Is it possible for a browser to work without android web view?

Yes. Ironfox, Firefox. Some browsers do use webview, most don't. It's a separate app.

However, while you're at it, use an spp like Activity Launcher to access hidden apps and settings.

Like being able to stop webview from doing A LOT by accessing the web view dev tools.

You can set it to overlay a yellowish tint on anything that uses webview so you know what is actually using it.

yup, browsers that use their own engine do work without the webview - chromium-based browsers like cromite/droidchrome/thorium/whatever and firefox-based browsers like firefox/fennec/ironfox etc

Yes, if you use Firefox or one of its forks. They use a different engine.

However, many things on Android rely on Android System Webview. Tons of apps use it to render content, my Lemmy client Voyager uses it. Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, all use it, your bank or phone service provider probably use it too.