ARISEGHOST IN THE SHELL: ARISE

A full-body cyborg and former member of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Unit 501. She has never possessed a physical body since birth. With operational skills that surpass those of other cyborgs, and her wizard-class hacking abilities, it's said she was able to manipulate military data at the age of 14. With a letter of recommendation left by her benefactor, Colonel Mamuro, she was able to gain independence from Unit 501 and began working as a freelance consultant for the military. Declining Aramaki's offer to join Public Security Section 9, she established her own unit, aiming to build a proven track record as a hired team in order to secure official recognition.

A burly former special forces member from the Army Airborne Special Forces First Unit, he earned the rank of Major. Extensively enhanced, most of his body has been replaced with cybernetics, and he possesses implants known as the "Sleepless Eye." His numerous battles have given him a wealth of combat experience, and he particularly excels at cyber warfare. He has apparently encountered Motoko Kusanagi on the battlefield multiple times. Despite his intimidating appearance, he is emotionally sensitive and tends to speak his mind freely, even demonstrating a facetious side. He has joined Kusanagi's unit and is actively participating.

A special investigations detective from the Shimahama Prefectural Police Department with military experience. Although he has a cyberbrain, most of his body remains natural body. He also has a wife and child. As a detective, he is proficient in deductive reasoning and situational analysis. His favorite weapon is a revolver known for its reliability from jams and other mishaps. He joins the unit after being recruited by Kusanagi.

A former captain in the Army Intelligence Division. Among the members of Public Security Section 9, he is the most experienced veteran. He mainly handles tasks such as hacking and analyzing online information, providing support, and acts as a behind-the-scenes force, dealing with everything from firewalls to viruses and vaccine creation. He currently operates as a member of Kusanagi's team.

A former Marine Corps ace sniper, his final rank was captain. He possesses a specialized body for sniping, and his left eye is equipped with a sniper support system called "Hawkeye," which links with satellites to provide instant feedback on factors such as weather conditions, enabling long-distance ballistic sniping. He has operational experience with the Army Intelligence Division and the Airborne Special Forces as well. He also has a fondness for gambling. He currently operates as a member of Kusanagi's team.

An undercover investigator from the military police, his rank is Lieutenant. He excels in close combat techniques such as knife fighting, and due to his experience in undercover investigations, he is highly skilled at deception. Although he remains in an outdated organization, he was looking for a place to utilize his abilities. Upon learning of Kusanagi's plans to create a unit of her own, he decides to join her team.

Former Lieutenant in the Army Airborne Special Forces, First Division. A bald man with cybernetic eyes, he specializes in operations involving the handling of explosives. He is also highly skilled in cyber warfare and Net investigations, possesses high skills in electronic warfare and internet investigation. Despite his appearance, he has a delicate personality. He currently operates as a member of Kusanagi's team.

Commonly referred to as "Chief," he is the head of Public Security Section 9. Once a member of the Investigative Division, his proactive nature and meticulous planning have earned him respect from the military and political circles alike. With the aim of preventing heinous crimes that threaten national security, including terrorism, he seeks to establish an investigative assault unit under the direct command of the prime minister. He maintains a professional relationship with Kusanagi, entrusting her with tasks and considering her for recruitment into his organization.

Manufactured in 2022, these infantry logistical support vehicles are equipped with thermoptic camouflage and are designed to transport weapons and ammunition. Model number LCM22, they are often referred to as Logistics Conveyor Machines (LCM). They feature a moderately advanced artificial intelligence capable of identifying commanders and providing autonomous support. Originally assigned to Public Security Section 9 for testing, they did not yet include space for a passenger. However, equipment expansions were approved, and arm attachments were added.

Head of the army's covert Unit 501. Part of an elite group of cyborgs, she has completed missions both domestically and internationally alongside Motoko Kusanagi. However, she assumed command of the unit after the death of their superior. Amid the post-war organizational restructuring, she works to ensure the organization's continuation despite the looming threat of dissolution. While she remains the acting commander of Unit 501, she has also assumed the role of committee member of the Next-Generation Main Armament Review Committee upon the recommendation of Deputy Minister Kitahara from the Ministry of Defense, replacing Colonel Hozumi of the Army Intelligence Department. She aims to eradicate the foreign faction that has been colluding with overseas cartels in wartime business.

A combat cyborg with Army Unit 501. Utilizing mist, water cannons, and stun guns, he excels at anti-electronic attacks. He is one of Unit 501's tactical instructors.

