The series takes place over 360 years in the future, with most episodes the first season set in the year 2384 in a futuristic metropolis known as Bay City. In the future, a person's memories and consciousness are recorded onto a disk-shaped device called a cortical stack, which is implanted in the vertebrae at the back of the neck. These storage devices are of alien design and have been reverse-engineered and mass-produced but can only be made from the material on Harlan's World. Physical human or synthetic bodies are called "sleeves" and stacks can be transferred to new bodies after death, but a person can still be killed if their stack is destroyed and there is no backup. Only the wealthiest, known as "Meths" in reference to Methuselah, have the means to change bodies through clones and remote storage of their consciousness in satellites, so they never have to die of old age before being resleeved.
Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), a political operative with mercenary skills, is the sole surviving soldier of the Envoys, a rebel group defeated in an uprising against the new world order. In the first season, set 250 years after the Envoys are destroyed, his stack is pulled out of prison by 300-year-old Meth Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), one of the wealthiest men in the settled worlds. Bancroft offers him the chance to solve a murder - Bancroft's own - to get a new shot at life. In the second season, set 30 years later, Kovacs, now in a new sleeve, continues to search for his lost love and Envoy leader Quellcrist Falconer (Renée Elise Goldsberry).
Joel Kinnaman as Takeshi "Tak" Kovacs the last Envoy, of an elite rebel group defeated 250 years prior to the start of the series
James Purefoy as Laurens Bancroft (season 1), one of the wealthiest men alive
Martha Higareda as Kristin Ortega (season 1; guest season 2), a smart and tough lieutenant in the Bay City Police Department
Chris Conner as Edgar Poe (seasons 1 - 2), an artificial intelligence (AI) that takes the likeness of Edgar Allan Poe and runs the hotel that serves as Kovacs' base of operations in Bay City
Dichen Lachman as Reileen Kawahara / Gina Kovacs' sister
Ato Essandoh as Vernon Elliot (season 1; guest season 2), a former Protectorate marine whose wife was imprisoned and daughter murdered
Kristin Lehman as Miriam Bancroft and Naomi Bancroft (season 1), Laurens' wife
Trieu Tran as Mister Leung / Ghostwalker (season 1), a killer and "fixer"
Renée Elise Goldsberry as Quellcrist "Quell" Falconer (née Nadia Makita) (seasons 1 - 2), a master strategist and scientist, the creator of Stacks and leader of the Envoys
Lela Loren as Danica Harlan (season 2), the governor of Harlan's World and the daughter of its founder, Konrad Harlan
Simone Missick as Trepp a bounty hunter (season 2)
Dina Shihabi as Dig 301 (season 2), an AI archaeologue
Torben Liebrecht as Jaeger / Ivan Carrera (season 2), Kovacs' commanding officer in the CTAC Praetorian and surrogate father, later the leader of an elite fighting force called The Wedge operating on Harlan's World
Tamara Taylor as Oumou Prescott (season 1)
Marlene Forte as Alazne Ortega (season 1)
Byron Mann as Mercenary Kovacs (season 1; flashbacks season 2) and Dimitri Kadmin (season 1)
Anthony Mackie as Takeshi Kovacs
Hiro Kanagawa as Captain Tanaka (season 1)
