Escape in Defeat is the twenty-first episode of Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG. Section 9 loses its quarry, its aircraft, and two of its own, while the man they are hunting discovers his prize was a swindle.
Summary
Batou moves to stop Kuze from slipping away with the plutonium, but the encounter leaves him crippled, his right leg and left arm knocked out. Kusanagi and her Tachikoma reach him, wreck the opposing combat suit, and learn from Batou that Kuze has already fled. She and Saito converge with their walkers and race for the harbor, hoping to keep a fishing trawler docked, yet refugees lay down covering fire and hold Section 9 back long enough for the boat to reach open water.
Regrouping atop a concealed submarine base to await pickup, the team is gutted when the tiltrotor arrives: a suicide bomber traveling with Kuze reaches the aircraft and detonates, destroying it, killing two operators, and gravely wounding Ishikawa. With no way left to pursue, priorities shift to the wounded. An effort to pull plutonium purchase records from Sagawa's files fails, since the data has been wiped, leading Aramaki and Kusanagi to suspect the Cabinet Intelligence Service is steering the deal and that Kuze's plutonium may never have come from the Russians.
Word arrives that the Coast Guard net has caught Kuze's boat trying to slip into Dejima. A cutter trades fire with the trawler and sets it ablaze, but a sudden citywide blackout in Nagasaki hands Kuze his escape with the case in hand. Cracking it open, he finds lead bars where the plutonium should be, and keeps the deception to himself, hidden from the refugees.
Key Events
Kuze disables Batou and escapes the harbor by sea under refugee covering fire.
A suicide bomber destroys Section 9's tiltrotor, killing two operators and badly injuring Ishikawa, ending the pursuit.
Deleted Sagawa records push Aramaki and Kusanagi toward the Cabinet Intelligence Service as the deal's true hand.
A Nagasaki blackout lets Kuze flee at Dejima, only for him to find lead bars instead of plutonium in the case.
Notes
This 2nd GIG entry carries the subtitle EMBARRASSMENT and marks a heavy setback in the Individual Eleven arc. Masayuki Yoshihara directed it, with Kenji Kamiyama credited on the script.
It aired in Japan on November 6, 2004, and in English on April 22, 2006, following Confusion at the North End and preceding Abandoned City.
Related Reading
See all
Naruto vs Luffy: Does the Fight Change if Luffy Tickles Hinata?
Naruto vs Luffy with the twist nobody asked for: Luffy tickled Hinata on date night, and she kind of liked it. We break down the whole fight and commit to a winner....
Piccolo Gets the Namek Hoes: Namek Has No Women, and He Pulls Anyway
There are no women on Namek. That isn't an oversight, it's the biology. Why we handed Piccolo the one thing his own species rules out, and why it had to be trap soul....
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to Kuze in Escape in Defeat?
In Escape in Defeat, Kuze cripples Batou and escapes Section 9's harbor pursuit by sea, aided by refugees who lay down covering fire to hold the team back.
What happens to Section 9's tiltrotor in Escape in Defeat?
In Escape in Defeat, a suicide bomber traveling with Kuze's group detonates near Section 9's tiltrotor as it arrives for pickup, destroying the aircraft, killing two operators, and badly wounding Ishikawa.
What do Aramaki and Kusanagi suspect after the Sagawa records are wiped in Escape in Defeat?
When an attempt to pull plutonium purchase records from Sagawa's files turns up wiped data, Aramaki and Kusanagi in Escape in Defeat come to suspect the Cabinet Intelligence Service is steering the plutonium deal.
What does Kuze discover when he opens the case in Escape in Defeat?
After a citywide blackout in Nagasaki lets him slip past the Coast Guard at Dejima, Kuze opens his case in Escape in Defeat and finds lead bars in place of the plutonium he was promised.
Where does Escape in Defeat fall in Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG?
Escape in Defeat is the twenty-first episode of Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG, airing in Japan on November 6, 2004, between Confusion at the North End and Abandoned City.
Sources & Information
Looking for more on Escape in Defeat? The Dragon Ball Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Dragon Ball anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:
- Movie pages: theatrical posters and key visuals, credited to Toei Animation and Shueisha.
- Game pages: official box art, credited to Bandai Namco, Atari, and other publishers.
- Manga chapter pages: Jump Comics volume covers, credited to Shueisha and Akira Toriyama.
Official resources:
Help Us Keep This Wiki Accurate
Daddy Jim Headquarters maintains this encyclopedia. If you spot an error, a translation issue, or something that doesn't look right, let us know.
