Princess Mononoke(1997): Characters, Voice Actors, Analysis & Character Map

Princess Mononoke(Official Studio Ghibli Website) is an epic 1997 animated feature film directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki.

The film is celebrated not only for its breathtaking animation and environmental themes, but for its incredibly complex, morally grey cast. In Princess Mononoke, there are no pure heroes or absolute villains. Today, we are going to deeply analyze the psychological motivations, hidden histories, and true natures of the characters who populate this brutal, beautiful world.

Please be warned: this deep-dive character guide contains major spoilers for the entire film.

*This is a translated version. The original (Japanese) is available here.

Princess Mononoke (1997) Main Characters & Voice Actors

Name	Age	Voice Actor (English Dub)
Ashitaka	17	Billy Crudup
San	15	Claire Danes
Lady Eboshi	Unknown[1]	Minnie Driver
Moro	300	Gillian Anderson
Okkoto	500	Keith David
Forest Spirit	Unknown[1]	–
Jigo	Unknown[1]	Billy Bob Thornton

[1]

While various fan theories exist, no definitive age setting has been officially released for these characters.

Princess Mononoke (1997) Character Map

Princess Mononoke (1997) Deep Character Profiles and Analysis

Ashitaka | Voiced by: Billy Crudup

Ashitaka’s Basic Information

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The primary protagonist of the film, aged 17. Ashitaka is the last prince of the Emishi, an indigenous tribe hidden in the mountains of the Tohoku region. The entire saga of Princess Mononoke ignites when a horrific Demon God attacks his village.

Ashitaka heroically slays the beast, saving his people. However, during the battle, the demon’s corrupting tendrils scar his right arm, infecting him with a terminal curse. Because of this curse, he is permanently exiled from his home. This concept of absolute “exile” is perhaps the most frequently overlooked tragedy when audiences watch the film.

The villagers are devastated to lose their future leader. Because Ashitaka accepts his banishment so stoically, viewers often fail to realize the crushing severity of his situation. The brutal truth is: Ashitaka can never, ever return home. He is essentially a walking dead man.

● The Single Tear: Ashitaka’s Emotional Turning Point

For a doomed exile wandering aimlessly westward, the rumor of the “Forest Spirit” must have sounded like pure salvation. To paraphrase what Jigo told him over dinner:

This rumor provided Ashitaka with his very first destination and a desperate glimmer of hope.

However, when Ashitaka finally meets the Forest Spirit, the god heals his fatal bullet wound but deliberately refuses to lift the curse on his arm. In essence, “Dr. Forest Spirit” delivers a crushing diagnosis:

Imagine the psychological devastation Ashitaka felt in that moment. Faced with the undeniable reality that his journey to save himself had failed, Ashitaka sheds his one and only tear in the entire film.

Crucially, Ashitaka’s entire psychological motivation permanently shifts before and after this tear.

Before that teardrop, Ashitaka was on a “journey to save himself.” After that teardrop, he accepts his death and embarks on a “journey to save someone else.”

While you could frame his actions as a noble “journey for world peace,” the intimate, emotional truth is far simpler: his new principle of action becomes, “I will spend my remaining days living entirely for San.”

Ashitaka’s arc begins with the horrific tragedy of exile and a death sentence. But through that suffering, he discovers a profound reason to live (San) and eventually secures a new home in the rebuilt Irontown. Therefore, if we view the narrative strictly through Ashitaka’s perspective, we can conclude that Princess Mononoke actually has a triumphant, happy ending.

● The Controversy of Kaya’s Dagger

While Ashitaka is an incredibly empathetic and noble hero, he commits one specific act that frequently leaves audiences feeling deeply “uneasy.” That is the infamous scene where he casually gifts the obsidian crystal dagger—a precious parting gift from his fiancée, Kaya—to San.

I still vividly remember my reaction seeing this in theaters as a kid: “Wait, you’re just regifting that?!”

Furthermore, the fact that San joyfully accepts the dagger and wears it as a necklace only accelerates the audience’s awkward discomfort.

