The Best “Ghost in the Shell Watch Order” to Follow!

ghost in the shell watch order

Make sure you read the complete article of Ghost in the Shell watch order to get a clear picture!

The manga of Ghost in the Shell anime made its way in 1989. Since then, the franchise has been getting a lot of popularity and it reached a point where Hollywood has to make a Live-Action movie from it.

It has also been one of the most influential sci-fi anime out there. Why is it so popular? And what makes it too unique? Simple! Its plot is too good and enthralling like any other sci-fi anime.

But before watching it, most of the people confuse because they didn’t how to watch it in perfect order. Well, you need not worry, we’re here to guide you with the post of Ghost in the Shell watch order. Shall we get into the business? We’ll take it as a yes.

Ghost in the Shell Watch Order

Movies and Timeline

ghost in the shell watch order

The direct adaption of the GITS manga is its movie from 1995. In this film, the story sets in a futuristic world where Cyborgs live a normal life as humans and almost in an equal number.

The protagonist Mokoto is assigned to a mission of catching a Cyber Criminal known as Puppet Master. He hacks into the minds of Cyborgs to gather information and commits crimes easily. Well, you can expect a lot from this movie since both the plot and action sequences are incredible.

Following the first film, a sequel is made after 9 years and the title is Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. It follows the story where Batou of section 9 investigates a series of murders by the sex robots known as gynoids. If you need to understand the story clearly, these two movies are a must-watch from the Ghost in the Shell watch order.

The Stand Alone Complex Series

ghost in the shell watch order

Apart from the movies of the GITS franchise, the most popular series is ‘Stand Alone Complex.’ It exactly follows the timeline and matches with the story of the second movie from the franchise.

It consists of two seasons where each of them contains a different storyline but they do meet at some point. The first season follows a terrorist hacker who calls himself a Laughing Man. He takes on the Japanese Government after knowing they’re hiding the cure for the dangerous cyber disease.

And the second season titled 2nd Gig follows Individual 11, a terrorist group that is trying to eradicate the crisis of refugees. There is also a film following the second season of the anime titled Stand Alone Complex- Solid State Society that released in 2006.

There are also two other films but they only comprise of the summary of 2 seasons and some additional scenes. So, you can just on with two seasons and a movie from the Ghost in the Shell watch order.

The Arise Series

ghost in the shell watch order

The final series from the GITS franchise is the Arise series. It is also the largest adaption of the franchise both commercially and plot-wise.

It is mostly a prequel and reboot of the original anime with improvised plot and animation quality. The story follows younger Motoko before the formation of Sector 9. It consists of four movies, a television series and another film in the end.

The series consists of 10 episodes but it’s most likely the same plot but with a lot of improvisations. The last movie is Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie and it follows the short television series. Well, it is the final part of the Ghost in the Shell watch order.

Simple Analyzation of Ghost in the Shell watch order (Chronologically):

1. Movies

  • Ghost in the Shell (1995)
  • Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

2. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

  • Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (26 Episodes)
  • Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society Movie (2006)

3. Ghost in the Shell: Arise

  • Ghost Pain (2013)
  • Ghost Whispers (2013)
  • Ghost Tears (2014)
  • Ghost Stands Alone (2014)
  • Ghost in the Shell: Alternative Architecture (10 Episodes)
  • Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2015)

You see those blue texts? Just watch them and you’ll be having a blast with the anime.

Conclusion

There you go! The best and perfect guide of Ghost in the Shell watch order is here. If you follow the above order, you won’t end up missing any minor detail from the whole franchise.

In other words, you’ll enjoy the series without any confusion. So, we hope you’re satisfied with the post and if you have any doubts regarding the series or something else, please do drop your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Posted by
Hanumanth Reddy

Hanumanth is an enthusiastic author who enjoys writing about anime, movies, and TV shows and aims to share his optimistic views with his readers. His favorite franchise is Star Wars, and he aspires to be a Jedi in the future, but he vows not to fall on the dark side.