Castle in the Sky: Characters, Voice Actors & Analysis

“Castle in the Sky(Studio Ghibli Official)” is a feature-length animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, released in 1986.

In this article, we’ll take a look back at the characters and voice actors of “Castle in the Sky,” and consider their individual charms and roles in the story. What kind of people were the characters in “Castle in the Sky”?

Please be aware that the following text contains sudden spoilers.

“Castle in the Sky” Main Characters & Voice Actors List

 

Name	Age	Voice Actor (English Dub)
Pazu	12 or 13	James Van Der Beek
Sheeta	12 or 13	Anna Paquin
Muska	28 or 32	Mark Hamill
Dola	50s-60s	Cloris Leachman
Charles	30	Mike McShane
Louis	25	Mandy Patinkin
Henri	20	Andy Dick
General Mouro	Around 50	Jim Cummings

Character & Voice Actor Profiles and Analysis

Pazu | Voice Actor: James Van Der Beek

Pazu’s Profile

I like this character!

The protagonist of the story. He’s a young boy in his early teens (no specific age is set) who works as an apprentice in the mines of his hometown, Slag Ravine.

He is an extremely cheerful boy and seems to have a very good relationship with the people of the ravine, but he has a dark past.

Pazu’s father, an adventurer, discovered the floating island “Laputa” during his travels, but no one listened to his words when he returned. According to Pazu, his father was treated as a liar and died in despair.

In the main story, Pazu embarks on an adventure to find Laputa. For him, Laputa was not only a “dream island” but also the “cursed island that killed his father.”

A Personal Favorite Line: “The wind is blowing the other way over there.”

My personal favorite line from Pazu is, “The wind is blowing the other way over there.” He says this while on the lookout kite from the Tiger Moth, as they are cornered by the Goliath near Laputa (the Dragon’s Nest).

As his words suggest, the wind around the Dragon’s Nest blows in the opposite direction, creating a “wall of wind.” This wall has been protecting Laputa, and Pazu’s father managed to cross it to get close to the castle.

Pazu had not forgotten his father’s words.

It’s moving to think about the days Pazu spent holding onto the words of his father, who died in disgrace, labeled a liar. I’ve written more about this in the following article.

Castle in the Sky: Thinking About Pazu's Memorable Quote, 'The wind there is blowing in the wrong direction.'Explore the profound meaning behind Pazu's famous line, "The wind th...

After what kind of days did he finally see Laputa?

Pazu’s Accomplishment

Until Laputa is discovered, “Castle in the Sky” is a story of Pazu chasing his father’s shadow, after which it becomes a tale of rescuing Sheeta. Because of this, it’s easy to overlook, but Pazu inadvertently saved the world.

If Pazu hadn’t aimed for Laputa, Muska would have reigned as the emperor of the sky, and countless cities would have been incinerated by Laputa’s lightning. Perhaps we should recognize Pazu’s achievement in saving the world from such a fate a little more.

Sheeta | Voice Actor: Anna Paquin

Sheeta’s Profile

I like this character!

The other protagonist of the story. She is a girl of about the same age as Pazu. She was captured by the military because she possessed a “Levistone” passed down through her family for generations. Although she didn’t understand its true power, when she accidentally fell from the transport airship, the stone’s power allowed her to land safely on the ground.

It was then that she coincidentally met Pazu. The secret name she inherited, “Lusheeta Toel Ul Laputa,” became a great blessing for Pazu in his quest for Laputa.

It’s unclear to what generation the truth was accurately passed down, but she was a descendant of the royal family of the castle that once soared in the sky, Laputa.

Her destiny was twisted by the existence of the Levistone, but in the end, she decides to head for Laputa on her own terms.

Muska | Voice Actor: Mark Hamill

Muska’s Profile

I like this character!

The shadow protagonist of “Castle in the Sky,” aged 28. He belongs to a special agency for the search of Laputa and holds the rank of Colonel at this young age.

Like Sheeta, he has a secret name: Romuska Palo Ul Laputa. As he reveals himself, Sheeta’s and Muska’s families were once part of the same royal house of Laputa.

For him, the search for Laputa was not just a government order but a means to reclaim his position as the king of Laputa and rule the world.