However, as I have grown older and analyzed Ashitaka’s immense psychological trauma, I have found a way to not only rationalize this action, but to view it as a profoundly beautiful emotional milestone. I have documented this deep-dive theory in the article below:

Read the full analysis: Why Did Ashitaka Give Kaya’s Dagger to San?

What is your interpretation of the infamous dagger hand-off?

San | Voiced by: Claire Danes

San’s Basic Information

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The titular heroine of the film, aged 15. San is a human girl raised by the giant wolf god, Moro. Moro explicitly details San’s tragic origin to Ashitaka:

“I caught her human parents defiling my forest. They threw their baby at my feet as they ran away.”

Because of this ultimate betrayal, San harbors a fierce, psychotic hatred toward humanity and dedicates her life to assassinating Lady Eboshi to protect the forest.

However, despite her intense misanthropy, San exhibits a shockingly favorable attitude toward Ashitaka. She justifies saving his life by claiming, “The Forest Spirit chose to save him,” but it is highly unusual that she even brought him to the sacred swamp in the first place.

Realistically, if any other human had violently interrupted her assassination attempt in Irontown, San wouldn’t have carried them to safety—she would have simply slit their throat and left them to die.

Ultimately, it seems highly probable that San was completely disarmed and won over by Ashitaka’s delirious, painfully sincere whisper: “You are beautiful.”

While some viewers might argue she falls for him too easily, we must remember her psychological state. Raised as a feral wolf, she had likely never received a genuine, unprompted compliment from another human being in her entire life. Putting yourself in the shoes of a traumatized 15-year-old girl, her reaction is profoundly human and totally understandable.

● The Tragedy of San’s Ending

Earlier, I argued that the film provides a “barely happy ending” for Ashitaka. But what does the climax mean for San?

At the end of the film, the primeval “Forest of the Forest Spirit”—the sacred sanctuary San fought so desperately to protect—is completely annihilated by the headless god’s ooze.

While the blast of the god’s death triggers a slight, pathetic regeneration of scrubby trees, we know historically what happens next. If you want to see a true “primeval forest” in modern Japan, you have to travel to highly restricted, isolated locations like Yakushima or Shirakami-Sanchi. In the context of the film’s timeline, the ancient “Forest of the Forest Spirit” was permanently and irreversibly lost.

Does this catastrophic loss mean San’s true suffering actually begins after the credits roll?

Ashitaka’s narrative arc was about surviving the trauma of exile and finding a new purpose. San also suffered the initial trauma of being abandoned as an infant, but her adult crucible starts at the film’s conclusion. Moving forward, San is forced to:

San is essentially inheriting the exact same agonizing, lonely exile that Ashitaka endured when he first rode Yakul out of his village.

Therefore, attempting to label San’s ending as purely “happy” or “sad” is a fundamental misunderstanding of her journey. It is simply a harsh, beautiful reality.

I can only hope that, just as San provided salvation for Ashitaka in his darkest moment, Ashitaka’s continued presence provides the exact same salvation for San.

Make no mistake: Princess Mononoke is an incredibly tough, uncompromising story.

● Lore Detail: San’s Red Markings are Tattoos

San is instantly recognizable by the striking red markings on her forehead and cheeks. Contrary to popular belief, this is not war paint; they are actually permanent tattoos.

This biological fact is explicitly confirmed in the narration of the making-of documentary How Princess Mononoke Was Born, which refers to them as “crimson tattoos.”

However, the lore entirely omits the timeline of this modification. When and how did a feral child raised by wolves receive precise facial tattoos?

Lady Eboshi | Voiced by: Minnie Driver

Lady Eboshi’s Basic Information

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The charismatic, fiercely pragmatic ruler of Irontown (Tataraba), the industrial settlement where Ashitaka seeks refuge. She is famous for delivering the most brutal reality check in the film, cutting down Ashitaka’s moralizing with the line: “Do not show off your petty misfortune so smugly.”

