10 Best Studio Ghibli Character Designs, Ranked

Studio Ghibli has some of the best character designs. What makes these character designs stunning are the layers of meaning behind each design. Each Studio Ghibli character isn't simply designed on a whim to look good but created in a way where their design enhances the story and visual film in some way.

It's not only the main characters and protagonists of Studio Ghibli films either—from villains to the smallest of side characters—each Studio Ghibli design is important to the story. Studio Ghibli's attention to detail is what makes the films so great and timeless since each movie offers a new perspective with each rewatch. The rich amount of characters present in Studio Ghibli's films creates an endless number of characters fans of Studio Ghibli can study and analyze.

10 PHOTOS

1. The Cat King’s Unruly Appearance Is as Nasty as His Personality
He Kidnaps Haru to the Cat Kingdom and Tries To Wed Her

The Cat King, who is the antagonist in The Cat Returns, is certainly not what many viewers expected, especially with how Prince Lune looks. Prince Lune is a more neat character, befittingofa well-groomed and honorable prince, while the Cat King is displayed as unruly, unkept, and old. He has heterochromia, with one eye orange-red and the other teal, and is a mix of a Persian with a Russian Blue cat. He also has a gem on his forehead and golden bangles and a golden necklace.

His unkempt appearance matches his nasty attitude—he comes off as rude and ruthless, though he's not all bad. He does have his son, Prince Lune's, best interest in mind, but is only willing to do good deeds that involve him. The Cat King is the one who kidnaps Haru and begins her transformation as a cat. When the Cat King tries to get Prince Lune and Haru married, and Prince Lune declares he has a wife named Yuki instead, the Cat King tries to marry Haruforhimself.

2. Arrietty’s Simple Appearance Speaks Volumes About the World She Lives In
Arrietty’s Charming Outfit Leaves an Impressionable Mark on Viewers

The Secret World of Arriettyfollows the story of Arrietty, a young teen with shoulder-length light-brown hair and dark eyes. Typically, she wears a simple red dress when she's out in the wild, but when she's in the comfort of her home, she wears a plain brown and beige dress. She belongs to a species called borrower who are generally very smallin size. A borrower's height is about 4 inches tall,which isabout the length of a clothespin. She has a bright and warm aura that radiates curiosity and youth, which are evident from the beginning of the film with her adventurous spirit.

What makes Arrietty's appearance so iconic is how simplistic it is. Much like her species name, the borrowers tend to "borrow" from humans. Everything in their home comes from the location that they reside in—which is inside the house of a human family—from the pots and pans in Arrietty's home to the clothes on her back. To push this narrative, Arrietty typically has her hair up in a ponytail, which is held up by a small clip that looks like a small pair of scissors.

3. Nausicaa’s Beautiful Blue Attire Is Perfect for a Character Who Thrives in the Air
Nausicaa Resembles a Bird Taking Flight, and Her Outfit Expertly Expresses That

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Windis about Nausicaa,who isthe princess of the Valley of the Wind and the eleventh child of King Jhil. She has an auburn-brown bob cut and typically dons a simple, practical blue tunic fitted with a belt. She also wears matching trousers and brown boots, as well as a cap and mask for when she uses Mowe to take flight in the skies. Her appearance reflects her adventurous spirit perfectly, especially for someone who explores the skies and spends most of her time enjoying the breeze.

Nausicaa's primary color being blue matches her love for the sky and how she thrives on being free above all else. On top of that, her earthy tones reflect her connection to nature and the earth. Her character design encompasses all aspects of nature, from the skies to the roots and plants in the dirt, which makes her character design so memorable, especially since it reflects theevents of the moviewell.The mobility of her outfit further adds tothefree-spiritednessof Nausicaa.

4. No-Face’s Shadowy Figure Remains Unnerving to This Day
The Lack of an Actual Appearance Is What Makes No-Face’s Design Amazing

The world ofSpirited Awayhas always been somewhat creepy and unnerving to any human, due to the inhabitants there residing in a world that humans normally can't reach, and No-Faceis a prime example of just how unsettling spirits can be. No-Face is one of the simpler character designs. He's a ghostly black figure, resembling a shadow, that fades away at the bottom, and a symbolized mask that has black eyeholes and a partially opened black mouth. His appearance resembles that of a blanket sheet over a human body that drifts.

No-Face matches his description extremely well—his simplistic design emphasizes how he's unable to have any sort of expression, and in an outsider's eyes, a personality or existence. Many times, the characters inSpirited Awayignore or disregard him due to his lack of presence. The only time he's "seen" is when Chihiro speaks to him. After that fact, he begins to develop other personality traits, such as changes in his appearance and voice.

5. Sophie’s Appearance Is Reflected by How She Views Herself
Sophie’s Changing Appearance Has Always Been a Major Topic Throughout the Film

From the beginning ofHowl's Moving Castle, viewersare well aware ofhow Sophie views herself: as a simple, plain woman. The way Sophie views herself is constantly reflected in the viewer's eyes as well—it changes and wanes when Sophie's outlook on herself shifts. She's first seen wearing a brimmed straw hat with a long brown braid held by a small magenta ribbon. She also wears a dark green dress with brown boots, but by theend of the film, she has short silver hair and a deep blue dress.

