Ashitaka
Ashitaka |
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| Japanese Name: | アシタカ (Ashitaka) |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 17 years[ |
| Gender: | Male |
| First Appearance: | Princess Mononoke |
| Role: | Main character |
| Voice actor (Japanese): | Yoji Matsuda |
| Voice actor (Disney): | Billy Crudup |
Appearance
Ashitaka’s full appearance.
At the start of Princess Mononoke, Ashitaka is introduced as a striking young man with long hair styled in a bun. However, he cuts his hair after being instructed to leave his village, opting for a layered cut with wild bangs that graze his eyebrows. His hair is a rich dark brown, complemented by his greyish-brown eyes.
His attire includes a blue tunic paired with light peach-white trousers, along with brown leg warmers and fabric shoes. To shield his face, he wears blue arm sleeves and a striking red-orange hood. For a brief period in the film, he is seen donning a cloak made from hay. A notable accessory is his fiancée’s crystal dagger, which he carries until he passes it on to San. Notably, after San attacks Irontown, Ashitaka bears a slash scar on his left cheek from her dagger.
Additionally, Ashitaka’s curse often appears as a glowing purple and black aura on his right arm, representing his anger and the anger of those around him. This aura can cause his muscle mass to temporarily swell, accompanied by intense pain. Its appearance closely resembles the demon curse that initially afflicted him.
Personality
Ashitaka embodies a steadfast and resolute nature, relentlessly pursuing his goals despite the challenges he faces in curing his curse and protecting his village, as well as those in peril. His curiosity drives him to learn more about San, particularly after witnessing her extract venom from one of the wolves. Beneath his tough exterior, Ashitaka possesses a deep kindness and strives for the best possible outcomes for both sides in conflict. He desires to avoid bloodshed and seeks harmony between humanity and the natural world.
His commitment to peace is evident throughout Princess Mononoke. A notable instance is when he intervenes in the battle between San and Lady Eboshi. Despite being attacked by both, he initially attempts to persuade them that their hatred is clouding their judgment. When their aggression continues, he responds with non-lethal force, emphasizing his preference for resolution over violence.
Furthermore, when Ashitaka declares his intention to leave with “the wolf girl,” he is shot in the back by a villager. Remarkably, he chooses to move forward without retaliating, showcasing his reluctance to engage in actions that would perpetuate violence.
Additionally, Ashitaka recognizes San’s inner beauty, impulsively telling her that she is “beautiful” at one point, reflecting his ability to see the good in others.
Story
Nago Attacks the Village
Princess Mononoke begins with Ashitaka riding toward the lookout tower of Emishi Village, informing everyone he encounters that the village wisewoman, Hii-sama, has ordered everyone indoors. Upon reaching the watchtower, he asks the watchman, Ji, if he sees anything unusual. Ji points into the forest, where something is moving in the underbrush. It turns out to be a demon, initially appearing as a mass of purple worms, that causes everything it touches to wither and die. As it approaches the watchtower and the village, it crashes into the tower, sending it tumbling down a steep hill. Ashitaka and Ji manage to escape, and Ashitaka mounts his loyal elk, Yakul, to intercept the demon before it can reach the village.
He confronts the creature, attempting to reason with it, but it does not heed his words. Left with no other choice, Ashitaka shoots an arrow at the demon, striking its eye. Infuriated, the creature lashes out, and several worms attach themselves to Ashitaka’s arm. He then fires another arrow, hitting the second eye, causing the boar demon to collapse, motionless.
The wisewoman and several villagers arrive at the scene. They help Ashitaka dismount from Yakul, revealing a large, irregularly patterned purple scar on his forearm from the demon’s contact. As the villagers tend to his wound, the wisewoman speaks to the dying boar, promising it proper burial rites and imploring it not to hold any ill will against them. The boar, however, dies after declaring that humans are pathetic and predicting that they will one day suffer as it has.
