In the movie adaptation ofHowl’s Moving Castle, Howl is depicted with shoulder-length, straight flaxen blonde hair, striking light blue eyes, and a fair complexion. He possesses a tall and slender build, adding to his overall charm. Throughout the film, his hair undergoes several transformations—initially, it is bright blonde, but after Sophie Hatter inadvertently switches his hair potions while cleaning his bathroom, it changes to a vibrant ginger and eventually deep raven black. Howl’s humorous reaction to these changes includes summoning shadows and enveloping himself in a comical green slime.

In the original novel, Howl’s appearance is less defined, described as having “marble-like” green eyes, while the true color of his hair remains ambiguous. Calcifer, the fire demon, humorously notes that Howl is “very vain, for a plain-looking man with mud-colored hair,” implying that his attractiveness is significantly enhanced by charms and makeup. His charming personality is a crucial part of his allure, with his friends, Michael and Calcifer, joking that the day Howl spends less than an hour in the bathroom will be the day he is genuinely in love—a prediction that later proves accurate.

Howl favors flamboyant and elaborate suits, insisting that “no one’s going to employ a wizard who looks like he can’t make money at the trade.” While he often dons a silver and blue ensemble, he later favors a grey and scarlet suit, which he initially wore in mourning for his mentor, Mrs. Pentstemmon. Sophie inadvertently infuses magic into this suit by giving it life with her words, dubbing it “built to pull in the girls.” His hair is dyed various colors throughout the story—beginning as blonde, then shifting to a pinkish-red due to Sophie’s mishap, and finally settling on a bluish-black, a hue most agree complements his striking green eyes. After reclaiming his heart, his eyes transform, appearing more vibrant and less marble-like.

Beneath his charming exterior, Howl possesses a kind and generous spirit. He opens his home to Michael and Sophie and shows forgiveness for their missteps. His compassion is highlighted by his past act of giving his heart to Calcifer when the fire demon was a dying star. However, his admirable traits are often overshadowed by his cowardice and self-absorption. Howl dislikes confrontation, often trying to “slither out” of uncomfortable situations and avoids being tied down by commitments.

His personality also carries a childlike quality; he craves attention and can resort to throwing tantrums when he doesn’t receive it. Despite this self-centeredness, he is fundamentally kind-hearted. Howl often rationalizes his cowardice by telling himself he is merely fleeing from danger. He enjoys teasing Sophie and frequently employs subterfuge in his affections, notably pretending to be enamored with Lettie to elicit jealousy from Sophie.

Howl’s reputation as a heartbreaker stems from his pursuit of romantic conquests—he becomes obsessed with winning a girl’s affection, but once she reciprocates, he quickly loses interest. This behavior contributes to the folklore surrounding him, where spurned lovers’ relatives accuse him of “eating hearts.” The Witch of the Waste curses him in part because of her own feelings of betrayal.

Financially, Howl is careless, often overcharging the wealthy while underpricing the poor, and is known for extravagant spending. It is suggested that giving Calcifer his heart diminished Howl’s humanity, as evidenced by the Witch of the Waste, who has held her fire demon for much longer than Howl. This loss of humanity is echoed by Madame Pentstemmon’s warning to Sophie that Howl is “going to the bad.”

Early Life

A glimpse of Howl as a child, with a playful spirit.

Howl Jenkins was born into an unremarkable family in modern-day Wales, but he was anything but ordinary. From a young age, he exhibited a remarkable talent for magic, immersing himself in the study of spells and charms. Even during his college years, he focused his thesis on magical practices and became part of a community of gifted magicians.

In Wales, Howl was notorious for his romantic escapades; he often dated girls only to abruptly end the relationships. One fateful evening, while trying to evade three irate rugby players whose sister he had jilted, Howl cast a spell that opened a portal to the enchanting land of Ingary. This accidental journey marked the beginning of his new life as he nearly settled there permanently.

Howl quickly became a student of Mrs. Pentstemmon (known as Madame Suliman in the film), who was both his mentor and one of his grea supporters. His innate magical abilities flourished under her guidance, positioning him as one of the most powerful wizards in Ingary, on par with the infamous Witch of the Waste. In this new land, Howl adopted several monikers: he was referred to as Wizard Howl in Market Chipping, “Wizard Pendragon” in the capital, Kingsbury, and “Jenkins the Sorcerer” in the lower-class town of Porthaven.

One night, while wandering the Porthaven Marshes, Howl encountered a Falling Star named Calcifer. Moved by the star’s plight, he formed a pact by giving Calcifer his heart, binding their fates together and significantly enhancing his own magical abilities. After this pivotal moment, Howl abandoned his apprenticeship, opting for a reclusive life. He dyed his hair, invested extravagantly in clothing and makeup, and spent his days courting young women, only to abandon them once they fell for him.

During this solitary period, Howl found a young boy named Michael Fisher asleep on his doorstep. Impressed by Calcifer’s fondness for Michael, Howl took him in. Though he never formally invited Michael to stay, he welcomed him into the castle, eventually mentoring him as his apprentice. During this time, Howl also courted the Witch of the Waste but ultimately jilted her as well, leading to a curse that would haunt him. Though he occasionally performed tasks for the King’s army, he preferred to avoid direct involvement with them whenever possible.

At one point, Diodora Astaroth orchestrated a scheme to manipulate Asia into healing him, a Devil. This deception resulted in her being cast out from the Church, with the public labeling her a “witch.” Left with nowhere to turn, Asia found herself relying on the Fallen Angels for support.