10 Best Movie Robots

10. Major Motoko Kusanagi - Ghost In The Shell

Almost 25 years after it was released, Ghost In The Shell remains one of the best anime films ever made. Major Motoko Kusanagi, the film’s heroine, is one of the genre’s/art style’s most complex and popular characters, with one of the most twisted and thematically relevant arcs of all the robots here.

Some of the robots here are simply cool companions who assist the hero along in their quest. There’s nothing wrong with that; several of the most beloved characters ever fit into this trope. With Motoko though, the movie delves deep into her psyche, and questions the nature of humanity.

If anything, her stock as a character has probably been restricted by the overwhelming nature of her movie. She’s not a character to idolise or emulate like others here.

Ghost In The Shell was the first anime movie to be released in Japan, the USA and the UK over the same weekend, and was supposed to introduce anime blockbusters to the West. Though it failed, it did at least become a big cult classic as anime’s popularity finally took off.

These days, it’s appreciated for the fantastic film that it is, with Major Motoko Kusanagi’s story resonating with audiences deeply.