While her words seem incredibly cold and arrogant, Miyazaki explicitly established a backstory where Eboshi was sold into slavery overseas and forced to become the wife of a Wakō (Japanese pirate) chieftain. She survived this hellish abuse, eventually assassinating the chieftain and escaping back to Japan with his wealth and her loyal subordinate, Gonza.

When you realize she survived years of horrific, systemic abuse, her dismissal of Ashitaka’s “cursed arm” as a “petty misfortune” makes perfect, terrifying sense.

● The Apocalyptic Dream of Lady Eboshi

While brilliantly commanding the massive ironworks, Eboshi also utilizes her “secret garden” to meticulously develop and manufacture advanced firearms (ishibiya). The Ming Dynasty rifles she originally brought back from her pirate days were already devastatingly effective against the animal gods. So why was she obsessively trying to make them lighter and more powerful?

For what ultimate purpose?

While she claims it is purely for the defense of Irontown, I strongly believe she was arming her marginalized citizens to realize a much grander, apocalyptic political dream. I explore her terrifying endgame in the article below:

Read the full analysis: The Hidden Trauma and Ambition of Lady Eboshi

● The Mystery of Her Sympathy for San

Throughout the film, Eboshi operates with a chillingly calculated duality. She demonstrates absolute cruelty (casually abandoning her own men who fall off the cliff during Moro’s attack) while simultaneously showing profound mercy (buying the contracts of brothel slaves and caring for untouchable lepers).

Most fascinatingly, despite San actively trying to murder her, Eboshi frequently displays a strange, almost maternal sympathy toward the feral girl.

I have psychoanalyzed the hidden reasons behind Eboshi’s contradictory mercy in the following deep dive:

Read the full analysis: The Psychological Mystery of Eboshi’s Sympathy and Moro’s Contradiction

Moro | Voiced by: Gillian Anderson

Moro’s Basic Information

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A terrifying, 300-year-old, two-tailed wolf god who rules the Forest of the Forest Spirit. She is locked in a blood feud with Irontown and is obsessed with biting Lady Eboshi’s head off.

However, her violent hatred of humanity creates a massive psychological paradox: she chose to spare and lovingly raise San, a human infant abandoned in her forest.

How does a god actively wage a genocidal war against humans while simultaneously operating as a gentle, nurturing mother to one? This profound cognitive dissonance is the core of Moro’s character.

Read the full analysis: The Psychological Mystery of Eboshi’s Sympathy and Moro’s Contradiction

● The Incredible Restraint of Moro

Moro’s most iconic scene is arguably her tense, moonlit conversation with Ashitaka, culminating in her furious roar: “Silence, boy!”

Just prior to this outburst, Ashitaka audaciously lectures the 300-year-old deity, screaming: “Set her free! She is human!”

While it makes for an incredible movie trailer soundbite, put yourself in Moro’s paws for a second. She is likely thinking: “Are you kidding me, kid? I know she’s human. I raised her! I have agonized for a decade over her identity crisis, wondering if my hatred is holding her back. And you, a teenager who met her two days ago, have the audacity to waltz into my den and tell me to ‘set her free’?”

Frankly, the fact that Moro simply yelled “Silence, boy!” instead of instantly biting his head off is a testament to her immense restraint and maternal wisdom.

She tolerated his staggering arrogance because she recognized that San had developed feelings for him. Watching San meticulously nurse the wounded boy back to health, Moro likely thought, “So, San is human after all.“

Her furious roar of “Silence!” was likely her final, desperate, emotional resistance against a truth she didn’t want to admit: her beloved daughter belongs with her own kind.

This heartbreaking “duality” of fierce hatred and profound maternal love is the defining theme of her character.

● Lore Detail: Moro and Okkoto Were “Close”

Here is a piece of trivia that is practically impossible to decipher just by watching the film: Moro and the blind boar god Okkoto used to be “close.” In other words, they were former lovers.

This bizarre romantic history is officially confirmed in the making-of documentary, where Director Miyazaki explicitly mentions their past romance while directing the voice actors during their tense reunion scene.