A combat cyborg with Army Unit 501. A master of the Satsuma Shigen Musou style of Bojutsu, he is an expert in hand-to-hand combat research. Typically quiet and action-oriented, he often embodies the saying "actions speak louder than words." He is armed with concealed weapons integrated into his shoulder blades.

A Colonel in the Army Intelligence Division. Successor to Colonel Tonoda, she is a full-body cyborg with an arrogant personality who does not believe that lower-ranked operatives should act on their own accord. As part of the faction that wishes to maintain weapon trading routes with foreign cartels for the purpose of developing next-generation weapons, her opposition with Colonel Kurutsu of the domestic faction runs deep.

A cyborg serving as the cybernetic tactical officer for Army Unit 501, specializing in cyber warfare. They engage in work while suspended in a laboratory and possess a cyberbrain which contains the brains of identical twins in a single body, allowing for constant dialogue and thinking. They are responsible for tuning and maintenance of the prosthetic bodies that Kusanagi has used thus far.

Full-body cyborg and former head of Unit 501, he could be considered the one who raised Motoko Kusanagi. A person of integrity, he was the antithesis of corrupt—the embodiment of a true soldier. However, he was murdered amidst allegations of involvement in arms smuggling and bribery. His rank while still alive was Lieutenant Colonel.

A soldier whose scars tell the story of a battle-hardened hero. However, he is also awaiting judgment as a war criminal, accused of leading the 78th Composite Unit in a military operation to massacre thousands of Qhardis refugees in the border area between the Republic of Kuzan and Samaria. Batou, having served under him during this operation, claims that he was a highly respected superior officer. Soga's desire is to uncover the truth behind the incident.

A 17-year-old war orphan who was a famous cyberbrain game creator under the pseudonym "Tinman." Kurutsu, the leader of Unit 501, recognized her talent and decided to recruit her as a successor to Major Motoko Kusanagi. She utilizes a fully cybernetic body in the form of a young girl. One day, she suddenly disappeared from Unit 501 for unknown reasons. She was later taken into protective custody in the midst of a firefight that took place during a demonstration against water trading price agreements.

Now a 32-year-old male, he was moved in the dormitory of a high-grade welfare center after being recognized for his unique talents at an early age. He was later recruited by the Army Intelligence Division while working as an accountant. There are no records of his activities after that.

Representative of a state-owned water company in the Republic of Kuzan, a country in the midst of a civil war due to the Qhardis independence movement. Encouraged by the Ministry of Industry, she owns a dam within Japan. Despite being Qhardis, she graduated from the National University of Kuzan and maintains a cooperative stance towards the government, advocating for a peaceful resolution to the civil war. Following a series of events including the cyber-attacks on Harimadara Heavy Industries four months prior, she has aligned herself with the domestic faction and is on the verge of announcing a partnership with Harimadara Heavy Industries.

Believed to currently be in a relationship with Motoko Kusanagi, he is a cybernetics specialist who operates a private brand called "Mermaid Leg," which focuses on innovative modifications to mass-produced cybernetics based on clients' custom orders. He is also responsible for maintaining Kusanagi's cybernetics ever since she became a freelance consultant. He envisions a world in which people do not discriminate between individuals with cybernetics and those without. Stemming from his experience of becoming a cyborg on the battlefield, he believes that what is necessary for cyborgs is not just a livelihood, but also proper facilities as well.

During Non-Nuclear World War IV, he was a legendary terrorist who led the Qhardis Liberation Army within the Republic of Kuzan. The guerrillas under his command each bore a tattoo of a teardrop dagger as their symbol. An expert in cyber warfare, he used multiple cybernetic bodies to conceal his true identity, earning him the alias "Scylla" from the mythological Greek monster. A truly enigmatic figure, he is suspected of also being the wizard-class programmer known as "Fire-Starter," known for employing sophisticated cyber viruses to manipulate memories. However, there are also rumors of his death during the war. He excels at the "Tunnel Operation," attacking lifelines with bombs, then carrying out electronic infiltrations during the victim's recovery process.

Codenamed VV, she is an agent with the American Special Forces Intelligence Department. An expert in cybernetic military operations. Although she utilizes a female-type cyborg body, detailed information about her true gender remains unknown. She is plotting to either recover or destroy a stolen specialized military module. During a mission, she hid a copy of the parallel deactivation code for the module within a Logicoma, making it a prime enemy target. In order to protect it, she offers her assistance to Motoko Kusanagi and Public Security Section 9.

