From the dark depths of the online ocean, comes an old but familiar face. Masamune Shirow’s classic sci-fi manga, The Ghost in the Shell, will receive a new anime adaptation in 2026!
Animation studio Science SARU (DanDaDan, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) heads the production in partnership with Bandai Namco Filmworks, Production I.G., and Kodansha. No official air date has been announced. However, fans will be treated to a special first-ever exhibition celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 1995 anime film adaptation. Every previous anime adaptation will be on display, and it’s possible an advanced screening of the 2026 anime will be showcased as well.
Synopsis
In an alternate version of 21st century Japan, cybernetic enhancements have ushered in a new age of humanity. Robotic prostheses are the norm and special cyberbrains allow individuals to interface with various online networks. This allows them to access information like never before but it also opens people up to cyber threats. Skilled hackers and cyber-criminals attack the brain directly, and in the worst case scenarios, control their victims against their will. This is where Public Security Section 9 comes in, a specialized task-force skilled in identifying and solving cyber crime. Their ace member, Major Makoto Kusanagi, is especially adept at handling political intrigue and counter-terrorism on account of her fully cybernetic body. As Section 9 brings to light plot after plot, existential questions arise about free will, reality, and the nature of existence. Is there an immutable definition of humanity or are we all just ghosts in the shell?
History
The original The Ghost in the Shell (GITS) manga, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, was a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre from 1989 to 1990, in Kodnasha’s “Young Magazine.” There have been various sequels and compilations following the anime and film success along with a few novel publications. The first animated film was released in 1995 and adapts the “Puppet Master” story from the manga, wherein Section 9 tracks down a highly elusive ghost hacker. A sequel film titled GITS 2: Innocence was released in 2004. The first film was later remastered in 2008 with updated audio and 3D graphics called GITS 2.0.
The most well-known television adaptation is GITS: Stand Alone Complex, an anime that aired from 2002-2005. The first and second seasons were compiled into original video animation (OVA) films called The Laughing Man and Individual Eleven, that focused on section 9s operations. In 2005, an anime re-imagining of the manga was released called GITS: Arise-Alternative Architecture. Its sequel film The New Movie was released in 2015.
A Hollywood adaptation starring Scarlett Johansson got a theatrical release in 2017 to mixed reviews. However, the most recent anime adaptation is the Netflix original GITS: SAC_2045 that aired from 2020-2022. This series was also compiled into films separating the first and second seasons, Sustainable War and The Last Human.
Influence
From a cultural standpoint, GITS brought to light many sci-fi tropes, specifically tech noir and cyberpunk. It blended gritty crime dramas with existential philosophy while also immersing itself in a post-AI singularity setting. It served as the inspiration for the famous Matrix movie franchise. Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence explores similar themes of existence and free will and even James Cameron cited GITS as a source of inspiration for his Avatar film. Video games like Metal Gear Solid, Deus Ex, and Cyberpunk 2077, were also influenced by GITS as well.
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