While the logistics of a wolf and a boar dating are fascinating, the geographical implications are even wilder. Okkoto is the lord of Kyushu, a completely different island. How did they meet and fall in love across such massive distances?

Okkoto | Voiced by: Keith David

Okkoto’s Basic Information

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An ancient, blind, 500-year-old boar god who leads his massive clan across the ocean from Kyushu (Chinzei) to the Forest of the Forest Spirit.

The fact that he migrated his entire civilization, declaring, “Even if my entire clan is destroyed, I will make the humans pay,” heavily implies that the boars had already suffered a catastrophic, absolute defeat against human industrialization back in Kyushu.

Furthermore, given his furious reaction to Nago’s defeat, it is established in the lore that the boars view themselves as the ultimate, prideful “protectors of the mountain.” They cannot fathom the humiliation of running away or succumbing to a curse.

● The Tragic Foil to Ashitaka

As mentioned, Okkoto and Moro were once lovers. But since Okkoto was the Lord of Kyushu, how did that happen?

While this is purely speculative, I imagine a scenario where:

If this backstory holds true, it means Okkoto’s life trajectory is the exact, tragic opposite of Ashitaka’s.

Ashitaka tragically lost the life he was supposed to share with Kaya, was exiled from his throne, and eventually found new love with San in the Forest of the Forest Spirit. Conversely, Okkoto enjoyed the life he was supposed to have, ruled his kingdom, likely raised a family, and only returned to see his old flame, Moro, at the very end of his life.

In a dark, ironic way, Ashitaka had every right to be incredibly jealous of the life Okkoto got to live.

Forest Spirit (Night-Walker)

Forest Spirit’s Basic Information

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The supreme deity residing in the “Forest of the Forest Spirit.” Its physical design is an unsettling chimera: it possesses an endless array of tree-like antlers, a distinctly primate (human) face, and the muscular body of a beast. Visually, it is the literal embodiment of all biological life synthesized into one creature.

It possesses the terrifying, transcendent power to instantly give and take life.

Ashitaka travels across the country praying the god will lift his curse, but the Forest Spirit merely heals his physical wound, leaving the terminal curse intact to run its course.

Simultaneously, the Emperor desperately seeks the god’s head, believing the blood grants absolute immortality. Jigo orchestrates the hunt, and Lady Eboshi acts as the executioner.

Every night, the god undergoes a massive metamorphosis, transforming into the colossal, translucent “Night-Walker” (Didarabotchi). Director Miyazaki designed the Night-Walker to represent the primal terror of “the night itself,” its gelatinous body mimicking the slow, creeping movement of the night sky.

Jigo | Voiced by: Billy Bob Thornton

Jigo’s Basic Information

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The opportunistic, seemingly jovial mercenary monk who first points Ashitaka toward the “Forest of the Forest Spirit” after seeing the iron bullet.

While Jigo effectively acts as the film’s main antagonist by orchestrating the deicide, strictly from Ashitaka’s perspective, Jigo is the man who inadvertently saved his life. By pointing him west, Jigo provided Ashitaka with the opportunity to find a new home in Irontown and meet the love of his life, San.

However, we must recognize Jigo’s incredible, ruthless cunning. From the very moment he laid eyes on the cursed prince and the iron bullet, Jigo instantly deduced the entire geopolitical situation. He intentionally withheld vital intelligence, giving Ashitaka just enough breadcrumbs to manipulate him into walking into a warzone.

● Lore Detail: The Mysterious “Shishō-ren” Organization

Jigo is a high-ranking operative in a mysterious, shadowy organization known as the “Shishō-ren.” The members display superhuman agility and combat skills. Because Jigo is hunting the Forest Spirit under direct imperial orders, it is heavily implied that the Shishō-ren is an elite black-ops unit directly controlled by the Emperor.

Fascinatingly, in the documentary How Princess Mononoke Was Born, early concept art shows members of the Shishō-ren carrying a Ming Dynasty monk in a palanquin.

This suggests Miyazaki’s original concept for the organization was that it was a foreign, imported intelligence agency operating within Japan.