Hayley Law as Lizzie Elliot (seasons 1 - 2)
Will Yun Lee as Original Takeshi Kovacs / "Kovacs Prime" (seasons 1 - 2)
Adam Busch as Mickey (season 1)
Tahmoh Penikett as Dimitri (season 1)
Waleed Zuaiter as Samir Abboud (season 1)
Michael Shanks as Horace Axley (season 2)
James Saito as Tanaseda Hideki
Sen Mitsuji as Tanaseda Yukito (season 2)
Neal McDonough as Konrad Harlan (season 2)
Antonio Marziale as Isaac Bancroft
Zahf Paroo as Curtis
Sharon Taylor as Myka
Dalias Blake as Batu
Orphée Ladouceur-Nguyen as Morgaine
Skyler Mowatt as Finch
Mitra Suri as Simone
Fiona Vroom as Sandy Kim
Daniel Bernhardt as Jaeger
Lisa Chandler as Mary Lou Henchy
Oliver Rice as Mattias Stone
Morgan Gao as Young Tak
Riley Lai Nelet as Young Reileen
Xander Hall as Cartel Meth #1
Cecilia Deacon as Cartel Meth #2
Alika Autran as Okulov
Fraser Aitcheson as Praetorian
Kareem Tristan Alleyne as Anil Imani
David Cubitt as Dugan
Cliff Chamberlain as Ava Elliot
Matt Biedel as Dimi
Teach Grant as Jimmy DeSoto
Stephanie Cleough as Anemone
Marilyn Norry as Shira
Michael Eklund as Dimi 2
Anna Van Hooft as Clarissa Severin
Victor Zinck Jr. as Anton Durov
Garfield Wilson as Gomez
Orlando Lucas as TJ
Kevan Ohtsji as Haruki Okada
Maddie Dixon-Poirier as Little Girl
Hector Borderas as Xalbador Kid #1
Dario de Iaco as Neanderthal
Arnold Pinnock as Hemingway
Chris McNally as Sergei Brevlov
Francisco Trujillo as Xalbador
Enrique Dante Miles Lopez as Xalbador Kid #2
Andre Tricoteux as The Mongol
Katie Stuart as Vidaura
Matt Frewer as Carnage
Carl Lumbly as Lukas Imani
Matt Ellis as Joshua Kemp
Britt Irvin as Lila
Max Boateng as Semetaire
Mark Acheson as Gertie the Fence
Sean Amsing as Gus
Michael Adamthwaite as Father Kovacs
James R. Baylis as Dick
Heather Doerksen as Captain Veutin
Mike McLeod as Tech
Mauri Bernstein as Wei Receptionist
Nikohl Boosheri as Nalan Ertekin
Andrew Chin as Yakuza Thug
Eddie Flake as Officer Davis
Toby Levins as Pervy Guard
Sonia Beeksma as Newscaster
Hannah Rose May as Synth Woman
Yukari Komatsu as Mother Kovacs
Karen Khunkhun as Newscaster
James Rha as Tech #1
Trevor Roberts as CTAC Intel Officer
Courtney Richter as Ava
Muhumuza Mushega as African Male
Jihae as Torch Singer
Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Commission Leader
Jason Schombing as Detective Ray Lorcan
Lexi Atkins as Belle
Olga Fonda as Sarah
Bradley Stryker as Shifty Man
Marcus Aurelio as Latino Guy
Paul Lazenby as Trooper #1
Ian Rozylo as Anglo Guy
Jane Hancock as Orientation Woman
Steve Chang as Asian Guy
Dagan Nish as Rebel #1
John Emmet Tracy as Warden Sullivan
Megan Danso as Rebel #2
Naomi King as Customer
Maxime Savaria as Raab
Craig Haas as Renouncer Holo
Troy Rudolph as Re-Meet Dad
Jojo Ahenkorah as Grant
Vern Bevis as Bouncer
Bruce Blain as Re-Sleeve Guard
Elfina Luk as Re-Meet Mom
Alessandro Juliani as Jack Soul Brasil
Victoria Katongo as Female Synth #1
Jill Teed as Bartender
Adam Thomas as Hazmat Tech #1
Nyla Alleyne as Child #3
Primo Allon as Dodd
Kai Bradbury as Tadao
Paul Cheng as Scary Guy (as Paul Cheng)
Aaron Collett as Advert Spokesman #1
Glynis Davies as Old Junkie Woman
Howie Lai as Meditech 1
Ely Jackson as Hazmat Tech #2
Brittany Mitchell as Female Synth #2
Asia Au-Yeung as Child #2
Kwasi Thomas as Meditech 2
Peter Woodward as Pleasure Concierge
Kareem Malcolm as Millsport Uni
