Batou

**Batou** is one of the main characters from the *Ghost in the Shell* anime and manga.

Another full cyborg (whose name is more properly spelled in the French style as Bateau). Built as a 6'1" tall muscle-man, with eyes that resemble classy shades, Batou is a retired JGSDF Ranger. He's all about brute force and strength. Likes big guns. Very friendly and jocular, and harbors a deep attraction to the Major, which he hides pretty poorly. She just ignores it, except for a few key points in the series. Regardless of this, the Major considers him her best friend and confidant. Something of a jerkass at times, but still a pretty nice guy who's had his share of pet the dog moments.

In the AWA fics, Batou is part of the AWA as one of it's many instructors.

## **Appearance**

Batou is a tall (about 6'1), highly muscular man with a fair skin complexion and white hair that he keeps tied back. He has cybernetic optic eyes in place of his normal ones, which he has had since his JGSDF days. His usual attire is a white shirt with a coat over it, dark-green trousers and black shoes.

## **Personality**

Batou is a battle-hardened special operative with a long military career and a no-nonsense attitude. Unlike the Major, he is very emotional and tends to get angry very easily, especially at those who harm the innocent. He is also quite trigger-happy and tends to shoot first, ask questions later, much to Togusa's chagrin. He tends to be the jokester of the team and has a very dry, sarcastic sense of humour, something that eventually rubs off on Togusa.

Batou is often assumed to be quite stupid due to his huge physique and hot-blooded, reckless personality. However, he is actually far from it; he's the best hacker in Section 9 after the Major and Ishikawa, has a base grounding in sociology, religion, politics (even if he doesn't usually care, it's clear that he understands it when he explains things to Togusa), and is more than capable of keeping up with the Major in advanced philosophical debate, though his stances tend to be more empirical and down-to-earth. He is also very collected and professional when on the scene, and is usually the one to warn others, usually the Major and Togusa, not to do anything stupid.

## **Abilities**

A giant muscled guy whose greatest asset is his sheer strength. After shooting his own right arm as a result of brain-hacking, Batou is fitted with a new DNA-matched cybernetic arm with a shotgun hidden inside. He is depicted as being tougher than in the other *Ghost in the Shell* incarnations, when he is seen to shoot two live grenades and survive the blast, and withstand a substantial leap down the shaft of the Locus Solus factory ship.

## **Trivia**

* Batou was the second member recruited by the Major to Section 9, preceded by Ishikawa and followed by Saito.

* Batou's limbs are all cybernetic prosthetics. Despite the fact that exercise provides him little benefit, Batou enjoys jogging and weightlifting as a hobby.

* It is unknown to what degree Batou's body has been cyberized. Evidence suggests that, at the very least, his head is natural. Full cyberization would have likely replaced his is old-model cybernetic eyes. He is also depicted with differing hairstyles throughout the franchise, suggesting that his hair grows and can be cut. In the manga, after he makes a snide remark to the Major, she strikes Batou on the forehead with a coffee mug; as he staggers away, he contemplates if he should go full cyborg.

* In S.A.C., Batou is often seen driving a modified Lancia Stratos coupe, one of his most cherished possessions. Togusa uses Batou's love of the car as a comeback after being criticized for his use of a revolver instead of modern handgun. In *Solid State Society*, Batou is shown driving a Ford GT.

* Batou's standard sidearm is a FN Browning BDA9 customized to fire .45 ACP (called FN Hi-Power M7), not the 5.45 mm Seburo M5, the standard Section 9 sidearm. In episode 15 of season one, he is shown evaluating the "GLOCK 33 Advanced", a reference to the "GLOCK 26 Advanced" airsoft gun manufactured in Japan by Tokyo Marui. The Glock 33 does exist, chambered for .357 SIG, but not in the customized "advanced" form depicted.

* In episode 16 of season one, "Ag2O", it is revealed that Batou is married and has a 6 year old son. He is shown to possess a photograph of his family, depicting he and his wife, who resembles the Major, with their child, who resembles Togusa's son. It is also revealed that his surname is "Buttetsu". This is assumed to be part of a cover story, however, as he was on a mission to spy on Zaitsev.

* In episode 13 of *2nd GiG*, his rank badge says he may have been a Sergeant in the Army Rangers. In the final episode of 2nd GIG, Batou confronts a group of Rangers from Public Security Section 4, all of whom have artificial eyes identical to his own.

* Batou's original incarnation in the manga is considerably more comical than his anime counterpart. His eyes, though prosthetic, often bulge comically when he is alarmed. After Major Kusanagi is targeted by an assassin and ends up in the hospital, Batou becomes paranoid and suspects that a bomb has been planted in his car. He proceeds to dismantle the vehicle in the middle of the road outside the hospital, leading him to have an amusing argument with an ambulance driver.

* According to the comical *Tachikomatic Days* segment in episode 21 of *S.A.C.* season one, Batou enjoys a beer after his bath and takes out his cybernetic eye balls before going to sleep. In the following episode, it is similarly joked that Ishikawa drinks a glass of milk after his bath and takes off his beard before going to sleep.

## **External Links**

* Batou at Ghost in the Shell Wiki
* Batou at Heroes Wiki