The 15 Best Studio Ghibli Characters, Ranked (2024)

Since its inception in Tokyo in 1985, Studio Ghibli has been building its legacy as the leading animation film studio from Asia. Its movies, known for their magical worlds and mature narratives that appeal to children and adults alike, have become profoundly ingrained in the public consciousness, cementing themselves as some of the most beloved anime films of all time.

The unique filmmaking style and artistic sensibilities of Ghibli creatives allow them to craft some truly fascinating characters. From ones with deeply nuanced arcs, like Mahito from The Boy and the Heron, to ones that don't need much complexity to be icons of cinema, like Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro, Ghibli's most popular characters are proof that animation is capable of telling compelling stories with riveting protagoinsts.

15 Anna — 'When Marnie Was There' (2014)

Voiced by Sara Takatsuki

A slow-burner treading carefully toward an expressively emotional climax, When Marnie Was There is a story about a 12-year-old girl who's sent to live with relatives of her guardian in the Japanese countryside. There, she befriends the mysterious blonde Marnie. Beautifully directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, it's a deeply affecting tale about loneliness, grief, and childhood depression.

Far and away one of the most underrated animated movies of the 2010s, When Marnie Was There has a melancholy story that's boosted by its unique Ghibli-esque vibe. Anna is an endearing protagonist from the moment viewers meet her, relatable and intriguing through and through. Her sadness and isolation are never watered down and instead treated with the utmost honesty, which was meant to inspire children like her to step forward and speak up about their feelings.

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14 Lady Eboshi — 'Princess Mononoke' (1997)

Voiced by Yûko Tanaka

Typically regarded as one of Ghibli's best, most complex, and most mature works, Princess Mononoke is about a young prince named Ashitaka who finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and a mining colony led by Lady Eboshi. It's one of Hayao Miyazaki's most distinct and powerful works, with effective commentary on the dangers of industrial progress and a celebration of the environment, as well as an ensemble of interesting characters.

As one of the most complex antagonists in the entire Ghibli library, Eboshi is fierce and independent, which makes her the best possible guardian of the people of her town. Her motivations are compelling, as she's only looking out for the survival of her people, which makes her conflict with the forest spirits utterly enthralling. She may not be the most iconic character from the film, but she sure is one of the best-written.

Princess Mononoke

PG-13

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Yôji Matsuda , Yuriko Ishida , Yûko Tanaka , Kaoru Kobayashi , Masahiko Nishimura , Tsunehiko Kamijô

Runtime

134 minutes

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13 Shizuku — 'Whisper of the Heart' (1995)

Voiced by Yoko Honna

No one does outstanding coming-of-age movies quite like Studio Ghibli, and Yoshifumi Kondô's Whisper of the Heart is one of their best. It tells the story of Shizuku, a girl who loves reading books, and her relationship with a boy who has previously checked out all the library books she's chosen. Romantic and magical, it has the poignancy and beautiful simplicity that characterizes many of Ghibli's films.

Introverted, curious, and witty, Shizuku is a delightfully relatable character and incredibly fun to follow around. She's a dreamer in a movie that celebrates dreams, a story that explores the feeling of one's first love and of constantly thinking about the future. She's a writer who's constantly worried about not being good enough, which makes her an endearing character for all those who have ever dreamed of creating something but have feared that they don't have what it takes.

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12 Mahito — 'The Boy and the Heron' (2023)

Voiced by Soma Santoki

The Boy and the Heron, Studio Ghibli's latest, will forever be fondly remembered as the movie that pulled Hayao Miyazaki out of retirement. Gorgeously animated and smartly written, it's a story set during World War II, when a young boy named Mahito ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead after his mother dies in a fire. Deeply touching and nuanced, the film is already being praised as one of the studio's best works.

The Boy and the Heron is one of Miyazaki's most ambitious outings, telling a potent story about learning from the past and growing up in the face of great grief. As such, the character of Mahito has a large weight on his shoulders having to carry such a layered story, and it works wonderfully. His journey toward maturity is a fascinating one, straying away from clichés and leaning on a surrealistic journey of him learning to live for others.

