The Blade Runner universe expands its reach with Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus, the first story in the franchise set in Japan. This IGN Fan Fest 2025 exclusive reveals insights from writers Kianna Shore and Mellow Brown on crafting this unique cyberpunk vision.
Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Behind-the-Scenes Art Gallery
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Instead of mimicking the established cyberpunk aesthetics of Akira and Ghost in the Shell, Shore and Brown drew inspiration from post-3.11 Tohoku Disaster Japanese media and contemporary Japanese society. Shore aimed for a "hopepunk" Tokyo, contrasting the decaying Los Angeles of the original films. Brown describes Tokyo as a "beautiful utopia" masking a brutal underbelly, where disobedience has dire consequences.
Set in 2015, Tokyo Nexus is a standalone story within the larger Blade Runner timeline. While featuring subtle nods to the films, it's accessible to newcomers. The narrative builds upon previous installments like Blade Runner: Origins and Blade Runner: 2019, hinting at a larger conflict involving different Blade Runner organizations.
Central to the story is the partnership between Mead, a jaded human, and Stix, a Replicant. Their bond, described as a "platonic life-partnership," forms the emotional core of the series. Their codependency, born from shared trauma, is a key thematic element.
The series introduces Cheshire, a company challenging Tyrell Corp's Replicant monopoly, further escalating the conflict. Cheshire's military-grade Replicants and their acquisition of escaped Tyrell scientists promise a significant power shift.
Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Vol. 1 - Die in Peace is available now. You can also order the book on Amazon.
This IGN Fan Fest 2025 coverage also included previews of IDW's Godzilla shared universe and an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog storyline.
