![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/characters/large/2599-cc760517.jpg)
Batou (バトー)
Batou (also Batto, Bato) is nominally the second-in-command of Section 9. Little is known about the strange, large foreigner who has been with Motoko Kusanagi for years. He was once American and served in the Special Forces in South America. His amount of cyborg-ization is variable according to the storyline, from his limbs only up to most of his body, second only to the Major herself. Despite the availability of superior eyes, he grew superstitious about his old-style eye replacements, popular with many high-level military operatives. He also retains some residual body-image issues, causing him to continually purchase workout equipment despite the obvious anachronism. In the two Stand Alone Complex series, Batou's personality is more like that in the manga version. He is an outgoing joker, but one with a quick temper. Being emotional and not as calm as the Major, Batou shows anger at injustice and cruelty, to the point of seeming downright hotheaded at times. He sometimes shows impatience with Section 9's rookies, such as Togusa, to the point of rudeness, and jokes with him constantly. At times, he is also shown to be a voice of reason and concern for the Major, to the point that she admits she can confide in him. Both seasons of the anime, like the movies, hint at some romantic tension between the two, particularly near the end of each Gig. This tension is touched upon, briefly, in the Solid State Society movie, where Batou admits that he's been covering up any of the Major's appearances in cases prior to the Puppet Master case. Batou had served in a military special forces team before entering Section 9. Most of his body is comprised of cybernetic prosthetics. Despite the fact that exercise will do his cybernetic body parts no benefits, Batou lifts weights as a hobby. Based on several of the Stand Alone Complex episodes, Batou seems to have served in the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force at some point before he joined Section 9. It is suggested several times that he held a JGSDF Ranger qualification. His unit was involved in World War IV and was deployed to South America alongside Motoko Kusanagi, where they accidentally stumbled across an American Imperial Navy unit conducting a covert operation codenamed "Project Sunset," which consisted of soldiers earning the trust of communities and then carrying out war crimes, spreading terror and chaos in the enemy ranks. Batou's eyes are grey and clearly prosthetic. They are standard cybernetic equipment issued to Ranger Special Forces operatives.
Animeography
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/25-006cb79b.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/439-67b230c0.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/440-2516bfd6.jpg)
Innocence
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/729-e92bc3eb.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/1423-ce52620d.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/2244-32b5ab01.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG - Individual Eleven
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/2245-a551c4e6.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/3756-f0ebecc4.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai 2.0
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/7585-a42632f9.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Ghost in the Shell - Border:1 Ghost Pain
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/7969-087c7962.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Another Mission
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/8009-7b5d703b.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Ghost in the Shell - Border:2 Ghost Whispers
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/8010-271ecd62.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Ghost in the Shell - Border:3 Ghost Tears
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/8011-d794fed7.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Ghost in the Shell - Border:4 Ghost Stands Alone
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/8553-80c71441.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai Nyuumon Arise
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/9541-4dc0fe7b.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai: Shin Movie
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/9942-6872d5d7.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Alternative Architecture
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/15034-ccca5baf.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai: SAC_2045
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/16725-4a26871c.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai: SAC_2045 Season 2
![](https://cdn.animecharacters.io/images/anime/large/21308-cfc6d6d1.jpg)
Koukaku Kidoutai: SAC_2045 - Jizoku Kanou Sensou
Mangaography
Voice Actors
David Kaye
English
Akio Ootsuka
Japanese
Christopher Sabat
English
Richard Epcar
English
Ricky Coello
Spanish
Mario Zucca
Italian
Tilo Schmitz
German
Gábor Vass
Hungarian
György Juhász
Hungarian
Kenichirou Matsuda
Japanese
Russell Wait
English
Guilherme Lopes
Portuguese (BR)
Christoph Jablonka
German
Jeong Gu Lee
Korean
Salvador Vives
Spanish
Alessandro Rossi
Italian
Massimo Bitossi
Italian
Francisco Júnior
Portuguese (BR)
César Lechiguero
Spanish
Philippe Catoire
French
Daniel Beretta
French
Raúl Solo
Spanish