After gaining independence from Army Unit 501, Motoko Kusanagi gathered members and established her own independent offensive unit under the approval of the prime minister. Aramaki seeks to employ her as an exclusive member of Public Security Section 9, but due to budget and authority disputes, she currently operates strictly on a request basis, often acting apart from decisions made by Section 9. In this iteration, it is implied that her parents were killed by chemical weapons in a terrorist attack and their bodies are being kept by Unit 501.

A burly former special forces member from the Army Airborne Special Forces First Unit, he earned the rank of Major. Extensively enhanced, most of his body has been replaced with cybernetics, and he possesses implants known as the "Sleepless Eye." His numerous battles have given him a wealth of combat experience, and he particularly excels at cyber warfare. He has apparently encountered Motoko Kusanagi on the battlefield multiple times. Despite his intimidating appearance, he is emotionally sensitive and tends to speak his mind freely, even demonstrating a facetious side. He has joined Kusanagi's unit and is actively participating.

A special investigations detective from the Shimahama Prefectural Police Department with military experience. Although he has a cyberbrain, most of his body remains natural body. He also has a wife and child. As a detective, he is proficient in deductive reasoning and situational analysis. His favorite weapon is a revolver known for its reliability from jams and other mishaps. He joins the unit after being recruited by Kusanagi.

A former captain in the Army Intelligence Division. Among the members of Public Security Section 9, he is the most experienced veteran. He mainly handles tasks such as hacking and analyzing online information, providing support, and acts as a behind-the-scenes force, dealing with everything from firewalls to viruses and vaccine creation. He currently operates as a member of Kusanagi's team.

A former Marine Corps ace sniper, his final rank was captain. He possesses a specialized body for sniping, and his left eye is equipped with a sniper support system called "Hawkeye," which links with satellites to provide instant feedback on factors such as weather conditions, enabling long-distance ballistic sniping. He has operational experience with the Army Intelligence Division and the Airborne Special Forces as well. He also has a fondness for gambling. He currently operates as a member of Kusanagi's team.

An undercover investigator from the military police, his rank is Lieutenant. He excels in close combat techniques such as knife fighting, and due to his experience in undercover investigations, he is highly skilled at deception. Although he remains in an outdated organization, he was looking for a place to utilize his abilities. Upon learning of Kusanagi's plans to create a unit of her own, he decides to join her team.

Former Lieutenant in the Army Airborne Special Forces, First Division. A bald man with cybernetic eyes, he specializes in operations involving the handling of explosives. He is also highly skilled in cyber warfare and Net investigations, possesses high skills in electronic warfare and internet investigation. Despite his appearance, he has a delicate personality. He currently operates as a member of Kusanagi's team.

Commonly referred to as "Chief," he is the head of Public Security Section 9. Once a member of the Investigative Division, his proactive nature and meticulous planning have earned him respect from the military and political circles alike. With the aim of preventing heinous crimes that threaten national security, including terrorism, he seeks to establish an investigative assault unit under the direct command of the prime minister. He maintains a professional relationship with Kusanagi, entrusting her with tasks and considering her for recruitment into his organization.

In order to avoid a cybernetic dead end, she has chosen a method of deliberately delaying technological innovation as advocated by the prime minister and Ambassador Richard. She also pushed to keep Unit 501 alive under the umbrella of the Hanka Corporation,
but she died during a meeting with the prime minister. Or so it was believed...

Unable to undergo full cyberization, she compensated for her growth deficiency with micromachines. She has been remotely controlling a person named Kurutsu via a remote-controlled body while simultaneously controlling a fake version of Motoko.

When Tsumugi meets Motoko at the care facility, we get a glimpse of Motoko's appearance before being transformed into her current cyborg form. In the end, Tsumugi protected Motoko from the cyberbrain attacks of Robert's men, sacrificing themselves so that Motoko would live.

As the incumbent 107th prime minister, he is the one who approved Motoko's unit. He orchestrated the embassy takeover incident to eliminate political rivals but ended up being killed himself.

The eldest son of Prime Minister Akira Fujimoto, he served as an aide to his father. It seems that he had taken an interest in Motoko even before the incident. Infected by the "Fire Starter" virus, he was manipulated and forced to carry a bomb to his father's location.

A former government advisory official who owed a favor to Aramaki from back during his time in the Intelligence Bureau. He now holds a position at Harimadara Corporation thanks to the revolving door. In border4, he spoke to Aramaki about "NPO" and "Camp," providing hints about the incident involving Hozumi.