Arasaka's payroll.

[@SHEANGOMES]

This series of yours is 10/10

[@GeorgiaDow]

Why thank you so much =)) means a lot to me

[@AshenKnight1]

In the old Cyberpunk, the thing that kept you from going Cyberphyco was a stat called 'Empathy'

[@Gamer_G33k]

And Smashers Empathy stat is "Are you serious?"

[@aretzuu]

@@Gamer_G33k It was "Yeah, right..."

[@ЖИЛЕ94]

YES!!! I was looking forward to your opinion and view of Adam Smasher and it did not dissapoint. Also about empathy and AS, the guy was a psycho before he went full borg, he was kicked out of military for being too violent. Thats where his story begins lore wise.

[@GeorgiaDow]

that says a lot about him =) thx

[@zachshock]

2:47 Ironic thing is leaving it up to my own imagination is less scary for me since I have a thing called aphantasia where I can't see what I imagine.

[@GeorgiaDow]

Oh you are one of those rare few. How is reading a book for you then ?

[@zachshock]

@@GeorgiaDow It's very boring I just see the words on the page.

[@RaccAttack77]

To comment on the sound thing, one of my favorite uses of sound to make someone feel uncomfortable or even fear will always be the Reapers from Mass Effect, with their ‘bwaaaaaah’ noise they made

[@Gamer_G33k]

In the TTRPG, you have a stat called Empathy which provides a resource called Humanity. Augs you install and actions you make (Like killing a civ or cop) drain on that resource and can only be replenished with therapy. For Adam Smasher, his Empathy Stat is "Are you Serious?"

[@cynthiameyers7529]

Georgia, I'm really happy to see how much your channel has grown since the early days of Arcane. I also like how you are able to breakdown story and character not just from a psychology point of view, but also on a societal and social level as well. Please keep up the good work!

[@GeorgiaDow]

thanks so much happy you have been with me for the journey !!

[@shykorustotora]

One thing I'd love to see you react to is Kiwi and her arc. She lived by a principle that she maybe misinterpreted in the end. Finally, she died alone and full of regret, powerless to fix the mistake she caused. I'd really love to see your thoughts on what was going through her head and why she made the good and bad choices she did, and how she may have felt in her final moments

[@jeremyrm7]

Since this is a more recent video I felt like adding my own opinion: sometimes hopelessness or the realization can manifest as having nothing more to lose, I believe the moment David “grave up” was when he decided he had lost enough and only wanted for Lucy to live.

[@GeorgiaDow]

thank you for sharing your opinion and yes I think that is also the case

[@thelovedevil]

i like your style in every video. adds a really nice touch

[@GeorgiaDow]

thanks I try

[@thedarkside3899]

i love all the cyberpunk videos! mad respect for the cosplay as well :D

[@GeorgiaDow]

yay Much appreciated!

[@ZLunare]

"I thought you'd be taller." Georgia knows her Halo.

[@Fulgrim2]

He’s definitely more “animated” when he was younger during the Fourth Corporate War, snarky at Arasaka on the phone during the shadow part of that war or perking up seeing a new combat mech on display. Whatever lurks behind that metal shell has gotten much colder.

[@firemanjoe9491]

With the casting of the skull over David’s face you could also figure that in a small way Adam smasher is offing the concept that he could have been different. The invitation seen as mercy from someone that is defined to bell by his lack of it. Smasher made his bed already in life but he notices how David could be more with training and refinement. The entire fight felt like he was just grooming him and taking out his friends to detach him from connections he sees as weaknesses. That’s why I am hoping we get a season where David becomes the villain and he has to be saved from becoming Adam smasher 2.0 like the corps want. Or he’s dead. And this is a lesson about living within your means.

[@ONI_G4NG]

Nah cause no one knows how much I want a stand-alone series all about Adam smasher, it’d be amazing

[@mikcarrillo3527]

Spot on your point. That the less Adam smasher is shown and speaks. Gives a stronger perspective of horror. Knowledge lessons the horror.

[@Poke-ladd]

I’m curious about your thoughts on Adam’s smasher’s enemy Johnny Silverhand, if your played Cyberpunk or seen clips of him

[@ramon4184]

Smasher doesn't care much for Johny the only person smasher absolutely hates is morgan blackhand

[@3_14pie]

to me the most badass thing about him is that throughout the hole battle he doesn't even get a scratch, while seconds before david was making a paste out of the toughest soldiers in night city

[@invidatauro8922]

Here's an interesting thing. There's actually another character in the TTRPG and Game who is just as chromed out as Smasher, Shaitan. Shaitan, however, is basically the opposite of Smasher and is probably one of the most moral mercs out there (really hates Arasaka though). He has a really high empathy score (I think it was 9 which is really good) but the amount of Chrome he has would mean it wouldn't matter so I have to assume he either has supreme confidence in himself and his goals or has a good enough support network that the chrome doesn't bother him.

