Studio Ghibli’s catalog is filled with fantasy features set, at least partly, in magical realms. Such circumstances force the doe-eyed, heart-tugging heroes showcased in their films to face trials of bravery. Their triumphs are powerful displays in their own right, but so are the magical feats that often follow their admirable actions.

Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli has been at the forefront of storytelling and animation ever since its inception, often serving as a guiding light in anime and the animation industry. Since its inaugural effort with Castle in the Sky up through The Boy and the Heron, most recently, Studio Ghibli has remained an enduring fan-favorite film studio, providing film and anime buffs with a gallery of fully realized, emotionally complex heroes. Whether it be boisterous bovines like the titular Porco Rosso or fan-favorite fish-folk like Ponyo, Studio Ghibli has no shortage of powerful protagonists for audiences to admire and believe in.

10 Kiki’s Most Magical Display Is Her Emotional Perseverance

Kiki’s Delivery Service is available to stream on Max

Fantasy heroes taking down powerhouse antagonists is an old anime staple. Kiki’s Delivery Service‘s titular magical hero is pitted against something surprisingly plain in comparison to her Ghibli counterparts — loneliness. Despite Kiki’s buoyant personality and her eponymous shipping agency otherwise flourishing, she is unable to overcome the emotional overwhelm of solitude, having moved to a new city at the tender age of 13. After an unfavorable day of bad weather and social anxieties, Kiki lets malaise overtake her and loses the magical connections to her witch’s broom and the ability to communicate with her best friend, her cat familiar, Jiji.

While both Jiji and the broomstick amplify her magical powers, it’s Kiki’s perseverance that makes her a powerful Ghibli protagonist. In losing her magical totems — the very things that make Kiki a witch and an effective deliverer — both Kiki’s powers and story arc become anchored in familiar, human stakes. Her world is steeped in fantasy, but Kiki’s battle to overcome sadness makes her a poignant audience analog. At the film’s end, Kiki takes a leap of faith and reunites with her magic to save the day. However, it’s not her spellcasting and flying broom but her self-belief in the face of despair that is Kiki’s most powerful and inspiring display.

9 Porco Rosso Soars With Steadfast Positivity

Porco Rosso is available to stream on Max

Porco Rosso‘s titular character is not the average fighter pilot. Porco has a unique blend of guts and charisma — put plainly, he is a really cool cat who’s a pig. Being cursed with a pig’s face while at war against fascist forces would be a cause for complaining, but Porco defies these circumstances, not only through his dazzling dogfight displays but with perspective.

I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.

By remaining steady in his leadership and perfecting his warplane prowess despite his cursed appearance, Porco becomes a beacon of hope among his community and crew, an invaluable resource during wartime. With Studio Ghibli’s pantheon of primary players so often morose or emotionally overwhelmed by the plot they’re in, Porco Rosso stands out among his Studio Ghibli peers. Not only can he put on a brave face amid tribulations, but his genial approach galvanizes his surrounding crew, making him an undeniably powerful leader and protagonist.

8 Ashitaka Gracefully Bears the Burden of Princedom

Princess Mononoke is available to stream on Max

At the start of Princess Mononoke, Ashitaka is his village’s only hope against the evil boar God Nago. Ashitaka successfully vanquishes the boar, but his victory comes at a demonic, cancerous cost. Blessed with Nago’s power but cursed to certain death due to what his villagers call “The Demon Arm,” Ashitaka nevertheless thrusts himself into the center of conflict between man and nature as a defender and peace broker for nature and its marginalized peoples.

Ashitaka is driven by his love and responsibility for his people as a Prince. His perspective dictates how he uses his enhanced abilities and treats people outside his jurisdiction. Armed with palpable strength, speed, expert marksmanship and an undeniable moral compass, Ashitaka stands out among other powerful Ghibli protagonists.

7 The Boy and The Heron’s Titular Hero Defies Human Tragedy

Released December 8, 2023, still in select theaters. Coming to Max in 2024.

Content Warning: This entry mentions self-harm.

The Boy and the Heron‘s hero, Mahito Maki, is arguably Ghibli’s most definitively and literally damaged protagonist, with audiences playing witness to both his brutal self-harm and his eventual evolution into a cunning navigator of a spirit dimension. Perseverance is as much a throughline in Studio Ghibli heroes as their otherworldly settings, and Mahito is no exception. When he gets roped into a conflict of cosmic proportion, Mahito answers the call to action like any powerful protagonist would.

What starts as a call to investigate his deceased mother’s whereabouts evolves into a reevaluation of Mahito’s understanding of grief, justice and destiny. When Mahito learns the Wizard intends to name him as his successor as a purveyor of universal balance, Mahito asserts himself among tenured leaders despite his young age and inexperience. Mahito’s decision to deny responsibility imparted to him by the Wizard highlights his emotional growth. His ability to carry an otherworldly totem at the film’s end also implies a magical evolution.

6 Sheeta Set the Stage for All Ghibli Protagonists

Castle in the Sky is available to stream on Max

Castle in the Sky is Studio Ghibli’s first film, making it the first instance of the magical leading lady trope that Studio Ghibli would pioneer. In Castle in the Sky, Sheeta is the protagonist and subsequent trailblazer of what has remained an undying anime genre staple. Aided by a powerful, mysterious amulet, orphan Sheeta ascends literally and figuratively to new heights as she unravels the mystery of her royal heritage.