His life up to achieving the rank of colonel at the young age of 28 must have been anything but ordinary. I’ve personally compiled my thoughts on his life in the following article:

Castle in the Sky: Why Did the Robot Trooper Fall?Why did a robot fall from Laputa in 'Castle in the Sky'? This articl...

In that article, I also wrote about my thoughts on what might be Laputa’s biggest mystery: “the mystery of the falling robot.” Why do you all think the robot fell?

Dola | Voice Actor: Cloris Leachman

Dola’s Profile

I like this character!

The leader of the “Dola Gang” of sky pirates, Ma Dola. According to the official setting, she’s in her 50s, but she looks much older. She’s supposed to be a character who makes a living by flying around the world in her airship, the “Tiger Moth,” and doing various bad things, but in the story, she’s portrayed as a “good person” in one way or another.

In the film, she causes Sheeta to fall from the airship, ransacks Pazu’s house while also setting him on his path, and finally transports Pazu and Sheeta to Laputa, playing a crucial role in advancing the story. “Castle in the Sky” would not have happened without her.

Speaking of Dola, a portrait briefly seen in the film shows that she was a beautiful woman, just like Sheeta, in her youth. Below that portrait, there’s a photo of a bearded man.

In fact, that man was Dola’s “lover,” and he was the one who designed the Flaptter (this fact is written in a book called “Another ‘Balse'”, in Japanese).

To be precise, there was a setting that Dola’s lover designed the Flaptter, but director Miyazaki decided not to include the character in the film because it would become too complicated. He only told this fact to the production manager, Kihara-san.

There’s no definitive proof that the bearded man in the photo is that person, but it’s almost certain that it’s him.

This story alone could be made into a spin-off, but at the very least, what we should recognize is that it wasn’t “grandpa” who designed the Flaptter. I thought so too, but I bet everyone else did as well, right?

Charles (Dola Gang) | Voice Actor: Mike McShane

Charles’s Profile

I like this character!

Dola’s biological son, and the eldest of the three brothers: Charles, Louis, and Henri.

We will never forget the legendary match he had with Duffi in Slag Ravine.

Louis (Dola Gang) | Voice Actor: Mandy Patinkin

Louis’s Profile

I like this character!

Dola’s second son. He appears to show more leadership than his older brother Charles in the film, yet he also shows a comical side.

Henri (Dola Gang) | Voice Actor: Andy Dick

Henri’s Profile

I like this character!

Dola’s third son. As the youngest brother, he has a rather naive air about him, but he serves as the helmsman of the Dola Gang’s flagship, the Tiger Moth.

We learn little about him throughout the story, but apparently, he “eats anything.”

General Mouro | Voice Actor: Jim Cummings

General Mouro’s Profile

I like this character!

The commander of the Laputa expedition, with the rank of Lieutenant General. He is a typical “military man” who often clashes with Muska over the strategy for finding Laputa. If he had possessed the magnanimity to handle Muska, the future might have been different. And if Muska had the flexibility to manipulate the general skillfully, Muska’s plot might have succeeded.

In any case, he was the person with the most power in the film, and the fact that he didn’t act more cunningly is central to the story.

Uncle Pom (Slag Ravine) | Voice Actor: Richard Dysart

Uncle Pom’s Profile

I like this character!

An old man who travels alone through the abandoned mines of Slag Ravine.

He guided Pazu and Sheeta, who had inadvertently wandered into the abandoned mine to escape Muska and the Dola Gang, back to the outside.

Furthermore, by telling them the story of “Laputa” that he heard from his grandfather, he gave Pazu a strong reason to believe in its existence.

In “Another ‘Balse'(もう一つのバルス, in Japanese)” Kihara-san, who was a production assistant at the time, interprets Uncle Pom as a descendant of Laputa’s working class. This was his answer to Director Miyazaki’s question, “Do you understand the importance of Uncle Pom’s existence?” Director Miyazaki just grinned, but it seems he was generally correct.

I’ve written a little more of my personal thoughts about Uncle Pom in the “Appenix” section of the following article.

Castle in the Sky: Thinking About Pazu's Memorable Quote, 'The wind there is blowing in the wrong direction.'Explore the profound meaning behind Pazu's famous line, "The wind th...