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The Boy and the Heron

PG-13

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Soma Santoki , Masaki Suda , Takuya Kimura , Aimyon

Runtime

124 minutes

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11 Setsuko — 'Grave of the Fireflies' (1988)

Voiced by Ayano Shiraishi

While no one can deny that Miyazaki will forever be the face of Ghibli, the impact of the great Isao Takahata is often underappreciated. He made some of the studio's most emotionally stirring films—Perhaps most notably Grave of the Fireflies. This war drama is about as horrifying as a movie gets without actually being a horror film, telling the harrowing tale of a young boy and his little sister struggling to survive in Japan during World War II.

While Seita, the boy trying to take care of his sister in the face of insurmountable odds, is certainly a fascinating protagonist, the sister herself is the beating heart of the movie. Setsuko represents the innocence of childhood and the eyes of wonder of a kid, which provides contrast to the movie's shockingly bleak and gut-wrenching tone. If the movie is as effective as it is, it's mostly thanks to Setsuko being such a lovable character.

Grave of the Fireflies

Director

Isao Takahata

Cast

Tsutomu Tatsumi , Ayano Shiraishi , Akemi Yamaguchi

Runtime

89 minutes

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10 Kiki — 'Kiki's Delivery Service' (1989)

Voiced by Minami Takayama

One of Hayao Miyazaki's early timeless classics, Kiki's Delivery Service is the sweet and charming story of Kiki, a young witch on her mandatory year of independent life, having to discover how she fits into a new community while supporting herself by running an air courier service. With colorful animation and an interesting take on themes typical of the coming-of-age genre, it's a film that's pretty much impossible not to enjoy.

The setting of one of the most vibrant anime worlds in all of film is perfect for this story about adolescence and the power of young girls. Though she's insecure and conscious of her flaws as a witch, Kiki is such a cheerful character with such a strong will to help those around her that she's instantly endearing to viewers. She's a perfect audience surrogate for this upbeat family movie, and a great role model for the little ones of the family.

Kiki's Delivery Service

G

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Minami Takayama , Rei Sakuma , Kappei Yamaguchi , Keiko Toda , Mieko Nobusawa

Runtime

103 Minutes

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9 San — 'Princess Mononoke' (1997)

Voiced by Yuriko Ishida

In the world of Miyazaki's masterpiece Princess Mononoke, the fate of nature and all living things is hanging by a fragile thread. Leading the charge against the destructive people of Lady Eboshi's Iron Town is San, best known as Princess Mononoke, the princess of the Wolf Gods who raised her. It's her that Ashitaka must collaborate with to rid himself of a deadly curse and save the forest.

One of the best non-Disney princesses, San is short-tempered but protective, feral but courageous. Throughout the course of the story, she finds in Ashitaka someone who helps her accept and embrace her humanity, which helps her become an even stronger guardian of nature than she ever could have been otherwise. Her journey is one of the best parts of the movie, and she's a constant blast to watch in action.

Princess Mononoke

PG-13

Anime

Adventure

Fantasy

On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest, he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.

Release Date

July 12, 1997

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Yôji Matsuda , Yuriko Ishida , Yûko Tanaka , Kaoru Kobayashi , Masahiko Nishimura , Tsunehiko Kamijô

Runtime

134 minutes

Main Genre

Anime

Writers

Hayao Miyazaki

Tagline

The Fate Of The World Rests On The Courage Of One Warrior.

Website

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8 No-Face — 'Spirited Away' (2001)

Voiced by Akio Nakamura

Praised by many as the absolute best animated movie of all time, Spirited Away is both Ghibli and Miyazaki's magnum opus. The second-ever winner of the Best Animated Feature Oscar, and thus far the only foreign movie to ever earn the award, it's a coming-of-age fantasy film about a 10-year-old-girl who, sad about her family's move to the suburbs, accidentally ventures into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, where she meets peculiar characters like the lonely spirit No-Face.

