Princess Mononoke: Miyazaki's Epic Vision of Nature and Humanity

Released in 1997, Princess Mononoke was a turning point in animation history. Miyazaki's most ambitious and complex film tells the story of Ashitaka, a young prince cursed after defending his village from a demon, who travels west and becomes entangled in the violent conflict between the iron town of Irontown and the forest gods it is destroying.

A Film With No Villains

What makes Princess Mononoke extraordinary is its refusal of simple moral categories. Lady Eboshi, who leads Irontown and destroys the forest, is also a liberator of outcasts, lepers and women sold into prostitution. San, the wolf-raised girl who wants to kill Eboshi, fights for nature with a ferocity that is entirely understandable. Ashitaka alone tries to see with unclouded eyes, and even he cannot resolve the conflict. The film demands that its audience sit with genuine moral complexity.

The Forest Gods

Princess Mononoke draws on Japanese shinto belief in spirits inhabiting natural places. The great wolf god Moro, the boar god Okkoto, the Shishigami (the forest spirit) and the kodama (small tree spirits) are among Ghibli's most spectacular creations. Their visual design, ranging from the serene to the terrifying, reflects the full spectrum of the natural world's relationship with humanity.

The Film's Legacy

Princess Mononoke was the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time at its release. It announced Miyazaki as a filmmaker of world-historical importance and helped bring Studio Ghibli to international attention years before Spirited Away's Oscar win. Its ecological themes feel more urgent today than when the film was made.

Princess Mononoke Merchandise

Our Princess Mononoke collection includes some of the store's most striking pieces:

• Princess Mononoke official poster puzzle (1000 pieces) and Okami wolf puzzle in our Ghibli puzzle collection
• Princess Mononoke socks (standard and Emburo) in our Ghibli apparel collection
• Mononoke Paper Theater kit in our Ghibli model kits collection
• Princess Mononoke Uni-ball Jetstream pen in our Ghibli stationery collection

Watching Princess Mononoke Today

Princess Mononoke is not a comfortable film, and it is not designed to be. It is a confrontational, visually overwhelming argument that the world's problems cannot be solved by a single hero, only navigated with courage and honesty. It is one of the greatest achievements in the history of cinema.

Also read our Howl's Moving Castle guide, our Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind guide and our complete history of Studio Ghibli.