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Studio Ghibli’s fantasy films are considered classics of the genre. A hallmark of these memorable stories which contributes to their high quality storytelling are their casts of varied supernatural beings. These creatures come in many forms, from beings inspired by folklore from across the world to completely original characters.
Many of Studio Ghibli’s supernatural spirits are inspired by yokai, which are specific kinds of spirits or demons from Japanese folklore. Nago from Princess Mononoke is inspired by a cursed god yokai. Other Studio Ghibli spirits, like the Soot Sprites, are an iconic part of Studio Ghibli imagery, and are completely original, and beloved, fantasy creatures.
10 No Face Is the Most Recognizable Spirit from Spirited Away
Chihiro Takes the Mischievous Spirit in Hand
No Face has an iconic character design in Spirited Away. He appears first as a mysterious being in the bathhouse, which is already full of many varied spirits. No Face reacts to the surrounding energy, which is why he swiftly becomes a being of avaricious and violent hunger who is impossible to satisfy.
Spirited Away is one of the most beloved Studio Ghibli films, and considered a classic film in general. No Face has a great dynamic with the film’s protagonist, Chihiro, as she shows him compassion by lecturing him. She essentially finger-wags him into docility, and her sincerity strikes No Face, inspiring him to become her friend.
9 Kamaji Looks Unsettling, but Is Quite Kind in Spirited Away
Kamaji Sticks His Neck Out for Chihiro
It’s established immediately that the spirit world and the bathhouse are rather treacherous places in Spirited Away. Help comes in a strange and oddly arachnid form when the grumpy boiler worker, Kamaji, gives Chihiro a job. Working at the bathhouse assures Chihiro a certain level of protection from the witch Yubaba’s plotting.
Kamaji may enjoy some level of safety in his position, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t take on risks by helping Chihiro. Not only does he give Chihiro a job, he tells Lin that she is his granddaughter. Kamaji has a nuanced personality and a creative character design, and he’s incredibly likable in a gruff, surprising sort of way.
8 Ponyo's a Powerful Daughter of the Sea
Ponyo's Mother Is the Queen of the Ocean & the Goddess of Mercy
Ponyo is a highly creative retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale, «The Little Mermaid.» The film doesn’t follow the usual romantic sort of take which many adaptations usually do, like the Disney versions of the same name did. The Studio Ghibli version ages down the mermaid-inspired character, renaming her «Ponyo,» and leaning into her more elemental side.
Ponyo is a spirit of nature. She’s the daughter of a goddess named Granmamare, the Queen of the Ocean. As a child of the ocean, Ponyo doesn’t think like a human, though she can be quite compassionate. Ponyo may be young, but her powers are immense, and they are strong enough to reverse the ocean and the land.
7 Soot Sprites Hover in the Corners of Old Houses in Several Studio Ghibli Films
My Neighbor Totoro & Spirited Away Both Have Soot Sprites
Soot Sprites appear in two films, Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. Mei and Satsuki Kusakabe notice the small fuzzy creatures flitting in the shadowed eaves of their new house when they first move to the countryside in My Neighbor Totoro. Their sweet neighbor, Granny, cheerfully explains the benign spirit creatures’ lore to the girls, reassuring them that they have nothing to fear from the little guys.
Soot Sprites live in shuttered-up old houses. When new people move into the house, the Soot Sprites decide whether the newcomers are kind, and if they are, they make plans to leave. Granny’s wise words prove true, and the Soot Sprites float away soon after the Kusakabes move in. The adorable little shadow creatures appear once again, as if by popular request, in Spirited Away as speechless yet oddly expressive little boiler room assistants in Spirited Away.
6 Mei Follows Two Little Totoros Like Alice Following a White Rabbit
The Small & Medium Totoro Enjoy the Kusakabes' Yard
Mei is the Kuskabe family’s youngest daughter in My Neighbor Totoro, and she loves to explore the yard in their new house. One day, while her older sister is at school and her father grades his university students’ papers, Mei discovers some mystical creatures exploring her yard. One small white Totoro and one medium blue Totoro trot through Mei’s yard, leaving a trail of their collected acorns for her to follow.
The blue and white Totoro are gentle and quirky little creatures, and they’re the first introduction to the Totoro Tribe. They introduce a sweet and playful tone to the film, prepping the audience for a delightful adventure. As Mei follows the little Totoros, she then falls down a literal and figurative rabbit hole of whimsy.