[@ironbolt2678]

Smasher cannot lose his armor. He is the armor

[@williambigbills-9665]

It only makes Adam more terrifying when you realize that he’s already a Pycho, like the creator of Cyberpunk said that Adam is a cyber Pycho who is in a line of work that covers it up. On top of that Adam also views humans as meat or even cattle and he’s the butcher.

[@yulianhankim]

Unlike his infamous reputation in the show, Adam Smasher is a wimpy boss in the actual game. Fighting him was rather anticlimactic because it only took a minute to beat this guy.

[@zahktuthalxalyrion6364]

Gotta keep in mind that V also is just as much of a powerhouse as Smasher if not more. Unlike David, V is unaffected by Cyberpsychosis (likely due to the engram re-writing his brain) and thus has cyberware everywhere in his body. He also has Johnny, and his memories, to know what Smasher is like and how he fights. Gives V another edge.

[@Primo_Luca]

Update 2.0 sends it's regards

[@LetsTakeWalk]

What I find freaky, is that Adam Smasher isn't just a high functioning Cyberpsycho, he is close to 100 years old. This is one dangerous old dude.

[@magnesium3273]

He dosnet have Cyberphycosis because Cyberphycosis got him

[@MilaBanilla]

I would love it if you cover Johhny Silverhand from Cyberpunk. He's a legend as well!

[@redkoba2671]

this chanel is very underated ovo

[@GeorgiaDow]

I hope one day that changes

[@mikeb5063]

the newest primal fear is now Adam Smasher

[@prodELOKX]

Damn, so smasher gave David the option to save him and turn him into a construct probably similar to himself, and David was like nope??

[@reapersrage932]

The terminator sound🤣

[@GeorgiaDow]

haha yes

[@wr1ght939]

I just realized the Jacket lights are glowsticks. Genius! Love the dress up!

[@FriendofFantasy]

All I know is this show made the final chapter of Cyberpunk 2077 even more satisfying.

[@OT_DM]

Its really funny. Something you said here about Smasher actually ties back perfectly to the rules of the original tabletop game. In the game, you started with a "Humanity" score, which represented your ability to empathize and sympathize with others. Then, each time you added chrome, your total humanity went down, representing the fact that as you became less and less "human" you found it harder to relate to others. If your humanity ever hit zero, the person running the game took your character sheet because you had fallen into cyber psychosis. BUT there was an option in the game, I forget what it was called, to basically at the very beginning drop your Humanity score to almost nothing, say, 1. It meant you because basically useless in all social or "normal" situations, BUT the trade off was that getting chrome would no longer reduce your score. So you could never hit zero. This was an ability Adam Smasher had in the game. On the other hand, David started with a massively HIGH humanity, so he could handle a lot of chrome, IE it took him a long time to hit zero, but in time, he did.

[@GeorgiaDow]

Awesome = ) Happy it fits so well wth the psychology very cool thanks for sharing

[@dangerszewski9816]

In the original source material they talk about using intensive braindance-driven therapy to help people who get what would otherwise be completely sanity-smashing levels of cyberware (basically all full-body conversation cyborgs) reach if not a healthy mental state at least a controllable and goal-driven one not a randomly violent one. A video on what potential braindance would open up for therapy would be SUPER fascinating. Likewise their descriptions of cyberpsychosis in the source material make for interesting reading. It's not just that chrome inherently causes extreme dysmorphia, it's also that your capabilities are so extreme you start to get frustrated with the world around you. Looking at just how that could happen would be a fascinating video too! The example they give is someone with an "always on" Kerenzikov nerve booster: everyone around you moves really, really slowly. One day you get a little too frustrated with someone not moving in line fast enough so you shove them, only you have hydraulic presses for arms and move at superhuman speed so to you a 'shove' is actually going to throw the guy into a wall so hard he splatters. Then people start screaming 'cyberpsycho!' because you just killed a guy in line at the bank, maybe security draws guns, maybe a civilian does, you have to defend yourself. Then MaxTac shows up and starts firing 20mm cannons through the windows at you. End result? 20 people dead (most of them killed by police cannon fire) and another report on NetNews 54 about the cyberpsycho epidemic, and it all started with a guy too slow in line at the bank.

[@mas8705]

“They lose all their power when they remove their mask.” Batman is a great example of this. Yeah, Batman is terrifying, but as soon as you realize Batman is actually some rich guy who never got over the death of his parents, his image diminishes and even your average thug suddenly has the guts to fight Batman (even if the end result is still the same with Batman giving bear downs).