Ashitaka Heads West
That night, Ashitaka meets with the village elders. Hii-sama uses magical stones to read his future and informs him that his wound is a curse that will grow, inflict great pain, and ultimately lead to his death, with no way to prevent it. Some elders express reluctance to send away their last prince. Hii-sama urges Ashitaka to confront his fate and presents him with an iron ball found inside the boar’s body, the source of his suffering and what transformed it into a demon. She encourages him to ride east to uncover the truth behind the iron ball and to see with “eyes unclouded,” ensuring that what happened to the boar does not happen again. Ashitaka agrees and cuts his hair before preparing to leave.
Despite the village’s laws against it, Kaya, Ashitaka’s bride-elect (or sister in the English dub), comes to say goodbye and gifts him her crystal dagger. Ashitaka promises he will never forget her and sets off on Yakul, with Kaya watching him leave from the village gate.
On his journey, he encounters samurai attacking innocent people, and as he fires his arrows, the curse on his arm intensifies, resulting in the deaths of two men. He then visits a town to buy rice, where a woman accuses him of theft for using a gold nugget as payment. He meets a monk named Jigo, who helps him negotiate the price and accompanies him to a devastated village to rest and eat. Ashitaka shares the story of the boar and shows Jigo the iron ball, which Jigo admits he has never seen before. Ashitaka continues on his journey, eventually finding two men by a river.
The Forbidden Forest
After rescuing the men from a waterfall, Ashitaka searches for other injured individuals and discovers an injured wolf. Soon, two more wolves appear, along with a girl who removes the poisoned blood from the wolf. The girl notices Ashitaka but does not confront him. Mistaking her for the forest spirit, Ashitaka introduces himself. However, after hearing a scream from the men he rescued, he decides to return them home. With the help of the Kodama, they reach the forbidden forest, an area that humans are forbidden to enter.
Ashitaka decides to take a break to gather water for one of the injured men and notices a wolf paw print on the grass, realizing that the wolf girl lives in the forest. He sees more prints in the water, indicating recent activity. As he observes, he spots a herd of moose-like creatures, one of which looks different. Eager for a closer look, he feels the effects of his cursed arm and quickly submerges it in the water, unable to remove his sleeve. After the pain subsides, the herd disappears, and when he asks the man if he noticed anything unusual, he replies that he did not.
Arriving in Irontown
Eventually, Ashitaka and the two injured men arrive at Irontown. Not wanting anyone to recognize him initially, he arrives by boat, where he is greeted by Gonza. Workers assist in taking Kohroku, an ox driver among the injured, to receive care. Kohroku’s wife, Toki, is relieved to see him but upset that his injuries will prevent him from working. Lady Eboshi, the leader of Irontown, welcomes Kohroku back. As the men treat Ashitaka like family, the women invite him to see their work. During a conversation about the demon boar god Nago, Ashitaka feels a sense that Nago was the creature that attacked his village. When he reveals his cursed arm to Eboshi, she admits her involvement in cursing Nago.
San Attacks Irontown
That same night, San launches a surprise attack on Irontown. Due to her agility, the guards are unable to catch her as she seeks out Eboshi. Ashitaka intervenes to save San from three gunmen, but she is knocked unconscious by two women, one named Kiyo and the other unnamed, whose husbands had been killed by her wolves. Ashitaka revives San, only to receive a cut on his face from her dagger. Using his abilities, he prevents San from attacking Eboshi and reveals the truth about his curse. Stunned by Ashitaka’s presence, both Eboshi and San hesitate, and he decides to leave with San. Kiyo aims her gun at Ashitaka, torn between anger and reluctance, but in a moment of distraction, her gun accidentally fires, wounding Ashitaka in the abdomen. To everyone’s astonishment, he does not succumb to the injury, likely due to the power of his curse.
As they reach the gate, San’s wolves come to escort her back. Ashitaka assures them she is safe and declares he will accompany them. His final words to the people of Irontown are a simple, “You have my thanks.”
