Every Ghost In The Shell Movie, Ranked From Worst To Best

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Every Ghost In The Shell Movie, Ranked From Worst To Best

Apart from the original manga and hours of TV episodes, there are also several Ghost in the Shell movies – here’s every one, ranked from worst to best. Although many associate Ghost in the Shell with Mamoru Oshii’s film from 1995, which is understandable given its importance to anime, the story of Ghost in the Shell comes from a manga published between 1989 and 1991. From then on, adaptations for all different media, including video games, became common, and Ghost in the Shell achieved the status of both a cult classic and a pop culture mainstay.

What is interesting is that there is not just one long-running Ghost in the Shell story. Instead, there are a few different continuities that, while they feel like belonging in the same story, are actually set in slightly different universes. The first two films, the Ghost in the Shell: Arise OVA, and the SAC universe all have stories that stand on their own and could each serve as starting pointing in the Ghost in the Shell franchise for new audiences. That said, some Ghost in the Shell installments stand out from the others.

In terms of proper feature films, there are eight Ghost in the Shell movies. One movie is a live-action American production, three are compilations of previously aired TV shows, and four are original animated films. There is also a series of five OVAs of less than an hour each, thus not configuring an actual feature film, but some consider them to be parts of a four-hour movie. Here’s every Ghost in the Shell movie, ranked from worst to best.

9. Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Hollywood never had a good track of live-action anime adaptations, and Ghost in the Shell (2017) repeated some old mistakes from the industry when it comes to the genre. For example, it featured non-Japanese actors for the key characters in the film, namely Major (played by Scarlett Johansson), Batou (played by Pilou Asbæk), and Kuze (played by Michael Pitt). While technical aspects such as special effects and production design were all blockbuster-level, the movie had an overall sterilized look that lacked the visceral, dystopian feeling of the Mamoru Oshii film – something that Ghost in the Shell (2017) was obviously trying to replicate. The story was very similar to the 1995 movie, and several sequences were nothing but rehashes of iconic moments from the Japanese film.

8. Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War

Compilations of TV shows in the form of a feature film are quite common in the Ghost in the Shell franchise. That is the case of Netflix’s new Ghost in the Shell movie, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War, which retells the events of Netflix’s Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 season 1. It was released as a way to help new viewers to catch up with the story before Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 season 2 drops on the streaming platform. For being nothing but a compilation, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War does not add much for those who have already seen the show, but it does work as a fast-pacing retelling. The CG animation style can be a huge throw-off when compared to the visuals from the rest of the saga, and the story works better for those who have at least some knowledge of the Stand Alone Complex‘s chronology and characters.

7. Ghost in the Shell: Arise (2015’s 5-Part OVA)*

The five 50-minute chapters of the Ghost in the Shell: Arise OVA can be considered episodes, but they can also be perceived as just one very long movie split into shorts. Either way, Ghost in the Shell: Arise is a great jumping-off point, even better than Netflix’s Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, for those who wish to dive into the Ghost in the Shell franchise, and it has a more straightforward storyline compared to other installments. Even though it is not necessarily part of the same universe as the 1995’s Ghost in the Shell, Arise serves as a sort of prequel to the more famous Ghost in the Shell stories. For example, it shows how Major meets Aramaki and joins Section 9.

6. Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2015)

While the Ghost in the Shell: Arise OVA is not a movie in the traditional sense, its sequel, Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie, is a proper feature film. It was released in theaters, and it continues the universe set up in Ghost in the Shell: Arise. The visuals and the animation are solid, and they, in some ways, even capture the strengths of the 1995 film in a way that the Ghost in the Shell live-action movie never did. Although Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie works as a standalone entry, it is better appreciated by watching the Arise OVA beforehand.

5. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – The Individual Eleven (2006)

The animated series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and its sequel Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG are some of the best parts of the Ghost in the Shell franchise. It delivers on both the action and the story, and the visuals are worthy of Ghost in the Shell‘s place among pop culture’s best sci-fi movies. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG – Individual Eleven, as the name suggests, is the feature film retelling of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG, with a focus on the show’s Individual Eleven storyline.

4. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – The Laughing Man (2005)

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – The Laughing Man is the feature film compilation of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Here, the focus is on the show’s Laughing Man storyline. While watching the full Stand Alone Complex animated series is the better experience, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – The Laughing Man translates part of the show to the movie format very well.

3. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence was the first and so far only actual sequence to the original Ghost in the Shell movie and brought director Mamoru Oshii back. Just like its predecessor, it tells rather a complex story through breathtaking visuals and inspired animation techniques. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence was far from being as well-reviewed as the first one, but the movie should be commended for trying to be its own thing instead of just mimicking the original.

2. Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society (2006)

As mentioned before, the Stand Alone Complex continuity is one of the highlights of the Ghost in the Shell franchise. Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society is a feature film set in that universe, and unlike The Laughing Man and The Individual Eleven, it is an original story and not just a recap. It takes place after the events of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig and before Netflix’s CGI animated Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.

1. Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Almost three decades after its release, Ghost in the Shell (1995) remains not only the best Ghost in the Shell movie but also one of the best sci-fi films in general. It is a landmark for animated features, and it both echoed previous works of fiction like Blade Runner and became an inspiration for following sci-fi stories. It blends the cyberpunk aesthetic with philosophical themes, and the result is a unique film that calls for many rewatches. While every entry in the Ghost in the Shell franchise has its highs and lows, the original Ghost in the Shell is an almost perfect film.