Ghost in the Shell Watch Order
All 23 entries in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, in the order to watch them — 1995–2026.
- Entries23
- Episodes143
- TV series 4
- Films 10
This list is in release order — the order these were broadcast. For most franchises that is also the best viewing order, but prequels are the common exception.
The order
| # | Title | Type | Year | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ghost in the Shell GHOST IN THE SHELL: Koukaku Kidoutai | MOVIE | 1995 | 1 |
| 2 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Koukaku Kidoutai: STAND ALONE COMPLEX | TV | 2002 | 26 |
| 3 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Tachikomatic Days Koukaku Kidoutai: STAND ALONE COMPLEX - Section 9 Science File "Tachikoma na Hibi" | SPECIAL | 2002 | 26 |
| 4 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG | TV | 2004 | 26 |
| 5 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Interval Koukaku Kidoutai: STAND ALONE COMPLEX - Interval | SPECIAL | 2004 | 3 |
| 6 |  | Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Innocence | MOVIE | 2004 | 1 |
| 7 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society Koukaku Kidoutai: STAND ALONE COMPLEX - Solid State Society | SPECIAL | 2006 | 1 |
| 8 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Tachikomatic Days Koukaku Kidoutai: STAND ALONE COMPLEX - Tachikoma na Hibi | TV_SHORT | 2007 | 12 |
| 9 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Uchikomatic Days Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex - Uchikoma no Hibi | SPECIAL | 2007 | 1 |
| 10 |  | Ghost in the Shell 2.0 GHOST IN THE SHELL: Koukaku Kidoutai 2.0 | MOVIE | 2008 | 1 |
| 11 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society 3D: Tachikomatic Days Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society 3D - Tachikoma no Hibi | SPECIAL | 2011 | 3 |
| 12 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Another Mission Koukaku Kidoutai ARISE: ANOTHER MISSION | SPECIAL | 2013 | 1 |
| 13 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border:1 Ghost Pain Koukaku Kidoutai ARISE: GHOST IN THE SHELL - border:1 Ghost Pain | MOVIE | 2013 | 1 |
| 14 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border:2 Ghost Whispers Koukaku Kidoutai ARISE: GHOST IN THE SHELL - border:2 Ghost Whispers | MOVIE | 2013 | 1 |
| 15 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border:3 Ghost Tears Koukaku Kidoutai ARISE: GHOST IN THE SHELL - border:3 Ghost Tears | MOVIE | 2014 | 1 |
| 16 |  | Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border:4 Ghost Stands Alone Koukaku Kidoutai ARISE: GHOST IN THE SHELL - border:4 Ghost Stands Alone | MOVIE | 2014 | 1 |
| 17 |  | Ghost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture Koukaku Kidoutai ARISE: ALTERNATIVE ARCHITECTURE | TV | 2015 | 10 |
| 18 |  | Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie Koukaku Kidoutai: Shin Gekijouban | MOVIE | 2015 | 1 |
| 19 |  | Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Koukaku Kidoutai: SAC_2045 | ONA | 2020 | 12 |
| 20 |  | Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War Koukaku Kidoutai: SAC_2045 - Jizoku Kanou Sensou | MOVIE | 2021 | 1 |
| 21 |  | Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Season 2 Koukaku Kidoutai: SAC_2045 Season 2 | ONA | 2022 | 12 |
| 22 |  | Koukaku Kidoutai: SAC_2045 - Saigo no Ningen | MOVIE | 2023 | 1 |
| 23 |  | THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Koukaku Kidoutai: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL | TV | 2026 | — |
Where to start
Ghost in the Shell (1995) is the earliest entry. 2029: A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master,” a mysterious and threatening computer virus capable of infiltrating human hosts. Together with her fellow agents from Section 9, Kusanagi embarks on a high-tech race…
Frequently asked
How many Ghost in the Shell entries are there?
23 in total: 4 TV series, 10 films, and 9 OVAs and specials.
Do I need to watch the films and OVAs?
Most films and OVAs in a long-running franchise are side stories that sit outside the main continuity. They can be watched at any point, or skipped entirely, without losing the thread of the main series.