[@batto736]

that glowstick collar 10/10

[@GeorgiaDow]

thanks you wouldn't believe how many failed attempts I had in making it. Nice to see it appreciated ...

[@Grigeral]

I think the best part about Adam Smasher is the fact that he's every bit as bad as the legend, so on meeting him, it's typically like the worst case scenario of your nightmares come to life.

[@Neutral_Tired]

Adam Smasher is described by the creator of the cyberpunk universe as a "high functioning cyberpsycho".

[@0nfroid]

Gotta say, Adam Smasher was the last person i was expecting to see a Georgia Dow video on. Deffinetly aint complaining though!

[@GeorgiaDow]

happy you are enjoying it

[@Tradewindrain]

Great insights as usual, Georgia! Appreciate you!

[@POW3RSAUC3]

Adam Smasher is a literal walking warcrime machine.

[@keyabrade1861]

He's up there with General Grevious and Sundowner.

[@DefinitelyNotAMachineCultist]

He'd fit right into Gundam.

[@midasthestallion4105]

I would LOVE to see you do a deep dive of the psychology of Cletus Kassidy, The Punisher or The Barracuda. Great Vid!

[@albertlaw5344]

Great vid and I've been loving your Cyberpunk reaction series. I also really enjoyed the lore from the Cyberpunk video game and thought it was awesome how they incorporated him into the show. It would be so cool if you could do another reaction video and include more backstory about Smasher from the video game and board game!

[@dianabarnett6886]

Adam Smasher is like Darth Vader without a swear filter.

[@emmasnow29]

So satisfying when V shows Smasher what power really is.

[@Bowiiihowdy]

Eh in the game adam seems nowhere near as powerful.. Adam seems like the kind of boss that yes can be beat but just barely. V should have came out of that fight barely alive

[@ViPER5RT10]

@@Bowiiihowdy you’re right, he was kinda just a huge bullet sponge shooting at you. I think whatever chrome you had installed Adam should’ve countered it like he did with David’s sandevistan. Any slow-mo would be useless, arm launcher grenades would be shot out of the sky, guerrilla arms would be outmatched by his sheer strength, etc.

[@StickmanMook]

The power of plot

[@willc3900]

Thank you for doing these. A show emotional as this, everyone needs a splash of therapy

[@GeorgiaDow]

welcome !

[@xxbomba9780]

I like how when Lucy tried hacking Adam smasher he looked like a monster

[@Whoo711]

"immortal snail" haha I understood that reference😏

[@GeorgiaDow]

I believe you are one of the few who did. Made my day

[@lazydog223]

Awww the little terminator music 🥹

[@GeorgiaDow]

hehe you noticed

[@DarkKnightBatman420]

Been taking my time to watch this show, but I finished the third episode seconds before this vid dropped.

[@failurextreme7084]

You definitely shouldn't be watching this if you are only on episode 3

[@DarkKnightBatman420]

@@failurextreme7084 I get the position you're speaking from but I'm actually not that interested in the show. Are you going to tell me that there's something going on that's going to matter to me, spoiler-wise?

[@failurextreme7084]

@@DarkKnightBatman420 yeah pretty much. The video has a ton of spoilers. If you don't mind then by all means but I like for people to have spoiler free experiences if they are really interested in a series.

[@Zarathustr]

@@DarkKnightBatman420 How can you not tell this video is full of spoilers.

[@Mizzle420420]

Damn that thing about the feeling of learned helplessness hits close to home

[@damianstarks3338]

Yes yes and yes Adam smasher was dope in this series ! You look beautiful by the way. Lol 4:39 I see what you did there and it was cool. Your analysis of Adam Smasher is spot on.

[@masonstauffer5974]

I am really excited about hearing your thoughts on the relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent from House of the Dragon.

[@castbet9183]

Smasher was a psychopath before going full cyborg. He was practically a machine before becoming a machine, which makes him more of a monster, even in Cyberpunk Lore

[@yoothas483]

1:26 made me love the video already, that resonated on me. Never heard that but it makes so much sense !! Big Thank you !!!

[@GeorgiaDow]

So glad! its really nice to hear things which speak to people so thank you for sharing that

[@mrsister032]

Adam was handled perfectly in this. He lived up to his legendary stories and even David was no match for him...at all. I'm glad the writers made the stakes matter and didn't give David any "hero plot armor". This made his final decisions matter more and it made Smasher that much more frightening.

[@karras6239]

This, plus the lore of cyberpsychosis and the surgeon trying its best to explaining it with current knolwedge really gives the true bigger picture of smasher. He was a psycho to begin with and thats why he tolerates it way more than the rest.