Kohroku | Voiced by: John DeMita

Kohroku’s Basic Information

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The slightly cowardly, deeply relatable ox-driver who is knocked off a cliff during Moro’s ambush at the beginning of the story. Ashitaka miraculously discovers him in the riverbed and risks his life to carry him through the forbidden forest.

Because Ashitaka returned this beloved (if pathetic) husband alive, the fiercely protective working class of Irontown immediately embraces Ashitaka as a hero.

When Ashitaka ultimately decides to permanently settle in Irontown at the end of the film, it is highly likely that Kohroku and the cattlemen enthusiastically welcomed him into their ranks.

Gonza | Voiced by: John DiMaggio

Gonza’s Basic Information

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Lady Eboshi’s heavily armed, fiercely loyal bodyguard. Despite his hulking size and permanent scowl, Gonza functions primarily as the film’s comic relief. Because the movie is so oppressively tense and violent, the audience inherently feels a wave of relief whenever Gonza bursts into a room to yell about something trivial.

According to the lore, Gonza has served Eboshi since her horrific days as a captive of the Wakō pirates. He likely aided in her bloody escape, proving he is a man of absolute, unwavering loyalty.

Given his massive nodachi (greatsword) and posturing, he is likely a highly skilled swordsman. It is a slight shame the movie never gives him a moment to genuinely showcase his combat prowess without being immediately humiliated by Ashitaka or San.

Toki | Voiced by: Jada Pinkett Smith

Toki’s Basic Information

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Kohroku’s fearless, sharp-tongued wife and the foreman of the women’s bellows operation. Whether it is her natural temperament or a necessity for surviving in the matriarchal hierarchy of Irontown, Toki perfectly embodies the archetype of the “fierce, working-class mother.”

During the samurai siege in the climax, Toki assumes absolute tactical command of the civilian defense forces, proving she is a brilliant and inspirational leader under fire.

Wolf Clan | Voiced by: (N/A)

Wolf Clan’s Basic Information

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Moro’s biological children, who operate as San’s fiercely loyal, fiercely lethal brothers.

They are significantly smaller than their mother. It is never definitively explained if their reduced size is a manifestation of Okkoto’s depressing theory that “the animal gods are getting smaller and dumber with each generation,” or if they are simply teenagers who will eventually grow into 300-year-old giants. Personally, I suspect this is their maximum adult size, symbolizing the waning magic of the world.

The most iconic, hilarious moment for the pups is when one of them casually turns to Moro and asks regarding Ashitaka: “Can I eat him?”

When I saw the film in theaters as an older kid, I merely chuckled, but the younger children in the audience absolutely roared with laughter. It perfectly highlights Miyazaki’s genius: when he wants to break the tension and make the audience laugh, his comedic timing is flawless.

Hii-sama | Voiced by: Debi Derryberry

Hii-sama’s Basic Information

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The mystical oracle and de facto political leader of Ashitaka’s hidden Emishi village.

Despite her gentle, grandmotherly demeanor, she acts as the absolute enforcer of tribal law. She is the one who officially pronounces Ashitaka’s social death and orders him to permanently “leave the village.”

There is a highly suspicious, subtle detail regarding the opening attack sequence. When the Demon first emerges from the forest, both Hii-sama and the old watchman in the tower immediately recognize exactly what it is.

The watchman reacts instantly, explicitly identifying the writhing mass as a Tatarigami. His lack of confusion heavily implies he has witnessed this specific horror before.

Does this suggest the Emishi village has survived previous demonic attacks? Has the corruption of the western gods been spilling into the east for decades?

While this is purely speculative lore, the implication adds a terrifying historical depth to their isolation.

Nago | Voiced by: John DiMaggio

Nago’s Basic Information

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The horrific Demon (Tatarigami) that attacks Ashitaka’s village. Beneath the rotting, worm-like corruption, Nago was originally a noble mountain god and the leader of the boar clan in the Forest of the Forest Spirit.

The catalyst for his corruption was Lady Eboshi. During a battle over the forest, she shot him with an iron bullet. Based on the arrogant philosophy of Okkoto’s clan, for a proud boar god, “running away” is a fate vastly more humiliating than death.

