The Laughing Man is a character in the Japanese anime Ghost in the Shell:
Stand Alone Complex by Manga. He plays a central role in the series, portraying a very mysterious and
elite hacker.
The name was originally seen in a novel by
J.D. Salinger
'A complex in the psychological sense is a cluster of related thoughts and feelings that lie deep in the unconscious,
reflecting into the conscious. The
Stand Alone Complex can be described as the desire to change the world, the drive to change what is wrong with society. It is the urge to
stand alone against impossible odds, to risk everything for seemingly little gain.'
The Laughing Man's actions are motivated by what has been coined the 'Stand Alone Complex'.