Ghost In The Shell's terrifying robot geisha is one of the most memorable characters from the film, and here's who played her. Ghost In The Shell started as a manga by Masamune Shirow, which later received an iconic anime movie in 1995 from Mamoru Oshii. The film was widely praised for its visuals and story and ranks alongside the likes of Blade Runner as a classic of the cyberpunk genre. Its influence would later be seen in the likes of The Matrix too.
In the years that followed, Ghost In The Shell lived on in various forms. There was a movie sequel dubbed Innocence which arrived in 2004, the Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series - which has a distinct canon from the movies - and various video games. A planned live-action movie spent years in development, with Scarlett Johansson eventually taking on the lead role. This 2017 blockbuster may have faithfully recreated many of the visuals and design elements of the 1995 movie, but it lacked the depth and substance and was a box-office disappointment.
The Ghost In The Shell live-action movie also found itself accused of whitewashing, and the central twist involving the backstory of Johansson's Major - which was seemingly added to smooth those very accusations - only made it more controversial. The Ghost In The Shell film at the very least boasts some beautiful designs and practical effects, including the nightmarish, terrifying robot geishas. They are seen during the opening action scene where they placidly serve tea to guests - only to transform into scuttling, spider-like creatures. The main Ghost In The Shell robot geisha - credited as "Red Robed Geisha" - is played by Japanese model and actress Rila Fukushima.
The actor's distinctive features served as the basis for all of Ghost In The Shell's robot geishas, with molds being made of Rila Fukushima's face and masks being made to fit the other performers. Fukushima previously played Yukio in The Wolverine, a Red Priestess in Game Of Thrones and voiced a role during season 3 of Castlevania. Robot geishas had been seen in the likes of Stand Alone Complex season 2, but the Ghost In The Shell movie used them to even creepier effect.
Their porcelain doll looks, dark eyes and the way their faces split open make this setpiece into something that's almost a monster movie. While Rila Fukushima's real face isn't actually seen in the Ghost In The Shell movie, her performance as the main robot geisha loans the scene its unnerving edge - and even illicit sympathy for the machine's plight. Since appearing in Ghost In The Shell, Rila Fukushima's most recent credits include an episode of S.W.A.T. and Adam Driver/Marion Cotillard drama Annette in 2021.