The crushing humiliation of defeat, the agony of the burning iron lodged in his bones, and the raw terror of death fundamentally broke Nago’s mind, mutating his noble spirit into a monstrous curse.

As Eboshi clinically notes later in the film, a rational being would have directed its hatred at her and attacked Irontown. Instead, the maddened Nago fled aimlessly eastward, spreading his radioactive hatred toward “humanity itself” (likely annihilating several unseen villages along his path).

This illustrates the film’s core thesis: “Hatred is fundamentally unreasonable.” When a person is consumed by pure hatred, they lose all logical focus, thrashing wildly and destroying innocent bystanders in the process.

Ashitaka intimately understood this psychological decay. This is precisely why he fought so desperately to control the demonic anger festering in his own arm. He knew that if he surrendered to the rage, he would mutate into a mindless Demon and inevitably slaughter the innocent people of Irontown.

Once again, San’s presence was the absolute “gospel” that anchored Ashitaka’s humanity and prevented his total corruption.

Head Ox-Driver | Voiced by: John Hostetter

Head Ox-Driver’s Basic Information

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The rugged, dependable foreman in charge of Irontown’s vulnerable transport caravans. Despite his intimidating, battle-scarred appearance, he is deeply compassionate and fiercely protective of his men. He instantly embraces Ashitaka as a brother after learning the prince rescued his men from the riverbed.

Leader of the Lepers | Voiced by: (N/A)

Leader of the Lepers’ Basic Information

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A bedridden patient residing in Lady Eboshi’s “secret garden.” He acts as the spiritual leader for the group of outcasts who meticulously design and manufacture Eboshi’s advanced firearms while suffering from a flesh-rotting disease.

He delivers one of the most poignant monologues in the film, explaining that Eboshi was the only human who didn’t view them as cursed monsters. She actively took them in, washed their rotting bodies with her own hands, and gave them a purpose. For these absolute outcasts, Eboshi isn’t just a boss; she is a living savior.

While they are physically isolated from the general population of Irontown, the healthy citizens do not appear to harbor any deep-seated prejudice against them. During the chaotic samurai siege, Toki is shown interacting with the lepers as equal comrades-in-arms, highlighting the radical, progressive equality Eboshi built within her walls.

In a deeply moving, subtle detail during the film’s climax, the blast of the dying Forest Spirit miraculously cures their horrific illness.

It is the most profoundly joyful moment in an otherwise brutal narrative. The fact that the film does not dwell heavily on this miracle is likely a cynical acknowledgment by Miyazaki that, in the real world, society has yet to find a cure for systemic “illnesses” and prejudice.

Kiyo | Voiced by: (N/A)

Kiyo’s Basic Information

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You likely do not recognize the name “Kiyo,” but she plays a massive role in the plot: she is the terrified village woman who accidentally shoots Ashitaka straight through the chest with a hand cannon as he carries San out of the gates.

Jibashiri | Voiced by: (N/A)

Jibashiri’s Basic Information

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The elite, terrifying trackers employed by Jigo to hunt the animal gods. They wear the flayed skins of dead animals and smear themselves with fresh blood to mask their human scent from the highly sensitive noses of the forest deities.

Despite their brutal, blasphemous profession of hunting gods, they retain a deeply ingrained, superstitious piety. When the Forest Spirit finally appears, the Jibashiri scramble to cover their eyes, warning, “If you look directly at the Forest Spirit, you will go blind!”

While it seems highly hypocritical to fear the god you are actively trying to murder, it perfectly mirrors the psychology of ancient, real-world hunters who would offer fervent, terrified prayers to the mountain gods before slaughtering their prey. They operate on a strict, terrifying code of natural laws.

Additionally, their physical agility—sprinting up sheer cliffs and leaping through the canopy while wearing heavy, rotting boar skins—is absolutely superhuman. I would love to see a modern parkour athlete attempt to replicate their movements!

The images used in this article are from Studio Ghibli Works Still Images.