As Ashitaka departs with San, his injury worsens from exertion, causing him to fall off Yakul. San awakens to find her wolves attacking Ashitaka. After ordering them to stand down, she expresses her anger, contemplating killing him for saving Eboshi. In an unexpected moment, Ashitaka tells her she is “beautiful.” The Ape Tribe arrives, demanding Ashitaka be handed over. San’s brothers fend them off, insisting they return home. San then takes Ashitaka to meet the Forest Spirit, who heals him. Upon waking, he is joined by Yakul and San, who feeds him meat. Moro and her sons confront the boars, expressing their outrage over the presence of humans and accusing them of driving Nago away. Okkoto then appears, and Ashitaka displays his curse as proof of the demon Nago’s influence. Moro’s clan then leads Ashitaka to their home.
Finale
Moro tells Ashitaka that he has no place in San’s life and that he must leave by morning, threatening to kill him if he ever returns. Before departing, Ashitaka gives Kaya’s crystal dagger to one of Moro’s pups, hoping it will reach San should she face danger. He soon finds San being consumed by Okkoto’s demon form. Ashitaka and Moro rescue San, pulling her into a lake to revive her. Lady Eboshi appears on the opposite bank with a gun, aiming to behead the Forest Spirit to fulfill her deal with Jigo. Ashitaka attempts to stop her by throwing his sword into her rifle, but she succeeds, severing the head and handing it over to Jigo and his men.
As the Forest Spirit goes on a rampage in search of its head, Ashitaka and San rush to warn the people of Irontown about the impending destruction. They catch up with Jigo, and after a brief struggle, they retrieve the head from a crate and return it to the Forest Spirit. With the dawn breaking, the Forest Spirit dissipates, and Ashitaka’s curse is lifted, while the lepers of Irontown are cured. However, Irontown and the surrounding land are now overgrown with foliage. In the end, San and Ashitaka part ways, as she cannot forgive the humans for their actions. Ashitaka understands her feelings and promises to visit her in the forest whenever he can, as he will be involved in rebuilding Irontown and will always be nearby.
Mei Kusakabe, born in Tokyo in May 1954, is Satsuki’s spirited and sometimes mischievous little sister. She’s first seen aboard the moving van with her sister and their father, Tatsuo, as they journey to their new home in the countryside, where the fresh air will benefit their ailing mother, Yasuko, who is recovering in a nearby hospital. Along the way, Mei enjoys her favorite caramel snack as they pass rice fields and approach their new house nestled under a giant camphor tree. Filled with excitement, Mei eagerly explores her surroundings, welcoming the mysterious spirits within. Granny, the kind caretaker of their home, immediately warms to Mei, telling her stories of the spirits she once encountered in her own childhood.
One day, Mei encounters a small, mysterious creature—one of the Totoros—and curiously chases after it. The tiny creature leads her through a hidden path to the massive roots of the camphor tree, where she stumbles upon Totoro, the gentle and magical forest spirit. Far from frightened, Mei is in awe of the large creature, even as it lets out a huge yawn. “Ta, ta, ra…” Mei murmurs, trying to find words. Totoro responds with a deep, rumbling “Buha, buha!” Overjoyed, Mei finally declares, “To, to, ro!”—and from then on, she is convinced the creature is called a Totoro.
Mei holds a deep affection for her mother, and her longing for Yasuko’s return grows when she learns her mother’s stay at the hospital will be extended. Frustrated and disappointed, Mei quarrels with Satsuki, eventually deciding to take matters into her own hands. Determined to visit her mother, she sets off alone toward the hospital but soon loses her way. The entire community, along with Satsuki, Kanta, and even the magical Catbus, join forces to locate her, and thanks to their efforts (and a little help from Totoro), Mei is found safe and sound.
Relationships
Ashitaka and San
San
Ashitaka shares a profound connection with San, viewing her as both a friend and a romantic partner. Their relationship evolves throughout the film as they navigate the complexities of their worlds, ultimately finding common ground in their desire for peace and understanding.
Kaya
Kaya is introduced as Ashitaka’s former bride-elect. In the English dub, their relationship is presented with a sibling-like bond, highlighting the close ties and deep respect they share, despite the changes in Ashitaka’s life journey.