[@Ruggedtoaster]

Also the whole show sets the audience up emotionally. The hero’s empathy kills them every time. Every “good” character dies in a moment of vulnerability caused by them helping someone else instead of following their most selfish desires. The grimmest aspect of cyberpunk is that in their world mostly rewards selfish behavior, and isolation

[@HexyTech]

Loved the lil terminator reference there :D

[@Raist474]

Adam Smasher on the tabletop was the "rocks fall, everyone dies" trope as a character, just not as dramatic as the Lady of Pain in Planescape. He's the table-clearer that your DM throws at a cocky group for a quick lesson in humility.

[@blazin_hl]

05:12 Alongside the fact he only takes “Code AS”-type missions (he only takes collateral damage included missions only) That fact is literally supported by what you said in action cause Adam Smasher could’ve literally saved everyone that got gunned down by David, but came in the last second for David to get rid of the collateral damage to save the top Arasaka members from the “Smart Link” bullets (bullets that operate like how shooting a bullet works in the movie “Wanted”), reason why we didn’t see the Arasaka Corpo die the same moment everyone else died as well

[@abaum7012]

Still trying to pitch Psycho Pass which is about a dystopian Country where the Crime Coefficient of people can be measured in numbers an people may get treatment by medicaments and stuff or execution depending on the number. Which is all controlled by the state and the "system".

[@glenmcinnes4824]

Smasher isn't "Mostly Machine" he's a Full Conversion Borg, A Brain in a Jar stuffed in to a Combat Chassis, and given he's bean a Full Conversion since the Teens that Brain likely isn't the original, he just missed out on making the 2020 "Solo of the Year" list, so he would stop killing the "Solo of Fortune" journalists and staff in retaliation they gave him a feature article in that issue titled "Destroy all Flesh!". He was at Ground Zero when US Forces Nuked Arasaka Tower in the early 20's and the Dude walked away or Arasaka had a copy of him dubbed on to a clone brain and installed in to a new body. Dude was diagnosed as both a Psychopath and Sociopath when the Army gave him his Dishonorable Discharge, the DoD had to authorize the implantation of a previously theatrical Threat rating to classify the guy. that was before he would go on to be a High Functioning CyberPsyco

[@porkopio9468]

If only smasher was just as scary when fighting him ingame

[@brandonsteven4856]

That final fight gave me “Arima vs Kaneki (round one) from Tokyo ghoul” vibes for sure .

[@Tyler0513]

The show did a great job at making him seem like this unstoppable killing machine and yet canonically, V cuts smasher down Effortlessly.

[@eavatar]

can you explain the whole death seeking impulse related to David's vengeance quest? And how it is tied to our primary instincts (eros x thanatos)

[@spamreciever4208]

Some things to note for people unfamiliar with CyberPunk lore Smasher was a legendarily sadistic Solo (gun for hire/mercenary/general less-than-legal handyman) by the early 2000's after a lot of "guns, gear, drugs, and brutal one-night-stands he was "turned into meatloaf" by a pair of rockets By 2010 he'd been turned into basically half a brain in a jar with a closet full of bodies (one of which was a clone of Elvis Presley) This show takes place half a century later He's one of the best examples of an _infamous_ character in a universe (also worth noting: Mike Pondsmith, co-creator and main-dude in terms of loresmithing has referred to Smasher as a "High-Functioning Cyberpsycho" ) (less worth noting, but this isn't unheard of as it's also said that MaxTac (SWAT teams equipped and trained specifically to deal with Cyberpsychos with MilSpec cyberware) are composed mostly of "reformed" Cyberpsychos)

[@johnpo2]

"That immortal snail forever coming at you" Oh fuck I forgot abou

[@GeorgiaDow]

HAHA someone got it = ) Made my da..... ack (all that is left of her is a small snail trail )

[@thefanification]

it doesn't help that what is known about adam smasher is always terrifying, his death count, the fact that noone who arasaka has sicced him on has survived, the fact he fought the best of the solos, morgan blackhand and survived, if not killed him, AND johnny silverhand. just as a few examples, which doubling back to point 2 is why he is so terrifying, if you see him in combat you know you not only messed up, but messed up so bad you angered the arasaka family themselves

[@Viprexion]

"Che che chee che che". I saw what you did there. ( Terminator theme! LOL ). Also, an excellent analysis of Adam Smasher and the effects of what fear can do to one's psyche.

[@GeorgiaDow]

welcome = ) and happy you appreciated the terminator tsh tsh

[@Torryinabox]

8:01 did NOT expect to see that... My fucking heart.