What is a street samurai in cyberpunk?

The street samurai is a classic cyberpunk archetype: a tech-savvy mercenary or loner who lives by a personal code of honor while fighting against the corrupt governments and megacorps that dominate their world^[4]. Unlike a generic hired gun, they are defined by their refusal to sell out to authority and their tendency to possess specialized skills like hacking or custom gear engineering^[4]. They often view themselves as badasses, striking fast and first with a mix of blades and high-tech firearms^[4][6].

Molly Millions from William Gibson’s Neuromancer is the definitive example of this trope^[4]. A modern variation appears in Shadowrun, where the archetype specifically requires augmenting one's body with cyberware to survive the urban jungle^[4].