In a movie with no clear rules and a reliance on surrealism, No-Face is an absolutely fascinating figure, certainly one of Ghibli's most iconic. With no physical form and only an ominous appearance, he's a representation of the loneliness and isolation that Chihiro is feeling, both in the spirit world and the real one. He adapts to his environment and can absorb the personality of the individuals he ingests, which leads him to follow Chihiro on her journey of self-discovery.

Spirited Away

PG

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Rumi Hîragi , Miyu Irino , Mari Natsuki , Takashi Naitô , Yasuko Sawaguchi , Tatsuya Gashûin

Runtime

125 minutes

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7 Princess Kaguya — 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya' (2013)

Voiced by Aki Asakura

With gorgeous watercolor animation that makes its world really come to life, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is one of the best modern examples of low fantasy movies done right. Based on a traditional 10th-century Japanese tale, it's about a girl who's found inside a shining bamboo stalk by a bamboo cutter and his wife, as she rapidly grows into an elegant young lady.

The film, probably Takahata's greatest directorial achievement, is a nuanced fairy tale with scathing commentary on the effects that a greedy and tradition-obsessed society can have on womanhood, parenthood, and family. Kaguya herself provides a delightful set of eyes to experience this beautiful world through. Even as her father and society, even when they have good intentions, try to pull her down, her joy and curiosity always prevail. The movie is magical, and its protagonist is just as well.

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6 Nausicaä — 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind' (1984)

Voiced by Sumi Shimamoto

Although Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind isn't technically a Ghibli film, having come out one year before the studio's foundation, its success was the one that allowed for the creation of this animation giant. So, even the studio themselves call it a Ghibli film, and, as such, it's one of their best. It's about a pacifist princess who's trying to prevent two warring nations from destroying each other, and their dying planet in the process.

Nausicäa is one of the best sci-fi films of the '80s, an imaginative tale about the protection of the environment with powerful anti-war themes. The titular protagonist is one of the best characters that Miyazaki has written, a determined leader whose empathy and compassion are her superpowers. Her journey to save her nation and the world is a fascinating one, and the way her character is written overcomes all the trite tropes of the "strong female lead" archetype.

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5 Porco Rosso — 'Porco Rosso' (1992)

Voiced by Shûchirô Moriyama

Prominently featuring Miyazaki's obsession with flight and aviation, Porco Rosso takes place in 1930s Italy, where a veteran World War I pilot has been cursed to look like an anthropomorphic pig. With some of the filmmaker's best use of comedy, as well as some of the most striking animation from the early days of his career, Porco Rosso is unsurprisingly considered one of his most charming and creative movies, as well as one of the best movies revolving around planes.

The anti-fascist and feminist messages that can be found all throughout Miyazaki's work are particularly present in Porco Rosso, where they bolster a story about finding joy in the little things to avoid conflicts that might end up destroying them. The titular character, Porco Rosso, whose human name is Marco Pagot, is a charming hero with interesting personal conflicts. His layered personality and complex arc make him one of the studio's most well-crafted characters, made even more memorable thanks to Miyazaki's outstanding directing and Shûchirô Moriyama's fantastic voice performance.

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4 Totoro — 'My Neighbor Totoro' (1988)

Voiced by Hitoshi Takagi

It was since Ghibli's early days in the late '80s that they proved what they were capable of. My Neighbor Totoro may be Hayao Miyazaki's least ambitious film, telling an enchanting slice-of-life story about two girls who move to the countryside to be near their ailing mother, where they have adventures with the spirits of the forest who live there, like the chubby and huggable Totoro. Even then, it's precisely its simplicity and low-stakes charm that makes it so iconic and enjoyable.

My Neighbor Totoro gave Ghibli and Miyazaki international fame, so it's no surprise that the big friendly forest spirit immediately became the face of the studio, which it has been ever since. Friendly and kind, Totoro is as endearing to audiences as he is to the little girls who play with him. There's no way to look at him and not put on a big, sincere smile, which makes the film feel like a warm hug after a tough day.

