So who was the Puppet Masters? (spoilers)

lol I didn't know the Major was Motoko Kusanagi so that scene kinda was a big question mark for me, I've seen both movies and some episodes of the series sporadically so I didn't know the name by heart dammit.

Well the one that set it up was that groomed politician-hacker, but I'm guessing since he's dead for two years that yes, she set up everything step by step to bring the scandal out. The fact that Batou doesn't tell her at the end makes that clear as he doesn't want her to worry about it anymore.

I'm still a bit puzzled about the conversation with 'herself' there linked up, did she herself help the children in abused homes or was that the groomed politician-hacker? I'm guessing it was her although it's still abduction it's the right thing to do, they got educated and then getting rid of the politician who wanted to imprison them, they would be able to have free will and a great education I guess. I'm also guessing she got hold of the conspiracy due to contact with the collective consciousness? But that the collective consciousness first agreed to the plan with the groomed politician-hacker? Geez I might have to watch the movie again lol, that damn name confused the entire scene for me lol.

If anyone has any more thoughts please share, what a great anime!

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There's more to evolution than a little DNA.
http://corporate.skynet.be/zen/

Yes it was the Major. That conversation with herself was to reveal why she left Section 9 to begin with two years ago. She was internally becoming fustrated with the system but she wasn't consciously aware of that fact. While she was messing around for two years trying to find herself her subconscious left a permanent imprint on one of the various bodies she was using and that body acted on its own.

Just like the Major it masked its identity by impersonating the designer of the healthcare system. After this revelation the Major had enough soul searching and decided to kep her mind focused by working with Section 9 again.

Batou's own memories were hacked by Major's subconcious so he doesn't know the truth.

Unless the translation is wrong the Tachikoma that was late in linking up with Kusanagi and Batou does know the truth and it brings up an interesting question about why it couldn't be hacked. It would be nice to know that answer as well as how in the world they survived the satellite program's destruction. I thought it was a big cop out to ret-con their sacrafice. The only thing that could salvage this is if they explore the differences between them and the Fuchikomas, but I would still have a sour taste in my mouth with their implication that full AI like the Tachikoma's can't die. Their ressurection ruins my ability to compare them with ourselves.