**The actual artwork “All You Need Is Love” is on the second slide; the first is the detail.**

I always felt there was a special connection between cyberpunk and aromanticism, even though direct aromantic representation is mostly absent.

When romance appears in cyberpunk, it is almost always weaponized, programmed, tragic, transactional, or a trap.

Now this itself does not get us to aromanticism, of course. Aromanticism does not thrive on malicious joy when people suffer because of their romantic feelings. I wish everyone who wants it to find love and be happy. Let's not forget that some are part of our community, like grayromantics. 🫶🏻

However, despite much tragedy and cynicism, there are two positive, genuinely aromantic messages in some cyberpunk works, which are extremely rare in other genres (I keep it spoiler-free):

* They show a protagonist's life can be complete, meaningful, and fulfilled *without* a romantic arc ending with “happily ever after.” Because the meaning was always located elsewhere (e.g., K in *Blade Runner 2049:* His arc resolves not by recovering a romance but by choosing a non-romantic moral act).
* They deconstruct the relationship escalator model (e.g., in *Neuromancer,* Case's final choice) or affirm relationship anarchy (again, in *Neuromancer,* Molly Millions' relationship to Case: “It's the way I'm wired, I guess”).

**Long story short, that's why I always wanted to create an artwork that combines aromanticism with cyberpunk.**

Especially since after having drawn far too many whimsical and cute aro pride animals like griffins and frogs. I wanted a bit of variation: gritty, mature, and maybe even… dare to suggest… a bit sexy. Because you know, allosexual aros exist, too! 😅

I hope the art is aromantic enough to post here. It is not “in your face” aromantic pride art, but rather contains subtle hints that the careful viewer will understand.

Title: “All You Need is Love”

This shows agent “Gryphon” listening to orders from the command center.

She is my canonically allo-aro OC and part of a small private intelligence agency, “Arrowhead Operations,” whose members are all aromantics. No matter how much she insists that she was aromantic for as long as she remembers, others don't stop suspecting that it was actually a side effect of her cybernetic augmentation (which gives her superhuman senses, agility, and speed) and try to “cure” her.

Aromanticism and Cyberpunk