My Neighbor Totoro

PG

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Noriko Hidaka , Chika Sakamoto , Shigesato Itoi , Sumi Shimamoto , Tanie Kitabayashi , Hitoshi Takagi

Runtime

86 Minutes

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3 Howl Pendragon — 'Howl's Moving Castle' (2004)

Voiced by Takuya Kimura

Based on Diana Wynne Jones's popular fantasy novel of the same name, Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle is a must-watch fantasy adventure epic about a young woman who's cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch. Her only chance of breaking the spell lies in collaborating with a self-indulgent young wizard and his companions. With an enthralling setting and a powerful emotional core, the movie is a moving journey about compassion, beauty, and connections.

The movie is intricately written and beautifully directed, which amplifies its many interesting themes and empowers its more potent scenes. Howl is one of Ghibli's most compelling deuteragonists, and he is as much of a badass as he is a caring and compassionate leader. He can also be self-centered and outright childish, flaws that only give his character more depth and make his arc more fun to follow.

Howl's Moving Castle

8-12 years

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Chieko Baisho , Takuya Kimura , Akihiro Miwa , Tatsuya Gashûin , Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Mitsunori Isaki

Runtime

119minutes

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2 Sophie Hatter — 'Howl's Moving Castle' (2004)

Voiced by Chieko Baishô

Sophie Hatter is the protagonist of Howl's Moving Castle, the dutiful and mature young lady who's forced to grow up way too fast. Over the course of the story, viewers discover the beauty and wonder of the film's fantasy world through the eyes of Sophie, and get to see her mature as she's put in situations where she can prove her kind heart and willingness to help.

Sophie's strengths come not from magical powers like the ones Howl possesses, but from her profound humanity and heart of gold. She brings the best out of others and shows remarkable signs of heroism herself, while also displaying flaws that make her interesting to audiences. She's one of Ghibli's strongest and most endearing characters, the protagonist of one of Miyazaki's strongest works.

Howl's Moving Castle

8-12 years

Animation

Action

Adventure

Family

Fantasy

Romance

When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.

Release Date

November 20, 2004

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Chieko Baisho , Takuya Kimura , Akihiro Miwa , Tatsuya Gashûin , Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Mitsunori Isaki

Runtime

119minutes

Main Genre

Anime

Writers

Diana Wynne Jones

Tagline

Sophie has resigned herself to a boring fate, but fate has other plans for her

Website

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1 Chihiro Ogino — 'Spirited Away' (2001)

Voiced by Rumi Hiiragi

Since it's so often praised as Studio Ghibli's best film, it's no surprise that Spirited Away's protagonist, Chihiro, is such a fascinating and endearing character. She's the fearful and childlike girl who's thrust into the movie's fascinating world of spirits and magic, and it's her coming-of-age journey toward courage, responsibility, and willingness to overcome her fears to help those she cares about that lie at the core of this masterpiece.

Spirited Away is chief among the most outstanding animated fantasy movies, and Chihiro's fascinating arc is one of the primary reasons for that. There's an inimitable charm in watching child characters in films grow up and entrench their identity, and even more so if they're a character as well written as the protagonist of Miyazaki's magnum opus. Chihiro is fun, kind, and free-spirited, and watching her turn into a brave young lady is the whole reason why Spirited Away is so entertaining.

Spirited Away

PG

Anime

Adventure

Family

During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, a world where humans are changed into beasts.

Release Date

July 20, 2001

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Rumi Hîragi , Miyu Irino , Mari Natsuki , Takashi Naitô , Yasuko Sawaguchi , Tatsuya Gashûin

Runtime

125 minutes

Main Genre

Anime

Writers

Hayao Miyazaki

Studio

Walt Disney Pictures

Tagline

The tunnel led Chihiro to a mysterious town...

Website

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