Batou

For the historical founder of the Shaolin Temple, see Batuo.

Batou
Ghost in the Shell character
Batou of Section 9, as portrayed in the anime series.
First appearance	Ghost in the Shell (manga)
Created by	Masamune Shirow

Batou (バトー, Batō) is a main male character in the Ghost in the Shell series, the second best melee fighter in Section 9, and is the second in command under Major Motoko Kusanagi.

While his name is officially romanized as "Batou", in some copies of the first film's subtitles and credits, it is spelled "Bateau" (the French word for "boat").

Personality

Shirow's characterization of Batou in the manga, and indeed the other members of Section 9, is notably more light-hearted than the characterization used in Mamoru Oshii's films of the same name. He frequently jokes with Motoko, Togusa, the Fuchikomas, and practically everyone else who crosses his path. His serious side becomes much more pronounced in a chapter of the manga where Yano, a trainee of Batou's, is murdered by a cyber-criminal named Koil Krasnov. Batou loses his temper and impulsively calls up Section 9 Chief Aramaki, demanding an explanation for Yano's death, then storms off announcing (in the English translation), "That…Koil is dead meat!"

Batou had seemingly hated anyone who tried to make Section 9 fix the mess of another organization, such as the AI hijacking of the Jigabachi choppers in the SAC series. However in the Ghost in the Shell movie he appears more stoic and silent than his TV and Manga counterpart. Particularly in Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Batou also appears moderately distant and possibly bitter. In addition, he jokes around with a hint of irony being mentioned.

Appearances

Manga

Batou originally appeared in the manga authored by Masamune Shirow, serialized in Kodansha's "Young Magazine Pirate Edition" from 1989 to 1991. Unlike S.A.C., where in a similar situation Batou spares the life of an ex-C.I.A. operative, Batou makes good on his threat and personally terminates Koil. His appearance and style of dress varies considerably over the series' run.

In Ghost in the Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface, Batou makes only a token cameo appearance, and is hardly recognizable. His head is shaved, and he is dressed in a simple black outfit. His sense of humor remains intact though. During a psychic monitoring of the virtual contact between the main character of the manga and another entity on the net, the psychic states, "Something of substance, something fruitful has passed between them," to which Batou remarks, "A persimmon maybe?" This prompts Chief Aramaki to issue an ultimatum: "If you can't be serious you can leave the room." He also asks to link with the psychic when she suffers a similar experience to Motoko's contact with the Puppet Master, but is vetoed.

Films

The Batou of Mamoru Oshii's films is very different from the one in the two series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG. In the Ghost in the Shell film and its sequel Batou is much more subdued, even to the point of brusqueness. In the first movie, Batou is depicted having a white crew-cut similar to the manga, while in the second movie Batou has a short ponytail. In the films and both anime seasons, Batou's original voice has always been provided by Akio Ōtsuka. The English dubbed voice is provided by voice actor Richard Epcar.

Batou is the central character of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, which centers around his reaction to the disappearance of Major Motoko Kusanagi at the end of the first movie. Director Mamoru Oshii comments that the investigation is really secondary to the plot. What is most notable about Batou's emotion in Innocence is his lack thereof; for the most part he expresses nothing whatsoever. In fact, the commentary on the Innocence DVD touches on the fact that it is Batou's lone companion, a Basset Hound named Gabriel, that express almost all of the emotion in the entire movie. When Batou is required to leave in order to continue his investigation, Gabriel is taken to Togusa's family to be taken care of, much to the delight of Togusa's young daughter and dread of his wife. Ishikawa, Batou's senior, chides him for keeping such a high-maintenance dog since he is a single man in a dangerous line of work. It is left up to the viewer to decide exactly what feelings Batou has or had for the Major, but there is rampant speculation that the movie is, at least in part, a love story. After he shot his own right arm as a result of brain-hacking, it was replaced with a new DNA-matched prosthetic with a two-shot shotgun hidden inside. Batou is depicted as being tougher than in other Ghost In The Shell incarnations, as seen in his ability to shoot two live grenades and survive and his gigantic leap down the shaft of the Locus Solus factory ship. In both theatrical films, Batou carries a gun dubbed a Jericho 942, based on the real Jericho 941 made by IMI but chambered for .50AE. In Innocence, he is also seen with a compact S&W pistol and a small semiautomatic shotgun. Other sources, including the Innocence prequel novel "After the Long Goodbye" note that Batou's S&W pistol is chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge.

Stand Alone Complex series

In Stand Alone Complex series, Batou's personality resembles his manga counterpart as he is an outgoing joker, but with a quick temper. Being emotional and not as calm as the Major, Batou shows anger at injustice and cruelty. He sometimes shows impatience with Section 9's rookies, such as Togusa 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. Like the films, the series hints some romantic tension between the Major and Batou. This tension is touched upon in the Solid State Society film, when Batou admits that he's been covering up any of the Major's appearances in cases prior to the Puppeteer case. The movie closes with Batou's arm around the Major, although it's doubtful that the gesture is foretelling of any relationship between the two.

Batou had served in a military special forces and often suggested that he was a JGSDF Ranger before entering Section 9. Despite 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.

In Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Batou is the favorite of the Tachikomas because he showers them with care and affection (in episode 2.15 it is also extremely apparent that he shares a physical similarity with their chief programmer). He has even dubbed one his "personal" Tachikoma, refusing to operate any other on an assignment and treating it with organic oil, both habits which culminate in problems. Later in the series the Tachikoma's AI starts to develop rapidly, which is attributed to a mutation in a protein chip caused by Batou's natural oil. Also, as Batou treats them as individuals as opposed to interchangeable units, they begin to view themselves as such, which contributes to the development of their AI.

Near the end of Ghost in The Shell Second Gig Batou engages Hideo Kuze in combat but he is defeated when Kuze immobilizes Batou's right leg and subsequently impales Batou with a pole. Kuze tells Batou that the only reason that Batou lost was because of "minor differences in motivation".

Batou is sometimes seen driving a yellow Lancia Stratos coupe, an Italian high performance car from the late 1970s, a rare car of which only 492 were ever made. Togusa uses Batous' love of his old car as a comeback after Batou chides him for using a revolver instead of a more modern weapon.

Design

"Stand Alone Complex" character designer Hajime Shimomura said that Batou's image was based on the Minotaur.

Further reading

• Shirow, Masamume & Kodansha (2003). Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Official Log 1. Kodansha. ISBN 1-59409-571-X.