Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex poster

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

★ 8.5 23K votes 2002–2005 2 seasons · 52 episodes Ended Perfect Choice
Near-future techTechnology one step ahead of today, and what it costs us.This show: 9/10AnimeJapanese animation traditions and grammar.This show: 9/10Intellectual challengeRewards close attention and theorizing.This show: 8/10PhilosophicalBig questions of meaning, ethics and existence.This show: 8/10Deep worldbuildingDense lore that rewards immersion.This show: 8/10Distinctive scoreMusic inseparable from the show's identity.This show: 7/10Political intriguePower struggles inside governments and institutions.This show: 7/10Social commentaryDeliberate critique of how society works.This show: 7/10
Rate this series
Starring
Shirô SaitôOsamu SakaAtsuko TanakaAkio OtsukaKoichi YamaderaTarô Yamaguchi
Written by
Shirow Masamune
Starring
Shirô SaitôOsamu SakaAtsuko TanakaAkio OtsukaKoichi YamaderaTarô Yamaguchi
Written by
Shirow Masamune
Ratings per Episode
246810
Votes per Episode
0150300450600

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Episode Ratings Heatmap

AvgE1E2E3E4E5E6E7E8E9E10E11E12E13E14E15E16E17E18E19E20E21E22E23E24E25E26
S17.77.37.77.17.77.57.97.57.37.18.17.87.97.57.27.67.57.47.47.18.18.58.08.08.38.88.2
S27.87.67.47.47.77.67.57.57.37.77.58.48.07.48.27.47.47.48.07.77.98.17.78.08.38.38.6

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About

"Cyberpunk procedural that thinks as hard as it fights"

Set in a near-future where cybernetic bodies and networked minds are the norm, this series follows Public Security Section 9, an elite team led by the cyborg operative Major Motoko Kusanagi, as they investigate hacking crimes, terrorism, and identity theft of the digital soul. It mixes tight standalone procedural episodes with slow-building serialized arcs, all wrapped in moody synth-driven atmosphere. The pace is deliberate and dialogue-heavy, favoring ideas about consciousness, memory, and society over spectacle, though the action, when it arrives, is sharp and kinetic.

Watch it for

the rare blend of hard-boiled crime procedural and genuine philosophical inquiry into identity and consciousness.

Maybe skip if

you want fast, simple action instead of dense dialogue about technology and selfhood.

Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.

All Seasons

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex2002
7.79K2611h 17m
Female cyborg Major Motoko Kusanagi and her fellow police officers of Section 9 hunt down a host of criminals in both the real and online worlds. In the course of their work, Kusanagi and Section 9 must do everything from resolving hostage crises to hunting down runaway state-of-the-art killing machines.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG2004
7.86K2611h 21m
The story continues to follow the adventures of Section 9's top members, Motoko Kusanagi, Batou, and Togusa. The series maintains an episodic format and portrays Section 9 dealing with political issues such as invited refugees and nuclear intrigue. Another government institution, the Information Bureau of the Cabinet, comes up head-to-head against them. And a terrorist entity who calls itself the "Individual Eleven" joins the set.

Full Cast & Crew

Cast

Shirô Saitô Gondo
Osamu Saka Chief Daisuke Aramaki, Daisuke Aramaki
Atsuko Tanaka Major Motoko Kusanagi, Motoko Kusanagi, Kuroma
Akio Otsuka Batou
Koichi Yamadera Togusa, Laughing Man
Tarô Yamaguchi Borma
Yutaka Nakano Ishikawa
Tôru Ôkawa Saito
Takashi Onozuka Paz
Hiroshi Yanaka Fukami
Kate Higgins Girl
Barbara Goodson Maruta, Old Woman
Kevin Brief Kanzaki, Policeman

Crew

Shirow Masamune

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