The original film, the 2 seasons of SAC, and Solid State Society are all must watch. Innocence is okay, but gets pretentious. Almost worth it just for the parade scene.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The original anime series (2002-2005) set in 2030, which ran for 52 episodes; alternatively, if you don’t want to watch the whole series, you can check out The Laughing Man, a feature-length OVA summary of the S.A.C. anime’s first season, which aired in 2005.
The watch order for Ghost in the Shell: Arise is as follows:
Best Zombie Anime. 21. Shi Xiong. The first anime on our list is an animated series from China. Shi Xiong is arguably one of the most influential series in the country’s young adult genre. Shi Xiong is a satirical take on some of the qualities of China’s society.
The United States, 2045. Working as mercenaries, the Major and her team, including newbie Stan, defend a gated town from outlaws. Togusa takes a call.
Armed by a generous patron, the Raidists attack GHOST with AI drones. Togusa accepts a new mission from Japan's peace-seeking Prime Minister.
As Togusa dives into cyberspace to track his former team members, the group is detained by a mysterious American organization seeking to employ them.
While researching the team's disappearance and John Smith, Togusa takes a calculated risk. The GHOST members question the true nature of their mission.
Aramaki sets off after Kusanagi in a race against time. GHOST begin their assignment, but Huge's cybernetic security forces them to alter their plans.
Following the Section 9 reunion, Kusanagi and her colleagues learn about the "post-humans," a previously unknown threat to humanity.
Back in Japan after six years, Batou decides to take a break while waiting for his delayed team. Then some amateur bank robbers interrupt his fun.
In the year 2029, with the advancement of cybernetic technology, the human body can be "augmented" or even completely replaced with cybernetic parts. Another significant achievement is the cyberbrain, a mechanical casing for the human brain that allows access to the Internet and other networks.
The original Ghost in the Shell manga consists of three volumes and ran in Japan from April 1989 to November 1990. Their order is Ghost in the Shell, Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface and Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor. You can find them at most local comic/graphic novel retailers or on Amazon.
Two animated films based on the original manga have been released. Ghost in the Shell was released in 1995 and follows the "Puppet Master" storyline from the manga. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, was released in 2004, with its story based on a chapter from the first manga volume.
The series also consists of a anime series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which was aired from 2002 to 2005. It has a total of 52 episodes and was later retold in the form of two original video animations (OVA). It was also accompanied by an anime film, which served as the series finale.
Ghost in the Shell – in Japan known as Mobile Armored Riot Police (Japanese: 攻殻機動隊, Kōkaku Kidōtai) – is a cyberpunk franchise based on the manga series written and illustrated by Masamune Shirō.
The Ghost in the Shell animated franchise consists of three feature anime movies, a full anime series and several original video animations (OVA). Due to the series and OVAs in some cases being mutual retellings, people often get confused about what to watch and in what order.
Masamune Shirō started his Ghost in the Shell franchise in 1989 with the original manga, which had a total of three volumes. During the 1990s, the company Production I.G commenced its production of the anime adaptations of the manga, starting with the 1995 film Ghost in the Shell directed by Mamoru Oshii.
A sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, was released in 2004 and was also praised by critics, even competing for the Palme d’Or in Cannes.
Well, simply because it’s a prequel that requires before hand knowledge on the world of Ghost in the Shell, so it’s not actually an origin story, just a prequel which you would not understand if you did not watch everything else. This is why you should check it out later, rather than sooner.
It is set in 2045 and continues the story years after Solid State Society and its plot. As of September 2020, the series is still ongoing.