What makes Sophie one of the best-designed characters is how her design changes with the progression of her character development. Sophie suffers from low self-esteem, mostly due to her peers and her family members, and this outlook constantly shiftsthe wayshe looks to the viewer, especially once The Witch of the Waste curses her.Howl's Moving Castleuses Sophie's shifting appearance as a narrative tool to progress the story visually.

6. San Isn’t Afraid To Let Anyone Know That She’s a Princess of the Wolves
San’s Main Attire, From Head to Toe, Showcases Her Pride in Belonging to the Wild

San fromPrincess Mononokeis one of the heroic co-protagonists, alongside Ashitaka. She has a brown bob-cut hairstyle and red markings on her face. She also has various bone accessories, such as a necklace with pointed bones decorated around it and flat circular bone earrings. She wears a navy blue dress with a white tunic over it, along with navy blue armbands and headband. Most notably, she has a fur cape and sometimes wears a mask with a fur pellet that billows from it. She resembles her wolf companions and moves as such: fast, deadly and quick.

Her character design remains one of the best due to its remarkable ability to capture the wildness and pure ferocity of San. She first appears in the film covered in blood, and the redness is only accentuated by her white clothing. She's often seen with her bone dagger alongside her wolf companions. Her appearancetrulymarks her as someone who belongs to the wild, and her mix of wolf fur and color palette further enunciates it.

7. Ponyo’s Design Alludes to the Famous Fairy Tale The Little Mermaid
Ponyo’s Bright Design Signifies Her Brightness and Youthfulness

Ponyo is an adorable sea creature in the filmPonyo. Her design matches the cute vibe that the movie portrays: a fun, whimsical retelling ofthe fairy taleThe Little Mermaid. Ponyo is first introduced as a sea creature thatslightlyresembles a human, except she has flippers for her arms and legs. She has a head full of orange hair, mischievous big round eyes and a coral-colored body. Her appearance later changes to a more human child-like appearance while retaining most of her sea creature features.

Ponyo's character design perfectly matches her energetic energy and her relationship with the ocean, where she comes from. Sosuke mistakes her as a bright goldfish at first, and even when she transforms, she still resembles her sea creature form. She definitely stands out among the crowd of dark-haired townsfolk, and it's easy to spot her from a mile away with her bright-colored dress and hair. This highlights how foreign she is among the townsfolk, furthering the mystery surrounding her.

8. The Catbus Is Equally Adorable as It Is Versatile
The Catbus Helps Assist Totoro and Satsuki in Finding Mei

The Catbus fromMy Neighbor Totorois a beloved cat-shaped bus that appears to help Totoro, Satsuki and Mei on various occasions.It resembles a tabby catandhas wide yellow, glowing eyes that act as the headlights of vehicles and has 12 paws.The body of the Catbus has windows, which show the interior of the Catbus and the seats residing in it. It heavily resembles a long public bus and is used as a means of transportation for the characters inMy Neighbor Totoro.

This clever character design is among the best, since the creators were able to combine a living thing and an inanimate object in a masterful way. The Catbus might come off as unsettling at first, with its big, glowing eyes and wide stretchy grin, but viewers are easily put to ease once they know that the Catbus continuously helps and assists Totoro and his friends. This design easily takes the cake of being one of the best due to its on-the-nose design.

9. Howl’s Character Design Constantly Changes To Express the Different Sides of Him
Howl, Alongside Sophie, Has an Ever-Changing Appearance That Reflects His Current Character Growth

Howl, the other protagonist inHowl's Moving Castle, also shares the same quality as Sophie. He's constantly changing appearances,though it'smostly due to how he wishes to portray himself to the people around him. Howl is known to be secretive, from his backstory to how his magic works, so it comes as no surprise that he tries to disguise himself through a variety of different appearances as well. Viewers first see him in his iconic patterned cape and shoulder-length blonde hair, but his appearance soon changes to a more simplistic approach, with shoulder-length black hair and a plain white tunic and black trousers.

His changing appearance from extravagant to simplistic couldbe a reflection of him baring his true self and opening up to Sophie. His more elaborate appearanceresemblesthe wizard Howl and how the world of magic views him. He also has his bird-like curse appearance that matches closely to his original black-haired look—a disguise he often tries to hide—but Sophie reminds him of his humanity, and hedoesn't let the animalistic side take control of him.

10. Haku’s Human Appearance Is Almost Identical to His Dragon Form
Haku Constant Shifting Forms Shows How He Doesn’t Know Himself

Haku's appearance fromSpirited Awayis one of the characters that best reflects the character. Haku's human form distinctly resembles that of a dragon: he has sharp, slanted green eyes, clean-cut shoulder-length black hair and he wears a traditional white robe tied with a purple sash. He also has deep blue clothing underneath that can be seen in the slits of his white robe and wears brown sandals. His dragon form isn't far off either. When he transforms, he turns into a white-scaled dragon with a teal mane and piercing green eyes.

Haku's shifting alsotakes a nodat his loose grasp on his true self.Oftentimes,inSpirited Away, viewers will see Haku's personality and demeanor change drastically. This is most likely due to Yubaba's influence over himand howhe doesn't entirely have control over himself, and since he's often put inperiloussituations, he becomes quite hostile. This isoftenseen in his dragon form. While he's in his human form, he's kind and quiet and helps Chihiro when he can.