5 Catbus Comes to Assist Mei & Satsuki in My Neighbor Totoro
Catbus Is Connected to the Folkloric Bakeneko
In My Neighbor Totoro, when Mei and Satsuki wait for a bus on a rainy night, their friend, the large gray Totoro hails an odd conveyance: the Catbus. Catbus is a shape-shifting feline spirit who carries Totoro, and the Kusakabe girls at one point, from place to place. Catbus can be quite nimble, hopping and even skittering along telephone wires unbeknownst to human eyes.
Catbus seems to be an amalgamation of several cat spirits from literature and folklore. He has the same mysterious and nonverbal smile as the Cheshire Cat from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Catbus also has a similar magical transformation and ability to the supernatural shapeshifter, the bakeneko.
4 Calcifer Is as Sassy as He Is Adorable & Powerful in Howl's Moving Castle
Calcifer Powers a Wizard's Moving Castle
When Sophie Hatter hails an ambulatory steampunk castle moving through the wastes in Howl’s Moving Castle, she finds that the castle is powered by a rather loquacious fire demon. The fire demon is called Calcifer and between his significance to the plot, his expressive character design, and his talented voice actor, Billy Crystal, he has become the mascot for one of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved fantasy films.
Calcifer is rather grumpy, but beneath his sass is a noble spirit who cares for his gathered and found family, like Howl, Sophie, and Markl. He’s just as likely to complain about his lot powering the vast and complicated castle as he is to give sincere advice on the status of Howl’s soul as the king tries to force him into soldiering. Calcifer is ancient yet petulant and playful, powerful but in need of Sophie’s help. He’s an extremely compelling and lovable side character, and the beating heart of Howl’s Moving Castle.
3 Beautiful Nago Becomes a Cursed God in Princess Mononoke
Nago's Heartbreaking End Is a Dire Warning to Humans
Not all supernatural spirits and yokai in Studio Ghibli films have happy stories. Princess Mononoke is Studio Ghibli’s first dark fantasy film for an older, teenage and older audience. Nago’s story is one of Studio Ghibli’s most heartbreaking, and it serves as the film’s inciting incident, and launches the watershed moment in Prince Ashitaka’s life.
Nago was once a god of Cedar Forest, and the leader of the boar tribe called him «beautiful and strong.» In defending the Cedar Forest from humans who wanted to destroy its land and trees and kill its animals, Nago sustained a bullet injury which turned into a hate-filled curse which ate him alive. The curse turned Nago into something he never truly was. This cursed form acts similarly to a tatarigami, which is a Shinto kami who brings death and destruction in its wake.
2 Princess Mononoke's Whimsical Kodama Are Curious About Ashitaka When He Enters the Cedar Forest
Kodama Are Small Tree Spirits
Kodama are the tiny spirit children of the ancient trees in Princess Mononoke‘s Cedar Forest. Cedar Forest is an ecosystem full of primeval gods, old growth, and megafauna. The kodama are an oddly cute contrast to the powerful and gargantuan beings that inhabit the wood. To the humans of Irontown that travel with Prince Ashitaka, the kodama’s hollow eyes and clicking heads are unsettling.
Ashitaka understands that the kodama are kind and playful spirits, though. The high esteem seems to be mutual, as the kodama frolic around him like happy fairies. Kodama are a symbol of hope in Princess Mononoke, as they are signs of a healthy forest, which means that even after trauma and death, the forest can still heal and regenerate.
1 Totoro Helps Mei & Satsuki Plant a Magical Garden
The Nature Spirit Watches Out for the Kusakabes
The large gray nature spirit, Totoro, of My Neighbor Totoro, has become Studio Ghibli’s mascot and calling card. The fuzzy, bear-like being symbolizes the wonder of childhood, a connection to nature, and the protection and guidance that every child deserves. My Neighbor Totoro is about community and hope, as the Kusakabe girls settle into a routine, appreciate the details of their new home and yard, and wait for their mother to recover.
Totoro and the Kuskabe’s neighbor, Granny, serve a similar purpose in the story. They’re both a comforting resource and a watchful eye for the girls. They both even teach Mei and Satsuki how to garden. They remind the audience that community grannies, caretakers, and gentle gardeners are treasures in every neighborhood.
