Suzume is a 17-year-old girl with light skin, dark brown hair, and light brown eyes.

In her debut appearance, Suzume is seen wearing her school uniform, which consists of a white short-sleeved button-down shirt with green-striped cuffs and a breast pocket, paired with a red stringed ribbon. She wears a knee-length green skirt, black socks, and brown loafers. By the end of the film, her loafers are replaced with Souta’s boots. Suzume’s hair is typically styled in a ponytail, complemented by her signature orange and red hairpins, but she lets her hair down near the end of the film.

Suzume is also seen wearing an outfit gifted by Chika, which includes a white t-shirt tucked into khaki shorts, layered with a denim jacket. She accessorizes with her signature hairpins and wears the Key underneath her shirt. This outfit is styled with two different hairstyles: one with her hair in a half-ponytail, and the other in a low braid.

Suzume Iwato is an ambitious and determined teenage girl. She is driven by a strong sense of purpose and a willingness to face challenges head-on. Her determination often motivates her to push through difficult situations, displaying resilience and a deep sense of responsibility.

Suzume Iwato is a 17-year-old girl from Kyushu. She was born to Tsubame Iwato in Miyako, Iwate. On May 24, 2010, for her fourth birthday, her mother crafted a wooden chair as a special gift for her, marking an important memory in Suzume’s early life.

Childhood

In 2011, Suzume’s life was forever changed when her mother, Tsubame Iwato, died in the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11. After the disaster, Suzume wandered into the Ever-After, a mysterious world, after passing through a door while searching for her mother. There, she met a mysterious figure who gave her a three-legged chair, similar to the one her mother had crafted for her birthday. This figure guided Suzume back to the real world, where she was found by her aunt and adopted. Suzume and her aunt relocated to Tonami, a town in Miyazaki. Before leaving Miyako, Suzume blacked out the pages of her diary that detailed the disaster but left the page describing her encounter in the Ever-After intact. She then placed the diary in a time capsule and buried it.

On a Strange Journey

On September 25, 2023, Suzume dreams of her encounter in the Ever-After, a dream that feels strangely familiar. That same day, she meets Souta Munakata, a young man searching for a ruin. Intrigued by him, Suzume decides to join him at the ruin, where she discovers a door that leads to the same world she saw in her dream. Unable to enter the door, Suzume picks up a strange stone, which transforms into a cat and runs away. After returning to school, Suzume sees a red column rising from the ruin, although no one else can see it. Later, she finds Souta trying to close the door. After an accident, Souta saves her from falling debris and is injured. He explains that his family has a duty to travel Japan, sealing doors that connect to the Ever-After, from which dangerous beings known as the Worms are trying to escape.

A white cat appears and curses Souta, turning him into the three-legged chair. Suzume and Souta, now in his chair form, chase the cat and accidentally board a ferry to Ehime. Upon arrival, Suzume insists on accompanying Souta. In Saijo City, Suzume helps Souta close another door in a junior high school and they spend the night at an inn owned by Chika Amabe, a girl Suzume befriends. The next day, they continue their journey to Kobe, but during their trip, they help Rumi Ninomiya, a mother of two, and Suzume befriends Miki, a fellow worker at a night bar.

After tracking the cat, now named Daijin, Suzume and Souta discover a Worm emerging from a Ferris wheel’s pod in an abandoned amusement park. Suzume is tasked with sealing the door while Souta chases the cat. After some difficulty, they manage to close the door and return to the bar.

On the Road to Tokyo

The next morning, they head to Tokyo, where Daijin’s location is revealed to be there. Suzume meets Souta’s friend, Tomoya Serizawa, and witnesses a giant Worm emerging in the city. Suzume is unable to close the door in time, but Souta and Daijin manage to take control of the Worm. Daijin reveals it has passed the Keystone role to Souta and that Suzume must use him to protect Tokyo. After Souta’s sacrifice, Suzume uses the chair to defeat the Worm, but she falls from the sky, saved only by Daijin, who protects her.

Back to Miyako

After having a dream about her fourth birthday, Suzume wakes up in an underground ruin beneath the Imperial Palace, where she discovers a giant gate to Tokyo. She sees Souta as a chair, sealed in the Ever-After, but is unable to pass through. Suzume visits Souta’s grandfather in the hospital, informing him of Souta’s fate and declaring her intention to save him.

Guided by Daijin, Suzume and her aunt Tamaki embark on a journey to Suzume’s hometown in Miyako. Along the way, Suzume and her aunt experience personal growth, learning to appreciate the beauty of the world around them. Their car crashes just 20 kilometers away from their destination, forcing Tamaki to use a bicycle to carry Suzume and the two cats. At the site of her old house, Suzume digs up the time capsule containing her diary, which helps her deduce the location of the special door that can access the Ever-After.

In the Ever-After, Suzume and the cats confront the chaos of the world, now ravaged by the Worms. With Daijin’s help, Suzume rescues Souta from his chair form and vows to take his place as the Keystone. Together with the Keystones, Suzume and Souta manage to seal off the Worms, restoring the Ever-After to a peaceful state.

The Final Farewell

After the crisis is averted, Suzume sees a younger version of herself in the Ever-After, searching for her mother. Realizing that she was the mysterious figure from her childhood, Suzume gives her younger self the three-legged chair and words of encouragement, guiding her back to her timeline. Suzume and Souta leave the Ever-After and reunite with Tamaki and Tomoya. After parting ways with them, Suzume and her aunt return to their town, where Suzume is greeted by the people she met along her journey.

Months later, Suzume reunites with Souta on the same road where they first met, signifying the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

Portrayal

Suzume is voiced by actress Nanoka Hara, who was selected from an audition of over 1,700 candidates. Her role was officially announced on July 5, 2022. In the English dub, Suzume is voiced by Nichole Sakura. For her younger version, Suzume is voiced by Akari Miura in the Japanese version and Bennet Hetrick in the English dub.

The name Suzume combines two kanji:

鈴 (suzu), meaning “bell,”

芽 (me), meaning “bud” or “sprout.”

Together, Suzume can be interpreted as “bell bud” or “bell sprout,” evoking a sense of freshness and lightness.