Castle in the Sky uses many story beats to establish Sheeta’s gumption and cunningness in the face of danger. Famously, in Castle in the Sky‘s opening scene, Sheeta is shown outsmarting many a pirate and continues to do so with great success throughout her hero’s journey. That said, Sheeta’s skillset isn’t all hijinks and outsmarting brutes. Sheeta proves herself to be a powerful spellcaster at the film’s conclusion, harnessing the magical properties of her mythical homeworld to cast the Spell of Destruction, defeating the villainous Muska.

5 Howl Demonstrates Strength Through Magical Sacrifice

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Howl Jenkins Pendragon of Howl’s Moving Castle trades his heart to the adorable yet demonic Calcifur. While the pact bolsters his abilities as a Wizard, his life and humanity are constantly at risk. In Howl’s Moving Castle, having no heart means being devoid of emotion and compassion, causing the eponymous spellcaster to isolate and wander perpetually. This all changes when a burgeoning love for the human Sophie begins to coax Howl back toward humanity.

Howl’s magical prowess is on display from the film’s get-go, but he sits the climax out alongside Calcifur, ever entwined. Left to fight alone, Sophie emboldens herself with the power of her and Howl’s love to defeat the Witch of the Waste and save the day. Howl’s heart is healed by learning the capacity to love, and his magic is subsequently gone. Howl leaves wizarding and his ominous reputation behind for a life with Sophie. By walking away from his magical life, Howl demonstrates how the sacrifice of great power can yield great results, making him both one of Studio Ghibli’s most revered love interests and strong protagonists.

4 San Is the Blessed and Blood-Thirsty Step-Daughter of a Deity

Princess Mononoke is available to stream on Max

Unlike Castlein the Sky‘s Sheeta, orphan San’s parents of origin were not of any magical consequence. Adopted by a forest god, San is perfectly content to serve as the forest’s vigilant protector. San’s loyalty often errs in savagery, but after encountering Ashitaka, she fights more mindfully to negotiate peace between industry and nature.

Even though San is not a direct descendant of the gods, she appears to have been bestowed otherworldly abilities all the same. San is a fierce combatant with potent, albeit undefined, superhuman strength and pain tolerance that other Ghibli protagonists don’t possess. Folks can turn a cheek to San’s iconic blood-soaked visage, but being reared by forest gods makes her power undeniable.

3 Haku’s God-Tier Power Is Outmatched Only By His Morals

Spirited Away is available to stream on Max

Spirited Away follows the young Chihiro’s misadventures, lost in a spirit realm and at the whim of the chaotic yokai occupants. Throughout Chihiro’s Alice in Wonderland-esque journey, the Miyazaki classic deploys Haku akin to Howl in Howl’s Moving Castle. Despite helping Chihiro, his quiet nature and unclear motives create mistrust between them, with Chihiro understandably on edge while in another world. When Chihiro learns that the dreaded witch Yubaba had been controlling Haku — now revealed to be the disguised Kohakunushi Nigihayami, the dragon god of the Kohaku River — his enigmatic, sometimes contradictory behavior is contextualized along with his moral fortitude.

Like Howl, Haku can show mercy to his paramour despite being indentured by magical means but is otherwise more powerful than the titular Moving Castle owner. In addition to his ability to shapeshift and take flight in his proper dragon form, Haku sports a suite of supernatural skills, including force field manifestation, telepathy and command over the water elements, among others. Haku’s power set is demonstrative of his deity status. Still, in recognizing Chihiro’s helplessness, defying Yubaba by intervening and spiriting Chihuri back to her homeworld, Haku displays his greatest strength: a sense of mercy and pity rarely found in gods.

2 Princess Kaguya Successfully Navigates Super-Powered Self-Realization

The Tale of the Princess Kayuga is available to stream on Max

Based on the 10th-century Japanese classic The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Isao Takahata’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya offers another historically-tinged anime fantasy princess in the Studio Ghibli canon. The titular Kaguya’s early era origins clearly influence more modern, iconic heroes like Superman, from being found in a glowing space cradle to being ostracized during their childhood for their unusual displays of growth.

Kaguya is the daughter of the King of the Moon, a position of broad, sweeping power. In turn, she’s immortal and god-like, bestowed with myriad abilities including but not limited to light and shadow manipulation, accelerated growth and learning skills, making her an objectively overpowered protagonist in the traditional sense. Perhaps of paramount, though, Kaguya forges her own path in defiance of her godly father and adoptive family, successfully straddling the two worlds that make her who she is on her journey of self-discovery and personal empowerment.

1 Ponyo Is the All-Purpose, Powerful Princess

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Ponyo‘s titular hero is another relatable princess protagonist from the genius mind of Hayao Miyazaki. Whether in her being burdened by a set of overprotective parents or her love — and often urgent need — for ham, audiences can see themselves in Ponyo. Despite those familiar shared life totems, Ponyo distinguishes herself from the audience and Ghibli peers, sporting a unique power set, put on gloriously animated display throughout Ponyo.

Ponyo may be the most powerful magical lead character in Miyazaki’s filmography. She has a vaster power set than many of her predecessors. She has magical manipulation abilities, super speed, weather manipulation and a magic healing lick that cures Sosuke of his injuries. Even with all this power, Ponyo chooses love and life with Sasuke in the end, proving her to be unrelentingly relatable to audiences and her Studio Ghibli protagonist peers.