Prince Ashitaka: A Character Analysis

Introduction

Hello hello 👋

Have you guys ever seen the movie Princess Mononoke, directed by Hayao Miyazaki?

If you haven't... you should definitely go watch that movie, especially before reading this, as this analysis will contain spoilers.

This movie is so good. It's one of my favorites, and a big reason why is because of the protagonist of this movie, Prince Ashitaka.

While this analysis will mostly be focused on the protagonist of this film, Ashitaka's interactions with other characters throughout are part of what define him. So, I will not only be touching on Ashitaka, but also some of the other characters he interacts with in the film as well.

I'll also be touching on certain patterns/tropes in other films as well that make this movie, and particularly this character, stand out so much to me. This isn't to say that these tropes are bad or anything. In fact, the opposite is often true. These tropes are "tropes" for a reason. They're often tried and true methods that keep audiences engaged, and for good reason. I bring this up just as a way to point out how unique this film is with the way it delivers its story.

With all of that said, let's begin. Before I dig into Ashitaka himself, I'm going to discuss the idea of stagnant versus dynamic characters.