He’s a mysterious character, isn’t he?

Duffi (Boss) (Slag Ravine) | Voice Actor: John Hostetter

Duffi (Boss)’s Profile

I like this character!

A mechanic who works in the mines of Slag Ravine. He is Pazu’s master.

To buy time for Pazu and Sheeta to escape from the Dola Gang, he showed us a historic feat of strength against Charles.

We can see that he is a person of great compassion, but maybe he just wanted a fight. In fact, the folks in Slag Ravine start brawling with great joy. They must have had a lot of pent-up frustration due to the economic slump.

Okami (Slag Ravine) | Voice Actor: Tress MacNeille

Okami’s Profile

I like this character!

Duffi’s wife, who helped Pazu and Sheeta escape from the Dola Gang.

Although her screen time was extremely short, her strength and kindness give us a glimpse into the kind of people Pazu was surrounded by growing up in Slag Ravine.

Madge (Slag Ravine) | Voice Actor: Debi Derryberry

Madge’s Profile

I like this character!

Little Madge. She is Duffi and Okami’s daughter and is good friends with Pazu.

The scene where Madge finds a heartbroken Pazu returning from the fortress and calls out to her mother, “It’s Pazu, Pazu’s back!” has strangely stuck with me. Maybe it’s because I felt the sense of “homecoming” in Madge’s voice. Unfortunately, Pazu’s heart couldn’t be healed by that alone.

The Motorman (Slag Ravine) | Voice Actor: Matt K. Miller

The Motorman’s Profile

I like this character!

The motorman of the light railway, who, like the other people of Slag Ravine, helped Pazu and Sheeta escape from the Dola Gang.

Not just the motorman, but all the people of Slag Ravine seem to have no hesitation in helping Pazu and Sheeta. He really grew up in a good place.

Other Characters

Men in Black | Voice Actors: Scott Menville, Matt K. Miller

I like this character!

Muska’s subordinates, dressed head-to-toe in black with dark glasses, looking every bit the part of villains. They are quite loyal, calmly tampering with the communication network during the robot fight at the fortress.

Despite their loyalty, they meet their end by being knocked away by a block inside Laputa. This lack of consideration for his subordinates was likely Muska’s fatal flaw.

The men in black rarely speak, so you might not have a voice impression of them, but Scott Menville is known for voicing Robin in “Teen Titans,” and Matt K. Miller is known for his work in various anime dubs. Perhaps looking at the men in black while keeping these voices in mind will lead to a new discovery.

Sheeta’s Grandmother | Voice Actor: Tress MacNeille

I like this character!

A character who appears only briefly in Sheeta’s flashback scenes, but she is the one who taught Sheeta the spell that triggers the robot’s activation (or rather, Laputa’s activation). What would have happened if Sheeta hadn’t remembered that spell?

The voice was provided by Tress MacNeille (1951-), who is famous for many voice roles, including Dot Warner in “Animaniacs” and Daisy Duck for Disney.

Ka, Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko (Dola Gang)

I like this character!

The members of the Dola Gang other than Charles, Louis, and Henri. Their names were revealed in the novel version.

“Ka” is the one with the beard and a scar on his cheek, “Ki” is the man with the eyepatch, “Ku” is the one who finds Sheeta’s clothes at Pazu’s house, “Ke” is the one spinning a rolling pin in the Tiger Moth’s kitchen, and “Ko” is the man with the thin mustache.

Pazu’s Parents

I like this character!

Pazu’s parents also make a brief appearance. His father is seen in the scene where he discovers Laputa in his airship. His mother’s photo is displayed on the wall where Sheeta finds the picture of Laputa.

The Mysterious Bearded Man

I like this character!

The person who discovered Laputa along with Pazu’s father. Despite being an incredibly important character, he does not appear in the main story outside of the Laputa discovery scene. I thought a little about this character in the “Appendix” section of the following article.

Castle in the Sky: Thinking About Pazu's Memorable Quote, 'The wind there is blowing in the wrong direction.'Explore the profound meaning behind Pazu's famous line, "The wind th...

Who on earth could he be?

The images used in this article are from the “Studio Ghibli Works Still Images” collection.