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The Best Episodes of THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1

Every episode of THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1!

Binge this in 4h 10m•Peaking at 8.3/10

2029, a near-future Japan. The full cyborg Motoko Kusanagi envisions a task force that preemptively strikes emerging threats. She and her team are scouted by Daisuke Aramaki as Public Security Section 9, AKA the "Shell

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 7 - EPISODE 07: BYE BYE CLAY
    8.3/10(381 votes)

    S1:E7

    A robot flees from Megatech Body Co., Ltd. Section 9 takes it into custody, only to find that the Puppet Master is inside it. The Puppet Master announces to Aramaki's team that it is "a life form that arose spontaneously in the sea of information." Moments after it requests political asylum, it is stolen by an unknown party.

    Director:Akitoshi Yokoyama
    Writer:Toh EnJoe

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  2. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 6 - EPISODE 06: DUMB BARTER
    8.0/10(389 votes)

    S1:E6

    Kusanagi and her boyfriend are rushed to the hospital after being attacked without warning. They suspect Toru Soma, a terrorist that Kusanagi has a history with. Kusanagi and Togusa leave the hospital, and after leading their pursuers on a chase, they find themselves in a fierce battle against an armed group in an abandoned factory.

    Director:Hironori Tanaka
    Writer:Toh EnJoe

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  3. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 4 - EPISODE 04: ROBOT RONDO
    7.8/10(431 votes)

    S1:E4

    There has been a rash of attacks against humans by promotional sample robots. Kusanagi's team rounds up robots of that same model line, and they learn that they all share a common trait. Batou and Togusa head to Hanka Precision Instruments, where they are made, to determine what is behind the attacks.

    Directors:Toru Hasutani, Youko Kikuchi
    Writer:Toh EnJoe

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  4. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 10 - EPISODE 10: BRAIN DRAIN iii + GHOST COAST + EPILOGUE
    7.8/10(283 votes)

    S1:E10

    Kusanagi loses her prosthetic body when it is gunned down, and she flees the scene with Batou as a disembodied brain. They go to Batou's safehouse to get her a new body, but she is channeled into by the presumed-destroyed Puppet Master while in lockdown mode.

    Director:Takahiro Kaneko
    Writer:Toh EnJoe

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  5. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 8 - EPISODE 08: INTERMISSION + BRAIN DRAIN i
    7.6/10(313 votes)

    S1:E8

    Kusanagi regains consciousness after a brain-dive into the Puppet Master. Although they now know the truth behind what happened, Kusanagi keeps sensing the Puppet Master's presence from time to time. The Shell Squad raids a boat being used by a terrorist cell, and Kusanagi mistakenly guns down its leader.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 9 - EPISODE 09: BRAIN DRAIN ii
    7.6/10(297 votes)

    S1:E9

    Footage of the incident is leaked to the media by some unknown party, and Kusanagi is accused of murdering the terrorist in cold blood. Kusanagi, suspecting that the Ghorantl intelligence service is pulling the strings behind the scenes, conducts a solo investigation, but she finds herself put on trial.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 BEST Episodes of THE GHOST IN THE SHELL

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  7. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 1 - EPISODE 01: PROLOGUE + SUPER SPARTAN i
    7.5/10(818 votes)

    S1:E1

    During a raid on a meeting with a foreign representative that he suspects involves corruption and criminal activity, Public Security's Daisuke Aramaki encounters a mysterious cyborg. Introducing herself as Motoko Kusanagi, the cyborg proposes the formation of a new special forces unit to the Minister of Internal Affairs. Aramaki asks Kusanagi to investigate something as a first step.

    Director:Mokochan
    Writer:Toh EnJoe

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  8. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 2 - EPISODE 02: SUPER SPARTAN ii + JUNK JUNGLE i
    7.5/10(596 votes)

    S1:E2

    Kusanagi and her team begin operating as the Shell Squad after being scouted by Aramaki. At some point, the cyberbrain of the Foreign Minister's interpreter was infected by a virus. Aramaki senses that Col. Malles, who is living in exile in the country, is trying to interfere with a secret meeting. He orders Kusanagi to back-trace the hack and find the culprit.

    Director:Toru Hasutani
    Writer:Toh EnJoe

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  9. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 3 - EPISODE 03: JUNK JUNGLE ii + MEGATECH MACHINE i + ii
    7.5/10(491 votes)

    S1:E3

    Kusanagi and Togusa take their suspect into custody after a furious chase in their Fuchikomas. Elsewhere, Aramaki and Batou are staking out Col. Malles when he is paid a visit by someone they suspect is the Puppet Master, the hacker who released the virus on his orders.

    Director:Junya Iwake
    Writer:Toh EnJoe

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  10. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL Season 1 Episode 5 - EPISODE 05: PHANTOM FUND
    7.5/10(394 votes)

    S1:E5

    Kusanagi and the team go to the Far North to surveil a combat cyborg named Koil Krasnov. To determine what Koil is after and uncover corruption behind the expansion of Sagawa Electronics' underground factory, Kusanagi infiltrates Sagawa's offices while Batou and the rest make for the underground factory.

    Director:Gan Haotian
    Writer:Toh EnJoe

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"EPISODE 07: BYE BYE CLAY" is the best rated episode of "THE GHOST IN THE SHELL" season 1. It scored 8.3/10 based on 381 votes. Directed by Akitoshi Yokoyama and written by Toh EnJoe, it aired on 8/18/2026. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "EPISODE 06: DUMB BARTER".