Kat Ruston as Disheveled Synth
Alison Araya as Female Investigator
Demord Dann as Guard
Jesse Downs as Child #1
Jillian Fargey as Mrs. Henchy
Hyuma Frankowski as Uniform Officer
Jessica Garcie as Mother at Stronghold
Joel Montgrand as Meditech 3
Kira Clavell as Cartel Meth #3
Darien Martin as Male Synth
Jorge Vargas as Scratcher #1
Nicole Anthony as Trainee
Chelsea Gill as Needlecast Tech
Camille Martinez as Mother
Bailey Corneal as Scratcher #2
Kamran Fulleylove as Jarek
Alexander Lowe as Gatekeeper
Carmela Sison as Dig 682
Melanie Chan as Dimi Asian Woman Sleeve
Toby Hargrave as Flake
Darcy Hinds as Kerwin
Lillian Lim as Hostess
Jones Bay as Dig 957
Bailey Burr as Young Girl
Jason William Day as Praetorian #1
Nada Cosovic as Cousin #2
Edward Dalmas as Meth Client
Wolfgang Klassen as Security Office Guard
Anoop Randhawa as Policeman
Shayn Walker as Security Guard
Jason Cermak as VR Tech #1
Cory Chetyrbok as Spirit Saver Demonstrator
Darren Dolynski as Male Investigator
Isabella Farrier as Cousin #1
Vivian Full as Nyman's Assistant
Yuvraj Kalsi as Boy at Stronghold #1
Naiah Cummins as A.I. Directory
Heather-Claire Nortey as VR Tech #2
Hesham Hammoud as Officer #2
Rob Hayter as Corridor Guard
Joshua Jorssen as Son
Michelle Lee as Female Fighter
Jay Cardinal Villeneuve as Spirit Saver Demonstrator 2
Winson Won as Officer Levine
Sean Millington as Praetorian Guard
Mike Wasko as Mandrake Manager
Juana Lerma Juarez as Xalbador's Wife
Ken Kramer as Hank
Veda Maharaj as Boy at Stronghold #2
Colleen Wheeler as Nurse
Sean Owen Roberts as Scratcher
Darren E. Scott as Warehouse Guard
Chad Krowchuk as Miles
David Lewis as Director Nyman
David Will No as Male Fighter
Eijiro Ozaki as Saito
Ben Wilkinson as Doctor
Shane Kim as Praetorian #1
Jeremiah Oh as Yakuza Guard
Tim Perez as Father
Damon Lipari as Dad
Michael Meneer as Newscaster #2
Leanne Khol Young as Praetorian #2
David Milchard as Al
Jesse Redmond as Maddy
Yuichi Saito as Shimoda
Daphne Hoskins as Young Daughter
Ray G. Thunderchild as Customer
Amitai Marmorstein as Junkie Dealer
Sukh Singh as Morgue Tech
Christian Sloan as Vincente Giraud
Kindall Charters as Miner #1
Simon Chin as Alcatraz Guard
Jody Racicot as Mr. Philips
Kheon Clarke as Passerby
Genn Love as Man of Mandrake
Alyson Bath as Woman Speaking Hologram
Alex Rockhill as Dimi Latino Male Sleeve
Sheila Tyson as Carla
Sky Kao as Server
Nalani Wakita as Advert Spokeswoman #2
Bree Woodill as Woman Meth
Teana-Marie Smith as Needlecast Agent #1
Leonie Bennett as Sexy Synth Girl
Celeste Ziegler as Advert Spokeswoman #1
Charles Zuckermann as Control Tech
Jackie Blackmore as Needlecast Agent #2
Justin Fortier as Enraged Person #1
Kat Pasion as 'B' Side Synth
Seth Whittaker as Officer #1
Alan Mak as Needlecast Tech #1
Guy Christie as Enraged Person #2
Jason McKinnon as Handsome Guy
Philip Cabrita as Enraged Person #3
Tina Grant as Overextended Mom
Michelle Clarke-Brown as Enraged Person #4
Richard Ian Cox as Cheap Lawyer
Vanessa Richards as Enraged Person #5
Gaalen Engen as Enraged Person #6
Amro Majzoub as Enraged Person #7
Natascha Schulmeister as Enraged Person #8
Shawn Bordoff as Enraged Person #9
Chris Loubardeas as Enraged Person #10
Naomi Simpson as Enraged Person #11
Lauren Overholt as Enraged Person #12
The average duration of each episode is 46 - 66 minutes. Country of origin: United States.
